I would not usually comment on other teams as much as is possible, and certainly not their supporters, but in this article I am going to make an exception as I hope it serves as a warning as to what can happen to a set of supporters when their team starts enjoying some success.
The reaction of a large number of Southampton fans to the 3-1 defeat their side suffered at the hands of West Ham on Saturday was to be embarrassingly bitter. More than that, it underlined an almost disturbing arrogance from supporters who should know a lot better.
I realise of course that this won’t apply to all Saints supporters, many of whom will appreciate where they came from, and be able to analyse their sides performance without rose tinted spectacles.
Nonetheless the constant cries of ‘hoof’ were hard to ignore at the game, a pitiful attempt to mock the Hammers perceived direct style of play. Naturally nothing was shouted on the frequent occasions any Southampton player hit a high ball up the pitch.
After the match, I read the comments from Southampton supporters about the game in KUMBs ‘opposition view’ article. The lack of class and sheer arrogance of many of these was astonishing. Most went down the route of criticising the Hammers physicality and negative football as the chief reason why their side lost. These are a couple of comments that give you a general gist of what was being said: (all courtesy of KUMB)
“I hate West Ham…Terrible area, terrible club, terrible style of football. We were far better than them but they won because of there style of football and their ability to know where to put the ball to be effective.”
“So we lost to a Neanderthal football team. So what. The linesman missing offside was a game changer. I think they wouldn’t have scored the second if they hadn’t been gifted the first. They had one game, win the ball and hit it up front.”
Then the best of the lot:
“They won, but I can tell you this, if my team played this way I would give up going.”
What a supporter you are.
I then had a look at some Southampton forums and found many more opinions of the same ilk. My question to these fans is; just who do you think you are? You would have thought that supporters of a club that, after years of scrapping for survival in the Premier League, to then get relegated and even drop as far down as League 1 only three seasons ago, would have a sense of perspective and some humility. I actually used to admire Southampton in their days of constantly fighting relegation battles and staying up year after year against the odds.
If ever a reality check was needed I think this would be the time. Sitting mid-table in the Premier League after half a decent season, and the keeper passing the ball out to your defenders rather than kicking it long does not make you Barcelona.
I was at the game on Saturday and this is what I saw: Yes often the ball would be hit up to Carlton Cole which was a good tactic as none of the Southampton defenders seemed to be able to cope with it. But then the big striker would invariably either chest the ball down and lay it off to a teammate, or flick it on with his head. Once in possession, particularly in the first half, we would try and create an opening on the flanks, through…yes clever passing and one twos before a cross came into the box. How outrageous.
When I have watched Southampton this season one of their main tactics for creating chances seems to me to hit the ball up to Rickie Lambert at the far post to head down to a teammate. I don’t blame them for this as it is effective. Yet when we use a similar tactic with Carlton Cole it’s suddenly ‘Neanderthal’ football.
There seemed to be a point blank refusal by a lot of Saints fans that Mauricio Pochettino could possibly have been out thought and outmanoeuvred by his English counterpart, yet that is what any neutral observer would have seen.
My main point in writing this is that I do not want a similar attitude ever emerging amongst the West Ham faithful, and to show how ludicrous it is. At the very least wait until your side has had a bit of success until you can look down on other teams in this way. Banter yes of course is great, but not an attitude that your side has some divine right to look down on the opposition.
WHU are a bunch of Neanderthal wankers. End of. Saints forever.
Gosh you’re so far up yourself it’s hard to know where to start, ha!
Your team DOES play shit football (we can all read your own blogs, ha, your supporters so hate your style AND your crooked, cheating manager)
And yes we did lose, lacking our first choice centre half, and you guys deserved to win and we need to learn to cope with what you served up, but boy your breathtaking arrogance in the last third of a deeply (to your own fans) disappointing season is ludicrous.
Just you have a good look at the crap you’ve been served up by Evil Sam until the past few weeks.
Good luck on your re education and much sympathy at your laughable defence of crap football! Happy hammers. You’ve got to be joking.please try to enjoy the rest of the season as much as you’ve enjoyed this one chance to bite back, albeit with your bleeding gums, but spare a thought for all your young “stars” of the future in your academy who will never get a game under Dr Evil, and try very, very hard to understand what it’s like to support a team that backs it’s academy and has a style of play the works actually enjoys watching.
