Leicester 2-0 Saints - Match Thread

[Mr X]

Not our night, would take a draw in a heartbeat 

[Chez]

fuming about that missed foul by the ref. Left us scrambling and we never recovered leading to the goal. Very very poor decision. 

[Jimmy_D]

All over them, ****ed by the ref, hopefully we can get the result we deserve second half.

[OttawaSaint]

Maddison looks like such a little twat of an upstart. Fucking prick!

[Archers Road Stand]

Just now, Jimmy_D said:

All over them, ****ed by the ref, hopefully we can get the result we deserve second half.

We're not all over them. We've had one decent effort, they've had two. 

[trousers]

One thing that differentiates us from the traditional top 6 sides is that we're not in the face of the referee at half time when they make a clanger like the missed foul on Diallo. We're too nice sometimes. 

[The Cat]

Played so well considering all the injuries. Massively fucked over by the ref for the goal. It's not even funny how he didn't give us a free kick, it was so fucking blatant and no different to what he booked Diallo for about 5 minutes after. 

[nta786]

2 minutes ago, verlaine1979 said:

Walcott is where our attacks go to die at the moment. Don't think he's completed a forward pass in the final third yet.

I want to disagree- he had a few good flick-ons early in the half.

However towards the end he was largely anonymous.

I think the next stage in our development is finishing- we are now making chances and we can keep the ball decent but apart from Ings no one else shoots convincingly!

[S-Clarke]

I think we've been the better side to be honest, let down with the final touch/final pass. It's been the best I've seen Smallbone play, seems more aggressive in his play.

We were unlucky not to get that foul on Diallo, it was a foul 9/10, but the goal came from a phase a lot further on and it was really lapse defending by our centre back (I think it was Jan)

Overall, not too bad. There are still moments and there are still openings, but you feel maybe...we just lack that little bit of quality with the final touch. There's not much to turn to on the bench either, so we'll have to hope we can show a bit more 2nd half.

[sydney_saint]

If the ref gives a foul he also has to book Ndidi. The whole game then changes as he needs to be careful not to pick up a second. Instead we are a goal down and Diallo ends up in the book. 

[davefizzy14]

Bloody useless reffing. Should have been a foul to us on Diallo before they scored. We been totally undone by that crap ref!

[The Cat]

12 minutes ago, Mr X said:

And there we have it!!! Always happens when we are on top 

 

No it doesn't. Stop being a whiny prick.

[Baird of the land]

The missed fould was annoying, especially as 2 minutes earlier he did JWP for something similar.

We played pretty well in 1st half. Leicester have defended well and one good ball by them and slight mistake by Stephens has come off for them.

Hopefully we can nick an equaliser in 2nd half

[Sheaf Saint]

Anybody got a decent stream? My usual go to ones are pretty unreliable tonight.

[woodsaint1]

There also looked to be an offside on Albrighton after the Diallo foul and before the goal. Albrighton was walking back, stopped thinking he was off and then played on

[Colwinston Saints]

1 hour ago, Saint_clark said:

What has Smallbone shown that makes you think he's clearly good enough? Valery has turned in good performances in the past, admittedly alongside bad ones but that was at a time when Vestergaard, JWP and others looked awful as well. And against Liverpool he looked to have something about him in that position. 

Smallbone has been completely anonymous every single time I've seen him play. 

Did you watch the game at old Trafford last season when we drew 1-1? Plenty of others, he’s the best young lad we have coming through. Doing well tonight also. If anyone thinks they know more than Ralph then they aren’t even on this planet. 

[SKD]

10 minutes ago, StrangelyBrown said:

Hardly Stephens fault for not saving a near post shot. Shit keeping - he couldn't have made himself smaller.

No, but it’s his fault he can’t defend leading to said shot. 

As said before, not premier league quality. 

[NewYorkSaint]

The pace of that half was astonishing. I hope we have the legs to stay as competitive for next 45...  We deserve at least a draw... Really great to see Smallbone so strong.  The confidence of our passing is pretty incredible.

[Whitey Grandad]

10 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

I'm gonna be raging about that goal for ages if we lose this now.

That’s one of the indirect consequences of VAR. 

[Nordic Saint]

Smallbone has been our best player so far. Let's hope he caps the performance with a goal.

I'm not saying he is a better overall goalkeeper but Forster would have saved that one, no problem, as he always stands bolt upright at the near post while McCarthy tends to crouch down leaving that space above him to aim at. We're missing Ings' finishing up front.

