Saints vs Brighton - Saturday 3pm

[Lighthouse]

A chance to lose at home on three consecutive Saturdays, which should be a first but knowing us probably not.

Another bog standard 1-3 incoming.

[Fabrice29]

Cue first page of this thread being full of posts shouting "Just wish we'd play our best 11 in our best formation ffs!"

[Sarnia Cherie]

Just what I need, a 2nd loss at home to a South Coast club in a week  What depresses me the most is that, not so long ago, a fixture against Bournemouth and Brighton had me fairly confident of 3 points from both games. It underlines just how far we have fallen.

[Saint Fan CaM]

If Juric plays 5 at the back it’s game over. So I guess it’s game over. 0-3.

[trousers]

Cue one of the first posts on this thread being some self-appointed smart Alec posting that the first page of the thread will be full of posts shouting "Just wish we'd play our best 11 in our best formation ffs!"

[east-stand-nic]

Brighton are starting to suffer the same fate as we did, and I suspect within a year or 2 will start to have genuine brushes with relegation. The same will happen with Bournemouth as eventually recruiting cheap and young trips you up, as we all know. Brighton are not the team this season they have been so IJ needs to get it right this weekend and get himself a worth 2-2 draw.

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, east-stand-nic said:

Brighton are starting to suffer the same fate as we did, and I suspect within a year or 2 will start to have genuine brushes with relegation. The same will happen with Bournemouth as eventually recruiting cheap and young trips you up, as we all know. Brighton are not the team this season they have been so IJ needs to get it right this weekend and get himself a worth 2-2 draw.

Their midfield still has far too much pace and power for ours. Agree broadly with their upcoming decline - their last couple of windows have been Reed-esque although Minteh has started pulling his finger out recently. Mid-sized clubs cannot afford one bad window at PL level. 

[Winnersaint]

59 minutes ago, Sarnia Cherie said:

Just what I need, a 2nd loss at home to a South Coast club in a week  What depresses me the most is that, not so long ago, a fixture against Bournemouth and Brighton had me fairly confident of 3 points from both games. It underlines just how far we have fallen.

Its not our time. Nor theirs in a few seasons time.

[Football Special]

Brighton away was probably our best performance so far this season, should have won that having scored a perfectly good winner. 

[SNSUN]

It's back! Yes ladies, gentlemen and everyone in between, I have brought back the Magic Wheel to predict the score against Brighton. It is currently basking in a ZERO per cent success rate in all the times I've been using it so whether you believe the wheel is up to you. It's last outing was the play off final which it also got very wrong.

So without further ado, here is the wheel's prediction...

 

 

That is right, even the wheel doesn't think we will win... but will a score draw keep the Saints fans happy? I suggest not. But seeing as the wheel is bollocks, it could yet go either way on the day.

[die Mannyschaft]

Saints 0-0. Another similar team Brighton and again jot a derby. Just hope Saints have learnt something and cand hold out for a draw. I'll be happy if we can play attacking football for 30 mins then increase by 10 mins each game

[spyinthesky]

Sad fact of life nowadays is I go the St Marys hoping that we can keep the goals against no more than 5.

I find myself looking at the clock counting down the time to 90 mins + hoping there is a swift respite.

Heaven help us if we went a couple of goals down early doors then have a player sent off.!!!!!!!!! 

[Green]

We were shocking in the first half against Brighton in the game at their place, much better in the second half and still feel aggrieved about the VAR decision against Archer's goal but I seem to recall their fans thinking Downes should have been sent off for a series of fouls. 

Just have to hope that Juric has learnt from the previous games and he sets us up properly from the start and when he makes substitutions then they are not going to cause us harm. 

Why haven't we played like we did in the first half against West Ham in any other games since? 

 

[Jack]

Away win 

[Sarnia Cherie]

2 hours ago, Winnersaint said:

Its not our time. Nor theirs in a few seasons time.

It's nice to have your moment in the sun though, isn't it? We haven't had much chance to get sunstroke for quite a while now.

[Challenger]

Going to stick my neck out a bit and predict a loss.

[saintant]

4 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

Cue first page of this thread being full of posts shouting "Just wish we'd play our best 11 in our best formation ffs!"

Would you prefer we didn't play our best 11 in our best formation?

[Fitzhugh Fella]

5 hours ago, trousers said:

Cue one of the first posts on this thread being some self-appointed smart Alec posting that the first page of the thread will be full of posts shouting "Just wish we'd play our best 11 in our best formation ffs!"

I sense weariness?

[ally_uk]

2-0 Briggton can we just get this season over with? 

