Saints 1-4 Man City - Match Thread

[egg]

2 minutes ago, Bob76 said:

Maybe give the lad a few games at least before writing him off completely. He can hardly do worse than most of our strikers and has to be better than starting with no striker at all, we held them for forty mins but never looked like scoring, what a crap way to play when you have limited games left and need four or five wins.

His movement is poor. No amount of games is going to change that. Selles played players who could move their defence around. It didn't work, but we'd have been no better with tall paul imo. 

[Osvaldorama]

1 minute ago, egg said:

His movement is poor. No amount of games is going to change that. Selles played players who could move their defence around. It didn't work, but we'd have been no better with tall paul imo. 

He looked great when we beat Chelsea. 
 

Barely been given a chance since then. Joke of a club. Might as well play the lad. We know Theo and Mara aren’t going to do anything 

[Sheaf Saint]

23 minutes ago, Chez said:

I'm just desperate to find a striker already at the club that will give us a fighting chance of promotion next season.

We've got one. He's currently banging them in for Burnley.

[davefizzy14]

2 minutes ago, Osvaldorama said:

He looked great when we beat Chelsea. 
 

Barely been given a chance since then. Joke of a club. Might as well play the lad. We know Theo and Mara aren’t going to do anything 

Exactly this in bold. Onuachu simply has to play, he gives us a focal point and he almost scored last week with the header against the bar. Far too many times we go long and we don't have a physical presence to hold the ball up. 

I thought Mara finished his effort very well after great play from Djenepo.

Edited 8 April, 2023 by davefizzy14

[JRM]

30 minutes ago, angelman said:

So bored having to sit with away supporters in the Kingsland. Why can't the club do a system where unless you've bought 1, 2 or more Cat C games, you can't buy a Cat A game?

It's shit, but generally a Premier league phenomenon with a lot of them neutrals there to see the star names they spend time being on fifa or in their fantasy leagues, we can cleanse ourselves from this in the Championship next season 👍 

[Nordic Saint]

1 hour ago, skintsaint said:

I 4-1 won't miss the gulf in class next season when playing in the championship. 

You hope. I remember the last time we got relegated to the Championship.

[macca155]

I was in the away section today aka the Kingsland. Its never bothered me but it really is an incident waiting to happen. So many half and half scarves.

As to the match, spirited first half from Saints but eventually outclassed. No surprise there.

Pep put Grealish and Mahrez as wide as possible. Then pumped long passes to them. Eventually it was going to work because they didn't have the inconvenience of a defender to beat.

I'm resigned to relegation, but I'd like to see some fight. Let's at least avoid finishing bottom.

Major surgery needed next year, not just in the 1st team. Whatever the malaise in the club is, it needs rooting out. The players and fans are broken at the moment.

[The Kraken]

23 minutes ago, Black Sea Saint said:

Both Strachan and Hoddle repeatedly did it. 4-5-0 from both a fair few times

More fool them for starting with ten men. And I thought they were quite astute.  Although you could argue that Selles is doing the same by starting with Eluseless every week, I suppose.

[angelman]

19 minutes ago, JRM said:

It's shit, but generally a Premier league phenomenon with a lot of them neutrals there to see the star names they spend time being on fifa or in their fantasy leagues, we can cleanse ourselves from this in the Championship next season 👍 

Hate it when big teams turn up, along with all the spanners who come along too. In front of me today, I had a yank dad, with one kid in a ManC top and the other in a Liverpool top. When they got terribly over excited with Haaland's 2nd goal,  I did mention that it might be best for them to be a little more subtle when in the home stands. 

 

But as you say, hardly much point raising an issue with the club given that it won't be relevant next season.

[The Kraken]

Onuachu, Mara, DCC, Edozie started on the bench. Orsic, Aribo, Bree, Larios didn’t make the bench. 8 players from our transfer strategy this season who for one reason or another didn’t make our first team today. 

What a fucking disaster.

Edited 8 April, 2023 by The Kraken

[Paul Chuckle]

Even the half time entertainment is garbage. The sooner Benali and that bloke are binned off the better. Probably paying them thousands for screaming in a microphone for 15 mins. 

 

Good to see Super Ken Monkou. Shame he wasn't playing today. Miles better than any current CB we have. 

 

As for the game. Playing 70 minutes in a must win game with no striker Is ridiculous. Selles isn't the solution, he's part of the problem 

 

[Fabrice29]

Cannot believe anyone is angry about that today. Plenty to be annoyed about this season but you should have given your emotions a day off today. Anything we got was a bonus and getting worked up about being beat by City doesn't do anyone any good. 

