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Match Reports

Southampton v Newcastle – Match Report

11 years ago
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Southampton 2
Newcastle 0

Sunday 25 November 3pm 

You are lulled into this false sense of security when you see so many familiar names on the teamsheet but what a shambles.

For all the talk of injuries, our starting eleven included eight of what most fans would choose in their starting team as Coloccini, Cabaye and Ben Arfa missed out and Ferguson, Williamson and Anita replaced them.

A desperate day at the south coast saw Newcastle go down 2-0 to Southampton but the sad thing is that it could have been so much worse.

The likes of Sammy Ameobi, Marveaux and Ferguson just don’t look up to the mark, while Ba and Cisse failed to retain possession and were given feeble scraps to feed on in terms of quality balls into the front men.

Jonas had one of his least effective matches ever as you questioned exactly how match fit he was after his recent injury.

The team overall just looked totally without confidence as apart from maybe Santon, not one person was willing to carry the ball, instead choosing to pass the ball (hot potato) to somebody already marked.

You might not recognise any of their players in the street but the two goals from Ramirez and Lallana only told part of the story as it could have been so much worse with the home side striking the woodwork three times.

In return, Newcastle had a header from Santon cleared off the line and a shot from Anita comfortably saved.

Not good enough and worrying times.

Today suggests that we are totally reliant on Yohan Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa for creativity, a desperate situation for a club with aspirations of repeating, or beating, last season’s fifth.

To not bring in a single striker, winger or attacking midfielder in the summer is now looking like gross negligence and we are all paying for it.

Southampton weren’t any great shakes but a fair reflection of play would probably have seen a three or four goal win for the home side. They wanted the ball more, they were braver in possession, they got more men forward…and to nobody’s surprise they were more dangerous on set-pieces.

Krul saved plenty and Tiote fought a lone battle in midfield, not a great platform to go on and win a match.

On Wednesday, Fabricio Coloccini will be available which could mean Newcastle having nine of the acknowledged first eleven available, you most definitely can’t talk about an injury crisis then.

Southampton: Gazzaniga, Clyne, Fonte, Yoshida, Shaw (Hooiveld 90), Schneiderlin, Cork, Puncheon, Lallana, Ramirez (Davis 78), Lambert (Rodriguez 76)

Newcastle: Krul, Simpson, Williamson, Steven Taylor ( Perch 90), Santon, Gutierrez, Anita (Marveaux 67), Tiote, Ferguson (Sammy Ameobi 46), Ba, Cisse

Unused Subs: Harper, Tavernier, Bigirimana, Ranger

Referee: Martin Atkinson

Crowd: 31,410 (2,019 Newcastle)

 

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