Saints 0-1 Stoke - Match Thread

[LGTL]

I still find it absolutely incredible that we signed Mara as an established PL team. What the fucking fuck?

[AlexLaw76]

3 minutes ago, LGTL said:

I still find it absolutely incredible that we signed Mara as an established PL team. What the fucking fuck?

I remember someone on here claiming Mara was "fine" for the championship

 

[JRM]

3 minutes ago, LGTL said:

I still find it absolutely incredible that we signed Mara as an established PL team. What the fucking fuck?

He's a terrible footballer. 

From memory he was a France u21 player and his team were on the verge of going bust so we "got him cheap" ha properly mugged off there. 

[beatlesaint]

4 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

I remember someone on here claiming Mara was "fine" for the championship

 

To be honest he should be !

[AlexLaw76]

2 minutes ago, beatlesaint said:

To be honest he should be !

he has shown nothing, ever, to suggest he could.

[Osvaldorama]

He should have spent the season on loan at a league 1 or 2 team. 
 

I understand why we recruited him. Sort of player that you can gamble on and hope he develops. But the way his career has been handled here is mental.
 

The the fact we are throwing him in here and there and expecting him to do something is just awful management tbh. 

[Lighthouse]

1 minute ago, Osvaldorama said:

He should have spent the season on loan at a league 1 or 2 team. 
 

I understand why we recruited him. Sort of player that you can gamble on and hope he develops. But the way his career has been handled here is mental.
 

The the fact we are throwing him in here and there and expecting him to do something is just awful management tbh. 

He started the game today and showed exactly why he should be nowhere near the pitch. He’s awful, I’ve no idea what anyone sees in him other than moderately good technique with zero end product.

[Turkish]

28 minutes ago, JRM said:

He's a terrible footballer. 

From memory he was a France u21 player and his team were on the verge of going bust so we "got him cheap" ha properly mugged off there. 

he clearly has talent, remember that Leeds pass!

[Dman]

7 minutes ago, Turkish said:

he clearly has talent, remember that Leeds pass!

When he’s got the ball, with no one trying to get it off him and he doesn’t have to put any effort in (run, show a bit of grit/determination) he’s a real talent that boy. 
 

The sooner he fucks back off to France the better. Disgraceful attitude of a player. 

[hypochondriac]

Can the club do some sort of reset before the playoffs? I know we have been up and down this year but it feels like the season has taken its toll on everyone. We need to find a way to draw a line under it and move into the playoffs with no hangover. A couple of days away or something? No idea what could work but it's psychological as well as physical. It looks to me like Martin doesn't really know what to do (he has Ralph vibes towards the end of his tenure.) I'm not sure he has the required fortitude for another season if we don't go up. 

[Sunglasses Ron]

Just got back to deepest Devon. That’s a day I’ll never get back, fucking awful from start to finish plus some twat installed a load of scaffolding in front of my seat.

[Dragon_man]

And not even a last home game free beer token ... times must be hard.

[RedArmy]

10 games to get promoted after a long break. 
 

P9 W3 D2 L4 

 

[Challenger]

3 hours ago, Saint NL said:

This one?

Fast forward a season and imagine this inbred giving it large after Pompey do the double over us. With this shite, fake football it's really going to happen.

[Saint Fan CaM]

24 minutes ago, Challenger said:

Fast forward a season and imagine this inbred giving it large after Pompey do the double over us. With this shite, fake football it's really going to happen.

And that’s after he’s pissed all over the seats, swinging his cock around at at all the young kids in the family section. 

[John Boy Saint]

On 24/04/2024 at 12:08, John Boy Saint said:

Fat chance of those 4 getting anymore of a feel of the pitch - aside from the warm up and at half time - thats if they even get picked. 

Glad I have been invited to go and play golf on Saturday - at least I can influence how shit I play.

 

For those hoping for an update, my front 9 was a bit grim, but second half, despite cramp - having not played since October, I dug deep to play less shit. Didn’t rain on us so that’s a bit of a result. 
No surprise to see the scoreline supping a beer on the 19th.

Having hung up my season ticket at the end of last season, after 45 years of moving heaven and earth to get down the Saints, this lot have made my Cold Turkey sooooo easy! 😢😢😢

[Fan The Flames]

1 hour ago, hypochondriac said:

Can the club do some sort of reset before the playoffs? I know we have been up and down this year but it feels like the season has taken its toll on everyone. We need to find a way to draw a line under it and move into the playoffs with no hangover. A couple of days away or something? No idea what could work but it's psychological as well as physical. It looks to me like Martin doesn't really know what to do (he has Ralph vibes towards the end of his tenure.) I'm not sure he has the required fortitude for another season if we don't go up. 

I've got my passport ready, can easily get a few days off work at short notice. Let's all get cunted, have a massive fight and a good laugh about it the next day.

[Viking Saint]

4 hours ago, Saint NL said:

This one?

I can smell the piss stench from here

[SNSUN]

2 hours ago, AlexLaw76 said:

I remember someone on here claiming Mara was "fine" for the championship

 

TBF I though Sulemana would tear it up down here so I can see where people go wrong.

[hypochondriac]

45 minutes ago, Fan The Flames said:

I've got my passport ready, can easily get a few days off work at short notice. Let's all get cunted, have a massive fight and a good laugh about it the next day.

I'm up to Leeds on Friday. Let's hope the team has a couple of days away too over that period and then we might look a little less lethargic during the games that actually matter. 

[Elmore Saint]

2 hours ago, Osvaldorama said:

He should have spent the season on loan at a league 1 or 2 team. 
 

I understand why we recruited him. Sort of player that you can gamble on and hope he develops. But the way his career has been handled here is mental.
 

The the fact we are throwing him in here and there and expecting him to do something is just awful management tbh. 

Can we ship him out to Valenciennes?

[Kermitzasaint]

7 hours ago, SNSUN said:

TBF I though Sulemana would tear it up down here so I can see where people go wrong.

With a decent coach (not RM) I think he could be a hell of a player. RM hasn't improved a single player since arriving. 

I wished I was wrong about him but he is a nothing coach. Mediocre and average. It's soo very Saints to screw this up

[obelisk]

Well at least Saints have managed to destroy any vestiges of confidence in Saints fans that they stand much of a chance in the playoffs. Just about every other team now knows how to beat Saints. Press high with numbers and lots of energy and wait to be handed the ball. No need to worry about the ball over the top into the channels because it hardly ever happens and when it does it rarely finds the target. Besides that there'll be plenty of time to funnel back into a solid defensive formation while Saints tippy tap and fanny around in their own half.

The only reason that wasn't a 0-3 or 0-4 embarrassment was because McCarthy managed to get in the way of some shots. Fourth place ought to be something to mildly celebrate but this drab, boring and pointless end of season form has certainly soured things.

[RedArmy]

11 hours ago, LGTL said:

I still find it absolutely incredible that we signed Mara as an established PL team. What the fucking fuck?

We’re not in the championship by chance. Our recruitment has been shit for nearly a decade and our academy has stopped churning out any talent whatsoever. 

[rallyboy]

That was like a taster for the Premier League - Puel style.

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

11 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

Can the club do some sort of reset before the playoffs? I know we have been up and down this year but it feels like the season has taken its toll on everyone. We need to find a way to draw a line under it and move into the playoffs with no hangover. A couple of days away or something? No idea what could work but it's psychological as well as physical. It looks to me like Martin doesn't really know what to do (he has Ralph vibes towards the end of his tenure.) I'm not sure he has the required fortitude for another season if we don't go up. 

Admittedly the warning signals were going off after the Bristol City game and that last minute goal against Watford kept our hopes going, but it was only eight days ago, half way through the Cardiff game, that we were looking like having a real chance of automatic promotion.

The game is massively psychological. We need to get back in to that frame of mind we had in the first half of the Cardiff game. RM could do worse this weekend than read a book on installing a positive mindset because this still has the potential to be a very good team and he needs to get them thinking they are unbeatable. He can't just rely on his possession style system and hope they've been sufficiently drilled in it to make it work. That won't do it. 

And McCarthy went up in my estimation yesterday.

[hypochondriac]

50 minutes ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

Admittedly the warning signals were going off after the Bristol City game and that last minute goal against Watford kept our hopes going, but it was only eight days ago, half way through the Cardiff game, that we were looking like having a real chance of automatic promotion.

The game is massively psychological. We need to get back in to that frame of mind we had in the first half of the Cardiff game. RM could do worse this weekend than read a book on installing a positive mindset because this still has the potential to be a very good team and he needs to get them thinking they are unbeatable. He can't just rely on his possession style system and hope they've been sufficiently drilled in it to make it work. That won't do it. 

And McCarthy went up in my estimation yesterday.

Absolutely agree. We know these players are capable of putting together three performances that can win us promotion but they need to forget all the disappointment and poor performances of the last few weeks and just go out and perform to their potential. Martin says a lot of nice words but then the players don't show any reaction to what has gone before. 

[JRM]

2 hours ago, obelisk said:

Well at least Saints have managed to destroy any vestiges of confidence in Saints fans that they stand much of a chance in the playoffs. Just about every other team now knows how to beat Saints. Press high with numbers and lots of energy and wait to be handed the ball. No need to worry about the ball over the top into the channels because it hardly ever happens and when it does it rarely finds the target. Besides that there'll be plenty of time to funnel back into a solid defensive formation while Saints tippy tap and fanny around in their own half.

The only reason that wasn't a 0-3 or 0-4 embarrassment was because McCarthy managed to get in the way of some shots. Fourth place ought to be something to mildly celebrate but this drab, boring and pointless end of season form has certainly soured things.

You're completely right. The sense of disappointment and negativity around St Mary's is very noticeable, fans just don't believe in Martins tactics , the pointless possession has knocked the enthusiasm out of the fans and I think if there was a poll i think very few have any confidence for the play offs. 

Compare that to Hull v Ipswich last night, both teams and fanbases look energised and bang up for it. 

[derry]

I watched Hull v Ipswich last night. Both teams were relentless with their urgency and effort. Saints yesterday were appalling. While a few players showed some urgency the managers tactics of slow rotational passing has bred a lack of urgency amongs certain players. Yesterday Smallbone, Brooks, Mara, Charles and especially Stephens not busting a gut to get back for the goal were examples of strolling players. That is not acceptable. I'll say that again, NOT ACCEPTABLE. 

Martin needs to address this tempo issue. These players obviously think the way they play is enough in itself, it isn't and they need to be given a wake up call. Leeds are on the back foot now and if Ipswich get anything against Coventry with Huddersfield next at home Leeds will need to beat us. Make no mistake they will be giving everything but will we. Leicester had a third possession against us and hammered us 5-0. Leeds could to the same. 

All our players need a big wake up call. Possession without urgency and effort is useless as we have recently found out. Tossing it aound aimlessly in our own half doesn't cut it. Unless we grasp that, the playoffs will be a humiliation.

Edited April 28 by derry

[BranfootsLoveChild]

Is it bad that after yesterday, and you might disagree with me, that I don't give a shit if we go up or not. We will be the whipping boys in the prem. At least we might be able to rebuild next season (somehow) and actually achieve great things. I hope Martin won't be there but, sadly  I think he will. He is so stubborn that we will probably see the same style again, teams will know exactly the tactics he will use and we may struggle. Unless he gets a proper kick up the arse from the owners I think he may see his contract out.

[east-stand-nic]

Is it just me, or is that a performance that shows a team not playing for their manager?

[Whitey Grandad]

3 minutes ago, BranfootsLoveChild said:

Is it bad that after yesterday, and you might disagree with me, that I don't give a shit if we go up or not. We will be the whipping boys in the prem. At least we might be able to rebuild next season (somehow) and actually achieve great things. I hope Martin won't be there but, sadly  I think he will. He is so stubborn that we will probably see the same style again, teams will know exactly the tactics he will use and we may struggle. Unless he gets a proper kick up the arse from the owners I think he may see his contract out.

I feel much the same. In some ways I’d rather not be bothered about the two games in the playoffs. I cannot raise any excitement for them and I could do without the distraction. My garden needs attention as well as a hundred other things.

[Miltonaggro]

2 minutes ago, east-stand-nic said:

Is it just me, or is that a performance that shows a team not playing for their manager?

It did look like that, totally flat and toothless. Brooks was clearly just going through the motions but weird to see Fraser so off the pace. 

[Whitey Grandad]

2 minutes ago, east-stand-nic said:

Is it just me, or is that a performance that shows a team not playing for their manager?

Not so much that as a team that doesn’t believe in the way of playing. There was only one team yesterday that had any desire about the result. 
 

The team selection was an insult to the supporters.

[Whitey Grandad]

1 minute ago, Miltonaggro said:

It did look like that, totally flat and toothless. Brooks was clearly just going through the motions but weird to see Fraser so off the pace. 

Is this possibly because they are only on loan?

[Lord Duckhunter]

I thought Frasier started well & put a couple of decent crosses in early on. Don’t know why he stopped taking on the FB & started checking back inside. Probably because there was nobody on the end of them, he remembered Legos instructions or was knackered. Possibly a mixture of all 3, but it’s bizarre because he got behind the bloke with ease early on. 

[spyinthesky]

I dont blame the Manager for making changes for an non event team for us.

That said, the performances of all the players apart from McCarthy and KWP left an awful lot to be desired.

Its OK for the Manager to say the team is tired but what's the difference between us and the rest of the teams in the League who have had a similar amount of games to play.

There is no urgency in our play even when chasing the game at the end.

The bubble has truly been burst both on and off the field.

[saintant]

15 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

I thought Frasier started well & put a couple of decent crosses in early on. Don’t know why he stopped taking on the FB & started checking back inside. Probably because there was nobody on the end of them, he remembered Legos instructions or was knackered. Possibly a mixture of all 3, but it’s bizarre because he got behind the bloke with ease early on. 

For reasons only known to RM Ryan Fraser has had very little game time of late and now needs to get up to match speed - unless he's been carrying a knock that is down to RM. Having seen what we get from Edozie and Sulemana I would hazard a guess that Fraser has nor been best pleased at having to kick his heels and watch the dross produced in the last few games. It is now down to RM to pick this squad up and instil some belief because they look broken and RM must take a large chunk of responsibility for that.We have been poorly managed at a crucial period in my opinion. We threw away the Cardiff game because, not for the first time, the manager failed to close the game down, we then got slaughtered at Leicester by letting them play exactly as they did at St Marys and yesterday should have been an easy opportunity to put on a convincing display against a poor side, get a win and rebuild confidence.  A 3 game sequence where RM has again shown his obvious shortcomings.

Edited April 28 by saintant

[Dellyears]

46 minutes ago, BranfootsLoveChild said:

Is it bad that after yesterday, and you might disagree with me, that I don't give a shit if we go up or not. We will be the whipping boys in the prem. At least we might be able to rebuild next season (somehow) and actually achieve great things. I hope Martin won't be there but, sadly  I think he will. He is so stubborn that we will probably see the same style again, teams will know exactly the tactics he will use and we may struggle. Unless he gets a proper kick up the arse from the owners I think he may see his contract out.

It's all too similar to the 2005 relegation, that was followed by reaching (and losing) the play offs, then the following year was a struggle against relegation (avoided in the last match) and then the next relegation followed. The Championship is difficult to get out of, if you don't do it immediately. This present manager seems a nice chap, but nice chaps aren't often winners at top level

[Badger]

18 hours ago, madge said:

 

i’d take the Stoke manager who’s always done pretty well and their wide no 22 who looked decent. 

Stoke fans were calling for his head a couple of weeks ago. 

[Badger]

2 hours ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Not so much that as a team that doesn’t believe in the way of playing. There was only one team yesterday that had any desire about the result. 
 

The team selection was an insult to the supporters.

A disappointing line up certainly, but I can’t criticise Martin for that yesterday given where we are . Giving some of the key players a rest is sound in my view with the play offs coming up, we’d be creating if AA, or Downes picked up an injury in a needless end of season Match.

The lack of motivation and organisation among some players does rest  with RM and he deserves the flak for that.

Hopefully a couple of players have played themselves out of the reckoning for further selection.

 

[Whitey Grandad]

9 minutes ago, Badger said:

A disappointing line up certainly, but I can’t criticise Martin for that yesterday given where we are . Giving some of the key players a rest is sound in my view with the play offs coming up, we’d be creating if AA, or Downes picked up an injury in a needless end of season Match.

The lack of motivation and organisation among some players does rest  with RM and he deserves the flak for that.

Hopefully a couple of players have played themselves out of the reckoning for further selection.

 

I take a different view. Players can get injured warming up or even sweeping up leaves. We needed a resounding performance to take us into the playoffs followed by a strong performance next week. Instead we got an insipid capitulation against a team who wanted it far more than us.

You don’t get match fit by being rested. Now we have lost the last three games having scored only one goal and not in the last two. We, or rather he, hasn’t got a chance of getting us motivated and straight out of the traps in the semis.

[disconnect]

2 hours ago, derry said:

I watched Hull v Ipswich last night. Both teams were relentless with their urgency and effort. Saints yesterday were appalling. While a few players showed some urgency the managers tactics of slow rotational passing has bred a lack of urgency amongs certain players. Yesterday Smallbone, Brooks, Mara, Charles and especially Stephens not busting a gut to get back for the goal were examples of strolling players. That is not acceptable. I'll say that again, NOT ACCEPTABLE. 

Martin needs to address this tempo issue. These players obviously think the way they play is enough in itself, it isn't and they need to be given a wake up call. Leeds are on the back foot now and if Ipswich get anything against Coventry with Huddersfield next at home Leeds will need to beat us. Make no mistake they will be giving everything but will we. Leicester had a third possession against us and hammered us 5-0. Leeds could to the same. 

