Mad. Angry. Upset. Incensed. Furious.
All of those words sum up Maurico Pochettino’s demeanor on Saturday, as he felt his side were extremely hard done by in their 4-1 defeat to Manchester City.
He’s got a point.
Saints dominated vast swathes of the first half, both in possession and chances as Man City struggled to get going at the Etihad Stadium. Two penalty kicks were traded early on, as it was 1-1 going into first half stoppage time. Then the game-changing moment that Pochettino is so unhappy about, arrived.
A through ball went in to Edin Dzeko, who flicked the ball around the corner to David Silva. The Spaniard was standing at least four yards offside, but the linesman failed to raise his flag, as Silva teed up Samir Nasri to slot home and put City 2-1 up at a crucial stage of the game. Silva was so offside it’s scary, as Southampton’s players protested to referee Chris Foy but the goal stood.
All game Pochettino simmered on the sidelines, but at the full time whistle he stormed onto the pitch and gave the officiating crew a piece of his mind. The fiery Argentinian manager wasn’t finished there, as he let some telling words slip in his post-match interview.
Many would say Southampton would have succumbed to Man City’s vast array of attacking talents at another time, but the fact that Saints were undone right on the stroke of half time by a clear officiating mistake soured their defeat.
Pochettino could be facing a fine for his actions, but you have to sympathize with him as his side put in a superb first half performance, but were somehow 3-1 down at the break and the rest is history. You have to feel sorry for Saints.