Saints 4-2 Sunderland - Match Thread

[gio1saints]

Russ says Hi,

he also asked me to pop this question to the geniuses of this forum- what did you think of his subs impact scoring two goals? And was Ryan alright winning that penalty despite him meant to be on the bench? 
That “idiot’s”

 

 

tactics helped win us the match by playing Ryan and putting Rothwell on at the right time to score two vital goals. If people still grasping g for things to be angry about I respectfully suggest the issue is not us smacking Sunderland 4-2- it’s something else- not Russ, not Ryan, it’s you 😂❤️

[Tamesaint]

Well we won despite our "cunt' of a manager who apparently should be sacked. Thank God none of us here support Ipswich (beaten today by goals in the 95th and 100th minutes) or Leicester (1 win in 6). Their supporters must be suicidal and about to burn down their stadium (!!) if they are anything like some of the OTT melts on here.

[stknowle]

13 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

I thought he put in some great tackles. He's never a right back though. It's crazy that he's being asked to play there.

Completely agree. He did very well in spite of being played out of position, and he should not have been played out of position. 

[Wade Garrett]

Very exciting game and a good win.

We are the architects of our own downfall at times though.  Both their goals were as a result of us playing suicidal football when there was no need.  Bazunu needs to give his head a bit of a wobble.

[Oldandtired]

I'd call that a typical Saints game. Alton Towers has got no bigger rollercoaster than being a Saints fan. At two all I really thought there was only one team going to win it and it wasn't Saints but they found something.

Imo just when you think referees couldn't get any worse they do, I thought he was shite today. And perhaps someone can clear up what was the discussion about after the penalty?

[stknowle]

22 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Yes, he played the majority of the game at RB 

I know he did, and he did it well not iffily which was the point I was addressing Alex you relentlessly negative numbnutter. Doesn’t mean I think it was a good move playing him there, I absolutely do not.

[miserableoldgit]

1 hour ago, AlexLaw76 said:

FT.

Bang average for most of the game, punctured with moments that were good. 

another 2 goals shipped against what was a terrible side on the day.

For the love of god, please can the idiot we have as a manager drop the shoe-horning of Stephens in the side.

We won largely because our players are much better than theirs. I am sure we will hear Martin (again) saying something was his fault.

Isn't this how ream sports work?🤔

[Harry_SFC]

Let's be honest, we've won the last two games because the opposition were shite at the back and we have created a lot of good chances.

If we continue to defend like we do then Leicester, Ipswich and Leeds will beat us no trouble.

Edited 9 March, 2024 by Harry_SFC

[OttawaSaint]

Out of the intensity/emotions of the game it's really great we've been able to witness and cheer so many Saints goals this season. Enjoyable. If we could just tighten up a bit at the back though...

[Chez]

7 minutes ago, Turkish said:

He’s started the last 4 games at centre back we’ve conceded 11 goals. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence 

again, you've got a point, although I'm pretty sure we've only conceded 9 in the last four games. And he didn't play against Hull.

He did start in the WBA game though, five games ago (at left back) and we didn't concede in that one. We conceded three against Bristol before that and he didn't play that game.

Maybe there have been other factors for us conceding goals in the last four games other than simply Stephens playing? We've not had KWP in the last two for example. Flynn Downes missed the two games before that.

[Maury Dyer]

I hat 'kin Lester. But, I'm glad theRe's is a 20 day break. I can relax a bit at the weekend. Do I want promotion ?. More troubled weekends, playing bum boy Brighton and lounge lizard bornmuff.

But stay here and we get the skates twice a year.

Life's a bitch.

 

 

 

[Toadhall Saint]

11 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Very exciting game and a good win.

We are the architects of our own downfall at times though.  Both their goals were as a result of us playing suicidal football when there was no need.  Bazunu needs to give his head a bit of a wobble.

I’m not generally critical of Baz but he needs to realise that he can take the sting outs things by holding onto the ball and not throwing it out as soon as he gets it. 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

24 minutes ago, gio1saints said:

Russ says Hi,

he also asked me to pop this question to the geniuses of this forum- what did you think of his subs impact scoring two goals? And was Ryan alright winning that penalty despite him meant to be on the bench? 
That “idiot’s”

IMG_7554.MOV 88.35 MB · 7 downloads  

 

tactics helped win us the match by playing Ryan and putting Rothwell on at the right time to score two vital goals. If people still grasping g for things to be angry about I respectfully suggest the issue is not us smacking Sunderland 4-2- it’s something else- not Russ, not Ryan, it’s you 😂❤️

Smacking? We had to rely on the bench again to dig us out of trouble against an awful Sunderland side. 

[miserableoldgit]

Interesting that things went wrong after Smallbone was subbed....

