So Gordon Strachan returned to English football on Monday after taking over as manager at Middlesbrough.
Before the press conference announcing the appointment, Sky Sports News said something along the lines of "well he may have done a good job at Celtic, but he hasn't been very successful in England with Coventry and Southampton". I didn't know whether to be insulted by this, as Strachan is undoubtedly the most popular manager Saints have had since Lawrie McMenemy left the post in 1985. 'Wee Gordon', as he became affectionately known as, took over as Southampton manager in October 2001 and within 18 months had guided the club to only their second ever FA Cup final and their highest ever Premier League position of eighth. During his spell as manager, Strachan managed to bring out the best of James Beattie, who scored 23 league goals in the 2002-2003 season and signed fan favourites such as Michael Svensson, Brett Ormorod and Fabrice Fernandes. I'm sure most Saints fans will agree that the club started to go downhill the day Strachan left in February 2004.
Strachan may not have had much success at Coventry, but it is a bit harsh to say he was unsuccessful at Southampton.
The following Gordon Strachan quotes have appeared all over the Internet, but I don't think they ever get old, so in some classic 'churnalism', here's my top five soundbites from the charismatic Scotsman:
5. Reporter: "Gordon, could we have a quick word please?"
Strachan: "Velocity" (walks off)
4. (On Wayne Rooney getting into England squad) "At 17 you're more likely to get a call from Michael Jackson than Sven-Goran Eriksson."
3. Reporter: "Gordon, you must be delighted with that result."
Strachan: "You're spot on! You can read me like a book."
2. Reporter: "You don't take losing too lightly, do you Gordon?"
Strachan: "I don't take stupid comments lightly either."
1. "I've got more important things to worry about. I've got a yogurt to finish by today, the expiry date is today. That can be my priority rather than Agustin Delgado."
Wednesday 28 October 2009
Sunday 25 October 2009
Sunday 25th October 2009
Southampton's great winning run continued yesterday as they beat MK Dons at St Marys, winning 3-1 for the third game in a row.
The hosts were by far the better side in the first half, but the visitor's long ball tactics paid off just before half time when they won a free kick on the edge of the penalty area. Jason Puncheon converted to give Dons the lead against the run of play.
Early in the second half Saints manager Alan Pardew made two subs and switched his side's formation to 4-4-2, with David Connelly and Michaeli Antonio coming on for the ineffectual Paul Wotton and Papa Waigo. This appeared to have a huge effect on the outcome of the game and it wasn't long before Saints equalised, Dean Hammond finishing from a Lloyd James cross for his second goal in two games.
This seemed to give the home crowd a massive lift and suddenly the fans were starting to really get behind the time and cheer them on to win the game. They weren't left disappointed, as Rickie Lambert put Saints in the lead on 73 minutes from close range and after some nervy moments David Connolly put the game beyond doubt with virtually the last kick, capitalising on some sloppy MK Dons defending.
Saints player ratings-
Kelvin Davis - 6 - Collected well from crosses, but his kicking wasn't up to standard.
Lloyd James - 7 - Became a threat on the right once Antonio was brought on and played a part in two of the goals.
Radhi Jaidi - 6 - Won nearly everything in the air, but was perhaps lucky not to be sent off in the build up to Don's goal, as he was the last man.
Neal Trotman - 7 - Neutralised the majority of Don's aerial attacks and limited their opportunities on the ground.
Dan Harding - 6 - Not his usual solid and hard working self.
Paul Wotton - 6 - With the opposition playing the ball in the air so much it was difficult for him to get involved.
Dean Hammond - 8 - Took his goal well and got back to defend competently once his team had taken the lead.
Morgan Schneiderlin - 7 - Made some good passes and formed a decent partnership with Hammond once again.
Papa Waigo N'Daiye - 6 - Wasn't having much impact on the game so was rightly subbed quite early.
Adam Lallana - 8 - (MAN OF THE MATCH) Played with such flair and was at the heart of many of Saint's attacking moves.
Rickie Lambert - 7 - Did his job by grabbing a goal, continuing his great form.
Subs-
Michaeli Antonio (on for Papa Waigo) - 8 - Changed the game when brought on, was very lively down the right.
David Connolly (on for Wotton) - 8 - Has only been here a few weeks, but is already playing like he really cares about the club, a true professional.
Joseph Mills (on for Lallana) - 6 - Brought on to steady the ship late on and did exactly that.
All due credit to Alan Pardew for switching tactics when things weren't going right, after a difficult start he's really winning over the supporters now.
Saints are expected to take more than 3,000 fans to London next week as they take on Leyton Orient. The large away support will be hoping for a win which could see their side climb out of the relegation zone for the first time this season.
The hosts were by far the better side in the first half, but the visitor's long ball tactics paid off just before half time when they won a free kick on the edge of the penalty area. Jason Puncheon converted to give Dons the lead against the run of play.
