Russell Martin

[OttawaSaint]

He reminds me of that fast show character.

DS: Russ, have you set the team up to be solid defensively but positive with the ball in the attacking third?

RM: Even better than that! I'll have a wobbly 3 man backline, pointless risky passing that gets nowhere, and no center forward!

[Fabrice29]

1 hour ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

Playing five at the back, again, against a team we should be attacking and in theory competing with.

Madness.

Conceded two after we went 4 at the back today fwiw. 

[ally_uk]

Can somebody explain to this dry lunch! It doesn't matter how many passes you string together unless you get It in the facking onion bag!

Forget all this play it back and keep the ball bollacks! We are not Man City... 

Forget this 5 at the back nonsense 

Get it up top into the facking mixer! 

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

1 hour ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Going to be quite the atomosphere if we end up losing to Ipswich in a few weeks time.

This will be the big one. In 40 years, I'd never heard "Your football is shit" sung by our our fans until the cup game at Palace a couple of years ago when Mr Jones was manager, but RM is heading in the same direction. He needs to adapt.

Yes, we have championship players in our team but we've also got a lot of premier league standard players and as much as I don't trust SR, they've given us a top goalkeeper and spent money on quality players. It's up to RM to now use these players.

 

[Fabrice29]

18 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

He has to do something like this, and stop the constant fannying around at the back…… it we know rusty is too stubborn to do it….

7 out of this 11 weren't involved last season. Ripping everything we did last season up doesn't feel a particularly good idea on any level. It wouldn't be good for the group as a whole in terms of morale and the idea that an 11 that involves nearly half of it who have yet to start for us at St Marys is the answer to our problems seems a bit fanciful to me. But hey, great idea on a messageboard though, top posting.

Edited August 31 by Fabrice29

[trousers]

I was a fairly vocal critic of Russ during the couple of patches where things weren't going too well last season (i.e. the dire performances in Sept '23 and during the run-in around about March '24 time). However, my gut feel this time around is to give him the benefit of the doubt - I've a hunch things will start to come together as the season progresses. Nothing scientific or logical, just a hunch. Will take stock of my viewpoint again around October/ November. Prove me right please Russ! 

Edited August 31 by trousers

[S-Clarke]

3 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

8 out of this 11 weren't here last season. Ripping everything we did last season up doesn't feel a particularly good idea on any level. It wouldn't be good for the group as a whole in terms of morale and the idea that an 11 that involves nearly half of it who have yet to start for us at St Marys is the answer to our problems seems a bit fanciful to me. But hey, great idea on a messageboard though, top posting.

I don't think he's proclaiming ripping everything up, more so just playing the better players in the positions that the weaker players are currently occupying.

Smallbone and Aribo, I'm sure you'll agree, have been naff. It was a worry for me at the end of last season re: Smallbone, the game passed him by a lot in the Champ last season and he is going to be eaten alive at this level. Fernandes, albet a few games, already looks a few levels above either Smallbone or Aribo.

What really worries me about our side is the attack though. I think we will all settle down once we get a goal from AA/BBD/Archer etc, at the moment I can't say with confidence where our goals are coming from.

[Harry_SFC]

11 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

Conceded two after we went 4 at the back today fwiw. 

We will concede goals and lose matches regardless, as seen at Newcastle, Forest and the first half today. At least 4 atb gives us more hope of scoring goals. 

[Jack]

3 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

We will concede goals and lose matches regardless, as seen at Newcastle, Forest and the first half today. At least 4 atb gives us more hope of scoring goals. 

Agreed, 5 at the back is giving us more defending to do than we would have with 4 IMO, as we’ve got less control in midfield with a man less (not to mention the fannying around). I think a 4 with Downes and Big Les holding will be far more sound defensively and better chance of possession higher up the pitch rather than 500 passes across the back line then fucking it up 

[Fabrice29]

1 minute ago, S-Clarke said:

I don't think he's proclaiming ripping everything up, more so just playing the better players in the positions that the weaker players are currently occupying.

