Southampton 0 - West Bromwich Albion 0

Dave Watkin:

Albion extended their run of games without a win at Southampton to sixteen games, stretching back thirty seven years, but at least they managed to pick up a point from the visit to St Mary's Stadium.

For the third game in a row the Baggies played their best football early on, but once we lost Nathan Ellington we faded from the game as an attacking force and were maybe fortunate to hold on for a draw. Pascal Zuberbuhler had his best game so far and is beginning to dominate the penalty area. The defence look a match for anyone in this division and have yet to concede a goal when all four have been on the field. Curtis Davies and Chris Perry once again gave impressive performances. The midfield is so much more effective with Zoltan Gera injecting speed and skill on the wing. Without him they look very one-paced and it's surely no coincidence that in both away games we've been less effective once we've been forced to change that formation. The two strikers have the potential to form a good partnership, but only if they're both fit and available. The incident where Hartson was booked could have been a red card, in which case we would have been forced to play without a striker for over an hour and quite probably for the whole of next Saturday's game as well!

Why are we so exposed? Why have the Club not purchased one or two replacements for Kanu and the four Championship standard strikers (Campbell, Earnshaw, Horsfield and Hulse) we've sold in recent years? It will be tragic if, despite having one of the best squads in the Championship, we fail in our promotion bid through lack of investment in such a vital area.

We've made a solid start, a win and two draws from difficult away games, but if we are going to challenge for the automatic promotion spots we need maximum points from our next three games and obviously that won't be achieved without scoring goals.

TEAM NEWS

Albion were unchanged for the third successive match. During the week Tomasz Kuszczak departed to Manchester United, with defender Paul McShane and keeper Luke Steele, who was on the bench, moving in the other direction.

HIGHLIGHTS

Once again Albion began the game well and our best attempt on goal came as early as the second minute. A neat flick by Nathan Ellington set up Zoltan Gera for a cross and John Hartson rose above the defenders to direct a downward header towards the bottom corner only to see the keeper fling himself to his left to push the ball away. Gera forced the keeper to make another save before, a little later, John Hartson caught a Saints player in the chest with his raised foot when challenging for a loose ball! Fortunately, the referee judged the incident as dangerous play rather than anything more serious and the Welshman was booked.

Midway through the half Ellington limped off and was replaced by Darren Carter. He was in action immediately, curling a left foot free kick from just outside the area, just high and wide of the angle of bar and post. Unfortunately, this was the last serious attacking threat from the Baggies as Gera and Hartson failed to form an effective partnership up front.

Pascal Zuberbuhler made a good stop diving to his right to keep out a fierce cross shot from Bradley Wright-Phillips, then had a much simpler task late in the half when he easily caught an overhead kick.

It was pretty much one-way traffic in favour of Saints after the break, but they were mostly restricted to either long range or narrow angled shots, which were either competently saved or in many cases flashed wide of the uprights. A double substitution, Richard Chaplow and Junichi Inamoto for Wallwork and Greening, made little difference, as Albion continued to spend a lot of time chasing the ball.

Inside the last quarter-of-an-hour Southampton came within inches of taking the lead. Albion were penalised twenty five yards out and up stepped young free kick expert Gareth Bale (two goals in two games), who curled the ball around the wall but hit the bottom of the left hand post, with keeper and defenders beaten.

ALBION FORMRATE: POOR

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: CURTIS DAVIES

Stefanovic82:

This is the first game I have been to this season and what a disappointing display it was against a rather average looking Southampton team.

Our team really lacks pace, as it did last year, and nothing has been done to resolve the problem. In the first half our midfield were appaling. Wallwork is far too slow and for a defensive minded player, really doesn't offer any protection to the back four at all. Quashie had a poor 1st half too though at least he improved after the break.