All our players need a big wake up call. Possession without urgency and effort is useless as we have recently found out. Tossing it aound aimlessly in our own half doesn't cut it. Unless we grasp that, the playoffs will be a humiliation.

But hold up, didnt Martin effectively say we lost (read get smashed) at Leicester because Jack Stephens wasnt playing?! I can only imagine how bad it could've been if he was 🤣

[Whitey Grandad]

47 minutes ago, disconnect said:

But hold up, didnt Martin effectively say we lost (read get smashed) at Leicester because Jack Stephens wasnt playing?! I can only imagine how bad it could've been if he was 🤣

Whatever the problem, Jack Stephens is not the answer.

[Dark Munster]

1 hour ago, Whitey Grandad said:

I take a different view. Players can get injured warming up or even sweeping up leaves. We needed a resounding performance to take us into the playoffs followed by a strong performance next week. Instead we got an insipid capitulation against a team who wanted it far more than us.

You don’t get match fit by being rested. Now we have lost the last three games having scored only one goal and not in the last two. We, or rather he, hasn’t got a chance of getting us motivated and straight out of the traps in the semis.

They are more likely to get injured playing than not, plus we’ve played a ridiculous number of games this last month. So I agree with some others that I don’t blame Russell resting key players for these dead rubbers.

But I do blame him for everything else about how shit we are. 

[VectisSaint]

4 hours ago, derry said:

I watched Hull v Ipswich last night. Both teams were relentless with their urgency and effort. Saints yesterday were appalling. While a few players showed some urgency the managers tactics of slow rotational passing has bred a lack of urgency amongs certain players. Yesterday Smallbone, Brooks, Mara, Charles and especially Stephens not busting a gut to get back for the goal were examples of strolling players. That is not acceptable. I'll say that again, NOT ACCEPTABLE. 

 

They weren't "strolling" back, they (especially Stephens) were taking up positions appropriate for the threat which Harwood-Bellis looked to have covered, with McCarthy covering the post. The threat appeared to be a pull back to the penalty spot, but the Stoke player got passed THB (too easily) and put it in the net instead. It was a situation that most people would have expected THB to deal with reasonably easily. There is a good case that Bree could have done more to help THB as Franny highlighted in the commentary.

[Whitey Grandad]

19 minutes ago, VectisSaint said:

They weren't "strolling" back, they (especially Stephens) were taking up positions appropriate for the threat which Harwood-Bellis looked to have covered, with McCarthy covering the post. The threat appeared to be a pull back to the penalty spot, but the Stoke player got passed THB (too easily) and put it in the net instead. It was a situation that most people would have expected THB to deal with reasonably easily. There is a good case that Bree could have done more to help THB as Franny highlighted in the commentary.

It was a full back’s position to be there.

[Miltonaggro]

4 hours ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Is this possibly because they are only on loan?

Perhaps Whitey, foreseeable.  We might find out in the next two games. 

[Wade Garrett]

17 minutes ago, VectisSaint said:

They weren't "strolling" back, they (especially Stephens) were taking up positions appropriate for the threat which Harwood-Bellis looked to have covered, with McCarthy covering the post. The threat appeared to be a pull back to the penalty spot, but the Stoke player got passed THB (too easily) and put it in the net instead. It was a situation that most people would have expected THB to deal with reasonably easily. There is a good case that Bree could have done more to help THB as Franny highlighted in the commentary.

THB and Bree were both on the scorer, one covering inside one the other.  He just moved a couple of steps like they weren’t there.

All season in wide areas we have  given the opposition far too much time and space.  The full backs seem to be between the centre-back and the line, pretty much in no man’s land.  This is obviously by design and is one of the reasons we have conceded so much.  Also, when we defend corners we don’t match up with their tall players.  Again this is on the manager.

You would think that being an international defender he would know how to set a team up to defend.  He doesn’t seem to have a clue.

[Whitey Grandad]

1 minute ago, Wade Garrett said:

THB and Bree were both on the scorer, one covering inside one the other.  He just moved a couple of steps like they weren’t there.

All season in wide areas we have  given the opposition far too much time and space.  The full backs seem to be between the centre-back and the line, pretty much in no man’s land.  This is obviously by design and is one of the reasons we have conceded so much.  Also, when we defend corners we don’t match up with their tall players.  Again this is on the manager.

You would think that being an international defender he would know how to set a team up to defend.  He doesn’t seem to have a clue.

Indeed. If anything they got in each other’s way.