Man City 1-0 Southampton - Match Thread

[SWLondon Saint]

Just.... Really no words. When you think the shoehorning and random changes can't get much worse, then.... This....

[OldNick]

Im having friends around tonight and going to play 'put a pin in the donkey' will it make it too easy to put the Saints team sheet on the wall

[Saint Fan CaM]

RM deserves the sack for the mis-management of the team. I mean there’s shooting yourself in the foot and then there’s taking a howitzer to cut your toenails. What a fraud.

Edited 26 October, 2024 by Saint Fan CaM

[egg]

35 minutes ago, davefizzy14 said:

Can't believe Taylor isn't playing today and not in the squad.

Yep. Played a half for the kids team last night. Not sure what's going on there. 

[Suhari]

19 minutes ago, Jack said:

It’s not that weird, tactically we’re absolute garbage. If those players had the freedom to receive and move the ball quicker, it might be more interesting 

That's the issue isn't it? Bang on.

If we played to the strengths of the players we have, we would very likely be doing better. Alcarez - not disciplined enough for 'the system', but a decent talent, wasted (and good investment squandered). Sully - I know not everyone likes him, but fuck me he's quick. If we played to that we would offer so much more going forwards. Ditto Archer. TP has a role. BBD is a dislikeable twat, but also a bit of a lump and can score goals: but heh - let's stick him wide left then and have him recycle constantly.

RM is all about 'self propaganda' football; maybe sees himself as the next Maresca/Kompany. It pisses me off. Do the best to get results you muppet.

I've also had £10 on more than 6.5 goals; should be easy money to salve the bruises. Hope I'm proven wrong!

Beer: opened.

[Polaroid Saint]

You can get the same odds on Citeh winning 8-0 as you can on Saints to win 1-0.

Which seems about right.

[egg]

28 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

It was inevitable but I just don't understand Martin's love for Stephens

3 cb's seems obvious today. If not Stephens, then who? 

[Greedyfly]

This, above everything else, is why I hope he gets the chop soon.  The squad IS shite, that's not wholly on him but he manages to utilise it so poorly.  Messing around with formations (5 at the back, 4 at the back who knows), the insistence of playing the worst CB at the club (Stephens), playing/not playing people who could actually slot into actual positions they play (Manning/Taylor/Lallana), mismanaging of better players (ABK -TP), looney reasoning and mad man rumblings in press conferences.  He deserves credit for last season IMO and deserved his shot this, but that's now run out.

[Whitey Grandad]

3 minutes ago, OldNick said:

Im having friends around tonight and going to play 'put a pin in the donkey' will it make it too easy to put the Saints team sheet on the wall

A lot easier with a team full of donkeys.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

This should be his last game in charge, no matter what the score is. Of course it won't be, but the penny has to drop with SR sooner or later.

[Saint Fan CaM]

1 minute ago, egg said:

Yep. Played a half for the kids team last night. Not sure what's going on there. 

The stat fairy spoke to Russ last night and said nope, don’t play Taylor in his strongest position.

In the real World, wouldn’t be surprised if Taylor questioned Russ over his decision to play Manning ahead of him in the Leicester game.

[Disco Stu]

2 minutes ago, Suhari said:

That's the issue isn't it? Bang on.

If we played to the strengths of the players we have, we would very likely be doing better. Alcarez - not disciplined enough for 'the system', but a decent talent, wasted (and good investment squandered). Sully - I know not everyone likes him, but fuck me he's quick. If we played to that we would offer so much more going forwards. Ditto Archer. TP has a role. BBD is a dislikeable twat, but also a bit of a lump and can score goals: but heh - let's stick him wide left then and have him recycle constantly.

RM is all about 'self propaganda' football; maybe sees himself as the next Maresca/Kompany. It pisses me off. Do the best to get results you muppet.

I've also had £10 on more than 6.5 goals; should be easy money to salve the bruises. Hope I'm proven wrong!

Beer: opened.

Letting Alcaraz go was a travesty.

[Whitey Grandad]

2 minutes ago, Greedyfly said:

This, above everything else, is why I hope he gets the chop soon.  The squad IS shite, that's not wholly on him but he manages to utilise it so poorly.  Messing around with formations (5 at the back, 4 at the back who knows), the insistence of playing the worst CB at the club (Stephens), playing/not playing people who could actually slot into actual positions they play (Manning/Taylor/Lallana), mismanaging of better players (ABK -TP), looney reasoning and mad man rumblings in press conferences.  He deserves credit for last season IMO and deserved his shot this, but that's now run out.

