Anyone who thinks life is fair is kidding themselves. As a kid if I used to moan about some perceived injustice (usually to do with bedtimes or vegetables) being "unfair" I'd more often than not be responded to with the simple but difficult to argue with: "Life's not fair".
Ever since day one of Southampton's rise to the Championship, I've been loving the fact that the team has been playing well, scoring goals and winning games; but always with a sense of 'it's too good to be true.'
The longer the season went on and we continued to excel, the closer we all came to believing. Last weekend however served up an absolute nightmare combination of results which threatens to be the turning point for when things do actually turn nasty. The Saints were beaten at home by a Reading side on the most incredible run of form that has catapulted them from nowhere in November to top of the Championship and within touching distance of the Premier League. Southampton had the better of the game and dominated possession and chances, but Reading defended with the resilience that they have displayed throughout this remarkable winning streak; and were ruthlessly affective and clinical when attacking on the break. Fair play to them, it was a deserved victory, even though it was extremely hard to take given the feeling that Saints, having equalised, could go on and win it themselves.
Then came the real sickener. With West Ham lurking back in third, six points behind, Saints were praying for a favour from fellow Southerners Brighton. After 10 minutes with 3 goals conceded it was fairly clear no such favour would be forthcoming. The pathetic capitulation, which finished 6-0, made for an 8 goal swing reducing the goal difference advantage to just three. The 'extra point' that Saints could rely on has all but evaporated now.
The final kicker was the unbelievable jamminess of Portsmouth, who with 90 minutes on the clock at the Keepmoat Stadium were being defeated 3-2 and relegated to League One. Two more lucky and dubious injury time goals and they still survive, at their host's expense. I value success for Southampton far more than failure for Portsmouth, I'm not quite in the camp of some Saints fans who cheer a Pompey defeat almost as much as a Saints win - but by Christ it would have been some small comfort to see them banished to where they belong, the cheats.
Ignoring Pompey who most likely will still drop, the most important thing to emerge from this nightmarish weekend was that, for now, Southampton remain in the automatic spots. It would seem a formality now that Reading will go on and clinch the title, something of a disappointment given that we had led for so long, but the objective has always been promotion. If it transpires that Southampton drop out of the automatic slots with only 2, 1 or even 0 games remaining, I don't think I will be able to cope with the sheer unfairness of it all.
Since an opening day defeat of Leeds United, Saints have never been outside the top two. To fall in at the death will be horrendous, and is surely a blow that will be impossible to recover from in time to regroup and perform in the play-offs. The momentum of the team that clinches sixth will be far more powerful a thing to call on than the abject disappointment of the team that fell at the final hurdle.
I'm trying to console myself with the knowledge that we still have it in our own hands - indeed, a win on Tuesday night coupled with West Ham failing to take three points against Bristol City, and things may look much brighter. Also, there is the knowledge that Saints never, ever do things the easy way and so we should have known all along that this would happen. I just can't help but fear the worst though, and I don't know what I'll do.
After the 94th minute Portsmouth equaliser a couple of weeks ago I threw an apple out of the window at 2am, as far as I could, just from the need to destroy something. God only knows what mental breakdown awaits if we don't get second.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sharing my view that life is not fair over here are fans of Central Coast Mariners, who this weekend were beaten in a penalty shootout by Perth Glory, who will go on to the Grand Final next week against Brisbane Roar.
Central Coast were denied despite having won the league - over here the team that finishes top after the regular season is deemed the 'Minor Premiers' whereas the real glory goes to the Grand Final winner. For my money it is a stupid system not befitting football - around the world league formats are simple, play everyone else and whoever ends up with the most points has proven themselves to be the best team. Central Coast will be forgotten about, and that's not fair.
Well... "life's not fair".
No comments:
Post a Comment