Quarter-Final, St.Mary's, Wednesday, 20.00
Mara scored a superb first goal for Saints following a pinpoint pass from Lyanco
|Cup runs, huh? They can be enjoyable but they are rather like the cherry on the top when the real stuff is underneath. In 1984 Saints were the best team in the league and should have landed their first title, until Lawrie Mac got distracted by the FA Cup. The points we dropped as Lawrie tried to recreate the "Spirit of 76" cost us dear and we finished 2nd behind Liverpool.
Cup runs are OK when you are lolling about in mid-table and need a bit of excitement. When you are adrift at the bottom of the table they are as welcome as a fart in a wetsuit. Anything that distracts your focus from the hunt for league points should be avoided.
In the League Cup, City should beat us at a canter but our surprise victory at Palace in the bigger one means a winnable 4th round tie with Blackpool. I'd suggest a win at Everton next weekend is very much our priority.
City are a lovely side to watch. I used to hate Pep when he was at Barca, where their recruitment strategy was to buy any Valencia players that showed any promise. At Bayern and City I've learned to appreciate him and his playing style.
Saints are routinely awful to watch but, at Palace - certainly in the 2nd half, there were some signs that football was being effectively played by our team. Let us hope that is a harbinger of improvements ahead and, like spring flowers blooming, there are better times ahead.
|Ruben Dias is City's main injury concern but with Stones, Laporte, Akanji and Ake available, that should not prove a major problem. With Phillips now fit, Pep may rest Rodri for the Manchester "derby".
ABK remains sidelined as does Curly Stu. I'm hoping we may see Orsic at some stage tonight, but it's essential that Lavia gets game time and lots of it, as that lad has much heavy lifting ahead of him: and, for Christ's sake, play 2 up top!!
Couldn't work out what our shape was until play commenced and then it appeared to be 3-4-1-2 with Lyanco, DCC and Salisu at the back, Djenepo, Lavia, Diallo and KWP across the middle and JWP playing behind AA and Mara. Baz was in goal. New signing Orsic was on the bench.
City were a mix of first team and benchwarmers. Cup keeper Ortega started with Cancelo and Gomez at full back. Laporte was the only centre back and it seemed Walker was to be the other. Phillips, Gundogan {C} and Foden were across the middle with Palmer, Grealish and World Cup winner Alvarez leading the line. Pep's bench was frighteningly good.
Before kick off our latest recruit, Charly Alcaraz from Racing Club, was introduced to the crowd which was several thousand down on normal attendances.
|Sky have upped their game by getting Mark Chapman on board as "big game" presenter. He was assisted by Jamie Rednapp, Medum Onuha and Jill Scott. They showed City's goals from their last visit (0-4), but gave us the crumbs of Che's first goal the last time we beat them, during lockdown. Commentators were Gary Weaver and Don Goodman.
City wore their yellow and black third kit and, when they were facing away from the camera, it looked very much like Saints home kit from long range. Fortunately the mid-range view was less confusing.
Saints started like someone had lit the blue touch paper and they were in City's faces from the get go. Every City player was put under pressure, but someone (Nat, the coaches or the players themselves) had clocked Phillips as the weak link and whenever he got the ball he was mobbed by our players who took the ball off him. This was nothing like the spineless crap we'd been watching of late...
A firm tackle by AA in midfield sent the ball out of play for a corner to City. Foden's cross was headed away, played back in by Gundogan, but shepherded back to Baz by Lyanco. Then Palmer robbed Salisu and broke down their right. He picked out the run of Gundogan but the German miscued and the ball went well wide.
Saints were matching City and their first attack saw Djenepo skin Gomez, requiring LaPorte to concede a corner. JWP's cross broke to DCC, whose low drive was creeping in till Ortega tipped it round the post. Ortega punched the next behind for a third corner which fell for Diallo. The Frenchman played it back into the box but a weak header was easily fielded by the keeper.
Djenepo was relishing the wing back role and looking as good as I've seen him in a Saints shirt. A Lyanco long throw reached him but he skied his attempted shot.
Despite Saints improvement City still enjoyed the bulk of possession, but the constant harrying from our team was causing their normally pin-point passing to go awry and they were not quite at it in our half; which was nice!
Baz was looking confident too. He was sound playing it out from the back and, on 17m, he played a peachy 60 yard pass enabling Djenepo to get beyond Gomez and again needed Laporte to stop him. Lyanco was also looking to play the killer long ball and he hit a diagonal into Mara, who turned and hooked the ball over the bar. Almost!
On 23m Saints ambition was rewarded. Possession was turned over by both sides before Gomez brought the ball out. His attempted pass to Grealish was pounced on by Lyaco who burst into City's half. Again he spotted Mara lurking in the box and hit his early ball into him. The youngster sprinted past Walker, met it with his right foot and struck it sweetly beyond the dive of Ortega. 1-0 Saints and, on balance, we probably deserved it!
