Saints 0-4 Brighton - Match Thread

[RedWillie]

1 hour ago, obelisk said:

Brighton should be worried. Saints defence is all at sea, the midfield like a sieve and the attack can't be arsed but they're still only one up.

Time to give SR all barrels.  They need to know how the fans feel as i honestly don't think they know how bad it's got.

[obelisk]

The frequency with which opponents simply gallop unchallenged through the centre of Saints midfield and defence is becoming a bit tedious. Maybe it's time to try something different. Maybe 4 at the back and ditch the man-to-man stuff just to see how it goes in these remaining pre-Championship friendlies.

[derry]

Another rediculous team selection. Rediculous 100% man to man marking that allowed Brighton to pull our markers all over the field. No shape, no balance, no blend. Martin's obsession anchored us to the bottom and Juric's completely different obsession with three defenders, including one centreback, one full back and one midfielder. The man is a rich idiot. For God's sake we need a proper manager that is flexible not obsessed and picks the best balanced team available without sticking square pegs in round holes. Plays a proper defensive back four, two centrebacks and two defensive full backs. FFS Smallbone again.

[E_H_Saints]

25 minutes ago, BotleySaint said:

Aside from the cost, I can't see it making any difference. Heads are so low, nobody could sort it out. 

No doubt in my mind after today, we've reached out points total for the season. 

I think it would be worth it as playing with this style will not do any good in the championship either.  We couldn't even score against Burnley playing this way.  We need a manager who needs to get our team playing in a way that gives us confidence when going down so that we have something to build on.  This style of play is going to get us relegated twice.  

[redkeith]

I gave up at 3 nil when Smallbone came on. 

I have been watching Saints for nearly 60 years and have never felt so disconnected from the club. We barely laid a glove on Brighton. 

For the rest of this season, can we get the team to run out to 'No Fun' by Iggy and the Stooges. None of that uplifting oh when the Saints nonsense. 

[Micky]

14 minutes ago, ButtikonSaint said:

it's a massacre week in, week out.
Don't know how to feel anymore...
Wished it was apathy but that's rarely given to life long supporters.
 

This.  Losing 4 at home is now pretty standard and actually not a bad score for us. This is the norm. 

[Tamesaint]

16 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

I remember watching the game at SJP on the first day, where we lost 1-0 due to a McCarthy howler, and thinking "Yeah we don't look too bad you know. We didn't win but there were some really positive signs there. Maybe we won't be quite so bad this season after all".

Feels like a very, very long time ago now.

Snap

[Cabrone]

This is as dark as I can remember, a total capitulation. Even the Dutch duo got more points than this.

The summer we almost went bust was another low point but this actually feels worse. Just relentlessly depressing.

[miserableoldgit]

1 minute ago, redkeith said:

I gave up at 3 nil when Smallbone came on. 

I have been watching Saints for nearly 60 years and have never felt so disconnected from the club. We barely laid a glove on Brighton. 

For the rest of this season, can we get the team to run out to 'No Fun' by Iggy and the Stooges. None of that uplifting oh when the Saints nonsense. 

It is interesting to hear so many of our vintage saying the same thing. Hardly "good time" supporters....

[Football Special]

2 minutes ago, redkeith said:

I gave up at 3 nil when Smallbone came on. 

I have been watching Saints for nearly 60 years and have never felt so disconnected from the club. We barely laid a glove on Brighton. 

For the rest of this season, can we get the team to run out to 'No Fun' by Iggy and the Stooges. None of that uplifting oh when the Saints nonsense. 

It's too much to hope for but I'd love our fans to stay out of the stadium and let the team walk out to completely empty stands , first 10 mins of game perhaps then enter the stadium. They've really taken the support for granted, need to make a point to these cowboys 

[haddock24]

Like others getting to the point in thinking why am I coming after 59years when it's not competitive after the first 2 goals go in and we don't compete anymore

[Holmes_and_Watson]

9 minutes ago, obelisk said:

The frequency with which opponents simply gallop unchallenged through the centre of Saints midfield and defence is becoming a bit tedious. Maybe it's time to try something different. Maybe 4 at the back and ditch the man-to-man stuff just to see how it goes in these remaining pre-Championship friendlies.

Sadly, that will require a new manager. SR can only recruit those not just wedded to, but welded to, a single system.

