Russell Martin

[CB Fry]

The good news is Cardiff City (with one) are keeping us of the bottom of the list of goals scored across all four divisions.

Two goals in five games. Such brave, mould breaking, innovative football.

[danjosaint]

15 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

Not marking any player on the edge of the box at set pieces is a ridiculous tactical choice.

100% Any age or any level this applies 

[Winnersaint]

10 hours ago, david in sweden said:

Now that we are in the top tier every game is more of a challenge -and once again we start every game with half a team of new faces who, having been introduced to each other, have new skills to learn. Some players were not first choices, or even high on our list of potential buys, and it will take time that RM doesn't have - to get them to gell as a unit. 

I think RM will be given a bit longer before feeling the axe on his neck, but he needs to see the team getting some points on the board  PDQ. 

 

I agree, once RM does get a team playing as a cohesive unit as last seen season from October onwards it works, however I think you are right in your assumption that there is insufficient time to allow this to happen in this brutal league.

[Gingeletiss]

1 hour ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

Fucking reactive this forum in the last hour. 😂

A few more minutes and two more points and you’d be singing his praises going tactically great decisions, team sheet etc. 

Not a good result, but he isn’t the one that deflected the shot in ffs.

What are you not seeing, that most of us are?  We will not score the goals to win the matches, if we persist in getting the ball up to their area, then passing it all the way back to our area, then pressure ourselves, by playing suicidal passes back and forth across our 18 yard line. Crazy football, boring football.

Edited September 21 by Gingeletiss

[Mr X]

1 hour ago, Galway saint said:

can’t see it making much difference when the forward line is so poor. 

You could bring in someone to tighten up the defence but you’re not going to get enough goals from AA, BBD, Archer or Stewart for it to make any real difference

Maybe dragan had finally realised our strike force is poor and will open up the purse stings for someone more competent that plays a more attack minded style.... Wishful thinking 🤔 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

4 minutes ago, Mr X said:

Maybe dragan had finally realised our strike force is poor and will open up the purse stings for someone more competent that plays a more attack minded style.... Wishful thinking 🤔 

To do that we must not be cut adrift at the bottom come January. 

[Chewy]

3 minutes ago, Gingeletiss said:

What are you not seeing, that most of us are?  We will not score the goals to win the matches, if we persist in getting the ball up to their area, then passing it all the way back to our area, then pressure ourselves, by playing suicidal passes back and forth across our 18 yard line. Crazy football, boring football.

In all seriousness, did you watch today? Because that’s not what I saw happening out there today.

FWIW I haven’t read this thread, been busy since leaving st Mary’s, my view is that we played pretty well, deserved a win (thanks especially to Ramsdale), BBD was the wrong sub but otherwise I wouldn’t question any of the other subs. Starting 11 gave us a better balance; Amazing assist and top quality finish, dreadful ref (not biased just inept), Archer a tad unlucky, Taylor, Fraser and Downes probably our least effective players but probably still 6/10s, Dibling and Fernandes continue to impress.

Not sure I’d lay much at RM today. We went through a sticky patch during the 1st half and he tweaked things and thereafter we were largely in control until the final stages IMHO.

So frustrating to drop 2 points so late on, but no major whinges from me about the team chosen, application and attitude of the players or substitutions (save BBD … I’d have gone ArmA, but it wasn’t the reason we let in the late goal).

Things to build on but f*cking annoying 

[Badger]

30 minutes ago, Mr X said:

Maybe dragan had finally realised our strike force is poor and will open up the purse stings for someone more competent that plays a more attack minded style.... Wishful thinking 🤔 

Bit unfair and misguided to suggest the owners have been tight. They’ve opened up the piggy bank - within reason - the fault lies in how we’ve spent it.

Archer, BBD, and Wood !!! Can’t believe we couldn’t have found a CF up to the standard needed for their combined fee. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

I see the excuses for him are out again. 