Smallbone and Aribo, I'm sure you'll agree, have been naff. It was a worry for me at the end of last season re: Smallbone, the game passed him by a lot in the Champ last season and he is going to be eaten alive at this level. Fernandes, albet a few games, already looks a few levels above either Smallbone or Aribo.

What really worries me about our side is the attack though. I think we will all settle down once we get a goal from AA/BBD/Archer etc, at the moment I can't say with confidence where our goals are coming from.

I agree there's some better players in that eleven and yes Fernandes for one should be starting against United but it's not as simple as just picking the best players and everything will sort itself out. I don't think it's a coincidence we've looked more blunt now we have a completely different attack to last year and I don't think doing the same disruption to the defence whether it be personnel or the position they are asked to take up would be particularly helpful to an already fragile bunch. 

[Wade Garrett]

17 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

7 out of this 11 weren't involved last season. Ripping everything we did last season up doesn't feel a particularly good idea on any level. It wouldn't be good for the group as a whole in terms of morale and the idea that an 11 that involves nearly half of it who have yet to start for us at St Marys is the answer to our problems seems a bit fanciful to me. But hey, great idea on a messageboard though, top posting.

Jesus wept!

[Fabrice29]

10 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

We will concede goals and lose matches regardless, as seen at Newcastle, Forest and the first half today. At least 4 atb gives us more hope of scoring goals. 

 

4 minutes ago, Jack said:

Agreed, 5 at the back is giving us more defending to do than we would have with 4 IMO, as we’ve got less control in midfield with a man less (not to mention the fannying around). I think a 4 with Downes and Big Les holding will be far more sound defensively and better chance of possession higher up the pitch rather than 500 passes across the back line then fucking it up 

Okay, if this is the road we go down then people need to be well aware thats a different way of playing for our defence, midfield and attack and will need to show some patience as it beds in. If it doesn't click immediately then people cant just come up with another imaginary 11 and system that is so obviously the answer.

[Dark Munster]

19 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

Conceded two after we went 4 at the back today fwiw. 

I think the 4 vs 5 at the back thing is a bit of a red herring. It's the tippy tappy, pedestrian, possession-obsession, suicidal playing around the back when 4 or 5 PL-level attackers are breathing down your neck that is the problem. Every fan and their dog can see it is tactically insane and a recipe for disaster, except RM (and SR too, it seems).

Yes it worked sometimes last season against the weaker Championship teams, but guess what Russell, conventional football with better players would work against them too.

[Galway saint]

This has been said before but the paradox in his approach is he’s happy for the team to take risks and be ‘brave’ in and around our own box but when it comes to the final third we don’t get it in the opposition box nearly enough. I guess that’s because we then lose possession and possession is paramount for RM. It was all fine last season to a point but this season we can’t rely on having better players than the opposition as most of the time our players will be worse. Difficult to see a way out of this really and we may go down anyway with this squad regardless of who is in charge ( particularly with the attack) but he needs to rethink his philosophy in my view if he wants to be a premier league coach 

[Fabrice29]

Just now, Dark Munster said:

I think the 4 vs 5 at the back thing is a bit of a red herring. It's the tippy tappy, pedestrian, possession-obsession, suicidal playing around the back when 4 or 5 PL-level attackers are breathing down your neck that is the problem. Every fan and their dog can see it is tactically insane and a recipe for disaster, except RM (and SR too, it seems).

Yes it worked sometimes last season against the weaker Championship teams, but guess what Russell, conventional football with better players would work against them too.

I agree with this wholeheartedly but the answer isn't bin the tippy tappy philosophy the answer is players on the ball making better decisions and doing it quicker. Almost every single team plays out of the back in this league and the ones that don't generally struggle, it's just choosing when and how it's done.

[S-Clarke]

6 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

I agree there's some better players in that eleven and yes Fernandes for one should be starting against United but it's not as simple as just picking the best players and everything will sort itself out. I don't think it's a coincidence we've looked more blunt now we have a completely different attack to last year and I don't think doing the same disruption to the defence whether it be personnel or the position they are asked to take up would be particularly helpful to an already fragile bunch. 

