Saints 1-0 Everton - Match Thread

[Jack]

Honestly what’s this cunt’s obsession with Ryan Manning? 
 

Armstrong has been dreadful this season too, that’s far from our strongest XI IMO

[OttawaSaint]

1 minute ago, LGTL said:

Downes hasn’t trained for most of the week so will be surprised if he makes the full 90

Jesus, just shows how toilet RM is.

[Wade Garrett]

Surprised to see Stephens and Manning in the line-up.

 

[Weston Super Saint]

33 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

In what way has Armstrong done well? 

Bravery.

[Midfield_General]

Just now, Suhari said:

Hopefully this means AA and CA fairly central.

Or a return to the revolutionary horseshoe attack with a centre forward on each wing 🤞

[OttawaSaint]

That line up, given this is a "must win" match is uttery bewildering.

[Wade Garrett]

Just now, Wade Garrett said:

Surprised to see Stephens and Manning in the line-up.

 

And Armstrong.  Fucking brilliant at going sideways and backwards the other night against Stoke Reserves.  Fucking hell.

[SNSUN]

Too defensive but I guess shoehorn was to be expected. Little creativity there. If we were to field that in the Championship I wouldn't be disappointed but in the Prem, with one point from 9 games, against a team we effectively have to beat... nope.

It's getting harder to care whilst the board still back Martin. I really hope we can pull 3 points out the bag but that line up looks almost like we're playing for a draw. Which isn't good enough. 

[Lighthouse]

I guess we can’t expect Dibling to start every game. Oh well, COYS.

[SWLondon Saint]

On 30/10/2024 at 23:21, SWLondon Saint said:

Why on earth are people writing team lists without Cap'n Jack as the first name on? Have you learned nothing! 🤯

I mean, I hate to say I told you so, but... 😅

[OttawaSaint]

If he stays after this then the board are complicit in this shambles of a club. They clearly don't care about the football and survival.

[Baird of the land]

Assume stephens is playing lb?

Don't like lineup. Don't get why Aribo is being frozen out either after playing well

[LGTL]

It’s almost like he wants the sack at this stage. Here’s fucking hoping. 

[hypochondriac]

2 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I guess we can’t expect Dibling to start every game. Oh well, COYS.

Correct but like with Lallana, you'd expect him to be playing the important games rather than against man city. 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

Is there an echo in here?

[OttawaSaint]

1 minute ago, Baird of the land said:

Assume stephens is playing lb?

Don't like lineup. Don't get why Aribo is being frozen out either after playing well

Not sure, Manning is there. Could he put Manners at LM?

[OttawaSaint]

1 minute ago, LGTL said:

It’s almost like he wants the sack at this stage. Here’s fucking hoping. 

Yep. 

[Toussaint]

36 minutes ago, coalman said:

2-0 coyr

Has it finished? I’m still eating my pre match lunch , bugger!

[Lee On Solent Saint]

1 minute ago, hypochondriac said:

Correct but like with Lallana, you'd expect him to be playing the important games rather than against man city. 

He wanted to put his best team out against City, so he could lap up all of Pep's praise.

[Midfield_General]

2 minutes ago, Baird of the land said:

Assume stephens is playing lb?

Manning LWB surely in a 5-3-2 / 3-5-2

 

                         Archer           Armstrong

                                  Fernandes

                          Downes     Lallana

Manning                                                     KWP

            Stephens      Bednarek     THB

                                 Ramsdale

[OttawaSaint]

Just now, Toussaint said:

Has it finished? I’m still eating my pre match lunch , bugger!

Hopefully you made this lunch.

Chef Russell Martin would have served up: Dry chicken with boiled potatoes, strawberry jam and microwaved Kraft slices on a housebrick attached to a piece of dental floss.

[trousers]

Surely there's something wrong with our fitness regime if one of our best players (Dibling) isn't deemed ready to start a game of football a whole week after playing just 45 minutes in a 'free hit' match...?

[OttawaSaint]

3 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

He wanted to put his best team out against City, so he could lap up all of Pep's praise.

He's probably been calling Lucy "Pep" all week...

[LGTL]

4 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

He wanted to put his best team out against City, so he could lap up all of Pep's praise.

Yep. That was the biggest game of the season for Russ and he got what he wanted. Which of course was 0 points. 

Utterly baffling how anyone can still want this arrogant prick in charge. 

Edited 2 November, 2024 by LGTL

[tdmickey3]

Armstrong and Archer to hug the touchline...

The return or the ground breaking V formation.

The "genius" of Martin on show again 🙄

[SWLondon Saint]

It's the same team as for City but given Everton don't usually press as hard, expect it to look like a 4-3-3 as for Stoke when we're in possession with Stephens in the Bree position and Manning in place of Fraser / Cornet. Why? Who knows, Manning isn't particularly creative there but I guess it is defensively more sound?