[Fabrice29]

3 hours ago, saintant said:

Would you prefer we didn't play our best 11 in our best formation?

Yes, mainly to annoy the people that genuinely believe there is such a thing.

[Gloucester Saint]

4 hours ago, Sarnia Cherie said:

It's nice to have your moment in the sun though, isn't it? We haven't had much chance to get sunstroke for quite a while now.

Could’ve been a far worse decline since 2017 given how fast and far we fell rapidly under Lowe and co.

[Andy Hill]

Do we have to ??

[Morse]

I'll be surprised if it's much different from the Bournemouth game.  Some players who should never be starting will be removed once we're 2 down to be replaced by a better line-up and formation (such as it is) who might put up a bit of, ultimately futile, resistance.  1-3

[rallyboy]

Cleverly worded advertising from the club...

 

'our fan zones and The Dell have it all, making St Mary's the best place to be before and after the game'...

 

How about making it fun DURING the fucking game?

[OneMrsWallace]

Score prediction of:

Saints something, Brighton a lot more.

Holy crap. 

[St. Ciervo]

As usual, a 1-3 scoreline that flatters us.

• Downes will cry.
• Smallbone will start with an automatic yellow card.
• Our goal will be an OG or accident. 
• We will complain on saintsweb.

Just another Saturday on repeat.

[Dman]

Odd feeling that we'll get something from this one. 2-2. 

1 point closer to 12.

[Chez]

I fancy us. 

[AlexLaw76]

3/5 at the back, strict man marking system, 3 goals conceded.

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

1 hour ago, Chez said:

I fancy us. 

So do I. Just couldn’t see us getting anything against Bournemouth who are a very decent side, but this seems more doable. Probably a point each.

[austsaint]

I’d like to see Juric declutter the tangle of full-backs and centre backs.    Ramsdale. - KWP and Wellington and two specialist CBs.   Strengthen the midfield by playing Les Ugo with Fernandes slightly advanced.  Sulemana, Gronbaek, Dibling, with Onuachu up front.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

It seems simple. Go 4-2-3-1 with...

Ramsdale

KWP THB Bednarek Wellington

Les Downes/Aribo

Dibling Fernandes Sule

Onuachu

The only real choice for me is whether to bring Downes back in.

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

I'd like to see us have a stronger midfield but don't know who we've got to do the job. Big Les and Aribo together are far too slow. Downes is all over the place and just does pathetic fouls and hopefully Juric saw enough of Smallbone last week to realise he shouldn't be playing for us. 

[notnowcato]

2 hours ago, Dman said:

Odd feeling that we'll get something from this one. 2-2. 

1 point closer to 12.

I can't work out whether us not losing or us scoring 2 was what triggered me to respond. 

Whispers from the training ground are that the CM pairing of Sule and Larios is looking shit hot 😂

[Saint Fan CaM]

25 minutes ago, austsaint said:

I’d like to see Juric declutter the tangle of full-backs and centre backs.    Ramsdale. - KWP and Wellington and two specialist CBs.   Strengthen the midfield by playing Les Ugo with Fernandes slightly advanced.  Sulemana, Gronbaek, Dibling, with Onuachu up front.

 

This is what I’d like to see too, but Juric seems incapable of setting up a team of his best players with a ‘strong’ midfield and attacking intent. At this point I don’t care actually care if it also doesn’t work, it’s just damned frustrating knowing that these basics are not being tried. Anything else is purely tinkering of the highest order in my eyes.

[Lighthouse]

Since we haven’t got a decent central midfield anyway, let’s just play the doughnut formation.

Ramsdale

Benarek         THB

Bree                                         Wood

KWP                                                                       Welington 

Dibling                                             Fernandes

TP               Sully

[Bakovnetski]

Think I'll wash the car or the dog that day

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

2 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

This is what I’d like to see too, but Juric seems incapable of setting up a team of his best players with a ‘strong’ midfield and attacking intent. At this point I don’t care actually care if it also doesn’t work, it’s just damned frustrating knowing that these basics are not being tried. Anything else is purely tinkering of the highest order in my eyes.

But that's my question Saint Fan CaM. What is our strong midfield? We need Big Les stepping up and playing a defensive midfield roie, but to strengthen the midfield it needs bringing one of the attacking midfielders back more.

[austsaint]

4 minutes ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

But that's my question Saint Fan CaM. What is our strong midfield? We need Big Les stepping up and playing a defensive midfield roie, but to strengthen the midfield it needs bringing one of the attacking midfielders back more.

Fernandes is your man!

