OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint

My other hang up is the set piece coach. What's he coaching? We've have 7/8 corners and now we're resorting to short corners so we can pass back to Baz as quickly as possible! Urgency please lads.

Hope he keeps both THB & Bednerek, but with Stephens being club captain and the way RM selects Manning over Bree, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Stephens back.

Quote from RM: "The nature of the goal we concede is what's frustrating me the most. I think it's such a poor goal to concede, they smash one big ball up the middle of the pitch..." Perhaps RM should try it once in while. We've got a goalie who is a fantastic distributor, we've got some fast forwards and now we've got a midfield that challenges for a ball. Mix it up. Be direct sometimes. There's nothing more frustrating than seeing us 10 yards from the opposition penalty area and then 20 seconds later Baz has the ball.

3) We don't have a striker 4) ....

That blip required a major reset. We tightened the defence and the midfield gained more spine and now we're in a better position. Problem is, our league is looking like the premiership where the gulf in the quality of teams is enormous. You know when commentators say in matches "No need to change what they're doing, there's plenty of time left...." There's quite a few comments on the forum saying it's a 46 match season, the other teams will have blips. Well, we're practically half way through and the teams ahead haven't yet had blips and we're just as likely to have them as they are. Those play-offs are looking more and more likely.

Thought we were very negative today. Lost control of the game towards the end of the first half and apart from the little man coming on for Alcaraz (who didn't seem to be at the races today), most of our players were looking for a backwards pass. In the last 15 minutes, there were plenty of opportunities to take the ball in to their half and attack their goal, but instead we held off. We tried all the time wasting tricks in the book but players don't realise this breeds negativity and a hold on mentality which often fails. They can't score if the ball is in their half - not even Hoedt. Actually thought Bednerek, HB and Baz were superb today.

If he's one of their key players, that's encouraging news.

Talking of memories, mine was Nathan Redmond coming over and give the bloke in front of us' kid his shirt which was then on the official Saints photo page, with our mugs right behind the guy holding up the shirt. Don't know him but this year at Reading he was waving at us as if he knew us...can only think he's got that photo on some screensaver! Strange how s Saintsplus members, we could get tickets for Watford when we were in the premiership but now in the championship they're sold out long before reaching us. Everyone likes to watch a winning team!

This isn't a coincidence. Yes, HB has been brilliant and equally Downes has shored up that gap in front of the back 4 (would also suggest Charles would provide further cover), but there seems to be a strength in the defence that was missing before. Like MiltonAggro said, this guy might be adding the Iron Bru.

Still think for any manager there's a degree of luck in picking the best team and formation. Adam Armstrong plays much better out wide and coming in rather than standing in a conventional no9 position, and with Sulemana out injured, he took on a wider role yesterday to great effect. The midfield of Downes and Charles looked in total charge yesterday, but wan't Smallbone injured? That said, once again his substitutions seemed spot on and injected a bit of life in to the team.

Convict Colony often points in the direction of Soccerstreams and the one today with Dean Hammond's commentary was really good. Cardiff were passive but that was the most convincing win of the season. Yes, Adam Armstrong was MOTM but defence was fantastic, Downes & Charles were superb, liked Alcaraz & Aribo. Very satisfying viewing.

Manning comes on for a couple of minutes in the last game and tries his best to fuck it up for us by passing to their player and it needed a fantastic Downes invention to stop an equaliser, and yet he's back in over Bree. Don't get it at all.

My thoughts too. Surely there are strikers in League 1, 2, National League who have an eye for goal and can be built up to the fitness levels required. Could even buy a couple in the transfer window but it's glaringly obvious that this guy is fragile

I'd love a set piece goal too - about time the set piece coach earned his corn. Advantage of having a quality squad with a lot of depth is that when someone's injured, there's a reasonable replacement. Chance for Edozie to shine. Also think those sightings of the Loch Ness Drogba were false. In fact, there's probably more evidence that the real Loch Ness monster exists!

The Sky commentary is as dull as the football. Anyone with the link to Dean Hammond's commentary. No doubt he'll still be talking about Baz's saves but at least that's more inspiring

Feel Tella has better ball mastery (if the opposition will let him). Problem is, he'll always be lightweight, so I also think we sold the right player. Sulemana has the physique and speed to get past and hold opposition at bay, but he's a long way off the finished article. a) he somehow slows the game up with his ponderous initial dribbling, b) his touch leaves a lot to be desired and c) his decision making is crap. Often he'll get past his defender and then try and get past him again.

The old U2 song. Needs to be modified a little but could work - I like the chorus.

Think there's a general malaise in all clubs regarding original chants. "Oh when the Saints" has been plagiarised by so many clubs now. It particularly pisses me off when Spurs pipe out their rendition but even Huddersfield started "Oh when the Town" last week. The only mildly amusing one of those was when Chelsea started singing "Oh when the saints go marching out" when we were being hammered a few years back. Perhaps we could latch on to a pop song like Sheff Wed/Wolves.

RM needs to rethink his half time team talks. We were leading 1-0 against Huddersfield & Rotherham, sat back and drew. We were leading against Preston and almost lost it. You could argue we were leading against W.Brom and that could so easily have turned in to a loss. Then Leeds and Birmingham were buried at half time but had a mini revival in the second half. Is it other managers making adjustments which we're not coping with or is there too much back slapping at half time thinking the job is done?

Stewart didn't do a lot when he came on yesterday. Would like to see him start and then come off after 60 minutes rather than do a cameo at the end, but so far he's only done two 10/15 minute sub roles so not too sure he's ready for a start. And more the point, how are we going to get the ball to him? Like it's been said, Haarland would look bang average up front in out team.

The concern was that they had more clear cut chances with their 22% possession! In fact, we looked at our most potent towards the end of the first half when Baz hoofed a couple of long balls and the wingers took on their defenders. It wasn't that long ago that every goal kick was a thump by the goal-keeper and then it was all about who got to head it first and who picked up the ball from there. Along comes building from the back, which in itself is a good idea because you keep possession but this has morphed in to keeping possession for possession's sake. Perhaps the players should be docked some of their wages for every sideways/backwards pass!

Turkish, don't know what your DEF is or the ABC or the GHI but the police seemingly got wind of you being there because I haven't seen such a large police presence (as opposed to stewards) for ages 🙂. People complaining about the view. Even directly behind the goal we couldn't quite work out how we scored. That tiny bog was also a joke. As to the football, we seem to have real problems breaking down teams set up to defend. Sulemana should have been getting to the byline instead of poncing about doing nothing; the set piece coach needs to earn his corn because we're resorting to short corners and free kicks don't show any thought/flair; and only Downes seemed to come away with much credit in the bank today. Lacklustre display and devoid of ideas today. At least there won't be many two week breaks for a while.

It is starting to appear in the championship. There's a good half a dozen teams that lose constantly and half a dozen that are constantly winning. Ipswich were wopping in 3 a game and Leeds often score three or four against minnows. Expecting a full strength team with Stewart playing a longer cameo.

Is there some competition going on for the longest knee skid in goal celebrations? The ones that wag their finger or sway as they're skidding deserve a bonus point! Wonder if our Charlie has been practising.

Also interesting to see where those three clubs currently stand in the premiership. There's usually at least one promoted team that starts off ok but not this year.