It’s Ipswich at home ffs. We’ve had a pretty easy set of fixtures & circumstances & we’ve got 1 point, 1 fucking point (against the mighty Ipswich). His substitutions made us worse (again), snd if it hadn’t been for the keeper, we’d have got beat. When will people stop making excuses & smell the coffee. 

 

[sfc4prem]

5 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

I see the excuses for him are out again. 

It’s Ipswich at home ffs. We’ve had a pretty easy set of fixtures & circumstances & we’ve got 1 point, 1 fucking point (against the mighty Ipswich). His substitutions made us worse (again), snd if it hadn’t been for the keeper, we’d have got beat. When will people stop making excuses & smell the coffee. 

 

I think most people realise we're likely to be relegated.

Let's be realistic. We were relegated as a fucking god-awful team with a whole host of limited players. 

We finished 4th last year and were beaten by teams like Stoke, Bristol City, Millwall, to name but a few. We conceded a ridiculous amount of goals.

We were never going to excel this season.

It'll be really grim this season.

[Whitey Grandad]

1 hour ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

No doubt Whitey will hate it but I'm going to post some stats: So look away now if you don't like this sort of thing

• PL Table sorted by xG - ie the chances we create, we are 8th - ie we're pretty good at creating chances - the players and Russ's methods work. BUT the forwards aren't finishing them

• PL Table sorted by xG against - we are 17th - we give up lots of chances. We are newly returned to the league. No real surprises there.

• PL Table sorted by xPTS - ie how many points we should have if our results had matched the xG - we are 12th. Pretty good for a newly promoted side. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again. If our strikers can find some form we could do ok. Signing someone handy in January would probably be too late to save us though if our current forwards can't get it together. 

You’re right. I hate it.

If xG had any meaning the actual goals would be a lot closer to the expected goals. Which they never are.

[Lord Duckhunter]

11 minutes ago, sfc4prem said:

I think most people realise we're likely to be relegated.

Let's be realistic. We were relegated as a fucking god-awful team with a whole host of limited players. 

We finished 4th last year and were beaten by teams like Stoke, Bristol City, Millwall, to name but a few. We conceded a ridiculous amount of goals.

We were never going to excel this season.

It'll be really grim this season.

Bournemouth came up with a squad as bad as ours, and stayed up. 
 

Fucking hell the noddynes of this club is ridiculous . Fucking historically smaller clubs like Fulham, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton won promotion and were capable of staying up, some of our supporters act like we’re Luton or Barnsley, up for the season to enjoy it. Fucking fan boys. We’ve been in the top flight most of the past 60 years, we’re about 12th in league positions the past 60 years, it’s not some insurmountable challenge to fucking finish 4th from bottom. If Lego can’t do it, get someone in who can. We’re Southampton not some league 1 outfit. 

Edited September 21 by Lord Duckhunter

[Whitey Grandad]

47 minutes ago, Chewy said:

In all seriousness, did you watch today? Because that’s not what I saw happening out there today.

FWIW I haven’t read this thread, been busy since leaving st Mary’s, my view is that we played pretty well, deserved a win (thanks especially to Ramsdale), BBD was the wrong sub but otherwise I wouldn’t question any of the other subs. Starting 11 gave us a better balance; Amazing assist and top quality finish, dreadful ref (not biased just inept), Archer a tad unlucky, Taylor, Fraser and Downes probably our least effective players but probably still 6/10s, Dibling and Fernandes continue to impress.

Not sure I’d lay much at RM today. We went through a sticky patch during the 1st half and he tweaked things and thereafter we were largely in control until the final stages IMHO.

So frustrating to drop 2 points so late on, but no major whinges from me about the team chosen, application and attitude of the players or substitutions (save BBD … I’d have gone ArmA, but it wasn’t the reason we let in the late goal).

Things to build on but f*cking annoying 

Nothing wrong with the ref.

We just didn’t score enough goals as usual. And it was for the lack of trying. Too much rolling the ball back and forth across the back four. And wha5 the flippin’ heck was going on with that free kick we had up in there half. We somehow contrived to pass it back towards our own keeper and lost possession.