I agree it's not just about putting better players into the 11, there's more to it than that. We need some natural width out there and not BBD or AA. Pass out from the back by all means, but it's the over-doing it which is killing us. We got it out of defence a few times today, out to the full backs and somewhat away from danger - but we then played it right back to our CB's or GK when the opposition were mid-press. It's that sort of decision making which isn't brave, it's just bonkers.

I'd also argue that our attack is more blunt because of the level we're at. Good Championship players with space, but lack that extra bit required (physique and power) to do it at this level. We'll see how it pans out.

[Gloucester Saint]

2 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

 

Okay, if this is the road we go down then people need to be well aware thats a different way of playing for our defence, midfield and attack and will need to show some patience as it beds in. If it doesn't click immediately then people cant just come up with another imaginary 11 and system that is so obviously the answer.

Fine, and we will have to be patient anyway as the new players bed in. As Dark Munster has just posted, what must change more so than system and tactics is the needless pissing about between the centre backs. The centre backs have two jobs - stop the opposition getting clear shots/headers at Ramsdale and then find one of the midfielders with the ball to set moves going when we have the ball. 

You only pass to another CB when there’s nothing else on, and if the full backs spread out a bit and the CBs give themselves permission, sometimes finding AA/Cornet and BBD in space earlier sometimes to make it harder for the opposition to get set. As it is, we’re so predictable that we are getting trapped into our third and mistakes keep happening in volume. 

Hopefully Lallana is explaining to Russell or he’s worked it out himself. He should do as it’s rather obvious.

[Gloucester Saint]

6 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

I agree with this wholeheartedly but the answer isn't bin the tippy tappy philosophy the answer is players on the ball making better decisions and doing it quicker. Almost every single team plays out of the back in this league and the ones that don't generally struggle, it's just choosing when and how it's done.

And moving it quicker, and varying it. If you’re as slow as we are to recycle it, opponents pick that player as the trigger and press hard.

We did it to teams effectively earlier on under Ralph so the club should know how to adapt.

[Fabrice29]

1 minute ago, S-Clarke said:

I agree it's not just about putting better players into the 11, there's more to it than that. We need some natural width out there and not BBD or AA. Pass out from the back by all means, but it's the over-doing it which is killing us. We got it out of defence a few times today, out to the full backs and somewhat away from danger - but we then played it right back to our CB's or GK when the opposition were mid-press. It's that sort of decision making which isn't brave, it's just bonkers.

I'd also argue that our attack is more blunt because of the level we're at. Good Championship players with space, but lack that extra bit required (physique and power) to do it at this level. We'll see how it pans out.

Yeah this is correct as well of course. Not impressed with BBD so far and him and Armstrong look far too slow in thought and movement for me. Think that's why Dibling is looking so good, his directness and decision making is just a lot quicker. Our attack last season felt a lot more fluid, yes because of space and time but also because they'd learnt patterns of play. Brooks, Adams, Fraser, Edozie, all out of the team now. Lack of familiarity leads to over thinking play and slower decision making all over the pitch which combined with the quicker players closing you down leads to games like today.

[hypochondriac]

30 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

Yeah this is correct as well of course. Not impressed with BBD so far and him and Armstrong look far too slow in thought and movement for me. Think that's why Dibling is looking so good, his directness and decision making is just a lot quicker. Our attack last season felt a lot more fluid, yes because of space and time but also because they'd learnt patterns of play. Brooks, Adams, Fraser, Edozie, all out of the team now. Lack of familiarity leads to over thinking play and slower decision making all over the pitch which combined with the quicker players closing you down leads to games like today.

Bereton Diaz is essentially the Adam Armstrong for the opposite side. Both totally out of their depth at this level. Another awful season for Armstrong and I'm afraid it could destroy his confidence as it will prove once and for all that he can't perform at this level. 

[Saint Gifford]

He’s a good manager, otherwise wouldn’t be at the level he is. He would be plying his trade in non league.

