Saints 2-3 Liverpool - Match Thread

[Lee On Solent Saint]

50 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

Martin: "[A result] can change everything, give the players big belief. I don't think they're lacking in belief but it gives them confidence. We'll keep on course, trust the work and each other, at some point it'll come."

Trust the process.

Fed up with listening to the same bullshit week in week out. We got a result against Everton somehow, but that didn't change a thing as it was same old against Wolves. What exactly is the course? To be relegated by Christmas? 

[Harry_SFC]

33 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Fed up with listening to the same bullshit week in week out. We got a result against Everton somehow, but that didn't change a thing as it was same old against Wolves. What exactly is the course? To be relegated by Christmas? 

Well yes, if we are sticking to the same course then it does seem like it. 

[beatlesaint]

43 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Fed up with listening to the same bullshit week in week out. We got a result against Everton somehow, but that didn't change a thing as it was same old against Wolves. What exactly is the course? To be relegated by Christmas? 

“….at some point it’ll come” 

twat

[Zorba]

On 20/11/2024 at 13:47, egg said:

I ask as I have a feeling that he wasn't, so probably isn't up to speed with our stellar tactics, and a million miles from match fitness. We'll doubtless have Wood starting against Liverpool, and ABK sat at home in front of the fire. 

Maybe not at the start.. but I will do if we win! Cum on you Saints!!

[OneMrsWallace]

1 hour ago, beatlesaint said:

“….at some point it’ll come” 

 

I've said that to my wife on many occasions and she doesn't believe it either. 

[Football Special]

4 hours ago, tdmickey3 said:

2 weeks off and he`s learned nothing so the delusion continues and with it defeat after defeat.....  How incredibly naïve and stupid

This time at least we can blame the injuries , spine of the team 

Ramsdale ❌️

Bednarek ❌️

Downes ??

Stewart ❌️

[VectisSaint]

4 minutes ago, Football Special said:

This time at least we can blame the injuries , spine of the team 

Ramsdale ❌️

Bednarek ❌️

Downes ??

Stewart ❌️

Think categorising Stewart in "the spine of the team" is a bit of a stretch.

[Football Special]

8 minutes ago, VectisSaint said:

Think categorising Stewart in "the spine of the team" is a bit of a stretch.

Maybe so.

But also worth noting Gavin Bazunu injury, we're down to our 3rd choice keeper, most teams would struggle 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

23 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Maybe so.

But also worth noting Gavin Bazunu injury, we're down to our 3rd choice keeper, most teams would struggle 

To be fair, there's probably not a whole lot of difference between Bazunu, McCarthy and Lumley.

[coalman]

“It always starts with us and then, of course, we look at Liverpool and have a look at a few things that we can try and capitalise on,” he continued.

“We also need to understand their threats, which they have a lot of. We have prepared the same way we prepare for every game.

“To try and be better than our last one and to try and prepare as best we can and find a way to stop the opposition and to impose our own game as much as we can.

“[Whether it works or not] we’ll find out on Sunday.

“I think we have real ways that if we stick to the game plan and stay brave and aggressive, then we always have a chance against anyone.”

Spoiler alert. It won't (work).

[Chewy]

26 minutes ago, coalman said:

“It always starts with us and then, of course, we look at Liverpool and have a look at a few things that we can try and capitalise on,” he continued.

“We also need to understand their threats, which they have a lot of. We have prepared the same way we prepare for every game.

“To try and be better than our last one and to try and prepare as best we can and find a way to stop the opposition and to impose our own game as much as we can.

“[Whether it works or not] we’ll find out on Sunday.

“I think we have real ways that if we stick to the game plan and stay brave and aggressive, then we always have a chance against anyone.”

Spoiler alert. It won't (work).

Jesus Christ - after nearly two weeks of dreading this, I’ve just started to muster a tiny bit of enthusiasm for what I’m about to endure and then hear we’re going to try and win by being brave, aggressive and sticking to the plan.

This is going to be horrible, isn’t it?

[coalman]

6 minutes ago, Chewy said:

Jesus Christ - after nearly two weeks of dreading this, I’ve just started to muster a tiny bit of enthusiasm for what I’m about to endure and then hear we’re going to try and win by being brave, aggressive and sticking to the plan.

This is going to be horrible, isn’t it?

This is the kind of game where we raise ourselves and either sneak a win or are pegged back for a draw.

It's also the kind of game we get absolutely tonked so 🤷‍♂️

[Challenger]

7 minutes ago, Chewy said:

Jesus Christ - after nearly two weeks of dreading this, I’ve just started to muster a tiny bit of enthusiasm for what I’m about to endure and then hear we’re going to try and win by being brave, aggressive and sticking to the plan.

