Liverpool 3-0 Saints - Match Thread

[Golac's Cunning Stunts]

2 minutes ago, Golac's Cunning Stunts said:

the team we played against tonight would be far from top of the PL. If they had TAA, Salah , Jota, Diaz etc we would have got a true hammering

 

[SaintBobby]

7 minutes ago, Golac's Cunning Stunts said:

the team we played tonight would be far from top of the PL. If they had TAA, Salah , Jota, Diaz etc we would have got a true hammering

Yeah, their C team is better than our A- team. It's the way it goes....had we scored in the first 20 minutes, maybe different. Good effort, but we didnt make it. The bookies had Liverpool as 80% to prevail ....and our 20% didn't come up....

[Lallana's Left Peg]

I was at the game with a friend who is a professional footballer and has been managed by the likes of Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique and it was very interesting to hear his comments throughout.  For what its worth he thought we were brilliant and unlucky and he loves watching us.  His only negative comments were a lack of quality up front and getting tired too early in the second half.

I think we're just stuck in a little rut and things aren't clicking but we'll get there.  Some players are out of form and its having an impact throughout the team.

[woodsaint1]

2 hours ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Yes. I've learned that we are nowhere near ready to be competing in the PL yet, and it's probably for the best that we don't get promoted this season because we would need to upgrade pretty much our entire squad in the summer to avoid getting utterly humiliated.

What a stupid take that is.

If we dont go up this season then we'll be losing KWP, THB, Downes, Bednarek and maybe more. We'll very likely be a weaker side starting next season with no guarantee of getting out of the division anytime soon.

People said the same about Bournemouth or Forest the last two seasons, but they've managed to do just fine and will likely be safe again this season. Frankly, we dont know how well we would do in the PL next season based on a FA Cup game away to Liverpool where both sides were heavily changed

[woodsaint1]

17 minutes ago, Golac's Cunning Stunts said:

the team we played tonight would be far from top of the PL. If they had TAA, Salah , Jota, Diaz etc we would have got a true hammering

If they had TAA playing, then even the myth that is Kamaldeen Sulemana would have a field day. A horrible defender who is already being by upstaged by the kid Bradley

[woodsaint1]

1 hour ago, Saint86 said:

Just watched that down the pub in Bristol, with a liverpool supporting mate. We were basically the only ones in there, such was the pulling power of Liverpool's C team.

And honestly, what an embarrassing performance - We were playing against children and really should have been up for that game and all over them. Yet they outplayed us comfortably for most of the match. Very worrying!!!

Martin once again set us up with 5 attackers in front of the defence and just one player assigned to defensive duties in midfield. We have got to start playing with one CDM anchor and one all around CM imo. The last time we started with that we won.... so be it Charles and Stu, or Charles and Smallbone etc. I don't care, but we need that more regimented and solid CM. For me, Rothwell offers nothing defensively (at least the way he's being instructed to play), and similarly Aribo is not sitting back either. We basically have no balance playing like this, we aren't keeping possession well enough, there is too little support or depth behind the attacks, and when the other team break we are wide open to it.

And once again, Martin set us up, we played well for 15min, then the opposition manager countered us and it was basically one way traffic from then on - Minimal adaption from us, lots of suicidal football with a much changed side, and basically no real threat 2nd half. It just isn't good enough and worrying he's showing no real signs of learning - just the same thing on repeat with different players.

What's even more concerning is how low on confidence the team appears to be atm. It shouldn't be this way after 25 games unbeaten. If we can't beat (or barely look up for beating) Liverpool's 18 and 16year old kids in a very winnable cup tie (lets be honest, thats probably the best chance our players would ever have had to win at Anfield) then I can't see us getting through the playoffs atm. Serious improvements needed.

It definitely wasnt as embarrassing as this post. Tragic

[hypochondriac]

You can just imagine a future where we get promoted and our performances are like that every week. Solid performances where we look good for large parts of the game before folding to the teams with better quality. You'll then have Martin coming out saying how proud he is of the team every week as we have great looking stats but hardly any points. 