Early in the second half Saints manager Alan Pardew made two subs and switched his side's formation to 4-4-2, with David Connelly and Michaeli Antonio coming on for the ineffectual Paul Wotton and Papa Waigo. This appeared to have a huge effect on the outcome of the game and it wasn't long before Saints equalised, Dean Hammond finishing from a Lloyd James cross for his second goal in two games.
This seemed to give the home crowd a massive lift and suddenly the fans were starting to really get behind the time and cheer them on to win the game. They weren't left disappointed, as Rickie Lambert put Saints in the lead on 73 minutes from close range and after some nervy moments David Connolly put the game beyond doubt with virtually the last kick, capitalising on some sloppy MK Dons defending.
Saints player ratings-
Kelvin Davis - 6 - Collected well from crosses, but his kicking wasn't up to standard.
Lloyd James - 7 - Became a threat on the right once Antonio was brought on and played a part in two of the goals.
Radhi Jaidi - 6 - Won nearly everything in the air, but was perhaps lucky not to be sent off in the build up to Don's goal, as he was the last man.
Neal Trotman - 7 - Neutralised the majority of Don's aerial attacks and limited their opportunities on the ground.
Dan Harding - 6 - Not his usual solid and hard working self.
Paul Wotton - 6 - With the opposition playing the ball in the air so much it was difficult for him to get involved.
Dean Hammond - 8 - Took his goal well and got back to defend competently once his team had taken the lead.
Morgan Schneiderlin - 7 - Made some good passes and formed a decent partnership with Hammond once again.
Papa Waigo N'Daiye - 6 - Wasn't having much impact on the game so was rightly subbed quite early.
Adam Lallana - 8 - (MAN OF THE MATCH) Played with such flair and was at the heart of many of Saint's attacking moves.
Rickie Lambert - 7 - Did his job by grabbing a goal, continuing his great form.
Subs-
Michaeli Antonio (on for Papa Waigo) - 8 - Changed the game when brought on, was very lively down the right.
David Connolly (on for Wotton) - 8 - Has only been here a few weeks, but is already playing like he really cares about the club, a true professional.
Joseph Mills (on for Lallana) - 6 - Brought on to steady the ship late on and did exactly that.
All due credit to Alan Pardew for switching tactics when things weren't going right, after a difficult start he's really winning over the supporters now.
Saints are expected to take more than 3,000 fans to London next week as they take on Leyton Orient. The large away support will be hoping for a win which could see their side climb out of the relegation zone for the first time this season.
Friday 23 October 2009
Friday 23rd October 2009
I don't agree with many things the Daily Express says, but I can't argue against their front page lead this morning saying "Nick Griffin is a disgrace to humanity".
After all the hype, British National Party leader Nick Griffin was a panellist on Question Time last night and, as predicted, he was intellectually humiliated.
From the opening question, he looked an idiot and way out of his depth up against the likes of MPs Jack Straw and Chris Huhne, as well as playwright Bonnie Greer and Baroness Warsi.
With the BNP recently being criticised for hijacking Winston Churchill for their campaign, Griffin tried to justify this by claiming that if Churchill were alive today he would support the BNP, concluding with some irrelevant rubbish about how, during the Second World War, his Father fought in the RAF, whilst Jack Straws Father was in prison for refusing to fight Hitler.
I could feel my blood boil watching Question Time last night when Griffin smirked repulsively when talking about the Holocaust. Trying to make light of such a serious issue like he did last night makes a complete mockery of politics.
Chris Huhne pointed out that the BNP's ethos is all about finding people to blame and at this stage I couldn't help but think about Hitler and the Nazi party blaming the Jewish people for Germany's difficulties in the 1930s, much like the BNP today blame ethnic minorities for everything wrong with Britain.
Griffin complained that he was misquoted when his outrageous sound bites were brought up, yet these quotes have been recorded. It was obvious that most of his facts were either untrue or completely made up. For example, Griffin claimed a poll revealed that 84% of the British public agreed with his party's immigration policy, yet when he was asked to name this poll he said he couldn't remember. You would've thought he'd be able to remember the name of such a significant poll for his party if it does even exist, which is highly unlikely. What an amateur!
British National Party members can't complain about the hostile reception that Griffin received from the audience and the other panellists last night, as I imagine the majority of BNP members want to create that type of hostile atmosphere for any British individual that isn't white.
At least this whole episode has made the general public interested in politics again. People, particularly the younger generation, who usually couldn't care less about political issues tuned into Question Time last night. This may help produce a better turnout for the next general election. Whilst researching for my dissertation this week, I discovered that the turnout for the 1945 general election was 72.8%, back in the days when the only form of broadcast was radio. Fifty years later in 2005, we had much more access to politics with the emergence of 24 hour news channels and the Internet, yet the turnout for the general election that year was only 61.4%. Perhaps publicity for a a vile, morally corrupt party such as the BNP may be what's needed to engage people in politics again.