[Sheaf Saint]

27 minutes ago, Badger said:

Bit unfair and misguided to suggest the owners have been tight. They’ve opened up the piggy bank - within reason - the fault lies in how we’ve spent it.

Archer, BBD, and Wood !!! Can’t believe we couldn’t have found a CF up to the standard needed for their combined fee. 

It's not just the transfer fees though is it. If we'd combined what we spent on those players' fees to sign a single, better player, we would also have had to break our wage structure to get them. There are consequences to doing that, that we obviously weren't willing to accept.

[sfc4prem]

9 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Bournemouth came up with a squad as bad as ours, and stayed up. 
 

Fucking hell the noddynes of this club is ridiculous . Fucking historically smaller clubs like Fulham, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton won promotion and were capable of staying up, some of our supporters act like we’re Luton or Barnsley, up for the season to enjoy it. Fucking fan boys. We’ve been in the top flight most of the past 60 years, we’re about 12th in league positions the past 60 years, it’s not some insurmountable challenge to fucking finish 4th from bottom. If Lego can’t do it, get someone in who can. 

It's all relative, pal. Our squad is shite, particularly up top. Have a look, don't reckon you'll find much worse in the PL currently. That's what makes it different to our previous times in the league.

When we last were promoted to this league, we had a brilliant, talismanic striker. This time round we have Cameron Archer. Tries hard, but is it the same as having a Rickie-esque legend? Nah.

 

Edited September 21 by sfc4prem

[Badger]

1 minute ago, Sheaf Saint said:

It's not just the transfer fees though is it. If we'd combined what we spent on those players' fees to sign a single, better player, we would also have had to break our wage structure to get them. There are consequences to doing that, that we obviously weren't willing to accept.

Fair comment, to a point, although I suspect we managed to get over that hurdle for Ramsdale. 

Even on a budget, I feel we could have done better. 

[aintforever]

9 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Bournemouth came up with a squad as bad as ours, and stayed up. 
 

Fucking hell the noddynes of this club is ridiculous . Fucking historically smaller clubs like Fulham, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton won promotion and were capable of staying up, some of our supporters act like we’re Luton or Barnsley, up for the season to enjoy it. Fucking fan boys. We’ve been in the top flight most of the past 60 years, we’re about 12th in league positions the past 60 years, it’s not some insurmountable challenge to fucking finish 4th from bottom. If Lego can’t do it, get someone in who can. We’re Southampton not some league 1 outfit. 

History doesn’t get you points. We got promoted with a bunch of decent Championship players and all we have done, apart from a few exceptions, is add a load more to the squad. We needed to spend big on a striker to give us a chance.

Edited September 21 by aintforever

[Lighthouse]

5 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Bournemouth came up with a squad as bad as ours, and stayed up. 
 

Fucking hell the noddynes of this club is ridiculous . Fucking historically smaller clubs like Fulham, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton won promotion and were capable of staying up, some of our supporters act like we’re Luton or Barnsley, up for the season to enjoy it. Fucking fan boys. We’ve been in the top flight most of the past 60 years, we’re about 12th in league positions the past 60 years, it’s not some insurmountable challenge to fucking finish 4th from bottom. If Lego can’t do it, get someone in who can. We’re Southampton not some league 1 outfit. 

None of our history is of any relevance whatsoever to the fact that we have one of the bottom three worst squads in the league, particularly up front. When you’re bringing in players like Archer and BBD to ‘strengthen’ your striking options, you know they’re pretty dreadful.

All of this talks about getting rid of Russ and getting someone who can keep us up; who and how exactly? What’s this obvious formula that gets BBD banging in the goals that everyone except Russ has figured out?

[Mr X]

40 minutes ago, Badger said:

Bit unfair and misguided to suggest the owners have been tight. They’ve opened up the piggy bank - within reason - the fault lies in how we’ve spent it.

Archer, BBD, and Wood !!! Can’t believe we couldn’t have found a CF up to the standard needed for their combined fee. 