[Tamesaint]

I felt we lost our way when our wide men Edozie and Sulemana went off. I presume that this was to ensure their freshness for Saturday. Our options against Birmingham would be severely limited if they were both knackered. 

[SaintsBarry74]

After last night I reck on my sons u15 side could give us a run for our money.

[macca155]

Holiday meant the game was the middle of the night for me. Woke up to the expected score frankly. Glad it's out of the way.

Sounds terrible from comments on here.  Was it really that bad.

Back to the league Saturday. Spirits need raising. All a bit despairing at the moment.

[JRM]

20 minutes ago, macca155 said:

Holiday meant the game was the middle of the night for me. Woke up to the expected score frankly. Glad it's out of the way.

Sounds terrible from comments on here.  Was it really that bad.

Back to the league Saturday. Spirits need raising. All a bit despairing at the moment.

First half was decent other than terrible finishing, we could have scored 4 easily with someone who can finish. Mara and Sulemana played well up until it came to final ball or shot then wasted it. 

[Saint Billy]

Were Mara and Sulemana wearing boots provided by Benny Hill?. FFS it looked like it as their finishing was beyond bad and almost comical. 

Fecking pro's, they are stealing a living, and don't get me started on Benny Hill's sidekick Smallbone.

Confidence now knocked down another notch when with a strong lineup Liverpool were there for the taking. Well done RM.

[notnowcato]

5 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

You can just imagine a future where we get promoted and our performances are like that every week. Solid performances where we look good for large parts of the game before folding to the teams with better quality. You'll then have Martin coming out saying how proud he is of the team every week as we have great looking stats but hardly any points. 

I can imagine a promoted future where there would be an upgrade in player in several positions, a fit no.9 who can score 10-15 goals in the EPL would make all the difference. 

[eurosaint]

As it was on ITV lots of neutrals were watching and the feedback I had from my mates was that we played well for at least an hour but that the finishing was very poor !

Their deflected first goal on 44mins was a hammer blow..

All thought that 0-3 was harsh on us !

Tbh, an extra game and a trip to OT in the next round has been an avoided so now we concentrate on the league and move on….

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

6 hours ago, woodsaint1 said:

What a stupid take that is.

If we dont go up this season then we'll be losing KWP, THB, Downes, Bednarek and maybe more. We'll very likely be a weaker side starting next season with no guarantee of getting out of the division anytime soon.

People said the same about Bournemouth or Forest the last two seasons, but they've managed to do just fine and will likely be safe again this season. Frankly, we dont know how well we would do in the PL next season based on a FA Cup game away to Liverpool where both sides were heavily changed

That's precisely it. We need to go up and find our feet in the premiership rather than watch from afar and see our team's quality players being taken away.

As posters have said on here for years, we need a striker. Spend more on a striker or strikers from lower leagues with potential. It's the most glaringly obvious thing wrong with our team and like the commentary team said yesterday, against good premiership teams, you don't get many chances so you need to put away the ones you do get.

[Mr X]

3-0 flattered them but they had three clear chances and took all three.

We had at least 5 or six clear chances and took zero thanks to our strikers not being clinical and making the wrong decisions.

 

[gammon cheeks]

 

Edozie and Sulemana to start on Saturday as both were pretty good last night ( finishing aside!) Adams up top and if Downes is not fit Charles in at DM as at least that's his proper  position 

 

 

 

 

[East Kent Saint]

I was worried that we would take a beating but both teams wanted to play which made it a good game. Plenty of chances created which was good , not sure about the tippy tappy in own penalty area though . Danns first goal was well taken showed how to do it ! Lets hope the players take heart from their showing and push on .

[rooney]

2 minutes ago, Mr X said:

3-0 flattered them but they had three clear chances and took all three.

We had at least 5 or six clear chances and took zero thanks to our strikers not being clinical and making the wrong decisions.

 

That's exactly it . We do not have the quality up front to score with those chances or decisions. It has been like that since Ings left us. Otherwise I thought we played well last night.