He used up all his credit a long time ago.

[Greenridge]

That is one horrifically weak team. 
 

He’s dug the Puel tombola machine out of the cupboard. 

Edited 26 October, 2024 by Greenridge

[Saint NL]

I'm going for 5-1.

It'll be a heavy defeat, but not some kind of record. Fancy we'll grab a goal, maybe Archer.

[Wade Garrett]

So Lallana wasn’t even good enough to come off the bench in front of Smallbone last week, but can start today.

Stephens and Manning, fuck off Russell Martin you absolute cunt.

[Behind Enemy Lines]

17 minutes ago, Winnersaint said:

Here endeth any interest I have in this, this afternoon. I look forward to the post 5pm meltdown on here.

It won’t take until 5pm! 😂 

[Whitey Grandad]

Just now, Greenridge said:

That is one horrifically weak team. 

It goes against the old maxim ‘always play your best team’.

With Martin it’s ’always play your best mates’

[davefizzy14]

6 minutes ago, egg said:

Yep. Played a half for the kids team last night. Not sure what's going on there. 

This is absolutely baffling. He should be starting. 

[egg]

1 minute ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

The stat fairy spoke to Russ last night and said nope, don’t play Taylor in his strongest position.

In the real World, wouldn’t be surprised if Taylor questioned Russ over his decision to play Manning ahead of him in the Leicester game.

Disciplinary reasons makes more sense than anything else. Picking Manning ahead of him last week was mental, then bringing Fraser on ahead of him even more mental, then picking Manning again today even more mental still. I'd be disappointed in Taylor if he didn't speak up. 

[SWLondon Saint]

The craziest thing is the starting 11 we had the last 2 games was actually kind of working. And he just ditches all of it to get Capn Jack in. Takes off 2 of the best performers in Suga and Aribo. Just makes no sense whatsoever.

[egg]

1 minute ago, Whitey Grandad said:

It goes against the old maxim ‘always play your best team’.

With Martin it’s ’always play your best mates’

I think it's more 'always play a random mix, and never the best one'. 

Useless. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

29 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Definitely feels like a punishment, dropped from first team squad completely 

Punishment? 
 

Id have said missing today’s shit show was a reward. 

[Edmonton Saint]

Martin just said Captain Jack is one of the bravest players he’s ever managed.  What does that even mean? He’s shit, always has been shit . My God Martin spurts some utter drivel.

[Football Special]

4 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

The stat fairy spoke to Russ last night and said nope, don’t play Taylor in his strongest position.

In the real World, wouldn’t be surprised if Taylor questioned Russ over his decision to play Manning ahead of him in the Leicester game.

I reckon that, Taylor isn't much younger than Russ and probably has more experience than him playing in a proper organised defence, he probably tried giving Martin some guidance on where he's going wrong and found himself training with the kids as punishment 

[Sunglasses Ron]

Ryan Manning starting a Premier League game at the Etihad.

Just wow.

[Lord Duckhunter]

2 minutes ago, Edmonton Saint said:

Martin just said Captain Jack is one of the bravest players he’s ever managed

 

[OneMrsWallace]

27 minutes ago, LGTL said:

What a total div Russ is 😂 Stephens and Manning are barely L1 standard.  And playing Lallana away at City, a game which we’d lose if they had 8 players, instead of the perfectly winnable home game. You know, the game where we had a 2-0 head start and needed to get control of the midfield so he brought on fucking Smallbone. 

Utterly out of his depth. 

This.

[Sunglasses Ron]

2 minutes ago, Edmonton Saint said:

Martin just said Captain Jack is one of the bravest players he’s ever managed.  What does that even mean? He’s shit, always has been shit . My God Martin spurts some utter drivel.

Calling a referee a c@nt to his face is quite brave no?

[HKsaint]

Is Aribo being punished for scoring goal? 

[East Kent Saint]

So another depressing weekend 😄

[SaintNewForest]

5 minutes ago, SWLondon Saint said:

The craziest thing is the starting 11 we had the last 2 games was actually kind of working. And he just ditches all of it to get Capn Jack in. Takes off 2 of the best performers in Suga and Aribo. Just makes no sense whatsoever.

Except Sugawara hasn't trained all week injured, yet you still expect him to start? 