[StrangelyBrown]

We did a goal thing - not much else to say

[Sarisbury Saint]

9 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

Cannot believe anyone is angry about that today. Plenty to be annoyed about this season but you should have given your emotions a day off today. Anything we got was a bonus and getting worked up about being beat by City doesn't do anyone any good. 

Absolutely this. 

[JRM]

51 minutes ago, angelman said:

Hate it when big teams turn up, along with all the spanners who come along too. In front of me today, I had a yank dad, with one kid in a ManC top and the other in a Liverpool top. When they got terribly over excited with Haaland's 2nd goal,  I did mention that it might be best for them to be a little more subtle when in the home stands. 

 

But as you say, hardly much point raising an issue with the club given that it won't be relevant next season.

Don't get me wrong, I hate them as well and try to make these types feel as uncomfortable as possible if I'm ever sat near them, can't stand them. 

In some ways I resent the fact that our fan base isn't big enough to fill the ground and so we're left open to the tourists buying in general sale. Would be better to have a smaller ground with more intense atmosphere than the soulless place we have...

It's not only Saints, I work with a kiwi who has season tickets at Brentford with his lad just go to see star names and big 6 etc 

[Kingsbridge Saint]

With this manager and squad we don't belong in the Premier League. 

[JRM]

1 hour ago, davefizzy14 said:

Exactly this in bold. Onuachu simply has to play, he gives us a focal point and he almost scored last week with the header against the bar. Far too many times we go long and we don't have a physical presence to hold the ball up. 

I thought Mara finished his effort very well after great play from Djenepo.

I've got a bet with a mate that Tall Paul will never score for us, just got a feeling he'll be another one of those signings 

[JCBSaint]

57 minutes ago, The Kraken said:

Onuachu, Mara, DCC, Edozie started on the bench. Orsic, Aribo, Bree, Larios didn’t make the bench. 8 players from our transfer strategy this season who for one reason or another didn’t make our first team today. 

What a fucking disaster.

It’s a shit show… rudderless.. nobody seems to care, that’s what hurts.

[Cabrone]

Just want to get this season over and done with, sell off the deadwood and regroup in the championship. Tired of all of it.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

27 minutes ago, JRM said:

Don't get me wrong, I hate them as well and try to make these types feel as uncomfortable as possible if I'm ever sat near them, can't stand them. 

In some ways I resent the fact that our fan base isn't big enough to fill the ground and so we're left open to the tourists buying in general sale. Would be better to have a smaller ground with more intense atmosphere than the soulless place we have...

It's not only Saints, I work with a kiwi who has season tickets at Brentford with his lad just go to see star names and big 6 etc 

I think our fan base is big enough. It's just shit at the moment as we've had to put up with absolute shite performances on the pitch. Not ashamed to say I didn't go today because I knew I wouldn't enjoy it. Am sure I'm not the only one who feels this way

[St Steve]

 

[Nordic Saint]

1 hour ago, Paul Chuckle said:

Even the half time entertainment is garbage. The sooner Benali and that bloke are binned off the better. Probably paying them thousands for screaming in a microphone for 15 mins. 

 

Good to see Super Ken Monkou. Shame he wasn't playing today. Miles better than any current CB we have. 

 

As for the game. Playing 70 minutes in a must win game with no striker Is ridiculous. Selles isn't the solution, he's part of the problem 

 

They started that 'purple zone' thing 14 minutes into half-time. The players were lined up in the tunnel waiting to come out. What a shambles it was. 

[Turkish]

1 hour ago, The Kraken said:

Onuachu, Mara, DCC, Edozie started on the bench. Orsic, Aribo, Bree, Larios didn’t make the bench. 8 players from our transfer strategy this season who for one reason or another didn’t make our first team today. 

What a fucking disaster.

I make that about £70m worth of “talent” only one of them played any part today

[Toussaint]

1 hour ago, JRM said:

I've got a bet with a mate that Tall Paul will never score for us, just got a feeling he'll be another one of those signings 

I think Selles had the same bet, and he’s determined to see it pay out.

[HarvSFC]

Getting a bit Jonesy. "Very satisfied" with a 4-1 defeat which saw City pass it around a set of traffic cones and needs to start looking at the table, usually something a manager says after a handful of matches, not 30. Might have known we needed to attack Leeds/West Ham if he looked at the table.

[FarehamSaintJames]

1 hour ago, The Kraken said:

Onuachu, Mara, DCC, Edozie started on the bench. Orsic, Aribo, Bree, Larios didn’t make the bench. 8 players from our transfer strategy this season who for one reason or another didn’t make our first team today. 

What a fucking disaster.

Bang on.

