Saints 1-1 Huddersfield - Reaction

[S-Clarke]

Do we ever put in a good performance on the last game of the season when we are safe?

 

We were ok against City last year, until 90+1 mins.

 

Although the last game, against Stoke, in Puel's season was probably worse. This is still up there though, need a big clear out of all the rubbish we've acumulated.

[Charlie Wayman]

 

 

 

He's an exceptional coach with a sh1tty squad to sort out... its really does require some major surgery if we have top 10 aspirations. We'll semi-back him this year, then push him out the next.

 

Is he an exceptional coach? Sure, he kept us up but he also coached the abysmal rubbish that we had to endure today and last week and many weeks before that. On that basis he has achieved only what Hughes achieved last season.

 

On another note it is utterly moronic to question Gunn's competence as a goalkeeper just because he has made one stupid error.

[hypochondriac]

Is he an exceptional coach? Sure, he kept us up but he also coached the abysmal rubbish that we had to endure today and last week and many weeks before that. On that basis he has achieved only what Hughes achieved last season.

 

On another note it is utterly moronic to question Gunn's competence as a goalkeeper just because he has made one stupid error.

Codswallop. Ralph has been great for us and in our position we will get no one better. I'm excited to see what he can do next year.

[DuncanRG]

Ings was poor today but put the yards in, at least.

[Pilchards]

Ings was poor today but put the yards in, at least.

 

Wants an extra touch which gives him less options when closed down.

He really is not a decent striker.

[Lighthouse]

Ings was poor today but put the yards in, at least.

 

2 goals from open play in over 7 months, both at home to Arsenal.

[Kingsland Codger]

Do we ever put in a good performance on the last game of the season when we are safe?

 

2016. A 4-1 win over Crystal Palace. Was hoping for something similar today. Silly me.

[Jimmy_D]

Time to dig out Adkin's pen and put a line under this season.

 

Looking forward to seeing what Hasenhuttl can do with us with a full preseason and a chance to do some squad building now.

[Toussaint]

Codswallop. Ralph has been great for us and in our position we will get no one better. I'm excited to see what he can do next year.

 

I’m desperate for him to be good, but the jury is out for me. He comes across very well and has become generally very popular very quickly. We won’t really know what he’s about until next season.

[tajjuk]

I see the same old negative nobodies are out in force jumping on the chance to criticise everyone because we didn't win, I truly wonder why some of you are fans.

 

Meaningless game, the team has clearly been on the beach for a few weeks and after our horrible start under Hughes staying up was the only objective, which was achieved fairly comfortably.

 

But yeh lets just slag off the whole team, they are rubbish blah, blah, even though they are clearly not and have performed mid table under Ralph.

[beatlesaint]

I’m desperate for him to be good, but the jury is out for me. He comes across very well and has become generally very popular very quickly. We won’t really know what he’s about until next season.

 

with all due respect any manager who can turn Redmond into the player he’s become since Christmas, make Ward Prowse perform much better, get a team that looked like it was doomed out of the mire with wins against Arsenal, Spurs, a draw away to Chelsea and a couple of very decent performances against Liverpool at home and Man Utd away has got something about him. Make no mistake, the squad he’s inherited is average at best, their weaknesses are there for all to see. Complete faith in Ralph to address that and get a team firing again.

[hypochondriac]

with all due respect any manager who can turn Redmond into the player he’s become since Christmas, make Ward Prowse perform much better, get a team that looked like it was doomed out of the mire with wins against Arsenal, Spurs, a draw away to Chelsea and a couple of very decent performances against Liverpool at home and Man Utd away has got something about him. Make no mistake, the squad he’s inherited is average at best, their weaknesses are there for all to see. Complete faith in Ralph to address that and get a team firing again.

Yep. Ridiculous to think Ralph could have done any better with what he has had.

[S-Clarke]

To the one person who is saying the jury is out on Ralph - I think your view on our squad is misguided.

 

We are a relegation squad, we really were primed to go down this year as the squad doesn't have enough quality.

 

What he has done is amazing.

[disconnect]

Last few games very disappointing, but without Vestergaard and Yoshida we have to play Stephens...

