Saints 0 - 3 Man United Post Match Reaction

[SW11_Saint]

Ok then, if we played Waterlooville in the FA cup, I suspect that they would have a real good go at us despite the fact that they are in a much lower division. I would suspect that they would actually test our goalkeeper on a few occasions. Did that happen with us when playing Man U? Where was the giant killing football that you see every year in the FA cup?.

 

I saw none of the, lets get at them lads, we are going to lose but lets at least have a go attitude. It was not there to be seen.

 

If the pundits can see it, the media see it, the neutrals like my cousin who is gunners through and through can see it and comment that we are a very poor outfit, if a majority of Saints fans can see it, how can some on here not?.

 

There is no excuses, we were timid and too frightened to even attack them. The confidence of the team is at an all time low and basically our players trot out expecting to get beat.

 

That is very sad and just proves to me that the club from top to bottom is dying.

Sad, but true. Well put.

[benjii]

Ok then, if we played Waterlooville in the FA cup, I suspect that they would have a real good go at us despite the fact that they are in a much lower division. I would suspect that they would actually test our goalkeeper on a few occasions. Did that happen with us when playing Man U? Where was the giant killing football that you see every year in the FA cup?.

 

I saw none of the, lets get at them lads, we are going to lose but lets at least have a go attitude. It was not there to be seen.

 

If the pundits can see it, the media see it, the neutrals like my cousin who is gunners through and through can see it and comment that we are a very poor outfit, if a majority of Saints fans can see it, how can some on here not?.

 

There is no excuses, we were timid and too frightened to even attack them. The confidence of the team is at an all time low and basically our players trot out expecting to get beat.

 

That is very sad and just proves to me that the club from top to bottom is dying.

 

Spot on, mate. Absolutely spot on.

[saint lard]

i bet blyth spartans put up more of a fight than us...

 

They are at the moment it appears, still 0-0.

[beatlesaint]

Ok then, if we played Waterlooville in the FA cup, I suspect that they would have a real good go at us despite the fact that they are in a much lower division. I would suspect that they would actually test our goalkeeper on a few occasions. Did that happen with us when playing Man U? Where was the giant killing football that you see every year in the FA cup?.

 

I saw none of the, lets get at them lads, we are going to lose but lets at least have a go attitude. It was not there to be seen.

 

If the pundits can see it, the media see it, the neutrals like my cousin who is gunners through and through can see it and comment that we are a very poor outfit, if a majority of Saints fans can see it, how can some on here not?.

 

There is no excuses, we were timid and too frightened to even attack them. The confidence of the team is at an all time low and basically our players trot out expecting to get beat.

 

That is very sad and just proves to me that the club from top to bottom is dying.

 

Absolutely right......cos we were playing Man Utd it has now been bought to the attention of the national media and football followers in general......still presumably in Rupert World that just means the lunatic fringe has got a bit bigger.

[saint lard]

Good effort by Blyth Spartans,lost 1-0.

 

Just shows what a bit of application can do.

Edited 5 January, 2009 by saint lard

[Kingsbridge Saint]

that was not the performance to judge saints on (not saying we are good apart from that!)

 

Many teams in premiership, specially with 10 men would get stuffed.

 

Nani comment - pub side -you do not have a clue what you are talking about.

 

Nani was the youngest member of the Portugal U-21 squad at the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. He made his first appearance for the senior Portugal team on 1 September 2006, and marked his debut with a goal in Portugal's 4-2 friendly defeat to Denmark.[2]

 

Nani was a regular member of the Portuguese squad in qualification for UEFA Euro 2008, and scored one of the goals in the 2–1 away win over Belgium on 2 June 2007.[23] He also provided the assist for Ricardo Quaresma's goal in a friendly against Italy on 6 February 2008.[24] Nani's form for Manchester United during the 2007–08 season ultimately earned him a call-up to Luiz Felipe Scolari's 23-man squad for Euro 2008, alongside club team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo. He was only used sparingly during the campaign, but did manage to provide the assist for Hélder Postiga's goal during a 15-minute cameo in the quarter-finals against Germany on 19 June 2008. Portugal eventually lost the match 3-2

 

Great build up, but if you can bear to watch Sundays game again you will see that apart from slotting the penalty he did nothing except repeatedly lose possession with misplaced passes, poor touches or tricks that failed to come off. He was pants, as usual. Anderson retained possession better, but only because over 90% of his passes were sideways 5 yards or backwards. If they had played Ronaldo we would have been murdered.

[trousers]

How many chances on goal would you say a 10 man team playing the European champions have to get before it deserves any sort of credit?

