***saints v city official match thread***

[Bluedj]

Fabulous second half performance. Well done lads.

Heads up for the our travelling fans. Special

[nottsblue]

Great result. Played superbly it must be said.

Plenty of positives from the game,

Kompany was awesome. Leads the back line and marshals the rest of the defence and the breakthrough goal as well

KDB had a great game

Very pleased with Navas as well, thought it was his best run out for a while

Sane just gets better and better and his finishing for a winger at his age is exceptional

And a CLEAN SHEET

[Dameerto]

Thank you Kaptain for a great performance and well deserved breakthrough goal. Good team performance all round really.

[PrezIke]

Komps has been a rock at the back.

aside from his usual rash challenges i agree

I think there were two or three early in the first half. After that I don't think he made another and did many other good things, including one pass that initiated a good attack.

[stevefromdonny]

A BIG THANK YOU TO CITY FOR THAT 2ND HALF,

[Dimples]

MASSIVE 3 points. If we beat ScumUtd at home we're home and hosed for top 4.

Kompany is some player. One of City's greatest ever?

He is inspiring and injects the team with confidence, self belief and a will to win.
Even giving Bravo the confidence to make a save.

[Justified logic]

Good result! Fortunately the only shot on target against us was straight at the clown. I've seen him make those saves before. I wonder what his stats are excluding those straight-at-him 'saves'.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

Phew; what a relief as I was very worried about this encounter, but what a nice second half (wonder what Pep said to them in the interval ??).

Three welcome points and a clean sheet to boot; now bring on the Scum and lets help consign them to 5th or 6th place at the end of the season.

[Justified logic]

Now that Vince is back I believe we can score from any corner. Before, I felt they were just a write-off, much like a throw in at the corner flag. And what a difference he's made to our defence; we now have one!

[PrezIke]

Seems like Navas is well suited to be a wing back in Pep's system.

Great answer from Vinny just now about why he reacts as he did when scoring.

[Justified logic]

Seems like Navas is well suited to be a wing back in Pep's system.

Great answer from Vinny just now about why he reacts as he did when scoring.

What did he say?

[PrezIke]

Seems like Navas is well suited to be a wing back in Pep's system.

Great answer from Vinny just now about why he reacts as he did when scoring.

What did he say?

He was first asked about how pleased he was to score and he downplayed it. He then commented on being happy to keep a clean sheet. When he was asked again relating to his reaction he explained sounding quite sincere that when he reacts like that it's been a long road to come back, he's disappointed to have been injured so much during his career, and it is really about his desire to give back to the fans and be able to contribute to the team.

I know it sounds rather cliche, but he delivered it in a very genuine thoughtful manner and when you see it you believe it.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

Now that Vince is back I believe we can score from any corner. Before, I felt they were just a write-off, much like a throw in at the corner flag. And what a difference he's made to our defence; we now have one!

Steady on JL; don't get carried away as, after all, it was only Southampton we were playing (ahem.. ).

I know we can't rely upon Vinnie to last a full season but, if we managed to get a new centre back of his calibre, in the summer, to share the load, you can see how it would do wonders for our suspect back line, even without any further additions.

If we correctly target our transfer activities this summer, we might be able to say that we actually have a defence for once.

[everyonehatesus]

Great from the away boys today, nevee stopped all game.
Second half was a different game to the first. Glad to have been there for this one.

[Justified logic]

Seems like Navas is well suited to be a wing back in Pep's system.

Great answer from Vinny just now about why he reacts as he did when scoring.

What did he say?

He was first asked about how pleased he was to score and he downplayed it. He then commented on being happy to keep a clean sheet. When he was asked again relating to his reaction he explained sounding quite sincere that when he reacts like that it's been a long road to come back, he's disappointed to have been injured so much during his career, and it is really about his desire to give back to the fans and be able to contribute to the team.

I know it sounds rather cliche, but he delivered it in a very genuine thoughtful manner and when you see it you believe it.

Thanks. I can believe it. He is a very genuine person.

[Justified logic]

Now that Vince is back I believe we can score from any corner. Before, I felt they were just a write-off, much like a throw in at the corner flag. And what a difference he's made to our defence; we now have one!

Steady on JL; don't get carried away as, after all, it was only Southampton we were playing (ahem.. ).

I know we can't rely upon Vinnie to last a full season but, if we managed to get a new centre back of his calibre, in the summer, to share the load, you can see how it would do wonders for our suspect back line, even without any further additions.

If we correctly target our transfer activities this summer, we might be able to say that we actually have a defence for once.

Quite agree. He has made a big difference, as would another commanding CB. Guardiola shouldn't give any credit to Bravo for the clean sheet though. He has yet to prove that he can reliably save a shot that isn't directly at him.

[iwasthere2012]

Clean sheet was down to a defence that looked stable. In the past we have played out first halves like that. All the possession, few shots and then get robbed of a penalty.
But up until now with Bravo in goal we would invariably concede from the first chance we give them.
Today he looked far more protected and they never got close enough to bother us, despite a couple of times where he was pricking about overconfidently.
I think Vinny has to take much of the plaudits for that. All four at the back looked competent. They looked like they were in the right place, organised.
Even Clichy, although he still does my head in the way he turns most attacks into a pass back into our own half.
I even thought Navas did ok, although I can't see him being the answer at RB either.

Today was all about Vinnie and the organisation he brings.
And I don't agree about the diving in comment in earlier posts.

Today I thought he looked to consciously temper that urge. He used his experience to shepherd people out when he was caught covering out wide.

A top performance from the man and kicked off what was looking an unlikely win, with a trademark goal from a corner.

Top man Vinnie.

[Spurge]

For those going on about the second half performance the first wasn't bad either, it's just that we converted in the second half. For me that was as complete a performance as we've turned in all season. Really fookin happy tonight.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

He doesn't want him in goals for the cup semi final so he's done the switch. Our only chance if silverware. With our remaining PL games I think he sees them as eminently winnable...they are but on form we won't win them all.

I think you're bang on the money.

Not that I agree with it but wouldn't surprise me at all to see willy in v arsenal

This is the only reason I can come up with also.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

I thought Ottamendi was superb today. (I never thought I'd say that.)