Oh, amd please try to find a way to enjoy watching fat Sam’s Mini Me (sorry Kevin Nolan) cheating and bullying his way to another Great Performance! Ha! Gosh you’re so lucky to have him 😉
Oh and btw, many players do you think you’ll have in the World Cup party, hmmmmm.
Off back to your Cave babe (19th century? Stone Age more like) and good luck with trying to fill the Olympic Stadium,. Now that really IS a joke.
Much love from the sunny south xxxx Dennis xxx
I despise comments of “too physical”… I love physical players. I applaud players who, if 50/50, give a bit of a shove to the other (even if they lost a foul). I can relate to them, shoulder to shoulder on a playground. Soon, it’ll be a foil if a player is strong.
Who gives a monkeys what a few muppets think! They lost, we won, possession and passing ain’t goals!
Fair post. Exactly right. It was a good win and we need to become more clinical to try and change it happening again.
Good luck for the rest of the season!
CoYR
Saints fan – I wasn’t at the game on Saturday fellas and I guess the score and result is the most important thing to you at the moment, but my view is I want to be entertained when I watch my team. One thing that going down to league 1 reminded me was Saints will always be my club whatever league we’re in. However, I’d rather be in league 1 playing the sort of football we’re playing than watching West Ham in the EPL. That’s not having a pop at West Ham, because you’re steeped in a tradition of quality football i.e. ‘the academy’, but the reality of your team under Sam. The corresponding games over the last 3 seasons at St Marys have been the worst games of the season, not because of the results, but Nolan trying to ref the game, spoiling & general negative tactics. If results are more important than the beautiful game and you’re happy to part with £40+ quid then good luck to you, but I’ll remember the West Ham of old and enjoy the current brand of football we’re playing.
Saints played more long balls then west ham…
Saints fan here, watched the game thought west Ham were better in the first half at but felt saints didn’t take their chances and west ham did so fair enough, football is tactics so mocking the opposition is natural, west ham fans certainly gave some back to calling us the shit team in Portsmouth but I just think it’s good match banter and enjoyed the game, ps good “tactics” and what a great run you guys are on! A winning streak man utd can only dream of this season
Russ. Are you honestly saying that you would rather go down and play attractive football than play a harder physical game and stay up ? I don’t think you would really want that. And let’s take a close look at Southampton, what kind of footballl do you play? Is it the smooth slick tippy tappy football of an arsenal or man city. No. Do you rely on two strong powerful front men who can put themselves about and mix it when they need to, that’s what I saw on Saturday. Do you ever play the long ball ? Yes more than us it seems if the stats are right. That said You do have some wonderfully talented players in lallana, Ramirez and shaw etc. unlike the games against us at at st Mary’s which you dont enjoy. We really like playing you at Upton park since we have come up from the championship. I am not the greatest fan of BFS style of football and would like to see more free flowing attractive football from the hammers, but that is not going to work for us now. We are still in a relegation fight and I will accept whatever style if football if it gets us the 9 points or so we need to stay up.
I’m so glad that blogs like this exist, it reminds us how utterly fucking pointless most football blogs are.
I’m a WH fan, married to a Saints supporting wife. I wouldn’t take the ‘hoof’ chants too personally, they shout it a lot.
In any event, the way we play often leads to a long ball played out of defence. The way BS sets out his teams, it’s often not pretty but more often than not (recently at least) effective. He said when he arrived, what’s the point of pretty football if you keep losing?
I’m not keen on it as a spectacle and can remember better football. But the premier league is tough, and without a very budget, difficult to succeed in playing stylish football. Saints recent good fortune is down to some good acquisitions, decent management as well as producing quality players and (for a change) not losing them to richer teams. They had to almost disintegrate before they could do this. Good luck to them.
We’ve taken a different route and for the moment I’m content enough, but if we can make it to the OS still in the EPL, I’m hoping for better football and better results. Until then, Collins can keep hoofing. Better that than watching the ball getting picked out the net.
As for Saturday, the Saints fans were right. They did play better, but we got the points.
The Hammers ‘perceived’ direct style of play?
Long ball percentage: West Ham 20% – 9% Southampton
20% of West Ham’s TOTAL passes were long balls, compared to 9% from Southampton; very high indeed.
Southampton defenders couldn’t cope with Cole in the air?
Aerials won: Cole 34% – Fonte 56% – Yoshida 100%.
