OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint

Agree with all of this. Last time I felt an affinity with a manager, someone who I felt cared about the club, was Ralph Hassenhutl. Will Still is sending the same signals that he doesn't just care about his career, he wants his team and his club to succeed. Think we have a genuine person here.

Yes he looked a little flustered in the post game interview. Yes he doesn't give the smarmy answers that came out of the mouth of RM. But yesterday reaffirmed my view that we have a genuine manager who is learning the ropes and starting to get a handle on what's needed from our team. AA (if you're going to play him) was in the right position yesterday. There was more intent and purpose in the passing. The tempo was, at times, a lot quicker, with (dare I say it) some one touch passes. Who does Still play in central defence? Unfortunately, think his hands are tied with Jack Stephens but Wood must surely get a start against Middlesbro.

It does seem that way because really, Stewart should be coming on before Downs. At least Stewart looks like he's up for it more this season and makes challenges.

Shea Charles has been my MOTM practically every game he's played this season so I would definitely have him in the side. People saying McCarthy cocked it up playing Russball, but he's been a liability long before RM turned up at the door. Remember Brighton when he was injured and played on? The amount of times he used to hoof it in to touch? We're stuck with a goalkeeper who can't makes saves and one who can make saves but do nothing else.

And that's a shame because Wood hasn't put a foot wrong. Quarshie has been ok and Edwards is having a much better game today. In fact, this is the most accomplished we've seen Saints this season.

This is a really good point. You've got a relatively junior manager who hasn't managed teams in English leagues so he needs support and advice from the other coaching staff. What are they doing to earn their salt? I remember times when a manager would bring his coaching staff with him and then the coaching staff are all singing on the same proverbial page. Cloughie had Taylor, Ferguson had Phelan, Martin O'Neill had Robertson & Keane.....Ralph had Rohl. Do managers still bring their 2ic's and teams with them? Clubs don't like it because it's easier to replace an individual rather than a team of people and perhaps this is why a manager's tenure is so limited nowadays.

Still came here with a reasonable reputation so people were prepared to set how he went. To start he said he was playing five at the back because we didn't have any wingers so we accepted his reasoning. There were minor grumblings after the first few games but nothing untoward, but he lost a lot of goodwill with the Pompey game. People are analysing him a lot more and the team definitely looks disjointed. I also don't like him throwing three subs on at once which further disjoints the team. Yes we need to give Still a chance to mould a team. He has quality players. I want (and presumably most of us want) to see more attacking intent and forward movement. What's Edozie playing like at the moment? He could run at players.

Oxford beat Bristol City today. At the moment, don't know which way to look in the table!

There isn't any obvious plan going forward. Last week it was lump it to Archer and quite what he was supposed to do with it on his own, no-one knows. Win a free kick was the best we could hope for and then the kick taker would knock it sideways. Today there didn't seem to be any plan at all so players just pass sideways to improve their successful pass statistic. I appreciate he's learning but today he stood there and didn't seem to know what to do. Run at players, get to the bye line and whip in a cross...show intent. C'mon Will. It's time to step up a gear.

Arguably we've taken Middlesbro's best player, we've taken West Brom's best player, we've spent a comparative fortune on other players, so we should be at the top of the league. Yes it takes time to gel but today was depressing. I'm not blaming SR this time. They've put money in to the team. This is about getting a tune out of quality players. First Mr Still, get some urgency in the team.

Matsuki, Robinson... two players that have shown a forward intent are nowhere near the team. There just didn't seem to be any direction today. No urgency and no real purpose. Really think in a couple of games we'll be heading for mid table obscurity unless something changes.

Watford this season and this 19 year old Aussie comes bombing towards the away end. He's built like you couldn't shove him off the ball easily. There's three defenders around him, his control of the ball was phenomenal and he got his shot away. Why can't our scouts find people like that? Instead we go for for these waifs.

So today, Russell takes his squad on a team bonding swimming exercise around Loch Lomond. Then there's a news item that the police have found human remains in Loch Lomond! What's RM gone and done now?

