Thanks for joining me for my first MBM and many thanks to Mr Boufal for making it worthwhile for all of us. Until next time (if there is a next time). Read Ben Fisher’s match report:
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Full-time: Southampton 1-0 West Brom
The game was settled by a goal it did not deserve. Sofiane Boufal will have to wait until May to find out if he’s won Goal of the Season, but he’s in with a good chance thanks to his solo stunner after coming off the bench. Just Pellegrino’s second home win since taking over, so he will be a relieved man, not to mention the fact his sub made the difference.
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90+3 min: Southampton are just knocking the ball around waiting for the final whistle, as West Brom accept they won’t score. Oh...and Boufal has been given Man of the Match.
90+1min: Tony Pulis is moaning about his side not being given a free-kick in the build-up to the goal they conceded, rather than complain that his team couldn’t stop a man over a 70-yard run.
90 min: We have four more minutes. Can West Brom get an equaliser?
89 min: The home crowd will be coarse by the end of the game having erupted for Boufal’s stunner and now they can’t stop singing about the Saints and their direction of marching.
87 min: Dawson decides this the moment to leave the pitch with what seems to be a muscle injury. He is now limping down the tunnel and West Brom are down to 10 men.
GOAL! The sub Boufal has just scored one of the best goals you’ll see this season. He picked the ball up in his own half and he just ran at the West Brom defence, hilariously making two crash into each other, before the Southampton man calmly slotted the ball into the corner. I am pleased I watched to the end now.
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GOAL! Southampton 1-0 West Brom (Boufal 85)
What a goal from Boufal!
84 min: West Brom are in attacking mode, as they only have nine men permanently behind the ball. Can Southampton find away through the Baggies wall?
82 min: Boufal’s first involvement is to sent in a weak cross which is easily cleared. Let’s hope he finds his feet in the game.
80 min: Redmond, who has made a real difference, tries to curl on in from 20 yards, but it just goes the wrong side of the post. Now Boufal has replaced Tadic and Austin is on for poor Shane Long.
79 min: I told my dad I was doing a Guardian MBM and he explained he looked forward to reading it in the Observer tomorrow. He might be disappointed.
77 min: Pulis, the cunning man he is, has decided to replace the cautioned Chadli with Phillips.
76 min: Redmond’s arrival has provided some impetus to Southampton, as West Brom are forced to retreat once again into their Tony Pulis shaped cocoon.
I see what you’ve done there
Thomas from the world of electronic mail says: “How come Tony Pulis isn’t sponsored by a paint store? They could have pre made cans with the title “now you can watch the first team anywhere” (but catchier). Sales would go through the roof!”
74 min: West Brom have a corner but the ball doesn’t read their land of giants in the area as Chadli hits the first man.
73 min: Forster shows he has something to offer as he turns over a powerful shot from Chadli.
72 min: Tadic finds himself unmarked in the area as the ball floats to his feet, but the midfielder is quickly charged down by Foster, forcing him to kick the ball straight at the goalkeeper’s chest. It’s livening up at least.
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71 min: Foster shows a turn of pace to just about keep the ball in when it looked like it was heading out for a corner. The knee is in good nick.
70 min: This is better than Liverpool v Manchester United, but maybe that’s just because my expectations were so low for this. Am I wrong?
69 min: Redmond is on for Romeu, which sounds attacking, so we mighty have some attacks from Southampton. A positive move, at least.
Joesph says: “Forster’s not great, but as a Liverpool fan, Karius hadn’t saved a shot on target until last week.”
But at least Karius isn’t allowed to play very often. I once interview Loris in a previous life. He likes Nandos.
67 min: Chadli goes into the book for kicking out at Tadic. Was a silly foul to commit.
Anne takes us down Memory Lane...
“First match at St Mary’s was Japan v Nigeria in a friendly. Was played on a Saturday, chucking it down, really windy. I lived in a basement on old Northam Rd then and remember being mighty confused at seeing drips and drabs of Japanese and African blokes walking by. As the numbers increased I had to nip out and ask what was happening which Jim who ran a footie memorabilia shop just down the road told me and then kindly lent me a tenner so I could go along. Think the match ended 2-1in Nigeria’s favour. The pitch was horrendously waterlogged, as badly as A field was on the first leg of their UEFA Cup Final against Monchengladbach in 1973. Had it been other than a friendly that day it would have been abandoned.”