Ellington looked pretty good whilst he was on and was looking like him and Hartson could work well together with Duke running onto Hartsons flick ons. Unfortunatly he went off early, not fully recovering from his hamstring injury. Gera was pushed up front and had NO understanding with Hartson whatsoever, the two were never close together so as soon as one of them had the ball, they didnt have any support, neither from the midfield who seemed unwilling to join the attack and support the front men.

Carter looked pretty good in the second half but seemed to hold the ball too long on a few occasions, missing opportunities to play in another player, something Quashie was equally guilty of. Chaplow came on late on and opened things up nicely. Shame he was supposed to be playing out wide left because he kept getting drawn inside which gave no options out wide when the ball was played there. I'd like to see him start in the centre instead of Wallwork.

The new keeper "Zubi" made some good saves and looked pretty solid (was well beaten by the freekick which hit the post but so would most keepers have been), though near the end showed evidence of Russel Hoults kicking rubbing off onto him.

Overall, a pretty poor display against a weak team. When will we see the some of the younger players "potential" on the pitch? It ain't gonna show on the bench! Play Chaplow or Carter from the start and why no striker on the bench??? Gera is NOT a striker, why no Nicholson when we know Ellington was not fully fit and was always a risk?

Perry, Davies and Robinson looked good at the back but need better protection from midfield, Wallwork was nowhere today. Would also prefer to see Albrechtsen instead of Watson for his pace and to stop the needless free kicks given away from Watson who leads with his arm when going up for headers.

Hartson looked good but needs a fully fit Ellington or another pacey out and out forward up with him. Go get a striker please Jeremy!!!

Tom:

This was a good result for us. Though disappointed at times that we didn't create more chances I felt we put in decent performance away from home against a pretty good side.

I?d rather be in the Premiership but this was a far more entertaining game than most I?ve seen over the last couple of years. Albion started well and Hartson had a good headed chance early on. Most of the game though was spent containing an enterprising Southampton team who always threatened with Bradley W-P twisting and turning and generally getting everywhere in our penalty box.

But contain them we did. The closest they came was from a free-kick towards the end of the game, brainlessly conceded on the edge of the area in perfect position for their new wonderkid to have a crack. Zubie didn?t move as the ball curled low around the wall and rocketed off the base of the post and we lived to take away a barely deserved point. Must have been the good omen of walking past a block of flats called Albion Towers on the way in.

It was my first look at the team this season and it seems that Robson has done a good job of creating a solid back line. Zuberbuhler dominates the area well and it?s great to have a keeper who can kick straight, long and hard. He doesn?t have to strain to get a lot of distance which means his control is so much better than Kuszczak?s and Hoult?s. Chris Perry looks to be a proper footballer ? his speed of thought and calmness under pressure kept us out of any panic situations. Great signing. Curtis is a rock as we all know and Watson is Mr Reliable, if not very exciting, down the right. Robinson was pretty anonymous today ? with Geering off-form (for the best part of two years) I?d like to see him going forward more often.

It?s as we go further forward that the problems start. Quashie seemed rattled by the boos from his old club, Walwork?s carrying an extra pound or two and doesn?t have the authoritative presence that he has at his best. Watson was ok when he came on but only Gera had any quality in midfield today. It?s not an easy role to play as a second attacker while doing your midfield duty too but he kept trying and battled away as he always has, he would be hard to replace at this level. It was good to see Chaplow and Inamoto come on and do a job for us with 20 minutes to go, might be an idea to give Jesus a rest and start with one of these two, see if he can get his game back on track.

Looks like it was a big mistake starting with Ellington today. He was tentative from the start so his injury must have been bothering him more than it should. Hartson?s going to be a good signing provided we give him someone to play alongside him with some pace to create the chances that he will no doubt finish. Yesterday he was just fat and slow, not helped by an early yellow card which kept him subdued.

The jury?s still out on whether we can make it this season. Right now we? ve got the players and it?s the manager?s job to get them fit, in form, and working together. However, without another striker we?re shot and with the very real risk that we?ll lose one or both of Davies and Gera we might yet be a very ordinary side.