However to be a very good manager you have to have a conviction of a plan and style of play. But crucially know when to switch to a different style and strategy if it’s not working. 
 

We have a very good team that I think are more than capable of staying away from a relegation fight.(Keeper situation sorted).

He just needs to be so much more flexible, and who knows what could happen.
 

A couple of players who are supposedly struggling  playing slightly differently, either further out wide, slightly deeper or even just out and out attack, whatever could be the magic answer.

Summed up, we look to structured. Like an academy would play, pass the ball there release that player there. Just need to play with so much more freedom. Oh and can we use the whole pitch, not these zones that we play in. 

 

 

[revolution saint]

1 hour ago, Gloucester Saint said:

And moving it quicker, and varying it. If you’re as slow as we are to recycle it, opponents pick that player as the trigger and press hard.

We did it to teams effectively earlier on under Ralph so the club should know how to adapt.

Completely agree about moving it quicker.  The thing that frustrates me the most isn't so much the playing it round the back but that when we do break the press we hardly ever take advantage of it.  I actually think we'd be a much better counter attacking team than a possession based one. 

[SNSUN]

I'm not going to turn on Russ yet, this is his first time managing in the Premier League and it's a real baptism of fire - but he needs to stop being stubborn and realise quickly when something isn't working. I appreciate he has a philosophy of possession football but sometimes you have to understand that you don't have the quality of players for that. Once we start integrating the new signings (which he has time to do now with the International break) I think we will start to pick up, but we need to stop thinking we can be prime Man City with the way we play. I'm not saying we need to start punting it up the pitch long ball Burnley style, but just be adaptable and understand when, or when not, to spray it across your own back line. There's a ton of pace in the Premier League and against the top 6 we'd be ripped apart. Thankfully we have players that look like they can turn and play it forwards, Fernandes and Dibling are the two prime candidates and I hope we see more of them.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

2 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

I agree there's some better players in that eleven and yes Fernandes for one should be starting against United but it's not as simple as just picking the best players and everything will sort itself out. I don't think it's a coincidence we've looked more blunt now we have a completely different attack to last year and I don't think doing the same disruption to the defence whether it be personnel or the position they are asked to take up would be particularly helpful to an already fragile bunch. 

Not picking your best starting eleven to win a football match? What the actual fuck??

[Whitey Grandad]

I’ve just seen MOTD. Can somebody please explain to me what Stephens thought he was doing just before their second goal? Bednarek comes to collect a short pass when Stephens just runs across the front of him and the ball goes loose with the inevitable result.

Why did Stephens think he needed to get involved? 

Where was he going, and why?

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

If we just stopped messing around with the ball in the first quarter we would have half a chance. A lot of the team are very talented.

 

Edited August 31 by Sergei Gotsmanov

[OttawaSaint]

3 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

I agree there's some better players in that eleven and yes Fernandes for one should be starting against United but it's not as simple as just picking the best players and everything will sort itself out. I don't think it's a coincidence we've looked more blunt now we have a completely different attack to last year and I don't think doing the same disruption to the defence whether it be personnel or the position they are asked to take up would be particularly helpful to an already fragile bunch. 

What a load of twaddle. 

[danjosaint]

Just got in from town so this is alcohol inspired, I dony like the prick and were heading one way under him, paper shit manager who is too stuck in a way that won't work,  has obvious favourites  to the detrimental of the team, it's all part of a look at me project just like ko.pany he doesn't give a fuck idmf we're down by chtlristmas he walk away a wealthy man

[Mr X]

It's not going to happen as we are tied into Martin so much but a new manager could improve our team so much!

We have five or six really decent players now, sugawara Fernandez, downes, dibling, ramsdale & KWP

If only we had a manager capable of playing the right system ie getting the ball forward quicker instead of fucking around with it and recycling the ball dangerously in our own goal area! A manager capable of picking the best players for the job and not clouded judgement of picking favourites not up to the job just because he's friends with them! 

The players must be hugely frustrated with what they are being told to do by now!