[Oh no Mick Mills]

1 hour ago, Chez said:

Fuck me does a narrative grow legs in here.  Bristol City took us to the cleaners a few weeks ago. Centre back pairing that night? Bednarek and THB.

Same as the Hull home defeat. 

THB and Bedders at CB. KWP and Manning the fullbacks. 

Don't get me wrong that is our best CB pairing, but any reason to slate Stephens is always jumped on ..so weird.. Has he made loads of mistakes this season? 

Hes a good player at this level, that's why Martin plays him. 

 

[Patches O Houlihan]

Just now, miserableoldgit said:

Interesting that things went wrong after Smallbone was subbed....

I thought he was having a really good game - even won some very physical challenges. I would have bought Aribo on for Stu, as he'd done his best work by that point

[Turkish]

18 minutes ago, Chez said:

again, you've got a point, although I'm pretty sure we've only conceded 9 in the last four games. And he didn't play against Hull.

He did start in the WBA game though, five games ago (at left back) and we didn't concede in that one. We conceded three against Bristol before that and he didn't play that game.

Maybe there have been other factors for us conceding goals in the last four games other than simply Stephens playing? We've not had KWP in the last two for example. Flynn Downes missed the two games before that.

It’s 10 

5 in the last 2. 3 at Liverpool against their kids and 2 v Millwall. So 7 in the last 3 leagues games if we want to be generous and give him a pass for Liverpool 

he was left back against WBA with JB and THB in the centre and we didn’t concede which kind of backs up my point about not make too many unenforced changes.

its not just down to him but changing 50% of the back four in system which depends on players knowing each others position is never going to end well. Plus Stephens isn’t a proactive defenders he’s reactive his best games come where were under pressure not dominating the ball and having to be positionally aware. 

Edited 9 March, 2024 by Turkish

[eurosaint]

3 points

4 goals

good subs

Enjoyed the game but having just scrolled through this thread I realise just how thick some of the posters are !

Concede 2 goals and the manager should be sacked, you couldn’t make it up….

🤓

[saintant]

1 minute ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

I thought he was having a really good game - even won some very physical challenges. I would have bought Aribo on for Stu, as he'd done his best work by that point

It's odd that RM decides to take off a player having a very good game especially with an international break coming up. Maybe Smallbone picked up a knock.

[LGTL]

39 minutes ago, Tamesaint said:

Well we won despite our "cunt' of a manager who apparently should be sacked. Thank God none of us here support Ipswich (beaten today by goals in the 95th and 100th minutes) or Leicester (1 win in 6). Their supporters must be suicidal and about to burn down their stadium (!!) if they are anything like some of the OTT melts on here.

Yeah agree, I mean I’d absolutely hate us to be 4 points clear of third, would be awful. 

I’d much rather be 6 points behind second. 

Edited 9 March, 2024 by LGTL

[SaintTex]

those were really good finishes by Rothwell - how often do we see opportunities like that sail over the crossbar? 

Rothwell - 268 minutes | 4 goals

Sulemana - 824 minutes | 0 goals

 

[kwsaint]

Anyone know what the ref was chatting to the lino about after the penalty? Couldn’t see anything wrong with it.

[Patches O Houlihan]

2 minutes ago, SaintTex said:

those were really good finishes by Rothwell - how often do we see opportunities like that sail over the crossbar? 

Rothwell - 268 minutes | 4 goals

Sulemana - 824 minutes | 0 goals

 

Sulemana... picks up the ball on the left wing, drops shoulder, powers past the defender on the outside, more defenders crowd him by the time he reaches the box, and he ends up shooting with a tame effort that ricochets off a defender from an acute angle where he'd need to be a wizard to score. Repeat five to eight times every match he plays.

The only variation is when he enters the box, cuts back inside to make a terrible soft pass to someone in space waiting centrally and it is cut out easily by defenders. Usually 2 to four times a game. 

It's not like there aren't great examples of wing play for him to learn from all around him. If he could play like Fraser or Brooks with that pace and physicality he'd be a monster - and yes I know then we wouldn't be able to keep hold of him.

I feel like even the fear that he instilled in Championship opposition right backs at the start of the season is no longer a thing now because his play is so predictable. 

Hopefully he'll score a hat trick after the break and make me look like a knob.

COYR

[RedWillie]

47 minutes ago, Oldandtired said:

I'd call that a typical Saints game. Alton Towers has got no bigger rollercoaster than being a Saints fan. At two all I really thought there was only one team going to win it and it wasn't Saints but they found something.

Imo just when you think referees couldn't get any worse they do, I thought he was shite today. And perhaps someone can clear up what was the discussion about after the penalty?

Sunderland were arguing at least two saints players encroached the area, ref decided it made absolutely no difference.  Correct decision. 

[goodymatt]

2 minutes ago, RedWillie said:

Sunderland were arguing at least two saints players encroached the area, ref decided it made absolutely no difference.  Correct decision. 