[hypochondriac]

1 hour ago, notnowcato said:

I can imagine a promoted future where there would be an upgrade in player in several positions, a fit no.9 who can score 10-15 goals in the EPL would make all the difference. 

It would have to be upgrades in about 7 or 8 positions. 

[Miltonaggro]

Reflecting on last night, I’m no Klippity fan but you have to say he did a complete number on Russ last night. Bit like an orchestra conductor knowing just how much tempo and pitch was needed to get through without exhausting the wind section. The academy and coaches at Liverpool also clearly place attacking emphasis on finishing once in sight of goal, they were clinical we were clumsy. It was almost a carbon copy of that last saints premier league team. 

[Harry_SFC]

3 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

Reflecting on last night, I’m no Klippity fan but you have to say he did a complete number on Russ last night. Bit like an orchestra conductor knowing just how much tempo and pitch was needed to get through without exhausting the wind section. The academy and coaches at Liverpool also clearly place attacking emphasis on finishing once in sight of goal, they were clinical we were clumsy. It was almost a carbon copy of that last saints premier league team. 

He did what any decent manager would do and noticed there were problems with their press in the first half. He changed it at half time and dominated the second half whilst we ran out of steam.

[beatlesaint]

1 hour ago, eurosaint said:

As it was on ITV lots of neutrals were watching and the feedback I had from my mates was that we played well for at least an hour but that the finishing was very poor !

Their deflected first goal on 44mins was a hammer blow..

All thought that 0-3 was harsh on us !

 

Well from what I was watching that just about sums it up without going into the nuts and bolts of subs etc.

[SNSUN]

In reflection, I don’t think we were that bad last night, particularly in the first half, and the score flattered them a bit. If Sulemana and Mara could finish, we’d have won. If. The line up was wrong if we had half a mind of progressing against a young Liverpool side but Russ wasn’t to know we’d spurn a hat full of good chances. That Shea Charles miss at the back post when he had a year to think about it was poor. I know that’s not his job but still. Stephens, Edozie and Aribo had decent games IMO. I’ve seen Manning play worse too.

In the end it was a cup we most likely weren’t going to win in a season where promotion is the main aim. Plus we didn’t spoil Klopp’s leaving party, or spoil the United vs Liverpool tie in the next round so the TV companies and media will be delighted. 🙄

[Whitey Grandad]

9 hours ago, saintstowin said:

I was really happy with the first half, and surprised. It was fun, and frustrating. From 55 mins we lost shape and any form of possession. I thought Sulemana could have played 75/80 today. Not perfect but effective. Should not have been first sub.

Did we play out from the back tonight more often than the last few months? It reminded me of earlier Champ games, but since then we've mixed it up which has worked well.

There was so much space just across the half way line that we exploited when we did get it forward more quickly. 

It was a shame it petered out. I'm guessing we ended up with less than 50% possession and this will have been odd for the players as we rarely encounter that. 

48% according to the BBC but we all know that means nothing.

[Toadhall Saint]

17 minutes ago, beatlesaint said:

Well from what I was watching that just about sums it up without going into the nuts and bolts of subs etc.

Yep I was more than happy with the way we played in the first half with the exception of our finishing. Think we did ourselves ok and the score line somewhat flatters them.

[Saint86]

11 hours ago, SaintBobby said:

They are top of the PL FFS....we were always likely to lose....

Oh pull the other one ffs. Why are people making so many excuses for last nights limp display, was very poor from us.

Kelleher (aged 25, backup keeper and behind baz for ireland)

Quasah (21... was at least getting a few minutes of men's football at bristol rovers last year)

VVD (32, the bulk of their starting 11's average age covered in one player - proceeded to play for 45min before being replaced).

Tsimikas (Squad player, hasn't feature for more than 1 minute in the last 8 league matches!)

McDonnell (19... Has 3 appearances total of senior football, a smattering of minutes...)