Gundogan was making progress into our half on 25m and Lavia upended him and was booked. The City free kick went into our box and met by a Saints head - usually DCC's. On 28m, Grealish created a chance for Palmer, but this was blocked and the ball brought out.
It went to Lavia on halfway who turned away from Phillips and drilled a forward pass inside Cancelo. It was received by Djenepo moving in from the left. Head up, he looked where to send it, but spotted Ortega well off his line. He was well outside the box, but hit a sweet, sweet shot up and over the retreating keeper and into the net. Not 30m gone and we were 2 up! FFS!!
Confidence surged through our team and there was a lovely cameo when Ward-Prowse made a monkey out of Foden. City were still bossing possession, but mostly in their own half. Baz had still not made a save. Grealish was their best option but even when he got by Lyanco her came up against the Croatian wall that was DCC. The best they managed was a corner which at least got Baz involved, punching it clear.
Their next corner was headed out by DCC and, in their hurry, City were pulled up for the first of 2 foul throws: really? In one added minute, AA tried to go by 5 city players who eventually robbed him by weight of numbers. Half time and we had retained our 2 goal lead.
It was no surprise Pep made 3 changes, but those expecting to see Haaland come on were disappointed (or relieved, depending on your affiliations). De Bruyne for Palmer was a no brainer but the other substitution were The Walker at centre back experiment experiment ended with the arrival of Akanji and Ake replaced the tired out Gomez.
De Bruyne had an immediate impact, sending a defence splitting pass through to Alverez but the striker missed the far post. On 50m KWP found AA who cut in from the left and tried to beat Ortega at his bear post - hit the side netting.
Djenepo looked to be playing deeper now, but Saints were still competing all over the park. JWP was certainly playing higher up the pitch with Lavia and Diallo sitting behind. Ake came down their left, but Lyanco stepped across his path allowing Baz to clutch the ball. On 55m Djenepo went down just as 3 Saints subs were being readied.
Perraud for Djenepo saw KWP move to the right, but before our others arrived, Haaland came on for Grealish. After a further Saints attack Lavia was also down and he and Mara were replaced by Moi and Che. Shortly after, Rodri replaced the labouring Phillips.
Elyounoussi earned huge cheers when he dispossessed KDB and Adams then played in KWP, whose shot bounced just past the far post. Cancelo's foul on Moi gave us a free kick but City defended that and mounted their own attack. The ball was worked to Foden, wide left, but his cross was high and behind Haaland. Many forwards would signal their displeasure, but the Norwegian showed athletic prowess in getting a boot to it anyway: it sailed high over the bar.
Both sides were still creating chances. On 70m the Skipper set up KWP whose effort was blocked. Straight up the other end and KDB sent in one of his killer crosses but Baz watched it all the way and pounced on it as Haaland closed in.
Back to City passing the ball around but, for the first time in ages, Saints were defending properly, closing the gaps and forcing City to go across, or back. On 77m JWP had a shot blocked before Haaland chased a ball towards our goal, but Baz hacked it away. Then Gundogan set up Alvarez but his shot went past the post.
AA and KWP worked the ball to Ward-Prowse, whose low shot was blocked on the line. Ché stuck away the rebound but, to no-one's surprise, he was offside. Diallo collected a booking for a foul on Foden. He took the free kick but Lyanco headed it away.
City were desperate, but Alverez's dive in our box was laughable. Another Ake run down the left met with a crunching tackle by Lyanco who emerged with the ball. There was an alarming bout of head tennis before the ball came close enough for Baz to grab. Saints final change saw new man Orsic replace AA on 83m. He looked a tidy player in his short introduction to SMS.
City kept trying. Rodri sent in a cross but it was cleared. Then, following City's 2nd foul throw, Rodri played in a dangerous low ball. Haaland got the slightest of touches but Baz dived left to smother it. That was as close as they got.
A period of Saints possession was getting the "Olé" treatment from home fans as +6m was signalled. City were not happy and both Rodri and Alverez were guilty of crude fouls on JWP and KWP. Saints were initially trying to get a third - both Moi and Orsic had shots blocked - until JWP and Ché began arsing about by the corner flag to run the clock down.
Then, the whistle blew to end the match. Saints had beaten City by 2-0, moved inti the semi-finals and Baz had not faced a shot on target. Wow!
I sometimes struggle to find a single player worthy of nomination. It may even be the "least bad" player. Today everyone was decent - including the subs. Some were very good.
When a side plays that well and wins against the odds, the plaudits must go to the coach who prepared them. Given the crap we've had to watch of late, that was a real privilege to report on. I'm going off piste her. For sending out a team who played well for 90+ minutes against a very good club, I'm making Nathan Jones my MOM.
IBO Reporter: Spot51
Moussa Djenepo scored an astounding goal from fully 35 yards out, when he spotted the keeper off his line
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