So Garth Crooks’ team of the week has zero sfc players 
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Why does it matter what Garth thinks? He’s just a mouthpiece of inequality
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He probably wrote the article before last night’s game as well.
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I love Stephen’s reactions in this, then he realises it’s gone in…
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Stolen from fiverweb but a good read nonetheless
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Superb.
It also shows why Ralph really cant just walk in to a top club job. It has taken TIME to get to here, and the players had to buy into it
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Fancy copying and pasting as I’m not inclined to sign up!
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Funny - it opened up fine when I declined to sign up.
It didn’t even ask me to sign up, but then I’m special.
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Me neither or rather Chambers said he wasn’t asked. 
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This is an article from the Times
Danny Ings lobs another grenade into the title race
Henry Winter
In the darkest of times, the Premier League continues to play on, continues to provide a distraction with one of the most extraordinary title races in years. Liverpool, the champions and league leaders, have faltered, allowing others to catch them, to believe it could be their year. The show goes on, however contentiously, and what a show it is.
Whether football should persist during lockdown remains a sensitive issue, and the sight of a South Central NHS England ambulance waiting outside St Mary’s in case of player injury, will only add to the debate about use of medical resources. The Premier League insists it is far more of a support to the NHS, and the country could certainly do with some entertainment, some spectacle to lift the spirits, some reminder of life before and beyond the pandemic.
Southampton certainly inspired through one marvellous piece of skill and also through sheer grit, organisation and discipline. Liverpool simply could not deal with Danny Ings’s masterful lob after 111 seconds or then break Southampton’s defiance.
Ralph Hasenhüttl was in tears at the final whistle, falling to his knees, overcome by joy and pride at his players. His squad was so depleted by injury and sickness that he picked eight academy graduates on the bench, two of whom, Nathan Tella and Dan N’Lundulu, rose from their seats in the stands and rose to the occasion. So many Southampton players excelled, not least Stuart Armstrong, tireless throughout, attacking and defending.
This was not simply one of Southampton’s best results in recent years but one of their most impressive performances, and significant, lifting them to sixth, only four points off Manchester United and Liverpool at the summit.
This was also a triumph for the board, who backed Hasenhüttl when others might have shown him the door, for good recruitment, and also for player development. Even those academy products who did not come on watched intently, backing their team to the hilt. Hasenhüttl has a very together squad.
Liverpool will doubtless respond — their invariably do under Jürgen Klopp — but for now they look vulnerable. They again missed such heavyweight presences as Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez at centre back, requiring Klopp to start Jordan Henderson, which deprives the midfield of that dynamo and vocal demander of high standards. Liverpool also lacked their usual cutting edge in attack. Their woes were reflected in managing 17 shots but only one on target and again they missed the injured Diogo Jota.
Sadio Mané was their main threat against his old side but Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah were too subdued. For that, so much credit has to go to Hasenhüttl’s magnificent back four of Kyle Walker-Peters, Jack Stephens, Jan Bednarek and Ryan Bertrand.
Southampton had been completely fearless, particularly in the first half, going full throttle at the champions, pressing hard, competing with all the passion shown by Hasenhüttl on the touchline. Southampton’s very engaged and engaging manager lived every move, challenge and pass , shared every emotion. Liverpool were rattled, knocked out of their stride and came to life only in the second half.
Klopp became increasingly vexed, raging at the sight of his players coming off second-best in tackles, at Andrew Robertson losing his composure, clattering Armstrong and getting booked. Robertson flirted with expulsion when then remonstrating with Andre Marriner. Liverpool were all at sea. Klopp also berated his other full back, Trent Alexander-Arnold, for gifting possession back to Southampton. Klopp was also very vociferous in calling on his full backs to push up, to take the game to Southampton more, which they did only after the interval.
Klopp’s mood had darkened after only two minutes, when Southampton’s faster start brought them the lead, beginning when Thiago Alcântara fouled Armstrong. Conceding a free kick is always dangerous against Southampton, even when too far from goal for James Ward-Prowse to whip in one of his specials. He was in the centre circle, placing the ball, plotting, briefly exchanging glances with Ings.
