WBA 0-2 Saints - Match Thread

[Galway saint]

come on saints !!!!! 

[adrian lord]

Presumably having been sent off the West Brom manager is not allowed to conduct any halftime team talk in the dressing room?

[Micky]

Scraped to half time. Comfortable for over 30 minutes but then we revert to lethargic mode and it's like the keystone cops. We don't capitalise enough on our dominance of the ball, loads of possession but creating very few chances. We need to score the next goal here, if they get it it's going to be very tough.

[SaintInExile]

Said it on Tuesday and will say it again tonight. Smallbone can’t play this deep lying position. Not just because of his defensive deficiencies but because of how unwilling he is to receive the ball under and kind of pressure. He hides and that leads to us having to go long and lose the ball. He needs to get on the ball so we can try and regain some control of midfield.

[whelk]

  On 16/02/2024 at 20:57, adrian lord said:

Presumably having been sent off the West Brom manager is not allowed to conduct any halftime team talk in the dressing room?

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I think they put a red ball gag on him

[SonicBoom]

When we're on the front foot we looked good, but passing it around at the back we looked increasingly jittery. Bazunu in particular looks like he's trying to present them with a goal. We have to take back control and keep the ball better or its a matter of time til they score.

[Bad Wolf]

  On 16/02/2024 at 20:57, adrian lord said:

Presumably having been sent off the West Brom manager is not allowed to conduct any halftime team talk in the dressing room?

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Surely he's allowed to do that? Isn't he just banned from the pitch?

[obelisk]

1. WBA gave us far too much respect for the first 30 minutes. Then they seemed to have been reminded how Huddersfield and Bristol City countered Saints. Rode our luck a bit towards the end of the half.

[benjii]

Excellent for 30 minutes but energy has dropped off and gaps appearing.

Stephens has been excellent on the ball and made an amazing clearance but defensively we still have a problem at left back. I'd be tempted to swap him and KWP round now. 

I feel as though we need a couple of subs sooner rather than later to keep the energy up. 

I think Mara has done well. When we've passed it to him he's used it well and he's got stuck in. Now WBA are playing with a bit more confidence we should be looking to get it to Mara a bit quicker. 

Stu Armstrong been class.

Edited 16 February, 2024 by benjii

[Convict Colony]

  On 16/02/2024 at 20:56, Charlie Wayman said:

Where's Smallbone this evening? Is  he even on the bench? 

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I thought the same, assume he's having a nice walk somewhere.

Phrases you will never hear "smallbone has really grabbed this game by the scruff of the neck"

[64saint]

This is a first but am loving this referee. Sent their manager off, then denied them a penalty and we're the away team !!!!

Edited 16 February, 2024 by 64saint

[adrian lord]

  On 16/02/2024 at 21:04, 64saint said:

This is a first but am loving this referee. Sent their manager off, then denied them a penalty. 

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He hasn't put a foot wrong. 

[obelisk]

Could be coming up against this lot in the play-offs. I wouldn't be confident.

[saintant]

  On 16/02/2024 at 20:57, Micky said:

Scraped to half time. Comfortable for over 30 minutes but then we revert to lethargic mode and it's like the keystone cops. We don't capitalise enough on our dominance of the ball, loads of possession but creating very few chances. We need to score the next goal here, if they get it it's going to be very tough.

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It's clearly because they have been told to press us more around our penalty area and not allow us to play out from the back.  Plain as day. RM should see it and change to more long balls over the top. Keep playing fiddly against their strong press and we'll let them back in. Sort it out Russ.

[64saint]

  On 16/02/2024 at 21:05, adrian lord said:

He hasn't put a foot wrong. 

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Can we have him every week. 😂😂

[obelisk]

Fellows coming on for WBA. Could be tricky.

[SNSUN]

Need the second.

[Saint NL]

I expected WBA to come out flying, but been a slow start to the second half 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

  On 16/02/2024 at 21:02, Convict Colony said:

I thought the same, assume he's having a nice walk somewhere.

Phrases you will never hear "smallbone has really grabbed this game by the scruff of the neck"

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Smallbone Watch: Very much the linking player tonight.

Stephens used to push forwards. Smallbone used to support Stu, help keep numbers in midfield in case of attack, as we've Fraser AA, and Mara up there.  Most notably, he's been the outball for Baz three or four times.  Not his usual role of being an outball for partically anything across hte pitch.
 

[trousers]

Charles playing higher up the field this half?

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Ooft. I thought Baz has held onto that one for one touch too many.

[Saint NL]

The Hawthorns is rivaling Goodison with the number of Booos tonight 😂

[SambaMaverick]

Charles is fucking toilet 

[SNSUN]

I'd like to see Brooks on at some point. Mara not exactly doing much...

[Sheaf Saint]

Aah, that caught Mara by surprise and he couldn't get any power on it.

[madge]

Need to replace Shea Charles..game passing him by and positioning not great when West Brom have the ball

 

[obelisk]

Passes starting to go astray. A bit reminiscent of Tuesday

[SNSUN]

  On 16/02/2024 at 21:14, SambaMaverick said:

Charles is fucking toilet 

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[AlexLaw76]

Get Mara off, ffs

[Saint NL]

Wba freekick, looks dangerous.

Smallbone booked

[Saint_clark]

Charles has obviously been instructed to press higher up the pitch but his closing down is half hearted and then he's caught the wrong side of the ball. Get him sitting deep alongside Smallbone again.

[Hopper]

Charles for Rothwell and Mara for Brooks. Charles is playing in slo mo right now.

[SambaMaverick]

  On 16/02/2024 at 21:17, Saint_clark said:

Charles has obviously been instructed to press higher up the pitch but his closing down is half hearted and then he's caught the wrong side of the ball. Get him sitting deep alongside Smallbone again.

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Get him off more like, he's a traffic cone out there

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Decent chance this. Thankfully, we have a great shot stopper in goals, which might help.

[trousers]

This isn't ending 1-0, is it...?

[Saint NL]

West Brom are going to score soon, let's just hope we don't crumble and concede 2

[saint lard]

Yep. Come out for the second half just as shite as finishing the first. 
almost a carbon copy of the game Tuesday in the way we are playing now. 

[trousers]

Aribo and Edozie coming on

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Yay!

Martin has tweaked things to try and get momentum back, but it seems to have not made a difference, or maybe made us a bit more disjointed and giving them the possession.

[Saint_clark]

  On 16/02/2024 at 21:19, trousers said:

Aribo and Edozie coming on

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Charles and Mara off if I had to guess.

[Lighthouse]

Charles off, TFFT.

[obelisk]

Not sure that all this fannying around at the back all the time is going to work tonight. Need to mix it up more.

[Saint NL]

Edozie and Aribo on, Charles and Fraser off

[Holmes_and_Watson]

  On 16/02/2024 at 21:19, trousers said:

Aribo and Edozie coming on

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I was just about to type Aribo. So that's good news.

[AlexLaw76]

Charles off, Aribo on

Fraser off, Edozie on

[trousers]

  On 16/02/2024 at 21:19, trousers said:

Aribo and Edozie coming on

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Charles and Fraser off

[Bad Wolf]

Yes you, Shea. Why would it NOT be you?

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Aribo looking even fitter? We shall see.

Edozie ahs been doing well, and Frasert has run around as always. So hopefully some physical presence and new energy out there.

[CB Fry]

Who needs a defensive midfielder anyway.

[trousers]

Stu MotM so far