suewhistle

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!

There's a rationale behind all those changes, but the overly dramatic reactions continue. The same people would moan if the rotated players got injured. I'm just surprised at Armstrong playing again so soon as he's one who struggles to maintain peak form. These decisions are made with more detailed knowledge than we have and none of them surprise me.

He didnt' look very happy on the touchline. I assumed Tella would be on a lot sooner for him 9and not Salisu) but i came to the conclusion that Redmond is so lacking in form and confidence at the moment that he left him on longer to avoid making him worse. Ralph can see what we see - he's no mug, so there must be a reason.

I agree, I think we've been very disciplined and, let's face it, most offside decisions are marginal at this level. If anything we shouldn't be afraid of big forwards in these situations, but fast ones who have more chance of beating the offside trap. Putting our fate in the hands of linos and VAR is generally a worry though!

I also think he gets unwarranted criticism but tonight he's earned all the criticism he's getting, even if I don't agree with some of the language. Everton are really targeting Bednarek, he looks so awkward there.

Yes, I remember thinking that. As for his central midfield performances being anonymous, you're probably right, but he certainly didn't look haplessly out of place which we've seen with other players shoved in there before. Physically a bit light but he moves well and decent technique. As for watching tonight, I suppose I will succumb to my masochistic tendencies. Fortunately I missed most of the second half of the Leeds game as I had an online lesson to give. In the meantime I shall enjoy this glorious weather.

Really? I thought they'd be blaming Redmond. Two scapegoats perhaps - a surfeit of choices which will confuse some of them. All we need is for Jankewitz to be sent off again! :-)

So did I, but I'm pretty certain I was under the East Stand.. My memory of John McGrath, apart from his ability to clear the ball over the stands was wondering whether he modeled himself on Desperate Dan, or vice versa..

That was a hard watch, and not just the dodgy stream.. After they'd equalised I steeled myself for Chelsea getting a winner so pleased with the one. Salisu occasionally looks a bit casual but he's going to be an asset. Djenepo my MoM, both for effort and for results. Good goal from us, lovely through ball by Redmond and excellent finish, although some of Minamino's passing didn't look up to scratch. As somebody else commented, off 29 points at last..

LOL. We understand, we're Saints fans too. That bench is looking a lot stronger now. I suspect Redmond keeps his place as he's such a confidence player and there were a few signs in the last game of better positional play - he just needs to improve his finishing.

I suspect you will..

Personal question Chez... are you old enough..? I've reached the age where I'm surprised that in 1976 many people posting here weren't born!

Ooo. I've been MLG'd by Trousers.! But like Sheaf Saint I'm feeling more positive, not to say a little bit tipsy, so I can magnanimously* wave a hand and say 'whateves'. * did I really spell that correctly without checking? I deserve another beer, time for a Proper Job, I feel..