I think Arma slipped and hit he ball into his standing foot. Officials missed it and we got away with it.

[OttawaSaint]

10 minutes ago, kwsaint said:

Anyone know what the ref was chatting to the lino about after the penalty? Couldn’t see anything wrong with it.

Might have been asking if Aarm double hit it when he slipped.

[RedWillie]

2 minutes ago, goodymatt said:

I think Arma slipped and hit he ball into his standing foot. Officials missed it and we got away with it.

Oh OK, thats my theory gone ! mystery deepens. 😁

[hypochondriac]

I genuinely think Leeds are going to win the league which means we will have to pip Leicester to get second which personally I don't think is happening now. 

[macca155]

1 hour ago, stknowle said:

THB had an iffy day? Really? 

Yep , not a bad game by any means, but by his standards less commanding than usual.

Not his fault by the way, the roving role Stephens has exposes THB. He has too much to do.

[St Louis]

31 minutes ago, Oh no Mick Mills said:

Same as the Hull home defeat. 

THB and Bedders at CB. KWP and Manning the fullbacks. 

Don't get me wrong that is our best CB pairing, but any reason to slate Stephens is always jumped on ..so weird.. Has he made loads of mistakes this season? 

Hes a good player at this level, that's why Martin plays him. 

 

No, you are right he hasn’t made loads of mistakes individually, so it isn’t personal criticism. But collectively we don’t look as solid when he plays at CB and THB gets moved out to fullback, that is the problem IMO and why we are conceding goals.

[Roger]

I’ve watched Stephens play for years for saints. Managers love his attitude at the start. He looks good on ball etc but we always concede goals when he plays. By the end managers don’t rate him. Expect this to happen again. 
gav 

kwp thb bedders manning/bree 

downes(if he’s injured Charles) do that and we’ve got a r chance 

[Oh no Mick Mills]

We are not clinical enough. 

That's the biggest for me today and plenty of other times this season. 

We are often far better than the oppo but Sully and Arma are the worst culprits in missing guilt edged chances. 

Armstrong is baffling. 

He works really hard and has a great goals and assists record this season but he often shoots way over the bar or scuffs shots like an 8 year old. 

Sully cannot generate any power either when he breaks free on the left and cuts in. 

We end up leaving the back door open rather than get to 3 nil and you've buried them. 

 

Oh for a classy Ryan Fraser finish. 

[Sheaf Saint]

10 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I genuinely think Leeds are going to win the league which means we will have to pip Leicester to get second which personally I don't think is happening now. 

I agree it's unlikely, but stranger things have happened. If we win our game in hand against Preston then we're 6 points behind them. Beat them at their place, which given their current form isn't that far fetched, then the gap is only 3.

I know we don't look like auto contenders with our current defending, but I'm not gonna give up hope just yet.

[Oh no Mick Mills]

7 minutes ago, St Louis said:

No, you are right he hasn’t made loads of mistakes individually, so it isn’t personal criticism. But collectively we don’t look as solid when he plays at CB and THB gets moved out to fullback, that is the problem IMO and why we are conceding goals.

Fair comment mush. 

Love reading all the different opinions on here, just not the hysterical and abusive ones aimed at the players or manager. 

 

[Roger]

1 hour ago, Chez said:

Fuck me does a narrative grow legs in here.  Bristol City took us to the cleaners a few weeks ago. Centre back pairing that night? Bednarek and THB.

Was 0-0 half time until he took Charles off as the 6!

[Roger]

1 hour ago, macca155 said:

Don't agree,, Stephens added much needed strength to the side. He was one of the better players. Saints are better with him in the side imo. THB had a very iffy day and yet he escapes criticism.

Saints were fine until the substitutions. Taking Smallbone off was an error. He had a good game and the team lost its shape when he went off.

I thought Adams was off his game today, he needs to hold the ball up and struggled with that today.

We are not a better side with Stephens in at all.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

12 minutes ago, Roger said:

We are not a better side with Stephens in at all.

Agreed 

[Chez]

1 minute ago, Roger said:

Was 0-0 half time until he took Charles off as the 6!

Thanks. You have made my point for me. Conceding goals is not necessarily down to who is playing at CB. Protection in front matters, along with a host of other things. 

Anyho, KWP will be back soon, THB will move back to CB and everyone will be happy.

In the meantime, I'm very happy to get the win.

[macca155]

5 minutes ago, Roger said:

We are not a better side with Stephens in at all.

With Smallbone off limits, the scapegoat agenda moves on to Stephens..... ridiculous. He was fine today why pick on him.

It was a good win, Sunderland were woeful. Taking Smallbone off was a mistake. So many changes unsettled the team, but they recovered pretty emphatically.

Enjoy it.

 

[Chez]

thought he played well. Not as well as at Brum.