 

Two?

[OldNick]

Not really, well, not intended that way - more amazement that someone could see the same game I was at in such a light. There's being 'upbeat' and then there's kidding yourself (and there's far too much of that going on at the club for my liking anyway...).

 

I think United coasted it - and from what I saw, hardly broke sweat.

 

You can make all of the excuses you want - and believe me NO ONE expected us to win, me included - but we were outclassed AND outfought with ease. Believe McManaman said something in his commentary along the lines of "... [we] offered less in all departments than any other lower league team who played this weekend.". I hate to say it, but I agree with him, and I think the scoreline flattered us.

I never thought we werent outclassed and outfought.As Um says the team selection was poor and whilst Patterson did well against Reading it was folly 5to play him and leave BWP and Euell on the bench.If they had played well it may have alerted teams to buy them.

Gobrern was overawaed and so our chances of competing were nullified immediately.Riley then was intimidated by Fergusons rant after Pattersons first tackle and then any tackle resulted in bookings.How can you get into players faces if you are booked in the first challenge.Also when you are up against a team that can really make space it is difficult to get near enough to give them a dig.

I t was men against boys and I still believe that Riley helped make it a non contest and if Giggs or Berbatov had made that tackle it would have been a yellow not red.(rightly or wrongly if it was a red or not)

[OldNick]

Ok then, if we played Waterlooville in the FA cup, I suspect that they would have a real good go at us despite the fact that they are in a much lower division. I would suspect that they would actually test our goalkeeper on a few occasions. Did that happen with us when playing Man U? Where was the giant killing football that you see every year in the FA cup?.

 

I saw none of the, lets get at them lads, we are going to lose but lets at least have a go attitude. It was not there to be seen.

 

If the pundits can see it, the media see it, the neutrals like my cousin who is gunners through and through can see it and comment that we are a very poor outfit, if a majority of Saints fans can see it, how can some on here not?.

 

There is no excuses, we were timid and too frightened to even attack them. The confidence of the team is at an all time low and basically our players trot out expecting to get beat.

 

That is very sad and just proves to me that the club from top to bottom is dying.

Very good points we went out with a whimper for variying reasons.

[Tom28]

Guys, some of these posts are ridiculous - trying to compare our young players with Man Utd's is just plain stupid. Man Utd get the pick of the bunch when it comes to young players, and in addition, they can go and buy anyone who slips their net (Anderson as an example). Their 'net' spans the globe, ours spans the M27. They are a better club, better team and have insanely better players (Berbatov looked bored on Sunday). 3-0, with 10 men for the majority of the game isn't that bad. Who really expected us to win? You can say all you like about how we used to beat Man Utd at home - well, thats in the past, and we're not that team anymore.

 

Watching the game on Sunday, especially the first 10-15 mins when I thought we were just edging it, I kept thinking that we're playing this good football, knocking it around, then in the final third, as always, it falls apart. We don't have anyone to unlock a defense. I think thats why we were able to compete in the Premiership all those years, we had a team of average professionals and one truly class player who would create a goal for us out of nothing. Thats what we need now, a new Le Tissier. I think Lallana could be that guy, I also think Schneiderlin has some real class. But they won't become Le Tissier's overnight. If only we could get Jack Wilshere on loan....!

 

Additionally, our defense was shocking throughout and has been for most of the season. Skacel defensively is appalling - he has almost no positional sense. Here's hoping that Lee Moleyneux can improve us there. Centre back is a big worry - Perry and Lancashire simply aren't good enough. They're weak in the air, on the ground, they dont have any pace and whilst I'll give Perry a pass on his positional play, I can't do the same for Lancashire. Thought Lloyd James was the only positive note in the back four.

 

I really think we are only two centre halves and a centre forward away from being a decent side (assuming we keep Schneiderlin and Lallana). Saga would be good to have back although I'm not sure he's the prototype centre forward we need. We need someone stronger to allow Lallana, Holmes, McG and co to play off.

 

As for the centre halves, trying to find two that are strong in the air, have some pace, are championship quality AND available for loan might be impossible...any ideas who fits that bill?

[trousers]

3-0, with 10 men for the majority of the game isn't that bad.

 

Depends how hard Man Utd tried. Ferguson has already dropped the somewhat unsubtle hint that they let us off lightly on purpose.

 

Anyway, it's not the result, per se, that people are latching onto - it's the way we appeared not to play like an 'up for it' underdog in the same way that Southend, Notts Forest, Blythe Spartans, Forest Green, etc, etc were.