Gomez (Not a first 11 player but is covering for Matip. Played as CDM, which he isn't, to cover for their much weakened squad)

Clark (19 years old, has 27minutes of first team football in the league this season).

Elliot (20year old squad player, but granted he'd get into our team like as not).

Gakpo (Squad player for them, starting because of injuries but suffering horrendous low confidence / form and not playing at all well - looked far far worse that mara last night which says a lot).

Koumas (18, near as i can tell, that was his first ever appearance at senior level).

As for some of their subs:

Kaide Gordan (19 - No minutes in the league this season) - Came on for Gakpo

Jayden Danns (18 - 1 minute in the league this season) - Came on for Koumas

Trey Nyoni (16 - First senior appearance) - Came on for Elliot

MacAllister - did at least strengthen them (not that they needed it...) by coming on for McConnel

Konate (came on for VVD at half time). Fairly irrelevant in the grand scheme of this comparison given both of them walk into our team.

"Top of the premier league"

10 hours ago, Golac's Cunning Stunts said:

the team we played tonight would be far from top of the PL. If they had TAA, Salah , Jota, Diaz etc we would have got a true hammering

Quite - We lost to (and were comfortably outplayed by) a bunch of kids with basically no senior football experience. Incredibly poor by us, and worrying how all the confidence has drained out of us.

 

 

 

Edited February 29 by Saint86

[JRM]

42 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

Reflecting on last night, I’m no Klippity fan but you have to say he did a complete number on Russ last night. Bit like an orchestra conductor knowing just how much tempo and pitch was needed to get through without exhausting the wind section. The academy and coaches at Liverpool also clearly place attacking emphasis on finishing once in sight of goal, they were clinical we were clumsy. It was almost a carbon copy of that last saints premier league team. 

I'm not sure you can say that, if we'd actually taken the chances we'd had first half Klopps tactics would have backfired , he's lucky our shooting is so poor. 

[OldNick]

So annoying that the commentators made out that their first goal was some sort of masterpiece, it was going to Lumley (Id prefer to Baz)before it took a massive deflection leaving us stranded.

"nd half it seems to me that Klopp put an extra man into the press and we couldnt get out.

Taking off Sulemana was a mistake, but realistically did we really want to have another game? I thought Bree had done ok and in hindsight playing KWP has backfired.

We did ok, and I'm not listening to the noise regarding losing to kids,had we gone 1 up they would have been out of it, they did little in the first half and we played some delightful football. Wright and Keane were harsh, the comment that Jan should have made himself bigger is a nonsense, how does he make his leg bigger?

Also if you shoot you have a chance, well we shot lots but didnt get the lucky deflection

[OldNick]

I saw on X that a so called Saints fan wish terminal illness on one of our players last night!! There are some right weirdos out there. I do hope anybody how follows that fan unfollows him and he has no audience

[Totton Saint]

7 hours ago, Tamesaint said:

I felt we lost our way when our wide men Edozie and Sulemana went off. I presume that this was to ensure their freshness for Saturday. Our options against Birmingham would be severely limited if they were both knackered. 

I was about to post why on earth was Edozie taken off. He was threatening Liverpool  a lot of thetime

[rallyboy]

9 minutes ago, Totton Saint said:

I was about to post why on earth was Edozie taken off. He was threatening Liverpool  a lot of the time

Even after he went off he continued to haunt the commentary team.

[Charlie Wayman]

11 hours ago, Miltonaggro said:

Russ looked fuming in the interview, there’s an advocado that’s going to get smashed on the coach journey home! 

Isn't he the bloke who is supposed to be training our team. You get out what you put in. It's all down to him. Maybe time for a change?

[Totton Saint]

If RM was wanting Edozie fresh for Brum why pick him at all?

Edited February 29 by Totton Saint

[saintant]

Still think we need to be more prepared to hoof it when we paint ourselves into a corner playing out from the back. RM is making a rod for his own back by telling the world and his wife that we will always try to pass our way out of defence because it means the opponents know they can add players to the press and really pin us in which happened quite a few times last night. When penned in with nowehere to go, hoof it!

