Before kick off last night there appeared to be a meltdown over team selection. I think I was one of the minority that didn't think it was that bad. I mean, it was traditional in the sense that it was 4-4-2 and I think in fairness, the players needed something that was more known to them, rather than three at the back or three up front.
And in truth, we were unlucky yesterday. The performance wasn't spectacular and at half time neither side deserved to be winning, but we did have the better of it. I think what showed in the second half was that Southampton are used to playing a certain way and know playing that way that chances will be presented.
I'm not sure we've played two games the same way this season and as such there is no continuity or knowledge about what is expected of a player when he is playing in a particular role. And you know what, I wanted the win, but I'm also not surprised we didn't win.
Southampton are a good side. Not because they've got great players, but because they know what they have to do. They don't make mistakes or give the ball away and because of that foundation, they work on keeping the ball, the runs and creating opportunities. They're not going to go out and overrun a team, but they are closer to where we want to be than we are.
And you know what, we came close. But we're not a side that works on the same things that Southampton work on. We're a team that get together, keep fit and pass the ball around. We haven't had a clear direction for a long time. There were glimpses under Houllier, but that was never going to last. Maybe Moyes or Garde will bring it.
Manager search
And that was a nice way to get to the meat. Because we're still without a manager and you have to fancy that will be fixed very soon. I mean this in all seriousness, how difficult can it be?
And I'm not joking. We know who the club should be talking to. We know why they should be talking to them and it's not as if we're just starting out. Okay, we've got people at the club that maybe don't have that much experience, but there are people to talk to. Doug Ellis is one.
One person that shouldn't be taken seriously is Sir Alex Ferguson. Apparently he gave a recommendation on Alex McLeish and that should be enough. But in fairness it's the old boy network and the club should never have employed him in the first place. But if the McLeish thing wasn't enough, he's apparently backed Dwight Yorke for the job too.
I'm not sure how much truth there is in that, but what I do know is that Sir Alex Ferguson is the Godfather. Whoever gets a job because of him or signs one of his old players, they have to give him a percentage. He's happy as long as his old boy network is working.
And on that, I'm taking last night as a missed opportunity and waiting for the club to announce the new boss. He's coming soon.