OneMrsWallace

I'm hoping Tonda's new rule is that Archer is only allowed on the pitch when we're four goals up 🤣

Matsuki!!!

Credit to Manning for his part in the goal but he is an unbelievably shit defender.

Combination of Still and Christmas but that's history now, we've known even play offs were unlikely for some time, although not impossible. I think Fellows could prove another poor buy from SR. Seems largely disinterested but that could be a hangover from his spells at RB. Weird season all round.

Play-offs suddenly in touching distance and I reckon some jitters kicked in. We still have some mental fragility to deal with so not surprising. Unbeaten run continues but we need to find an extra gear from here to get back in to the mix.

Decent line up, decent bench. If the players are in a positive mood, should be another win. I can only hope Manning has watched enough of Wellington to understand what a left back does. Whether he's capable of doing it is another question.

That'll do. Their fans pretty much sit there in silence too, so great chance to take up our full ticket allocation and make lots of noise.

I went swimming during extra time thinking we'd probably lose so double Valentine's celebration tonight (We've been married 30 years, it doesn't happen often). Creds to TE, seems to be learning. Really hope Bree signs a new contract, good solid pro. Monday night draw. Yay.

He's doing it deliberately now 😅

This was clearly the TE plan all along. Make Archer look shit, bin him forever and smash the oppo second half. Fucking genius he is.

OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG OMFG!!!!!!!!!

WTF was TE thinking! Only Saints could start a player just a few days after we've tried to offload him. And not even a good player. A player who's proved time and time again he doesn't care and he's not good enough. Hook him off and look what happens. Madness I tell ya. Madness.

I'd pay good money to see you tell John Terry that 🤣

We need to get in level at half time and sort things out. This has been back to our slower, ponderous nonsense.

He should have been shifted on after we won promotion to the PL with our thanks for the Wembley goal. His lack of reaction to our goal at Pompey was unprofessional and not necessary, so on balance good time to move him out.

I'm not sure anyone's been told that all season 😅

Good time to play them then and off the back of a great result. Actually optimistic we'll win this one.

And add in the fact that Larin hasn't had much game time, so will take a while to get to match fitness/used to the team and the demands of this league, I can't see much immediate impact. SR haven't got on top of the CF position from day one. Very concerning.

An actual left back that does defending, driving forward, passing to team mates and shit. It's almost as if we have someone who's been coached to be a left back being good as a left back. Manning made me forget what an actual left back does. Am I too excited about a left back 😅

Indeed we will as tickets will be much cheaper in the Conference South.

Sorry, I'm not sure I follow your point. Are you suggesting he's prolific at this level?

I think you're probably correct with certain clubs. I just know if I managed anything in any job, I wouldn't want other people having a 100% say in who was hired/resources needed. Yes it seems to work on occasion but ultimately you take the fall for their errors when it goes wrong. I guess the risk is worth it for some and good luck to them. Unfortunately for Saints it's largely been wrong under SR.

I reckon the vast majority of us understood exactly what you meant @Willo of Whiteley It's a really useful observation. Also, managers/coaches selecting players seems to be disappearing. I'm guessing they identify positions that need improving and leave it to the 'experts.' Not sure that's an ideal system.

Unless AA is moved out and we may then be forced to go for a striker, I can't see anything much happening now. So unless something remarkable takes place this week, for me, that means one of three things. 1) SR are so deluded they believe the current manager and squad can still reach the play offs (Given it's SR that is believable) 2) They have accepted promotion is now unlikely and would rather spend well in the summer 3) Dragan is planning for a sale of the club at the end of the season and so doesn't want to invest the necessary on decent players in case we're still not promoted. 1 seems most likely 2 sort of middling - but I just have a gut instinct it's 3, based partly on the total silence from the board for much of the season and the fact that I'm not sure his ego will allow him to own a club outside the PL for another season. There's also been some speculation his business is not doing well from what I've read. I guess we won't know the truth for a while.

After they scored we created almost nothing and the ball didn't leave our half in extra time. It's so frustrating. It's the lack of experience on and off the pitch. Lucky fucking point for the bottom feeders but we should have done better at 1-1.