Tiredness is a factor but its what all teams had to deal with after the restart. We were out worked in the end which is credit to Leeds really. Adding better squad depth in the summer, hopefully, will help massively.
Not angry and not surprised it the game was pretty much the same as 60% of all our games this season. Play well with energy and real quality in the first half but fail to capitalise on it by poor final balls and hopeless shooting. After the break, you wouldn’t recognise it as the same team and completely loose our grip on the game. Ralph brings on three subs that war worse than the knackered players he has taken off and we completely loose our system and the game We play like Brazil in the first half and like Alan Brazil in the second It’s like Groundhog Day week in week out
I agree that Ralph brings on three subs that were worse than the knackered players, but therein lies the root of our problems. He can't bring on subs that are better or equal.
I feel I have just had the authentic Saints experience. We looked a lot more fluent than in the dog days, but no end product. Good first half, **** second. It isn’t good enough though, we need to be going toe to toe with Leeds if we don’t want to be scraping the barrel next season. Big summer ahead. Watch every other team now pull it out of the fire for their fans.
We played really well the first half Archers. Really enjoyable to watch. Second half Leeds made tactical changes, came out stronger, very determined and grabbed the game by the scruff and gradually took control. Players tired, our high press faltered and they pulled away. It showed the usual problems: too smaller squad, a system of play that is exhausting on the players and our inability to adapt to the opposition changing its tactics. We were not bad, in places we were very good and great to watch.
Adams off at HT seemed a bit wasteful unless he had a knock? Bit marginal but might have given us a little extra for 20mins?
Just got back. Great first half. Everyone put in a lot of effort. Special mention to JWP who seemed to break up nearly every Leeds play and the brick wall called Salisu who broke up the ones he missed. Salisu reminds me of a chess player. He sees the game two or three moves ahead so barely needs to even think about what he needs to do. But failing to score was always going to come back and haunt us. It was a trick play that undid us but McCarthy (or any other keeper!) should never had been beaten by such a soft goal at the near post. After that we lost that bit of energy we showed in the first half. Ralph - super confident from his excellent substitutions the other day - played the three subs we really did not need. Game changing yes; but not in a good way. Edit: I still ***** hate Leeds
Just got back. Yeah we lost but 1st half was excellent and it was just great to be back in the stands. Salisu is going to be class (yes I keep saying this but I can't help it). McCarthy had a shocker today. Should have conceded a penalty then after that was terrified to come off his line, which resulted in the opening goal. Leeds are a very good side to watch it has to be said.
In hindsight, I am not sure, maybe Minime on the right flank, but the danger came from breakaways down the right, Salisu left on his own against 3, attackers. Adams could have been replaced by Obafemi perhaps. We were beaten by the better team in the 2nd half, credit where is due.
Enjoyed that, despite the result. The atmosphere qas great, and seeing all the fans walking up to SMS beforehand was strangely emotional. However, one word for those fans who booed at FT. Hand your season tickets in and don't come back. Just **** off and support a glory club. Also, wasn't a fan of how some of our players went straight down the tunnel at FT instead of acknowledging the fans. Force of habit maybe? Fair play to the ones who acknowledged us all.
Minamino and Obafemi as subs hardly fills me with any more confidence than the actual substitutions of Ings and Redmond. Which, again, is the problem we have (and Ralph has).
I was thinking more about balance than the skill factor. On several occasions our own players got in each others way, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, playing as if they hadn't practiced together?