Villa 1-0 Saints - Match Thread

[Harry_SFC]

27 minutes ago, Weston Super Saint said:

There's only a yellow warning for the Midlands - pretty much the same as our game last week.  Wouldn't expect it to be called off unless there is anything major that happens on the road or train networks.

Yeah they've known about the strong winds for days now, would be ridiculous to call it off on the morning unless, as you say, something major happens. 

[musesaint]

We will get hammered and Martin will make his usual pathetic excuses. Our club has become the biggest joke in the Premier League and an embarrassment to many life long fans. 
 

Apart from that I’m quite optimistic. 

[Gingeletiss]

Keep looking folks. The Everton Liverpool game has just been postponed.

[Chewy]

Apparently part of the A34 is now shut 🤷🏻‍♂️

Good luck to anyone who ventures out - if you somehow survive the storm and the game is somehow played you’ll have another chance to witness our football revolution.

Just remember to watch the game tactically, not as fans. That way you’ll be able to appreciate how marvelous we are, despite what the 8-0 score line would lead you to believe.

[Galway saint]

I think we’ll bounce back from the defeat on Wednesday and continue our improvement securing a 3-1 defeat with a first goal of the season for BBD and only one horrendous gaff at the back 

 

Russell martins red and white army……

[Colinjb]

4 minutes ago, Chewy said:

Apparently part of the A34 is now shut 🤷🏻‍♂️

Good luck to anyone who ventures out - if you somehow survive the storm and the game is somehow played you’ll have another chance to witness our football revolution.

Just remember to watch the game tactically, not as fans. That way you’ll be able to appreciate how marvelous we are, despite what the 8-0 score line would lead you to believe.

Yep, tree clearance apparently. 

 

[gio1saints]

14 hours ago, Zorba said:

We’re all such fucking idiots! What’s wrong with us? We haven’t got a clue!
Gaslighting prick. Make my football team win some games you useless wanker or fuck off!

You are having a go at THB. Our best Centreback and a bloke always gives his all for Saints acknowledges support every match. Those were his words being quoted in the Echo. Very rare for a young player to be so specific. Especially a young England international.  I don’t think you realised that - giving you benefit of the doubt here - but check Frannies words on same subject in the Echo - which made a lot of sense. If you did mean it - 😵‍💫

[Mr X]

Likely it will be cancelled.... Hallelujah for small mercies! 

[Oldandtired]

14 hours ago, Turkish said:

another huge opportunity to learn and grow. We will have some great moments. So proud of our players for believing in what we are doing, so much love and respect for them. So proud of Russell for sticking with it despite what you clueless lot say. Believe in what we are doing. Brighton are copying us, Pep is learning from us, We are getting plaudits from so many managers it's starting to click. Remember at Swansea how Martins team were poor before christmas but then clicked to narrowly miss out on the play offs. I think we'll see the same here and narrowly miss out on the champions league. The revolution has started.

It should start in the Northam to get the tool out.

Edited 7 December, 2024 by Oldandtired

[CSA96]

If anyone is the appropriate combination of local, crazy and at a loose end…

Spare ticket today. Can meet at ground, no money wanted - friend in Wales can’t make it 

[Baird of the land]

When a derby gets called off "due to the risk to safety in the local area" you do wonder how games where away fans actually have to travel aren't called off due to travel danger.

[bangkoksaint]

15 minutes ago, Mr X said:

Likely it will be cancelled.... Hallelujah for small mercies! 

How do you know? I’m due to leave soon

[Sheaf Saint]

5 minutes ago, Baird of the land said:

When a derby gets called off "due to the risk to safety in the local area" you do wonder how games where away fans actually have to travel aren't called off due to travel danger.

Yeah but Liverpool is within the Met Office's amber warning zone, so it makes sense to call that off even if the fans don't have to travel long distances*, whereas The Midlands and South are only under a yellow warning. 

* Although I know plenty of lifelong Liverpool fans who don't actually live there.

[adrian lord]

Most of the Merseyside derby fans will have driven or got the train up from London already, so the exposure to "danger" has already occurred. 