I wasn't suggesting they hadn't spent any money 

[Saint Gifford]

SR are doing thier playing and management staff shopping at Aldi at the moment.

We will never shop at Waitrose, but I would be happy with Tescos, or Sainsbury’s.

I genuinely think SR didn’t buy the club to get relegated in the first season, and I assume they thought we were an established Prem side. 
 

January I think will answer a few questions about their commitment to the club. I thought Ramsdale looked like the start of things to come, but that’s a sticking plaster.

My guess is they have underestimated the financial implications of running a Prem Club. Which includes scouting network a very big salary for an experienced top flight manager. Then the question of players. 
 

Agreed they have been shafted by the likes of Wilcox ect, but that is even more the cause for Alarm as where is the back up plan . 
 

We can stay up I think, but needs a big rethink.

[Badger]

7 minutes ago, Mr X said:

I wasn't suggesting they hadn't spent any money 

No, but still seems steep to suggest or expect Dragan dig deep again into his reserves ( almost as if he hasn’t spent enough) to try baling us out. 

There has to come a point when he questions the wisdom of it all. Especially if it just funding Rasmus’ vanity project. 

[Wiggles31]

Bournemouth is last chance saloon for me. Tactically we were a bit all over the place today, didn’t know whether to stick or twist. And little errors which become monumental, like not having a man mark players just outside the box on a corner! 

[Lord Duckhunter]

1 hour ago, Lighthouse said:

None of our history is of any relevance whatsoever to the fact that we have one of the bottom three worst squads in the league, particularly up front. When you’re bringing in players like Archer and BBD to ‘strengthen’ your striking options, you know they’re pretty dreadful.

All of this talks about getting rid of Russ and getting someone who can keep us up; who and how exactly? What’s this obvious formula that gets BBD banging in the goals that everyone except Russ has figured out?

Sheffield Utd finished 9th with Oli McBurnie top scoring with 6 goals. 
 

Why do our Noddy supporters accept mediocrity, we never used to. 
 

We’ve got one of the best keepers, 2 decent full backs, decent midfielders plus 1 of the best youngsters around. The Portuguese lad looks good, & JB is a premier league centre half. Add to that experience in Frazer & Lallana. A good manager playing the right way & getting the best out of the players could well keep that squad up. A bloke thinking he’s Pep, who is unable  to coach basic defending and set us up to defend properly, won’t. 
 

If it was all down to squad strength, we’d have finished above Ipswich last season, and would be above them this, you never know, we may actually have beaten them in one of the 3 games. 
 

 

[Lighthouse]

9 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Sheffield Utd finished 9th with Oli McBurnie top scoring with 6 goals

That was an absolute fluke, they somehow managed to come 9th scoring 39 goals. To put that into context, last season they scored 35 and were welded to the bottom of the table. Ramsdale, Suga, KWP, Fernandes, Dibling and Downes look like they belong in this league. That's six players in the whole squad, the rest we're just maknig do with.

[Greedyfly]

3 hours ago, Chewy said:

In all seriousness, did you watch today? Because that’s not what I saw happening out there today.

FWIW I haven’t read this thread, been busy since leaving st Mary’s, my view is that we played pretty well, deserved a win (thanks especially to Ramsdale), BBD was the wrong sub but otherwise I wouldn’t question any of the other subs. Starting 11 gave us a better balance; Amazing assist and top quality finish, dreadful ref (not biased just inept), Archer a tad unlucky, Taylor, Fraser and Downes probably our least effective players but probably still 6/10s, Dibling and Fernandes continue to impress.

Not sure I’d lay much at RM today. We went through a sticky patch during the 1st half and he tweaked things and thereafter we were largely in control until the final stages IMHO.

So frustrating to drop 2 points so late on, but no major whinges from me about the team chosen, application and attitude of the players or substitutions (save BBD … I’d have gone ArmA, but it wasn’t the reason we let in the late goal).

Things to build on but f*cking annoying 

If your opening gambit is "my view is that we played pretty well, deserved a win (thanks especially to Ramsdale)" I think it shows how much we didn't deserve to win.  If you're relying on a keeper to keep us in it, we probably didn't deserve to win.