After all the hype, British National Party leader Nick Griffin was a panellist on Question Time last night and, as predicted, he was intellectually humiliated.
From the opening question, he looked an idiot and way out of his depth up against the likes of MPs Jack Straw and Chris Huhne, as well as playwright Bonnie Greer and Baroness Warsi.
With the BNP recently being criticised for hijacking Winston Churchill for their campaign, Griffin tried to justify this by claiming that if Churchill were alive today he would support the BNP, concluding with some irrelevant rubbish about how, during the Second World War, his Father fought in the RAF, whilst Jack Straws Father was in prison for refusing to fight Hitler.
I could feel my blood boil watching Question Time last night when Griffin smirked repulsively when talking about the Holocaust. Trying to make light of such a serious issue like he did last night makes a complete mockery of politics.
Chris Huhne pointed out that the BNP's ethos is all about finding people to blame and at this stage I couldn't help but think about Hitler and the Nazi party blaming the Jewish people for Germany's difficulties in the 1930s, much like the BNP today blame ethnic minorities for everything wrong with Britain.
Griffin complained that he was misquoted when his outrageous sound bites were brought up, yet these quotes have been recorded. It was obvious that most of his facts were either untrue or completely made up. For example, Griffin claimed a poll revealed that 84% of the British public agreed with his party's immigration policy, yet when he was asked to name this poll he said he couldn't remember. You would've thought he'd be able to remember the name of such a significant poll for his party if it does even exist, which is highly unlikely. What an amateur!
British National Party members can't complain about the hostile reception that Griffin received from the audience and the other panellists last night, as I imagine the majority of BNP members want to create that type of hostile atmosphere for any British individual that isn't white.
At least this whole episode has made the general public interested in politics again. People, particularly the younger generation, who usually couldn't care less about political issues tuned into Question Time last night. This may help produce a better turnout for the next general election. Whilst researching for my dissertation this week, I discovered that the turnout for the 1945 general election was 72.8%, back in the days when the only form of broadcast was radio. Fifty years later in 2005, we had much more access to politics with the emergence of 24 hour news channels and the Internet, yet the turnout for the general election that year was only 61.4%. Perhaps publicity for a a vile, morally corrupt party such as the BNP may be what's needed to engage people in politics again.
Wednesday 21 October 2009
Wednesday 21st October 2009
Tomorrow night will be a landmark for political television when British National Party leader Nick Griffin appears as a panellist on BBC's Question Time.
This has been a red hot topic of discussion in the last month, but after all the build up we'll finally get to see if Griffin can hold his own against Jack Straw and Chris Huhne, front bench politicians from Labour and the Liberal Democrats respectively.
The big controversy has been over whether the BNP should be allowed to be represented on one of the BBC's most watched political programmes, but the sad reality is that after winning two seats on the European Parliament earlier this year (see blog entry 8th June) the BNP are a legitimate party who have to have air time for the sake of the BBC's political impartiality ethos. As much as I disagree, the BNP are a legal party (surely their legitimacy calls for stricter rules on what a legal party can be) and despite the majority of their supporters being racists and extreme patriots, they still, worryingly, have a growing following.
The best we can hope for tomorrow night is that Nick Griffin is intellectually humiliated by competent political debaters in Jack Straw and Chris Huhne and as a result his supporters will start to see sense.
Surely it can't be too difficult to show up Nick Griffin. He is, after all, a man who thinks the Holocaust never happened, has said earlier this year that "there's no such thing as a black Welshman" and is perhaps fortunate not to be convicted of inciting racial hatred. To put it simply, Griffin is probably the most vile human being in Britain today. Straw and Huhne, along with the other panellists, have a responsibility to show him up as this on tomorrow night's Question Time. Please don't let us down.
This has been a red hot topic of discussion in the last month, but after all the build up we'll finally get to see if Griffin can hold his own against Jack Straw and Chris Huhne, front bench politicians from Labour and the Liberal Democrats respectively.
The big controversy has been over whether the BNP should be allowed to be represented on one of the BBC's most watched political programmes, but the sad reality is that after winning two seats on the European Parliament earlier this year (see blog entry 8th June) the BNP are a legitimate party who have to have air time for the sake of the BBC's political impartiality ethos. As much as I disagree, the BNP are a legal party (surely their legitimacy calls for stricter rules on what a legal party can be) and despite the majority of their supporters being racists and extreme patriots, they still, worryingly, have a growing following.
The best we can hope for tomorrow night is that Nick Griffin is intellectually humiliated by competent political debaters in Jack Straw and Chris Huhne and as a result his supporters will start to see sense.
Surely it can't be too difficult to show up Nick Griffin. He is, after all, a man who thinks the Holocaust never happened, has said earlier this year that "there's no such thing as a black Welshman" and is perhaps fortunate not to be convicted of inciting racial hatred. To put it simply, Griffin is probably the most vile human being in Britain today. Straw and Huhne, along with the other panellists, have a responsibility to show him up as this on tomorrow night's Question Time. Please don't let us down.
