shurlock

He looks much better when a real wide player is in the team, perhaps because their pace gives him a bit more protection. Given we have Harding and Lallana on the other side, its some tribute that for the second game running (see my Oldham comments last week), we've looked much more dangerous down the right.

As others say, its simplistic to call our formation 4-5-1. Quite apart from the fact that we've been playing a 4-3-3/4-1-2-2-1, the players matter most. For instance, supposed 4-5-1 with Wotton, Hammond and Schneiderlin in the middle is a fundamentally different proposition from a 4-5-1 with Mellis, Hammond and Schneiderlin there. The key decision yesterday was subbing Wotton once it was known that MK dons were happy to spoil the game. Yes we went 4-4-2 after Connolly came on but again the formation is less important than the players in the formation. Notably AP could have easily taken off Schneiderlin instead of Wotton in the belief that we needed a bit more steel to compensate for the second striker. But he stuck with players who were more capable of attacking and reaped the rewards. I have no complaints that AP went with the same team that beat Oldham - of course, Oldham was an away game but its not as if we didn't create chances or score goals. Mostly credit to AP that he changed things after just 50 mins - he could have quite easily waited another 15 mins before taking action.

A bit wary about their pace - Trotman and Jaidi manhandling ain't going to get us very far. Looking forward to today - think its great footballing weather (provided it doesn't p iss down too much). Air in the lungs, box-to-box action hopefully guaranteed - none of this lethargic, stop-for-a-swill-of-lucozade-every-5mins malarkey.

Would you a shop a saint?

Connolly could easily play in a 4-3-3 operating slightly on the left. There's where he went against Oldham and he's got alot of goals in his career by cutting in from the left.

dentyne bus dentyne bus is offline Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 22 Default Quote: Originally Posted by Nineteen Canteen View Post The body language of all those decent fans walking by the scene was either one of embarrassment and shame to be wearing the same shirt or ironic and resigned smiles and much head shaking. We don't need these idiots as supporters and if they can use CCTV for number plate recognition they can use it to identify our merry band of mouthy, handbag, wielding louts. I was one of those guys you're talking about....with headphones on listening to reaction to our first victory.....now minus 2 blah blah blah.....then guy in front of me is on his mobile phone shouting ' its all kicking off, get down ere ' using his one brain cell. As I walked on, another saints fan with huge smile on his face (so excited, saying that the away fan had been given a good kicking' in the head. How nice ! I was gonna ask him how he thought Waigo played, bad time to ask I guess. He was too busy ! I then see that fan lying in the road not moving.....He could have been killed by that mob ! Old 20-09-2009, 01:21 AM shurlock shurlock is online now Full Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: london Posts: 588 Default Saw a bit of trouble past king alfreds on the stretch of dual carridgeway before the traffic lights. a few yeovil fans (couldn't have been more than 4-5) were being gobby, a punch was thrown and about 20+ of our lot immediately jumped them and it was lambs to the slaughter from then on. One yeovil fan -white shirt, bald head, was left behind and had his head stamped on, serving as kicking practise for passing fans. The OB were nowhere and when they did arrive, dragged some lad who from my vantage point was innocent. All in all, a bit cheap on our part, especially since it was a total mismatch numbers-wise and their lot weren't organised. Just a few strays being gobby which quickly turned into a feeding frenzy. Nothing more, nothing less. Old 20-09-2009, 08:17 AM brianoneils slidingtackle's Avatar brianoneils slidingtackle brianoneils slidingtackle is online now Full Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: 'ampshire Posts: 165 Default From my point of view as I was walking past the Alfred about 6 yeovil fans already with bloody noses and mouths were climbing over the railing to get away, they then turned and started gobbing off to everyone, especially a young fellow in a green shirt, by this time Saints "fans" had caught up with them and started kicking and punching, one yeovil fan went down and about 3 -4 saints "fans" layed into him kicking his head etc, A couple of the Saints fans ended up cuffed and arrested by the law, the remaining yeovil fans were then escorted by the boys in blue up the road... Why dont they station coppers by the Alfred, it seems to kick of there every game now. is it because the away fans are welcome before the game, and then they go in there after the game when there is a different set of customers looking for the trouble !! Reply With Quote Old 20-09-2009, 07:00 PM Lord Duckhunter Lord Duckhunter is offline Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 520 Default I saw the trouble up by the crossroads, a guy was being set on by 3 or 4 others, and one fat bloke stamped on his head. The police came up and grabbed the smallest person involved, but let the fat bloke go. A guy in a Saints shirt ran up to the police and pointed out the fat bloke, who was then picked up . I was trying to get my Nipper out of the way, so I may have a few details wrong. The guy did look in a serious condition just laying on the pazement. Later on I spoke to a copper by the Railway Station and he told me there was a lot of trouble all day. Reply With Quote Old 20-09-2009, 09:43 PM Mouldy Coat's Avatar Mouldy Coat Mouldy Coat is offline Full Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mouldy Land Posts: 70 Default As I walked outside the ground by the KA I saw around 8 Yeovil fans gesturing and shouting obscenities at the Saints fans from outside the pub. They were being very abusive. When the police turned up(only 2 or 3) by that time the fans outside the pub were raged. I then walked on up Northam Road and I saw one Yeovil fan punch a small Saints fan and at this point the Yeovil fan was jumped and kicked to the ground. Other fans then jumped on his head despite the fact he looked out cold...disgusting. More police then turned up and proceeded to arrest the small Saints fan, despite the fact he was the one who had been punched. I guess something had gone on in the pub before. I thought the KA was a home fans only pub? It was a cheap, c**tish thing to do.

