View from the Kingsland: What did you expect? - In-Common

Saints column by Nick Mabey.

There was much talk after our last league game about Saints’ fans reactions to a home draw with Rotherham. In the ground during the match I also noticed there was a lot of debate going on about the way the team plays and should play. At the time and afterwards I found myself asking the players, the manager and mostly the fans ‘what did you expect?’

Southampton went into the Rotherham game on the back of two wins, which in turn followed three very disappointing defeats – described in my last article as an unholy trinity. Going up against the second bottom team in the division, our fickleness had lead many fans to believe a more holy trinity was inevitable, with a win that would take us up to the play-off places. Needless to say things didn’t turn out that way. What did you expect?

For most of the game Saints totally dominated and the only mystery was how we managed to score just the one goal, when three of four would have been a more accurate reflection. Our team’s focus on high levels of possession, using movement and quick passing to create chances was clear to see, and it was mostly down to their keeper that Rotherham didn’t concede more. And yet around me there was some grumbling that we weren’t direct enough, with longer balls and less ‘tippy tappy’. What did you expect? Anyone turning up at the ground believing they would see us change our evolving style, particularly after back-to-back wins, was surely deluded.

Inevitably they equalised (after 75 minutes), thanks to the shrewd tactics of Matt Taylor, the Rotherham manager. In the first half, at 1-0 down, he could see the way his battered team was suffering and so removed an attacking player to stiffen up things in defence. This seemed counter-intuitive for a side losing, but I’m guessing he thought that if Rotherham could concede no more goals they would still be in the match; which is what happened. Having made it to the last twenty minutes he then launched the cavalry, in the shape of three burly substitutes, and within 20 seconds they had equalised.

At the end of the game there was a mixture of resigned applause and loud boos. Our manager, Russell Martin, confronted one fan who was expressing his frustration and Flynn Downes (who played excellently) later said in an interview that he was surprised at any negative reaction from fans. But what did they both expect? It’s not been easy as a Saint fan over recent seasons, trauma is fresh and hopes are fragile. Dropping two points after such a one-sided game was a bitter pill to swallow and Martin himself admitted he was angry. So what did he expect from fans? I want to be clear I am not a fan of the booing, particularly during games and sometimes after, but it’s no great surprise, let’s be honest.

This is what I expect. I expect each player to be giving everything he has for the team, the manager and the fans. I think we have that. I expect my team to be playing with a clear identity. I know we have that, although it’s still settling in. Anyone who is hoping we are going to play in a different style anytime soon may as well stop coming. There’s some chaps to the right of me who are forever shouting ‘get it forward’ or ‘hoof it’ when we have the ball. What do they expect? That we are going to start playing like Rotherham because they are shouting from the stands?

I expect my manager to be deeply invested in the success of the team. I think we have that. I expect the board to back the manager, giving him time to implement his strategy. I hope we have that. And I expect the owners to play an active role in the club and invest in the future. It seems we have that.

And finally I expect fans to support their team through thick and thin. To hope and dream, to shout and scream. To enjoy the good times and persevere though the bad times (when gnashing of teeth, raging, crying booing and mild depression are often the only responses available). This is not a job for the faint hearted.

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