Edited 9 March, 2024 by Chez

[woodsaint1]

Scoring 4 when we're 'not clinical enough' and so 'wasteful' in front of goal. Not a bad place to be.

Just need to get back to keeping clean sheets. Although to be fair Sunderland's goals today were pretty decent

[LuckyNumber7]

God the relentless negativity on here from some, even when we win is tiring.

I enjoyed today, lots of goals and entertainment again as is becoming the norm, no-one can say we're boring. Aside from the little wobble we played well and could have won by a bigger margin. I would agree that Stephens should be at RB rather than THB but I don't think it made a big impact today and KWP should be back next game anyway.

Rothwell deserves more credit than he gets too, another 2 vital goals, first was a good finish in particular. Their defence couldn't handle Sully, if only he could finish.

Top 2 still seems unlikely but it's far from over yet. UTS

[sfc4prem]

1 minute ago, woodsaint1 said:

Scoring 4 when we're 'not clinical enough' and so 'wasteful' in front of goal. Not a bad place to be.

Just need to get back to keeping clean sheets. Although to be fair Sunderland's goals today were pretty decent

Yeah not too much you can do about the deflection for the first and Bellingham's curler.

[Turkish]

43 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I genuinely think Leeds are going to win the league which means we will have to pip Leicester to get second which personally I don't think is happening now. 

Leeds will probably be top this time next week. They’re hitting form at the right time, they’re winning games they shouldn’t be and they’re not conceding goals which is how you win titles. 

[Lighthouse]

1 hour ago, LGTL said:

Yeah agree, I mean I’d absolutely hate us to be 4 points clear of third, would be awful. 

I’d much rather be 6 points behind second. 

And yet he’s right. Regardless of our league positions, I can guarantee the message boards of both those teams will be going radio rental after this weekends games.

[Osvaldorama]

Just home from the game. 
 

- We made really hard work of one of the worst teams to visit St Mary’s in ages. Our finishing was awful first half. Then we seemed to be treating it like a training game for the start of the second  

- Our passing was suicidal for the whole second half. Bazunu was especially guilty.… we put ourselves under SO much pressure. 
- Wish Martin would leave THB at CB. Like every other saints fan, this decision above all others makes me question his management. I feel he is over complicating things. Bree looked great when he came on… why wasn’t he there from the start?

- Downes is fucking class. Smallbone played really well too. For all of the above negatives, there were so many positives. 

… and after all that what an amazing game of football. Class to come back like that. Never dull supporting saints. 

[Long Shot]

26 minutes ago, macca155 said:

With Smallbone off limits, the scapegoat agenda moves on to Stephens..... ridiculous. He was fine today why pick on him.

It was a good win, Sunderland were woeful. Taking Smallbone off was a mistake. So many changes unsettled the team, but they recovered pretty emphatically.

Enjoy it.

 

It was a good win, Sunderland were woeful doesn’t really equate

[sfc4prem]

3 minutes ago, Osvaldorama said:

Just home from the game. 
 

- We made really hard work of one of the worst teams to visit St Mary’s in ages. Our finishing was awful first half. Then we seemed to be treating it like a training game for the start of the second  

- Our passing was suicidal for the whole second half. Bazunu was especially guilty.… we put ourselves under SO much pressure. 
- Wish Martin would leave THB at CB. Like every other saints fan, this decision above all others makes me question his management. I feel he is over complicating things. Bree looked great when he came on… why wasn’t he there from the start?

- Downes is fucking class. Smallbone played really well too. For all of the above negatives, there were so many positives. 

… and after all that what an amazing game of football. Class to come back like that. Never dull supporting saints. 

I agree with this. Rated as a pretty excellent RB at this level when we first bought him, and yet we shoehorn a CB to play in lieu of him while he warms the bench. Smacks of overcomplicating things.

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

12 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Leeds will probably be top this time next week. They’re hitting form at the right time, they’re winning games they shouldn’t be and they’re not conceding goals which is how you win titles. 

Not so sure. The international break means the table isn't changing for a while. I still think we can catch them rather than Leicester though it'll need Hull and Coventry to take something off Leeds before we play them.

[Long Shot]

17 minutes ago, LuckyNumber7 said:

God the relentless negativity on here from some, even when we win is tiring.

I enjoyed today, lots of goals and entertainment again as is becoming the norm, no-one can say we're boring. Aside from the little wobble we played well and could have won by a bigger margin. I would agree that Stephens should be at RB rather than THB but I don't think it made a big impact today and KWP should be back next game anyway.

Rothwell deserves more credit than he gets too, another 2 vital goals, first was a good finish in particular. Their defence couldn't handle Sully, if only he could finish.

Top 2 still seems unlikely but it's far from over yet. UTS

One man’s relentless negativity is another man’s realism. 
Why worry? You seem happy behind your rose petals.