Saints 1-2 Millwall - Match Thread

[Dman]

Just now, Mr X said:

At least we can firmly lay the idea of automatic promotion to be now! 

Promotion all together. We’ve been found out, we’re not going up. 
 

staying down is probably for the best as we’d get absolutely embarrassed week after week in the PL

[LGTL]

Get Smallbone off the pitch, he’s fucking shit. 

[Toussaint]

1 minute ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

Pass. Pass. Pass. Run a bit. Pass. Pass. Pass. Pass. Run a bit. Pass. Lose the ball.

Rinse repeat.

Frustrating isn’t it, we need to take a few shots from outside the box when the opportunity is there and we need players to run directly at their defence in central positions, but we don’t, it’s like we are trying to pick a lock rather than kick the door down.

[Gloucester Saint]

8 minutes ago, Bad Wolf said:

The patient and loyal fanbase strikes again. The definition of "you only sing when you're winning" here

Charles at 6 - solid 2-0 win at WBA. Lightweight Smallbone at 6 - losing despite 85% possession, they are cutting us apart on the counter. Funnily enough the same happened before Flynn Downes was fit and since injured again. 

Even you should be able to work that out. Then again, maybe not. Smallbone is a good 8 but not a 6. Downes (injured) and Charles are 6s. Surprising the manager can’t figure that out.

Edited 24 February, 2024 by Gloucester Saint

[washsaint]

If we get promoted we will get destroyed in the Prem.  Not that I think we'll get promoted: the wheels seem to have come off big time.

Bazunu - shocker

Aribo - anonymous

Edozie - absolutely appalling

Brooks - very poor

Defence - non existent

and no defensive midfielders: Smallbone has had a good season but he is not a holding midfielder.

Still, at least we had 80% possession: did pretty much nothing with it mind

[Dark Munster]

Can we score 5 goals in the second half?

[Edmonton Saint]

We have a manager 7 months into the season who seemingly still doesn’t know his best XI, needless rotations and shoehorning.  Our whole promotion campaign should not be dependent on whether a West Ham loanee is playing or not. Concerning.

[JRM]

3 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

Martin out. 

I actually agree, he's fucked it. 

Scar tissue well and truly back 

[adrian lord]

It is not mere scar tissue we are dealing with here, it is keloid. 

[CWD]

It's been a bit of a freak and I still think we'll win this game, but fuck me does he need to learn that Smallbone is not a solid enough DM.

[Harry_SFC]

I think that's it for us. Even if we do somehow win this game. We just aren't as good as Leeds and Leicester. 

[Micky]

What we need now is for somebody in the dressing room to explain to the players that we are losing.  Therefore we need urgency. and lots of it.  We don't have time to 'keep possession, knock it around at the back, go sideways, back, keep possession and eventually manufacture one poor effort on goal in 30 minutes', aka RussBall.  Urgency to get level, urgency to get in front, urgency to put the game to bed.  I don't want 80 fuckin' percent possession, I don't.  I want more goals than the opposition. FFS.

[JRM]

80% possession and losing textbook Martin 

[Harry_SFC]

Can anyone tell me why the fuck Stephens is playing the John Stones role? Martin is not Pep and Stephens is not Stones. Ludicrous again from Martin I'm afraid.

[badgerx16]

4 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

I've been slightly disappointed in Brooks so far, hopefully he can get a bit more involved second half.

Several times he has been wide in space on the right and the player on the ball has failed to spot him and played the safe sideways 5 yard pass instead.

Edited 24 February, 2024 by badgerx16

[LGTL]

This is Martin from September unfortunately. Horrid.

[saintant]

6 minutes ago, adrian lord said:

We are going to have to get promoted the hard way. 

If at all.

[Saint Fan CaM]

To be fair to Millwall, like below average sides before them, they’ve played the perfect game. When was the last time we scored two in the first half playing with a very low percentage of possession? Some of our play is sublime but ann unacceptable amount is slow, ineffective and frankly uninspiring.

[obelisk]

I suspect Millwall will be confident that they can nick a third against Saints suspect defending. It all feels a bit like September.

[danjosaint]

5 minutes ago, benjii said:

 

 

 

 

Dinlows alert!!!!

We conceded from a goalkeeping fuck up and a Bednarek brain fart, but apparently this definitely wouldn't have happened if Downes was playing.

Milwall have managed more than two passes about once in the entire match.

It looks like there are about 3 divisions between the sides. This has been a complete freak match so far.

What like the Rotherham Huddersfield Preston Bristol games just guess there freaks as well,  nothing to do with shit tactics,  game management or giving everyone a game to keep all your mates happy

[badgerx16]

5 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

To be fair to Millwall, like below average sides before them, they’ve played the perfect game. When was the last time we scored two in the first half playing with a very low percentage of possession? Some of our play is sublime but ann unacceptable amount is slow, ineffective and frankly uninspiring.

