John Boy Saint

Fodon is resembling a pause button nearly every time he gets the ball

I've thought the same for years - the only reason we binned them off was because as the season went on the Navy Blue Knickers (as shorts were referred to back then) got lighter and lighter in colour after each wash. Now that sports kit is made out of plastic bottles fading colour is a thing of the past.

I knew I had seen something about him very recently. Seems to have his head well screwed on https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/sport/19990078.carlisle-uniteds-southampton-loanee-dynel-simeu-this-carlisles-club-community-love-it/

Being an old duffer, he will hopefully make the reference in a derogatory manner and give himself the Keys and Gray exit treatment

I thought the idea of these games was to test the options and have a little tinker with things - both with players and tactics to improve and learn about various options should something go awry. Southgate knows he will get hung out to dry with the media what ever he does, Tyler made a negative comment a few minutes after we went one down along the lines of the world was coming to an end for England: build the ducking stool and hire the Executioner. With your head screwed on it’s hard to criticise Southgate when he has delivered one semi final and a final (sod whatever the route to them was), since 1966 England has, aside from Robson and Venables, been mostly Fur Coat and no knickers. Both Switzerland and Ivory Coast are good teams to dabble against, as both are capable and offer different challenges, ideal for a dabble.

Far and away my favourite kit - maybe influenced as it coincided with when I started going down the Saints - it’s a very smart stripe. if that version means we don’t have to do the solid back to appease blind refs and stupid commentators all the better.

Seems that going there has taught him which side of the bread is buttered - Carlisle fans appear to have taken him to their hearts and through that he’s recognised that football is more than having a fat wedge in his pocket; that what he does on a Saturday puts smiles on the faces of community. Hopefully that means he comes back a more rounded character and an asset to us - at the same time we might have found a nice club in Carlisle to enhance the nippers on the cusp that we need to keep ticking over with proper football - whilst keeping their feet on on the ground.

Just had a look at the highlights of Ipswich v West Ham. We all know BBC edits favour the bigger teams, but it looked like a game of attack against defence, the defence only letting West Ham score the one, seemingly one way traffic for 90 minutes.

I concur - I was working and listening to it, 3 points were in the bag then Crouchy had a brain fart. Still you could toss the Boro game into the hat too. If Memory serves me well it was Redknapps first game at the helm - 2-0 up and comfortable and Danny Higginbottoms head suddenly resembled a 50 pence piece, in the space of a couple of minutes we were suddenly under siege and panicking 2-2 just like that. I’ve always said under Strachan we were fit for 120 minutes - Redknapp seemed to have us fit for 80 minutes then all our good work fell away.

Mrs JBS mentioned the event was shown on Sky only the other day. As mentioned before I was later able to talk to Alan Wiley about it at an Evening with the refs, him and Dermot Gallagher, which was very interesting. Some one asked Wiley what triggered Prutton to lose it. “I have no idea”. He was a bit miffed when I told him that he was largely part of the reason. With VAR of today Pruttons fuse would never have been lit, in fact we would have been 1-0 up in a game we were in desperate need of 3 points in for our survival. The initial spark was when attacking the Arsenal box, Senderos was sold a dummy as the Saints player went past him, in the box, Senderos stuck his leg out behind him clearly tripping the Saints player, it was in full view of the Lino who duly waved his flag for a foul, the ball was played out by Arsenal, flag still waving, Alan Wiley turned to the Lino and signalled - no offence - put your flag down. (Later on MOTD there was no doubt it was a penalty and the Lino had an A1 view of the offence). The clock ticked on, Saints on the attack again down our right, Ashley Cole absolutely clattered possibly Prutton, it was a dirty foul, no flag probably being too fast and too close to the same Lino, and again waved away by Wiley. Oh dear the switch had been flicked in Pruttons head “oh so anything goes with the ref today”. Ball is coming out of the box ahead of the D with an Arsenal player, Prutton is on a Kamikaze trajectory and takes out ball and player in style. Whistle blows card comes out, red mist has truly descended and off Prutton marches towards the Lino no doubt telling him how spineless he is and a bloody disgrace to the profession and likely telling him to grow some balls and stick with his decision. We were fighting hard for our lives in the Premier League, the officials decided to be pretty crap or lazy - and that just pushed a very nice polite young chap over the edge at the injustice. Of course it could have been a biological experiment or just the Spring sunshine as Van Persie(?) managed to get himself sent off for silliness before half time too.

