Leicester 5-0 Saints - Match Thread

[Sarisbury Saint]

Men against boys, and that’s being kind.

Any chance RM can motivate this bunch of bottlers ?

Any chance that someone can motivate RM ?

[coalman]

Let's get Fraser and Edozie on for Armstrong and Brooks who've been invisible. At least have a couple of players who are going to stretch play so we can have a go at them.

[hypochondriac]

I think what this does do is underline that we absolutely deserve our place in the table. We have been outclassed by a better team with better players playing  a better system. If we go up I would be worried we would get tonked. 

Edited 23 April, 2024 by hypochondriac

[Colinjb]

  On 23/04/2024 at 19:51, Toussaint said:

How many wingers are on the bench?

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3, each more ineffective then the last.

[trousers]

  On 23/04/2024 at 19:52, Chez said:

I don't want to hear any excuses about the ref being shit. We aint been good enough so far. 

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The two aren't mutually exclusive (shite officials and shite players)....

[pingpong]

This has all the hallmarks of a saints win second half, which would be disastrous, we can't afford to meet Leicester at Wembley.

Hopefully they will stick to the plan and ensure we continue to avoid crossing the ball or making any forward runs. Keep it up lads x

[Holmes_and_Watson]

  On 23/04/2024 at 19:46, Mr X said:

Just realised ever since Russell Martin got a haircut we've been shit! 

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Russ, The modern Samson.

  On 23/04/2024 at 19:46, Badger said:

As in piss poor ? 

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  🙂 I saw that one coming. I originally put fluent, then realised I'd get "shame it's not in football."

[Chez]

  On 23/04/2024 at 19:48, Killers Knee said:

When the Leicester back 4 have possession we just stand off 5 yards like statues, allowing them to survey the field and pick out passes.  No pressure, take your time.  Infuriating 

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Saints actually having a fucking clue how to press an opponent seems like ions ago

[S-Clarke]

  On 23/04/2024 at 19:53, pingpong said:

This has all the hallmarks of a saints win second half, which would be disastrous, we can't afford to meet Leicester at Wembley.

Hopefully they will stick to the plan and ensure we continue to avoid crossing the ball or making any forward runs. Keep it up lads x

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You think we've got a chance of getting to Wembley? Season feels like it's already over.

[Saint Fan CaM]

  On 23/04/2024 at 19:51, Baird of the land said:

Truly pathetic. The most appalling stat was was us having 70+% of possession whilst barely getting out of our own half.

You'd honestly think losing 1-0 gets us promoted by how we have approached this.

 

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Absolutely this. It’s not so much the players - it’s how they’ve been told to play. What is there to lose by getting the ball forward quicker? Pressurise their defence - Vestergard has a penalty in his locker to give away if only someone could run at him in the fucking box.

[Badger]

  On 23/04/2024 at 19:50, gammon cheeks said:

Why the fuck don't we get it wide and get some crosses into the box?  Everything is through the middle so fn boring 💤 

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Because we haven’t got anyone in the box to take advantage. Unless Stewart can come on with crutches 

[davefizzy14]

I can only think we are consuming more energy for the second half as we were not on our level in the 1st.

[stknowle]

Warnock suggesting favouritism from the officials. We should make an OFFICIAL complaint.

Edited 23 April, 2024 by stknowle

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

Time for one of RM's rousing half time speeches...

I'd give Edozie a good run.

[Saint NL]

Half time stats show that we have 67% possession 🤷

Interestingly, Leicester attempted 8 crosses and we attempted none. 

All that possession as well did bugger all with it.

[Tanlee]

Really enjoyed that, Probably the best right back in the league playing left back..brilliant 

[S-Clarke]

  On 23/04/2024 at 19:55, Saint Fan CaM said:

Absolutely this. It’s not so much the players - it’s how they’ve been told to play. What is there to lose by getting the ball forward quicker? Pressurise their defence - Vestergard has a penalty in his locker to give away if only someone could run at him in the fucking box.

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Zombie football is how I'd describe it.

[die Mannyschaft]

Pointless game plan. What is the purpose in slowing game down at opposition 18 Yard box then over passing sideways backwards. God help us in play off semi if this is the tactic. Can you imagine this football in the local derby next season, I'd rather not turn up or just sit in the concourse. 

[SNSUN]

Fraser has been one of our better players this season. He's been fit for a few weeks now, that he keeps getting overlooked for Brooks (who I like but has been bang off it lately) is baffling.

[Disco Stu]

Russball is flawed at a fundamental level and he's too stubborn to do anything about it.

[Chez]

  On 23/04/2024 at 19:53, trousers said:

The two aren't mutually exclusive (shite officials and shite players)....

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sure, but we have hardly managed to get out of our own half. Leicester deserve the lead no matter how much RM will moan about the possible foul on Adams or decisions like the missed corner.

[HarvSFC]

Walking football, creating nothing, but winning possession. The Russell Martin way.

[Badger]

  On 23/04/2024 at 19:52, Sarisbury Saint said:

Men against boys, and that’s being kind.

Any chance RM can motivate this bunch of bottlers ?

Any chance that someone can motivate RM ?

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Perhaps Greta Thurnberg or Eddie Izzard can give him a call and discuss tactics. 

[Zorba]

Will someone tell that twat Martin that we’ve got the best right back in the league and to stop sticking him on the fucking left hand side. Div!

[Monk]

All fart, no poo. 75% possession yet Leicester are dominating? Never heard anything like it.
 

Utterly strange performance from the players, clear emphasis on runs behind to stretch their line to open up inside passes yet we keep ignoring both the ball beyond and in between and go backwards. We utterly freeze in the final third.