Sunday 18 October 2009
Sunday 18th October 2009
Cameron is in real danger of being labelled a hypocrite by reportedly rejecting a series of televised leaders debates with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg.
After weeks of goading the PM to take part in the debate, it could be the Tory leader who bottles it, as he only wants one debate, whereas Labour want six while the Lib Dems want three.
In recent weeks I've been praising Cameron and was going to blog today commending him for threatening to withdraw the whip from Tory MPs who refuse to pay back their expenses, but if he turns down a multiple scheduled televised debate then it could seriously damage his reputation. It almost looks as though he's conceding defeat, he's been criticised in the past for lacking substance, so perhaps he's scared the Tories will be shown up if more than one debate takes place, with some critics suggesting the weak link could be Shadow Chancellor George Osborne.
The majority of the country want to see this happen, if only one debate goes takes place, so let's hope the three party leaders can sort this little squabble out and it can all go ahead.
Unfortunately I didn't make the journey up north to watch Southampton beat Oldham 3-1 yesterday, but that didn't stop me from celebrating like a mad man when I saw Alan Pardew's men were 2-0 up at half time.At last things are looking up for Saints, that's three straight league victories now and after a slow it just goes to show that patience is a virtue. A month ago a few fans sitting around me at St Marys were moaning that Pardew should be sacked, but now the various new faces have settled, the boss has discovered his strongest team and the football being played in the last few games has been appealing to the majority.
I'm sure most fans will agree now that the current Saints squad which is slowly climbing up League One would beat the under motivated, uninspired side which was relegated from the Championship last season. Neal Trotman and Radhi Jaidi would easily neutralise the threat of David McGoldrick, Papa Waigo would torture Rudi Skacel down the wing, whilst up front Rickie Lambert would be too much for Olly Lanchashire to handle. And of course the chairman/manager partnership of Nicola Cortese and Alan Pardew is far more popular than Rupert Lowe and Jan Poortvleit.
Next weekend Saints host MK Dons, a team I have much reserved hatred for because of their franchise ways.
After weeks of goading the PM to take part in the debate, it could be the Tory leader who bottles it, as he only wants one debate, whereas Labour want six while the Lib Dems want three.
In recent weeks I've been praising Cameron and was going to blog today commending him for threatening to withdraw the whip from Tory MPs who refuse to pay back their expenses, but if he turns down a multiple scheduled televised debate then it could seriously damage his reputation. It almost looks as though he's conceding defeat, he's been criticised in the past for lacking substance, so perhaps he's scared the Tories will be shown up if more than one debate takes place, with some critics suggesting the weak link could be Shadow Chancellor George Osborne.
The majority of the country want to see this happen, if only one debate goes takes place, so let's hope the three party leaders can sort this little squabble out and it can all go ahead.
Unfortunately I didn't make the journey up north to watch Southampton beat Oldham 3-1 yesterday, but that didn't stop me from celebrating like a mad man when I saw Alan Pardew's men were 2-0 up at half time.At last things are looking up for Saints, that's three straight league victories now and after a slow it just goes to show that patience is a virtue. A month ago a few fans sitting around me at St Marys were moaning that Pardew should be sacked, but now the various new faces have settled, the boss has discovered his strongest team and the football being played in the last few games has been appealing to the majority.
I'm sure most fans will agree now that the current Saints squad which is slowly climbing up League One would beat the under motivated, uninspired side which was relegated from the Championship last season. Neal Trotman and Radhi Jaidi would easily neutralise the threat of David McGoldrick, Papa Waigo would torture Rudi Skacel down the wing, whilst up front Rickie Lambert would be too much for Olly Lanchashire to handle. And of course the chairman/manager partnership of Nicola Cortese and Alan Pardew is far more popular than Rupert Lowe and Jan Poortvleit.
Next weekend Saints host MK Dons, a team I have much reserved hatred for because of their franchise ways.
Thursday 15 October 2009
Thursday 15th October 2009
England's World Cup qualifying campaign ended well last night with a 3-0 victory at home to Belarus. Now Fabio Capello has to decide who he will take to South Africa next summer. Here's who I would take:
Goalkeepers- Robert Green, Paul Robinson, David James.
Defenders- Glen Johnson, Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Joleon Lescott, Ashley Cole, Wayne Bridge.
Midfielders- Aaron Lennon, Theo Walcott, David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, Steven Gerrard, Joe Cole.
Strikers- Wayne Rooney, Jermaine Defoe, Peter Crouch, Carton Cole, Darren Bent
Obviously there's still time for all this to change and a drop in form for the likes of Carlton Cole or Darren Bent may give Michael Owen or Emile Heskey a chance to get into the squad. Joe Cole hasn't played many games for Chelsea recently, but I think he'll get some more match time in the next few months and seal a place at the last minute. Wes Brown may seem an odd choice, but I couldn't think of anyone else to cover Glen Johnson at right back.