This is going to be horrible, isn’t it?

Yes, but predictably horrible so stress not we should be used to it by now.

[trousers]

2 hours ago, VectisSaint said:

Think categorising Stewart in "the spine of the team" is a bit of a stretch.

Some might say he's the team's coccyx...

[Holmes_and_Watson]

1 hour ago, coalman said:

“It always starts with us and then, of course, we look at Liverpool and have a look at a few things that we can try and capitalise on,” he continued.

“We also need to understand their threats, which they have a lot of. We have prepared the same way we prepare for every game.

“To try and be better than our last one and to try and prepare as best we can and find a way to stop the opposition and to impose our own game as much as we can.

“[Whether it works or not] we’ll find out on Sunday.

“I think we have real ways that if we stick to the game plan and stay brave and aggressive, then we always have a chance against anyone.”

Spoiler alert. It won't (work).

He's preparing them the same way as for every game. If that doesn't calm any nerves. I don't know what will.

[StrangelyBrown]

Oh goody we're going to be brave and aggressive again.

And this time we're going to "try and be better" - revolutionary stuff.

Liverpool are going to need something really special to counter such radical thinking.

[Weston Super Saint]

48 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

He's preparing them the same way as for every game. If that doesn't calm any nerves. I don't know what will.

At least this year we're spending a little bit of time looking at the opposition, unlike last year when we stubbornly refused to even acknowledge they could attack, let alone have a plan for set pieces etc.

[Galway saint]

4 hours ago, Football Special said:

This time at least we can blame the injuries , spine of the team 

Ramsdale ❌️

Bednarek ❌️

Downes ??

Stewart ❌️

we will certainly miss stewart’s goals 

[SaintsBarry74]

I can’t see us winning this.

[thornhill_saints]

3 hours ago, SaintsBarry74 said:

I can’t see us winning this.

You don't reckon 😁

[tdmickey3]

3 hours ago, SaintsBarry74 said:

I can’t see us winning this.

I cant see us winning again this season.... but we will be brave and stick to the process.................................... the process of not accumulating points

Edited 22 November, 2024 by tdmickey3

[Stripey McStripe Shirt]

34 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

I cant see us winning again this season.... but we will be brave and stick to the process.................................... the process of not accumulating points

[Football Special]

Just noticed Southampton Central station is closed all day Sunday due to engineering work, bus replacement for those that rely on the trains to get to home games , makes Sunday even less appealing 

[BotleySaint]

12 hours ago, StrangelyBrown said:

Oh goody we're going to be brave and aggressive again.

Oh yes, Russell knows all about how to score goals.

You've got to pack the bench with strikers! 

Quote

While no recognised strikers were starting the match, Martin listed five amongst the nine-man bench which featured one defender and two midfielders.
Asked about this decision, with Martin bringing on Cameron Archer, Ross Stewart and Ben Brereton Diaz, he said: "We wanted an aggressive bench.
"We need to win and to score more goals. We haven't scored enough goals. I mean, that was pretty self-explanatory."

Reference 

I am still waiting to see how he gets them scoring goals from the bench.

Edited 22 November, 2024 by BotleySaint

[Pamplemousse]

44 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Just noticed Southampton Central station is closed all day Sunday due to engineering work, bus replacement for those that rely on the trains to get to home games , makes Sunday even less appealing 

That and whatever train disruption occurs because of this storm. It's going to be wet and windy in any case. Might suit us, who knows.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

11 minutes ago, Pamplemousse said:

That and whatever train disruption occurs because of this storm. It's going to be wet and windy in any case. Might suit us, who knows.

Might suit us if Liverpool don't turn up. Even then we would probably still manage to lose.

[Whitey Grandad]

Just now, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Might suit us if Liverpool don't turn up. Even then we would probably still manage to lose.

We’d have good possession providing we didn’t score.

[HKsaint]

RM’s last words to the players before the match: I don’t care about win or lose, just keep the fucking possession. 

[LGTL]

1 hour ago, Football Special said:

Just noticed Southampton Central station is closed all day Sunday due to engineering work, bus replacement for those that rely on the trains to get to home games , makes Sunday even less appealing 

Mixed in with driving wind, heavy rain and an absolute bumming off Liverpool. I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to a home game less. 

Edited 22 November, 2024 by LGTL

[Football Special]

13 minutes ago, LGTL said:

Mixed in with driving wind, heavy rain and an absolute bumming off Liverpool. I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to a home game less. 

