gio1saints

Of course you can - but it’s also possible to be a fan AND rate the manager - and defend him when others say weird and disgusting things about him. It is possible to respond to an OP weird implication (that I won’t repeat because its just sick ) with humour rather than dropping to their level. Admittedly, deliberately, my response was sardonic - but we all use the language we feel most comfortable with - as you so often ( and funnily) show.

A record breaking run is a record breaking run. We ought to be a little less scornful a little bit more respectful.

You never been a fan of Russell Martin I take it. Getting us promoted must have fucked you right off.

Was it just me or did I imagine Saints broke our all time unbeaten record playing a possession based football last season. We got pretty good, apparently, at it. So good in fact this club has never gone so unbeaten for so long no matter what league. SO…obviously, RM, listening carefully to the hindsight pundits on here should now ditch the style our players know and that many specifically joined for - and can actually play well - in favour of not-that something else with a n other manager anyone anyways will do as long as it’s not possession football - because we lost three in a row. Sounds like many of you think acclimatising to the EPL is as simple as downloading your latest phone update. Wait a few mins and you are good. IF his crime 3 matches in is being too cautious in selecting 3CB’s , yup a frankly nuts U formation v Forest and the horrible-to-me insistence on playing out from defence every time ( which I personally hate but ho hum apparently we do also score from this) then the sentence for this that many here are pronouncing is sack the guy three matches in? Him and team that got us promoted first time ? That gave us that day at Wembley? His and teams bank of credit with you - INGRATES- is three matches before you have turned on him quicker than a Camembert on a sunny day. Loyal supporters my arse.

Think that’s our go-to offensive approach - which I think plays more to our current squad players strengths than how we’ve started season - too conservatively. Dropping a CB ( prob. Stephens) and inserting another player, most likely a MF, would probably mean less chance of the 3CB’s ( now 2CB’s) passing to each other too much in dangerous areas. It would instead be most likely a Flynn or new other MF who is available for the pass after Jan and THB have played pat-a-cake with the ball for a while - or one of the others. Either way the ball is further away from our goal - there are more recipients ahead/forward for the ball ( as opposed to behind or sideways) and the option to go long still exists.

https://x.com/fabrizioromano/status/1830611087466828063?s=46&t=l5Q4mkKSxz5qdVtggXqogw Fab Romano is reliable so must be true - but conditional on an outgoing to Saudi so it’s not a done deal..

Fingers crossed he agrees to go play some football out there.

It’s beyond parody. But I will try below…😂 Because quite literally it’s the same cry babies saying the same things and the same few refuting the hysteria - just in a different league. Just how many different ways can people say SR are bad? RM football is shite? He won’t learn? I’ve always hated him? We will never go up/ not get relegated ? Get rid of him now and get anyone else instead? His football sucks? He is an idiot arrogant whatever? All these and more views are readily available in another place apart from this forum - which quite rightly airs all types of expression for and against and from every side of the spectrum of opinions on RM. That other best selling ( in Hampshire) book is available on Amazon only - so for anyone interested look it up - it’s a cracking read : “ The true Saints book of Disposable Nappy wearers”. Some of the reviews are amazing ; ” I pissed in my pants three times during the Forest match” - concerned Saint “ After a particularly bad back pass fannying session I too felt an issue with my back passage which necessitated a visit to the wc at Brentford” Brown trousers Saint “ Woe is us woe is us woe is us” - Cassandra Saint. “ Saints fans won’t win anything on cold wet midweek evening matches in Manchester without waterproof diapers” : Damp patches Saint.

Glad to see most Saints fans accept that we have “L plates” on in this league, as does our Manager. Learning how to win - and much more relevant given our early woes - learning how NOT to lose is Russell’s and Saints big task this season. Clearly, giving teams a goal head start by penalty area fannying around comes under “ how to avoid losing” as does “ playing a U formation so badly that Saints can play until XMAS and never score”. Are there any more lessons in store? For sure. We’ve not even played anyone all that good, yet. So if you are angry now God help us! I expect multiple baptisms of fire before we approach even anything like “competitive ” let alone winning in this league. I hope we can chart an upward trajectory on that and come good second half of the season - like RM and team did after that poor start last year - but a bad start and a SMS full of boos encouraged by the faint hearts on here are the most certain guarantee of not only relegation but entering a downward death spiral for the club. All goes to plan we stay up. But if we go down it must be the right way such that we are we able to return not a fucked up no heart shell of a club like last time.

