Lambert sparks comeback that turns Adkins obit into an ovation

Southampton 4 Aston Villa 1: Three goals in 14 minutes transform a game that Villa deserved to be leading at half-time

St Mary's

It is never too early to panic in the Premier League.

For a certain type of chairman, autumn is a season of red mists and utter fruitlessness. But Nigel Adkins eased the first major crisis of his managerial career in memorable fashion, at St Mary’s yesterday.

Southampton’s second-half comeback, punctuated by three goals in 14 minutes, and garlanded by a penalty in added time, was enough to spare him from premature presumptions of inadequacy. His professional obituaries were being fashioned at half-time, when Villa deservedly led through Darren Bent, but he left to an ovation.

It was suitably symbolic that Southampton, an upwardly mobile club, were galvanised by Rickie Lambert, who has been pivotal in their rapid rise from League One. He’s the perfect case study for those who insist talent can be nurtured in humble surroundings by unfashionable managers.

Lambert, recruited from Bristol Rovers in 2009, scored a magnificent equaliser, set up further goals for Nathaniel Clyne and Jason Puncheon, and provided a fitting finale by converting the penalty. A first Premier League victory, following four traumatic defeats, allowed Adkins to spread the love.

“We’ve a winning mentality, but obviously there was a mood of tension,” he acknowledged. “The situation was pressurised, but we have come a long way in a short space of time. Sometimes, when things are not going your way, everyone pulls together. That’s this club, from the chairman down.”

Nicola Cortese, Southampton’s chairman, is that modern phenomenon, a self-possessed businessman, who is not steeped in football, and can hardly claim a long-held love for his club. Before he was installed at St Mary’s by Markus Leibherr, the club’s late benefactor, he ran the sports business desk at Credit Suisse in Geneva, where his clients included Silvio Berlusconi. His natural parsimony means club employees are obliged to pay to park at St Mary’s in the week as well as on match days. He will require greater value for the £33million investment, which made Southampton Europe’s seventh-highest spenders in the transfer window. Cortese appears to have modelled himself on Tottenham’s Daniel Levy. He has acquired a reputation as a wilful, hard-nosed negotiator, who has little time for conventions.

In some ways that is a good thing. He would be acting entirely out of character if he courted Harry Redknapp, and gave Rafa Benitez’s increasingly desperate advocates house room. Should he choose to be ruthless, he is thought likely to seek a kindred spirit from Serie A.

The debut of Paulo Gazzaniga, a 20-year-old Argentine goalkeeper recruited from Gillingham after his release by Valencia, represented a measure of calculated risk. Southampton may yet be punished for defensive shortcomings, yet Adkins deserves the respect of a rational analysis of why he has succeeded. He dared to be different at Scunthorpe, where he quickly defied the patronising notion that he was a physiotherapist with ideas above his station. His current problems are predictable. The Premier League places a premium on defenders with positional nous, consistent muscularity and hair-trigger reflexes. Southampton have too few.

The failure to protect Kelvin Davies led to Gazzinaga’s promotion and the introduction of Maya Yoshida, a Japanese centre-half from Dutch club VVV-Venlo. He took time to adjust to the physicality of Christian Benteke, Villa’s most significant summer signing, but retained his composure under pressure. The manner in which Southampton fell behind, 10 minutes from half-time, was revealing. Clyne and Puncheon gave the ball away in quick succession, allowing Barry Bannan the time and room to balloon a cross to the far post.

Benteke won his header with ease and when Jose Fonte failed to clear, Stephen Ireland hooked the ball back in. Bent, stealing between Maya Yoshida and Daniel Fox, did the rest.

It was the least Villa deserved, but their collapse will have consequences. Paul Lambert is an unashamed disciplinarian, with a telling fondness for using his seat as a punchbag, and was entitled to expect a greater response to losing the outstanding Ireland at half-time. “The goals we lost were really poor” he said. “Losing Stephen was a blow but there is no excuse to lose like that.”

The equaliser, 13 minutes into the second half, was indicative of the quality which has propelled Rickie Lambert through the leagues. He picked up Fraser Richardson’s cross on the edge of the box, took three defenders out with an instinctive turn, and buried a low shot.

