gio1saints

Thanks for the great summary again Alex. 👍. Always excited at prospect of seeing a CF make his debut - I wonder what that means for our bench? Presumably someone has to make way for RS to be there so if it’s as per what we’ve seen so far this season I think Sekou misses out? I don’t think it would be Che unless he’s still an injury doubt?

So true, and I might add, even a victory will elicit the agonising analysis of why we are still terrible for some!

Great link Saint86! I’ve bookmarked it and will certainly be checking it out over course of the season. Even the most cursory of checks can now categorically inform and educate many of the debates on here about the way we play football. It’s the classic perception versus reality that we all suffer from. Two people watching same match can come away saying that player A was crap on the ball but also Player A was good, or that we don’t get many touches in final third or vice versa. Straight away some of the mythology about us not getting the ball forward and attacking enough compared to rest of the league put straight to bed. Just one ( of many) that grabbed my eye was how low vs the rest of league our tackles were. LCFC for example have way more tackles in final third and central areas- they are obviously set up to be more robust in those zones - and it reinforces the perception/ reality that our mf and defenders are a bit tackle / physical confrontation-shy. certainly I don’t think I ever saw Ryan Manning tackle anyone. 😂. Wether that’s deliberate or not or if it’s a good or bad thing over the course of a whole season remains to be seen - but they are top and we are not and this stat is one of the ( relatively few actually) in which (points aside) there is clear blue sky between then and us performance stats-wise. Dont need to be a football manager to come up with the idea that maybe if we got a bit physically closer to the opposition and actually tackled them more that we may not concede as many as we did - but again , it’s v.important to emphasise that it remains to be seen over the course of a season whether there are benefits to this apparently “tackle-shy” thing we have - perhaps there’s a correlation to numbers of forward passes or forward carries due to being in more space at breakdowns for example- or shots - that we cannot see right now. All interesting ( to me anyway!) 😇

Assuming that Saints should walk this league, should beat WBA, anyone, by looking at names on a team sheet, amount spent or the result of any one match or series of matches is one dimensional. Very easy. But not the full story. Which those using it as a stick to beat RM and the club ( and the mug supporters who think it’s going ok) know full well. The obvious trolling of supporters and the club that’s still taking place to do so despite the start point of utter chaos post and pre relegation with an exit only sign for players but then, recruitment and, slowly, obvious signs of improvement, obvious development, obvious rectifying of mistakes, obvious club and team unity growth and understanding and now some decent results in a row is not unnoticed. But it’s really hard to understand. Saints fans deserve hope after many seasons of depressing outcomes. We seem at last to have that via RM and this team which is reactive to mistakes and makes adjustments along the way - just as we’d hope. Just as we’d expect - even demand. So enjoy these days whilst we can. Enjoy supporting Saints on this oath. Lets try not get spooked or imprisoned by ghosts of our past ( hard for long term fans I know) and concentrate on the here and now. 😇

Watching Liverpool get that injury time goal away to Luton just brought back all those ( many) times that was us conceding late late goals despite our brave performance against so called “ better” teams. Now it’s Saints who are the so-called “better team” more often than not in this league and it’s Saints getting those late late equalisers or winners. Deservedly or not. Played well or not. It is a good sign. It is a sign of resilience and belief - resilience and belief that has been absent for far too long and which was so evident by its absence so often in seasons past. Seven matches unbeaten does not mean we are past it - it’s still apparent at times out there especially the wobbly moments - but it’s certainly good evidence that at last Saints are building something that is sustainable - a belief that, after years of being basically uncompetitive, that our football is good enough to be competitive at championship level and with this style in particular, hopefully EPL next season. And I mean competitive- not cannon fodder and a team to be pitied as being plucky losers or “ hard workers” week after week as we get dicked by the top 15 and just hoping to avoid bottom three. I think this team , it’s mentality and it’s intelligence, technical skill and patience under RM are showing SOME good signs of that all season and MORE of it is evident each game . It’s a learning process and it seems to be happening. Yes there’s still some nonsense play to iron out for sure . We are still learning and football is still able to produce random ball bounces, injuries, suspensions, muddy pitches, rebounds and lucky or unlucky breaks for and against anyone - but the signs are promising and consistently so. Increasingly we are the masters of our own results. Let’s be clear though - it’s not a linear process - so it is to be EXPECTED when we lose to another team or it goes horribly wrong in a match or series of matches. Defeats and fuck ups are all part of the learning process. And you often learn more from the fuck ups than the easy wins. We are NOT Man City. It’s now game seven of our 30 match unbeaten run 😉😇COYS!

At this rate Opponent Teams will start wetting themselves when it gets to injury time if the game is still competitive. Will become a self perpetuating thing. The opponents expect us to score. We expect us to score. We score. And repeat.

0-1. We win net Plus two points on that. Two net winning saints bets in a row. Thank you Mr. Wee Man! 😇. This clearly now qualifies as a tip win spree lol.

That’s why he’s 28/1 1st goalscorer. Same last goalscorer. I just think he will get one headed or penalty area tap in from a corner chance. Let’s see.

Following my successful debut last week ( tipped Charlie anytime goalscorer @ 11/4) I return with my suggestions for Millwall. 1 points= whatever stake you are comfortable with. 10p, £1, £10 your choice. 1. Saints win. 4 pts 2. Saints win correct score 1-2 ( 8/1) 1pt 3. THB and FD anytime goalscorers 11/1 and 9/1 respectively. If you are feeling bold go first goalscorer Flynn and last THB - both around 25/1. A 2pt double gets you 1300pts! Reasons. 1-2 is our usual away win score. For Flynn is he will get stick from Millwall and be especially keen to score. Reason for THB is he is on a run ( lol) and will surely be encouraged to get up there again, especially late on if we need a goal Saints will not want to drop points in “ the hunt” so Massive effort to win envisaged. COYS and good luck everyone!

Thank you Alex again for your summary.

I was there too. No true Saints fan can feel anything but happiness at karma catching up with Everton. That was OUR cup that year, the fuckers.

Longest unbeaten run 19 matches, 5 September 1921 – 31 December 1921 NB Millwall away was match 7 of Saints record breaking 30 matches unbeaten run in the Championship during the 2023-24 season that culminated in their automatic promotion to the EPL. They won the EPL convincingly in 2024-25 by 8 points from dogged Manchester City, a triumph that included a remarkable comeback away win at the Etihad from 3-0 down at half time to win 3-7, and followed this up by beating Bayern Munich 4-0 in the 2025-26 Champions League Final. Saints are favourites to lift the 2025-26 World Club trophy taking place in Doha and star strikers Charlie Alcaraz and Kameldeen Sulemana are battling it out for the Ballon d’or. Eight time winner Lionel Messi has publicly acknowledged his vote for Charlie and he’s bookies favourite. Two times Manager of the year and likely big favourite World Manager of the Year, Russell Martin, is being courted by Real Madrid and Barca who are all keen to embrace his “ tippy tappy crab football “ and black polo neck sweaters in a bid to regain their place in world football. 😇😁

Enjoying today is more important than enjoying tomorrow once you get to a certain age. We would all be wise to concentrate on the present much more than we do - our friends and family and yes that includes the SFC family - instead of wishing our lives away with what might be tomorrow. Our true friends and true family will always be with us no matter what our status. And as a point of reference to that I reckon 99% of posters here would still support Saints in the National League. So, yeah playing v Liverpool Man Utd & and co is all very exciting but the only time it’s ever really counted for something was in 1976. Anyone who was at the paint trophy’s final with the biggest club support ever at Wembley did not think it was a waste of time or inferior. It was a blast and we all felt right proud.

If RS does not return to his former fitness between now and Jan ( and we all heartily wish him to do so) then it’s unlikely we would release Che without replacing. Mara is too much of a risk imo though if Charlie is flourishing as a false 9 and we are flying who knows? There is a scenario in which Che leaves ( a nominal fee£5m?) despite RS not regaining fitness then Saints lob £10m at bringing in another ready made and not injured in form striker. But they would not be a top level unless a second or third choice at epl or la liga - but in which case they are not playing and scoring every week - so I tend to think it would be a player type like like Shankland, for example,given the Scottish connection seems to be getting ever stronger.