[Jack]

I would’ve loved to see us go full strength, autos are gone so why not. We just haven’t got that cutting edge, even against a bunch of kids. Decent turnout from Saints, shame that Russ couldn’t repay it by having a proper go 

[Jack]

7 minutes ago, saintant said:

Still think we need to be more prepared to hoof it when we paint ourselves into a corner playing out from the back. RM is making a rod for his own back by telling the world and his wife that we will always try to pass our way out of defence because it means the opponents know they can add players to the press and really pin us in which happened quite a few times last night. When penned in with nowehere to go, hoof it!

100%. Everyone can see it coming when we back ourselves into a corner, we shoot ourselves in the foot 

[Totton Saint]

37 minutes ago, Totton Saint said:

I was about to post why on earth was Edozie taken off. He was threatening Liverpool  a lot of thetime

 

[Totton Saint]

7 hours ago, Tamesaint said:

I felt we lost our way when our wide men Edozie and Sulemana went off. I presume that this was to ensure their freshness for Saturday. Our options against Birmingham would be severely limited if they were both knackered. 

What happened to the old adage ' take one game at a time'?  Saurday cannot come quickly enough

[Lee On Solent Saint]

10 hours ago, Lallana's Left Peg said:

I was at the game with a friend who is a professional footballer and has been managed by the likes of Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique and it was very interesting to hear his comments throughout.  For what its worth he thought we were brilliant and unlucky and he loves watching us.  His only negative comments were a lack of quality up front and getting tired too early in the second half.

I think we're just stuck in a little rut and things aren't clicking but we'll get there.  Some players are out of form and its having an impact throughout the team.

Does he want to sign for us!?

[LeBizzier69]

1 hour ago, OldNick said:

I saw on X that a so called Saints fan wish terminal illness on one of our players last night!! There are some right weirdos out there. I do hope anybody how follows that fan unfollows him and he has no audience

Their comment is one written by an attention seeking bell end, probably crying out for engagement. Good old social media.

[East Kent Saint]

I thought Manning did well,  I expected him to be useless after comments on here !

[Badger]

4 hours ago, SNSUN said:

. If Sulemana and Mara could finish, we’d have won. …. but Russ wasn’t to know we’d spurn a hat full of good chances. 

Not sure why RM shouldn’t be fully aware of how pitiful we are in front of goal. Most fans are acutely aware of it.

Barn door, cow’s arse, banjo … choose your metaphor, but in short the two you mentioned are hopeless, as shown last night. And Charles, as a professional footballer you’d expect at least to get a shot on target rather than drag it wide. 

[Toadhall Saint]

1 hour ago, East Kent Saint said:

I thought Manning did well,  I expected him to be useless after comments on here !

One Swallow does not make………

[bpsaint]

4 hours ago, Saint86 said:

Oh pull the other one ffs. Why are people making so many excuses for last nights limp display, was very poor from us.

Kelleher (aged 25, backup keeper and behind baz for ireland)

Quasah (21... was at least getting a few minutes of men's football at bristol rovers last year)

VVD (32, the bulk of their starting 11's average age covered in one player - proceeded to play for 45min before being replaced).

Tsimikas (Squad player, hasn't feature for more than 1 minute in the last 8 league matches!)

McDonnell (19... Has 3 appearances total of senior football, a smattering of minutes...)

Gomez (Not a first 11 player but is covering for Matip. Played as CDM, which he isn't, to cover for their much weakened squad)

Clark (19 years old, has 27minutes of first team football in the league this season).

Elliot (20year old squad player, but granted he'd get into our team like as not).

Gakpo (Squad player for them, starting because of injuries but suffering horrendous low confidence / form and not playing at all well - looked far far worse that mara last night which says a lot).

Koumas (18, near as i can tell, that was his first ever appearance at senior level).