 

I watched.  We had 1 fucking shot on target (out of 2) in the first half.  Against Ipswich.  Our subs killed us, and frankly the starting line up killed us, as did some utterly noddy summer transfers.

 

Can't echo Duckhunters comments enough, staying up should not be some insurmountable challenge for some cash poor Championship team, and hope (rather than belief) is the only thing I have at the moment because I see a manager and first team (as picked) out of its depths.

Edited September 21 by Greedyfly

[Saint86]

This can never happen again... Absolutely suicidal, let alone when defending a lead. WTF...

 

Edit... Just coming back to this image. I don't think i've ever witnessed a defensive setup this appalling from a corner - I am almost speechless at it. They are premier league players ffs... That is our entire team almost camped in our own 6 yard box. And still the player in the centre of the 6yard box is unmarked, and the guy at the back post... let alone the 3 outside the box. We've basically used our 10 outfield players to effectively mark 4 (maybe 5) Ipswich players - leaving the other 4-5 to do whatever they want. Its shocking.

Edited September 22 by Saint86

[Whitey Grandad]

3 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

This can never happen again... Absolutely suicidal, let alone when defending a lead. WTF...

Abject schoolboy defending. Ten players in the goal area and the other one just outside it. We might as well line them all up on the goal line between the posts.

For this alone he has to go.

[Mr X]

2 hours ago, Badger said:

No, but still seems steep to suggest or expect Dragan dig deep again into his reserves ( almost as if he hasn’t spent enough) to try baling us out. 

There has to come a point when he questions the wisdom of it all. Especially if it just funding Rasmus’ vanity project. 

Yes I do agree with that part, our recruitment has been abysmal, I know Ross Stewart hasn't played much for us and too early to judge but it was too much to waste on an injured player and I haven't been impressed with BBD.  You would think rasmus actually wants a return on his investment.  As someone said the strikers we've signed haven't been much of a step up from AA and Che really 

Edited September 21 by Mr X

[saintant]

2 hours ago, Wiggles31 said:

Bournemouth is last chance saloon for me. Tactically we were a bit all over the place today, didn’t know whether to stick or twist. And little errors which become monumental, like not having a man mark players just outside the box on a corner! 

There are no last chance saloons I'm afraid. We are not suddenly going to change tactics and become a team that can hold it's own in the Premier League. We are being coached to play this fairly pointless possession football - it worked to a degree last season and we scraped promotion via the play-offs with a squad that cost millions more than virtually all our opponents. That's as good as it's going to get as RM has no silver bullet. There are better ways and systems than he is employing but he's welded to this idea that he can somehow turn us into a lesser version of Man City - he is swimming against the tide and we continue to make the same basic errors in every match. Along with many others I think the squad we have could do better but that would require a change of manager which is likely not on the cards. Our start in terms of fixtures was relatively kind but we sit second from bottom with a single point and the goal difference is already negative by 7 and would probably be worse had we not signed Ramsdale. I get that we don't have the strongest squad but I don't believe we are getting the most out of them. Others will disagree which is fine as this great game is all about different opinions and I admire the optimism of those who have faith in RM but he doesn't strike me as somebody who is capable of masterminding us to a position of safety.

[saintant]

21 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

This can never happen again... Absolutely suicidal, let alone when defending a lead. WTF...

That is a damning picture. Very amateur defending. And even with the whole team back defending our six yard box I can still spot two Ipswich players totally unmarked and that's not counting those waiting on the edge of the penalty area. This just should not happen at any level never mind the Premier league.

[danjosaint]

Pull the trigger 

[Dark Munster]

27 minutes ago, Mr X said:

Yes I do agree with that part, our recruitment has been abysmal, I know Ross Stewart hasn't played much for us and too early to judge but it was too much to waste on an injured player and I haven't been impressed with BBD.  You would think rasmus actually wants a return on his investment.  As someone said the strikers we've signed haven't been much of a step up from AA and Che really 

His investment is £0. It's Dragan's money he's flushing down the toilet.