[M271]

My season ticket holding son must be a sucker for punishment, 3 hour door to stadium each way on Wednesday ( now that he’s moved from Southampton) and getting the train to Aston Villa today. AV nearly 3 years ago and losing 4 0 was the start of our decline after doing well that season up til then, if we beat AV today (highly unlikely) could be the start of a new positive phase? (grasping at straws, deluded etc) 🤞😩

[spyinthesky]

4 minutes ago, M271 said:

My season ticket holding son must be a sucker for punishment, 3 hour door to stadium each way on Wednesday ( now that he’s moved from Southampton) and getting the train to Aston Villa today. AV nearly 3 years ago and losing 4 0 was the start of our decline after doing well that season up til then, if we beat AV today (highly unlikely) could be the start of a new positive phase? (grasping at straws, deluded etc) 🤞😩

Agree.
We were doing relatively well until that unexpected (at the time) 4-0 reverse at Villa Park.
Our Premiership results since then have been awful

[Lee On Solent Saint]

1 hour ago, gio1saints said:

You are having a go at THB. Our best Centreback and a bloke always gives his all for Saints acknowledges support every match. Those were his words being quoted in the Echo. Very rare for a young player to be so specific. Especially a young England international.  I don’t think you realised that - giving you benefit of the doubt here - but check Frannies words on same subject in the Echo - which made a lot of sense. If you did mean it - 😵‍💫

The bigger question is, why does he feel the need to come out and defend the tactics and style of play? Players shouldn't be doing that. It's obvious that the feelings of discontent are starting to filter through to the club.

[Football Special]

1 hour ago, Mr X said:

Likely it will be cancelled.... Hallelujah for small mercies! 

It's not likely at all is it. 

[goodymatt]

I’ve just arrived in the West Midlands. Hopefully not a wasted journey!

[goodymatt]

Game going ahead!

[egg]

This will be a really tough watch. Christ knows that the defensive line up will be. Hopefully he swallows his pride and picks Taylor who's experience back there we'll need. The only issue really is how much worse our goal difference gets. 

[Convict Colony]

1 minute ago, goodymatt said:

Game going ahead!

thank god, i need my weekend fix of elaborate mistakes in our own half leading to goals.

 

[Saint NL]

The boys will have to be extra brave today playing in all that wind

[Weston Super Saint]

15 minutes ago, goodymatt said:

Game going ahead!

Thay want their 3 points!

[trousers]

17 minutes ago, goodymatt said:

Game going ahead!

 

[tdmickey3]

2 hours ago, gio1saints said:

You are having a go at THB. Our best Centreback and a bloke always gives his all for Saints acknowledges support every match. Those were his words being quoted in the Echo. Very rare for a young player to be so specific. Especially a young England international.  I don’t think you realised that - giving you benefit of the doubt here - but check Frannies words on same subject in the Echo - which made a lot of sense. If you did mean it - 😵‍💫

PR fool defending a PR statement, what a surprise

[LGTL]

Villa aren’t stupid, as if they’d cancel a game and a guaranteed 3 points against our pathetic manager. 

[Sarnia Cherie]

18 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

The boys will have to be extra brave today playing in all that wind

And poor Russell's hair do! 

[saintant]

Maybe the wind will blow the ball forward for us - in one half anyway. Might help us be more offensive which is quite a good word for us.

[Jack]

28 minutes ago, egg said:

This will be a really tough watch. Christ knows that the defensive line up will be. Hopefully he swallows his pride and picks Taylor who's experience back there we'll need. The only issue really is how much worse our goal difference gets. 

I reckon Taylor has been outspoken about the lunatic tactics, no other reason RM would’ve played everyone but him including players out of position. 
Taylor has been in relegation fights so will have a better idea what it takes to compete than most of them. Maybe he’s questioned Russell’s authority and paid the price. 

[SW5 SAINT]

10 minutes ago, Sarnia Cherie said:

And poor Russell's hair do! 

I think I preferred the previous hairdo…..

[gio1saints]

1 hour ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

The bigger question is, why does he feel the need to come out and defend the tactics and style of play? Players shouldn't be doing that. It's obvious that the feelings of discontent are starting to filter through to the club.

Why ? I would have thought it’s obvious. He was saying that the ( many) critics of some or all of the tactical playbook RM employs need to know what players like him think of the situation and style - because it’s become topic of the season. 
tHB has hit a job in the EPL next season whatever - so he is no need and is NOT sucking up to his boss. Just pointing that out. 

[Obstacle1]

4 minutes ago, Jack said:

I reckon Taylor has been outspoken about the lunatic tactics, no other reason RM would’ve played everyone but him including players out of position. 
Taylor has been in relegation fights so will have a better idea what it takes to compete than most of them. Maybe he’s questioned Russell’s authority and paid the price. 

