NewYorkSaint

We'll get two more second half... Larin and JWP

We're back. What a day! Azaz, Scienza, Larin declaring their premier league quality.

There is so much luck in football. Their opening goal: a lucky deflection. Ryan Manning hits the post... unlucky miss. Their open goal miss... unlucky... 3 inches left and that is in. Score could easily be 2-2... or 3-0 Saints. But for me the bigger takeaway from the half was this: we're up against the current best team in the championship and are DAZZLING them. Some of our football in the last 25 mins... better than anything I've seen of any championship team. Zing-zing-zing kapow! Feels like the season is starting today. This has been thrilling. All we need is JWP to come in with a free-kick in the 80th minute...

During the last match there was a lot of moaning that the team lacked energy. This is one piece that JWP will bring us in spades. On many stats he's pretty much the most fit player in English football. It must have been pretty crushing for him to see his post-Saints career work out so poorly, but I could see him doubling down on determination to have a glowing chapter two at Saints. Possibly more should be made of the fact that he equalled Beckham's free kicks record while he was here. That, right there, speaks to stupendous talent. We now have a highly technical manager who may be able to unlock a couple of missing pieces to his game. James also, at least in my mind, represents the ethos of the club in a powerful way. Personally, I'll be among those celebrating if and when he returns.

/How crazy/disgraceful is it that the FA still have made no announcement?! Like... seriously. If you ever wanted to convey the impression you're a bunch of lazy bureaucrats relishing the display of power for power's sake, then mission accomplished.

I'm so looking forward to the game with the stress dialed down. Let's say... 2 unanswered goals in the first half. No reply. In the 70th minute we get a third. Clean sheet. That kind of game.

Look, on any other day, only one of the two first half mistakes gets punished, and THB scores that sitter. It's way too early to have an overall negative narrative about the team. Let's say we just needed to set ourselves a slightly harder challenge for the season.

Heartbreaker.

Some thoughts.... 1) It's too early to panic. We made two mistakes and were punished ruthlessly twice. Neither the mistakes nor that level of ruthless punishment are likely to repeat. 2) Football needs to do something to prevent the intentional physical targeting of a player. When it's clear that two players are willing to commit yellow card offenses against the same player... why isn't that the equivalent to a single player getting two yellow cards. Hearing Joe Tessem say "yeah, that's football" made me a little sick. We can't have the playbook to beat Saints being 'hack down their best player'. 3) Everything hangs on the next goal. I've thought Dobbin and Larin look like a strong combo in the buildup play. There's a goal coming. We may need to use the bench wisely. A draw is going to feel like a win. I'm going 3-3. But this second half will show what character we have....

and that time a truly beautiful ping ping ping BOOM. huzzah! now bring on the season.

ping ping ping BOOM!

second half looking a little better. a little bit of ping ping ping... just no ping ping ping boom.

Logged in to see if anyone here had a written a positive comment about anything. And.... not so much.

Akachukwu, Scienza, Fellows, Archer stood out...

The new shirts better than I thought. I like the solid red panel on the back... much stronger identity than last year.