Saints 3-2 Stoke - Match Thread

[Stripey McStripe Shirt]

6 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Absolute dogshit.

I bet Everton are shitting themselves.

Everton? As in the team we beat in the previous round, away from home?

[Jonnyboy]

2 minutes ago, Stripey McStripe Shirt said:

Everton? As in the team we beat in the previous round, away from home?

Their form has massively improved since then. Ours however...

[Wade Garrett]

39 minutes ago, SWLondon Saint said:

I'm still not quite sure what to make of Sugawara. Good in possession on the whole, he makes really good and seemingly tireless runs forward both inside and outside. Seems to have no clue what to do on set pieces and also loses his man outside far too often. Great ball round corner for AA who should have played Archer but closed his own angle and shot. Won the pen due to the defender being naive. No idea what he was doing with their 1st goal. Saved Ramsdale's bacon though with that clearance, that was crap keeping.

Would like to see him cross it more but not sure if he's been told not to.

When he signed for us, his game was very much getting down the line and crossing.

Russell has done a magnificent job in knocking that out of him.  Got to go sideways or backwards.

[Wade Garrett]

5 minutes ago, Stripey McStripe Shirt said:

Everton? As in the team we beat in the previous round, away from home?

Yes, that’s the one.

[Roo1976]

And still we panic in defending .................fuck me he was a fucking defender ,albeit an average one,so why cant he coach his defence drills into ours?..........wheres that fucking rocket science book............................

[Sarnia Cherie]

Not that I needed any convincing but this match shows we are Championship standard. 3-2m at home to 19th placed Stoke. 🙄

[Pamplemousse]

Overall, that was really, really concerning. We were 2-0 and didn't really put any pressure on them, and then we collapsed. Again.

After that we went through the motions, nearly conceded a calamitous goal and then out of nowhere got the winner.

Defence is a mess. RM has to sort it out and quickly. I want him to stay but performances like that make it very hard to defend him, and make it very hard to not want a more defensive-minded coach to come in and shore things up.

[SWLondon Saint]

Had another look at the goals we conceded. The first one we absolutely have to compete better on the first ball, it's absolutely criminal. Then Suga had to be more aware there's noone outside him and can let it go. Still no clue what he's trying to do, think a chest to keeper most likely...

The 2nd there is clearly not enough defensive communication after the ball is lost. THB starts on Cannon but drifts off him, then Suga is out of position. They did get lucky the deflection on the shot takes it straight to Cannon but still, no-one is near him.

The one off the line is a pretty suicidal pass back from ?Cornet? on the right touchline, however THB maybe could be braver to get his body or head in there which would have won a free kick. After that I thought Ramsdale should have claimed it easily as their player took a heavy touch, but somehow it bounces off his chest and nearly in off their guy. Good clearance by Suga.

[Winnersaint]

14 minutes ago, Stripey McStripe Shirt said:

Everton? As in the team we beat in the previous round, away from home?

Don’t think we’ll beat them at the weekend

[Mr X]

5 minutes ago, Pamplemousse said:

Overall, that was really, really concerning. We were 2-0 and didn't really put any pressure on them, and then we collapsed. Again.

After that we went through the motions, nearly conceded a calamitous goal and then out of nowhere got the winner.

Defence is a mess. RM has to sort it out and quickly. I want him to stay but performances like that make it very hard to defend him, and make it very hard to not want a more defensive-minded coach to come in and shore things up.

You want someone that has 1 point in 27 soon to be 1 point in 30 to stay? 

[Give it to Ron]

How can anyone think that having your two worst players on the ball and see it more than any other player on the pitch.

I reckon Bedders touched it more than the Stoke team altogether . Martin talks about bravery yet not one wide player or forward takes on a defender and just recycles backwards sideward to other wing and back. Players make runs in behind but then stop doing as the ball just gets played back to 2 centre halves.

Fernandes is only one that does but even he gave up with just Archer and 4 defenders in middle all rest just passengers wide.

[macca155]

They may have won but hardly a positive vibe.

Some of the football in the 1st half was excellent, but like every other game the opposition work Saints out. Martin has to be more dynamic in his tactics.

Bendarek, Aribo, THB, Fernandes, Armstrong,  and to his credit Sulemana equipped themselves well.

The rest just put us under even more pressure than usual.

What the hell was he doing taking off Bendarek and replacing him with SAA. If ever there was a moment for Stephens.

Cornett killed every attack as he simply can't beat his man. Diaz well why just why. Les really struggled, he's only young but he isn't ready for this level of football yet.

It just feels like he needs to give them a game.

Walking football again, it just doesn't work. Stoke missed three chances in the 2nd half. The other 19 Prem teams won't miss those.

Saints will be the one everyone wants in the draw tomorrow.

 

[Challenger]

10 minutes ago, Winnersaint said:

Don’t think we’ll beat them at the weekend

I'm struggling to believe that this lot can beat any PL team on any day. This flawed version of football is nothing short of boring, pathetic crap.

I will be amazed if this team avoids a record PL low points total. SR said after promotion that they would not make the same mistakes again, yeah right.

