John Boy Saint

I just had to happen - certainly gives it a bit of edge

Raises the question - what do they see in him that we obviously haven't, given theirs and our current positions?

I mentioned similar on another thread. Where he had been subbed at half time v Lincoln after a knock and a “I don’t want to be out here” performance - then Brighton seemingly labouring after a tame knock to get subbed off early. When he knocked knees with the Blackpool player very early on, I was cynically thinking “here we go again”.

Blimey Charlie! I swear that’s the couple I pointed in the right direction of their car! 😁

Certainly one I won’t be reminiscing with the grandkids about. Hotch pitch of a team, probably Jonesy saying “this is what I have to work with”. I’m in the pro Perraud camp, he is one of those in the Lawrie Mac road sweepers category, not flash just gets on with his job (a complete opposite to his team mate on the opposing wing - no wonder Arsenal can’t unload him properly) I do like that he has an absolute hammer of a left foot. The view from my seat, second seemed like he was just “Jeez guys stop fanning about - let’s get this done”. Would have been nice if we troubled their box enough to pinch a penalty for him to get to take the ball home. Who scouted Aribo? Those of you old enough to remember record players, he gets hold of the ball and it’s like playing an LP on 33rpm (like when did we last play at 45) and just for a giggle flick the speed to 16! Edozie is another who disappoints, yes I know he is only 20, but right now he is like a family box of fireworks every one a sudden flurry of sparkle then - Phutt! Just fizzles out. Something that did make me smile, Willy had the ball in his hands and a Blackpool player just outside the box was giving him a bit of chirp, Willy was giving it back to him - then it almost looked like Willy said “ ok I’ll give you a chance - see it you can get to this” as he threw the ball temptingly within reach to Lyanco. I think pointing a couple of grateful lost Blackpool fans in the direction of their car, was more satisfying than the result.

As an aside - reading all this just made me wonder what happened the young hot prospect at Stoke, who’s parents were got to by Liverpool (pretty sure they got done for it) It was pretty messy. Liverpool had got the lad into a private school and other stuff which they would be funding. Stoke cried foul on Liverpool to the authorities, Stoke had the whip hand as they had the lads registration papers and were in no hurry or obliged to give them up. Stoke stood to get pretty much bugger all because of how old the lad was The kids parents were bleating because all of a sudden Liverpool stepped away to the point of denying there being no agreement with Mum, Dad, and the lad, so they were picking up the bill for the school that they couldn’t afford. It was a vicious circle - and almost like Stoke were prepared to let this lad burn just to make a point to other families

Shame we didn’t get to the chap at Fulham first, then you would have something to put that lot on Tim……… Ream Crackers wheres my coat

“Hey Joe, good luck in your new role” “do us a favour can you take these 3 with you - the little one - the one with great close control and a limp finish - the not quite ripe one - and we will let you have a decent one to throw them off the scent”

That would certainly cause a stir getting that through, but in the world we now live in should be a mere formality 😜 Sadly she’s out with an ACL - so off the list.

I accidently happened to be having a civilised conversation with one of our fishy friends yesterday, and Bazunu came up I commented that maybe he needs to be taken out of the firing line for a game or two. I said sometimes his is a bit flappy, to which he said "yes he was with us but got away with it where you can't in the Premier League". I mentioned a worse trait is when the ball is fired into the corridor of uncertainty and he has dived to cut it out after it has passed him and got away with it, or the poor defender covering behind inadvertently pops it into our own net. "Yup - did exactly the same with us so many times........surprised you lot down the road couldn't feel the air disappearing as we all took a sharp intake of breath".

Oh no don’t say that - I’m only going in the vain hope of seeing a win

Sums most things up about us - he was given the hurry up more than once and obviously in the refs eyes he'd been blatantly ignored, very cheap avoidable yellow. He most probably got it because it was Baltic out there and the ref was a bit chilly and wanted to keep running about to keep warm 🙃 Crap throw ins are mentioned every week - We are pushing onto the opposition and get a throw in, from a good position player one picks up the ball, and suddenly we are down the docks in the 70's and the shop steward is about call everyone out because its not in Adam Armstrongs job description to proceed and throw the ball to whoever is free with the opposition still mostly out of position. That job can only be done by Brother Kyle or Brother Lyanco (who also has a licence to use special ball preparation equipment) both of whom are at the farthest dock gate - By which time the opposition have all ambled into position and the momentum is lost.

Sorry to say we are not smart enough to notice that from them. We are a soft fluffy puppy and too damn polite, 2 games running we have seen 2 VAR decisions go against us, both seemingly following, what I don’t like in the game, harassing the referee by the opposition players en masse. Your sitting there thinking come on Prowsey or anyone get into that conversation and break up the one way flow of words into the refs ear. You watch the opposition players when one of theirs commits a “crime” they are all around him trying to change the subject. Pope on Djenepo if that was Che on Burn anywhere on the pitch Che would have been pulled up - that was reckless play that ultimately forced a substitution upon us - where were the Saints players in the refs ears nowhere. Like I say I don’t like it but just about every other team is playing the get at the ref card. That Trippier free kick at the end must have taken 4 minutes to be taken and even after the ref had blown they still dicked about. Last night walking away from the ground - I felt no emotion whatsoever, which for someone who has been going for 45 years through thick and thin is pretty telling.

From my seat in the stand - he looked lost for much of the game - I suggest a bit more lemonade in your shandy next game 🤪

Personally I think we might get a bit of dicking about from ABK - in the Lincoln game playing out from the back he didn't want the ball from Lyanco, instead ABK was telling him to play to the left, when the obvious opportunity was going up the right. Lyanco pulled ABK's tail and once or twice played the ball to him and he got a bit of a nark on. And was subbed at half time. In the Brighton game his body language was equally less interested, and getting clattered in a pretty innocuous challenge was the perfect excuse to swing the lead.

Dunno quite a few get their arses in a cramp in June when football is on holiday 🤪

We really need to get in the refs face more - Villa harangued him to get the goal over turned one of them taking a yellow in the process. On one of our free kicks into the box a Villa defender had so much of Lyancos shirt in his hand that the number 4 was on his chest - not a peep out of anyone in our team

Looking forward to the Easter bump on this.

The Torpedo

Whilst he put in a shift, have to say me and the chap sat next door were just asking - what are you doing there Che?

First job at 14:57 is to win the toss - they win it, with this sun we are swapping ends.

Wowzers your family must have been on verge of calling the Rozzers to report a missing person because you’d gone so far into the SaintsWeb crypt. 😁

The other day putting Christmas Decs away in the loft I found an artists tube full of posters including 2 team line up posters from 78/79 and 79/80 seasons, just about fully signed by the players leaving training at The Dell on a Friday lunchtime in the summer school holidays. Memory lane indeed

This is just making me think of going down early at the request of my eldest Daughter when we were league one. A well used Green Jeep something pulled into the car park and minutes later a newly signed Rickie Lambert appeared and autographed the line of kids. His life certainly changed with us! Another was a newly signed Peter Crouch - not playing yet, he was one of the later arrivals for an evening game. My 9 year old daughter spots him and runs after him in the Chapel car park "Peter! - Peter!" she shouts bold as brass, he stops turns around, they are a little bit away from us, she has obviously asked to have her shirt signed. And in one of those visually surreal moments where you wished you had a camera, this giant of a man bends at the waist to sign, my small for her age, daughters shirt. At least its in the photo album in my head.

Made even better to see Fernandes on the verge of tears………again 🤣 Fernandes is one of those players you wish refs had the minerals to book when he is right in their faces bitching and wining At every decision..