Holmes_and_Watson

3 bookable tackles from Leeds as we moved through them. Grrr.

Good work from Aribo, but he just couldn't get it under control for ages there.

A little, late cotton wool for AA and KWP. Most getting some minutes.

Bree and Stewart!

We're playing much deeper. Odd to see us happy to conserve energy, and let Leeds have possession. We have Sule waiting for a slip. Leeds had a chance as we sat in our box. 2 strong parties out from McCarthy today. Experienced play from Aribo to get us a free kick with not much going on ahead of him.

That was a great chance for Sule! Good move Saints! And good to see Sule in the middle right enough. That wasn't far from being a Che close range miss. That's the potential he's already showing in there. 🙂

Rothwell picked ahead of Charles for that midfield spot. Downes absolutely key.

Hopefully this is Sule playing more centrally? Been wanting to see that. Gives him more options, and more so if Leeds push up to get an equaliser. Will already tried to pick him out.

Ah shame on the offside. Good move. We get mileage when they switch off. Hopefully more when they tire. Mythical creature spotted warming up. Adams took a knock first half. Cotton wool time. Nice to see Smallbone give Ampadu a good push. A bit of steel.

Smallbone did well, looking for a pass, not getting it, getting the next, creating and then busting a gut to get forward. Move broke down before he got there. As the ball came back with Leeds, our engine in Downes there to put a stop to it.

Finding that balance of failing at the final hurdle, while making enough money to buy and develop lots of Prem League talent to sell on, is tough.

Manning off right enough. Fraser on.

Downes continues to be our key player. His early influence got us in control, and excellent box to box. With Stephens in, and pushing forward at time, Smallbone's role is different. Loads of positives and a goal. Some of it is not where he's most comfortable. Che very important to. Movement, holding it up, partnership with others and at least one excellent covering tackle when we conceded possession. Ref's cards for Manning and Gnonto were daft. Others were fouls, and borderline cards. Ref errs on the card side of things. Their diver got away without one. We gave away the ball clumsily twice for their goal. But even in this system where crisp short passing isn't always going to work, we look organised and are willing to take passes further up to create from. That's what's pinning Leeds back at times. That's from all that work over the season. All good and we're in front. So that means little after a Russ teamtalk... 🙂

Believe so. It's been mentioned a few times. If not even earlier.

After that nonsense booking, that last challenge could mean Manning gets subbed.

Top of the bar. Good header.

Surely a foul before Gnonto's strike.

Lovely from KWP too. We kept going, and directly. Leeds switched off.

Super Will!

Well, that didn't last long. Gave it away twice and concede.

A&A Striking team!

Yeah. There are systems that woul really suit Onuachu. Should we not go up, SR have decisions to make, not only on RM, but the type of manager they want next. We didn't get the strikers for Ralph. Paul came in when it was too late for Nathan, and then didn't suit Russ. Such a waste. We'll have different types of player back with us over the summer. Perhaps the next manager will actually want some of them.

As Humza was, Swinney is there to keep those skeletons buried. He's a serial failure, which means nothing to any political trougher, and things can bumble along until their next election. Unlike Humza, who sent a letter to the Conservatives, asking for help, Swinney has been a bit more reluctant to do a deal. He has to keep the Greens sweet while purging the dissenting voices within his own party. Which is the sad way they operate. Plenty of stories, like all parties, of them turning on their own. Support for any minority group isn't helped by denial of concerns from professionals, by those desperate to see their policies passed regardless of the harm to that minority, and others.

But that relegation is based on those results things. Just because we got relegated, doesn't mean that the underlying stats aren't going in the right direction. There are a lot of underlying stats. Any couple of them will do. And that broader picture is going our way. That relegation enabled us to slash wages at a stroke! Those so-called good players with the highest wages left, will move on. That allows us to bring in even more players on lower wages to sell on! All within the scope of the longer term gamble. 🙂

If there's any doubt over the full fitness of Downes, KWP, Che or AA it would be well worth limiting their time. No point in risking them, for a much more important game. If Downes is missing, it seems to not go our way. I'd consider a Charles, Stephens, Aribo combo in there. It would end up being a bit more direct. But a step up from Brooks somewhere in it. Smallbone available to come in as required. His passing game gets a bit post as Stephens and Aribo aren't really able to make the most of it.