[trousers]

Decent half from us in terms of dominating the play overall. 3 or 4 dangerous breaks into their box which we should have benefited from with a smidgen more clinicality. The ref has made the difference. Hey ho. Fancy our chances in the second half. 

[Saint Fan CaM]

To the ref 1-0...utter disgrace that the foul was not given and it was all in the same passage of play as they held possession. Small one is having a decent game, but we’re not capitalising on their weaknesses in defence. Really, really need a player to be able to work some magic around the box to get a free kick for JWP to convert. Too much time wasting tip-tapping around and passing backwards in the 2nd half will lose the game for us. Would defo take a 1-1 draw at this point.

[BotleySaint]

On the positive side we have developed a really great passing game this season. Neat little one-twos. Lots of creativity on the pitch. Pressing and intelligent movement. Really great to see the team playing this way. If we could just add some more goals. 

In order to push on from here though, that's going to mean investment in depth and quality. I'm not even sure funds are available?

Still, one game at a time. Hopefully we can find a cutting edge second half. 

[qwertyell]

Think we've played half decent, in the main. One piece of poor defensive play has pissed on our chips.

Doubt we'll get anything out of this now - Leicester have us where they want us and can (and will) hit us on the break. More likely a 2-0 result than 1-1.

Smallbone's been all right. Seems to have toughened up a bit; not quite as lightweight as he has been. 

Hey ho.

[obelisk]

Yeah it should have been a foul but Stephens shouldn't allow Maddison to turn him like that. Saints still have plenty in them to get back in this if they just find some composure in attacking areas but this is more likely going to end up 2 or 3 nil I reckon. Leicester have the game where they want it.

[StrangelyBrown]

Just now, SKD said:

No, but it’s his fault he can’t defend leading to said shot. 

As said before, not premier league quality. 

I'll agree with that, but a decent keeper doesn't get beaten by that shot. What the fuck was he doing kneeling down FFS?

[trousers]

2 minutes ago, The Cat said:

No it doesn't. Stop being a whiny prick.

Please don't stop him. We often rely on his negativity to turn things around

[Sheaf Saint]

Am I the only one who doesn't think it was a foul on Diallo?

He tried to dribble his way out of trouble in his own half and got caught out. It was no different from what we were all slating Armstrong for recently.

[Disco Stu]

Game's gone about how I expected. Dominating the ball but no end product. Missing Ings as anyone would.

[woodsaint1]

1 minute ago, SKD said:

No, but it’s his fault he can’t defend leading to said shot. 

As said before, not premier league quality. 

Here we go again fs. Been solid since hes come in, gets turned by a good player for a goal and hes not PL quality anymore. Have a day off would ya

[Convict Colony]

we never smash anyone, we cant score in a brothel and we have more kids than michael jackson 

[Vancouver Saint]

We deserve a slice of fortune - we were the better team in the first half and taking the game to them

 

[Saint_clark]

2 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Am I the only one who doesn't think it was a foul on Diallo?

He tried to dribble his way out of trouble in his own half and got caught out. It was no different from what we were all slating Armstrong for recently.

Did you see the replay? He gets grabbed on the arm and the shoulder and arm. If he'd thrown himself to the floor he'd have got the ball.

We're too honest at times.

[Shroppie]

2 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Am I the only one who doesn't think it was a foul on Diallo?

He tried to dribble his way out of trouble in his own half and got caught out. It was no different from what we were all slating Armstrong for recently.

It was a foul

 

[VectisSaint]

Just now, woodsaint1 said:

Here we go again fs. Been solid since hes come in, gets turned by a good player for a goal and hes not PL quality anymore. Have a day off would ya

There are some cocks on here who blame Stephens even when he's not on the pitch. He did get turned a bit easily, but in his defence he should not have been put in that position, Diallo was so clearly fouled. Thought actually Madison did ever so well to score that.

 

[Sheaf Saint]

Just now, Saint_clark said:

Did you see the replay? He gets grabbed on the arm and the shoulder and arm. If he'd thrown himself to the floor he'd have got the ball.

We're too honest at times.

No, the stream I'm watching didn't show it.

[sydney_saint]

1 minute ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Am I the only one who doesn't think it was a foul on Diallo?

He tried to dribble his way out of trouble in his own half and got caught out. It was no different from what we were all slating Armstrong for recently.