You coulsd add "'again" to the end of that post.

Edited 24 February, 2024 by badgerx16

[Saint Scott]

4 minutes ago, washsaint said:

If we get promoted we will get destroyed in the Prem.  Not that I think we'll get promoted: the wheels seem to have come off big time.

Bazunu - shocker

Aribo - anonymous

Edozie - absolutely appalling

Brooks - very poor

Defence - non existent

and no defensive midfielders: Smallbone has had a good season but he is not a holding midfielder.

Still, at least we had 80% possession: did pretty much nothing with it mind

Bit of an exaggeration.

Aribo has linked play well, brooks made a couple of mistakes but been involved and edozie hasn't been appalling but was always intended to come off the bench when the space opens up given he's more light weight than Fraser.

Millwall were gifted a goal from Baz and then got a penalty, they've been fucking useless besides that. 

Just one of those halves and sure we will turn this around when Millwall tire 

[Turkish]

Hitting shite form just when it matters.

[OldNick]

6 minutes ago, Edmonton Saint said:

  Our whole promotion campaign should not be dependent on whether a West Ham loanee is playing or not. Concerning.

Just shows how our recruitment is always seems to be blind to the obvious.

[Saint Fan CaM]

Well Swansea warned us. Kept them in the Championship for how long? And they’ve not recovered since.

[SaintJakko]

4 minutes ago, washsaint said:

If we get promoted we will get destroyed in the Prem.  Not that I think we'll get promoted: the wheels seem to have come off big time.

Bazunu - shocker

Aribo - anonymous

Edozie - absolutely appalling

Brooks - very poor

Defence - non existent

and no defensive midfielders: Smallbone has had a good season but he is not a holding midfielder.

Still, at least we had 80% possession: did pretty much nothing with it mind

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Two silly mistakes have cost us. 
 

Bazunu should have punched the ball, but it’s ended up in the net. 
 

Bednarek should know better with flaying his hands at on coming ball. 
 

We have been better all over the pitch, a number of those players you have singled out is not fair. 
 

Milwall fair play to them have come with a clear game plan off winning those odd second balls with physicality and causing some mayhem as they know technically they are not the better side here. 
 

Here is hoping for a solid defensive display and a little more decisiveness/clinical finishing in the second. Get that next goal and we are back in. 

[OldNick]

Just now, SaintJakko said:

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Two silly mistakes have cost us. 
 

Bazunu should have punched the ball, but it’s ended up in the net. 
 

Bednarek should know better with flaying his hands at on coming ball. 
 

We have been better all over the pitch, a number of those players you have singled out is not fair. 
 

Milwall fair play to them have come with a clear game plan off winning those odd second balls with physicality and causing some mayhem as they know technically they are not the better side here. 
 

Here is hoping for a solid defensive display and a little more decisiveness/clinical finishing in the second. Get that next goal and we are back in. 

Was it Jan it said TBH on Sky

[obelisk]

At this rate I'll be keeping an eye on who is in 7th place.

[jamesfp1]

Just now, OldNick said:

Was it Jan it said TBH on Sky

Jan

[Turkish]

1 minute ago, SaintJakko said:

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Two silly mistakes have cost us. 
 

Bazunu should have punched the ball, but it’s ended up in the net. 
 

Bednarek should know better with flaying his hands at on coming ball. 
 

We have been better all over the pitch, a number of those players you have singled out is not fair. 
 

Milwall fair play to them have come with a clear game plan off winning those odd second balls with physicality and causing some mayhem as they know technically they are not the better side here. 
 

Here is hoping for a solid defensive display and a little more decisiveness/clinical finishing in the second. Get that next goal and we are back in. 

Mistakes make the difference. Two mistakes cost us Tuesday night too

[adrian lord]

Shaping up like we are bottling the promotion push. 

[saintant]

1 minute ago, SaintJakko said:

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Two silly mistakes have cost us. 
 

Bazunu should have punched the ball, but it’s ended up in the net. 
 

Bednarek should know better with flaying his hands at on coming ball. 
 

We have been better all over the pitch, a number of those players you have singled out is not fair. 
 

Milwall fair play to them have come with a clear game plan off winning those odd second balls with physicality and causing some mayhem as they know technically they are not the better side here. 
 

Here is hoping for a solid defensive display and a little more decisiveness/clinical finishing in the second. Get that next goal and we are back in. 

Yeah, 2 silly mistakes cost 2 goals against a side that have had very little possession. Sounds worrying to me...imagine if they have a little bit more of the ball.

[Mr X]

Just now, adrian lord said:

Shaping up like we are bottling the promotion push. 

Shaping up like we've forgotten how to play! 