Damn, someone who knows what they're talking about now in charge of one of our competitors. That stated, there doesn't seem to be any stand out teams this year. Ipswich starting to look good, though their manager was spotted at West Ham recently. Mmmnn, is Potter's tenure coming to an end?

When you sit in the Chapel in the block closest to the away fans, I find their noise almost deafening. When you're in the Northam, you can't hear them and your atmosphere sounds great. Yesterday, from the Kingsland, the Northam sounded great but could hardly hear the Pompey fans. Don't know the answer. Personally, I liked the away fans where they were before. Then the two sets of noisier fans are together which creates a better atmosphere in general and there was that banter between the Northam and Itchen going across the away support which was quite special. As someone who likes going to away games, I also find it disrespectful tucking away fans in a corner. And Newcastle are a disgrace.

We just need a statement win like Ipswich did last Friday and things could gel very quickly. Two years ago, we played very average at the start of the season and got away with it, then lost a couple and suddenly it changed and went on a winning streak. Can't exactly remember but think the catalyst might have been Jack Stephens getting injured 🤔. The players could gel this game. I'd like to see Archer and Stewart both start but other than that agree with most of the other pundits on this thread.

They could have played for 2 days and the score would still have been 0-0. The only way we were going to score was through a error preferably by the keeper but we hardly tested him.

There was a spell when it went Baz to Jack to Manning to Portsmouth player to go out for a goal kick. Back to Baz to Jack to Manning to Portsmouth player to goal kick. So they changed it and it went Baz to Jack to Mads to Portsmouth player. No originality, no spark, no sense of purpose. That's where Azaz needs to come in and take control. Or by all means hoof it to Archer (who I thought did well to buy free kicks because there was little else he could do), but be near him to pick up the second ball. I've always been a fan of long goal kicks. Yes it's a lottery but the ball is far away from our goal and if you get to the second ball, there's often space to make things happen. And Will, I know it's trendy to have all players inside the penalty area when defending a corner, but don't. Have one on the half way line and one between the half way line and the penalty area ready for the break.

To be fair, the Fanzone was pretty good. Charles was again my MOTM. Thought Azaz was anonymous but then with balls sailing over his head all the time on route to Archer, that wasn't surprising. Liked Joe Aribo when he came on! Yes the announcer got it wrong but how people could start singing the Joe Aribo song when it was obviously Ross Stewart. Don't know what the team practised during the international break, but they need to up the tempo and stop those floaty crosses. Would like to see Stewart and Archer start together in the next match.

Yes a good set of results today (liked the Oxford/Leicester draw), but with teams like Coventry salvaging a point and the league table starting to take shape, we can't get too far behind the pace setters.

One of the most depressing games I've seen was when we lost 4-1 in the cup around 15 years ago but their squad then was miles better than us. Now our squad is technically miles better. We'll thump them. That stated and not really the thread to say this but for some reason Pompey really aren't on my hate list. Always the victims, Liverpool yes. Leeds yes. But Portsmouth...they're just the losers down the road and let's keep it that way.

So Will tells the team that that are "hopefully" aware of the importance of this derby game. "Hopefully" - Will, it's your job to tell the players that they will give it their all otherwise it's a red hot poker up their arse!

Guy behind me at Watford kept saying 'stop being arrogant' and he had a point. Our lads need to show they're the best and not think it just because they're one of the most expensive assembled squads. As it'll be a 'who's up for it?' game, Jack S, THB, Charles & Downes would be straight in to my team. Don't know why, but I also think Azaz, Fellows, Fraser & Archer would be psyched up.

That's exactly how I see him. Too much of a lightweight and although he's tall, he can't seem to head the ball. It's almost as if he doesn't want to ruin his fancy hair style. At the moment, I've got more faith in Stewart working out this season.

And QPR also sometimes played him as a defensive midfielder. Maybe he got more chance of getting in to the team in that role if there are injuries or Downes continues getting ill and Shea Charles builds up his yellow card tally.