Excuse me is anyone sitting here? Mind if I sit down,

Pretty sure one of our resident Anoraks will be along in a minute to enlighten you 😜

Nowt much going on - but seeing as this is The Other Games thread - amazed we all missed this remarkable quarter final last minute winner for Gedling Southbank FC under 12's in their Cup Quarter Final. at the weekend. Take a bow son https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-nottinghamshire-60834496

Sat at that end of the ground when they came together the immediate thought was “oh dear” then looking at Dean you just knew he could not give it, whilst we were in his ear Mariner was in the other, and he also consulted the Lino to seal the deal. Salisu didn’t need to get quite so tight to Jesus he had the pace and size to run him out of room. As I mentioned already re the Shane Long shout - Dean motioned with his fingers to Long that it was very nearly a pen, of course we know the narrative had it been at the other end. I do wish we were just a little bit more chippy at the refs, City have the art almost as well drilled as their passing. LaPorte was in the Kingsland refs ear nearly every single time he failed to win the ball, especially when we gave him the faintest touch. It has to be the dripping tap approach keep berating and eventually when it does matter a 50/50 gets given for you as the official gets lulled into a thought of “hmmmmmm maybe he does have a point”. Love to know what Jack said to get Dean to pull Prowsey over to be present for his telling off.

I thought the same about them, almost like they have “always winning” apathy. We were quiet too but you sensed an air of resignation at the inevitability of different week same hopes dashed. Happened in the Watford game at 2-0 to the point where you could hear the players shouting.

When Long was questioning Dean as to why it was no pen, Dean held up his thumb and forefinger motioning how close it was to being a penalty.

So we might just about make it home in time for Dancing on Ice - after finding the bolt cutters to remove said protestor, our second half tea break, extra-time, penalties, and not forgetting the new breaking up of momentum ploy, the players taking turns to lay down on the pitch like they have been taken out by a sniper in the floodlights whenever Man City start getting a bit too hot.

Jammy buggers! As Greavsie always said “It’s a funny ol game Saint”.

Hope there’s a late train to get home

No one has mentioned that Andre Mariner is backing him up on VAR another big team ref - the only reliable member of the game officials is Sian Massey on Assistant VAR duty, she is decent when running the line, probably because she lives under a magnifying glass whenever doing her job. Most of the cards seem stacked against us for this game, so no real pressure - may as well relax and do what we know we CAN do and beat the house. 😇🔴⚪️🔴⚪️😇

First goal for Watford summed the afternoon “oh sorry would you like another go……………that didn’t work try this one for size, hope you like the gift wrap and ribbon”.

Anything decent?🍷😁

That’s the bugger with Lyanco being crocked, he maybe a tad green but him and Salisu both have presence and potentially the makings of an imposing partnership. i emphasise - Potentially

From my seat I didn’t think Newcastle were anything special - what grates is they can rattle off a 9 game unbeaten run - we seem to about hit a milestone run and you can almost put your house on the next Saints result. I said to Mrs JBS during the match that we seem to have turned the clock back to our autumn performances - all huff and very little puff. Obviously Newcastle set up to be stubborn but we just had no pace in the play and recent vision seemed to have gone out the window - Livramento could have brought his colouring book and crayons finished most of it by full time the amount of time he spent waiting for the ball to be passed in his direction. I know we have the legendary play book, but when we decided kick a goal kick long Tino is standing with acres of Hampshire in front of him to run into, let’s play tombola with where the ball lands, instead of rifling it out infront of Tino to collect and pretty much go a long way towards the oppos goal by surprise. Anyone dares to raise the issue of our 60 minute tea break again they should be pointing at Newcastle gamesmanship “lay on the pitch to break the flow” whenever it gets a bit too hot. Kevin Friend didn’t let us down either, he comes pretty close to being as dog shit for us as Mike ‘look at me’ Dean, he certainly had a pocket stuffed full of receipts from all the Geordie crap he bought, his performance almost leaned towards what space was left in his pockets was taken up with a wedge of Riyals……………………that said he was so crap he didn’t book Salisu for a clumsy challenge. But hey we all know the drill at Saints - frustration is always nearby waiting to jump out exclaiming “Taaa-daaaa”!

Do we know if Chelsea are supplementing his salary with us - if so does that become an embargoed transaction? (and a can of worms). Still if Tino steps himself up another couple of levels and everyone starts sniffing around, with the buy back clause I guessing he can't go anywhere (or just a different brand of canned worms).