[OldNick]

I often wonder that we have let in 2 or 3 goals when having 75%-80% of the ball, how many will we let in if they had 80% of the ball

[Saint86]

19 minutes ago, benjii said:

Dinlows alert!!!!

We conceded from a goalkeeping fuck up and a Bednarek brain fart, but apparently this definitely wouldn't have happened if Downes was playing.

Milwall have managed more than two passes about once in the entire match.

It looks like there are about 3 divisions between the sides. This has been a complete freak match so far.

Really?

Where to even start with this post. Its almost like there was no material difference in setup between the west brom game, and the bristol city, huddersfield, hull, and millwall games for you? We've lost all balance because we seem to refuse to play with a proper anchor man.

Everyone saying, "we've been unlucky today" etc. Sure. Millwall have taken their chances... But as with the above mentioned games, we have just gifted millwall their chances due to once again being so so easy to just play through. We've lost all semblance of the attacking/defensive balance we've had most of this season. Teams like millwall, who are just above the relegation zone, should not be getting these kind of chances, this often, and with this success rate, vs a side challenging for automatics.

If people can't see that we've been poor defensively that's one thing. But it should be pretty obvious that just one actual defensive player in midfield would have improved that.

Edited 24 February, 2024 by Saint86

[Saint NL]

Their keeper has made two saves this half already. That's an improvement 

[Mr X]

Just now, OldNick said:

I often wonder that we have let in 2 or 3 goals when having 75%-80% of the ball, how many will we let in if they had 80% of the ball

Maybe We would score 2 or 3 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Adams nearly on the end of that one.

[obelisk]

We've actually had a couple of shots already this half. Comfortable for 'keeper though.

[Sheaf Saint]

12 minutes ago, benjii said:

 

 

 

 

Dinlows alert!!!!

We conceded from a goalkeeping fuck up and a Bednarek brain fart, but apparently this definitely wouldn't have happened if Downes was playing.

Milwall have managed more than two passes about once in the entire match.

It looks like there are about 3 divisions between the sides. This has been a complete freak match so far.

OK so the two goals conceded today mat well have unique factors not directly related to the presence or not of Downes in midfield, but it's fair to say that with a proper holding midfielder on the pitch, the passages of play that led to those instances may well not have happened.

So it may not exactly explain the two goals we've conceded today, but the fact that since he's been injured we've gone from being imperious defensively at home to conceding two in the first 45 minutes in 3 consecutive games. That's not a coincidence. It's also not a coincidence that, since he has been injured, we've looked like a disorganised mess defensively.

So my comment was more along the lines of "when is he back so we can start properly dominating teams again and looking more composed, instead of the utter shambles we have been in the last few games without him".

But apparently that makes me a dinlow 🙄

 

[egg]

15 minutes ago, benjii said:

 

 

 

 

Dinlows alert!!!!

We conceded from a goalkeeping fuck up and a Bednarek brain fart, but apparently this definitely wouldn't have happened if Downes was playing.

Milwall have managed more than two passes about once in the entire match.

It looks like there are about 3 divisions between the sides. This has been a complete freak match so far.

Some sense at last. Downes this, defensive midfielder that. It's bollox. We've dominated the game and two individual errors have cost us. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Well, that was a waste of a free kick

[StrangelyBrown]

Just now, egg said:

Some sense at last. Downes this, defensive midfielder that. It's bollox. We've dominated the game and two individual errors have cost us. 

How have we turned 80% possession into only 1 goal. Clearly I'm some sort of dinlow for not getting it...

[Mr X]

Just now, StrangelyBrown said:

How have we turned 80% possession into only 1 goal. Clearly I'm some sort of dinlow for not getting it...

Because we are interested only in the number of passes completed, side ways sideways backwards repeat 

[egg]

1 minute ago, StrangelyBrown said:

How have we turned 80% possession into only 1 goal. Clearly I'm some sort of dinlow for not getting it...

The more relevant question is how have they turned 20% possession into 2 goals...

We're losing cos of errors. 

[saintant]

1 minute ago, StrangelyBrown said:

How have we turned 80% possession into only 1 goal. Clearly I'm some sort of dinlow for not getting it...

Yet they've scored 2 from 20% possession.  Maybe we pass the ball too much and with little purpose.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Aribo looking mobile again. Able to track back, which is more than he could at the early stages of the season.

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, egg said:

The more relevant question is how have they turned 20% possession into 2 goals...

We're losing cos of errors. 

and offering little goal threat ourselves

Edited 24 February, 2024 by AlexLaw76

[Farmer Saint]

Been out - OMG, reading through this thread is utter gold. What a bunch of entitled pricks Saints fans seem to be. Sacking a Manager because we're 4th, behave. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Smallbone should have gone with the straight pass to the player who was motioning for it in the box, rather than a speculative cross to back post where we didn;t have the height and the cross didn;t have the pace on it.