That seems plausible. The worry is what that means about the rest of the squad, do none of them have the backbone to question Martins tactics or do they have some kind of footballing Stockholm syndrome where he's convinced them he's a tactical genius

[egg]

6 minutes ago, Jack said:

I reckon Taylor has been outspoken about the lunatic tactics, no other reason RM would’ve played everyone but him including players out of position. 
Taylor has been in relegation fights so will have a better idea what it takes to compete than most of them. Maybe he’s questioned Russell’s authority and paid the price. 

Yep. I think there's something in that. He's better than Manning, and vastly experienced at this level. I think can't of a single football related reason why he's not involved. 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

2 minutes ago, gio1saints said:

Why ? I would have thought it’s obvious. He was saying that the ( many) critics of some or all of the tactical playbook RM employs need to know what players like him think of the situation and style - because it’s become topic of the season. 
tHB has hit a job in the EPL next season whatever - so he is no need and is NOT sucking up to his boss. Just pointing that out. 

Its all bullshit Gio, you think as a professional footballer he enjoys playing each week and getting beaten? The PR department have told him to come out with that bollocks. 

[LGTL]

10 minutes ago, saintant said:

Maybe the wind will blow the ball forward for us - in one half anyway. Might help us be more offensive which is quite a good word for us.

It’s always amusing to see his unhinged tantrums when a player dares deviate from his plans. So good luck to the wind. 

[FarehamSaintJames]

Can you imagine Russell Martin changing his tactics today for the first time ever and tempting to go route one 😂
It would be very Russ. 

[LGTL]

7 minutes ago, gio1saints said:

Why ? I would have thought it’s obvious. He was saying that the ( many) critics of some or all of the tactical playbook RM employs need to know what players like him think of the situation and style - because it’s become topic of the season. 
tHB has hit a job in the EPL next season whatever - so he is no need and is NOT sucking up to his boss. Just pointing that out. 

Imagine being this naive 😂

[FarehamSaintJames]

3-0 defeat today.

Nothing exciting.

[macca155]

3 minutes ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

3-0 defeat today.

Nothing exciting.

Not so sure, weather will make it the usual lottery but .... players will respond after Wednesday. I expect we'll see more of a Liverpool Brighton (2nd half).

Three front line players returning, Lumley hopefully we'll learn to put his foot through the ball more often, especially if Watkins is anywhere near him.

Woods will replace Stephens,  if Bendarek isn't available. I was surprisingly impressed with him on Wednesday.

Still probably be beaten but a tight 2 1 I reckon. May even squeeze a draw put of it.

Quite honestly if it's another horror show, even the likes of me will be calling for a change.

With a manager like Robbins available, there are decent alternatives.

[Colinjb]

13 minutes ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

3-0 defeat today.

Nothing exciting.

I would take 3-0 to be fair.

[coalman]

1 minute ago, Colinjb said:

I would take 3-0 to be fair.

If we'd failed to field a team for any game this season and copped the automatic 3-0 defeat each game, our points difference would only be 5 less, goals against only 12 worse and our goal difference only 23 worse. Which is a good marker for how much better Russball is than not bothering to show up at all.

[Totton Saint]

1 hour ago, Convict Colony said:

thank god, i need my weekend fix of elaborate mistakes in our own half leading to goals.

 

Any streams please Convict Colony?

[Weston Super Saint]

39 minutes ago, saintant said:

Maybe the wind will blow the ball forward for us - in one half anyway. Might help us be more offensive which is quite a good word for us.

Will just make it harder to pass backwards during one half.

[HKsaint]

Someone will be sent off giving RM another excuse 

[Wade Garrett]

No doubt more of the same today. 

Get mugged off by Villa.  No doubt kindly present them an easy goal or two.

Smug Martin gaslighting in the post-match interview.

Pundits tonight all saying our fannying about with the ball is bullshit.

Silence from those idiots running the club.

Repeat again for next week.

[SNSUN]

Just heard the game has been called off. In a statement Villa boss Emery said “we just cannot play Southampton right now, they’re just too easy to beat and I want to wait until they become more of a challenge.”

[Behind Enemy Lines]

I’ve heard Jack Stephens is the physio for us for this game and the players have been told to go down every five minutes. 
 

That gets Jack and his leadership onto the pitch according to RM. 

[Totton Saint]

I thought that we played some scintillating football and really rocked Chelsea until the Lumley faux pas. We even equalised soon after going a goal down after another Lumley gaffe. 

[SNSUN]

1 hour ago, Convict Colony said:

thank god, i need my weekend fix of elaborate mistakes in our own half leading to goals.

 

We’ll play short, intricate passes when the wind is behind us and long ball would be better, then punt the ball long when we’re facing the wind. It’s the Russ way to do things backwards. 
 

I half expect a comical own goal by somebody today.