coalman

He already unleashed his potential. Sadly that was the potential for us to funnel money to another club in the Sport Republic galaxy.

We need to move the ball faster and with more variety. We need to play with intensity so we're competing for the ball all over the pitch. We've got to do it for 90 minutes. For some reason we're not doing that so far this season. Whether that's because we're undercooked after pre season, the players are pissed off about Spygate, the squad is not committed while the transfer window or whatever.

In the second half of last season he had THB alongside him and two of Jander, Downes and Charles in front of him. Plus Bree was playing out of his skin and Manning was tracking back. He's exposed more this season and his qualities are more on display. Him and Wood are not a great partnership at the best of times and their slow recycling of the ball means the players in front of them stop making runs. Even at his best he's a decent squad player. Making and keeping him as captain is mental.

We played three premier league teams last year. Beat two of them, including the champions. We haven't competed today. Last season we made it hard for teams to play against us. Today we've been easy to defend against because we're just so slow with the ball.

There's no movement. No anticipation in attack or defence. No thought to get after the game. Just slow recycling and ball watching.

Stephens half hearted challenge again.

We completely brought this on ourselves. We were comfortably on top then let our intensity drop to criminally low levels. The glacially slow play around the back invited West Ham back into the game and now we have no clue how to turn it around.

We need to play with some intensity.

Stephens ponderously gives it away (again)

It's like the games under Still. Anonymous in midfield. No intensity. Just going through the motions.

Stephens and Wood together move the ball so slowly the opposition have forever to get back in shape. Stephens is an error prone ball watcher and Wood is the very definition of lumbering.

Stephens calmly passes to the attacker.

We deserved that. Utterly limp display.

I remember when Peretz was a lot happier just hitting it long. We seem to have coached that out of him.

Stephens does his best to give away a penalty there.

Not a great jump by Peretz there.

Scienza gets a card for being fouled twice... wtf

Dear god, Stephens

Poor from Fellows there

Leo!

We really seem to want to play attacking midfielders in central midfield don't we

Saw another 3 pages of Transfer thread. Assumed we'd signed someone...

He already sent the players out to do a lap and get booed while he hung back after Burton Albion. Not quite the rapid tunnel escape of his Saints days but getting there.

I totally agree though it's probably great for the bigger clubs to deal with any club our size. We're simply not in a position to soak up a bid which unsettles a player. We're lacking ready made replacements and the strength in depth that would allow us to say no. Particularly when we need to get back up this season. A large part of that is the terrible business we did under the first few years of Sport Republic's reign. We brought on board a lot of players who are not adequate replacements who we are struggling to shift. We gambled on Ramsdale to keep us in the Premier League knowing full well we wouldn't be able to support his wages if we were relegated.

The trouble is we also can't afford to hold onto a player and have them give 80% because their heart isn't in it. Better to get the money and have time to find a replacement who is committed to the cause. We also don't know what agreements were made with the players after Spygate - there was talk for a while of them suing the club so maybe agreements were made not to fight too hard to keep anyone who wanted to move on. This part of August is usually a shit time to be a Saints fan 😢