I was expecting that to come up with a little picture, like Facebook. It’s just a link to ‘You are not alone’ by Michael Jackson, and not hard core porn, FYI
4-1 fucking amazing :))))))
1 Like
Originally posted by @Sussexsaint
4-1 fucking amazing :))))))
Sshhhh, commentators curse might strike
They’ll all be in the pub afterwards enjoying it more, Bletch might even get his threesome!
2 Likes
Pretty much the opposite of your normal Saints game. Most stuff went in.
Brilliant result. Brilliant day. Who said Bank Holiday weekends suck? 
2 Likes
Well, that was a surprise. Never saw THAT coming. Bar staff spent most of the afternoon wiping white stuff off the floor left by Real fans.
Had a crazy bisy day with a sales meeting ending at 3:45 UK time and then NEVER expected a taxi to turn up in time to get to the Pub (Rush Hour) but it did and we had some citeh sitting with us and it really doesn’t get much better than that
Of course they complimented Shane - “Amongst the best Strikers in the EPL and would b e the best when he gets his goal stats up” but otherwise it was all about how nobody wanted to be playing the game for Citeh, meh, we like that keep it coming
And Thankyou Jack Cork you beauty!
3 Likes
That was fucking superb. Great team performance, nobody played less than well and the front three of Tadic, Mané and Long were excellent. Anyone looking at a 4-2 score might imagine a match somewhat closer than this one actually was; in fact, City were massively flattered by their two goals and a score of 4-0 would have been a pretty fair reflection of the game.
Shortly after they scored, late in the first half, came a moment that I though summed up much of the game. Otamendi got the ball in the City area; under no real pressure at all, he simply played a square ball straight out for a Saints throw-in. No attempt to look around for a team-mate to pass to, just a pass into touch. We’d run them ragged for most of that half, and it showed.
Incidentally, I thought that Otamendi should have been booked for simulation when he feigned injury after a tussle with Long. Otamendi rolled around clutching his shin, looked across and saw that no foul had been given, then got up and trotted off, pausing only to berate the referee for not giving a foul. He was also wearing gloves on a warm day, which should be bookable in itself. Twatt.
All in all, though, fucking wonderful.
5 Likes
Originally posted by @Fowllyd
Anyone looking at a 4-2 score might imagine a match somewhat closer than this one actually was; in fact, City were massively flattered by their two goals and a score of 4-0 would have been a pretty fair reflection of the game.
100% this. They were very lucky to only lose by two. First half was particularly awesome.
1 Like
What an amazing day out that was! 
Haha, my dad proved a lucky mascot again. When the old dude makes it to a game with me, we always win! 
And what a win it was.
One of our performances of the season. Everything clicked. First five minutes were an encouraging and adventurous start, then City came into it for ten minutes, and we needed Frase to get down to pull off a smart close range stop – but from the moment Shlong converted Dusan’s cross in the 25th minute, we simply ran them into the ground. It has been a while since a Saints side has looked so potent in attacking threat, and this was a real treat to watch.
Three or four nil up at half time would not have been overly flattering to us, such was the verve with which we tore into them. Our pressing was imperious in the first half, led by Shane and Sadio from the front, and even Tadic put in much more of a shift today in that department. Was still guilty of not tracking back enough and leaving Ryan exposed at times (including their 1st just before the break), but when he is putting on the kind of fluid creative attacking display that he laid on for us today – I’m not gonna criticise too much. Tadic at his best this afternoon. Switching sides with Mane throughout, they never knew where he was going to pop up next.
Such a complete performance was this, that it is difficult not to give every single player a worthy mention.
Cuco over recent months has really grown into his role, and although sharing responsibility for City’s first with a screwed-up clearance, he was good today, lots of important blocks and some key headers won, standing his man up well, he was just generally always ‘in the way’.
Jose Fonte was imperious at the back. Soo many important interceptions, his reading of the game was supreme, and is awareness and positional sense was a large factor in the lack of oportunities City were able to carve out. His range of passing today was also wonderful. Virgil strode forward with the ball unchallenged so often you’d have thought it was a training excercise at times, and his passing was also impressive. Not only that, but he was something of a flamboyant goal threat himself at times. 
And Ryan put in another superb, ever reliable performance down the left. He is such an important player for us, and links up with Dusan so well. That lovely little reverse ball to play him in to cross for the corner that set up Mane’s 2nd was top drawer.