[Football Special]

11 minutes ago, Doctoroncall said:

Depends if they have European matches. Could easily play 4/5 youngsters and win by 4/5. But think that would be a blessing. 

We play Liverpool in between their two Champions league games vs PSG. 

Chelsea play in a min vs Aston Villa but have no game next weekend, probably another 5-0 

[captainchris]

8 minutes ago, obelisk said:

The frequency with which opponents simply gallop unchallenged through the centre of Saints midfield and defence is becoming a bit tedious. Maybe it's time to try something different. Maybe 4 at the back and ditch the man-to-man stuff just to see how it goes in these remaining pre-Championship friendlies.

Precisely. We must pack the midfield and build plus defend from there….

This system leaves us wide open to concede goals and yet, Juric just keeps on doing it. Why doesn’t he change the strategy for heavens sake?

[BallBoy]

Glad I live in Scotland and don't have to go anymore. 

[OttawaSaint]

Teams just walking through us, right up the middle.

At what point will our "manager" think, "hmm, this formation doesn't work at all"?

Can't understand why so many of our managers just do the same thing over and over and never change a thing.

Edited 15 hours ago by OttawaSaint

[SaintsBarry74]

1 hour ago, Sheaf Saint said:

OK this might not be a popular post, but here goes...

What the fuck is wrong with our fanbase?  Seriously. How the fuck can a stadium full of Saints fans sit and watch that total clusterfuck of a first half performance and just sit in absolute silence when the HT whistle goes?

Sports republic have turned out club into a fucking laughing stock. They've lurched from disaster to disaster, and the SMS faithful are so fucking passive they just sit and politely clap. 

I respect the dedication of many fans, still bothering to turn up and watch 11 losers kick the ball around with the grit and desire of a fucking sloth, but why even bother if you're just going to sit in silence? 

Where is the ire and vitriol towards these hopeless fucking clowns in charge of the club? Why are you letting them off so fucking lightly? They've gutted the very heart of this once proud club through their total incompetence, and yet the fans in the ground seemingly give them a free ride every fucking week. 

How the actual fuck have we allowed this to happen?

This has been happening since the last 0-9 defeat. It seems like most Saints fans have become numb to embarrassment.

[hypochondriac]

My mates were at the game and went to the saints bar at half time never to return. I think more people will opt out of this season. 

[Charlie Wayman]

8 minutes ago, Football Special said:

It's too much to hope for but I'd love our fans to stay out of the stadium and let the team walk out to completely empty stands , first 10 mins of game perhaps then enter the stadium. They've really taken the support for granted, need to make a point to these cowboys 

That wouldn't change anything. Our problems are much deeper than you imagine.

[Charlie Wayman]

Just now, hypochondriac said:

My mates were at the game and went to the saints bar at half time never to return. I think more people will opt out of this season. 

Are you saying they were abducted by alien forces. Did you report them missing to the police? Bit irresponsible if your didn't.

[FarehamSaintJames]

Just watched the highlight reel (so to speak).

Observations:
- Aribo is not a centre back, got outmuscled or outplayed consistently.
- Bella-Kotchap looked poor, walking, giving up or slowing down as soon as he was beaten.
- The midfield was absolutely non-existent. Every single phase of play started with a Saints player losing the ball in the middle and no one being within twenty yards to support.

Another Ivan masterclass.

[davefizzy14]

We were way off the pace today, simple as that. Lack of intensity and not enough 50/50 duals won especially in the first half. Jurić for some reason only will play one way and we are completely giving the midfield up every single game. 

Edited 15 hours ago by davefizzy14

[Toadhall Saint]

9 minutes ago, OttawaSaint said:

Teams just walking through us, right up the middle.

At what point will our "manager" think, "hmm, this formation doesn't work at all"?

Can't understand why so many of our managers just do the same thing over and over and never change a thing.

It is truly astounding. 

[haddock24]

2 minutes ago, Charlie Wayman said:

Are you saying they were abducted by alien forces. Did you report them missing to the police? Bit irresponsible if your didn't.

Have you found them yet?Are saints holding them hostage?

[Lighthouse]

1 hour ago, Sheaf Saint said:

OK this might not be a popular post, but here goes...

What the fuck is wrong with our fanbase?  Seriously. How the fuck can a stadium full of Saints fans sit and watch that total clusterfuck of a first half performance and just sit in absolute silence when the HT whistle goes?

