Nearly didn't bother posting but wouldn't want people thinking I only go into detail when we lose.
Good win today, in the end, but we got away with one I feel and on another day we'd have had absolutely no chance of getting back into the game. They were springing from midfield very quickly, and we were extremely fortunate not to be caught out over the top on more occasions than we were. Lallana, J-Rod and Lambert have a great understanding and Ward-Prowse was excellent I thought. Another potential England player in a few years if his progression continues.
However, their goals came because we have probably the worst full back pairing in the league playing right now. Seriously can't think of any worse than the two pub players at right and left back. Naughton's two errors for the goals were unforgivable. Do not let the ball bounce from a goal kick, and then for the second goal I really don't know what he is trying to do. Thankfully they haven't mattered in the end, but at our level you just can't perform like that. Naughton isn't even my biggest concern at the position though. At least Naughton looks like he cares and tries to make amends. Danny Rose is useless. Doesn't offer anything defensively or offensively, doesn't seem to care at all and is the biggest weak link in our side. He mouths of regularly to the media that if we sign another left back that he'll have to consider his options, but if he had actually performed at even an average level we wouldn't need to. The position is yours to lose and right now he is losing it.
The positives today were obviously Eriksen, who gave one of the performances he's capable of and raises the excitement levels for the future, and Soldado who had a superb game linking up with Christian. Eriksen played great floating off Soldado, scored twice, set up another, and proves why he was our best business from the summer. I am hoping next year we build the team around him because he's got all the ability in the world and is the future of this club. Well that is until he has a great season and Levy flogs him to Madrid. I feel a front three of him, Lamela and Chadli/An other could be very successful next season. Soldado's link up play has been good all season, but today, with Ade out, his enthusiasm and commitment was back, chasing down every ball, playing some beautiful touches, and making life miserable for Southampton's centre halves. It's a shame he couldn't get a goal, Chadli and Eriksen should have assisted him, but he was very good. Those who have been praising Lovren and wanting to sign him in the summer could be in for a shock because I thought he was diabolical today. Soldado gave him the run around and he was mildly at fault for two of our goals.
Other decent performances came from Chadli, Siggy and Kaboul and overall we can't have too many complaints with the results, particularly because we absolutely dominated the second half and missed a few glorious opportunities before Siggy's winner.
I think Tim got it very wrong at the start, he was out coached, but thankfully the changes made a difference. This doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, the season is over but at least we should finish above Southampton now.
Back down to earth next week with a 5-0 defeat at Liverpool, probably with a man sent off.
