austsaint

Sulemana is not gash, and the Club's sale of Tella was good business - remember he never scored a goal in his Prem appearances. The slow build up/possession style employed by Martin does not suit Sulemana's pace and skills - he is often double teamed by the time the ball arrives to him and the opposition defence is well set. if the tempo and style of play was altered, he would thrive. Have a look back at the brace he scored v Liverpool - and don't fall for the last game of the season with nothing resting on the outcome.narrative...his goals showed a touch of class. Just to address Osvaldorama's claim about "can't cross or shoot", I've seen at least three goal assists and many incisive passes and crosses which our attacking players just haven't capitalised on.

Give me the slightly robust questioning style of Blackmore over the lap dog who conducts the Club interviews any day. Martin was petulant and grouchy from the off. He also has a disturbing habit of rarely acknowledging he got something wrong - in that respect there is a resemblance to our old Welsh manager friend. A good interviewer should be asking some tough questions about our style of play, quality of performance, team selection and substitutions etc, and the Manager should be able to give open and honest answers without resorting to a sulky, defensive reply.

I just watched the Club website highlights - it really was a brave, smart piece of keeping. As you say the risk of Baz fouling Conway, conceding a penalty and copping a red card was high.

He had a very good night. Particularly liked when he smothered the advance of Conway and managed to dispossess him without fouling.

Feck me. What a defensive, irritable interview from Martin! He's obviously got some prior issue with Blackmore whose questions were fair and encouraging, yet were cut off, misinterpreted and shut down. RM needs to re-read his Buddhist mantras and take a few deep breaths.

Thought he was good - especially in the second half. Along with Stu, AA, Sule, KWP, he represents the attacking quality and penetration we often lack. Much better second half yet it took a worldy from KWP to bag the three points, after an abject first half. Downes, KWP and Bazunu the best with mentions for Stu, AA, Charles and a tidy late cameo from Aribo. What I liked about Charle's performance was he did everything that Smallbone does except play with his back to goal with default backward passing - he's (Charles) more athletic than Smallbone, and having just turned 20 I see his game developing quickly with more game time. I don't expect RM to agree, but I think our midfield is better with Charles in it at Smallbone's expense.

It's one of the reasons it's hard to trust RM's judgement. Bringing a player like Manning to the Club. At least Jones brought a reasonable defender with him.

It's hard to watch. Bristol C. are demonstrating how to play with tempo and pace - their defensive shape has barely been stretched!

Can't agree. He's a match winner (potentially). The goals will come. He has to play.

They do. What concerned me about the second half on Saturday was the lack of change in style of play when Huddersfield abandoned their first half tactic of defending deep and employing the occasional counter attack to a higher up the field press. We seemed to adopt the same play out from the back, slow build up which was largely overpowered by their press. If RM was unhappy with the players, where was his tactical change to counter, or earlier substitutions?

Understandably. Yet, he (Sulemana) and Stu were both the most likely players to produce a creative threat - when they were replaced, there was little for the Huddersfield defence to worry about. No Alcaraz only compounded the problem.

I really can't see any player the Club wants to keep, will leave in January. If Stewart starts to get-it-together then Che A. going is possible.

Thanks for another one of your Pollyanna pieces. I don't think many are disputing that Bazunu has improved this season. The point you seem to be glossing over is that the Prem last season wasn't the right place for GB to learn about goal keeping. Had he learned, and honed his skills away from the Prem Saints could still be in the top tier. That's not wailing or sneering, just highlighting a bad decision by SR.

I think there are a few more similarities. When Stones was the same age as THB he was impressing at Everton as a young, physical CB with technical skills and a good passing game. I see the same attributes in Harwood-Bellis. As to whether City would let him go. It all depends on whether we get promoted this season, in which case there would be every chance he would become a permanent player. If we don't go up, he's one of the first out the door.....he will surely be playing in the Prem in 24/25.

He's good alright. I'd rate him as good as, if not better than John Stones at the same stage of their careers. He (THB) is one of several reasons why promotion is so crucial this season - even if it is quite good winning a lot of games in the Championship.

Yes, they're lucky that Sheffield U., Luton and Burnley are keeping them company with support from Bournemouth. If this had happened last season it could have been different.

Just to jog your short term memory a tad. Stephens spent last season on loan at Bournemouth, (in the Prem) and did fairly well by most reports. By contrast Bednarek was loaned to Villa and barely played. Both are clearly very good CBs at Championship level. Both are probably mediocre defenders at Prem level......but in the second tier, neither are mediocre.

What happened to Barry Sanchez? Always seemed to want to start an argument and got a bit hot under his cyber collar if anyone challenged him. Think he might have been based in Merseyside.

Our Scottish Solskjaer.

Someone said last week (Derry I think), that Saints couldn't keep relying on hail mary, last gasp results, and I agree. Just the same, it does point up the strength of the squad and the fatigue element for oppositions forced to run and defend without the ball. Leicester and Ipswich have also relied on narrow wins and last minute draws this season highlighting the role of good fortune in a tight, grinding league like this.

Alongside Downes in our midfield, at the expense of Smallbone, would make the starting 11 better.

Seems half a lifetime ago that Bart played for Saints - for some supporters it probably is, literally, half a lifetime ago. Baz is of a different generation and I doubt he's aware of the Bialkowski connection to Saints. I'm wondering if BB has played against us since leaving - perhaps for Notts County in a Cup game? Always rated him a bit!

Interesting comments. I can't ever see Will getting close to the player Romeu was for us, and still is for a side like Barca. I don't see enough of Will sticking his foot in and while he may make himself available for a pass it's the lack of anything much happening afterwards that troubles me. His two goals have been well taken - part of the technical skill that he does have. Romeu was a player who offered so much more - but that's a different debate. I also can't see much similarity in the roles Downes and WS are playing. Downes is an interceptor, a tackler, and a robust presence in midfield - of late he's stamped himself as a Prem standard player. WS is a lightweight recycler who clocks up the yards but doesn't seem to influence the game significantly defensively or in attack - he looks a peripheral player to me who relies on others to take responsibility for the progressive pass or the direct run. If we need the second metronome for tempo and distribution I'm thinking Charles may be the better option, or Alcaraz if we are all out in attack - or maybe we need to recruit another midfielder.

Yet completely plausible.

But not Jonesball.