I guess the theory on the right is AA can run around a lot and defend to let KWP attack on the overlap? As AA presents zero threat to take on and beat people, at least that was the case against Stoke.

Edited 2 November, 2024 by SWLondon Saint
Clarity

[Toussaint]

1 minute ago, OttawaSaint said:

Hopefully you made this lunch.

Chef Russell Martin would have served up: Dry chicken with boiled potatoes, strawberry jam and microwaved Kraft slices on a housebrick attached to a piece of dental floss.

And told me it’s worthy of a Michelin star, but the judges just don’t understand what he is trying to do…

[hypochondriac]

1 minute ago, trousers said:

Surely there's something wrong with our fitness regime if one of our best players (Dibling) isn't deemed ready to start a game of football a whole week after playing just 45 minutes in a 'free hit' match...?

Unless he's fit and he's dropped him for tactical reason? 

[hypochondriac]

1 minute ago, SWLondon Saint said:

It's the same team as for City but given Everton don't usually press as hard, expect it to look like a 4-3-3 as for Stoke in possession with Stephens in the Bree position and Manning in place of Fraser / Cornet. Why? Who knows, Manning isn't particularly creative there but I guess it is defensively more sound?

I guess the theory on the right is AA can run around a lot and defend to let KWP attack on the overlap? As AA presents zero threat to take on and beat people, at least that was the case against Stoke.

Fraser isn't fit apparently which may be why. I wouldn't play Cornet after Tuesday. 

[trousers]

Just now, hypochondriac said:

Unless he's fit and he's dropped him for tactical reason? 

I thought Russ only has one tactic...?

[Totton Saint]

12 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I guess we can’t expect Dibling to start every game. Oh well, COYS.

Wy not - he is young

[Obstacle1]

He doesn't have a clue does he

[SWLondon Saint]

2 minutes ago, trousers said:

Surely there's something wrong with our fitness regime if one of our best players (Dibling) isn't deemed ready to start a game of football a whole week after playing just 45 minutes in a 'free hit' match...?

Don't forget Dibling is only 18 - he's not fully grown and his body likely can't cope with PL intensity matches week in week out. Having him come off the bench is sensible tbf

[Sheaf Saint]

So....

5 at the back, in a home game against another poor team with a woeful away record. Just so we can shoehorn Stephens in somehow.

Dibling dropped.

Is that supposed to be Arma and Archer as a front two? If it is then surely they are too similar to one another to be effective in that combination. If not then RM might be trying to be really clever again somehow by baffling everyone.

Sugawara has been one of our best players so far this season but has been inexplicably dropped.

Sulemana and Cornet have made sub appearances lately but don't even make the bench today, replaced by the hopeless BBD and the raw and inexperienced SAA. But no actual wingers starting who could exploit Everton's weakness at RB. We, however, have two RBs on the bench.

It's almost like Russ doesn't actually want to try and win this game.

 

[OttawaSaint]

1 minute ago, hypochondriac said:

Fraser isn't fit apparently which may be why. I wouldn't play Cornet after Tuesday. 

Not many of our players are fit.

In Les' first match I saw him blowing out of his arse after half an hour but put that down to him getting up to speed. But he's still not fit. That's troubling.

[SWLondon Saint]

2 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Fraser isn't fit apparently which may be why. I wouldn't play Cornet after Tuesday. 

Fraser has looked completely rubbish the whole season tbh. I guess he doesn't trust Sam AA there or Archer with Tall Paul up front which would be my answers, but he does love Manning and Cap'n Jack so this is the most sensible way to Shoehorn them in.

[LuckyNumber7]

4 minutes ago, trousers said:

Surely there's something wrong with our fitness regime if one of our best players (Dibling) isn't deemed ready to start a game of football a whole week after playing just 45 minutes in a 'free hit' match...?

More likely Dibling hasn't been great and looked a bit jaded the last few games, and is a good asset to have coming off the bench in the second half? Makes sense imo.

With 5 subs allowed these days, the starting lineup is less important. It's a squad game.

[trousers]

5 minutes ago, SWLondon Saint said:

Don't forget Dibling is only 18 - he's not fully grown and his body likely can't cope with PL intensity matches week in week out. Having him come off the bench is sensible tbf

Fair point, but he's only played 45 minutes of football in the last 13 days... And if you're going to bench him, do it Vs Man City, not Everton, surely?

Edited 2 November, 2024 by trousers

[Lone ranger]

Some on here are trying to wind down the RM obsession and that’s good. He’s just another human being like any of us and should receive respect and love….