Sports republic have turned out club into a fucking laughing stock. They've lurched from disaster to disaster, and the SMS faithful are so fucking passive they just sit and politely clap. 

I respect the dedication of many fans, still bothering to turn up and watch 11 losers kick the ball around with the grit and desire of a fucking sloth, but why even bother if you're just going to sit in silence? 

Where is the ire and vitriol towards these hopeless fucking clowns in charge of the club? Why are you letting them off so fucking lightly? They've gutted the very heart of this once proud club through their total incompetence, and yet the fans in the ground seemingly give them a free ride every fucking week. 

How the actual fuck have we allowed this to happen?

I think you're looking at it the wrong way round; I don't see how anyone can be angry at something so utterly pathetic, predictable and repetitive. Saints are like the kid with the deadbeat dad who 'goes out for a pack of fags' and isn't seen for three years. After enough missed Christmas', birthdays and everything else, the kid doesn't get upset they just stop caring.

TBH there's very little any of the board can do at this stage of proceedings. This season was set in stone even before we got promoted, with our failure to appoint any kind of competent DoF in charge of player recruitment. We've tried replacing the manager, at considerable expense, which is basically the default option for any club in trouble, but it was never going to change our fortunes.

[bangkoksaint]

Why are people still turning up? Honestly I don’t get it. To support the team? Well the team or club don’t give a monkey’s about you and you’re being mugged off every week. 50 years following Saints and I’ve had enough of chucking my money at them. Saved myself a 400 mile round trip today and over a hundred quid. It’s not the time or money………I really don’t mind sacrificing either but for gods sake Saints give us something to get behind, have some pride, be professional…….its not much to ask 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

5 minutes ago, haddock24 said:

Have you found them yet?Are saints holding them hostage?

They are going to be our centre backs, in the next game, in another Juric and SR masterstroke.

[Winnersaint]

4 minutes ago, bangkoksaint said:

 Saved myself a 400 mile round trip today 

Thought Bangkok was a lot further away than that!

[Mr X]

5 minutes ago, davefizzy14 said:

We were way off the pace today, simple as that. Lack of intensity and not enough 50/50 duals won especially in the first half. Jurić for some baffling reason only will play one way and we are completely giving the midfield up every single game. 

Herein lies the problem pretty much all of our 4 disastrous managers employed under SR (selles Jones Martin juric) are known for being tied to one particular system and a lack of flexibility that said the current group of players really are piss poor both mentally and physically! It's been a disaster of a season and if SR can't find the right manager fit for saints it will only get worse! 

[gio1saints]

Just fwiw, terrible tactics by Ivan Juric PLUS He has clearly ( to me) lost the changing room.
 

Not one player willing to break a leg challenging for the ball, not one player saying I’m not having it. Not one player realising that there’s 30,000 supporters wanting them to at least put their foot in. It was as apathetic a defeat as ive ever seen. 

[captainchris]

What did Juric say afterwards?

[aintforever]

This is miles worse than anything Russel Martin turned out, the manager is completely out if his depth.

That doesn’t excuse the players though, bunch of wankers just going through the motions.

 

Edited 15 hours ago by aintforever

[Norm]

I wonder if those that cheered, loudly, when BK came on, thought he was worth it? 
In my view, he was poor.

[Sheaf Saint]

7 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I think you're looking at it the wrong way round; I don't see how anyone can be angry at something so utterly pathetic, predictable and repetitive. Saints are like the kid with the deadbeat dad who 'goes out for a pack of fags' and isn't seen for three years. After enough missed Christmas', birthdays and everything else, the kid doesn't get upset they just stop caring.

It's an interesting analogy you make, but I can tell you from personal experience (my dad went away for work when I was six and I didn't see him again until I was 24) that you never really stop caring, no matter how much you try and convince yourself that you have. 

[Mr X]

1 minute ago, captainchris said:

What did Juric say afterwards?

When's my pay day again? 

[vectraman]

Ramsdale was the only player in a Saints shirt worthy of his pay this week. Fair play he prevented a rout. 
How we can be so passive, lazy, slow, out-muscled, clueless, toothless all at the same time I’m not sure, but we managed it. Unbelievably inept and embarrassing. 
I found myself. Nodding to the Brighton chants of “you’re f’ing sh1t” couldn’t agree more really. 
Sad times. 
Not sure where we go next season - the few players we’d want to keep will be off, leaving us with dross we can’t bin off  

Ramsdale, Dibling, Fernandes I’d keep  The rest are totally and utterly w4ank and can all go  

 

[aintforever]

1 minute ago, Norm said:

I wonder if those that cheered, loudly, when BK came on, thought he was worth it? 
In my view, he was poor.