Unfortunately I'm a bit pressed for time at the moment, so haven't been able to justify my inclusion of every player, but if anyone strongly disagrees with my selection choices then please comment below and we can engage in debate!
Sunday 11 October 2009
Sunday 11th October 2009
All three main political parties have now held their Autumn conferences and the polls strongly suggest we will have a Conservative government after the general election, with the Tories holding a healthy 19 point lead.
However, David Cameron will not take this for granted and he should know that he's not guaranteed his place in Downing Street. It is going to be extremely difficult for Labour to cling onto power, but I think they can still limit the damage. As I discussed earlier this week, Shadow Chancellor George Osborne's proposed public spending cuts did not seem to go down very well, so there are definitely Tory weaknesses.
A very good point was raised on Question Time on Thursday that the Conservative slogan this week has been "we're in this together", yet they plan to raise the inheritance tax threshold to £2 million, so only the richest will benefit. Leading on from this, Home Secretary Alan Johnson attacked Cameron this morning on the Andrew Marr show after the leader of the opposition blamed big government for social breakdown. Mr Johnson pointed out that these remarks harked back to Thatcher's "laissez-faire" ideology of the 1980s. This constant reminder of Thatcherism may be Labour's best strategy to deter the electorate from voting Conservative. I wasn't around in the 1980s, but know for a fact I would not like to live in a country where there is little state intervention and the rich only get richer whilst the poor only get poorer.
I appreciate Cameron's honesty when he said in his keynote speech this past week that there are tough times ahead, but I'm still weary we may one day again have Tory government like the one in the 1980s that attempted to destroy socialism. At least Cameron has tried to distance himself from Thatcher by acknowledging that society does indeed exist.
Gordon Brown can take consolation from the fact that he has the full support of key members of his Cabinet, including Peter Mandelson, arguably the star of this year's Labour party conference and Alan Johnson, who has always been popular within the partty and is Brown's likely successor as Labour leader.
Left wing magazine The New Statesman recently pointed out that the shadow cabinet is hugely unrepresentative of Britain, with 18 of its 32 members being millionaires and they seem to be protecting their own interests by announcing the proposed inheritance tax threshold increase mentioned above. As well as this, one or two of them don't seem to be too well informed, after shadow home secretary Chris Grayling called the appointment of Gen Sir Richard Dannatt as a defence advisor a "political gimmick from Labour". Dannatt was appointed by the Conservatives, so Grayling is obviously not in the loop, but maybe that's for the best!
There's still a long way to go before the election. With Labour trailing so badly in the polls it would be suicidal for Brown to call an election any time soon and will probably want to wait until the latest possible date, so it looks as though we'll be deciding Britain's future in June 2010. With the football World Cup in South Africa also kicking off in the same month, next June should be an exciting time to look forward to.
Saturday 10 October 2009
Saturday 10th October 2009
Southampton's win less away run came to an end last night with a 3-1 victory at Southend.
The heavy rain at Root's Hall added a new dimension to playing conditions and Saints took advantage of this on seven minutes when Neal Trotman poked home from close range after the ball had slipped out of the hands of Southend 'keeper Steve Mildenhall.
The home side levelled 20 minutes later from a George Friend free kick, but Saints soon restored their lead through Adam Lallana after Southend had failed to clear a corner. Lallana then gave Saints a two goal cushion just before half time, finishing well after Rickie Lambert flicked on a long Kelvin Davis goal kick.
there were no goals in the second half, but the 1000 plus loud travelling fans won't complain as they saw their side limit the opponent's chances and even create further opportunities to add to the lead.
I was very satisfied with last night's performance. This season Saints have had a tendency to concede late goals, but after conceding a third it never looked like there was any way back for Southend. The front line of Waigo, Lambert and Lallana once again looked lethal and the defensive partnership of Trotman and Jaidi seemed more stable then the Thomas and Perry, who were paired together for the Johnstone's Paint Trophy penalty win against Torquay on Tuesday.
It was great to see Saints win their second league win in a row now and this is the first them I've seen them win away since the 2-1 victory against Reading last November, so all in all it was a very good evening.
Saints player ratings-
Kelvin Davis - 7 - Didn't let the difficult conditions effect him, his long goal kick led to Saint's third goal.
Lloyd James - 7 - Made some good crosses into the box and seems to have established himself as the team's corner taker.
Neal Trotman - 7 - Reacted quickly in the opposition's box to notch his first goal for the club, much improved at closing down after getting a rollocking from his boss on Saturday.
Radhi Jaidi - 7 - Neutralised the majority of Southend's attacking threats.
Dan Harding - 7 - Defended competently and linked up well with Lallana down the left hand side.
Paul Wotton - 7 - Made some good tackles and seems to have improved his passing.