Clasie made quite a few individual errors that have you going “aaarrgggh”, but he also did a lot of things well. Making some important tackles, blocks, interceptions, tracking back well, and generally making a nuisance of himself. Oriol Romeu was once again very impressive when replacing him, with a succession of great challenges and blocks. He just steams into opponents, and they sure know when the Oriol Express has arrived. Wanyama was in Beast-Mode, looked very much up for it, and was at his commanding best throughout.
Steven Davis. Fucking outstanding effort from him today. No wonder he got a well earned rest before time. But even then. You just know he’d have kept it going all the way to the end if needed. He was everywhere and never stopped applying pressure for a single moment. Some of his link-up play was sheer class, with little intricate quick-fire interchanges with Mane and Tadic down the flanks responsible for creating so many crossing and through-ball opportunities.
Sadio Mane, what needs to be said? Imperious and magical display from him. This is the Sadio we need to see so much more of. The one who remember how to find the net, and apply the finish to his wonderful enigmatic trickery that creates so many opportunities. Today – he took them all calmly in his stride, and looked a complete player. His work-rate was very good too, and he really did put a shift in.
I don’t think I have ever given a Man of the Match vote to someone other than the Hattrick Hero before when there is one – but despite Sadio’s heroics – one man eclipsed all others for me this afternoon, with a breathtaking effort that defies description. Shane Long simply cannot be human! 
He is phenomenal!!! There are simply no words adequate to describe what he did for us today. But there was one point, around midway through the second half, that he tracked back to cover (I think it was) Wanyama who was left up field on a City counter – and Shlongy blazed back about 50 yards after just ending a lung-bursting run forwards – to put in an outstanding tackle and break up a very dangerous City attack. It was stunning! St. Mary’s duly showed our appreciation with a rousing chorus of “laaa laa la, lalalala - lalalala - Shaaaane Long”.
Fucking superlative player. If he can improve his conversion rate next season – he’ll be worth £50 Million plus.
What a wonderful afternoon’s entertainment.
Always nice to see Our Ron treating us to his sly barely supressed Cheshire Cat grin in his post match interviews too.
TLDR; - Speechless! 
Man of the Match Poll is up. Correction: having typed it all up - I “do not have permission to complete this function”. 
13 Likes
Win our last 2 and we will be in Europe. I can feel it!
Jack, that’s a write-up to match the game - superb. If I could give more than a solitary upvote then I most surely would.
6 Likes
Thanks Fowlly.
I enjoy writing, and when I remember not to try and write a match report after a few too many celebratory beverages, if there was a performance worthy of writing about, I like to try and put up something that’s worth your time to read. Saints made it pretty easy for me today.
Appreciate the kind words mate. 
1 Like
A defender wearing gloves in May - I can’t help wondering what some of the 76 team made of that!
He was an appalling player, presumably he won a viewer’s competition to be there.
Great to see Mane back - where has he been hiding?
I walked to the game from Winchester via The Dell, I got to shake hands with a few of the 76 team, we won, Rickie was there too - what a day!
9 Likes
Originally posted by @Rallyboy
A defender wearing gloves in May - I can’t help wondering what some of the 76 team made of that!
He was an appalling player, presumably he won a viewer’s competition to be there.
Great to see Mane back - where has he been hiding?
I walked to the game from Winchester via The Dell, I got to shake hands with a few of the 76 team, we won, Rickie was there too - what a day!
Did you have a sip of his piss?
6 Likes
Bring on the North London Yobbos!!!
1 Like
I famously know embarrassingly little about football, so I’ve decided that my contributions to these threads is going to focus on the match-day experience, which as everyone knows, is experienced best in Itchen North. We really earned our stripes today.
Amazingly, my bro was in his seat as I arrived. He’d brought his mate Jerry, who looks like George McFly, acts like a jester and shouts like a total maniac at the footy. A few suspiciously new supporters stood in our midst, but for the most part, it was Saints fans I’d seen before. Block 1 was close to full and up for it.
The best songs of the day were, in my humble opinion,
-
“He wants to come home” (Rickie at HT).
-
“You’re fucking shit!” (to City fans, with venom, and credit to us, sung with absolutely no dropped t’s)
-
“You’re just a shit Fraser Forster!”
My own personal “mad man in crowd at quiet moment” contribution was delivered just after the City fans rang out “without a dream in my heart. without a love of my own” in Blue Moon.
“I sympathise. I’ve _been _to fucking Manchester!”
No real need to do too much extended OWTS. We were never under the cosh, and Sadio had his goal machine setting switched on. Utter fucking predator.
4 Likes
Highlights/full game: