Jump to content

CanadaSaint

Subscribed Users
  • Posts

    3,938
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Recent Profile Visitors

9,163 profile views

CanadaSaint's Achievements

  1. If I hear Martin say we weren’t brave enough again I’m going to fucking scream. We’re not brave because he coaches us to retain the ball with mindless over-elaboration. We spurn virtually every chance for a quick, incisive pass. We were done when Fraser went off - the most direct attacker we have.
  2. It’s not an either/or though, is it? It’s more about having a second tool in the toolbox, whether or not the first one’s working. If opponents know we can bypass their press with a faster out-ball they won’t pile in and compress midfield space the way Hull did. For me, now that more teams are rumbling us, using that second option is the difference between promotion and missing out. Fraser is made for that tactic but the ball needs to be early and in front of him, not late and behind him.
  3. Absolutely. But Fraser, the guy most likely to capitalize on the early out-ball, was sitting on the bench. One of their CDs was booked for taking out Fraser when we tried it in the second half. He’s perfect for that Plan B, but it seems that this kind of tactic is not encouraged.
  4. The blueprint for our defensive vulnerability has been out there for most of the season. What makes it so troubling is the fact that we are so committed to playing out from the back, slowly and laboriously, with no Plan B, that opponents don’t fear our offence. It makes me think of this: https://youtu.be/T8XeDvKqI4E
  5. We had to use three subs to rectify the consequences of a dreadful starting line-up, but it wasn’t just that. We had “Russball with no Option B” jammed up our own jacksies tonight. We couldn’t penetrate Hull’s press, and they compressed things so much that we were once caught offside three yards inside their half. But did we look for the early ball over the top to counter it? Did we ****. Until we develop that, Russball is far too easy to negate. This team’s strength is also its greatest achilles heel – Russ’s belief in himself. Tonight, and not for the first time, it crossed into arrogance. I don’t want to see Rothwell or Manning IN another starting line up, and I’d be happy enough if we don’t see Aribo and Fraser OUT of one.
  6. Fraser is a great move if they’re trying to catch us offside near the halfway line. But they need to hit the early ball.
  7. I’ve got a ton of time for Martin but this was an arrogant, “I know better” starting line up. Two players in key positions who should never be in it, and both of them have been torched.
  8. The troubling takeaway from today is that Huddersfield, to their great credit, have given the rest of the division a blueprint for playing against us. When we don’t get the ball into the front third quickly enough, and our opponents do, we can really lose our way. But I have every confidence that Martin will make exactly that point. Again.
  9. Squad depth and a manager willing to re-set are massive assets in this gruelling league, and I think we have the edge on our main rivals in both. But as much as I want us back in the PL, I’m really enjoying the proper football, proper fans, and down to earth sincerity we’re seeing every week.
  10. Ridiculous. Not your post but those two touches. Once Brooks and KWP start dovetailing down that right side, some defenders are going to end up needing counselling. I have always loved width, and we have the opportunity to have both sides fizzing. My main frustration today was Manning - not because he was poor defensively (unusually, he wasn't) but because he kept pushing so far forward that he took away the space that Fraser needs for his game. And then he played it square or back for the most part. The change I was expecting - Brooks on, Che off, and Adam Armstrong to the middle - didn't happen. If we'd done that I think we might have bagged a couple more, but I think Martin is managing his squad really well with the fixture congestion in mind. Yes, we're looking at a boatload of games in a short space of time, but so are the other contenders. And that brings it back to squad depth, where we have the edge over pretty much all of them.
  11. 😂 Perhaps they've seen him doing it at Staplewood and it's cleared the Marchwood Bypass, but there are goalscoring chances around the D in every game.
  12. I was super-happy to see Flynn Downes' goal. He's a cracking player but I've always thought that he's not great around the "D" on the edge of each penalty box - really key areas. He doesn't always defend it well at our end (and goals have resulted) and he doesn't always attack it well at their end (and chances have been lost). Today he really attacked it well for his goal. It's not somewhere to be taking a control touch because a defensive cavalry is coming out at you - just hit it first time. If it gets through, great, or it may get a lucky deflection. Flynn did exactly that today and I really hope we see more of it.
  13. Overall a brilliant performance but with some important takeaways. Martin has shown that he's committed but not stubborn, so I hope he's reflecting on some areas for improvement. The Swansea goal that undeservedly got them back into the game when they were being pummelled came (again) from poor play by Manning - getting caught too high. My suspicion is that the apparent improvement in Manning's game recently has come not because he's playing better but because he has Fraser ahead of him; Fraser is such a threat that sides can't pressure our Manning side as easily. He remains a major defensive weakness. Jack Stephens is a great guy, and clearly well regarded in the dressing room, but he doesn't have a quick enough brain to fit into our "play it out from the back" style. In fact, it's frightening to see him trying to participate in it. With hindsight, Martin might have left THB out there for another 20 minutes and trusted him to avoid a second yellow. And, as committed as we are to playing that style, and as good as it is to watch, there is nothing to be gained and lots to be lost from overplaying at the back when we're 3-1 up but under pressure in the last 10 minutes - especially when THB isn't out there. It seems ridiculous to say that we dodged a bullet today, but we probably did.
  14. There has been tons of discussion of Martin's "style" but he deserves huge praise for some longstanding Saints weaknesses that he has turned into strengths. He's getting the best out of his players - Bednarek is just one example of significant improvement (he's now passing the ball with vision and confidence), but there are many. I'd like to see how well he'd do with the many under-committed under-achievers we've had (like ABK); those types have been a characteristic of our club for the past three years or more. He doesn't play square pegs in round holes; everyone's role is suited to their skillset. The cohesion is quite remarkable, and the team-first ethos shines. All of them look like they really want to be here. He has actually developed a Plan B that we pull out in the middle of Plan A - the sudden delivery of a long ball over the top or through the channels; it makes it so much harder for teams to defend against Plan A (possession) when they have to keep an eye out for the early ball. We weren't doing this very much 8-10 games ago. He has instilled touchline to touchline width, and that opens space in the middle for quick one-touch passes. Acting on the recognition that Fraser needs the ball in front of him, so that he can run at a defence, has been transformative. And he seems to have built some steel into the squad. It will be interesting to see how we respond to some adversity, because we haven't seen much over this 20-game run.
  15. It really helps our style to have touchline to touchline width, opening up gaps in the middle. And we’ve dug ourselves out of the goal difference hole we dug ourselves into. Fraser is everything I like in a player - skill-wise and character-wise.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

View Terms of service (Terms of Use) and Privacy Policy (Privacy Policy) and Forum Guidelines ({Guidelines})