There is no answer as Martin himself has said he won't change his strategy and the club fully stand by him, maybe we are indeed building for another season in the championship all along! 

 

[ally_uk]

I'd give him 12 games

Then pull the plug if this shit show continues....

I don't care how many passes you string together son! 

This tika taka nonsense at the back is costing up dearly. The fans see it, the board probably do aswell....

Time to wake the fuck up Lego head, put the ego to the side and play to our strengths..... 

[Weston Super Saint]

9 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

7 out of this 11 weren't involved last season. Ripping everything we did last season up doesn't feel a particularly good idea on any level. It wouldn't be good for the group as a whole in terms of morale and the idea that an 11 that involves nearly half of it who have yet to start for us at St Marys is the answer to our problems seems a bit fanciful to me. But hey, great idea on a messageboard though, top posting.

It also means that the 'new guys' won't have had enough time to learn 'the system', which, right now, looks like a fucking good thing!

[hypochondriac]

This is Martins first taste of the premier league and it shows to be honest. Unfortunately for him it's not the fans' first time. We have a solid history in this league and we know the managerial and player requirements to do well. If we are failing then it certainly isn't the fan's fault if they question the football or the methods. 

He should be given time to turn it around but he's not going to do that by railing against people questioning his methods. There needs to be some humility and acknowledgement of his own failings. He can call it tweaking if it makes him feel better but he needs to be more realistic with what is required in this league and our calibre of players. What's wrong with building towards the football he wants to play whilst having some level of pragmatism in the meantime until he's built a more solid base of player? 

Edited September 1 by hypochondriac

[Farmer Saint]

This thread is a very funny read - eerily similar to the ones last season. People seem to really dislike him as a person which I don't get. 

Anyway, have fun guys - he's going nowhere for a good while so keep on getting your panties in a twist. 

[Saint Fan CaM]

I don’t think it’s healthy to return to the managerial merry-go-round that we’ve grown accustomed to., however to stay in this league RM and his coaching team have to act. There is the quality now in the squad to survive the Prem, but that’s only going to work if (a) the dangers of passing around our own penalty area are curtailed and (b) a better midfield is utilised to allow transition out of defence to be much quicker and robust.

Brentford played out from the back very successfully - why? Because we didn’t press them hard as a team so they had an easy day of it. Conversely they often had at least two players press our ball carrier hard initiating an error. They were able to triangulate their passes and played expansively over all areas of the pitch. And this is Brentford we’re talking about - not City, Arsenal or Chelsea etc., who will absolutely rip us a new one if something is not done to address the tactical ineptitude on display over the last three games.

To be honest I’ve almost resigned myself to our relegation already. It’s difficult to see how RM is going to wave a magic wand and fix the kamikaze back passing in defence AND teach our attacking players how to score goals. Without addressing these fundamentals we’re going nowhere except propping up the other teams in the league for the rest of the season. The euphoria of a nice summer window has been well and truly dampened.

[Farmer Saint]

3 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

I don’t think it’s healthy to return to the managerial merry-go-round that we’ve grown accustomed to., however to stay in this league RM and his coaching team have to act. There is the quality now in the squad to survive the Prem, but that’s only going to work if (a) the dangers of passing around our own penalty area are curtailed and (b) a better midfield is utilised to allow transition out of defence to be much quicker and robust.

Brentford played out from the back very successfully - why? Because we didn’t press them hard as a team so they had an easy day of it. Conversely they often had at least two players press our ball carrier hard initiating an error. They were able to triangulate their passes and played expansively over all areas of the pitch. And this is Brentford we’re talking about - not City, Arsenal or Chelsea etc., who will absolutely rip us a new one if something is not done to address the tactical ineptitude on display over the last three games.

To be honest I’ve almost resigned myself to our relegation already. It’s difficult to see how RM is going to wave a magic wand and fix the kamikaze back passing in defence AND teach our attacking players how to score goals. Without addressing these fundamentals we’re going nowhere except propping up the other teams in the league for the rest of the season. The euphoria of a nice summer window has been well and truly dampened.