Lambert linked the move, five minutes later, which led to Clyne scoring from a wonderfully instinctive pass by Ramirez, then set up Puncheon, who turned inside before fashioning a shot which was deflected into the far corner by Ciaran Clark. His penalty, awarded after substitute Emmanuel Mayuka was brought down by goalkeeper Brad Guzan, was the perfect final flourish.

Southampton (4-4-1-1): Gazzaniga; Clyne, Yoshida, Fonte, Fox (Richardson, 46); Puncheon (Mayuka, 73), Schneiderlin, Davis (Ward-Prowse, 79, Lallana; Ramirez; Lambert.

Aston Villa (4-1-3-2): Guzan; Lowton, Vlaar, Clark, Lichaj (Bennett, 68); El Ahmadi; Holman, Ireland (Westwood, 46), Bannan (Agbonlahor, 68); Bent Benteke.

Referee: Jon Moss

Man of the match: Lambert (Southampton)

Match rating: 7/10

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Caption competition
Caption competition
News in pictures
World news in pictures
Sport blogs

iBet: Mercedes and Hamilton to roar in Monaco

Monaco is a street circuit where driver ability is more important than anywhere else and if we take ...

by Gareth Purnell

On The Road at the Giro d’Italia: It sounds sadistic, but the team live for the mountain stages

Three weeks ago as I drove off the Eurostar, I remember thinking what a very long time it was until ...

by Martin Ayres

iBet: Rose has the ammunition for Wentworth

McDowell did brilliantly to land the World Match Play title in Bulgaria last week, but it’s a format...

by Gareth Purnell

       

Day In a Page

James Pembroke: The man who's eaten everywhere

The man who's eaten everywhere

Few people know more about restaurants than James Pembroke, who only spent five mealtimes at home during his entire childhood.
A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?

A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?

The young JFK praised 'superior' Nordic races during visits to Germany
Banned Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof to attend Cannes Film Festival 2013, his first public appearance since prison

Banned Iranian director to attend Cannes Film Festival

Mohammad Rasoulof to make his first public appearance since being imprisoned three years ago
Seeing the larger picture: Inspiring images of space

Seeing the larger picture: Inspiring images of space

An exhibition explores images how photography has shaped astronomy
Eat Spam and carry on: Wartime pamphlets could teach us a thing or two about healthy, thrifty eating

Eat Spam and carry on

Wartime pamphlets could teach us a thing or two about healthy, thrifty eating
Facial hair: Cat beards and the purrrsuit of excellence

Facial hair

Cat beards and the purrrsuit of excellence
The 10 Best salt and pepper sets

The 10 Best salt and pepper sets

Whether they're for everyday use or to make your dining table look just right, it's worth getting a stylish shaker...
Ferran Soriano: Predicting success if Manchester City 'vision' is followed

Ferran Soriano: Predicting success if Manchester City 'vision' is followed

Chief executive says trophies will come if a 'core' of suitable players is in place
Thomas Müller: We couldn't handle losing a Champions League Final again

Thomas Müller: We couldn't handle losing a Champions League Final again

The Bayern Munich forward tells Tim Rich his side have to shed chokers' tag after two recent final defeats
Giro d'Italia: The Stelvio Pass - cycling's killer climb

The Stelvio Pass - cycling's killer climb

As the Giro d'Italia tackles the brutal climb, Simon Usborne takes on the snow and switchbacks – and soon realises what the fuss is about
National archives: Edward VIII’s phone calls - and how MI5 bugged them

Edward VIII’s phone calls - and how MI5 bugged them

Newly unearthed papers reveal a shocking extra dimension to the constitutional crisis over monarch’s abdication
Sent down at the Old Bailey: A tour of the world's most famous court

Sent down at the Old Bailey

A tour of the world's most famous court
Hollywood's random acts of red-carpet kindness

Hollywood's random acts of red-carpet kindness

The Hangover actor Zach Galifianakis’s date for his movie premieres isn’t arm candy  – it’s his 87-year-old friend who he saved from homelessness
British football scores an own goal

British football scores an own goal

Many managers barely survive a year in post. Martin Baker talks to experts who make a case for clubs using forensic business skills to find the best staff
James Lawton: Sergio Garcia cracks as major fault line opens up again

James Lawton

Sergio Garcia cracks as major fault line opens up again