[Appy]

24 minutes ago, Sarnia Cherie said:

Not that I needed any convincing but this match shows we are Championship standard. 3-2m at home to 19th placed Stoke. 🙄

A Stoke team that made eight changes too. 

[FarehamSaintJames]

The only positive was that someone we dominated the ball and won the game. That is it. If you watched the game you’d be going “wtf was that 100 minutes of football”?!

It was absolutely terrible.

Not one player on that pitch tonight had a good game, maybe Bree and Aribo were satisfactory for the most part.

Brereton-Diaz, did we actually pay for him? Like actually money? He is giving Ali Dia a run for his money in terms of being a footballer.

I didn’t think we could get a worse left winger than Fraser, then Brereton-Diaz, then Sulemana but then Maxwell Cornet came along! Our recruitment is quite something!

And as for the endless sideways, mind-numbing passing, despite many opportunities presenting themselves to have a shot at goal, or whip a cross in early - Jesus Christ - it’s infuriating.

I’m at the point where I legitimately don’t care, and I genuinely don’t, I haven’t done properly for years.
There’s more to life than watching a bunch of halfwits kick a ball around a bit of grass.
I go to football now to have a social, way more fun - and tonight was no exception with tons of laughs and jokes made about our poor tactics and players along the way, and dare I say it some of our fans too.

The dancing and hysterics by some around me when Bree scored, again - Jesus Christ - you’d think we’d just scored a last minute cup final goal against Liverpool. 🤣😂

Onto the Everton game, if it’s anything like tonight’s performance they could tonk us! 😂

[OttawaSaint]

9 minutes ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

Onto the Everton game, if it’s anything like tonight’s performance they could tonk us! 😂

I'm not excited at all. I hate the way we play under Martin. I'll probably tune in out of habit but I'm anticipating more frustration.

[Whitey Grandad]

53 minutes ago, Stripey McStripe Shirt said:

Everton? As in the team we beat in the previous round, away from home?

We drew.

[Mboto Gorge]

1 hour ago, Lighthouse said:

Decent cup tie, when all’s said and done. Into the QFs we go.

Thanks Russ

[Football Special]

Worrying throwing away a 2 goal lead again and some of the players looked particularly poor (Cornet and big Les main culprits) but still nice to walk out of St Mary's having seen a win,  makes a nice change. 

Shame there's no potential draws left that we can win in the next round 

[Midfield_General]

Just back from the game. Match report: 

At home, with a strong side out, playing the reserves of an awful side currently 19th in the Championship, we were very lucky not to lose, even after going 2-0 up. Even with 78% possession we were one desperate goal-line clearance away from a collapse and a humiliation. 

We play the absolute definition of propaganda football. Even against kids and dross we can't defend for shit, and we've coached some previously decent looking players into looking completely and utterly lost. 

We're shit, we're going to lose against Everton and Wolves, and we are absolutely doomed. 

I think that just about covers it.

Night all. 

[BarberSaint]

9Pepe Guardiola: "Attack is the best form of Defence"

 

Russell Martin: "Aha! Defence is the best form of Attack!!!"

 

(That'll learn 'em)

[Graffito]

55 minutes ago, Give it to Ron said:

How can anyone think that having your two worst players on the ball and see it more than any other player on the pitch.

I reckon Bedders touched it more than the Stoke team altogether . Martin talks about bravery yet not one wide player or forward takes on a defender and just recycles backwards sideward to other wing and back. Players make runs in behind but then stop doing as the ball just gets played back to 2 centre halves.

Fernandes is only one that does but even he gave up with just Archer and 4 defenders in middle all rest just passengers wide.

Whereas Archer touched the ball 5 times in the first half. Why play a centre forward if you’re not going to give him the ball (I know he’s tried to play without one). Archer’s not Haaland but he’s a decent enough finisher given half a chance.

[Saint NL]

1 hour ago, Patrick Bateman said:

The worrying thing about the club is who sanctioned these signings?

Ugochukwu was utter crap. Slow, ponderous, can't turn, doesn't bust a gut.

Bereton-Diaz was like some random fan was given a shirt to come on and watch play pass him by.

Cornet was dreadful, he can run, but that's it - although I think I can potentially see someone good, maybe ... 

Fraser was off the boil again. Really glad he wanted to come and can't fault his effort, but he's not in the game right now. I'm not even bothering to mention the bizarre Woods and Edwards signings ... 

These were all signed for this season and to counter balance Archer has something about him, so does Fernandes, but neither shone tonight. 

Summer recruitment looking poor. 

Agreed.

But you left off Ramsdale, even he isn't looking that great a signing right now. 

[Patrick Bateman]

3 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

Agreed.

But you left off Ramsdale, even he isn't looking that great a signing right now. 

True I'd forgotten about him. He's looking nervy and certainly not the player he should be - but he's one I was delighted signed, maybe he'll settle? Hopefully

[HKsaint]

1 hour ago, Patrick Bateman said:

True I'd forgotten about him. He's looking nervy and certainly not the player he should be - but he's one I was delighted signed, maybe he'll settle? Hopefully

You must understand everyone will be nervy standing there for us.  

[LoyalSaintSO50]

Quarter finals it is you moaning bastards. Who do we want next?