gio1saints

Talk about hitting a man when he’s down… I agree probably too many goals gone in that lookedsave-able but Baz is not just a shot stopper though. He is/was Russell’s totem for PB based football. It starts with the keeper. Without Baz there would not be the ( largely successful) style weve seen all season. With all the criticism being handed out about him I thought only fair to also identify the positives.

Have you watched his games this season? He has played well every time selected.

Spot on. This is an Emperors new clothes type of post because you are staying something so blatantly true and obvious yet so apparently deeply wrong that not many others dare to say it: It’s been a blast this season! 😇

I think that Joe Lumley just got given a massive snub. It will be super hard for him to recover from that I’m afraid. The bottom line is that RM made a gut decision not to pick him - when for all intents and purposes he has been the #2 goalie for us all year. It was the right decision in a sense because of (1) Clean sheet (2) we won - but it was a bad decision in another sense because of (1) Lumley knows he is not trusted by the gaffer and that surely means he is gonna leave. Along with Alex who will also leave. I had an inkling that changing the gk for this game might galvanise the team but had no idea it would be Alex not Joe. Fact is it DID do something. We were noticeably more defensively aggressive and less willing to dawdle in our own penalty area ( apart from last five minutes). Maybe the knowledge that it wasn’t the usual keeper and perhaps let’s protect him a bit more changed the mindset? If so this was a genius decision on that front because it’s what all saints fans wanted- better defending attitude and application - but I would not go as far as to say RM thought that through to get the extra defensive steel he did from his team. Picking Joe would essentially be Baz mk2 but Alex is cast from a different mould and players knew it. Or maybe RM gut told him what to do and he trusted that instinct. I don’t care it worked!

Scintillating football at times. Best half I’ve seen us play here in a long time. But PNE shape has made it easy. Che, Manning, both armstrongs, Aribo Flynn Kyle Jan THB Alex all excellent. Goals and SHOTS all excellent 👍

Apparently that was what they were discussing in that huddle and surprisingly Jack didn’t get the gloves. 😂. It was Jans vote that did it.

IF he gets a ban might it accelerate an RS recovery from injury somewhat?

I’d expect a fast start as per everyone above and the last couple home matches. Id be cautious about the last twenty though as we seem to run out of juice despite what RM and the players been saying all season - they know what to do but the intensity still seems to drops regardless. There are a few players not been used lately and I suspect they will all get a run out tonite. Edozie, Sulemana, Rothwell, Charles and Manning. Controversial and not going to happen but there is an argument to rest Gav tonite and let Lumley take the sticks. If it’s good to rest some why not the gk? Even if only for one game it might be galvanic for whole team let alone Gav and Lumley who has always played well when selected. Focus the minds. Won’t happen and would be a brave or crazy man to do that ( but RM qualified on both imo) so I expect Gav in the goals again tonight!

But he’s not an advanced tactician at all. I respect what he is trying to do but it’s also the case, imo, that he is a dogmatic manager inflexibly fixated on one style of play. IMO If he was an advanced tactician we would be promoted already.

Same with my wife. Except she encourages me to overcome the angst I feel with my lifelong love affair with saints. Basically how can you continue to love someone who lets you down so regularly so reliably and almost always at the time you need them most not be there? They come back and make promises to do better try harder start a new regime a fresh outlook but it’s always the same ending. And yet I, and obviously so many others here and following Saints worldwide, persist. It’s bizarre.

RM is NOT stupid and realises there are so so many who would wish for more tactical flexibility. Some of his decisions or lack of decisions may suggest that he is stupid - but they are not coming from a place of ignorance. His current refusal to countenance tactical change is not based on stupidity at all and I think you gravely underestimate our manager if you really think that. Knowing he knows so many think like you but still does it- and his players still do it- and the club management still allow it - are they all stupid? Maybe they all are and it’s a stupid way of running a football club. But we run this football club stupid for a long time and it’s got us no trophies. I personally forgive them trying something different like this and give it 100% support - even if internally I squirm every time ball gets passed along our six yard box!

Nice assessment. I think that the possession based football system we play is a 100% strategic call - not a tactical decision. Saints have had tactical managers ( what you might call pragmatists) who will make us play in whatever style is required to win or not lose the game - Mourinho is the prototype but for Saints Puel, Souness, Strachan and Koeman were cast from that mould to a degree - and then there have been our strategic managers who have had a purist philosophy about how they will play - early Ralph, early Poch and now early Russ. So far, Russ has shown he is the most dogmatic manager we’ve ever had. He is the most stubborn SOB manager I’ve ever seen persisting with his PB football. It’s crazy mad frustrating but also admirable and yes effing courageous! His weakness - or area which is not his best strength to be fair - is TACTICS. Tactics is having the most flexible approach to achieving your end goal and executing that flexible approach when appropriate. We will not change before the season ends but to do better next year - and 100% if we go up- we will need to add the tactical nous that is either missing or not being utilised because the EPL may just be a little too cynically (but legitimately, professionally as it’s all part of the game) good at stopping us using tactics unless we get lucky.

Poster must be right next to me 😂

Wow. So our Captain Jack is cowardly and stupid. Our Nigerian International fan favourite and one of our best players recently Aribo has no legs and Brookes is just shit. Forgive me, but when I need advice about our footballers please don’t bother to apply. Your opinions are ridiculous.