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Chris from Stockport asks: “Gabbiadini makes me wonder which English players from 1990s (Marco) have a more sophisticated foreign player currently carrying their name?”
Not that it’s a great question.
64 min: West Brom have certainly been more ambitious since moving to three at the back. Speaking of ambition...Cedric has just launched one 5678934 rows back at St Mary’s.
Is Fraser Forster the worst goalkeeper in the Premier League? Email in now...
Southampton really need to give Stuart Taylor a go between the sticks.
62 min: Set-piece experts West Brom give Chadli the chance to whip one in from 40 yards and the ball drops to Forster who inexplicably dropped it a yard from his own goal. Was he always this bad a goalkeeper? Lucky to get away with that one.
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60 min: Rodriguez has the best opportunity of the game for West Brom, but nerves get the better of him after latching onto a through ball. The striker somehow sent it 57089349 yards wide when one-on-one.
58 min: Hegazi is a ruddy good defender, not messing about and just getting the job done since minute one. Will be good to see him at the World Cup next year.
57 min: Forster comes to try and clam a swirling cross 16 yards from his own goal. Due to his current form, he doesn’t get anywhere near catching it, forcing his defenders to help him out.
56 min: Pellegrino is shouting at anyone in his vicinity. What is he complaining about?
55 min: Rodriguez gets a chance from 20 yards but hits it with his weaker left foot when it seemed to be set for his right. It goes well wide and he walks off in shame.
Charles has emailed to say: “I came to the MBM late, and wondered why the picture editor had chosen to illustrate it with a photo of players grimacing in stupefied agony. As I read down it became clear.”
Grimacing at my terrible words?
53 min: Barry goes off and McAuley comes on. Surely everyone thought Pulis needed another defender on the pitch.
52 min: Long has realised he can’t score from two yards so rifles in an effort from 20, but it’s straight at Foster.
51 min: Gabbiadini has a chance with his feet this time, as he collects the ball on the edge of the area, but his shot flies wide following a deflection. The corner is easily cleared.
50 min: Cedric’s cross loops a bit and it’s coming down as it makes contact with Gabbiadini’s head, meaning the Italian can only send it over the bar.
48 min: West Brom are deep and compact, a system they know how to operate within. Not sure Rodriguez thought he’d be playing as an auxiliary left-back when he moved to The Hawthorns.
47 min: Bertrand sends in a whipped cross but once again West Brom deal with it.
Use all the relevant the media on offer to contact me so I can use your words to pad out this MBM. If Rob Smyth has any advice to send it, you’ve got my details.
46 min: Peep peep (as I am contractual obliged to type)! Here we go again.
Who will blink first? Will we see Redmond and Boufal on for Southampton soon? Could Pulis turn to McClean and Phillips? The options are almost endless.
We should have known:
0 - Five of the last nine Premier League games between Southampton and West Brom have been goalless at half-time. Drab.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 21, 2017
If you prefer football with goals, why not read the report from Huddersfield beating Manchester United:
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45 min: We’ve made it to half-time. Remember when the ball hit the post? That was good. The rest less so.
J.R has rightly apologised for trying to end my Guardian career: “My bad. Sorry about that. I didn’t have the game on the TV yet and misread the match officials appointments on the Premier League website and told you the fourth official was the ref.
“Hopefully this has taught you to never listen to emailers. Of course you could have gone back and edited it and hardly anyone would have known instead of throwing me under the bus but that’s okay, unlike the president of my country (and basically everyone surrounding him) I can admit when I’ve made a mistake.”
I lesson learned by all.
45 min: Good news! We have two more minutes. Surely goals will come in the next 120 seconds!
45 min: We’re heading into the break in full knowledge that we could all predict this happening. It’s not been a classic.
43 min: Upset at not converting from the last corner, Yoshida decides to up his game. Sadly for the centre-back he shins his bicycle kick well wide.
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42 min: Southampton earn their 4683790th corner of the game, leading to their best chance as Yoshida heads the ball into the ground, but Foster is equal to it and palms the ball away.
41 min: Graham Poll keeps piping up to explain that penalty decision are right, which is really great insight. We’re lucky have such a man explaining why something isn’t given...
40 min: Ooooooh...Werst Brom a good at clearing corners. Southampton put in two very dangerous balls into the box, but a Baggies head is always available to send it away.
39 min: Bertrand gets away from Nyom, but then decides to run back into the defender and is lucky to win a corner.
