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Saints 3-1 Birmingham - Match Thread

AlexLaw76

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John B

John B

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On 27/10/2023 at 11:18, egg said:

I admire your optimism, but our respective points tallies and performances give me zero confidence that we'll catch Ipswich or Leicester. 

You maybe right but 24 points from 14 games shows we are in contention and may splash the cash in January

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StrangelyBrown

StrangelyBrown

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Good stuff. Much more positive for most of the game - really need to do something about the dodgy spells though.

Smallbone poor again for me - good when he actually plays the ball forward but a passenger without the ball and too many lazy backward passes.

Flynn Downes and KWP were absolutely tremendous.

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AlexLaw76

AlexLaw76

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Good game all round. We looked so comfortable in the 1st half, but should have had a penalty agains. For about 25 mins in the 2nd half, it was pretty dodgy, and coincides with a lack of forward movements. the subs wrestled the initiative back.

KwP very good. CBs very good. Arma works like a nutter.

Thought Bree was good. Solid and tucks in nicely. Not sure if it is just me, but I do not recall him getting caught in possession like Manning does.

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saintant

saintant

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Just now, StrangelyBrown said:

Good stuff. Much more positive for most of the game - really need to do something about the dodgy spells though.

Smallbone poor again for me - good when he actually plays the ball forward but a passenger without the ball and too many lazy backward passes.

Flynn Downes and KWP were absolutely tremendous.

Thought Smallbone played well - intelligent movement and always available. Mixed up his passing. We all see different things which is what makes it such a good game to watch.

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Saint86

Saint86

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Got it over the line, great first half but second half performance wasn't that brilliant lets be honest. We still don't look to be as convincing as we should be and as we need to be if we're going to get promoted. Only the 2nd game we've won by 2 goals since our return to the football league? Still, there are good signs of progression now, we're not as bad at the back as we have been, our possession play is coming on a lot, and we're extending our unbeaten run which will only breed confidence.

Flynn Downes is an absolute rolls Royce of a central midfielder at this level, some very good performances from him in recent matches. If we can sign him at the end of the year it will be a very good bit of business.

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austsaint

austsaint

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6 minutes ago, saintant said:

Good performance by Bree. Deserves to retain his place.

Bree did very well again today.  He's quick, balanced, passes well and knows how to defend.   Manning shouldn't be replacing him anytime soon.

A little nervy after the Brum goal but for the most part, a slick display with quicker ball movement, good use of the longer ball and three clinically taken goals - should have been a brace for AA.

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Micky

Micky

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Lot of positives there.  Controlled the first half and scored two good goals from good play.  Second half had a major wobble, a better team may have pegged us back.  Got control back and eventually won the game.  KWP is a class above, if we keep him over Christmas we'll have done well, good performances from Downs, Bednarek and Stewart Armstrong.  Decent, but if we are serious about promotion, this is a game we should win. 

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Convict Colony

Convict Colony

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9 minutes ago, austsaint said:

Bree did very well again today.  He's quick, balanced, passes well and knows how to defend.   Manning shouldn't be replacing him anytime soon.

A little nervy after the Brum goal but for the most part, a slick display with quicker ball movement, good use of the longer ball and three clinically taken goals - should have been a brace for AA.

Really liked bree today, he plays tall (if that is a thing), bring calmness to our defence like the CB's.

I know its his wrong foot but I would like to see him occasionally put it on his right and ping in a cross as it would add another angle. 

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Holmes_and_Watson

Holmes_and_Watson

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Recency bias brings up some shaky looking spells in the second half, around the time of them getting one back.

But actually, there were a load of positives today.
 

-          A good range of passing, right form the start. That caused Birmingham problems, as they’d set up to expect more of a deeper possession game from us.

-          We used the flanks well, with both causing problems.

-          KWP given license to move up is only going to bring us more combinations.

-          They tried to exploit those full back gaps seldomly. We covered that well today.

-          We created chances. Better movement. AA got a goal, but will no doubt be harsh on himself for not getting more.

