Ramsdale: Clean sheet gives us something to build on

The hosts are enjoying an impressive season and came into the game having lost only one of their last eight matches, but could find no way through a stubborn Saints side who restricted them to very few clear sights of goal.

Ramsdale, who made a sublime second-half save from Harry Wilson to preserve a clean sheet on his return from injury, admitted Saints’ approach was a little more ‘safety first’ than they would like, but believes the result gives the team a positive platform to build from over the festive period.

“We’re better off than we were at one o’clock this afternoon,” he reflected. “It’s something we can really be proud of, in terms of the defending, the clean sheet – we can build on that part of the game.

“It wasn’t the prettiest, it probably wasn’t how we’re going to play in the future, it’s probably not how any of us wanted to play and it’s certainly not why our signings have come to the football club in past seasons.

“We probably kicked it [long] more than we all would’ve liked – and maybe the new manager – because we’re still going to play in the right areas.

“I feel like we did that at times as well, but it’s a difficult place – cold, windy, very good team – but it’s something that we can definitely build on.”

Ramsdale also praised the impact of interim manager Simon Rusk, who was overseeing first-team matters for the second time since the departure of Russell Martin and Matt Gill last weekend, as new boss Ivan Jurić watched from the stands at Craven Cottage.

“Rusky’s done a great job this week in really difficult circumstances, obviously, with Russell and Gilly and what happened to them at the end of last week,” Ramsdale added.

“Rusky got brought to the club by both of them and the first thing he said was ‘the only thing I’m going to try to help you with is to bring back some confidence and be harder to beat’.

“It’s not how he wants to play, as I just mentioned, but it’s just the situation we’re in. I think the resilience from the boys, taking on everything he’s said and not moping around, because it’s been really difficult.

“We all let the gaffer down, and Gilly. We didn’t perform at our best, not through anything other than it just didn’t work for us – we didn’t stop trying, we didn’t stop running. So it’s been difficult for the boys, so to be able to do that today showed a real fighting spirit.”