38 min: Van Dijk dribbles out from the back, aims a little dink over the top, which is cleared, proving that defenders should know their place.
36 min: Steve has tweeted: “I’m feeling free to tweet you right now. Feels ok #liveblog.”
Feel free to do the same, but be more interesting.
35 min: Pellegrino is looking agitated, as he should do as his team aren’t making the most of being better than West Brom, not to mention he pressure he is already under so early in his tenure. His mood won’t be improved by an awful Cedric cross.
34 min: There’s now loads of rain, leaving us with hope that Storm Brian will actually make a difference tonight.
32 min: Christopher emails in to explain that Chadli is wonderful: “As a Spurs fan watching this game I am rooting for Nacer Chadli. Not West Brom mind you, just Nacer Chadli.”
31 min: Bad news for West Brom as Evans is forced off, which we assumes was caused by an earlier fall. Nyom is going to replace the Northern Irishman, which will result in Dawson moving into the centre.
30 min: Cedric appeals for a foul near the corner flag after he connects with Chadli. When the decision doesn’t go his way, he does some remonstrating with the assistant referee.
28 min: Southampton break from a West Brom free-kick at the other end. Gabbiadini takes the ball down the line and sends the ball into the box for Long, but he toe pokes it wide, as he will never score again.
27 min: It’s West Brom’s turn to have a free-kick from 30 yards. Chadli, who scored one from a similar distance on Monday, hits it straight at the wall. Shame.
25 min: The referee is Graham Scott, not Neil Swarbrick. J.R. has done me there.
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24 min: Van Dijk wanders out of the back and decides he should have a shot from 35 yards. He’s struck it as cleanly as you like but it just swerves off target.
22 min: The home team have upped the tempo as they look to make the most of West Brom looking a bit slow. Romeu is free one yard from goal, but he spins and sends the ball wide from close range.
21 min: Southampton’s supporters seem to have realised that West Brom are no real threat and are getting quite annoyed that their side are being so patient and conservative. Give them a chance. The tension almost does the trick as Bertrand breaks into the box, before laying it off to Tadic who hits the ball straight at Foster.
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20 min: Romeu pulls back Krychowiak midway inside the Southampton half, but the referee lets him off with a warning despite it being a touch cynical.
18 min: Hitting the post has got the Southampton fans going as they let out a rendition of ‘When the Saints go marching in’.
17 min: Southampton have a free-kick in a good position...Bertrand steps up and curls the ball onto the post from 30 yards, via a West Brom head!
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15 min: Bertrand’s but in a lovely looking cross but it finds no one in the area and is cleared by West Brom. A few more of those would make it interesting, especially with the breeze.
14 min: Lemina decides Southampton need a wayward shot to get his side going as he smashes one nowhere near the target to the amusement of no one.
13 min: Alan has been in touch: “Might I respectfully suggest to my fellow Baggie supporter JR that the person most likely to ruin the game is not Neil Swarbrick but Tony Pulis.”
But does this go without saying?
12 min: First Evans hits the ground hard after winning a header and now Van Dijk has hit the deck having done similar. Both seem fine, though.
10 min: Barry is an experienced player but his inswinging corner is caught by the wind and goes over everyone in the box. Wind watch is continue throughout the game, you’ll be pleased to know.
10 min: Foster is taking his own goal-kicks, making him an improvement on Myhill, who was unable to kick the ball for the second half at Leicester on Monday.
8 min: The wind is getting up at St Mary’s as the tempo decreases in the game, mainly thanks to how West Brom have set up.
6 min: Lemina tries to find Gabbiadini over the top, but the Italian isn’t quick enough to latch onto the chip over the top.
5 min: West Brom look quite happy to contain the opposition, but they may need to offer a touch more on the counter if they’re to threaten Southampton.
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3 min: Barry is the first man to shoot at goal but his effort from 25 yards whizzes past the post, allowing Forster to watch it go wide.
3 min: “Best of luck on your first MBM from one of two Baggies supporters in Illinois.
“My first piece of advice would be to name the guy who is most likely to ruin the game, referee Neil Swarbrick.”
J.R points out who the man in the middle is, which is very kind of him.
2 min: Southampton have started off by keeping the ball for the opening stages. They’ve looked comfortable in possession, which is a positive considering their poor home form.
1 min: Peep peep! The ball is moving and we can all now focus on what is to come.
