New forest (not so) Classico

The eagerly anticipated south coast derby! Well to those in Dorset anyway. Personally I’d rank this fixture as third on the rivalry list behind Southampton Vs Brighton and the obvious real south coast derby against that team who lost 0-4 in their own backyard. 

I put Southampton Vs Brighton above the New Forest Classico as the early 2010s saw standout matches and battles over league position as we returned to the top flight. Who can forget the image of Jose Fonte topless celebrating at the Withdean in summer 2011. Kelvin Davis saving a Glenn Murray penalty at St Mary’s earlier in the League One campaign. Later in the Championship there’s the image of Rickie Lambert being, wrongly, sent off at our first encounter at the AMEX. Lest we forget Rickie’s hat-trick in a 3-0 home win that season. In contrast Bournemouth matches hardly have the same verve or vigor. An Oscar Gobern red card aside.

Sadly though Yeovil Town’s demise over the last two decades, a further relegation this season out of the National League, has led to this bizarre notion among Bournemouth fans that we’re their local rivals. Laughable I know however 9 points separate us at the start of the game. A defeat for Southampton in this fixture could add a genuine origin to this “rivalry” if the perception is Bournemouth winning at St Mary’s relegates us. As we all know though only one team is at fault for our relegation and that is ourselves - different matter entirely.

Here we go again

As a wise man once said “Well that, was fucking dreadful!” Despite having the lion’s share of possession in the game (57:43) there was always an aura of uncertainty breaking down Bournemouth. Short of Walcott’s trademark “in to out” runs from central to wide channels there was little signs of a distinct playing style. Bournemouth in contrast had an natural no. 9 to base play around - a strange idea that Selles appears averse to trying. 

Aside from Adam Armstrong clipping the outside of the post I struggle to recall any other chances of note. Indeed we had to ride our luck in the first half with Dominic Solanke marginally offside in the build up to Matias Vina’s disallowed goal. Lady Luck though would eventually haunt us. A Perraud injury in the first half saw a forced change in the fullback positions leading to an imbalanced wide threat, Perraud’s overlapping had carved out Armstrongs chance and unsurprisingly two fullbacks in unfavored positions offered little to no threat for the remainder of the match. 

At the start of the second half though an unbelievable substitution occurred. JWP, the ever reliable stalwart, was off for Lyanco. Could it be that Prowsey has gone full Hugo Lloris and thrown his toys out at half time? I think not. The suggestion from Selles is illness hampered his game, he did look lethargic in the first half. Lyanco for a second game in a row coming on at half time as Saints change to a 5 man defence. At Arsenal I could justify this, at home to Bournemouth in a must win game however I can not. Notice I say must win game not a must not lose game, emphasis’ surely should have been on attacking prowess. 50th minute, sure enough what we all expected to happen, happened. Marcus Tavernier cut in from the right, meandered around the box unchallenged to shoot left footed into the corner past Alex McCarthy. 0-1. 

Alexa play 1973 by James Blunt because “Here we go again!”

A goal down, the prospect of a 46 game season next campaign imminent yet it takes 10 further minutes for changes to be made. During which we were very fortunate to not concede a penalty for a Bednarek handball. Not a stone wall penalty however it was not too dissimilar to the penalty we won against Leicester City at the start of March. Elynoussi and Walcott make way for Stu Armstrong and Che Adams. Shockingly we look like we have some idea of what to do going forward. Actually, that’s generous I should say Stu seems to have some ideas. Progressive and direct ball carries, incisive passing and even defensive interceptions in a the left back position of all places. Interestingly with JWP and Perraud out of the side set pieces were left to him, if only he could beat the first man more often. 

Saints managed 11 shots in total during the game, efforts from Duje Caleta-Car and Kyle Walker-Peters were both blasted over as we pushed, albeit lightly pushed, for an equaliser. In the dying minutes of the game it looked like we had done it. Lyanco played it inside for Stu to drive at the Bournemouth back line, he dribbled past two defenders before sliding it across the box for Che Adams to control and then blast in from 6 yards out. 1-1? Our old nemesis VAR, or perhaps more the continual scourge of Adams Vs the offside rule had other ideas. An outstretched foot of Adams was in an offside position, goal disallowed. An all too familiar sinking feeling sets in. Time runs out, Bournemouth win 0-1. 

In November 2020 Southampton went top of the Premier League tweeting “stop the clock.” A statement relevant now in a much sadder context. 

Hey diddle diddle 

The game reminded me of a classic nursery rhyme.

Hey diddle diddle,

The cat and the fiddle

The cow jumped over the moon

The little dog laughed to see such sport

And the dish ran away with the spoon.

Bournemouth being the little dog laughing at us whereas Southampton are the dish, running away with the Premier League’s wooden spoon. 

A twelfth league defeat at home by a single goal. Another defeat in a must win game. A team, particularly in the first 60 minutes, devoid of energy, lacking intensity and verticality. All things that were considered the Southampton way in previous seasons. 

Meanwhile in Merseyside, Sundays opponents Newcastle win 1-4. That’s now 10 goals in their last two games. The only thing that could further compound misery at this point would be a 9-0. Having not won at St James’s Park since 2014 with an Elijero Elia brace (remember him) it’s not inconceivable we could receive a drubbing, to be polite. 

Sunday it won’t be a view in the channel rather than a view just off the River Tyne as I travel the 475 miles over land and air, to see what could be my last live Premier League game involving Southampton for a while. I’m left wondering if the players will turn up seeing as they struggled to do so at St Mary’s Thursday evening. The away end at Newcastle is notorious for height respective to the pitch, not one for the faint hearted however neither is watching Southampton this season.