Dean Hammond - 7 - Held the team together in the middle like he usually does.
Morgan Schneiderlin - 7 - Terrible attempt at winning a penalty by diving in the second half, but played his part in Saint'second goal.
Papa Waigo N'Diaye - 8 - Showed more glimpses of his quality and still managed to make some good runs despite the flooded surface.
Adam Lallana - 9 - Deserved his two goals and caused trouble for Southend all night by cutting inside from the left wing.
Rickie Lambert - 8 - Didn't get on the score board, but assisted in two of the goals, he has really improved in fitness since joining.
Subs-
Michali Antonio (on for N'Daiye) - 7 - Unlucky not to win a penalty late on after going on a mazy run before being stopped abruptly in the area.
Chris Perry (on for Wotton) - 6 - Steadied the ship when brought on to ensure no late goals were conceded.
Joseph Mills (on for Schneiderlin) - 6 - Had little time to make any impact.
Saints now have the week off before travelling to Oldham next Saturday, where they will hope to continue their winning run to pull themselves off the bottom of the table.
The heavy rain at Root's Hall added a new dimension to playing conditions and Saints took advantage of this on seven minutes when Neal Trotman poked home from close range after the ball had slipped out of the hands of Southend 'keeper Steve Mildenhall.
The home side levelled 20 minutes later from a George Friend free kick, but Saints soon restored their lead through Adam Lallana after Southend had failed to clear a corner. Lallana then gave Saints a two goal cushion just before half time, finishing well after Rickie Lambert flicked on a long Kelvin Davis goal kick.
there were no goals in the second half, but the 1000 plus loud travelling fans won't complain as they saw their side limit the opponent's chances and even create further opportunities to add to the lead.
I was very satisfied with last night's performance. This season Saints have had a tendency to concede late goals, but after conceding a third it never looked like there was any way back for Southend. The front line of Waigo, Lambert and Lallana once again looked lethal and the defensive partnership of Trotman and Jaidi seemed more stable then the Thomas and Perry, who were paired together for the Johnstone's Paint Trophy penalty win against Torquay on Tuesday.
It was great to see Saints win their second league win in a row now and this is the first them I've seen them win away since the 2-1 victory against Reading last November, so all in all it was a very good evening.
Saints player ratings-
Kelvin Davis - 7 - Didn't let the difficult conditions effect him, his long goal kick led to Saint's third goal.
Lloyd James - 7 - Made some good crosses into the box and seems to have established himself as the team's corner taker.
Neal Trotman - 7 - Reacted quickly in the opposition's box to notch his first goal for the club, much improved at closing down after getting a rollocking from his boss on Saturday.
Radhi Jaidi - 7 - Neutralised the majority of Southend's attacking threats.
Dan Harding - 7 - Defended competently and linked up well with Lallana down the left hand side.
Paul Wotton - 7 - Made some good tackles and seems to have improved his passing.
Dean Hammond - 7 - Held the team together in the middle like he usually does.
Morgan Schneiderlin - 7 - Terrible attempt at winning a penalty by diving in the second half, but played his part in Saint'second goal.
Papa Waigo N'Diaye - 8 - Showed more glimpses of his quality and still managed to make some good runs despite the flooded surface.
Adam Lallana - 9 - Deserved his two goals and caused trouble for Southend all night by cutting inside from the left wing.
Rickie Lambert - 8 - Didn't get on the score board, but assisted in two of the goals, he has really improved in fitness since joining.
Subs-
Michali Antonio (on for N'Daiye) - 7 - Unlucky not to win a penalty late on after going on a mazy run before being stopped abruptly in the area.
Chris Perry (on for Wotton) - 6 - Steadied the ship when brought on to ensure no late goals were conceded.
Joseph Mills (on for Schneiderlin) - 6 - Had little time to make any impact.
Saints now have the week off before travelling to Oldham next Saturday, where they will hope to continue their winning run to pull themselves off the bottom of the table.
Tuesday 6 October 2009
Tuesday 6th October 2009
The Conservative party conference in Manchester is already in full flow, with leader David Cameron due to give his keynote speech later this week.
A year ago I was in support of a Conservative government, but recently I have become very sceptical of the party.
Although many will disagree, I trust David Cameron, I think he's genuine, but his similarities to Tony Blair make the general public very weary of him. He seems to have the right priorities should his party get into power, such as protecting the NHS (not all Tories are nasty and uncaring like Daniel Hannan, see blog entry 14th August) and improving state schools in the poorest areas, he just needs to find the right policies to achieve his vision for Britain.