-          Their goal came from a contested header just happening to fall at a pace and position where we had to take a touch, allowing them in to take a good shot. So, meh. But we weren;t being hammered when it came.

-          We’ll have to work on our shape when things are going against us. It might be a tiredness issue. But we shut down a lot of the avenues and tempo that got us joy in the first half. Martin will we looking at that brittleness, where we turn a bit inward.

-          Subs did well again. 2 linked up for the third. Aribo was important as a target, picked out good passes, chased down their keeper. Fraser also allowed us to have a second central runner, and Birmingham didn’t like that at all. We can look a bit light in the middle, so nice to be able to change that we want to.

-          Lots of good work from Baz. From verbally grabbing his defence to get them up the park, to the usual good vision and a couple of cracking distributions, one where he was kind of left with it to deal with. Did well linking with Aribo too.

-          Tempo was good and mixed in the first half particularly. Perhaps that’s too hard to keep up, which they can work on. We could do with some alternatives when the energy is fading before any changes. Don’t really want to make changes too early in a winning starting eleven.

-          We did have a couple of spells of extended passing about. First half, where we were ahead and waiting for them to have to come out. We pushed it forward eventually, when they finally stepped up. It was nearly at the point, where you’d think we should be looking to create a bit anyway. Second half, when we could have picked better alternatives. We lack a bit of physical threat, so need to work on creating space for Sule, and then be more direct to him. There’s always that worry we won’t be able to step it up when we need to. But we had decent intensity throughout today, with subs on at around the right time.

-          AA and Smallbone stood out of work rate again and positioning again today. Stu for technical ability to bring in others. Downes put in a good performance in the middle keeping everything going as Smallbone moved into all the spaces.

-          Rooney may look at an offside, some pressure after their first, and a penalty (did the striker heading it away and out make the difference?). We will look at some chances we didn’t take to put us out of sight.

-          A bit of a scar tissue related nerves in the second half, but they will be pleased with that, and know the areas to keep improving on.

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jasonbenali

jasonbenali

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Dominant win despite KWP gifting them a goal to even up our offside one - Birmingham were pretty poor bar a 5 minute spell after the goal when we lost our shape. 

Pleasantly surprised by Aribo's impact as a sub - won the ball back several times and really looked up for it.

I continue to be baffled by how calm Arma looks in front of goal, just can't believe it's the same player that panicked in front of goal in the Prem, but long may it continue. Maybe it's just the extra time you get at this level?

Good choice of MOTM in Downes who looked class - has really come on since he's been able to hold his food down.

Fraser also looked lively with some excellent runs and half an assist, but really should have got that chip on target.

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woodsaint1

woodsaint1

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27 minutes ago, Elmore Saint said:

Good result in the end but it was the Russballtime that nearly screwed it up for us. The first half mix of Russ and Ralph ball looked a cut above and suited to this squad. More of that please. Although we were helped by Birminghams lack of pace and pressure. 

Read some shite on here, but this might top the lot

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Holmes_and_Watson

Holmes_and_Watson

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Martin says:-

Wrestled back control second half.

Changed the next 10 mins

Expect them to have a spell, which they did. But we wrestled abck control

Anooyed with their goal

Purpose, aggression, energy and intensity.

All in a tough week.

Subs come on an did well. 2 for the goal, and thought Aribo did excellently.

Should have put the game to bed. Somehow we gave them one.

Compact for the majority of the game apart form a little wobble.

We did play some brilliant football today.

The way they grow, is a pleasure to watch.

Need to be demanding. Lots to improve on.

Doesn't feel like vindication. When you believe in something so much, it doesn't have that sort of impact.

Try to be better. Keep growing and hope to be still doing that in a few years time.

Thing they are most proud of is the improvement in the culture.

Not an easy process to ask them to be brave, and make mistakes. A lot of young men in the dressing room. They have got proide in what they are doing.

Fist pumps completed. Hair immaculate.

Up to fourth. 7 off Ipswich, although they have 2 in hand. 🙂

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