Saints 0-5 Brentford - Match Thread

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

So Brentford are playing today (Wednesday). They're going to be knackered against the Juric high press. 

Never bet against my interests - so lost a few bob this season - but time for clawback. 2-1 Saints with Tall Paul scoring his first Saints goal. 

[bpsaint]

Was convinced this game was today. No full New Years Day football calendar for the whole of the Premier League? What a load of bollocks.

Anyway, even with Brentford playing today they’ll still be fit and fresh enough to get their first away win of the season against us.

Edited January 1 by bpsaint

[Gloucester Saint]

10 minutes ago, bpsaint said:

Was convinced this game was today. No full New Years Day football calendar for the whole of the Premier League? What a load of bollocks.

Anyway, even with Brentford playing today they’ll still be fit and fresh enough to get their first away win of the season against us.

Would like to see Saints causing an upset but against a pressing side it’s quite unlikely.

[benjii]

4-0 Saints.

[Harry_SFC]

33 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Would like to see Saints causing an upset but against a pressing side it’s quite unlikely.

Usually, with Juric's tactics, you'd want to play a pressing side. Knock the ball past/over the press and utilize the space behind or win the second balls.

Going by the second half on Sunday, it's going to take a while longer to get Russball out of the players systems. 

Edited January 1 by Harry_SFC

[Zorba]

1-1

 

[LiberalCommunist]

Blood and thunder tonight please Arsenal 

[lambtiss]

Brentford 1 up

[saintant]

Brentford looking lively tonight.

[Harry_SFC]

26 minutes ago, saintant said:

Brentford looking lively tonight.

Didn't last long although Arsenal have been excellent. 

[Sheaf Saint]

6 hours ago, benjii said:

4-0 Saints.

I can only assume that you had some kind of narcotic-fuelled bender for new year and were still going strong with a jagerbomb in one hand and a rolled up £20 note sticking out of your nose when you typed this.

[Lighthouse]

1 minute ago, Sheaf Saint said:

I can only assume that you had some kind of narcotic-fuelled bender for new year and were still going strong with a jagerbomb in one hand and a rolled up £20 note sticking out of your nose when you typed this.

You jest but given how dreadful we’ve been this year we’re going to absolutely thump Arsenal when they come to town.

[Galway saint]

think we will lose this one - just a gut feeling 

Am still confident of a second win this season but think it will need to wait until the Spring when a lot of clubs will have nothing to play for and have one eye on the beach. 

[coalman]

46 minutes ago, Galway saint said:

think we will lose this one - just a gut feeling 

Am still confident of a second win this season but think it will need to wait until the Spring when a lot of clubs will have nothing to play for and have one eye on the beach. 

Ah the law of averages. Otherwise stated as that we're really average.

Edited Wednesday at 20:32 by coalman

[Tommy Mulgrew]

2 hours ago, coalman said:

we're really average

If Juric has us as really average for the rest of the season, and if it is Premier League average, everyone on here will whoop with joy; (well everyone except maybe three or four).   😍

Dream on.

[east-stand-nic]

So, if we win this weekend, does the hope start to creep back in or are we all quite certain we are down no matter what? I have a feeling we are going to win this one.

[Pamplemousse]

9 minutes ago, east-stand-nic said:

So, if we win this weekend, does the hope start to creep back in or are we all quite certain we are down no matter what? I have a feeling we are going to win this one.

If we get a couple on the bounce and close the gap then maybe. 

[East Kent Saint]

9 minutes ago, east-stand-nic said:

So, if we win this weekend, does the hope start to creep back in or are we all quite certain we are down no matter what? I have a feeling we are going to win this one.

History says we are toast so chances are slim to none !

[S-Clarke]

16 minutes ago, east-stand-nic said:

So, if we win this weekend, does the hope start to creep back in or are we all quite certain we are down no matter what? I have a feeling we are going to win this one.

No, there is zero chance.

We need around 60% of available points to get to 40 points. It's really not worth stressing about or thinking about. We've been done and dusted for many weeks.