This is on Rasmus Ankersen and partly Joe Shields.
Fucking self-proclaimed experts who have fundamentally proven that they aren’t.

Rasmus goes, I think a cloud lifts immediately.

They have been utterly reckless. 
And to think a year ago was perfect in the sense of coming to the end of the season and a chance to freshen up the squad with a new manager, new players, new ideas.

Everything they’ve done so far has been about PR stunts, and they’re fucking them up spectacularly.

We've seen this coming for ages so part of me is a bit more shrug of the shoulders, but it’s so frustrating more than anything. It’s plainly obvious to so many but not to him.

 

[warsash saint]

I don't think i have ever been to a game with so many tourists - kids by the dug outs in the warm up  holding up 'Grealish - can i have your shirt' bits of cardboard !! FFS

So many tools wearing half & half scarfs FFS

I guy sat behind me in the Itchen corner singing City songs FFS - i am the most passive guy you can meet - even i turned round & told him to f**K to his own end.  & as as for the Saints stewards doing f**k all about it either!!

 

Roll on the Championship ...i cant f**king wait!

[Turkish]

16 minutes ago, HarvSFC said:

Getting a bit Jonesy. "Very satisfied" with a 4-1 defeat which saw City pass it around a set of traffic cones and needs to start looking at the table, usually something a manager says after a handful of matches, not 30. Might have known we needed to attack Leeds/West Ham if he looked at the table.

Why would he look at the table? His boss is on record as saying league position doesn’t matter. We had a hugely diverse team out there today with a number of players below 22. We may have lost the game but we are winning the pathway cup

[Turkish]

2 minutes ago, warsash saint said:

I don't think i have ever been to a game with so many tourists - kids by the dug outs in the warm up  holding up 'Grealish - can i have your shirt' bits of cardboard !! FFS

So many tools wearing half & half scarfs FFS

I guy sat behind me in the Itchen corner singing City songs FFS - i am the most passive guy you can meet - even i turned round & told him to f**K to his own end.  & as as for the Saints stewards doing f**k all about it either!!

 

Roll on the Championship ...i cant f**king wait!

We have a multitude of problems at home

Horrendous Home form which must surely be up there with the worst in the country if not Europe over the last five years. Not many teams can have won fewer home games than us.

This has led to a disillusioned fan base where those still bothering do so out of duty rather than enjoyment. We know we are going down so there is just a general acceptance of this now.

a generally passive fan base even at the best of times. A lot of fans are consumers who consider Saints entertainment not a passion

pathetic stewards and leaders who bend over backwards to let away fans so what they want whilst be super keen to clamp down on any saints fans who step slightly out of line

All Those things combined have lead to where we are now. In all honesty hats off to anyone still going, there are plenty of reasons not to bother at the moment. I know lost of the lot I used to go with and given up. 

[Fabrice29]

Why are people so concerned about how others watch football? 

[Dark Munster]

2 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

Cannot believe anyone is angry about that today. Plenty to be annoyed about this season but you should have given your emotions a day off today. Anything we got was a bonus and getting worked up about being beat by City doesn't do anyone any good. 

This. De Bruyne and Haaland are from another planet, and City can destroy the best teams in the world (ask Liverpool). We played ok for most of the first half, and then the two aforementioned destroyed us.

My anger is directed at the debacles that preceded today, including Villa away, Leeds away, Forest, Wolves (twice), West Ham away, Rasmus W. Ankersen and Nathan F**king Jones.

[SaintTex]

7 hours ago, The Kraken said:

Onuachu, Mara, DCC, Edozie started on the bench. Orsic, Aribo, Bree, Larios didn’t make the bench. 8 players from our transfer strategy this season who for one reason or another didn’t make our first team today. 

What a fucking disaster.

and yet we had 6 players on the pitch who were part of our transfer strategy:  Bazuna, ABK. AMN, Lavia, Alcaraz, and Sulemana

We have bought player after player after player (14 of them) and barely any of them have the look of a premiere league player or have made a positive impact.

In fact, we have gotten worse.

[Give it to Ron]

5 hours ago, Dark Munster said:

This. De Bruyne and Haaland are from another planet, and City can destroy the best teams in the world (ask Liverpool). We played ok for most of the first half, and then the two aforementioned destroyed us.

My anger is directed at the debacles that preceded today, including Villa away, Leeds away, Forest, Wolves (twice), West Ham away, Rasmus W. Ankersen and Nathan F**king Jones.

True but when you give them 10-15 yards space with no-one near them you are asking for trouble and we got it. 
That’s what annoys me with Selles he just can’t see it. He did at 4-1 changed shape far too late.