However, I'm unsure of David Cameron's party as a whole, particularly his Shadow Cabinet. The majority of the Shadow Cabinet are millionaires, yet some still claimed extravagant expenses, such as Chris Grayling and Michael Gove, who were found to have 'flipped' their second homes. It's quite concerning that we could be governed by millionaires who are still greedy enough to claim petty expenses. My local MP Richard Benyon is a wealthy man, but he resisted the temptation to dip his hand into public money for expenses and was one of the MPs not implicated at all in the scandal. If Cameron wants to restore trust to politicians he should think about who he has in his Cabinet if the Tories win the general election. Perhaps getting rid of one or two of these dodgy Shadow ministers and replacing them with honest, respected MPs such as Richard Benyon would send out the right message. Alan Duncan was removed from his post of Shadow Leader of the Commons recently after saying some very stupid things (see blog entry 8th September), but I think Cameron needs to go further than this to restore public trust.
Another concern with this Shadow Cabinet is that they're out of touch with Britain. Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox has said a Tory government would be "sympathetic" for a request for thousands of more troops to be deployed in Afghanistan. Now from what I understand most of us want our brave soldiers out of the war zones as soon as possible. It should be a priority providing the right equipment to the soldiers already out in Afghanistan and Iraq, not sending more to war.
And recently Shadow Home Secretary compared Britain's streets to US television show The Wire, set in Baltimore. I've never seen The Wire, but I'm pretty sure we have a lower crime rate then the murder capital of America. There might be a problem with knife crime, but this comparison is completely over the top suggests how out of touch the Shadow Home Secretary is.
The next General Election is there for the Conservatives to lose and after Shadow Chancellor George Osbourne's speech today they may have just lost the support of a few people. The proposed public spending cuts will not have gone down well with those approaching their pension or public sector workers, as Nick Robinson blogs on the BBC website.
This week's conference is a big chance for the Conservatives to persuade the electorate to vote for them, but so far I'm not convinced.
A year ago I was in support of a Conservative government, but recently I have become very sceptical of the party.
Although many will disagree, I trust David Cameron, I think he's genuine, but his similarities to Tony Blair make the general public very weary of him. He seems to have the right priorities should his party get into power, such as protecting the NHS (not all Tories are nasty and uncaring like Daniel Hannan, see blog entry 14th August) and improving state schools in the poorest areas, he just needs to find the right policies to achieve his vision for Britain.
However, I'm unsure of David Cameron's party as a whole, particularly his Shadow Cabinet. The majority of the Shadow Cabinet are millionaires, yet some still claimed extravagant expenses, such as Chris Grayling and Michael Gove, who were found to have 'flipped' their second homes. It's quite concerning that we could be governed by millionaires who are still greedy enough to claim petty expenses. My local MP Richard Benyon is a wealthy man, but he resisted the temptation to dip his hand into public money for expenses and was one of the MPs not implicated at all in the scandal. If Cameron wants to restore trust to politicians he should think about who he has in his Cabinet if the Tories win the general election. Perhaps getting rid of one or two of these dodgy Shadow ministers and replacing them with honest, respected MPs such as Richard Benyon would send out the right message. Alan Duncan was removed from his post of Shadow Leader of the Commons recently after saying some very stupid things (see blog entry 8th September), but I think Cameron needs to go further than this to restore public trust.
Another concern with this Shadow Cabinet is that they're out of touch with Britain. Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox has said a Tory government would be "sympathetic" for a request for thousands of more troops to be deployed in Afghanistan. Now from what I understand most of us want our brave soldiers out of the war zones as soon as possible. It should be a priority providing the right equipment to the soldiers already out in Afghanistan and Iraq, not sending more to war.
And recently Shadow Home Secretary compared Britain's streets to US television show The Wire, set in Baltimore. I've never seen The Wire, but I'm pretty sure we have a lower crime rate then the murder capital of America. There might be a problem with knife crime, but this comparison is completely over the top suggests how out of touch the Shadow Home Secretary is.
The next General Election is there for the Conservatives to lose and after Shadow Chancellor George Osbourne's speech today they may have just lost the support of a few people. The proposed public spending cuts will not have gone down well with those approaching their pension or public sector workers, as Nick Robinson blogs on the BBC website.
This week's conference is a big chance for the Conservatives to persuade the electorate to vote for them, but so far I'm not convinced.
Monday 5 October 2009
Monday 5th October 2009
Saints finally moved into positive points on Saturday with a very convincing 4-1 win at home to Gillingham.
Southampton dominated the early stages against average opposition so it was no surprise when they took the lead on 13 minutes, Rickie Lambert volleying home from a Dean Hammond cross. However, the away side made a rare opportunity count 10 minutes later with Luke Rooney equalising from the edge of the penalty area.
It could have been one of those frustrating afternoons which Saints fans have become accustomed too recently, but the lead was restored on 35 minutes when Papa Waigo scored his first goal for the club (the goal on Tuesday has been officially confirmed as Lambert's), finishing well from six yards out.
And Saints went 3-1 up just before half time through Adam Lallana, bringing a very satisfying first half to a close for the home side.
The second half wasn't quite as entertaining, but few will complain, as Saints added a fourth late on, Lallana scoring his second of the game.