Ward-Prowse looked as if he was targeting the far post, aiming for the run of the tall figure of Bednarek. Instead, Southampton’s captain pulled his delivery towards the near post. Alexander-Arnold was confused by Theo Walcott’s leap, and failed to cut out the ball, which was met brilliantly by Ings. He had everything worked out, knew exactly where Alisson was, had calibrated the angle. Travelling from left to right, the ball looped over the Liverpool goalkeeper and dropped into the net. Ings eschewed any celebration, recognition of his time at Liverpool, playing 25 times in a frustratingly injury-plagued time that yielded only four goals.
His seventh Premier League goal of the season brought up his half-century in the competition in 124 appearances. At 28, and now an England international, Ings is in the form of his life, his intelligence of movement again clear to see.
Ings’s respectful restraint was not matched by Hasenhüttl, who was celebrating on the pitch. Understandably. It was a magnificent goal and filled Saints with even more confidence. Ward-Prowse’s passing was supreme in midfield, Armstrong kept driving, causing Robertson frequent discomfort.
Hasenhüttl’s team were so well prepared, keeping Liverpool’s full backs deep, cutting off such an important supply line. It was only until after the break, and a few more words from Klopp, that Robertson and Alexander-Arnold really got going.
Liverpool were not going to win much sympathy for their absentees, certainly not from Southampton, who were missing Che Adams, Oriol Romeu, Jannik Vestergaard and Nathan Redmond while Alex McCarthy was self-isolating. They lost the lively Moussa Djenepo to injury on the half-hour. The Malian winger sloped towards the tunnel, inconsolable.
Liverpool stirred, screaming for a penalty when Georginio Wijnaldum’s shot crashed into Stephens’s arm. Marriner and VAR ignored Liverpool appeals, much to the disgust of Klopp’s staff. “Unbelievable,” came one shout.
Southampton even almost added a second when Alisson tore off his line, rushing left, way out of his box and Yan Valery beat him to the ball but Henderson cleared the goal-bound shot.
It encapsulated Liverpool’s desperation that Alisson then went even farther, going up for two corners but again Southampton held firm. What a game, what a season.
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Easy now Henry, at least buy us dinner first. 
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You shouldn’t need to. Besides, the best bits are the moving graphics which won’t c&p.
SCD
I’ve just spent 30 minutes reading the Guardian’s match report and the 900 odd comments from readers. Lot’s of love for the Saints on display, even from Liverpool supporters… A bit of moaning about Marriner and penalties not given, immediately derided as bollocks by the majority. Most of the Liverpool lot praising Danny Boy, they really do love him up here and are genuinely sorry that it didn’t work out for him at Anfield. Obviously i know quite a few Liverpool supporters up here, and to a man they have nothing but good things to say about him, and are genuinely thrilled for him now that he is fit and showing how good they always knew he was.
Most of the kudos is reserved for Ralph though, his falling to his knees in tears at the end really struck a chord with most of the commentators. Pretty much universal praise, with more than a hint of envy, for the way he’s turned round the fortunes of the club, admiration for the style of football he has got the team playing, and their discipline and total commitment to the cause. The heart on sleeve passion he shows on the touchline, and they way he conducts himself in post match interviews, someone had picked up on his remark the other week, “we never lose, we either win or we learn”, which went down well.
This is the post which received the most likes, short and to the point, posted at 10 o clock last night. I hope he enjoyed his day!
“As the Saints fan in a workplace full of Scousers, I am so looking forward to tomorrow”.
"
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There has been a noticeable shift in how the media portray us these days. About bloody time too, but to be fair Ralph has done a fantastic job to date.
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As fans we have been given the time & chance to learn.
Some professional pundits have done the same.
Efan Ekoku in UK, Danny Higginbotham in the US can talk almost to the depth of that Torygraph article.
Heck even Hoddle has a knowledge of what we do
Then there are Carragher & Mcmanaman
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Yeah I did enjoy the opening scenario in the account…
Eventually Stephens punted a hopeful long ball over the top to for Yan Valery to chase. At which point, enter Alisson: sprinting heroically out his goal to clear. Except, as Alisson quickly discovered to his horror, he was not going to reach the ball first. And so, having advanced 45 yards, the Liverpool goalkeeper now simply stopped dead in his tracks, like a man who has just stepped forward to receive communion only to remember that he is not a Catholic. 
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Big brother and his cookies know that I’ve previously already signed up for a free month.
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Punted? Hopeful? That’s rather derogatory! He waited and ran square as he waited for Valery to make his run.
If that is Pirlo or De Bruyne the headline is different.