[Wade Garrett]

3 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

None of our history is of any relevance whatsoever to the fact that we have one of the bottom three worst squads in the league, particularly up front. When you’re bringing in players like Archer and BBD to ‘strengthen’ your striking options, you know they’re pretty dreadful.

All of this talks about getting rid of Russ and getting someone who can keep us up; who and how exactly? What’s this obvious formula that gets BBD banging in the goals that everyone except Russ has figured out?

Someone that won’t defend set pieces by just putting all our players in the penalty area instead of marking outside it.  How many fucking times did Hutchinson get so much time and space from a short corner?  And then at the end, when we’re defending for our lives do we give someone a free shot from the edge of the box.  Absolute fucking shite.

[OttawaSaint]

Sick of this clown. Never wanted him. Hate the fannying around, hate the tactics. Hated his smugness during the unbeaten streak where we were far from convincing for a lot of it. Hate him now. Wish we'd fire him. 

[gio1saints]

18 minutes ago, OttawaSaint said:

Sick of this clown. Never wanted him. Hate the fannying around, hate the tactics. Hated his smugness during the unbeaten streak where we were far from convincing for a lot of it. Hate him now. Wish we'd fire him. 

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

There were some positives. 😅

Vast majority of fans at the match around me thought it was an improvement. There was no booing or big hate going on at SMS- the support was given some great examples of the promise - but also the fallibilities inherent in this team. 

Many of us were purring with excitement at some of the performances and skilful moments from the likes of Tyler, Mateus, Lallana and yes , Ramsdale. World class saves btw. But all annoyed at some of the duff stuff also amd me personally at how good Ipswich were. I secretly Wanted them to be weak - but they were not.
 

Overall it felt like we had to fight like hell for that point- and fight we did - which reminds us to reflect once more on how easily we been giving goals away before and how valuable they are. But the fight was evident. Stupid free kick fuck ups can be rectified, lack of fight a bigger problem and we didn’t have the latter.,

Don’t know if you watched the times we played them last season but Ipswich were certainly better than those two games yesterday - and we showed that our game is on the up too. Did not rate them last year but yesterday fair dos to them, decent team well managed. Fair result overall. It’s not a match to throw everything out the pram over though, imo. 😇

Edited September 22 by gio1saints
Made little sense as is often the case this time of night..

[Tommy Mulgrew]

1 hour ago, gio1saints said:

Overall it felt like we had to fight like hell for that point- and fight we did - which reminds us to reflect once more on how easily we been giving goals away before and how valuable they are. But the fight was evident. Stupid free kick fuck ups can be rectified, lack of fight a bigger problem and we didn’t have the latter.,

But we did not fight hard enough.  Just look at the photo of the Ipswich goal: Taylor turning his back on the shot and Aribo turning side-on.  That is not good enough.  And what other team would spurn an attacking free-kick three quarters up the pitch in favour of playing it back to our penalty area and then give the ball away?  And spend 80 minutes of the game not trying to get a second goal?

One might lay the blame on the players but the buck stops with the manager in my opinion.  If he wanted something different, our manager would have stopped all that type of crap, which we see served up almost every game, long before now.

Blaming our second-rate strikers is the easy way out.  A good manager gets the most out of the squad he has at his disposal.  Ours is patently not doing so.  Yes, a Pelle or a Lambert, even an Ings, would be a great help but we do not have one now.  We need to show some fight and guile and I did not see enough of that today.  It was a performance that reeked of sleepwalking from the jaws of victory to inevitable relegation if we continue to play as we have so far this season.  Today’s game and its management was way beyond depressing.  More change in our attitude and our on-field strategy is needed.  And quickly.  Ipswich at home was our best and supposedly easiest chance of three points and we blew it.  The red and white future is not bright; it’s really, really grim.  I, for one do not like it.  I am angry and saddened by our inability to gain three points at home from a fellow relegation-fodder side.

Depressing.