As for some of their subs:

Kaide Gordan (19 - No minutes in the league this season) - Came on for Gakpo

Jayden Danns (18 - 1 minute in the league this season) - Came on for Koumas

Trey Nyoni (16 - First senior appearance) - Came on for Elliot

MacAllister - did at least strengthen them (not that they needed it...) by coming on for McConnel

Konate (came on for VVD at half time). Fairly irrelevant in the grand scheme of this comparison given both of them walk into our team.

"Top of the premier league"

Quite - We lost to (and were comfortably outplayed by) a bunch of kids with basically no senior football experience. Incredibly poor by us, and worrying how all the confidence has drained out of us.

 

 

 

Decent well researched post this.

[Appy]

How was the support? Heard a few renditions of the national anthem, which is odd. 
 

 

[pimpin4rizeal]

Frustrating game .. we done a lot of good things in the first half. Created loads of chances and if scoring one of them it’s probably a different game ..

Neutrals I think would love russ style of play he had us playing last night but it did also demonstrate how soft we can be ..a lot of needless errors passing out from the back.

Again thought Aribo was quality and probably our best player, some great taking the ball on the turn, holding off players with his strength and also is vary aware and holds off players before playing incisive passes .. surely Aribo has to be in our first 11 every week now ?

sulemana looked a constant threat especially when used to break the press but nothing quite coming off in the end, but sake goes for the rest of the attack really.

in the end we looked a bit powder puff, just wasn’t clinical enough but this could have been a very different game 

[derry]

I thought the team that started looked good. Personally I think that Manning is an extremely weak defensive link. In fact his losing the ball led to the all important first goal also leaving his left back position unoccupied when defending. Bree, Stephens and Bednarek played well. In midfield Aribo, Charles and Rothwell played well and fed the two wide men Sulemana and Edozie. Sulemana especially with his pace caused Liverpool problems. Mara had a decent game. 

Where it all went wrong for me was the substitutions. Up until then we were able to break out and create chances. The substitutions for me left us in a shapeless mess. Armstrong with Adams and Mara looked all at sea. From then on we were penned in. Smallbone was appalling, three of the first unloads he made went to the opposition, including his give away that led to the second goal. Once Sulemana went off we had no out ball and Armstrong who replaced him mostly passed backwards. 

Adams was a disgrace, on one particular occasion we had a cross coming in from the right, he was trotting towards the Liverpool goal. In that instant he needed to sprint towards the goal area to try and get on the end of it, instead he just continued trotting and was nowhere near when the ball came in although both Armstrong and Mara made the effort. His closing down was a joke at little more than a stroll and never actually closing down. 

[Jack]

1 hour ago, Appy said:

How was the support? Heard a few renditions of the national anthem, which is odd. 
 

 

Disappointing considering the numbers. Thought it started ok but got a bit flat with the missed chances. Decent night out though

[Jack]

22 minutes ago, derry said:

I thought the team that started looked good. Personally I think that Manning is an extremely weak defensive link. In fact his losing the ball led to the all important first goal also leaving his left back position unoccupied when defending. Bree, Stephens and Bednarek played well. In midfield Aribo, Charles and Rothwell played well and fed the two wide men Sulemana and Edozie. Sulemana especially with his pace caused Liverpool problems. Mara had a decent game. 

Where it all went wrong for me was the substitutions. Up until then we were able to break out and create chances. The substitutions for me left us in a shapeless mess. Armstrong with Adams and Mara looked all at sea. From then on we were penned in. Smallbone was appalling, three of the first unloads he made went to the opposition, including his give away that led to the second goal. Once Sulemana went off we had no out ball and Armstrong who replaced him mostly passed backwards. 

Adams was a disgrace, on one particular occasion we had a cross coming in from the right, he was trotting towards the Liverpool goal. In that instant he needed to sprint towards the goal area to try and get on the end of it, instead he just continued trotting and was nowhere near when the ball came in although both Armstrong and Mara made the effort. His closing down was a joke at little more than a stroll and never actually closing down. 

Mara had a decent game? I think he’s garbage. He might have got in some decent positions at times but squandered our best chances. Could’ve been a different game if he’d done his job and taken his chances