I need to see another replay, but it looks like two fouls. One with his hand where he tugged him back. And a second with his legs as he cluttered into him 

[S-Clarke]

3 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Am I the only one who doesn't think it was a foul on Diallo?

He tried to dribble his way out of trouble in his own half and got caught out. It was no different from what we were all slating Armstrong for recently.

Yeah, you probably are.

As clear as a foul you can get, he was pulled back twice, then he was clipped at the end...I thought the ref was just playing for advantage and it was one of those ''Eventually he gives the free kick', but nope....astonishing miss by the ref.

[Shroppie]

3 minutes ago, StrangelyBrown said:

I'll agree with that, but a decent keeper doesn't get beaten by that shot. What the fuck was he doing kneeling down FFS?

You can't blame McCarthy for that. It was absolutely smashed at point blank range. 99 times out of 100 it misses, but if it's on target, no chance

[washsaint]

Breathtaking performance - absolute joy to watch Saints and a travesty that we are losing.

However Stephens and McCarthy were absolute s***e for their goal (foul or no foul).

We are still in this and deserve at least a draw.  Smallbone has been a revelation: strong in the tackle, great passing and vision.

 

[SKD]

1 minute ago, woodsaint1 said:

Here we go again fs. Been solid since hes come in, gets turned by a good player for a goal and hes not PL quality anymore. Have a day off would ya

He’s not been solid though. Every game he’s made a mistake or 2. Luckily they haven’t lead to a goal. tonight is more of what we’ve become used to. He cannot defend, which for a CB is a bit of an issue. 
 

Had that been Vestergaard, he’d have had pelters. 
 

a couple of last ditch blocks won’t convince me otherwise. Terrible defender. 

[trousers]

Just now, Saint_clark said:

Did you see the replay? He gets grabbed on the arm and the shoulder and arm. If he'd thrown himself to the floor he'd have got the ball.

We're too honest at times.

Yeah, pretty sure JWP or Romeu would have used their greater experience there and gone to ground on the first or second touch.

[Convict Colony]

Just now, VectisSaint said:

There are some cocks on here who blame Stephens even when he's not on the pitch. He did get turned a bit easily, but in his defence he should not have been put in that position, Diallo was so clearly fouled. Thought actually Madison did ever so well to score that.

 

Play to the whistle, stephens turns like an oil tanker

[OttawaSaint]

I think if the club is serious about competing at this end of the table then we need a new LB. Almost every goal against you see Bertie out of position and slowing jogging back. He’s been a great servant but teams are targeting that space between Stephens and Bertie.

[stknowle]

9 minutes ago, trousers said:

One thing that differentiates us from the traditional top 6 sides is that we're not in the face of the referee at half time when they make a clanger like the missed foul on Diallo. We're too nice sometimes. 

It wasn’t really that much of a foul though. 

[S-Clarke]

Just now, washsaint said:

Breathtaking performance - absolute joy to watch Saints and a travesty that we are losing.

However Stephens and McCarthy were absolute s***e for their goal (foul or no foul).

We are still in this and deserve at least a draw.  Smallbone has been a revelation: strong in the tackle, great passing and vision.

 

Just looked back, it was Stephens and not Jan.

Unfortunately that's Jack all over, he has got done like that many a time. He's a good backs to the wall defender, but gets done by skill and turns like that way too often - that's why he's slightly off the level needed (if we are aiming for top 6).

Don't really feel McCarthy is to blame.

[Turkish]

Just now, washsaint said:

Breathtaking performance - absolute joy to watch Saints and a travesty that we are losing.

However Stephens and McCarthy were absolute s***e for their goal (foul or no foul).

We are still in this and deserve at least a draw.  Smallbone has been a revelation: strong in the tackle, great passing and vision.

 

Every single sentence of the post apart from one contains massive exaggerations. I’ll let you decide which one it is.

[stknowle]

6 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Am I the only one who doesn't think it was a foul on Diallo?

He tried to dribble his way out of trouble in his own half and got caught out. It was no different from what we were all slating Armstrong for recently.

No

[trousers]

If Ings scores that goal we'd be raving about how good an effort it was, not banging on about it being poor play from their keeper or defender

Edited 16 January, 2021 by trousers

[Chez]

thought we looked tremendous on the break, but we miss Ings to finish it off with his extra class. Diallo is an absolute beast in midfield. He looks a tremendous signing.