Have just watched the weather forecast, could get the game called off or certainly make the conditions a good leveller, that being said would suit a team launching it to a big man rather than trying to pass it out 

Hopefully get a game like this 

 

[Saint Matty 76]

Got a Northam spare for this one if everybody is interested/mad!

[vectraman]

Comfortable 2-0 defeat incoming. Liverpool have 6 games in the next two weeks so I can see them getting in front 2 up, and then bringing their subs on once the top players have won it for them. 
They’ll let us tippy tippy our way backwards and sideways, their keeper will be leant against his goal having a cigar, and we won’t threaten it in the slightest. 
Everyone’s a winner - we get more than 50% possession against them, they get all of the points, we don’t get hammered. Slot says RM has a great way of playing the game, made it really tough for them blah blah blah, RM gets his balls teabagged by another ‘top’ manager, and his brave Saints who he is so proud of go home with another nil points…

[tdmickey3]

4 minutes ago, vectraman said:

Comfortable 2-0 defeat incoming. Liverpool have 6 games in the next two weeks so I can see them getting in front 2 up, and then bringing their subs on once the top players have won it for them. 
They’ll let us tippy tippy our way backwards and sideways, their keeper will be leant against his goal having a cigar, and we won’t threaten it in the slightest. 
Everyone’s a winner - we get more than 50% possession against them, they get all of the points, we don’t get hammered. Slot says RM has a great way of playing the game, made it really tough for them blah blah blah, RM gets his balls teabagged by another ‘top’ manager, and his brave Saints who he is so proud of go home with another nil points…

🤣

[beatlesaint]

40 minutes ago, vectraman said:

Comfortable 2-0 defeat incoming. Liverpool have 6 games in the next two weeks so I can see them getting in front 2 up, and then bringing their subs on once the top players have won it for them. 
They’ll let us tippy tippy our way backwards and sideways, their keeper will be leant against his goal having a cigar, and we won’t threaten it in the slightest. 
Everyone’s a winner - we get more than 50% possession against them, they get all of the points, we don’t get hammered. Slot says RM has a great way of playing the game, made it really tough for them blah blah blah, RM gets his balls teabagged by another ‘top’ manager, and his brave Saints who he is so proud of go home with another nil points…

Unfortunately this sounds all too familiar so you gotta laugh or else you'd cry 🤣

Edited 22 November, 2024 by beatlesaint

[tdmickey3]

3 nil Liverpool

VVD free header from corner after being marked by Adam Armstrong despite all 11 of our players in the box and 9 of them in 6 yard box (Defensive coach plan)

Salah nicking the ball of Stephens in the penalty area

Jones unmarked on edge of box

 

And after half time............ 

[Saint Fan CaM]

17 hours ago, coalman said:

“It always starts with us and then, of course, we look at Liverpool and have a look at a few things that we can try and capitalise on,” he continued.

“We also need to understand their threats, which they have a lot of. We have prepared the same way we prepare for every game.

“To try and be better than our last one and to try and prepare as best we can and find a way to stop the opposition and to impose our own game as much as we can.

“[Whether it works or not] we’ll find out on Sunday.

“I think we have real ways that if we stick to the game plan and stay brave and aggressive, then we always have a chance against anyone.”

Spoiler alert. It won't (work).

Honestly, you have got to wonder why more clubs don’t employ managers that employ such spectacularly incisive tactics - he’s a fucking genius!

Actually…in truth…he’s shown once again, in an even more convincing way (if that were possible), that he’s a raving fraud who has no idea what to do to win or draw a game of football. Yep - Russ will keep on raising the bar of ineptitude. Everything points to him being humiliated once again on Sunday and sadly ‘Pool will not need to break a sweat to make our team look like strangers (once again). And who’s for betting the bench will defy logic too - it’ll be five at the back starting with a highly defensive possession based strategy, then after they’ve scored two he’ll panic and bring on three strikers to get aggressive and score goals. Genius.

Rant over. COYS!

[suewhistle]

Normally I'd have a few drinks to take the edges off the stress of watching Saints but with no trains looks like I might drive: I don't smoke but what's the legal situation about combining beta blockers, a small spliff and a tranquiliser  I can knick from aged parent's nursing home?

[Totton Saint]

5 hours ago, thornhill_saints said:

You don't reckon 😁

The bad weather forecast for Sunday suggests it could make a mockery of plans and tactics - maybe to our benefit!!

[coalman]

4 minutes ago, Totton Saint said:

The bad weather forecast for Sunday suggests it could make a mockery of plans and tactics - maybe to our benefit!!

Russball is not going to benefit from any situation where passing or control is more difficult.