With the exception of Cole’s header against the post, he won only 34% of his aerial battles. The Southampton defenders had the better of him in the air yet, astonishingly, West Ham continued to try and play long balls up to him.
I suggest next time you do your research first before posting this kind of rubbish.
By the way, I’m not suggesting that West Ham didn’t deserve to win the game – they did. They took their chances and were clinical, whereas Southampton were wasteful and lacked composure in front of goal. I’m also not necessarily saying that I dislike their style of play either; four wins and five clean sheets on the bounce, can’t argue with that. I was merely pointing out the statistical inaccuracies in that you did play a lot of long balls, and that Carlton Cole was very ineffective. Nolan, Noble and Jarvis were somewhat more effective.
Sorry, four clean sheets on the bounce, before they played us.
Funny how these stats are different from any others…
Long Balls: West Ham United: 52; Southampton: 58
I’m an avid Saints fan first and s football fan second. I have to put up with all the ‘hoof’ comments and the crap songs we sing sometimes. But all teams have supporters like this.
Admittedly we are playing a style of football that is attractive, but I would much rather us revert to a slightly different tactic, to just win games. What’s the point of 62% possession 25 shots at goal, only 5 on target and one goal and that bya defender? I’ts the same when Arsenal play us, we sing “same old Arsenal always boring” no they’re not, they’re entertaining. Chelsea always cheating, they outplayed completely at St. Mary’s.
So I can apologise for those arrogant Saints supporters, (to be honest I don’t know what forums you visited?) But I remain humble and respect any team with your recent results and a canny manager like big Sam.
Thanks for the post Steve. Don’t get me wrong I love crowd banter between two sets of fans, but I was just surprised at the constant complaining about our style of play (which I haven’t heard nearly as much from any other team we’ve played). But I know the majority of your fans aren’t like that and I’m glad you have a sense o perspective about the match
…and yes, thank thank you Steve!
Best of luck, for you and the Saints this year!
Respect mate! A bit of perspective for a change! Far to many people get all excited over stats and pretty tippy-tappy football. It is all very well but unless it wins you matches, what’s the point?! You need a physical edge in the prem and if you let yourself get bullied you ain’t gonna get the ball to play any kind of football. Lambert is a very good player and seemed the only one who was up for the fight on Saturday. The other thing I noticed was despite all those pretty stats again, was that Southampton simply couldn’t cope with west ham once they got the ball in the box. They had a bad spell before and after the second goal where they just panicked! The hammers are now a very powerful team and Southampton and their fans just couldn’t cope with that. I expected better from them as you are a team I like. Good players good academy. Lots of good English players. Just thought some of you let yourselves down Saturday. In general I Really miss it when people just said we were beaten by the better team, or the reason we lost was we were shite! Instead of this disease of it being everybody else’s fault but their own! Websites and forums would be much better for it and a lot less boring and tribal. Wish you all the best gortex the rest of the season! COYI!
What a ridicules article, a set of football fans don’t like the style and tactics your team employs and you’re butt hurt, you can try and argue statistics to dispute being a long ball team, but heck if you watched the game and every other game this season, honestly and subjectively you’d have no grounds to dispute those claims, let’s face it, it’s not just Southampton fans who feel this way…. Jose m and 19th century football? Like it or not, your about the worst team to watch in the EPL wake up and smell the roses
Oh dear! Got beat did we? Attractive football? Tippy-tappy then hoof it up to lambert to knock it down! Very enlightening! Let’s face it for all your pretence of barca like football you simply couldn’t cope Saturday! If you are gonna cry after the big boys keep taking your ball of you then maybe you need to go back to carrot crunching! Oh and let us know when you want another lesson in finishing! Thanks for the laugh!
You are right. We tried to beat you at your own game this weekend and should have played our normally way.
Good win for you – lessons learned I for us.
Good luck for the rest of the season.
CoYR
Thanks for that post Steve.
I’m a big believer in the axiom- “adopt, adapt and improve”. And that is what we have done over the last 2 years.
For any Saints fans, or my fellow Hammers fans, who dislike our current style of play- TOUGH S**T
I’m actually enjoying our style of play!
And for anyone that needs to see pretty passing on the floor- may I suggest that you buy a Spain jersey and root for them in Brazil, where ironically, the host country has abandoned the “beautiful game!”
Can I just say this and it should shut the “Oh when the saints go marching in ” brigade.
