suewhistle

Thank goodness that's over. I normally try and see something positive (unlike some of the unremittingly negative individuals on here) but nothing there tonight.

This is appalling. At least SKD will be happy..

Ooh, that's a point, the pubs will be open.. There's one in the next village that has a marquee out the back with a TV, or at least it did when it was last open. Small chance of getting a seat I imagine, but I might give them a ring.

I can't really remember his performances (which is a good sign in some respects) but I think the thought crossed my mind that he was under orders to keep it simple and safe. The other thought was that he looked a bit nervous, which was fair enough considering the opposition.

I'm not aware of any Saints player that SKD likes, and he posts an awful lot. He could and probably should score more goals and he needs to be more confident and instinctive about using his left foot but he's a valuable asset to the squad, and whenever I think who could we get who is better I think of the price Sheffield paid for Oli McBurnie (or we paid for Carillo...)!

The "who would we buy from a relegated side" test..

I think this sums up my position. A few choice expletives as I watched a dodgy (and delayed) stream. I thought we were playing some decent football but as always succumbed to some robust physicality. Then we got one back and my hope soared and although I was going out to lunch managed to leave it as long as possible. Had to wait to watch a corner, then managed a couple more minutes to see the equaliser and then had to dash. When we went 2 -0 down I certainly didn't see us winning but what gets me is the language some people use. It's so black and white and negative and admits no possibility of us getting back into the game. It's never "this looks beyond us now" and " we need to get a goal back soon" but always "we've lost" and "we're going to be relegated" and "we're rubbish". That, I reckon, is what people object to, and the sheer relish with which some people seem to embrace our failures. Oh yes, and the repetitive nature of such comments by the same posters..

'Cos when you're 5-0 up it's good to give others a run out..

They fitted the spare leg..

If that's the line-up that looks OK and a few options from the bench too..

I can only assume from that last sentence that they will be testing all the crowd to see the impact of the event. I still think varying the conditions in one of the semi-finals would make a decent comparison and entry could be on the basis of having a formal follow-up test. I'd accept that for the chance to go.

I rather agree. What are they going to test: crowd control? Local covid outbreaks? The impact of a crowd sitting silently watching? Only allow vaccinated pensioners? I'd go for that..:-) How about having one semi with, say 10,000 and the other with 30,000 and see if there are any impacts on infection rates etc. etc. Either way I'd like to see the remit of the test and what they are looking at.

Calling London Saints, calling London Saints, come in please...

Handy flick on as well at the end. In the end Armstrong not needed, so maybe Ralph had a quiet word or the Scotland coaching staff indeed appreciate his physical capabilities.

I took the opportunity for a Bednarek watch in the absence of JWP. I thought he had a decent game and no gratuitous errors.. How many touches did Stones make??

Mods, have a word..

The thing that disturbed in one of the reports above about the Burton game was the lack of basic skills of control. In the past my impression was that we had more of a lack of physicality or pace but the ability to control a ball was normally there. So Vokins and Valery or even Targett may have lacked positional skills or pace but they could always bring the ball under control. In the glimpses I've seen of the under 18s there have been one or two players where I've wondered why they were on the pitch.

SKD, please go and start your own thread and spare the rest of us. There's no point having separate threads if they all melt down into the same topics diverted there by whichever obsessive is holding forth, and we've got more than a few on this board. We're obviously all interested in Saints more than the average, but many don't post anymore or rarely, and this sort of thread drift (which doesn't seem quite the right word!) is just one reason. Edit: you're last post is more like it..

Those last 3 words of yours are so important!

You are being unfair on GCSE standards going by past evidence of, I presume, Factless. I don't need or couldn't face reading any more, thanks.

I always understood that that was quite painful? Still, that generally describes the masochistic experience of supporting Saints. I really don't feel like calling this one, but I don't see a relaxed, easy win..

So which team comes from a Dirty Old Town?

Well, I'm going round to aged mum's place to cook a mother's day meal: she already knows I'll be watching the game and having a glass. Why should time of day inhibit you?

Gawd, anyone who thinks the manager will be happy with all aspects of our game must not know how the world works. He doesn't have to jump up and down in public just to make sure that _YOU_ know he is angry. Do the players who made mistakes not realise? Give me strength. You'd rather he concentrate on all the negative aspects in his public pronouncements? Do you expect him to bawl out people in public. I hope you don't manage people like that. Of course he's going to concentrate on the positive aspects or would you prefer he go into the changing room and tell them they are all useless? Of course they can and should have done better. No doubt they'll go through the tapes and they'll all be embarrassed, but improvement will only come through work, not abuse and hand-wringing.

Well, a few naughty words from me tonight. I was just about to post on the thread to say 'I don't know how far behind my stream is, but we're playing well' when I come on and see we've conceded. We played some good football but oh, the silly mistakes and lack of bite to some of our tackles. Bednarek looks like a rabbit in the headlights at times, I wish he had a bit more confidence to do what Vestergard does and actually pass forward occasionally. Diallo looked good on his bursts forward. Redmond looked better and did the whole game, but as pointed out, that 3 on 1 pass was appalling. Salisu is still not up to speed with this league but will get there. We can certainly beat Brighton. I'll be round mum's cooking her mothere's day meal and watching the footie there so I'm going to have to ameliorate my language!