[Zorba]

4 hours ago, coalman said:

Russball is not going to benefit from any situation where passing or control is more difficult.

..but it will give him another excuse.

[Lighthouse]

6 hours ago, coalman said:

Russball is not going to benefit from any situation where passing or control is more difficult.

Amazing how people are twisting literally every scenario against Russ. If there are strong winds forecast then keeping it tidy, on the deck and short is likely to be a big advantage to going big and aerial. I'm not saying we have an advantage over Liverpool but I'd have thought our style would be less affected than some teams.

[Whitey Grandad]

1 hour ago, Lighthouse said:

Amazing how people are twisting literally every scenario against Russ. If there are strong winds forecast then keeping it tidy, on the deck and short is likely to be a big advantage to going big and aerial. I'm not saying we have an advantage over Liverpool but I'd have thought our style would be less affected than some teams.

But it would still be as ineffective as always.

It’s not a question of extremes. It doesn’t have to be either piss about at the back or hoof it long but some desire to get at the opposition goal would be welcome. Let’s call it ’attack’.

Whatever the conditions we can be assured that Liverpool will handle them better than we do.

[Toussaint]

What is this aggression he speaks of, we completely lack aggression. Aggression is an effective leveller, yet we continually try to take on vastly superior teams at their own game. The only player we have that gets really stuck in is Fernandez.

[coalman]

10 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

Amazing how people are twisting literally every scenario against Russ. If there are strong winds forecast then keeping it tidy, on the deck and short is likely to be a big advantage to going big and aerial. I'm not saying we have an advantage over Liverpool but I'd have thought our style would be less affected than some teams.

I didn't say anything against Russ. Russ the man is not Russball the system.

If most of your possession is around your own penalty area then any extreme conditions mean you're more likely to make mistakes.

[Charlie Wayman]

11 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

Amazing how people are twisting literally every scenario against Russ. If there are strong winds forecast then keeping it tidy, on the deck and short is likely to be a big advantage to going big and aerial. I'm not saying we have an advantage over Liverpool but I'd have thought our style would be less affected than some teams.

Other opinions are available.

[Turkish]

Anyone else just really excited for game week 12 in the English premier soccerball league? The season is nearly 1/3 through and we take on Liverpool from Merseyside tomorrow in an epic tie.

We get to see Mo Salah play live and Virgil Van Dijk return to where Klopp spotted his talent to turn him into the the elite defensive line back he is today. Cannot wait to hear those great Liverpool fans sing their “youll never walk alone” anthem round our stadium. Let’s hope it’s a good fight from us and we can achieve our goal of more possession than the mighty reds! 
 

LETS GO SOUTHAMPTON SAINTS!!!

[AlexLaw76]

2 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Anyone else just really excited for game week 12 in the English premier soccerball league? The season is nearly 1/3 through and we take on Liverpool from Merseyside tomorrow in an epic tie.

We get to see Mo Salah play live and Virgil Van Dijk return to where Klopp spotted his talent to turn him into the the elite defensive line back he is today. Cannot wait to hear those great Liverpool fans sing their “youll never walk alone” anthem round our stadium. Let’s hope it’s a good fight from us and we can achieve our goal of more possession than the mighty reds! 
 

LETS GO SOUTHAMPTON SAINTS!!!

[Galway saint]

11 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

That’s the great thing about the PL.

We know Liverpool have the better players and, we are missing our best keeper ( bazanu)  and striker ( stewart)  but they are coming to our home pitch and they won’t have faced  our level of  intensity and bravery before in the PL, so it’s been going to be close but I’m going 8- 6 saints and we will double our goals tally for the entire season in one single game 

[beatlesaint]

13 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

Amazing how people are twisting literally every scenario against Russ. If there are strong winds forecast then keeping it tidy, on the deck and short is likely to be a big advantage to going big and aerial. I'm not saying we have an advantage over Liverpool but I'd have thought our style would be less affected than some teams.

Kind of cancelled out by the way Liverpool play. If this was against Everton then yeah the conditions would possibly give us an advantage, but against the red side of Merseyside? Nah. 

[Galway saint]

You have those teams that entertain with their free flowing football, lots of goals but have defensive frailties and struggle, yet stick to their philosophy and win friends for their entertaining football.

We on the other hand stick to our philosophy, are naive, play really dull football, have scored the least number of goals in the football league and will go down with a whimper, with other fans only sorry to see us go  because we are an easy three points. 

It’s difficult to now see what the club is hoping to achieve by persevering and feels like we are in a holding pattern until we lose so many games they have to fire him.