Stats for the overall season so far show Southampton either top or at least in the top four for long ball into the box. West Ham were not mentioned.
So please shut up wingeing, no your right we do not play that attractive football but we do stay on our feet unlike Lallana who trails he leg to get a free kick which you score from.
Your having one good season good luck to you, next season lets wait and see
2013-14 Season long ball stats (source: WhoScored.com)
1 West Ham 18%
2 Aston Villa 18%
3 Crystal Palace 17%
4 Cardiff 16%
5 Fulham 16%
6 Norwich 16%
7 Sunderland 16%
8 Hull 15%
9 Stoke 14%
10 West Bromwich Albion 14%
11 Southampton 13%
12 Everton 13%
13 Tottenham 13%
14 Newcastle United 12%
15 Chelsea 12%
16 Manchester United 12%
17 Liverpool 11%
18 Swansea 10%
19 Manchester City 9%
20 Arsenal 9%
Again, please do your research before making false statements.
Dunno where you read that… probs last season because this season Southampton have 2nd most long balls per game and west ham are 4th. Southampton were unlucky, but don’t start winging because we have an opinion. People who mock team s who ain’t their rivals in my opinion are sheep and don’t know much about football. People who joke about and praise or sympathise with other teams understand the game.
Please provide the source of your stats if you are going to quote them.
Haha southampton fans they are an abnormal bunch,enjoy the young players while you can,small selling club,no history,shit support.
Not much to get excited about there then?delusions of grandeur.night
You can understand their bitterness. It must be galling to have pulled out your best cheating and still get well beaten. If ever saw persistent diving [like Lallana] from my team then I’d have to reassess how much I wanted to go to West Ham. What’s the point in bothering to compete if you need to cheat to achieve anything?
Seriously who gives a monkeys about southampton or what their fans think? Leave that for the likes of pompey.
Aww bless.
Saints lost. I’m disappointed but will get over it. I love the saints journey we have been on, and continue to follow. I would be saddened to have Big Sam or Tony Pullis as manager, what I love about Saints is that we play positive exciting football, some we win , some we lose.
Big Sam only knows one game. Are you the Hammers or the Trotters I wonder ? Its not pretty, it can keep you in a division, but it has no future. Its dull survival football at best. Does it reallly satisfy you Hammers ? Really ? Mugging the odd team ? I mean does it make you proud ? Big Sam’s is a dinosaur….. Good luck Hammers. I’m sad for you.
Hey like Swansea you have had a couple of seasons playing decent football but don’t presume it will last again as Swansea have found it soon gets found out by the bigger better clubs who will outplay you at your own game while less footballing sides will simply nullify such tactics.
We on the other hand were playing continental style football since the sixties when your team were just kick and rush merchants. We were indeed ridiculed for it over the years, for now safe football is a means to an end as much as I don’t favour it I understand the short term need while we escape the financial depths we found ourselves in. Let’s see where each of our teams are in 5 years shall we and what sort of football each will be playing, I suspect that you may have a need for it yourself to survive one day as you did for many years previously. You have had your gems but they hardly hide the true nature of your football over the years so less of the pot and kettle and more self examination for gaining but 1 point from a team you so deride will not be lost on others.
I’m said for YOU Christian! Because clearly you’re in denial…
“Mugging the odd team out”?… like who? Chelski? …Spurs?
You know what?! I’m not even that keen on him, but after those comments, I hope we steal Lambert from you this summer.
Now go to bed! It’s a school night.
For fuck sake, you think you play pretty football? Southampton have had an ok season, hardly ripping up trees. Fuck off you mug
Is that Chris Pullinger lurking on West Ham sites yet again? How bitter can one man be?
Saints fan – season ticket holder at St Mary’s. Of all the teams I’ve watched over the last 3 years West Ham have been far and away the worst. I’ve always liked them as a club but current style and approach is abysmal. They are the only games I would happily not have attended. That’s not bigging Saints up that’s just an honest reflection on West H from a massive footy fan.
Says a lot for Southampton if the worst team you have seen in three years beats you 3-1 & you only got the 1 by diving. Quiet frankly I couldn’t give a flying feck if you want to watch West Ham or not, presumably you came to watch Southampton lose, not to watch my team, so hopefully you weren’t disappointed. That’s not bigging West Ham up that’s just an honest reflection on whether or not I give a flying feck.
Ha Ha!! Mug