[east-stand-nic]

Honestly, does anyone on this forum still believe we WILL stay up? I appreciate mathematically we CAN. But does anyone believe we WILL? For me, not a chance in hell and has been that way for a few games now. It's not the points difference or the GD, it is the performances and the fact that I just know they will not improve enough in every game for us to win 4 games. No way.

[whelk]

34 minutes ago, east-stand-nic said:

Honestly, does anyone on this forum still believe we WILL stay up? I appreciate mathematically we CAN. But does anyone believe we WILL? For me, not a chance in hell and has been that way for a few games now. It's not the points difference or the GD, it is the performances and the fact that I just know they will not improve enough in every game for us to win 4 games. No way.

Nobody thinks we will. This is what Opta thought before yesterday’s games

 

 

[Dan Johnson]

42 minutes ago, east-stand-nic said:

Honestly, does anyone on this forum still believe we WILL stay up? I appreciate mathematically we CAN. But does anyone believe we WILL? For me, not a chance in hell and has been that way for a few games now. It's not the points difference or the GD, it is the performances and the fact that I just know they will not improve enough in every game for us to win 4 games. No way.

We’ve 3 winnable home games in Palace, Fulham and Bournemouth. Plus away to forest.

Thats 12 points and puts on 35, that might keep us up or put us in a position where we need to beat Liverpool on the last day.

Liverpool probably won’t have anything to play for then and have been inconsistent.

it’s unlikely and obviously we need to win all 4 of the games, but it’s not over just yet.

[Weston Super Saint]

6 minutes ago, Dan Johnson said:

We’ve 3 winnable home games in Palace, Fulham and Bournemouth. Plus away to forest.

 

We've won 2 games at home all season, yet somehow we can win 3 of the next 4?

[obelisk]

If Saints had Haaland in the squad I'm pretty sure that Selles would only use him as a bench-warmer. Centre forwards are so much history don't ya know? Or something.

[bangkoksaint]

Crunch the numbers over the last 30 games, look at our form, look at who’s picking the team, look at the lack of any leadership in the team and you’ll all realise we aren’t staying up.

[JRM]

35 minutes ago, Dan Johnson said:

We’ve 3 winnable home games in Palace, Fulham and Bournemouth. Plus away to forest.

Thats 12 points and puts on 35, that might keep us up or put us in a position where we need to beat Liverpool on the last day.

Liverpool probably won’t have anything to play for then and have been inconsistent.

it’s unlikely and obviously we need to win all 4 of the games, but it’s not over just yet.

Don't tell me the Palace game is another must win 🤦‍♂️ 

[obelisk]

4 minutes ago, JRM said:

Don't tell me the Palace game is another must win 🤦‍♂️ 

We've only been losing the "mustn't lose" games against our rivals up until now. We'll now be playing for a draw (and failing) in real "must win" games until relegation is confirmed. After that Saints can really cut loose.

[Paul Chuckle]

8 hours ago, Nordic Saint said:

They started that 'purple zone' thing 14 minutes into half-time. The players were lined up in the tunnel waiting to come out. What a shambles it was. 

They only have weeks to come up with something to entertain the crowd at half time and all they can come up with is punting a football at either the cross bar or a coloured zone on the pitch. 

 

I think we're all agreed that we'd rather just stare at the people forking the pitch and the sprinklers than the 2 who the club employ to apparently entertain us. 

 

They can't even time the Saints Band before the match right, it's cut off midway through every time. Here's an idea, start 5 mins earlier. Not difficult is it.

[Saint_Jonny]

I would crawl naked through a bin full of broken glass and hospital waste just smell one of Kenzie Benali's farts so I don't know what you lot are complaining about.

[cambsaint]

8 hours ago, Dark Munster said:

This. De Bruyne and Haaland are from another planet, and City can destroy the best teams in the world (ask Liverpool). We played ok for most of the first half, and then the two aforementioned destroyed us.

My anger is directed at the debacles that preceded today, including Villa away, Leeds away, Forest, Wolves (twice), West Ham away, Rasmus W. Ankersen and Nathan F**king Jones.

One of the very few analytic, rational and non emotive posts that you'll ever see on this site. As well Liverpool the moaners should also look at the list of teams City have destroyed.

Quite honestly we are just not good enough and survival might be the worst thing. We need to regroup and rebuild the confidence in a very young team in the Championship. My Burnley supporting cousin has enjoyed this season.Also Armstrong and Adams scored for fun in the Championship as has Tella.

I agree that the home supporters must be very disillusioned but this is mainly the fault of previous managers. However to watch the last ten minutes of the game on Sky was sickening. Continual City chanting and a nearly empty stadium didn't look or sound good.