 

Also having Ings going 11 games without a goal doesn't help.

 

Hoping next season we'll have a new centre back, desperately need a new (good!) striker and maybe another pacey attacker to compliment Redmond

[John Boy Saint]

Anyone know how to get rid of the smell of Ambre Solaire.

Our season summed up in 90 mins - moments of brilliance overly peppered with brain farts! With our points lost from being in a winning positions not a million miles off our points total for the season.

The bright spark of hope being that whereas we use to collapse after conceding looking like rabbits in the headlights, feeling sorry for ourselves, that defeatist attitude seems to be a fraction of what it was. That said after a gift of goal we were almost so casual that Huddersfield could sniff the possibility of nicking a last hurrah to the Premier League.

Still having squandered the game so cheaply Ralph has something going into the summer to kick backsides with for pre season.

 

The pitch invader summed up the afternoon too - sauntered out to the middle, then ambled into the Chapel goal without one steward breaking a sweat to apprehend him. Huddersfield fans showed the quick wit of footie fans with the “he’s one of your own” song for him.........probably highlight of the afternoon.

[dellboypete]

Codswallop. Ralph has been great for us and in our position we will get no one better. I'm excited to see what he can do next year.

 

Totally agree with this - we were discussing this issue at half time yesterday and the 100% consensus was that he actually performed miracles keeping us up with what was a really poor squad when he took over - also very brave of him not to bring anyone in in the transfer window.

 

And he has said that there needs to be change and investment over the summer. It's always difficult for a new manager to come in during the season, especially to a club that almost looked doomed. So the full summer and a new start to the season should hopefully get us all excited

[InvictaSaint]

with all due respect any manager who can turn Redmond into the player he’s become since Christmas, make Ward Prowse perform much better, get a team that looked like it was doomed out of the mire with wins against Arsenal, Spurs, a draw away to Chelsea and a couple of very decent performances against Liverpool at home and Man Utd away has got something about him. Make no mistake, the squad he’s inherited is average at best, their weaknesses are there for all to see. Complete faith in Ralph to address that and get a team firing again.

 

This. 100% this.

[rooney]

One lapse in concentration has cost us 15th place and 41 points...which would have been a remarkable total considering where we were after losing to Cardiff in Dec..

also cost us £2m in place money.

[waylander]

At least we didn't lose at home to Cardiff on the last day.

[Micky]

At least we didn't lose at home to Cardiff on the last day.

 

Took my father in law to SMS this weekend - he's a united fan, kept him quiet most of the afternoon...!

[Lighthouse]

also cost us £2m in place money.

 

You could say that about any number of sitters missed by Long, Armstrong's wee wander across the pitch against Bournemouth, Stephens punching the ball at Burnley, JWP rugby tackle at home to Brighton, Vestegaard's back pass at Cardiff, Hojbjerg's Red Leicester, any number of Banzai Saints corners we immediately conceded from and just generally being a bit sh*t all season. Harsh to pick out Gunn really.

[Sidney Fudpucker the 3rd]

I think we need 2 CB's, a striker and a quick attacking midfielder. Not too much to ask for. I see Ralph's been in the press saying that he's predicting a tough summer with limited funds. Doesn't bode well. He needs to be backed properly. Failure to do so will only result in him leaving and that's the last thing we need.

[mrfahaji]

Wants an extra touch which gives him less options when closed down.

He really is not a decent striker.

 

Confidence! There's no way an in-form Ings doesn't take the chance from Redmond's square ball first time, on either foot. At first I thought the ball was a little bit behind him and that's why he needed the extra touch, but when you saw it from the replays he could have hit it with his left or opened his body up to find the bottom right hand corner with his right foot.

 

That wasn't the only time as well - he had another chance on his left and tried to work it onto his right. It's also the way that when you're not in the best of form, things don't quite seem to fall for you, and you could see that happening a lot. His header from Redmond's cross wasn't awful, he headed it down and on target, but of course it was blocked and had he looped it in the same way as he did earlier in the season or more similar to Targett's header then there was more chance of scoring - but also more chance of putting it over and I think that's an example of going with the safer option, or trying to be too sure, when your confidence isn't there.

