Dusic

Overall great pod, a must listen each week. Like: the addition of fans from opposition clubs, really helps to get a sense of each team before we play them as well as an outside Saints perspective. Minor feedback: totally understand its patreon backed but often the actual content doesn't begin for over 4mins so have just started skipping the intro (which I usually listened to when it was of sensible length). Too much faffing about at the back, get it forward etc etc.

It wasn't, no. I think a lot of people don't bother to do that and then you certainly miss different elements. You have a different view than I do, fair enough. Personally I don't see anything wrong with correctly saying there is a negative atmosphere. There is and as he says, its unsuprising. But its pretty clear that it doesn't help our team in certain moments. Totally understand why its like it is, but as he said its better for the players to try and ignore it because he wants them to do what he tells them and not Neil from Romsey in the Itchen Stand.

Rather than just reading the shared quotes, if you listen to the whole press conference and the context in which he speaks then I found it to be pretty reasonable, honest and pretty strong. At the end of the day he has been hired to change the style very significantly. He isnt going to radically change that because of a couple of bad results. As he says he can tweak it and try to get the playera doing what he wants better but what he wants will stay and it will take time before its natural for them. The real question is whether we should have hired someone whose style is so radical. But that isnt a question for Russell Martin and he will just keep doing what he has done, which we knew when we hired him.

He is right though (about it being a widely used joke). I'm not convinced you understand social media which is why such trivial comments trigger you enough to bother screenshotting them.

Good argument he has been our best player this season. Hopefully his knock isnt too bad and he can start on Tuesday.

Biggest two issues for me of the recent games have been: 1. The midfield setup. Against Sheff Weds Smallbone was clearly holding and then JWP and Alcaraz more advanced. Downes IMO has been playing too high and is pressing when we need him to be in front of the back four. Part of the issue recently has been the shoehorning of Arma and vs Sunderland Stu into the midfield three when its not their position and then they don't do the job thats needed in a solid 433 shape. Now that Downes is injured hopefully Charles gets a run as the deep midfield and is instructed not to press the ball upfield. 2. The role of KWP. This guy is our best player and an excellent attacking outlet but the weird inverted position just means he is never available to receive the ball in those dangerous advanced positions. Plus when the ball is lost he is often out of position. Nothing against him moving inside sometimes but it needs to be dialled down.

Kamaldeen will surely be from the bench. Most interesting will be the composition of the midfield 3 with Charles, Downes, Smallbone, Alcaraz and 2x Armstrong competing for 3 places. Surely Adams starts up front.

Exactly. Anyone slagging him already is a bootlicking moron to be honest. Significant change doesn't happen inside 5 games and we have won 3 of them anyway!

Still big mates with Dean Hammond. Saw them both recently in the Rose & Crown in Cuckfield.

The Champ club was Swansea. They made several bids for him. Some (lots?) of clubs have been put off by his size as he is about 5'11 which is obviously small for a CB.

At the very least its evidence of a manager and coaching team being able to instill a clear style of play which they have stated they would do. That in itself is an achievement a lot of managers never accomplish over much longer tenures.

Thanks Ron, see you up at the lodge on Monday. Big Bad Barry EDIT: sorry mods posted under wrong log-in, please can you switch to my Long Shot account. Thanks.

If she expected you to do everything every day then she probably has unrealistic expectations of you. Aside from the Sunderland game he has had his defender on toast every game. Influential in the winner at Sheff Weds, excellent versus Plymouth, scored vs QPR. Its him and Fraser out wide for me until Sulemana is an option. Pretty sure Fraser played wide right for Bournemouth a lot, although we seem to see him as a left sided player based on the two apps so far. Don't think Arma is suited to wide right as he always wants to be cutting in as well.

Personally would be starting Edozie. He has been our biggest attacking threat this season so far.

Yes, for a Championship team, it was.

Awful performance, possibly a factor being that I don't think he played at all in pre season for Everton and also missed our Brentford friendly so clearly wasn't match sharp after just a few days of training with us. In hindsight Charles should have played alongside Bednarek.

Personally feel that once our lineup inevitably settles down and more partnerships are formed that this aspect will improve. Today was awful, no doubt. Butbwe havr made a decent start considering the upheaval. Perhaps a result/performance like this isnt such a bad thing to happen so early on to expose the flaws. I thought it felt like we just expected to turn up, play 800 passes and dismantle Sunderland and we weren't competitive enough and they exposed us. Not so bothered about the 2nd half as we obviously setup in a way we wouldnt start a game on the off chance we could get back into it. The style was great at Sheff Weds and 2nd half vs Plymouth because we played it well. Today we didn't. Simple as that.

Next saga will be whether he signs the new contract or not. I suspect not, at least for the time being as no real incentive for him to when being a free agent next summer would give him so many options.

Still a bit concerned about where the goals will come from across a season aside from Arma and Stewart. Doesn't seem likely we will replace Tella's goals effectively and might be light up front with Stewart, Arma and Mara if one or two got injured. Defence and central midfield looks extremely strong.

Interesting shift in our recruitment towards British players. We could name a very strong team entirely of British/Irish players, arguably on Alcaraz would get in our strongest side. Wonder when the last time we had a first team lineup with nobody outside UK/ROI - probably 20 years or more?

Nothing seems imminent with Onuachu so surely if he is is still here then we integrate and use him? The guy scored stacks of goals in Belgium ao obviously has something about him and no reason to leave him out in the cold if he is still here. Also worth remembering that at times Sulemana pretty much played up front for us and surely could do so if needed. Personally I am more concerned that of Roberts is replacing Tella then we basically need Fraser, Stu, Edozie, Roberts and Sulemana (if he stays) to start banging goals in at a rate none of them have before i.e 10 plus a season for a couple of them, otherwise we will be so reliant on Stewart and Arma. That said, until last season Tella had no goal record to speak of and he hit 20.

Patrick Roberts is a very good player at this level, but would mean there isn't a huge amount of pace and directness in the side. That was where Tella was a nice point of difference, Roberts is more similar to Edozie as in a technical, tricky player.

Right side attacker will be interesting to see who we go for if not Pantsil. Need a goal threat from out there in a 4-3-3. Few real links in that position so far.

Nathan Wood must be pretty pissed off tonight!

Sounds like we will sign Stewart with the hope Adams stays but safety net that if he doesn't he is already replaced.