[Mr Saints]

Wasn’t it described as a sell out before the game?! Seemed to be hundreds of empty seats. Maybe loads of tourists decided against it. We are such a dysfunctional club at the moment and need be put out of our misery sooner rather than later.

[saintant]

9 hours ago, HarvSFC said:

Getting a bit Jonesy. "Very satisfied" with a 4-1 defeat which saw City pass it around a set of traffic cones and needs to start looking at the table, usually something a manager says after a handful of matches, not 30. Might have known we needed to attack Leeds/West Ham if he looked at the table.

Slight contradiction here in that he says he doesn't worry we're getting cut adrift but doesn't look at the table.

[macca155]

I reckon yesterday quite a few season ticket holders took advantage of the 'sell out' to return their seats for resale. I don't blame them.

I had a family group in front of me. Dad's with young lads. Clearly there to see City, and why not. No trouble, they were pretty much neutral. The young lads were genuinely thrilled to see Harlaad's goal. Those are memories you keep for ever. They clearly enjoyed themselves and might come back.

I felt the same as a 7 year old watching Charlton and Best. The true misery of being a Saints fan hadn't been imprinted on me by then.

It will be 24k crowds next year soon enough.

[Lord Duckhunter]

I’m surprised at the criticism of the set up. Once Che was out, the options were limited. People wanting Tall Paul against City are deluded, you need a degree of control over the ball to get crosses in. If anyone thinks Tall Paul is  the man to play when you’re going to counter the opposition they need sectioning. Shane Long or Che Adams could do the job, but Tall Paul and the rest, not for me.  The great thing about picking our team on here is it never plays, I would probably have gone with Armstrong over Moi, but Armstrong was pony at West Ham. The left back situation was strange as Peraud did ok the last few weeks, but maybe he’s knackered or got a knock. It’s not like we’ve a Matt Le Tiss Branfoot situation, the players left out are as pony as the ones playing. Had we been more attacking, my grandson’s prediction of 1-8 would probably have come true…..
 

First half game plan was excellent and we nearly made it to HT, couple of half chance, particularly when the quick lad got one on one with Ake. Second half they took us to the cleaners, but they’ve done that to far far better sides than us.
KDB’s passing, was stunning, sublime, the weight of them perfect. I’ve been lucky enough to see some great players live, including a young Maradona & Bestie, but his touch, passing and vision is right up there.

 

 

[Mr X]

13 hours ago, Chez said:

I'm not a Onuachu fan. Do you think he might score goals for us in the Championship? 

 

He obviously isn't I guess but to me he looks absolutely dire a real carthorse.... Clueless movement for a striker not great in the air for a giant and easily knocked off the ball... A real panic buy that we paid way too much for, hope I'm proved wrong maybe the championship will be his level, do you think AA is suddenly going to return to being a 20 goal a season striker in the championship? 

[The Cat]

5 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

I’m surprised at the criticism of the set up. Once Che was out, the options were limited. People wanting Tall Paul against City are deluded, you need a degree of control over the ball to get crosses in. If anyone thinks Tall Paul is  the man to play when you’re going to counter the opposition they need sectioning. Shane Long or Che Adams could do the job, but Tall Paul and the rest, not for me.  The great thing about picking our team on here is it never plays, I would probably have gone with Armstrong over Moi, but Armstrong was pony at West Ham. The left back situation was strange as Peraud did ok the last few weeks, but maybe he’s knackered or got a knock. It’s not like we’ve a Matt Le Tiss Branfoot situation, the players left out are as pony as the ones playing. Had we been more attacking, my grandson’s prediction of 1-8 would probably have come true…..
 

First half game plan was excellent and we nearly made it to HT, couple of half chance, particularly when the quick lad got one on one with Ake. Second half they took us to the cleaners, but they’ve done that to far far better sides than us.
KDB’s passing, was stunning, sublime, the weight of them perfect. I’ve been lucky enough to see some great players live, including a young Maradona & Bestie, but his touch, passing and vision is right up there.

 

 

Pretty much how I saw it. We did really well restricting them until the goal just before half time. I think they only had 1 shot on target before that which Bazunu saved well.

We also had a couple of chances that we should have done better with but that's one of the stories of the season.

Second half we had no option but to push forward more because we were behind. That opened up more space for their wider players and partially led to the second goal. Keeper was unlucky there as he pulled off a great initial save.

Man City are incredible to watch. Their passing, movement and touch is unreal. Every player is on another planet to ours technically.

As said in another post above it's not in the slightest bit irritating or annoying losing to a team like that, what pisses me off is the loss last week and the one to Leeds where we actually have more than a 1% chance to get something from the game.