We were always favourites to get relegated anyway, with or without Martin, and not sure about anyone else but I really enjoyed last season. This season was always going to be shit - it's the PL. 

Edited September 1 by Farmer Saint

[Fabrice29]

5 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

This thread is a very funny read - eerily similar to the ones last season. People seem to really dislike him as a person which I don't get. 

Anyway, have fun guys - he's going nowhere for a good while so keep on getting your panties in a twist. 

100% correct. People who were wrong last year are desperately trying to be right this time. Haters going to hate. Bed wetters going to bed wet. 

[Saint Fan CaM]

Just now, Farmer Saint said:

We were always favourites to get relegated anyway, with or without Martin, and not sure about anyone else but I really enjoyed last season. This season was always going to be shit - it's the PL. 

Sorry but (other than the bit about enjoying last season) I don’t subscribe to that view - our squad is just as capable as Brentford’s. They’ve just got a manager and coaching team that knows how to survive the Prem without sacrificing entertainment. Last season is gone…the club has invested millions to stay in the Prem and it’s not unreasonable for supporters to expect more.

[Fabrice29]

1 hour ago, Mr X said:

 

We have five or six really decent players now, sugawara Fernandez, downes, dibling, ramsdale & KWP

The players must be hugely frustrated with what they are being told to do by now!

 

4 of these are new signings who name checked the manager and way we play as a reason for signing. 1 is an 18 year old who I assume is grateful for an opportunity he probably wouldn’t get in many other PL clubs and the other is so frustrated he’s barely made a squeak about wanting to leave despite being far too good for us.

[Weston Super Saint]

1 minute ago, Fabrice29 said:

4 of these are new signings who name checked the manager and way we play as a reason for signing. 

In their scripted post signing media clips?

[Fabrice29]

1 minute ago, Weston Super Saint said:

In their scripted post signing media clips?

Yes but guess what, none of them actually had to sign.

[Farmer Saint]

12 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

Sorry but (other than the bit about enjoying last season) I don’t subscribe to that view - our squad is just as capable as Brentford’s. They’ve just got a manager and coaching team that knows how to survive the Prem without sacrificing entertainment. Last season is gone…the club has invested millions to stay in the Prem and it’s not unreasonable for supporters to expect more.

And that's where we'll have to disagree - if you don't think we're favourites to go down I think you're a bit mad - but then I also thought we were way behind Leeds and Leicester last season with regards quality of squad (which we were). 

[It's There]

3 games in and the panic among supporters is ridiculous.  

It was inevitable RM was going to choose the same side for one more game. New players needed to train and old ones a final chance to shine - some of whom didn't.

My hunch is that over the next 6 matches we will see Fernandes et al gradually intregrated into the team and others dropped until they regain form, up their game or not be involved. There's a reason we bought so many players - because we have to raise the level.We will all feel better when we have points on the board, which I'm confident we will. 

Replacing the manager is not the answer this season.

 

[Zorba]

Frustrating game again but we have to face the facts. The team that played the last three games were basically the team that scraped promotion. We were the worst of the promoted sides so it stands to reason we would be the worst team in the Prem.. and so far this has proved to be correct. RM’s comments after the game were alluding to the fact that their goals happened because of our mistakes. True enough, but ALL players make mistakes.. It’s where those mistakes happened and why those mistakes happened.. which were both down to RM’s philosophy and tactics. 
 

I, for one, do not enjoy watching the way we play under RM, one side having the ball in their own half and playing in front of all 11 opponents for 80 minutes makes for a very boring game and only leads to disappointment when we eventually lose it and the opposition score. Then knowing full well we’re not capable of scoring goals at the other end to turn any deficit around leads to more frustration.

We are three games in but, after the transfer window, now have a slightly improved squad from those available last season to choose from, of whom a few of the players haven’t yet been briefed on how to play, let alone had any time to train. RM has a short break now to introduce his new recruits to Russball. He has earned the right to his chance as a Premier League manager and painful though it may be, 10 more games with new recruits should be enough time to see an improvement in this team. If RM cannot adapt or implement his style on these players so we can see his brand of football is working in this league, then I think we can all say that he was given a fair crack of the whip and it would be time to look elsewhere.