I’m sure Sheff Utd, Luton and Burnley fans were delighted to get promoted last year. They had really enjoyable dominant seasons last year. This year its already a grind with high chance all three going straight back down with record low numbers of points. Getting bashed up every week in the EPL has got to be dispiriting. I wonder how our supporters here would react if we essentially became Sheff Utd or Luton in the EPL getting beat most weeks quite easily. Is it fun to watch us last on MOTD as we get some pitying comments ? Would it be obvious when our best players all want to leave? Would we only be able to recruit Hail Mary players on big fees who then leave if we go down? Will we get handed a bunch of humiliating defeats? Will getting a season ticket mean watching us lose 80% of our home matches? All this emphasises why it’s important NOT only that we get promoted to the EPL, BUT we do so setting up the club and playing in a way that is sustainable and gives us a chance to not just survive but thrive. Rightly or wrongly ( I believe rightly) SR JW and RM see that set up as the ball dominating “ possession-based” game we see now. But it’s more than just that. Include the cultural shift to include the entire club plus our intake of specific characteristics young players and back room staff. It’s a brave call ( or foolish if you choose) and there are and will be plenty demanding compromises and diversion from that path. It will be easy to deflect and dilute the identity to become a reactive rather than proactive football phenomenon. Crowd pleasing dancing monkey style. But that’s what we are trying to do. Not just muddle along changing the Manager, changing the tactics, changing the style, changing the philosophy with every change in wind direction. There’s a saying “ if you don’t stand for something you can fall for anything” . Im excited that we are planning for a return to the EPL in the way we are. It’s evident it’s a planned approach and it’s evident that it requires discipline great technical capacity and intelligence from our players, great patience great tenacity and bags of courage for the times when it does not go as wished for ( and that’s football btw). I look forward to next season and thereafter thriving not just surviving or worse getting turned over easily each week in the EPL. PS. And if it’s not next season but the one after. So be it.

Up until this Saturday afternoon I was still online trying to debate why RM was, essentially not a C u n t with people like yourself. I’ve never said was an amazing season - but I have said that the numbers of people going ott on RM here is ridiculous. Far from being happy with the last couple of weeks many people are insistent on seeing the dark side of everything. You should try reading the match threads and see the reality. It’s populated by irrational hatred ignorance and anger towards RM in particular. You wanna try single me out as some strange guy pretending he enjoyed was great watching Gillingham away or getting beat sunderland ( I was not at that one admittedly but watched it live in tv) and foxes go ahead fill yer boots. But you are making it up. And it’s a pathetic criticism. I give credit where it’s due and will criticise same. A bunch of people here seemingly get off slagging other posters RM and the team, catastrophising at every opportunity like it’s some kind of therapy for them. We won a game I’m happy. We unbeaten in six, I’m happy. People want to find fault go ahead but I’m not apologising to anyone for being positive about SFC - least of all to people whose support seems conditional upon results like you infer in your last line.

Much better enjoyment this season. Don’t understand why so many here are angry and think we are superior to everyone else based on FM thinking. Why be so upset when it’s actually enjoyable for once? One explanation is they Real life is not an online soccer game or fantasy football selection. You don’t just put 11 players together with a new manager and boom it delivers exactly as per their “stats”. And because that’s not happened it’s got some upset. The concept of “ it takes time” is conveniently disregarded and us actually a matter of derision by the “we have the best squad” brigade. We may well have the best or one of the best on paper - but it does NOT mean we win every game and there is always a gradient of performance improvement to ascend. We don’t just turn up one day and it’s 5-0 wins every match thereafter. Even six unbeaten is inadequate for some here. But try explaining that and you get random abuse and irrational comments masquerading as facts.

This will be another test for RM because to date we do not play with a conventional #9. Points to note: 1. Charlie has been tasked as a false 9 by RM himself. 2. AA started season as our punta but this rapidly changed to his current position- which I’m hard pressed to describe except it suits his skill set better than any other position he’s played to date for us. But it’s not standard #9. 3. RM made a great play of how we were NOT going to pass the ball blind into the channels for a CF to run onto in the direction of the corner flag. Neither are we going to go long to win second balls off a big guy up top. 4. The biggest clue is how he plays Che when he’s on. Which all suggests to me that RS will have to adapt more himself to the system rather than the system being overly adapted for him. Of course there will be tweaks but I suspect RS has got to show high technical skills in addition to his physicality. Essentially he needs to be a more lethal Che Adams - because that’s the role im expecting him to take up. typical line up : Gav KWP Jan THB Bree (or Ryan) Will Flynn (or Shea) AA Charlie (or Stu) RS KS (or Sam) The fact that we do have good strength in depth for each position on the pitch is something vastly underrated vis the other championship teams. It “ should” be worth points for us latter part of season.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Agree that Charles has got a lot of potential to be a great in that position - replacing either. I feel we are strong having three players of that ilk there. Charlie should be allowed to be Charlie though- he would benefit from more discipline I guess but I’m uncertain what we would lose in his innate ability. Sam and KS are also examples - I prefer them to play naturally, freely. She’s IS being transitioned into the team though and getting his minutes in here and there. Needs to take his chances when he’s on and latterly dont think he’s overly impressed from the bench despite early promise. I think he will be a star though and indeed may replace Will. ( who picks up cards quite freely)