 

I have to say, fucking woeful officiating. 

[saintant]

We all know RM has nothing in his locker to change the momentum of a game. Just not bright enough as a coach to figure out what's going wrong and how to fix it.

[SNSUN]

  On 23/04/2024 at 19:56, Tanlee said:

Really enjoyed that, Probably the best right back in the league playing left back..brilliant 

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Especially when it was Bree playing left back earlier this season that tightened us up after Manning scared the shit out of us with his positioning.

[Lord Duckhunter]

  On 23/04/2024 at 19:51, coalman said:

On the plus side, at least Martin's team talk isn't going to be "keep doing what you're doing"

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You sure about that? 

[redkeith]

At least Rothwell is off . 

Rubbish performance,  rubbish ref, other than spotting the dewsbury Hall dive. 

Get fraser on for Brooks , he is another passenger in this team . 

[Saint Fan CaM]

  On 23/04/2024 at 19:56, Tanlee said:

Really enjoyed that, Probably the best right back in the league playing left back..brilliant 

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Tactical mate - you don’t know sheer genius when you see it. Mind you, nor does anyone else.

[Lighthouse]

As bad as it has been, there is something to be said for keeping possession when you’re playing crap. You can say we’ve done nothing with it but what we have done is not concede three or four and be game over. We’re still in it, away to the team top of the league, albeit with a huge improvement needed.

[verlaine1979]

Ah, so tney look like a technically much better side than us. Whenever we're trying to beat their press or move the ball through midfield, everyone looks like they're about to shit themselves in terror as they try to protect and offload the ball. In contrast their passing and movement are for the most part crisp and controlled.

This is what Strachan meant when he talked about propaganda football.

[saintnick]

Even if we did get promoted via the play offs and that’s a big if. We would get battered week in week out playing this nonsense sideways, backwards, no running. But at least we are brave 

[coalman]

  On 23/04/2024 at 19:58, Lord Duckhunter said:

You sure about that? 

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I would hope that "cunts" is going to feature strongly by word frequency.

Edited 23 April, 2024 by coalman

[Wade Garrett]

Proper propaganda football.  Fucking dogshit.

[Lord Duckhunter]

  On 23/04/2024 at 19:57, Badger said:

Perhaps Greta Thurnberg or Eddie Izzard can give him a call and discuss tactics. 

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I’d take those 2 birds over Lego 

[Patches O Houlihan]

  On 23/04/2024 at 19:37, FarehamSaintJames said:

Adams has spent most of the half on the ground rather than on his feet.

I like Russell Martin, but this is piss poor tonight. No creativity whatsoever.

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Nothing to do with the spine of the team being ripped out over the last few games. All Russ's fault definitely 😉

[Baird of the land]

  On 23/04/2024 at 19:56, S-Clarke said:

Zombie football is how I'd describe it.

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Scared football. Just play it back to the secutiry blanky that is our CB's.

[Harry_SFC]

  On 23/04/2024 at 20:00, Patches O Houlihan said:

Nothing to do with the spine of the team being ripped out over the last few games. All Russ's fault definitely 😉

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Tbf Adams has been one of the better players. Not difficult, I know. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

  On 23/04/2024 at 20:00, Patches O Houlihan said:

Nothing to do with the spine of the team being ripped out over the last few games. All Russ's fault definitely 😉

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Spine?

[Mr X]

This style of "football" wouldn't be quite so insulting if Martin didn't insist on calling it brave! 😂

[obelisk]

Time for Jack Stephens to come on and drive Saints forward.

[sfc4prem]

Not sure what to say after that!? 

My bravado of the unbeaten run Saints has dissipated to be left with this weirdly familiar feeling of... resignation?

Come on lads, put a shift in second half ffs.

[saintant]

  On 23/04/2024 at 20:00, Patches O Houlihan said:

Nothing to do with the spine of the team being ripped out over the last few games. All Russ's fault definitely 😉

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Take out a couple of players and it should be nowhere near as bad as this. RM is culpable.

[JohnS]

No changes - Martin is clueless 

[Saint Fan CaM]

See I don’t think our team is any worse than there’s - but their coach knows how to win a game of football consistently.

[Patches O Houlihan]

  On 23/04/2024 at 20:02, Lord Duckhunter said:

Spine?

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I agree tonight we don't have one. But a week ago Baz would have been playing 10m further forward, Flynn would be bossing it and passing to Stu who was making himself available instead of hiding like Rothwell.

[Winnersaint]

Can’t be arsed, off to watch the final episode of Shogun. Will come back here tomorrow when the justifiable ranting is all over.  Nothing against anyone for their understandable comments but I can’t be doing negativity atm. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Sadly RM's possession stat is largely due to Leicester stepping off, once they went one up.

But RM sticks to plan A. Not only in all the games we concede a lead. But also in games where we clearly don't play the personnel who can implement it.

Charles, who looked very unlikely to control and drive the game; Aribo who very unlikely to pass forward or control a game and Rothwell who looks to have never played in midfield, and very out of place.

So, disjointed across the team. McCarthy not as good as Baz's distribution, and with no midfield to pass to. Che comes deep as part of the tactic, but he was doing Charles' job on occasion.

Urgency and bravery isn't going to happen if you're so poorly set up.

Second half hopefully with more than 0.08 xG

 

[Saint NL]

  On 23/04/2024 at 20:04, JohnS said:

No changes - Martin is clueless 

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Everyone knows you have to wait for the opposition to make a change, then you react by chucking on three wingers