SR should be looking at a back-up plan now anyway.. even though we all still live in hope.

[Hopper]

Yesterday was a good example of why we need to stay the course. We were on the wrong end of the result because of 2 individual errors. 

Brentford and Thomas Frank are the blueprint. They play in their way and they stuck by the manager who has developed his team over a number of seasons to suit the way he wants to play.

Reading through X this morning I was pleasantly surprised at the optimism I saw. I think many of us agree that we’d rather fight and try to play and fail. Than resort to Dyche ball (Which is also spectacularly failing right now)

In some regards yesterday was a blessing. It’s reinforced that MF, TB, AL and CA are a cut above JA, WS & AA. It also showed that the 5 at the back experiment isn’t working. Russ for all his stubbornness does have the humility to admit when he’s got it wrong and to his credit made the right changes early in the match… a penny drop moment?

The individual errors will stop or the players will get dropped. Outside of those we have looked OK defensively and whilst people say stats can deceive which is obviously true to a degree I do believe that possession. Based play is helping to mitigate the number of chances teams are having against us. Our total shots and on target stats were not bad yesterday but we were undone by individual sloppiness and not being clinical enough. If Arma burries that chance before half time it’s a totally different game. I see this season as a gift and a free hit. I’m fully behind Russ and his team and I think it will come good. If it doesn’t we’re in a very good spot next season rather than the turmoil of our last relegation.

Edited September 1 by Hopper

[Lee On Solent Saint]

2 minutes ago, Hopper said:

I see this season as a gift and a free hit. I’m fully behind Russ and his team and I think it will come good. If it doesn’t we’re in a very good spot next season rather than the turmoil of our last relegation.

Why do people insist we will be better off next season if we go down again? Most of the squad we have now will leave. The three teams relegated from last season haven't exactly made the best of starts, why would we be any different when we are going to have the likes of Baz back in goal? Saying this season is a gift is about as tinpot and noddy as you can get. We aren't in the Premier League for the first time in our history. 

[Mr X]

49 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

4 of these are new signings who name checked the manager and way we play as a reason for signing. 1 is an 18 year old who I assume is grateful for an opportunity he probably wouldn’t get in many other PL clubs and the other is so frustrated he’s barely made a squeak about wanting to leave despite being far too good for us.

Being told what to say in Media representation is one thing.  You have no idea how they are feeling behind closed doors 

[saintant]

10 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

Yeah this is correct as well of course. Not impressed with BBD so far and him and Armstrong look far too slow in thought and movement for me. Think that's why Dibling is looking so good, his directness and decision making is just a lot quicker. Our attack last season felt a lot more fluid, yes because of space and time but also because they'd learnt patterns of play. Brooks, Adams, Fraser, Edozie, all out of the team now. Lack of familiarity leads to over thinking play and slower decision making all over the pitch which combined with the quicker players closing you down leads to games like today.

So it's perfectly fine for you to express criticism of the performance of those at the club but not for others. Interesting.

[Hopper]

2 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Why do people insist we will be better off next season if we go down again? Most of the squad we have now will leave. The three teams relegated from last season haven't exactly made the best of starts, why would we be any different when we are going to have the likes of Baz back in goal? Saying this season is a gift is about as tinpot and noddy as you can get. We aren't in the Premier League for the first time in our history. 

Because the players that have joined this season know the score. Ramsdale included. The last time we were relegated the squad was by and large a bunch of mercenaries. This is a team who have bought into the project. I think our retention would be much higher.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

1 minute ago, Hopper said:

Because the players that have joined this season know the score. Ramsdale included. The last time we were relegated the squad was by and large a bunch of mercenaries. This is a team who have bought into the project. I think our retention would be much higher.

Are you seriously suggesting Ramsdale would stay if we got relegated? 

[Whitey Grandad]

51 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

Yes but guess what, none of them actually had to sign.

They did if they wanted the money.