Half these c**ts who go around slapping loudmouth bumpkins from minor football teams suffer from pompey envy which is not too different from penis envy. In their world, they live in the shadow of a firm that's bigger and 'arder than them. Surprised if any of them were quite so vocal when Millwall came down or will act the big men for the impending visit of Leeds.

Hammond basically carries the midfield but needs more support and steel, especially as part of his game is to get forward. Wotton's nowhere near a solution and largely in the team because of lack of alternatives.

I really liked Safri but he rarely put his foot in - and when he was in the team, we let the opposition come on to us too much. I think there's more than enough in Schneiderlin to grow and fill Safri's boots. What I would do for another Barry Horne...

Defensive central midfielder would be my priority.

In all seriousness, you can imagine its the kind of thing that might trouble a deeply religious man like our mighty owner.

I still think there's enough defensive quality between Mellis, Schneiderlin and Hammond to keep Wotton out. Mellis gets around the pitch and closes and makes tackles. The only thing WOtton has is experience but how important is that when you have ex-captains all the over the pitch.

I agree but you're more likely to find yourself in the first example when you're away from home and/or playing a club with a reputation. By contrast, its very unlikely that a bunch of country bumpkins are going to start something on your patch that justifies the reaction some here are defending.

And invariably, this clumsy, seen-to-be-doing-something approach by the police and media is giving the incident more publicity than it deserves and is sowing the seeds for a reaction when we go to their place - all of which increases the risk that bystanders will get caught up and taxpayers will foot a bigger bill for the increased police presence...christ I love this country.

Mate I was walking down the road at the time (see the original thread), though I couldn't possibly identify fathead Shaun Ryder A from fathead Shaun Ryder B among the ruckus. Clear as day one yeovil fan had his head repeatedly stamped on.

More unstarted business

Would you grass on a fan for racism? I would absolutely. For football violence - not without knowing all the facts. If its proportional with the provocation, maybe not. The difficulty with the Yeovil incident is that it was a total mismatch numbers-wise and that it was not just a few punches here and there; to repeatedly stamp on a guy when he's flat out, as happened, is unacceptable.

this is the thread where the incident was first discussed http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=16744

Frankly, I would be more worried if i was a leicester fan. Big Nige seems to tick all the right boxes for the job.

Something not picked up on: Murty is much more composed when building from the back - will always look for a pass and take his time - great for team composure. Lloyd has a decent cross from wide positions but hits too many mindless long balls when deep in our half. Both aren't blessed for pace; but Murty partly compensates for this by reading the game so well. I'd stick with a winning formula for now but Murty has got to be a strong candidate for a quick return.

It was Leon Crouch not Mark Wotte who got caught with his pants down/hands covered in blood. And that wasnt the end of his well-meaning but totally imbecilic interventions - he then went and gifted Pinnacle the exclusivity/player wages money. The alarm bells should have been ringing very early on with Crouchy.

It was Leon Crouch not Mark Wotte that got caught with his pants down and hands covered in blood. And that wasn't end of his well-meaning but totally imbecilic interventions - he then went and gifted Pinnacle the exclusivity/players wages money. The writing was on the wall very early on with Crouchy.

Sheffield Weds away last season. We lost 2-0, the result practically relegated us but the performance above all was abysmal like watching a dying man conclude that breathing was too much bother.

Don't need to crunch any numbers to work that out. If we're level with any team, its most likely that we're going to have a better GD by virtue of having earned an extra 10 points in the course of the season to clear the penalty.

While I dont particularly rate him as a player, Wotton behaves the most 'captainy' on the field. Seen him pick up and motivate some of the newer and younger players who've otherwise had to fend for themselves. Fair play to him for that.