Alex, You are not wrong and it’s fair comparison to use in questioning whether he can really do it for Saints. It’s been often repeated as well in various ways here. For context though, The Spice Girls ( yes I know they are one of your favourites 😁) sang a song about this. One of the lyrics I think is pertinent : “ If you want my future- forget my past” Russell was NOT recruited because he got MK Dons and Swansea promoted or won a cup or anything like that. It’s obvious that not why. Because they didn’t. He was recruited for the same reason Saints bought young players with what was felt were good technical skills, good athleticism, good mindset, high intelligence and high potential both as on pitch player and as resale value. Bottom line IF he had got Swansea promoted to EPL we would not have been able to steal him. And, I found this interesting, but others maybe less so 😇, take a look at managers like Maresca managerial medals BEFORE He manages LCFC, Southgate at boro an obvious one, Arteta another. They’re relatively few Ancelotti's, Guardiolas and mourinhos around. In the Championship you buy potential managers not finished article managers. You buy does this interviewee think about football the way we, the owners, think about football? You buy can this managers style-which syncs-with-our -own-ideal footie culture sustainably win in this league & above and can it attract and retain strong fan base support? Winning the Vauxhall vans trophy or what some previous supporters of the guys teams thought are part of due diligence - but they are a part of the consideration not the whole of why he’s actually here. Especially if the first two criteria the owners feel are satisfactory. I personally feel he will not be at Saints longer than 2/3 years. It would not surprise me to see him recruited to an EPL team - even and especially a team like Brighton if Zerbi gets nicked by Barca or RM ( or Liverpool?) And, looking ahead, he’s got Scotland National team manager to come imo. The fact that the RussellMartin foundation is based in Brighton as is his family shows the close regional affinity and that transfer would not surprise me in the slightest. Just hope he gets us up sustainably first!

Jeez you are slippery - in essence you are saying Russell’s alright as long as he stops playing this football, stops having an opinion on how football should be played and smiles through the often way ott abuse people like you give him? Oh , and according to your view we should abandon @ tippy tappy crab ball @ football thats got us 6 unbeaten, abandon the positive mindset his ego helped instil that has transformed KWP and AA and Stu ( off top of my head there’s more) into what we knew they could be, rejuvenated a supposedly finished Jan and allowed for the return of one of our own in Will specifically, along with two new stars in THB and FD because they want to play the russball you hate. Your characterisation of previous managers is straight out of the Donald Trump belittling by name calling handbook. It’s childish and it’s not clever. Your characterisation of Russell Martin ditto. He’s got lots of things he can do better so let’s discuss those - but if your critiques are frankly all the same : name calling, quoting your opinions as facts and general glass half empty negativity it’s not worth debating with you.

Thank you for kind words. On one level I agree with your assessment on Will - Flynn is certainly the more obviously accomplished player. However? I think , and this is despite agreeing somewhat that I’d like to see more obvious attacking kind of play in that mf role, but Will actually plays a VERY important role in the team. I think we agree Will mainly recycles ball ( apart from popping g up late to score from cutbacks of course ) but in that respect he may be regarded as our @ water carrier@, every team needs a selfless player. Willing to be patient do the yards make themselves available for the pas that may not come. Stick their foot in to make afoul if necessary etc. It was Oriels job description basically- but there have been many more lauded ( though oriel does that for Barca now) . One the springs to mind is Deschamps. Most teams have one or two guys that act as metronomes for the tempo. Saints have got two, Flynn and Will and they are practically both have the same job except Flyn. Seems a better overall player even if Will currently out scoring him. In short: Having Will AND Flynn in the team means KS or Sam or Charlie or Stu or KWP even AA and manning/ Bree have much more latitude to show their flair than otherwise. 😇

Yes I do apologise. KWP I meant 😂

THB played the best best ive seen him. Bree was a solid confidence inspiring LB who looked tighter to his player than manning who tends to stand off them a bit more. Jan and JWP = classy performances. AA deserved his goal. Worked his socks off as usual. KS looked good in parts. Bit unlucky with the run of the ball. Decision making still got a high ceiling. Stu & Charlie : decent perf.s and delighted my bet tip came good 😎- but Charlie especially got ragged later on . Both v popular players, deservedly so. Will and Flynn did what they do very well again. Baz- gutted he didn’t score but maybe next week..Aribo- he’s a mountain! overall I felt it was a good performance though we again showed our mental stamina is not quite there yet. Brum not a good team but we did what we needed to do. RM subs did the trick so fair do’s to him. RM: three fist pumps yes I liked them! Marian Pahars : excellent performance covered every blade of grass. A bona fide Saints hero.