This was undoubtedly Southampton's best performance of the season so far. The attacking trio of Lambert, Lallana and Waigo looked unstoppable and Gillingham created very few chances.
Saints player ratings-
Kelvin Davis - 6 - Didn't have much to do, but there when he was needed.
Lloyd James - 7 - Looked comfortable at right back, held his position well.
Neal Trotman - 6 - Has to take the blame for Gillingham's goal as he failed to close down.
Radhi Jaidi - 7 - Solid all match and an aerial threat from corners.
Dan Harding - 8 - Fast becoming a real fan's favourite for his persistence in tackling.
Paul Wotton - 7 - Got stuck in well and protected the defence competently.
Dean Hammond - 7 - With Wotton performing defensive duties in midfield Hammond was free to become a creative spark.
Jacob Mellis - 7 - More effective in the middle, showed some of his potential in the first half when he hit the post.
Papa Waigo N'Daiye - 8 - Showed at times he is real quality and finished well for his goal.
Adam Lallana - 9 - MAN OF THE MATCH - Ran Gillingham ragged down the left, judging by this performance he is one of the league's top players.
Rickie Lambert - 8 - Worked hard and deserved his goal, his best performance in a Saints shirt so far.
Subs-
Simon Gillett (on for Lallana) - 6 - Didn't have much to do, but played with his usual determination.
Lee Holmes (on for N'Daiye) - 6 -Brought on late, got a good reception from the St Marys crowd as he continues his comeback from injury.
Matt Paterson (on for Lambert) - 6 - Had too little time on the pitch to make an impact.
It was great to leave the ground on Saturday with that winning feeling and now we're finally out of minus points hopefully we can swiftly claw our way up the table.
Its a busy week ahead for Saints; tomorrow they play their first ever game in the Football League Trophy at home to Torquay before travelling to Essex on Friday to take on Southend.
Thursday 1 October 2009
Thursday 1st October 2009
The Sun yesterday claimed to have made a "historic announcement" by ditching their support of the Labour Party.
1. Dean Hammond - average rating 7.5, from 4 games2. Neal Trotman - average rating 7.25, from 4 games
So Dean Hammond gets my vote for Saints player of the month. The former Colchester captain has been energetic in the middle of the park, covering a lot of ground as a box to box midfielder. He was my man of the match in the 2-0 win against Yeovil, Saints only league win this season.
There's no doubt that this was a huge blow for the government, as The Sun is the biggest selling daily paper, but I can't say I'm too surprised by their decision. Labour seem to have been hit hard by the announcement, which dominated the agenda at their party conference in Brighton yesterday.
A MORI report suggests that Labour have fallen behind the Liberal Democrats in the polls, the first time they're the third most popular party since the dark days of 1982. There may be a defeatist attitude among party ranks at the moment, but I would like to think the battle for power isn't over yet, despite the Conservatives huge lead in the polls. The Mirror may not have as many readers as The Sun, but I'm sure it will still support Labour through the tough times and if a successful campaign is launched in the days in the lead up to the general election they may still cling onto power. I must say I was very impressed with an article written by manifesto coordinator Ed Miliband in this month's New Statesman, as they seem to be thinking about rebuilding the economy with practical solutions:"We are helping to build the automotive industry of the future with our support for electric cars. But the Labour manifesto will go further pursuing an active industrial policy to build the economy of the future."Things seem to be better thought out than the Conservatives, though perhaps next week they will unveil their plans at their conference for rebuilding the British economy. However, I do wonder if there will be more to it than just public spending cuts.Going back to The Sun now, which yesterday included a poster with statistics listing all of "Labours failures". They focus on these studies which claim that Britain are generally the unhappiest out of 21 countries in Europe. However, I'll bet that the average working class person is happier now than he or she was in the 1980s when Thatcher's Conservatives were in power. I wasn't alive for most of the Thatcher years, so I can't see the full picture, but I don't see people rioting over mine closures and poll tax today.Labour have a lot of work to do if they're to stay in power, but they can always hope that the Tories have peeked too early and we all know that its not over until its over...
Saints may be struggling in League One at the moment, but a piece by Paul Fletcher on the BBC website can put fan's minds at ease that things behind the scenes are better than they've been in years. Fletcher interviewed Executive Chairman Nicola Cortese, who seems to have the ambition to take the club forward. After years of boardroom politics I'm pleased that finally Saints have a owner in Markus Liebherr and a Chairman in Cortese who can work well together.
Here's the top rated Saints players based on games I've seen for October:
Here's the top rated Saints players based on games I've seen for October:
1. Dean Hammond - average rating 7.5, from 4 games
3. Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert - average rating 7.0, from 4 games
So Dean Hammond gets my vote for Saints player of the month. The former Colchester captain has been energetic in the middle of the park, covering a lot of ground as a box to box midfielder. He was my man of the match in the 2-0 win against Yeovil, Saints only league win this season.
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