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

The initial target is to get past having the lowest PL points and then bring a bit of pride back into the club before the inevitable drop. Uncomfortable getting there but the Championship ain’t that bad (for too long).

We’ve sidestepped the ‘new manager bounce’ with results but, look at Leicester, it often follows with a bump. Juric had little more than a day on the training ground before his first couple of games, this time he’s had a week. Fingers crossed.

[bangkoksaint]

9 minutes ago, TheAlehouseBrawlers said:

The initial target is to get past having the lowest PL points and then bring a bit of pride back into the club before the inevitable drop. Uncomfortable getting there but the Championship ain’t that bad (for too long).

We’ve sidestepped the ‘new manager bounce’ with results but, look at Leicester, it often follows with a bump. Juric had little more than a day on the training ground before his first couple of games, this time he’s had a week. Fingers crossed.

Yeah but hadn’t Russ promised them the week off before he left!!

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

16 minutes ago, bangkoksaint said:

Yeah but hadn’t Russ promised them the week off before he left!!

Probably.

[OldNick]

1 hour ago, bangkoksaint said:

Yeah but hadn’t Russ promised them the week off before he left!!

A week off for the players probably meant a week off with Lucy and so I'd have gone for a fortnight off 

[Tom & Gerry]

Saints have a habit in recent seasons of having prolonged bad spells followed by prolonged good spells so I'm hoping we will now see an improvement. Of course it wouldn't take much to be better and it's  got to the stage where any win we get is a shock win. Still it would be nice to take a few unexpected scalps even if staying up is beyond us.

[jasonbenali]

Is this the day our unbeaten 2025 run comes to an end?

[benjii]

Today? No.

[Cabrone]

3 hours ago, east-stand-nic said:

So, if we win this weekend, does the hope start to creep back in or are we all quite certain we are down no matter what? I have a feeling we are going to win this one.

Looking at the numbers....

4th to bottom are Wolves who are on track for 32 points. To get 32 points we'd need 26 points over 19 games. That's the form of a 52 point season which is currently between Spurs and Brighton.

Not quite impossible but not far off. We are now in 'minor miracle' territory.

TBH I'm just hoping we can rediscover our mojo and end with some degree of respectability, hopefully somewhere between 20-25 points.

As for Saturday...if the players leave it all on the pitch then who knows, a draw or even nick all 3? I just want to see some real heart.

[Saint Fan CaM]

On 31/12/2024 at 16:18, Convict Colony said:

You should check out a book called Drunkards Walk, prior performance doesnt mean future performance.

Unless you’re Russell Martin and keep doing the same things despite poor performance. Then all bets are off!

[Saint Fan CaM]

Have not seen anything yet to change my mind that we’re not only headed for relegation, but we’ll not win or draw enough games to beat Derby’s record. Yes, IR has helped but I reckon that’s more about what the team are NOT doing (dicking about at the back), rather than what has changed to improve performances and specifically how to score goals. Brentford are (shockingly) an all round better club and have a better, more effective squad of players, marshalled by a good manager.

0-2 Brentford

[Harry_SFC]

Fernandes suspended, Downes likely to miss out again.

That means Aribo in CM again. Deary me. 

[saintnick]

Me and my lad can’t make it this weekend so would anyone like to use our season tickets. 1 adult and 1 teen. Block 46, Northam. P.M me if interested 

[Sheaf Saint]

1 hour ago, Harry_SFC said:

Fernandes suspended, Downes likely to miss out again.

That means Aribo in CM again. Deary me. 

An absolute joke that 5th yellow card was as well. He jumped to win a header and got to it. Ridiculous.

[Football Special]

2 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

An absolute joke that 5th yellow card was as well. He jumped to win a header and got to it. Ridiculous.

We've been on the receiving end of some diabolical decisions this season, we've clearly not been leaving the correct envelope in the officials changing room pre-match 

I think we'll struggle against Brentford but if Downes and Fernandes are missing I think it'll be too much of a gap. Is Smallbone expected back? 

