Charlton Athletic 1 Southampton 5
I haven’t watched a first half performance that horrible for a long time. It was startling how easy they dismantled our defence and rolled us around all over the shop in midfield.
It was only thanks to Kaminski and luck that it took them 14 minutes to score their first, and by the time they scored the 5th half an hour later, it had become like a very bad dream.
Four conceded at home in four months, five in a half here.
I was worried about today, worried about this week, we are desperately in need of some players back, no more so than Amari’i Bell.
Southampton taught us a harsh lesson, opened us up and unlocked anything good we had stood for so far this season. This was a fear I think a lot of us had in the summer, and that first half was like watching a Premier League team take apart a League One one.
A true test now, that we knew we’d have to face, but face it they do. Forget today, now it’s all about tomorrow.
I am in Texas, so the alarm was set early, and I’m off for a bloody mary or two.
🎙️”A game like today – particularly the first half – won’t define our season. To be 5-0 down at one point was really hard to take. The overriding message is that we’ll own it, front it and be better for it. We weren’t good enough today, simple as that.” – Greg Docherty
⭐️ Thomas Kaminski
🏟️ 22,708 (3,080 Southampton)
📸
A shambles to say the least sonny carey was born and brought up just down the road from me but even he looked out of sorts today kaminski played well considering he let 5 goals in today lloyd jones played okayish and that’s about it really lets look forward to stoke on Tuesday this drubbing was always going to happen coyr
I am speechless!
The defence wasn’t great by any stretch of the imagination, but the midfield was an absolute shambles, and just couldn’t work out what our game lan was supposed to be up front!
NJ should have made some substitutions at HT, but didn’t, so team and management need to consign this game to history. We knew it was going to be a tough season but we somehow need to get something from the next two games to stop what could become a rot.
From the covered end upper we were just waiting for them to score after the first 3 minutes. Gillespie wasn’t fast enough to cover their players in a back 3. Poor Apter taken off to make it a back 4 which worked, though had Southampton taken their foot off the gas by then? But what really grates is Leaburn and to a lesser extent TC lack of pressing. It’s just not in his game so Southampton had plenty of time to pick their route into and through midfield. PRESSing reasons to get Kelman and Godden back please.
This is a big wake-up call !!
Take off my rose-tinted glasses and face reality of the Championship…we were totally outplayed in every department and Southampton demonstrated Premisership tactics that should teach us all a lesson.
I spoke to a some Southampton fans who were as shocked as us with the game and final result.
The roller coaster is about to leave the station,strap yerself in and enjoy the ride !!!!!
A big off day.There was always going to be one at sometime, but our injury list probably made it worse. Two points out of the next two games will do for me, to get back onto an even keel. A day to forget today.
Well that was crap wasn’t it. I wish I could say I’m surprised, but I can’t.
We all were surprised and happy with how the season has started. But I still had an uneasy feeling about this team.
I’ve been quite open on this blog and complained about how uninspiring this lot can be.
I was just waiting for the right (or is that, wrong) team to turn up and today they did. Southampton destroyed us.
Nathan Jones still hasn’t learnt that playing exactly the same set up every game, when he doesn’t have the appropriate players available, is a risk too far.
1-5 down at half-time and he makes one substitution!!
Apter scapegoated and I expect he’ll look to get out in January.
We need reinforcements pronto.
Away to Stoke then Coventry next. I can’t see us getting any thing out of them unfortunately.
I think a lot of fans have forgotten that we managed to get promoted via the play offs and so was the weakest of the promoted teams. I think we recruited well over the summer but it was always a big ask to be able to go toe to toe with some of the bigger sides in the division. Southampton were unquesti9nable in a false position in the division and im sure this will be borne out over the season. As fans we all want instant success and easily forget that were now playing against teams that are firmly established in the Championship or have just come down from the Premiership. Despite being found out today, we’re still in a great position compared to where we were only 12 months ago.
It was bad day all around for me, started with me recovering from jet-lag watching the Aussie cricketers thumping England in the cricket. To be bombarded with messages from my relatives / in laws down under. With a bleary eyes, I arrived at The valley, to witness another horror show as we reverted to back to our league 1 defensive fragility of previous seasons. To be bombarded with messages from my nephew and niece who resided on the South Coast ! On my journey home, I am informed that the car has died in a supermarket car park and required a new battery. The warm Caribbean sun and seas seemed a far distant memory… my Arsenal fan neighbour gleefully reminded me it was my penance for skipping the country last week.
Ok back to the game, we were simply not on it and our pressing game was lacklustre and an impressive Southampton team ripped through us with constant ease. We looked unsure and ponderous in procession. It was a reality lesson, as the Southampton squad of £100 million regularly punched holes in our defence. They have clicked since the departure of their manager, that probably was their best performance, an assessment provided by the gloating nephew.
We don’t have the financial clout of many of the championship clubs. Our aim is to remain in this league. As I said previously on this blog and nothing has changed my opinion. I think we knew that that would be games like these when we got promoted. The squad has injuries, but other clubs will say the same. So I am not hitting the panic button yet, as we remain in a good points position with 23 points. I pray for far better days than this Saturday, one that will stick in the memory for some time. If we needed a reminder of how tough this league is we got it in spades today. We have tough games ahead and little sign of injury players returning, so I expecting some painful body blows and today was a total beating. I am now interested how we react against Stoke, never was expecting anything from the Coventry game.
My heart bled for Nathan – i know football fans can be cruel but come on – he was only there for 7 bloody games. Get a life. Their fans definitely on my list. And I knew one of our fans would be enjoying it – probably in the away end leading the singing.
Oh well. Yes, we knew what to expect this season and now we have it. So thankful for what we have achieved so far. Just want us to stay up – end of. And hey – 0-0 2nd half! 😁
I thought it was embarrassing that all the sung second half was anti Jones songs. You have just played us off the park, you don’t want to sing about your own players?
We’re higher in the table than Southampton.
It was a tough day but let’s keep perspective.
Their winger Leo Scienza was signed for 8 Million, Fellows, Jander & Azaz another 30 Million and they really should be top 5 given the squad and experience.
They had a golden 20 mins where we didn’t adapt. We had a make do back 5 with only 2 of the first choice.
The concern is that was our first choice midfield 3 getting over run because the press didn’t work (or take place in a coordinated way) Leaburn just isn’t good enough at this level and TC while quick, is young and lightweight.
We will drop town the table as it is so compressed but when players return we will bounce back.
We will have tough periods this season as we adapt and build up championship experience, the next few games are tricky Stoke, Coventry, Portsmouth, Middlesborough, Birmingham but we are a long way from where we were just 3 years ago when we’d just drawn 3-3 with Burton, lost away at Port Vale and were about to lose at home to Cheltenham before sacking Ben Garner.
Well said, Simon.