However if we deal with facts rather than people the reality is we are bottom of the league with one point, the worst ever by a whole succession of metrics. On the other hand we are second only to Man City in terms of possession and passing. Simple conclusion must be that unless you have players of the calibre of Man City the style of football is totally incompatible with success in the Prem. Further supporting evidence is Burnley FC 2023-4. You don’t have to call RM all those horrible obscenities that now litter this forum. He has said that he is committed totally to his methodology so we must accept that we are going to lose most of not all our PL matches and be relegated. That acceptance brings peace and a reduction of stress. Of course our players might suddenly be transformed into £50m stars but as we continue to buy numerous players in the £5-10m bracket (Why?)  that just won’t happen. 
Hope despite all the contrary evidence we can actually get a point today!

[pingpong]

Nailed on that we will get a  armstrong goal, Manning assist.

[SaintNewForest]

5 minutes ago, SWLondon Saint said:

Don't forget Dibling is only 18 - he's not fully grown and his body likely can't cope with PL intensity matches week in week out. Having him come off the bench is sensible tbf

Don't use logic and reasoning; he's been dropped and Martins wrong for doing so...

[Saint_clark]

Fucking Stephens. Fucking manning. Fucking Armstrong.

We're about to lose 4-0 to Sean Dyches Everton.

Record lowest points total incoming.

[SWLondon Saint]

Also, no idea why BBD is on the bench. I was vaguely optimistic for him at the start of the season but he has looked completely lost out there on the left. He seems to be OK battling defenders physically and is a pro shithouser so funnily enough I think he could do a job in the middle, but we've never seen him anywhere other than our in no man's land on the left...

[Midfield_General]

One thing that line-up shows is that he's still nowhere nearer knowing what his best formation, first XI or bench are. 

Aribo performs consistently well and gets dropped. 

Armstrong does nothing and gets to start.

Dibling is our best player across the season and gets dropped. 

BBD does absolutely nothing ever but still gets a place on the bench. 

Taylor is left out of the squad completely. 

Manning is somehow now deemed a starter. 

How the players are supposed to find coherence and consistency when it's a different side every week is beyond me. 

[Saint_clark]

6 minutes ago, SWLondon Saint said:

Don't forget Dibling is only 18 - he's not fully grown and his body likely can't cope with PL intensity matches week in week out. Having him come off the bench is sensible tbf

If only we'd rested him midweek.

[bpsaint]

No real surprises are there, just a lack of consistency with the squad and formation. 

Im not the biggest fan of Stephens but let’s be fair, Bednarek is trash in this league but seems to escape the anger of our fans, and so far THB has looked nothing but a decent Championship player.

[SWLondon Saint]

3 minutes ago, Lone ranger said:

However if we deal with facts rather than people the reality is we are bottom of the league with one point, the worst ever by a whole succession of metrics. On the other hand we are second only to Man City in terms of possession and passing. Simple conclusion must be that unless you have players of the calibre of Man City the style of football is totally incompatible with success in the Prem. Further supporting evidence is Burnley FC 2023-4. You don’t have to call RM all those horrible obscenities that now litter this forum. He has said that he is committed totally to his methodology so we must accept that we are going to lose most of not all our PL matches and be relegated. That acceptance brings peace and a reduction of stress. Of course our players might suddenly be transformed into £50m stars but as we continue to buy numerous players in the £5-10m bracket (Why?)  that just won’t happen. 

Hope despite all the contrary evidence we can actually get a point today!

It's not just the players, we also don't play anything like City. Our line is nowhere near as high, and we don't counter press like they do when they lose the ball. They play direct long passes a LOT more than we do too. Also, their defensive organisation is superb, Pep drops people who don't do their defensive jobs. Basically if you gave RM the City team he would still concede an absolute shit ton of goals.

[Winnersaint]

4 minutes ago, SWLondon Saint said:

Also, no idea why BBD is on the bench. I was vaguely optimistic for him at the start of the season but he has looked completely lost out there on the left. He seems to be OK battling defenders physically and is a pro shithouser so funnily enough I think he could do a job in the middle, but we've never seen him anywhere other than our in no man's land on the left...

He probably thinks he's a new player now he's had a haircut and no longer looks like a wild Chilean from  the Andes.

[LGTL]

I actually have it on pretty decent authority that Martin has these two games. In other words, Martin will be gone by the international break. 

[hypochondriac]

12 minutes ago, SWLondon Saint said:

Fraser has looked completely rubbish the whole season tbh. I guess he doesn't trust Sam AA there or Archer with Tall Paul up front which would be my answers, but he does love Manning and Cap'n Jack so this is the most sensible way to Shoehorn them in.

I'd 100% have Sam A A in there. Sam lm, Dibling RM with Lallana and Fernandes in the middle is a potentially brilliant team.