Saints 1-2 Fulham - Match Thread

[Fabrice29]

Are we all in agreement it's not the manager, tactics or formation yet?

[Pamplemousse]

43 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

Are we all in agreement it's not the manager, tactics or formation yet?

It's not as black and white as that.

[Whitey Grandad]

54 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

Are we all in agreement it's not the manager, tactics or formation yet?

No we are not. There are tactics and formations that we have not used. Things like a back four and going on the attack.

[Whitey Grandad]

There’s a quote from Marco Silva about yesterday,

"From the first minute until the last, the reality is that we are the only team that tries to score goals or try to play in an offensive way,"

[tdmickey3]

5 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

There’s a quote from Marco Silva about yesterday,

"From the first minute until the last, the reality is that we are the only team that tries to score goals or try to play in an offensive way,"

He is correct 

[Lighthouse]

27 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

No we are not. There are tactics and formations that we have not used. Things like a back four and going on the attack.

You mean like we did in the first 14 minutes at home to Spurs?

[Whitey Grandad]

5 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

You mean like we did in the first 14 minutes at home to Spurs?

I wasn’t there.

But 14 minutes out of 17 games doesn’t seem a lot.

Edited 9 hours ago by Whitey Grandad

[Barton Saint]

Well Silva is clearly wrong 

we had several promising attacks prior to us scoring and it was a cynical foul that led to the goal.

maybe in the second half yes but to be that belittling is ridiculous 

[Katalinic]

3 hours ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Of course I blame Rusk, who else is there? 

Packing our own penalty are with an endless string of last-ditch interceptions is only ever going to end one way. How manty times does it need to be said? Your defending starts in their half of the pitch. Playing five at the back is an admission of defeat before you even start. The extra defenders simply get in each other's way and leave the midfield undermanned. 

It is an abomination and anyone who champions it should be sectioned.

Sometimes you have to accept that whatever the tactics and formation, with inferior players you are going to lose. Rusk is trying to mitigate the size of the defeat - a sad indictment of our recruitment. I'm not sure anyone is championing it, but it is pragmatic given the quality of who he has to pick from.

[Whitey Grandad]

1 minute ago, Katalinic said:

Sometimes you have to accept that whatever the tactics and formation, with inferior players you are going to lose. Rusk is trying to mitigate the size of the defeat - a sad indictment of our recruitment. I'm not sure anyone is championing it, but it is pragmatic given the quality of who he has to pick from.

That’s not the point. We’re going to lose more heavily by packing the box and not attacking that we are by playing more upfield.

[gio1saints]

1 hour ago, Whitey Grandad said:

There’s a quote from Marco Silva about yesterday,

"From the first minute until the last, the reality is that we are the only team that tries to score goals or try to play in an offensive way,"

Silva was just being a c&nt. That was not true - we had more shots on target than them in the first half for example. They committed more fouls on us than the other way in first half for example. I know because I had a bet on both outcomes ( needed same thing second half to pull off a 102/1 touch sadly not to be). 
The only thing more offensive than his comment was his fouling players - and WE were the ones who actually scored first not huffed and puffed like they did first half. So, you can just feck off de Silva. You beat a team bottom of the league struggling in every way managerless and with morale on the floor and yet you feel the need to big yourself up and belittle us after the event? Little, pathetic man. 

[Katalinic]

1 hour ago, Whitey Grandad said:

That’s not the point. We’re going to lose more heavily by packing the box and not attacking that we are by playing more upfield.

Results under Rusk compared to Martin and Juric indicate that clearly isn't true.

[Vancouver Saint]

I get it, we are a very limited team - but the managerial approach is the reverse of 'fortune favours the brave'. 

We sat so deep we invited pressure on us. There was no outlet and every time we cleared it cam straight back at us. It was inevitable Fulham were going to score.

What we needed int hat last 20 minutes when we were still 1-0 up, was actually a Joe Aribo to be able to pass out to and get further up the pitch. I know people don't like him, but he can work hard and keep the ball at his feet, draw fouls etc. 

I would keep Fernandes, Downes, THB (properly coached), Dibling if we don't get more than £60M for him - otherwise, the rest can go. I'd include Ramsdale in that - I just don't rate him...he's a great shot-stopper but he doesn't command his 6-yard box let alone 18-yard box, shouts a lot but still fails to make that big save when we need it...or more importantly, prevent the threat by coming out and catching the ball cleanly from set pieces. Let's get our money back - we can get a better goalkeeper for half the money.

We need some hope for next season. Lack of news around the new manager is disappointing. ANy news on that front?

[Oh no Mick Mills]

2 hours ago, Vancouver Saint said:

I get it, we are a very limited team - but the managerial approach is the reverse of 'fortune favours the brave'. 

We sat so deep we invited pressure on us. There was no outlet and every time we cleared it cam straight back at us. It was inevitable Fulham were going to score.

What we needed int hat last 20 minutes when we were still 1-0 up, was actually a Joe Aribo to be able to pass out to and get further up the pitch. I know people don't like him, but he can work hard and keep the ball at his feet, draw fouls etc. 

I would keep Fernandes, Downes, THB (properly coached), Dibling if we don't get more than £60M for him - otherwise, the rest can go. I'd include Ramsdale in that - I just don't rate him...he's a great shot-stopper but he doesn't command his 6-yard box let alone 18-yard box, shouts a lot but still fails to make that big save when we need it...or more importantly, prevent the threat by coming out and catching the ball cleanly from set pieces. Let's get our money back - we can get a better goalkeeper for half the money.

We need some hope for next season. Lack of news around the new manager is disappointing. ANy news on that front?

Agreed. 

We should have brought on Aribo instead of Bree. 

I've got no issue with the way Rusk set the team up , it just needed altering for the last 20 minutes and for us to push two players forwards and keep them there . 

Aribo and Dibling perhaps?