FT: Southampton 0-1 Ajax
Hard-working Southampton will consider themselves unlucky to have ended up on the wrong side of a 1-0 scoreline in their latest pre-season friendly against Ajax.
Nigel Adkins side had the best of the chances in the warm-up at St. Mary’s but went down to the only goal from Turkish midfielder Aras Ozbiliz midway through the second half.
Southampton restricted the Dutch champions to very little going forward but couldn’t provide the finishing touch required to cause a surprise.
Ajax might have gone on an amazing run of 14 successive victories in competitive matches but they didn’t stamp their authority as expected in a disappointing performance.
Slow start
On a pleasant afternoon on the South Coast, the first 45 minutes was a slow burner. It felt like a proper pre-season friendly, which was an intriguing tactical battle, if lacked goalscoring quality.
The stadium was sparsely populated and therefore, there was a distinct lack of atmosphere around the ground from the start.
Frank de Boer’s side controlled possession in the first 20 minutes but struggled to force any penetration going forward and Kelvin Davis was hardly troubled.
After a jittery start, the Saints improved and new record signing, Jay Rodriguez had the ball in the net, only for the effort to be rightfully disallowed for offside.
The home side’s improvement in proceedings did liven the crowd for a while and as the sun shone, Rickie Lambert came into the game more.
He came close with an ambitious long range effort, then had a shot deflected wide in the dying embers of the first half, with opposition goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer completely stranded.
New addition to the squad, Nathaniel Clyne pushed up high as the half progressed and he caused several problems on the right-hand side.
His withdrawal at half-time was a disappointment, both for the crowd and the game’s potential spectacle.
Moment of quality
Despite having created very little, the Amsterdam side produced the moment of quality that settled the match.
They produced the only breakthrough on 64 minutes. A casual pass from Jose Fonte, was intercepted by Ozbiliz and he cutback beautifully onto his left foot and hit a shot on the angle, into the corner of the net, past the helpless Davis.
It was a step in the right direction for Southampton however, with many encouraging performances.
Adam Lallana was the star player for the Premier League newcomers, as he was very creative and effective with the ball throughout, especially after the restart.
Lambert, who scored 27 goals in the Championship last season, caused a threat in the 70 minutes he was on the field and Billy Sharp came on in the last 20 minutes and looked dangerous too.
This was despite missing a good chance when he showed some hesitant finishing in the penalty box.
Manager Nigel Adkins told Channel Five afterwards: “Disappointed we didn’t win the game. We nullified their opportunities, which is pleasing because they are a top class side.
“I’m sure we can step up our sharpness over the next two weeks.”
Southampton have three more pre-season encounters, including a visit from Italian side Udinese in a fortnight before their Premier League campaign starts, with a daunting trip to the defending champions, Manchester City on August 19.
By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
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