[Chez]

Brentford have murdered us the last few games at their place. Bit worried they might extend that dominance to SMS. 

How are we going to score goals? Sugawara crossing to Onuachu looked promising against West Ham, but he might not even play.

[the saint in winchester]

On 01/01/2025 at 13:38, Harry_SFC said:

 

Going by the second half on Sunday, it's going to take a while longer to get Russball out of the players systems. 

Scar tissue? Where have we heard that before?

[Disco Stu]

FFS it's a home game. I don't wanna

[Sarnia Cherie]

19 hours ago, jasonbenali said:

Is this the day our unbeaten 2025 run comes to an end?

No.

[jamesfp1]

Rest easy. I've just done something that will guarantee us the victory.

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

Just had a scoot over one of their boards, understandably confident. It was pointed out we're without probably our best man in Fernandes, and Dibling is "lazy" (clearly been reading a particular poster on this board). One of 'em even has this game down as our "cup final" ....deluded fuckwit  (#19)

https://griffinpark.org/forums/threads/southampton-v-bees-predictions.141956/

Interesting to see if Meghoma gets off the bench, made his (brief) debut against Chelsea.

[Football Special]

2 hours ago, TheAlehouseBrawlers said:

Just had a scoot over one of their boards, understandably confident. It was pointed out we're without probably our best man in Fernandes, and Dibling is "lazy" (clearly been reading a particular poster on this board). One of 'em even has this game down as our "cup final" ....deluded fuckwit  (#19)

https://griffinpark.org/forums/threads/southampton-v-bees-predictions.141956/

Interesting to see if Meghoma gets off the bench, made his (brief) debut against Chelsea.

That will be tongue in cheek surely or a Johnny come lately, I know a few Brentford and they'd acknowledge even their local rivals don't see them as a cup final, Chelsea, Fulham, QPR all traditionally bigger clubs / fanbases, I'd put Brentford on a par with Wimbledon as a club 

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

17 minutes ago, Football Special said:

That will be tongue in cheek surely or a Johnny come lately, I know a few Brentford and they'd acknowledge even their local rivals don't see them as a cup final, Chelsea, Fulham, QPR all traditionally bigger clubs / fanbases, I'd put Brentford on a par with Wimbledon as a club 

Yeah, you're probably right tbf...just read it again, maybe I'm the fuckwit this time!

And, to give them credit, Brentford Nylons were all the rage back in the 70s.

[Norm]

0-3, Sorry.

[Charlie Wayman]

We need to win tomorrow to encourage non believers that we have turned a corner especially now that Ivan Juric has his own coaching team on-board.

I'm going out on a limb to predict a 2-1 win for Saints with a late goal on from Kamaldeen Sulamana

[Challenger]

6 hours ago, jamesfp1 said:

Rest easy. I've just done something that will guarantee us the victory.

A 3 goal headstart and a laxative lunch for Brentford wouldn't guarantee us a victory.

[Gloucester Saint]

6 minutes ago, Challenger said:

A 3 goal headstart and a laxative lunch for Brentford wouldn't guarantee us a victory.

Even a dodgy Lasagne lunch for Brentford Spurs-style wouldn’t stop them winning.

[Lighthouse]

6 hours ago, jamesfp1 said:

Rest easy. I've just done something that will guarantee us the victory.

You’ll go blind.

[Baird of the land]

Going to need a big performance from Les in midfield. Wonder if we'll see a start for lallana.

[Teamsaint1]

Hard to know where we go from here. 
Having our two best midfielders out was a big handicap, but  even so that was an utter shambles, almost as bad a Spurs.

With Downes and Fernandes out,and Brentford’s ability to break at speed we should have been much more conservative.

 

 

 

[RedArmy]

My prediction is 5-0 Brentford. 

[Lighthouse]

What more is there to say. Abysmal. The worst away team in the league (tied with us obviously) came here and could have won 8-0 with better finishing. In theory that was probably our best chance of a win for the rest of the season.