Romeu: We feel strong
Oriol Romeu reflected on a valiant Southampton display as they claimed a crucial point against league leaders Manchester City at St Mary’s.
Romeu, making his 200th Premier League appearance for the club, played a pivotal role in the draw to ensure Saints remain unbeaten in their last eight home appearances.
“I can’t say really how good they are, how disciplined we need to be to get something,” admitted Romeu. “But I think we were.
“They still had chances, they still had moments. We also tried to get forward when we could in the second half. I think we had a couple of moments where if we made the right decision, it could have been even better.
“It’s still a shame to concede from a set piece, but they also had good crosses and good moments in the game. Overall, I’m happy, I think we just took one point from the last two matches but the way the team has played is really good.
“It’s not easy to end up 1-0 after 45 minutes against this team, we also managed to keep the ball for some spells of the game and that allowed us to keep them further from our goal.
“In the second half, they were going to come higher and take more risks. That sometimes puts you more in your own half and defending more crosses and deep balls. I think we worked a lot, we all put in an amazing effort and finally we can get a point
“I think Fraser helped a lot with his saves. I think there were one or two moments where we put him in a tough situation, but he managed to save us.
“It’s great to score the first chance against this team, that gives you energy, that gives you strength to carry on, to keep going and keep believing in your plan.
“It was a great play. You could make runs on the side and create some gaps in between the backline and then what a great finish.
“We feel strong now. We feel like we can compete against anyone. This team was coming from an amazing run and I don’t think they played badly, they showed their best performance.
“They came with the best players and we managed to keep them a bit quiet. At the moment, we’re competing really well.
“We need to be more consistent and get more points in the future. That’s the target – competing every game.”
Romeu also reflected on bringing up that 200th Premier League appearance in a Saints shirt.
“It feels unbelievable. It’s a lot of games and something I never expected when I moved to Southampton, so I’m really pleased. Hopefully there’s more to come, I want to keep enjoying and keep being there for the team and look after myself. The longer it is the better and the more I enjoy it.
“The way we’re playing, we’re all feeling confident, we’re all feeling happy and that makes us perform even better. We also know how demanding is and especially this league. You cannot stop. You have to keep working hard and keep looking after yourself.”
