coalman

I think you could argue Armstrong could pass more. Promising positions get wasted because his first instinct is to lash it at goal. That being said it's a welcome change from the rest of the shot shy bunch. I'd like Armstrong to shoot a bit less and the rest to shoot more. Plus to turn back less in attacking positions.

They do love Tonda. He's like a younger beardless Martin with wide eyes you could lose yourself in.

I wonder which past Saints player they'll pay not to play next season

It's not being injured. It's inducing a month of tactical rest to stay fresh for the run in. Don't want those intensity levels dropping and it's a luxury of having such a large squad.

I think Hull are in for trouble this weekend. Our crack team of sports analysts will have done their homework and identified their weakness against teams playing 3 centre backs and keeping possession around their own box. Meanwhile our elite sports physiology department will have been working overtime to ensure the team is properly rested for the match. The players themselves will have prepared as usual by posting how hard they're training on Instagram. Obviously with Hull's injury problems nobody will have come up with a plan to stop Beryl the tea lady cutting in from the wing. Leading to our defence backing off and her unleashing an unstoppable daisy cutter toe punt from 12 yards. But even then we should have too much for Hull during the ten minutes we choose to play. Tonda has also had a week to prepare this week's excuse for not showing up in the second half. If it keeps happening to you after you bemoan it in your post match then it only can be bad luck.

At least we're going to dominate the majority of games we play...

Or cut their wages in half because they don't show up for the second half.

Our late purple patch will result in extended contracts for Tonda plus the usual suspects. I can also see the wheels falling off completely as Tonda loses the dressing room when he tries to address our absenteeism in 2nd halves for the next couple of months.

I hope someone has taken Peretz's passport away from him. Last thing we need is him getting straight back on the plane.

Manning is going to be so fresh when he comes back from Dubai that it'll be like having a new signing.

If Sport Republic are good at one thing it's the ability to continue doing something that's not working. I wouldn't worry.

Obviously, Fellows is playing on the right of a back 3 with Jelert at RB. That way he'll have even further to run.

Since when did any Sport Republic employee "find the best decision for the club"?

I want the team to play with some intensity instead of being passive and playing at walking pace. A formation change won't matter if we aren't able to compete.

Totally. Same goes for most promising players we bring on in any position. We don't have an environment where they can flourish.

It was more a dig at Sport Republic who are adept at signings players who aren't going to make the first team. Plus the fatalism that even if they do replace Baz and McCarthy that we may wind up in a worse spot.

Meanwhile, in Portugal, Jose Mourinho is unhappy with his Benfuca side. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c07xzzn3j39o

I don't think they're going to cut short Long's loan. In many ways he's the model Sports Republic signing. Brought in to have around the place on the cheap and never play or offer competition. Other clubs must envy our ability to scout and attract squad filler.

I'm torn on this. I haven't seen him put in a good performance in a Saints shirt yet. But then he hasn't put in many performances in a Saints shirt. But then, when he has played he's look more of a liability than the rest of our back line. But then he's been played at right back or in a 3. I don't think we've given him a decent crack in a Saints shirt but, given our central defenders, the bar for standing out is not high. Given he's not getting in the team, better to have him off the books. Another example of Sports Republic's scattergun recruitment after our promotion.

Don't get me wrong I would want my captain to speak up. I also think that Jack's new contract was a clear signal of Still and Spors unsuitability. However, I've also seen that people can change behaviour as a culture changes. Only a small number of people are capable of driving a culture change. Some will actively oppose it it but the majority will happily adapt if they are shown there's a better way. To often extraordinary outcomes. I don't see Jack turning into a different footballer but I do see him as a player that could be valuable for the squad.

In partial defence of Jack, he's been in an environment where this response to adversity has become normalised. That doesn't mean he can't learn new responses in a better environment.

The outcome of the "millions we spend on sports science" and analysts appears to be a team that cannot compete for 90 minutes. And that isn't set up to exploit our opponents.