[stknowle]

6 hours ago, Saint86 said:

This can never happen again... Absolutely suicidal, let alone when defending a lead. WTF...

 

Edit... Just coming back to this image. I don't think i've ever witnessed a defensive setup this appalling from a corner - I am almost speechless at it. They are premier league players ffs... That is our entire team almost camped in our own 6 yard box. And still the player in the centre of the 6yard box is unmarked, and the guy at the back post... let alone the 3 outside the box. We've basically used our 10 outfield players to effectively mark 4 (maybe 5) Ipswich players - leaving the other 4-5 to do whatever they want. Its shocking.

That is absolutely shockingly bad.

[Farmer Saint]

My God there are some proper bed-wetters on here - however looking at the people posting most seem to be the fans that don't go to games - what a coincidence. 

I would be bed-wetting if it weren't for the fact that this was so predictable I told you all about it last September - PSR makes it nearly impossible to get relegated, immediately promoted and then make a decent fist of the next season.

[Wade Garrett]

52 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

My God there are some proper bed-wetters on here - however looking at the people posting most seem to be the fans that don't go to games - what a coincidence. 

I would be bed-wetting if it weren't for the fact that this was so predictable I told you all about it last September - PSR makes it nearly impossible to get relegated, immediately promoted and then make a decent fist of the next season.

PSR has fuck all to do with defending set-pieces.  And yes, I was at the game.  I suppose all of block 5 are fucking bed-wetters in your book.  Ridiculous comment.

[ErwinK1961]

8 hours ago, Saint86 said:

This can never happen again... Absolutely suicidal, let alone when defending a lead. WTF...

 

Edit... Just coming back to this image. I don't think i've ever witnessed a defensive setup this appalling from a corner - I am almost speechless at it. They are premier league players ffs... That is our entire team almost camped in our own 6 yard box. And still the player in the centre of the 6yard box is unmarked, and the guy at the back post... let alone the 3 outside the box. We've basically used our 10 outfield players to effectively mark 4 (maybe 5) Ipswich players - leaving the other 4-5 to do whatever they want. Its shocking.

Absolutely pathetic defending. 

Say what you like about Martin and his tactics, philosophy etc. but there is absolutely no way he’s instructed the players to defend a corner by sticking everyone in the 6 yard box.

Where’s the leaders on the pitch taking responsibility for marking? What are THB, Bednarek, Downes, even Ramsdale doing to organise?

[Wade Garrett]

2 minutes ago, ErwinK1961 said:

Absolutely pathetic defending. 

Say what you like about Martin and his tactics, philosophy etc. but there is absolutely no way he’s instructed the players to defend a corner by sticking everyone in the 6 yard box.

Where’s the leaders on the pitch taking responsibility for marking? What are THB, Bednarek, Downes, even Ramsdale doing to organise?

I think, sadly, it’s more likely that they are defending set-pieces exactly how Martin wants to.

[ErwinK1961]

3 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

I think, sadly, it’s more likely that they are defending set-pieces exactly how Martin wants to.

We’ll agree to disagree. I don’t believe there is any manager in world football who is happy to leave three opposition players completely unmarked on the edge of the area from a corner.

Looks to me like the players got too caught up in the moment, not one leader on the pitch with a calm head organising anything. If Lallana was still on the pitch, I’d put good money on that not happening.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

2 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

I think, sadly, it’s more likely that they are defending set-pieces exactly how Martin wants to.

I've only seen the short highlights. For their goal, it screamed of the analysts & coaches concluding that the data showed fewer goals conceded from that shooting position, compared to headers/ second balls in the box.

Of course that data is skewed if based on goals conceded, while teams make sure they do have a man out there. And from teams who realise their opponents aren't putting a man there, and look to take full advantage of it.

It's the latest small margin from the guys who introduced panicked running back from our own corners.

[Wade Garrett]

We never leave a man up when defending a corner and it’s been like that in all of Martin’s tenure.

We also zonal mark and the amount of mismatches with dwarves marking giants is ridiculous.

