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WBA 0-2 Saints - Match Thread


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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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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.

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Just now, 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?

I think they put a red ball gag on him

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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.

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1 minute ago, 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?

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

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  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.
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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 by benjii
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4 minutes ago, Charlie Wayman said:

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

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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6 minutes ago, 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.

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.

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6 minutes ago, 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"

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.
 

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Just now, 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.

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

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  • Lighthouse changed the title to WBA 0-2 Saints - Match Thread
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