Saint86

That went about as well as expected, glad to see Tonda has started reading my posts and taking note 😌 In all seriousness though, good performance from us. Made Swansea look like the rapid press merchants they are, didn't really give them much outside of a sloppy penalty. Let them blow themselves out and punished the mistakes as they came. Wasteful if anything. I hugely dislike this passing back to Peretz, especially with wood. They don't have the first touch or passing to do it - it's an accident waiting to happen and indirectly led to the penalty in this one as well. Great again by Larin, azaz, and Scienza. Onwards and upwards though!

Without the 4 point deduction, we'd currently be top. And yet we've had some fans calling for Eckert to go on social media etc. 🤣😆

I know the foul was given, but that was a superb bit of reading and interception by jwp to stop the through ball.

In fairness to Eckert - he is the only manager to get Stewart fit, he nursed larin very efficiently into the side whilst developing his fitness - and he rotated the two for a very effective end of season. I think its also fair to say that he very successfully managed what I imagine was the most congested fixture congestion of any side in England from the last international break (or certainly for any side with our resources). All evidence suggests he's in top of managing fitness... And he'd equally be getting pelters for overplaying key players and them getting injured.

I agree. But I do think there are some mitigations. We've played 3 horrible sides that have either kicked us off the pitch or outmatched us physically / aerially - or both. Those games were all away, first game of the season at Watford (tough), Birmingham away under the lights (tough - only lost 3 at home last season), and newly promoted Lincoln away (medium/tough as riding on a wave and a cup tie for them). Don't get me wrong, the Lincoln one in particular I was pissed off about as so predictable that we would let them in from the second we went 5 at the back and invited them to cross. Start to the season / summer prep has been upset due to uncertainty over spygate, and due to squad uncertainty. Bound to be a hangover mentally due to missing out on promotion, and the way in which it happened. People do need to remember as well, that he only has a half season of experience as a manager - he is still very young and does make mistakes as a result. What's been impressive with him so far is his ability to learn - but regardless, he does still struggle Vs the physical sides and he needs to figure that out. Vs Millwall and Stoke I think we played pretty well in all seriousness - promising signs on that front. And at least we aren't losing matches we've struggled in.

Thanks for compiling WES. Does highlight that we aren't doing that bad and that part of the fanbase needs to resist the urge to so readily become negative. I feel bad because there used to be a dedicated thread for this, the author of which has passed away and whose name i cannot now remember.

We've struggled against the 3 "park the bus and counter" physical sides we've played this season (watford, brum, lincoln - all away as wel), this has skewed current fan perceptions. Fortunately Swansea are not one of those sides. We should be well up for this as its a chance to play our game with no excuses about being kicked off the ball, out-muscled, or needing 5 players defenders to defend the crosses (that they are unable to defend against because they're all too deep - but i digress into my disgust at 5 at the back). Rock up, play our game - let them worry about the quality of Azaz, Scienza, Larin, JWP and fellows in the attack/midfield. Let Downes and JWP press their midfield and win the ball back. And under no circumstances switch to a back 5, stand off them, and invite them to attack us. The best form of defense is attack for saints. Keep the ball and be "brave". Do that, and we'll have too much for them. Also, start SchexyWood as our defensive pairing - we will need the pace of wood to defend against the counter. And Schexybeck is our best defender and picks himself 😎😍

Playing 5 at the back works against teams with no penetration who want to pass it around the box to move defenders and create opportunities (like city and arsenal last year) where we sat incredibly deep... But even then we rarely went back 5. Back 5 will simply not work against sides that have a physical presence and just want to lump it in the mixer... You literally surrender the rest of the pitch to them, give up all width across midfield, and invite them into crossing range... It was Argentina Vs England all over again - we just ceded them the pitch and let them come at us - but with a keeper and at least 1 cb that struggle with crosses. What he should have done, is strengthen further up the pitch, keep control of the middle, keep pace at the back, and push onto them... Then their more limited players have to pick exceptional passes, and their big forwards have to win a foot race... Sadly it was also shades of Watford all over again - i.e., letting them lump aerial balls onto manning and Stephens and watch the carnage unfold - a repeat mistake from Eckert, and something he needs to address. We cannot play the football sides like that want to play, and then allow them to target what is undoubtedly the weakest part of our game. We just get bullied and at least half the back line can't handle it / aren't good against it. Birmingham was also poor in the regard of allowing a physical side onto us thinking we could adequately defined it - we can't. Quarshie would have been ideal for these sorts of sides... Agree as well about Swansea. They won't play like this and it will come down to technical skill and flowing football. Not 11 players in the 18yard box most of the game, hitting it long, and bombarding our box with a near 7ft striker the target.

I think downs would have been as effective today... Probably better in fact (although that isn't saying anything). Should have re-signed Ballard this summer. We need a goal scorer would good movement and fishing, doesn't have to be a target man.

This one is fully on Eckert I am afraid. Game was there, and he decided to throw it away by trying to park the bus and invite Lincoln to just launch it into the box. Needs to be the last time this happens - he's played enough of these physical sides and dropped points to stop this. We aren't good enough at the back to stop the crosses or win the headers, and Peretz is really weak at dealing with balls on top of him.

Really poor from Eckert here. Played to their strengths, not ours. He's back to making really basic errors - just walks into them eyes wide open... Fucks sake. We've played their football, not ours. 5 at the back bollocks - Lincoln wants nothing more than for teams to do that against them and just allow them to launch it into the box... That is their game FFS.

Unplugged by Rouen? 🧐

I'd be more annoyed, but looks like JWP has still got it, so provided Downes is free (can do the Jander role), we'll cause a lot of problems with JWP and Azaz both on the pitch in the middle. Its differnent to having Jander roving around all over the place, but equally, JWP is going to score and assist this weekend so its all good 🤩

Not that i can see so far.