I just assumed that was sarcasm, cheering some cunt who has spent the last couple if seasons stealing a living.

[Football Special]

22 minutes ago, Charlie Wayman said:

That wouldn't change anything. Our problems are much deeper than you imagine.

No I think the problems are very deep, from the very top there's absolutely no leadership and a culture of complacency, doesn't mean you can't send a message 

[beatlesaint]

That could well be my last match at St Mary’s this season. I really can’t keep putting myself through this shite game after game.

[Saint NL]

3 minutes ago, vectraman said:

Ramsdale, Dibling, Fernandes I’d keep  The rest are totally and utterly w4ank and can all go  

Based on today's performance, Dibling might well be here next season. Can't see anyone paying the ££££ we'd demand if he puts in many more performances like that.

[Dr Who?]

Same old rubbish. We have a manager with a worse record than Jones. Get him out, now! 

[bangkoksaint]

I’ll put my tin hat on……….For me Jones wouldn’t put up with what the players are serving up and if nothing else he’d have had us grafting. He was responsible pretty much for Luton going up and is on the threshold of the play-offs with Charlton. We’ll never know what may have happened if we’d have kept him but could it have been worse than this? Even if we’d kept him last season he’d have replicated what RM did and I bet we wouldn’t have surrendered to teams like we have this season.

[Pamplemousse]

This summer is a great opportunity to have a mass clear out, we need to sign at least 15 new players for the start of next season and get a proper squad in. This lot are fucking useless who cannot understand basic tactics.

[Wiggles31]

Juric is legit worse than Martin. His man marking pressing is suicidal and the midfield is the worst in the history of this club and the PL. Wish we could forfeit this season. Oh wait players already have .

[badgerx16]

Surely it is time for match reports to stop referring to Saints as 'relegation threatened' and switch to 'Championship bound'.

[Saint_clark]

29 minutes ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

Just watched the highlight reel (so to speak).

Observations:
- Aribo is not a centre back, got outmuscled or outplayed consistently.
- Bella-Kotchap looked poor, walking, giving up or slowing down as soon as he was beaten.
- The midfield was absolutely non-existent. Every single phase of play started with a Saints player losing the ball in the middle and no one being within twenty yards to support.

Another Ivan masterclass.

Look how simple they make it look. Long straight pass into feet, little flick round the corner for someone running from deep to run onto. How hard can it be?

[badgerx16]

2 minutes ago, Wiggles31 said:

Juric is legit worse than Martin. His man marking pressing is suicidal and the midfield is the worst in the history of this club and the PL. Wish we could forfeit this season. Oh wait players already have .

We would be better off as forfeits are only set at 3-0.

[SaintTex]

52 minutes ago, redkeith said:

I gave up at 3 nil when Smallbone came on. 

you held out hope longer than the rest of us.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

25 minutes ago, gio1saints said:

Not one player willing to break a leg challenging for the ball, not one player saying I’m not having it. Not one player realising that there’s 30,000 supporters wanting them to at least put their foot in. It was as apathetic a defeat as ive ever seen.

The players were lost after Martin went. A squad that had it so easy under him just can't be bothered to put in a shift anymore, shouldn't matter if the manager is bat shit crazy. Players should still have some pride in their own performances. 

[S-Clarke]

This club is batshit crazy, we are broken from top to bottom. The first time they relegated us we kept a few 'PLish' players and managed to put up an attempt, although the season wasn't painless the quality saw us over the line in the end.

This time we will go down and we won't be back for a very, very, very long time. There's nothing here, nothing to build from, nothing to get behind. Most of this team will be off in the summer and we simply have to start again. That will come with pain and inconsistency, and probably a few more managerial changes before we are able to mount any form of Championship effort.

SR are about to complete their task of turning us into Stoke City v2, so well done to them.

There's not much point talking about the match as it didn't really happen, only one team played. I will question any manager who feels it's sensible to play Bree and Aribo as centre backs though, no one, not even non-league managers would do something so daft. We surrendered at 13:45, which we have done most weeks.

This season will be damaging long term to this club, let's not be naive to that. We don't just recover from a year like this and turn into beaters next season, it doesn't happen like that.