[Saint Fan CaM]

12 minutes ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

But that's my question Saint Fan CaM. What is our strong midfield? We need Big Les stepping up and playing a defensive midfield roie, but to strengthen the midfield it needs bringing one of the attacking midfielders back more.

At the moment I don’t see any cohesion or strategy between defence and the defensive midfield position(s). Because of the style of football we play, the wing-backs and even the CB’s are utilised to move the ball forward - usually slowly - and a turnover of possession often results in our slow defence back-pedalling with oh-so often disastrous results. Changing the formation to 4-2-3-1 with strict clear instructions to the RB/LB that if one moves forward the other holds back with the CB’s. Same with the DM’s - if one supports attack the other must protect the CB’s. The DM’s should be Les and in the absence of Downes, either Fernandes, Smallbone or Aribo - my preference being Aribo because he has the ability to turn and carry the ball forwards and I’d be playing Fernandes further forwards.

Edited yesterday at 10:33 by Saint Fan CaM

[Charlie Wayman]

2 hours ago, Dman said:

Odd feeling that we'll get something from this one. 2-2. 

1 point closer to 12.

A very odd feeling in view of recent performances.

[Galway saint]

8-7 to saints with three goals from ryan fraser in injury time to win it 

[Chez]

3 hours ago, austsaint said:

I’d like to see Juric declutter the tangle of full-backs and centre backs.    Ramsdale. - KWP and Wellington and two specialist CBs.   Strengthen the midfield by playing Les Ugo with Fernandes slightly advanced.  Sulemana, Gronbaek, Dibling, with Onuachu up front.

 

The solution to our leaky defence is to remove a center back and have Fernandes as the only other CM? I'm all for going to a flat back four, but a 4-2-3-1 with Fernandes as part of the 2 sure is attacking. I'd get Downes back in and leave Gronbaek on the bench. Aribo provides fresh legs for Downes

[Chez]

2 hours ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

At the moment I don’t see any cohesion or strategy between defence and the defensive midfield position(s). Because of the style of football we play, the wing-backs and even the CB’s are utilised to move the ball forward - usually slowly - and a turnover of possession often results in our slow defence back-pedalling with oh-so often disastrous results. Changing the formation to 4-2-3-1 with strict clear instructions to the RB/LB that if one moves forward the other holds back with the CB’s. Same with the DM’s - if one supports attack the other must protect the CB’s. The DM’s should be Les and in the absence of Downes, either Fernandes, Smallbone or Aribo - my preference being Aribo because he has the ability to turn and carry the ball forwards and I’d be playing Fernandes further forwards.

If given the room, we need to replicate what we did in at Old Trafford, which was having lots of players on the half turn, passing the ball very quickly between the lines, with the likes of Dibling and Fernandes epecially showing off their tremendous first touches to make that work. The second half at Brighton was built largely on getting the ball to Dibling and him beating a man and breaking through the lines. We need to see much more of that. Our defence hasn't been able to keep the ball out of the net, so maybe attack - which has been severely lacking - is the best form of defence?  

[Pamplemousse]

Brighton are one of the few teams (4 to be precise) who haven't beaten us (yet)

They also have the dubious honour of having the worst result of the season, so that's something they have over us.

Flynn Downes to score the winner and do a Boufal like celebration in front of Juric.

[CSA96]

Juric confirms Downes situation is now over and he is available to play in this one

[Gloucester Saint]

3 hours ago, Bakovnetski said:

Think I'll wash the car or the dog that day

Put the dog on the car roof and do both. Just don’t turn the car radio onto Solent.

[Whitey Grandad]

3 hours ago, Bakovnetski said:

Think I'll wash the car or the dog that day

Personally I use a chamois leather but I suppose a dog would be just as effective.

[trousers]

So, with Downes and Stephens back in the frame, could this be the line-up that Juric has a punt on this time around...?

 

Ramsdale (GK)

KWP (RWB)

Stephens (CB)

Bednarek (CB)

Wood (CB)

Wellington (LWB)

Downes (DM)

Ugochukwu (DM)

Fernades (AM)

Kamaldeen (AM)

Dibling (AM)

 

(Note: I'm aware that I've not included an out-and-out striker, but it wouldn't be the first time he's started without one....)

 

Edited yesterday at 14:33 by trousers

[ant]

I work from 5.30pm or 6pm 'til midnight most Saturdays, but until this season never minded having to rush there straight from the ground (via a hasty dinner!)

Now? There's such little spectacle, and we're so far from competing that I'm increasingly tempted to write off the season ticket as a dud investment.

Thanks, Saints; you've done what I previously thought impossible: you've made me stop caring.

To those that have retained any semblance of faith, I salute you. 🫡