itsbeautifuloutside

Match Report

IBO Reporter : nixoncomedy

Today was a bit of a disappointment overall for me. Not as much for the play on the pitch, I felt as the game wore on Leicester wore out and Saints got stronger and stronger, I feel the lads deserved a game winner, but was more than happy to see us come off of this massive travel week with points in both leagues and apparently well considered squad rotation. I did note that even the impeccable VVD was looking more winded by extra time in this match then I'd seen him in a long time.

The first half I spent yelling at my Chromebook. I am a cable subscriber and therefore have access to the official US stream through NBC Sports... except when they're broadcast on a channel I don't have in my package (sly move NBC, I'm not paying extra for CNBC or USA Network though so tough cookies.). Nonetheless I looked up the stream and was excited to see it was 'Digital Only' which generally means the best stream of the day... Oh but no, no, no. It would crash the 'Flash' whatever thingy and just have a broken puzzle piece looking at me all wonky. Needless to say I was unhappy. I tried my best to follow along on a live updated playbyplay. I eventually remembered I could watch the game on my phone through the app so the second half found me hunched over at the table watching on a screen slightly bigger than a post-it note... Needless to say, I needed to rewatch a few things. So I'll be brief as life has been hectic, but not coaching the yoof this season has been a blessing of actually getting to watch a bit of footy when it's actually on! :)

17th. Steven Davis finds Charlie Austin flashing (I know he's in form but he doesn't really...) chugging towards goal with a step on the defender. The ball is a bit heavy but Charlie don't care and takes it at an impossible angle anyway. It creaks off the far post and feels like more of a chance after the fact than it was looking on the buildup.

28th. VVD does his best Yoshida impression with a weakly trickled back pass that Vardy easily gets to first. A bit of indecisiveness and a lot of frantic body flinging later, he's blocked off by Forster and , the net is empty, but somehow when Vardy gets to it again after a series of rebounds, Alfa takes it on the chest and saves the day. Leicester have got to be flumoxed over that spell.

63rd. Settle down Charles. Schmeichel is quick off his line to be fair, but Austin pushes off the City defender to open a clear path down the right and tries to chip the charging Kaz... possibly the best chance of the game, if he puts his laces through it. It looks like less of one than the earlier impossible angle blast.

75th. That classic City strong throw-in leads to a meek header by Huth but then Okazaki makes a wonder header that misses the bottom of the far post by inches. The closest LC got to actually getting in the net I think all match.

93rd. Ulloa skies an open look, though not that likely, but just skied it over.

Overall, this game felt like a game where each team was adjusting to life in Euro and while I felt Saints came together better in the second half and started creating numerous good chances, I never really got that feeling from Leicester... Now to their credit they played us that way last season, sitting back and hitting off the break, or taking their lucky bounces from set pieces and corners. That being said other than a few heart flutters late, I never felt like they were going to actually scratch off that 0.

Biggest chance. JWP on the rebound, skies it over the bar

Notables - I hate all the talk of 'formation'... I still feel all season we've been running a 4-3-3 it's just a matter of where we're playing the 'striker'... that sort of looks like a diamond I guess but all of that is WAY less interesting than the fact that the front 3 are in constant rotation... It's a fluid system which gives the players freedom to run into space rather than focus purely on where they are in relation to the rest of the pitch.

Still like Matty Targett... anyone else note how much Matty and JWP are looking stronger and buffer? VVD may need a rest after the break. I'm wondering if we'll see Fonte/Yoshi against Burnley n have both on hand for the trip to the San Siro.