I still can’t get used to Virgil van Dijk solely having his first name on the back of his shirt, but it isn’t as bad as when Tyrone Mears sported Ty above his squad number at Derby.
Pellegrino and Pulis are both strutting their stuff in stylish tracksuits, but who wears it better?
Charlie Austin is caught by a rogue sprinkler while trying to get loose. The Southampton striker seems to actually be annoyed by having water fall onto him. That’s the sort of spirit Saints need to take them up the league.
Jay Rodriguez seems like a nice fella with his Spanish name and Lancashire accent. I was at the game where he was injured against Manchester City and it wasn’t pretty to see a play in full flow needing to be carried off.
The wind has calmed down, which has ruined my plan for a boomerang goal-kick. The clouds look moody, so that might be a game-changer.
Sometimes it’s the games you least expect that are the most exciting, which is something we should all hold onto. If the weather starts having an influence, we could be in for a classic.
If you would like to send in your thoughts on my typos or what will happen in the game, the relevant places to do so are noted above.
Even though Shane Long isn’t having much luck in front of goal, he does have something to celebrate:
Congratulations to @ShaneLong7, who makes #PL appearance 💯 for #SaintsFC today! pic.twitter.com/OBYt8oUFl0
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) October 21, 2017
West Brom have now dropped down to 10th and Southampton 11th following the 3pm kick-offs, just to ensure this game is as mid-table as it can get.
Our man Nick Ames was at Chelsea v Watford earlier and he kindly wrote a match report:
The results so far today from the Premier League:
Chelsea 4-2 Watford
Huddersfield 2-1 Manchester United
Manchester City 3-0 Burnley
Newcastle 1-0 Crystal Palace
Stoke 1-2 Bournemouth
Swansea 1-2 Leicester
Pulis on Rodriguez Saints return
Jay will get a great reception.
He had a great time down at Southampton and we were fortunate to get a deal done for him.
He had a couple of poor injuries there at the end and that probably stopped his progress.
But he’s moved on, he’s enjoying it here and is popular in the dressing room.
Storm Brian is having an impact on the south coast, so long ball football might not be the best idea on a windy night at St Mary’s, but on the upside, there’s a chance a goal kick could boomerang back to a goalkeeper at some point.
Shane Long starts even though he has failed to score in his last 25 appearances for club and country, dating back to eight months. He’s not supposed to be prolific, but not finding the net since February will make Saints fans yearn for the return of Gordon Watson.
Both West Brom goalkeepers are available to Pulis, so he’s gone with his undisputed No.1 Ben Foster, who has recovered from a knee injury. Will that make the difference for the Baggies?
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Team news
Southampton: Forster, Cédric Soares, Yoshida, Van Dijk, Bertrand, Lemina, Oriol Romeu, Long, Davis, Tadic, Gabbiadini.
Subs: McCarthy, McQueen, Hoedt, Ward-Prowse, Redmond, Boufal, Austin.
West Brom: Foster, Dawson, Hegazi, Evans, Gibbs, Livermore, Krychowiak, Barry, Rodriguez, Rondón, Chadli.
Subs: Myhill, Nyom, Yacob, Phillips, Brunt, McClean, McAuley.
With Ben Foster recently suffering a knee problem during a back garden kickabout with his son, here’s a look back at some other freak injuries:
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Preamble
Good afternoon. This is my first Guardian MBM, so you can all send your constructive feedback to the above email address. I will need something to pass the time, as the prospect of Southampton v West Brom doesn’t give anyone much hope of constant action for 90 minutes, so filler will be required.
Southampton and scoring have not been great friends in 2017, but two entire goals against Newcastle last week might be the boost they need to go on a run. However, considering West Brom’s defensive prowess, it could be another tricky one for the Saints. Mauricio Pellegrino has only won one home league game since taking charge in the summer, so will be keen to find a second or will be looking over his shoulder, waiting for Nigel Adkins’ triumphant return.
Tony Pulis will be celebrating at the prospect that one of his senior goalkeepers will be fit for the game, meaning poor young Alex Palmer will be left to watch from the bench once again. Pulis must feel some jealousy due to the fact that Southampton’s fifth choice goalkeeper is Premier League winner, Stuart Taylor, even if he hasn’t played a game since the turn of the century. Jay Rodriguez will get to show what the Saints are missing, which is a consistent striker, as he returns to his former club.
I might not be Rob Smyth, but at least there will be fewer podcast plugs, even if Rob’s is lovely stuff.
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Preamble.
