Saints 3-1 West Brom - Match Thread

[obelisk]

Martin's tactics have managed to completely nullify any excitement in the crowd. Can't see Saints winning this. I'm expecting an Albion break away goal and a 2nd to polish things off at 90 minutes.

[Sir Ralph]

Too passive. Too much slow ball. Not stressing West Brom enough. Seen it before

[IronCitySaint]

Given our recent history of second half performances, I feel very nervous about this. Another dull performance to add to the collection. Oh for a striker.

[adrian lord]

mmm. Never threatened their goal in 46 mins of huffing and puffing and possession domination. WBA doing a number on us. 

Edited 17 May, 2024 by adrian lord

[Baird of the land]

Horribly negative for the most part despite the possession domination. So many times picking safe backwards pass. 

 

[Saint_clark]

Just now, IronCitySaint said:

Given our recent history of second half performances, I feel very nervous about this. Another dull performance to add to the collection. Oh for a striker.

We were better in the 2nd half v WBA. Also injury time belongs to us. We'll be fine.

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, adrian lord said:

mmm. Never threatened their goal in 90 mins of huffing and puffing and possession domination. WBA doing a number on us. 

We know what this means.....

[Mr X]

Brom were there for the taking and we barely threatened their goal! was there a shot on target? 

[Farmer Saint]

1 minute ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Loads of possession, well on top until we get to their defensive 3rd. They are clearly dropping everyone deep behind the ball, but we are pretty slow moving it forward and not being particularly brave (yet) in an attacking sense.

Got to be better going forward than this

Very difficult with little space and deep defending. 

[Sir Ralph]

Need to get Stewart on. Coming short and moving West Brom around

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, Farmer Saint said:

Very difficult with little space and deep defending. 

I know.

[benjii]

KWP seems to be playing from a deeper starting position than usual, which is a bit odd. I think we need to get the ball down the right as much as possible and be a bit more positive. Brooks has shown some great flashes and Smallbone times his runs inside really well.

Obviously we lack a presence through the middle but let's hope Stewart has a good number of minutes in the tank.

Massive shout to Fraser who is playing left back when they've got the ball and left wing when we have. Massive shift. Can see him coming off after 60.

I wonder if WBA will start to open up at some point or whether they will stay as is for as long as it goes on.

[Sir Ralph]

Just now, Farmer Saint said:

Very difficult with little space and deep defending. 

We made it easy though

[Saint Scott]

Need an early goal to force them off their 18 yard line. 

[trousers]

1 minute ago, Mr X said:

Brom were there for the taking and we barely threatened their goal! was there a shot on target? 

I don't think either team has had an actual shot on goal...?

Edited 17 May, 2024 by trousers

[Micky]

3 minutes ago, Turkish said:

True but we haven’t created anything and the final ball has been poor

The worrying thing is I'm not sure we've actually got to a 'final ball' very often, and on the odd occasion that we have, we haven't made the keeper make a single save.  Nil one could be enough for us to lose this game, we need to up the intensity and up the pressure. 

[Saint_Ash]

Well that half was shit. Get to their area and pass back, no cutting edge. Having 70% possession is pointless if you don't do anything with it. West brom playing for the draw makes it tricky but, for God's sake, let's try and get in the oppo area. 

[BotleySaint]

Pretty much as expected so far. Dull and no attacking threat.

If we go 1 down, I doubt it'll make much difference. The team is stuck in the mud. Negative patterns of play. 

Edited 17 May, 2024 by BotleySaint

[Convict Colony]

I dunno bro's we look awesome except for scoring, a bit like me in nightclubs

[bangkoksaint]

When I suggested we wouldn’t come out all guns blazing I was derided.

[Mr X]

Brom have us sussed we are easy to nullify and they will hit us on the break when the moment comes, they are happy to let us have possession because we do fuck all with it! 

[saintant]

Lots of meaningless possession but in truth we've hardly laid a glove on them. It's all too safe with nobody prepared to take a chance and do something different. We have zero presence up front without Adams and West Brom are very comfortable. The longer it goes the more frustrated we'll become and they will start to creep forward looking for chances on the break. Their plan is working and we are playing a very dangerous game.

[Saint_Ash]

I feel 80 minutes of saints possession followed with a West brom goal then we'll actually try and attack for 10 mins and it'll be too late. 

[stknowle]

2 minutes ago, Window Cleaner said:

How poor are West Brom !  Should win this fairly comfortably.

They’re clearly sitting back and hoping to soak it up until pens or nick a set piece. We look fucking toothless so they may well suscceed.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

They had a header early on and one that got deflected wide.

We've been in control, dominating the proceedings. But our final pass has been very poor. Where Adams would be offering a target, we've bottled out of a lot of better options. Runs from KWP, Smallbone and Brooks not picked up, where they were clearly better placed.

We hit the post, and Aribo put it well over. AA nearly in.

