I sit in my 2011/12 Away shirt, Do Prado 10 on the back. “Yellows, Yellows, Yellows!” Hoping someway, somehow, it spurs Southampton onto a performance reminiscent of our last battle at the City ground. A 0-3 victory with Do Prado, Connolly & Schneiderlin scoring.
Certain players in the current squad somewhat emulate the scorers on that day. Like Morgan Schneiderlin, Romeo Lavia joined Southampton as a promising teenager. Ever so slight difference between Strasbourg and Manchester City. Schneiderlin stayed until he was 25, it will be a miracle if Lavia is still here by then. David Connolly and Theo Walcott, both consummate professionals playing key roles despite being the ‘wrong’ side of thirty.
Perhaps the most comparible; Guly Do Prado and Charly Alcaraz. Ignoring the lazy Latin American parallels, they share the ‘can’t defend well but can score’ trait. On occasion both have/had the tendency to look disinterested, once the touch paper is lit though a different beast emerges. Alcaraz certainly has the capacity to become a cult hero like Guly - ideally no drink driving drama please Charly.
I imagine the first draft of the team sheet had Elynoussi starting however repeated sofascore notifications from the Amex stadium no doubt forced Rubén’s hand to play the more attacking Walcott. The key takeaway being a recognised striker starting as Che Adams starts for the first time since March 18th.
What’s absolutely bonkers about the league this season, even a defeat tonight doesn’t mathematically finish us. More lives than a proverbial cat.
A striker striking?
Adams back for his first start in 6 matches, two shots in opening 7 minutes - shock that a natural striker has two strikes on goal. It appears Selles has taken notes from fellow countryman Guardiola as Maitland-Niles operates as an inverted fullback and its working! In possession AMN & Lavia play as two 6s allowing Charly and JWP to be more advanced centrally causing trouble to Forest’s defensive shape. Selles has been guilty of sticking with the 4-2-2-2 ‘Southampton way’ I admire the tactical change to a 4-3-3.
Saints dominating a match, no prizes for guessing who scored first. Forest, 1-0. Awoniyi, his last goal was at st Mary’s. Three minutes later, a second for Awoniyi. 50% of his Premier league goals have come against Southampton. Charly Alcaraz gives the ball away and after a bit of penalty area ping pong it’s volleyed home by the Nigerian. 2-0
Despite trailing 2-0 we’ve had the majority of possession however it’s a transitional moment that leads to a Southampton goal. Adams picks up a loose pass from Gibbs-White, it’s three on two, he plays through Stu Armstrong who deftly slides it across to Charly, showing great composure to take a touch a slot it past Keylor Navas. 1-2, fight in the old dog yet?
Southampton dominance resumes as Walcott pokes a shot agonisingly wide. You get the feeling there’s another goal in this half.
Southampton always seem to have a hiccup in their locker capable of derailing any sort of momentum. Sure enough Maitland-Niles fouls Brennan Johnson to give Morgan Gibbs White the chance to score from the spot. Initially it’s a well executed interception by AMN, he then fails to check his surroundings while attempting to clear, slicing the back of the Forest forwards leg rather than the ball. This, plus the third Newcastle goal at St James Park last time out, makes it errors leading to goals in consecutive matches for the Arsenal loanee.
Half time, 3-1.
A tale of a few Brazilians
Half time away at Newcastle, myself and those around me discussed how nervy the second period might be, this week I simply opened another beer embracing the inevitability of it all. More fool me.
Due to four goals in the first half I didn’t mention Bella-Kotchap being replaced by Lyanco due to injury - Hamstring on this occasion, to mix it up from continual shoulder issues. The loco Brazilian would go onto ignite the optimist within us all. Heading home from a JWP corner, a header so powerful that not even the face of legendary Keylor Navas could prevent it crossing the goal line.
51 minutes, 3-2.
I always imagined Lyanco’s first goal for the club would lead to a bookable offence, be it taking his shirt off or jumping into the crowd. Celebrations, given gamestate, were relatively understated. Turning to the bench as he ran back to our half donning a menacing yet ecstatic grin. True warrior style of course Lyanco started bleeding after scoring. We get it lad, you’re a bit of a gladiator.
Our Brazilian came off the bench to rejuvenate our appetite, one of Forest’s starting Brazilians would crush our spirit. Not content with just an assist for Awoniyi’s second goal, Danilo would finish a flowing Forest team move. Gibbs-White delicately set him up to smash home inside the area. 4-2, if Lyanco’s goal was a new hope this was the empire striking back. It appeared another Brazilian would further compile our misery as Felipe scored. Wheeling away, leaping into a flip. Ruining cocky celebrations like this are one of the good points of VAR.
In credit to Selles and Saints we continued to give it a go, a mentality that has been absent more than once this season. A siege on the Forest goal in added time saw Lavia fouled in the area. Penalty Southampton. There’s been more stonewall penalties given but there’s been more stonewall penalties not given so we’ll take it. JWP copies the earlier technique of Gibbs-White and buries it down the middle of the goal. 4-3, The depressing question regarding will this be his last goal for the Saints looms.
Other than an Onuachu blocked shot we struggle to carve a genuine chance to level the match.
Full time 4-3.
End of the road?
When thinking about the match you have to dissociate it from the bigger picture. 9 points from 12 available were needed prior to kick off Monday night. The enormity of the task cannot be understated. As I wrote previously, in the waning days of the season what matters is showing fight and not whimpering on like a sad dog reluctant owners haven’t put down.
Going into the match 80% of Forest’s points this season have come at home, notably beating Brighton & Liverpool, a respective fortress. A defeat in all likelihood the most realistic outcome. Although to score three goals away from home. To, in spite of trailing, at no point portray a sense of the game passing us by. For Selles to abandon principle playing style to adopt a new formation and strategy shows a level of managerial nouse that has been lacking previously. All these are positives to cling to, granted they have an air of straw clutching but some positives are better than none. If we have learned anything this season it’s that.
A chance to put a cat amongst the pigeons with a victory instead the proverbial cat somehow has a life however it’s purely academic at this point. We have the luxury of our fixture versus Fulham taking place before those immediately above us therefore we can’t be relegated before we even step onto that hallow St Mary’s turf. All we can do is win this game and let what happens happen. When the inevitable happens though you’d like the final act to be out of our hands rather than self inflicted. Huge caveat that the impending relegation is largely self inflicted but let’s not sign the dotted line ourselves.
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