Go report yourself to the Bureau of Hindsight. They could do with some of your skills. Or go work for the Royal Shakespeare Company, your talent as a drama queen on Saints match thread is impressive.

5 in three games. Why are you so hysterical after three matches. Oh I forget you were hysterical same time last year also.

Given the choice would you consider it wisest to start season playing the way that got us promoted playing v Leeds and West Brom - or go back to the way we played prior to them v inferior teams which saw us lose all hope of automatic??? You are implying the latter and suggest you thought so all season - which sounds as utterly ludicrous as it is. I guess your - and some other hysterical folk on here - football knowledge skill tells us that we should have reverted to the formation incapable of beating those football titans - or a magic plan C that nobody had yet shared and is obviously invisible to RM - but im not buying it. I think three matches of failure is enough to require change though. Pretty much. But seriously- all of you with “ reservations” to put it mildly about RM that are having an unseemly orgasmic feeding frenzy over this terrible selection, set up and performance just take a chill pill. Success and failure, those two twin imposters.

Do any of you remember WHY we started playing three at the. Back? Was it because we were winning all our games playing differently? or was it because we needed to tighten up at the back and it actually helped strengthen us defensively in our final ( tough) games and get promoted ? If you think it was a bad idea after three shit matches I get it. But of you have such short memories. No other manager with that squad those players would have changed that winning formula. Im as disappointed as anyone- but some of you seriously got to take a deep breath and consider what pathetic whinging bitches you all sound like . 😂

You get off on hate don’t you?

Very humbling to be 3-0 at this stage at Brentford. Thought it was a game we could be looking to win. The starting line up had the look of a last chance saloon for certain players though - not all that attacking at all and we all thought it was not the right move but hoped for the best - and so it transpires. That AA and WS got hooked at HT says it all. The second half is looking calamitous. Who did not think this kind of score line might happen? There’s always a positive : On the up side it’s 0-3 at farton park. 😁

Think you are right. We were shite v Forest. But the message is clear: that Same team gets a chance to make amends pretty much. Feel for Archer especially but I expect he will come on. As will Tyler and Mateus. Just hope it’s still all square at that point. Not 2 or 3 down to the Bees FFS. In Russ we trust. 😇

Bloke scored twice last match. Must start.

Very Valid counter argument. The five subs thing especially. But we did happen to make a feature of scoring late goals last year and it was arguably not coincidental to our soporific style of play.

I agree. He needs to do a lot more. That’s why I said he’s not there yet.

I was surprised to hear that Ramsdale’s initiation into the team is to perform at least six keepy uppy’s in his six yard box before volleying it direct to one of our players for a completed pass ( can be any of our players but it must be a volley or half volley) at some point during the Brentford match. This is an unusual initiation rite and I can’t say I’m not concerned that it might lead to an outbreak of similar such frivolities elsewhere on the pitch later today. Mateus is on for three nutmegs required if he starts for instance. It’s not the football I used to play

Quite. Sam’s goal v Cardiff was a thing of startling beauty. And we have scored a fair few of those. Adam Armstrongs Winner at Wembley being the ultimate example of what that soporific pass pass game can deliver. I think Ive seen more beautiful goals in one season last year than in last ten previous. If that’s what soporific gives then I’m all in for it.

Separate answer on that though : I previously was involved in managing world class professional athletes. One thing I enjoyed (and was surprised at) was how different there characters could be out of competition. Some of them relished absolutely destroying opponents - and some in particular actually loved to grind them into pieces. But out of competition pleasant as you like. With the way Saints make the opposition run I recognise an element of comparable brutality there - I think RM is absolutely ruthless and literally wants his opponents to be weeping piles of sweat at match end having been beasted for 100 minutes chasing chasing chasing his players, fruitlessly. Many Saints fans see him as not that - and all that endless passing irks - then add in his vegetarianism and Buddhist beliefs and they take a dislike. But oh no- the bloke is super tough & has the courage to appear vulnerable. A big man indeed and a worthy leader.

I was more referring to his sense of humour and banter value apparent with his players.

I think Russell is great. A fucking great big breath of fresh air. He is the best fun Manager we’ve had since Strachan and I’m hoping his brand of football- with Saints- becomes revered around the world. I reserve the right to exercise my sense of humour and parody him though should he continue to play the U formation with no attacking allowed or that Russian Roulette 4 passes to the goalie per match in his 6 yard box game rule he has insisted upon ( that’s not true btw).