WBA will be thinking they've weathered a half. We have to go back out at full pelt, and drive more. They are there for the taking with a better final ball.

[madge]

Opportunities to move quickly and we slow it down allowing West Brom to sit in their 2 banks of 5. I just don’t get it, no risk taking at all.. left side is very ineffective and only think it will take a West Brom goal to change our philosophy. Armstrong isn’t a central striker, especially against Kyle Barkley. 

[scumbag]

Russball really sucks the atmosphere out of the place.  Was great for the first 20.

[Saint Scott]

1 minute ago, trousers said:

I don't think either team has had an actual shot on goal...?

Brooks has, no conviction though a comfortable save

[Saint NL]

Martin will be over the moon, clean sheet and all the possession 

[NewYorkSaint]

They're pretty well organized... Making it v difficult. The one positive about all of our sideways possession is denying them much time on the ball to do anything. Hopefully they've burned a little more energy than us. Right now the over the top ball looks most promising. A slight difference in touch by Fraser on two occasions cd have let to a breakthrough.  

 

 In other news... Downes.  What a player!

[VectisSaint]

Lots on here clearly not watching the match, or at least seeing what they want to see. Just the finishing touch missing.

[Chez]

Totally dominated. Been first to everything. Prevented them getting out of their own half never mind create chances. Can't ask lot more than that. Created a few half chances. Wish it was a few more. If Fraser could control the ball with his left peg, he'd of been in both times. We badly needed a goal to force them out.

Unfortunately, WBA have played 5 at the back and their midfield have been dee too, so not a lot of space. Obviously worried that we have burned a lot of energy and when space opens up they will hit us on the break. If we were any good at it I'd suggest we sit back and invite them on to us and hit them on the break. 

 

[tdmickey3]

A Russell Martin masterclass of pointless possessional shit with the creative edge of a spoon.

Biggest game in ages and he serves up this crap

Sooner this idiot fucks off the better

 

[Convict Colony]

Guys we are the better team, this style is made to tire out the opposition, the loch ness drogba comes on later to exploit the gaps of these tired legs.

 

[Baird of the land]

Just now, NewYorkSaint said:

They're pretty well organized... Making it v difficult. The one positive about all of our sideways possession is denying them much time on the ball to do anything. Hopefully they've burned a little more energy than us. Right now the over the top ball looks most promising. A slight difference in touch by Fraser on two occasions cd have let to a breakthrough.  

 

 In other news... Downes.  What a player!

Given saints tend to completely fade physically late in games I wouldn’t count on it.

[harvey]

The thought of seeing Smallbone on the pitch again next season horrifies me.

[Window Cleaner]

2 minutes ago, stknowle said:

They’re clearly sitting back and hoping to soak it up until pens or nick a set piece. We look fucking toothless so they may well suscceed.

Don't know, they just look clueless at about everything. If we were a bit sharper we'd probably be 2 up.

[trousers]

Just now, VectisSaint said:

Lots on here clearly not watching the match, or at least seeing what they want to see. Just the finishing touch missing.

Nothing important missing then...

[Chez]

5 minutes ago, Sir Ralph said:

We made it easy though

How did we?

[LGTL]

FFS Russ. This is it mate, there’s no second chances. We’ve done our bit, now fucking do yours 

[verlaine1979]

Martin's tactics require us to play dangerous passes around our own box and safe passes around theirs.

That's the wrong way round.

[obelisk]

No pace in Saints attacks at all. It was looking promising with the variation of balls over the top to runners but we've now reverted to passing it backwards at every opportunity. WBA looking pretty comfortable.

[Chez]

Just now, tdmickey3 said:

A Russell Martin masterclass of pointless possessional shit with the creative edge of a spoon.

Biggest game in ages and he serves up this crap

Sooner this idiot fucks off the better

 

It's not pointless. 

[SNSUN]

We've played worse this season. At least we haven't shot ourselves in the foot yet. 

[Lighthouse]

I don’t know what game most of you are watching. If this lot had swapped shirts before the game, you’d all be saying we’d be thoroughly outplayed all over the park, were lucky to make it to HT and can only see one winner.

[BotleySaint]

I'm sure Martin will throw Mara on after 60 mins.

[saintant]

I hope RM has something up his sleeve for the second half because we need to be putting them under far more pressure. I'm not holding my breath and fear it will be more of the same and West Brom will grow into the game.

[LGTL]

Make no mistake WBA would snap your hand off for pens now. They’ve got nothing really, on us to win 

[broken spoke]

Just now, BotleySaint said:

I'm sure Martin will throw Mara on after 60 mins.

you jinx'd us

[Block41 Saint]

1 minute ago, Lighthouse said:

I don’t know what game most of you are watching. If this lot had swapped shirts before the game, you’d all be saying we’d be thoroughly outplayed all over the park, were lucky to make it to HT and can only see one winner.

We've had zero chances. You are so deluded.