[CB Fry]

11 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

What’s this obvious formula that gets BBD banging in the goals that everyone except Russ has figured out?

In fairness he did score six in less than half a season for a terrible SUFC team.

So not that outlandish that he could be expected to score some for us.

 

[Bob60]

5 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

We never leave a man up when defending a corner and it’s been like that in all of Martin’s tenure.

We also zonal mark and the amount of mismatches with dwarves marking giants is ridiculous.

That's not only a Martin thing, we have done it for years under successive managers, not a clue why though. 

Leave one up pulls at least two of theirs back.

[Toussaint]

8 hours ago, gio1saints said:

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

There were some positives. 😅

Vast majority of fans at the match around me thought it was an improvement. There was no booing or big hate going on at SMS- the support was given some great examples of the promise - but also the fallibilities inherent in this team. 

Many of us were purring with excitement at some of the performances and skilful moments from the likes of Tyler, Mateus, Lallana and yes , Ramsdale. World class saves btw. But all annoyed at some of the duff stuff also amd me personally at how good Ipswich were. I secretly Wanted them to be weak - but they were not.
 

Overall it felt like we had to fight like hell for that point- and fight we did - which reminds us to reflect once more on how easily we been giving goals away before and how valuable they are. But the fight was evident. Stupid free kick fuck ups can be rectified, lack of fight a bigger problem and we didn’t have the latter.,

Don’t know if you watched the times we played them last season but Ipswich were certainly better than those two games yesterday - and we showed that our game is on the up too. Did not rate them last year but yesterday fair dos to them, decent team well managed. Fair result overall. It’s not a match to throw everything out the pram over though, imo. 😇

It was indeed an improvement, but you have to put it into context, it was against Ipswich. 

[Whitey Grandad]

6 hours ago, Tommy Mulgrew said:

But we did not fight hard enough.  Just look at the photo of the Ipswich goal: Taylor turning his back on the shot and Aribo turning side-on.  That is not good enough.  And what other team would spurn an attacking free-kick three quarters up the pitch in favour of playing it back to our penalty area and then give the ball away?  And spend 80 minutes of the game not trying to get a second goal?

One might lay the blame on the players but the buck stops with the manager in my opinion.  If he wanted something different, our manager would have stopped all that type of crap, which we see served up almost every game, long before now.

Blaming our second-rate strikers is the easy way out.  A good manager gets the most out of the squad he has at his disposal.  Ours is patently not doing so.  Yes, a Pelle or a Lambert, even an Ings, would be a great help but we do not have one now.  We need to show some fight and guile and I did not see enough of that today.  It was a performance that reeked of sleepwalking from the jaws of victory to inevitable relegation if we continue to play as we have so far this season.  Today’s game and its management was way beyond depressing.  More change in our attitude and our on-field strategy is needed.  And quickly.  Ipswich at home was our best and supposedly easiest chance of three points and we blew it.  The red and white future is not bright; it’s really, really grim.  I, for one do not like it.  I am angry and saddened by our inability to gain three points at home from a fellow relegation-fodder side.

Depressing.

My thoughts exactly. You took the words right out of my mouth.

[Whitey Grandad]

39 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

I've only seen the short highlights. For their goal, it screamed of the analysts & coaches concluding that the data showed fewer goals conceded from that shooting position, compared to headers/ second balls in the box.

Of course that data is skewed if based on goals conceded, while teams make sure they do have a man out there. And from teams who realise their opponents aren't putting a man there, and look to take full advantage of it.

It's the latest small margin from the guys who introduced panicked running back from our own corners.

If this is true, and I can only conclude that it is, then it shows that we are managed by people who know nothing about football.

[Whitey Grandad]

25 minutes ago, Bob60 said:

That's not only a Martin thing, we have done it for years under successive managers, not a clue why though. 

Leave one up pulls at least two of theirs back.

When Ivan Golac (name drop) was my neighbour I used to have the occasional chat with him about football. He said that he liked to leave three players up field when defending corners because it pulled four of the opposition back.