[Pilchards]

Confidence! There's no way an in-form Ings doesn't take the chance from Redmond's square ball first time, on either foot. At first I thought the ball was a little bit behind him and that's why he needed the extra touch, but when you saw it from the replays he could have hit it with his left or opened his body up to find the bottom right hand corner with his right foot.

 

That wasn't the only time as well - he had another chance on his left and tried to work it onto his right. It's also the way that when you're not in the best of form, things don't quite seem to fall for you, and you could see that happening a lot. His header from Redmond's cross wasn't awful, he headed it down and on target, but of course it was blocked and had he looped it in the same way as he did earlier in the season or more similar to Targett's header then there was more chance of scoring - but also more chance of putting it over and I think that's an example of going with the safer option, or trying to be too sure, when your confidence isn't there.

 

Why does he not use his left leg?

Remember watching a training clip on the first week he signed for us.

Turns his man and left leg power drive top corner.

Think he’s a great option for the last 20 minutes for next season and here’s hoping we get at least two new good striker options.

[mrfahaji]

Why does he not use his left leg?

Remember watching a training clip on the first week he signed for us.

Turns his man and left leg power drive top corner.

Think he’s a great option for the last 20 minutes for next season and here’s hoping we get at least two new good striker options.

 

Confidence. Strikers who have it play more on instinct, they hit things first time, use both feet, gamble on the loose ball more etc. Lack of confidence means everything is a thought process - "if I can just get it on to my right foot I'm more likely to score". When players go through that you can only ask that they keep working hard and hope that the confidence comes back - usually through finding the net, no matter how it comes.

 

Pretty sure we won't be signing two good strikers unless we sell Long. And to be honest, since we tend to only field one out and out striker at a time (though that may change with a 4-2-2-2) signing two would be a waste when we also need investment in other areas.

[Whitey Grandad]

You could say that about any number of sitters missed by Long, Armstrong's wee wander across the pitch against Bournemouth, Stephens punching the ball at Burnley, JWP rugby tackle at home to Brighton, Vestegaard's back pass at Cardiff, Hojbjerg's Red Leicester, any number of Banzai Saints corners we immediately conceded from and just generally being a bit sh*t all season. Harsh to pick out Gunn really.

 

Let's hope that Gunn learns from his mistake and becomes a better keeper. I really think that this howler killed any life in the rest of the team for the rest of the match.

 

It cost us some place money along with, as you say, every other mistake but at least it was in a relatively unimportant game.

[Badger]

Yesterday was the typical end of season damp squib, made worse by Gunn's error.

 

We stayed behind for the lap of appreciation (hardly call it lap of honour any more). As much as anything as a 'thanks' to Ralph rather than the players. This too was a bit low key compared to previous seasons (although probably better than Puel's year which I didn't attend).

 

Surprised in some ways Ralph didn't lead the team in his customary way but probably too many 'other halves' and their kids there for that. If anything I thought RH looked a bit bored with the event, perhaps not as raucous as in Germany. Just hope he recharges his batteries,comes back, and spends some of Gao's millions in rebuilding the team.

[Window Cleaner]

Yesterday was the typical end of season damp squib, made worse by Gunn's error.

 

We stayed behind for the lap of appreciation (hardly call it lap of honour any more). As much as anything as a 'thanks' to Ralph rather than the players. This too was a bit low key compared to previous seasons (although probably better than Puel's year which I didn't attend).

 

Surprised in some ways Ralph didn't lead the team in his customary way but probably too many 'other halves' and their kids there for that. If anything I thought RH looked a bit bored with the event, perhaps not as raucous as in Germany. Just hope he recharges his batteries,comes back, and spends some of Gao's millions in rebuilding the team.

 

As if Gao has millions....

[St_Tel49]

I meant in the overall failure to beat the worst team in the division, at home. It was the performance over 90 minutes that cost us, not simply one error.

 

Disagree - Huddersfield would not have scored if they played until next week. That was until they were given a freebie by Gunn. Forster would have been slated for weeks had it been him.