Southampton (a) Out of the sinking...
Today really started for me at 11pm last night when Dominic King announced that at boardroom level David Moyes and (unbelievably) Mark Hughes had been discussed as possible replacements for Silva if it were to go wrong today. More on this later, but to say I had an uneasy sleep is an understatement....
When the team dropped at 2pm I’d half expected Tosun to start, but no Iwobi, and both Schneiderlin and Gylfi back, where were the legs going to come from? Step forward Tom Davies.
For a player that divides opinion so much, over the past 3 games he has shown a glimpse of the consistency that he could be capable of, and in the absence of André Gomes someone that can drive the midfield forward with incisive passing and powerful running. His maturity levels have increased, his decision making is far clearer and his ability to know when to stay and when to go has come to the fore. His goal was excellent and it was a big goal. Man of the match today.
We started the game well, got the goal and bossed the whole half. We more or less did what we wanted to do, and did, except score. There’s really no other way to describe it. Mina and Holgate rarely troubled, Digne and Sidibe often so far up the pitch we had a formation of 2-2-5-1. We attacked, we couldn’t put them away. Tosun and Davies especially should have put us out of sight, all to be topped off with a Mina 35 yarder!!
Inevitable boo’s and discontent from the home fans, no sign of them making amends for the Leicester result!
For as much as Everton started the second half slowly, Southampton had to react. You can imagine the conversation in their dressing room at halftime. Herr Hasenhuttl likely pleading for his players to keep him in a job, probably sent them out after firing a few home truths and a ‘do it for the fans’, and in some respects he got the answer he needed. They picked up, got a bit of momentum and this is where the issue with Silva’s starting eleven hurt us. A spine of Min, Schneiderlin, Gylfi and Tosun is slow, you can’t break quick enough, there’s not enough mobility to move through the gears and get past people. Schneiderlin was almost anonymous today, he was tidy enough, but was like a traffic cone for Southampton’s goal, the winger just went passed him, Mina was unlucky but of course it was Ings, it’s always Ings. You can add his name to the likes of Ferdinand, Armstrong, Wright, Yorke, Kane and John Stead.
The next 15 to 20 mins were understandably ropey, their tails were up, they know what happened at Brighton, Everton under the cosh, they almost always fall apart.
Even more Mina and Holgate good work and a big save from Pickford form a brilliant Ward Prowse free kick and it was time to change it up, we couldn’t get out of our half.
For the third game in a row Silva’s substitutes saved the game, for that he deserves praise, he’s often been criticised for making changes too late, or the wrong changes, but lately he’s got it right, credit where it’s due. Alex Iwobi doesn’t just occupy space, he plays forward and always looks for the next pass, he can also transition quickly which was what we were crying out for at the beginning of the second half. Walcott was unlucky to come off, he’s played well since the bang on the head reminded him he is a PL quality player with a lot still to offer. DCL came on and did what he does, ran the channels, chased the ball. Tosun had a chance to win the game in the first half, he didn’t do a great deal after that, maybe he is best suited as an impact substitute after all?
So the subs came on and within 10 minutes Richarlison had scored the winner and Iwobi had sent one just wide and hit the post, we had to hang on and we did. That’s excellent from Silva.
Huge credit to Sidibe for the cross and a great finish from Richarlison, running in to volley it home. I’m delighted about this goal for two reasons, 1) Sidibe’s growing influence in this team, both attacking and defending, and 2) Richarlison scoring in a week where he’s been vilified by journalist Paul Joyce, a man heavily affiliated to LFC about diving, a piece that completely ignores the fact and the evidence that players very close to Goodison park get away with cheating, week in and week out, but are never outed in the press.
A win away from home, the first since smashing West Ham at their mecano set stadium last March, it’s taken a bit too long really. However, if VAR and that cretin Lee Mason had done the job properly we’d have ticked that box two weeks ago. We all know the story.... but the monkey is off our back now, we move on. For my money Southampton won’t be a PL team next season.
At the start I mentioned last night and the story broken by Dominic King. I can understand David Moyes being discussed by the powers that be, I can because in some respects he’s a safe pair of hands, we know him, he knows us and we know what he can be capable of when he has good players at his disposal. Mark Hughes on the other hand would cause open revolution, not just around L4, but both nationally and internationally amongst Evertonians. The man is a bonafide disaster, he had a less than 18% win rate at Southampton in his last job, and almost relegated them whilst being mainly responsible for Stoke being relegated also. Phil McNulty who’s the chief football writer at the BBC and formerly of the Liverpool echo said the Hughes link is there to make any appointment of Moyes feel far better than it actually is, considering Hughes could be an alternative.
But!! Marco Silva remains our manager, and he will have the international break to plan for Norwich and what comes after.
I’ll close with this, if VAR had done what it was supposed to do vs Brighton and Spurs, we’d be in the top 6 tonight.
UTFT 💙 Keep the faith.