Not seen scenes like that at SMS for too long! 🥰

Excellent and intelligent response. My argument was obviously a non sequitur which you exposed expertly with a minimum of effort. 👏. Makes a bloody change instead of having to deal with some of the sad fucks on here. 😂

What with Wilcox being so clueless - according to your season long insinuations notably re the Man City youth and RS purchase it’s a wonder one of the worlds biggest clubs is actively courting him now isn’t it? There cannot be many more rough diamond £10m Man City youth players he can scoop up for Man Utd so what must be the attraction in recruiting him - and despite recent appearances - to work for still one of the biggest clubs in world football - and from little old championship team southampton of all places? Perhaps he is not simply a one trick Man City youth recruiter pony as you imply.

Excellent research! A goal every other game is good going. I personally think he is at his peak at this level - you cannot argue against that he scores every other game when starting as per brum and saints championship stats. IF we go up then either RS needs be good v quick or a new CF will be required. In any case a back up CF needs recruiting. On the other hand if we dont go up and nobody else in epl buys him Che is almost a given for 1 in 2 in this league so I’d vote try keep him.

Yup that’s right. But that does not mean that trying to get promoted is excluded. Nor does it mean that surving in the EPL is excluded. Neither is thriving in the EPL excluded. The current set up way of playing style playbook etc is aimed on that holistic set of targets. That’s the theory. Putting it into practice effectively is the difficult part. Sacking the manager binning the coaching team and changing half the squad cos it did not work one year is what everyone does. But there’s only very few clubs win the trophies - and the rest are by definition also rans. For many years we were very effective at being also rans in the first division and then EPL. And our attempt at automatic from this lower league is probably going to fail - so it’s a total disaster right? BUT this Manager this team this club are trying to defy the prevailing paradigm that only a select few get to win everything, every year. Our attitude and irrespective approach to that is something to be proud of irrespective of results. If we goup it’s not to become also rans yet again.

Against teams that try to pass us off the pitch we usually have an excellent chance of competing - and in this league it’s almost 100% of the time - because we are usually better at it than them. Against teams that are not interested in out passing us but rather in STOPPING us playing and then feed off what scraps arise we have struggled this season. Bottom line is that it’s easier to destroy than to create. And Saints refusal to adjust approach this season is the reason we continue to be beatable or draw-able against even versus supposedly inferior teams. The matches we’ve drawn in particular to well organised but essentially anti-football playing teams has been the most frustrating part of the season for many fans. Our apparent refusal to compromise tactically regarded as a weakness by many fans here. It IS a weakness when we get found out as too often already this season - the argument goes “why can’t we play a more direct style more often if it’s going to be more effective against certain opponents at certain times?” But it is also, ultimately, a sign of strength. A sign that Saints are not playing for the small prizes but the very biggest. Surviving and thriving in the EPL for the long term. Trying to create a footballing dynasty to emulate the Man City’s of this world but on a smaller budget. But then again, anyone who has ever dared to dream big will always always get shot down because nay saying and criticising is just so very easy. Creating innovating and persisting with the courage of one’s convictions even in adversity and especially in adversity is so desperately unfashionable for todays instant gratification world. Keep trying to play beautiful football Saints, keep learning, keep humble and don’t give up.

That’s exactly what he is and has been doing. Anyone with a sports pyschology diploma would recognise that talk instantly. To criticise him for trying to get the best out of his players by speaking in tgat way when he is being interviewed is somewhat one dimensional frankly. Or plain ignorant is another way of seeing it. He is NOT going to say they yet again have proved themselves faint hearts is he? You know you’ve lost the dressing room when that comes out. So why posters berate his language in interview is beyond me. Just showing themselves up basically. Interviews and private convo/ thoughts are two different things. Didn’t think I’d have to spell that out.

Good point. Not all failure is catastrophic. Especially when it’s a game of football we are talking about not a botched heart surgery. If we do not hit the primary objective but have shown good progress in other ways then perhaps it’s not total failure. For many fans of course it will be. Promotion is everything by hook or crook. Nothing else matters. For some the resurrection of our pride our identity and spirit count for something and give hope that we are able to return to the top table - and stay there. Im no apologist for poor or under performance. Made a career out of the opposite especially in sporting context so do not mistake my view on Saints as being from someone “ easily satisfied” or with “zero ambition”, or a “ happy clapper” or even “Russell’s mum”. I’m just not so certain that having a bloodbath of manager and players even club management if we don’t go up is really in anyone’s interests. Yet again to start from scratch? Are we more likely to get promoted with an as yet unknown quantity new manager new coaches and a bunch of new players or by building on what went well this current season with settled manager and staff? We will lose a bunch of our best players, sure, but the likes of THB, Ryan Fraser, Rothwell and David Brooks all joined a championship team not guaranteed promotion - so I’ve no reason to doubt there will not be other good EPL quality players wanting to play at SFC next season - and under RM - if we miss out the playoffs. If I was SR I’d be taking all the pressure away and just encouraging RM and team to play there hearts out without fear because if we don’t do it this time we will be back stronger for it next year. Just the way Ive always worked with man management and motivation. The process the principles the style is good. The execution - and the defending - must improve. That’s it.

I would not go that far 😂 - but i know what you mean because it was truly horrendous last year - and some people have short memories. If you experience a life changing incident and survive every day thereafter can feel like a gift. You don’t get so stressed. You appreciate the NOW. You appreciate what you can see in front of your eyes and that’s all that really matters. Saints are playing some great football. I enjoy it. Many enjoy it. It’s mostly winning football also. I can see the thinking behind the style of play and it’s obvious to all that the players are playing for the manager and (new contracts) but also with desire to prove they are not the cowardly bunch from last season. I’m grateful for that. Means a lot to me. None of that = failure if we don’t go up. We have our pride back and that’s the biggest win we will probably ever get.

Sad fuck-itis.