Taking Aribo out is odd, I grant you, but Suga makes sense when you know the circumstances. As does bringing Stephens back in. 

[beatlesaint]

5 minutes ago, Edmonton Saint said:

Martin just said Captain Jack is one of the bravest players he’s ever managed.  What does that even mean? He’s shit, always has been shit . My God Martin spurts some utter drivel.

Gotta be brave I guess to make up for his lack of ability

[Turkish]

Jack beckenbaur to play in a hybrid role running the game 

[Saint_clark]

We'll either lose by more than 5 or fluke a 1-0. Either way Martin out.

[Saint_clark]

7 minutes ago, SWLondon Saint said:

The craziest thing is the starting 11 we had the last 2 games was actually kind of working. And he just ditches all of it to get Capn Jack in. Takes off 2 of the best performers in Suga and Aribo. Just makes no sense whatsoever.

If in the next Olympics you stepped up to the highest diving board and tried for Gold, that'd be pretty brave. 

That's essentially what Stephens is doing in trying to play premier league football.

[Suhari]

7 minutes ago, Edmonton Saint said:

Martin just said Captain Jack is one of the bravest players he’s ever managed.  What does that even mean? He’s shit, always has been shit . My God Martin spurts some utter drivel.

That's a very valid question. In the context of winning football matches, what does 'being brave' even mean? And how is it such an important trait? Does RM believe bravery is directly correlated to successful results?

What would be RM's response if Alfie asks this after the game....?

[Football Special]

1 minute ago, Saint_clark said:

We'll either lose by more than 5 or fluke a 1-0. Either way Martin out.

 

1 minute ago, Saint_clark said:

If in the next Olympics you stepped up to the highest diving board and tried for Gold, that'd be pretty brave. 

That's essentially what Stephens is doing in trying to play premier league football.

What I can tell you is Stephens will give 100% effort and genuinely cares, if he's not good enough that's on the manager for selecting him but he doesn't deserve a lot of the stick he gets from our own fans 

[Saint Fan CaM]

2 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

If in the next Olympics you stepped up to the highest diving board and tried for Gold, that'd be pretty brave. 

That's essentially what Stephens is doing in trying to play premier league football.

Yeah but yeah but, that’s plan B right? You all wanted it…Russ has obliged. Or something.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

1 minute ago, Football Special said:

 

What I can tell you is Stephens will give 100% effort and genuinely cares, if he's not good enough that's on the manager for selecting him but he doesn't deserve a lot of the stick he gets from our own fans 

I actually agree with this. The guy should be nowhere near a starting 11 in the PL. Its the actual sycophantic comments that RM makes about Stephens that I find irritating and pathetic. 

[hypochondriac]

21 minutes ago, egg said:

3 cb's seems obvious today. If not Stephens, then who? 

Well we signed Edwards and wood in the summer for some reason and then never ever play them. Presumably they aren't good enough. 

[Saint Fan CaM]

Disclosure: I’m on an Etihad flight back to the UK from Abu Dhabi. Didn’t think I’d be watching the game, but for some reason they’re playing the match live on Sports24. Must be an omen for a win. Or something. 😬😜😳

[northam soul]

1 minute ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

Disclosure: I’m on an Etihad flight back to the UK from Abu Dhabi. Didn’t think I’d be watching the game, but for some reason they’re playing the match live on Sports24. Must be an omen for a win. Or something. 😬😜😳

If I was you I would fake a heart attack and get the plane diverted so it’s landed before kickoff.

[Saint_clark]

7 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

Yeah but yeah but, that’s plan B right? You all wanted it…Russ has obliged. Or something.

Stephens IS his plan B.

[Saint Fan CaM]

Oh heck - it’s the banana kit. Why not red n white strip???

[OttawaSaint]

The gulf in class has never been so massive. So Rustie says "hold my beard" and makes it bigger.

Why is he still around?

[St. Ciervo]

1 minute ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

Oh heck - it’s the banana kit. Why not red n white strip???

So that we are less recognizable in this historic drubbing. 

[Saint NL]

Bit early for this poppy shite isn't it? There's a game next week which would make more sense

[skintsaint]

38 minutes ago, Obstacle1 said:

The age old debate of when a back 5 becomes a back 3 may be solved by the inclusion of Stephens and Manning

We will be playing with a back 11 for the whole game. Ramsdale might need physio after this on his lower back due to picking the ball out of the net too.

[HKsaint]

Can we keep better possession?