OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint

Yes I've booked there but it seems in the opposite direction to where the best pubs and restaurants are.

Just watched the highlights and when you're at the game you're thinking that was close, that was also close, but the highlights make you realise just how close we were. Had all the hallmarks of the Rotherham home game a couple of years ago except this time it was against a team above us in the league and not a team destined for relegation. Will Still has realised Downs is useless which gives us the age old problem of who is going to score our goals. Blame Spors for that crucial signing. You could see Still urging the centre backs to get a move on but THB in particular really doesn't see a good forward pass. Should we have gone to a 442 in the second half? I think so because that would have kept the momentum going but otherwise the tactics were ok today. Bristol City will be a bigger test.

These are my thoughts too. THB is very slow. Edwards can pass a better ball but their winger was all over him. But the problem is up front. Would have liked us to have gone to a 442 after the break. Will Still has wingers so use them but teach Fellows to cross quicker and not do those floaty crosses that get gobbled up all day long. And the FA has got to crack down on time wasting. Pundits call it game management but when their players started lying down with 20 minutes to go, the ref has got to get on top of it. Their goalie took the piss. I'd like to see a rugby union style where players can receive attention but the game continues around them.

You've got to aim for promotion and even being a yo-yo club is better than being a Stoke/Norwich/ QPR etc etc. None of this consolidate in the championship nonsense. It doesn't work that way. Get promoted and initially do a Notts Forest/Sunderland and buy a new team if need be, but go all out for promotion. And I for one am not getting any younger. I want to watch us against the best teams in the country and not settle for years wallowing in lower leagues and seeing prospects of promotion disappearing further and further in to the horizon.

Is anyone else finding it difficult to focus on what's happening in the championship this year? You just start to get into it and then there's one of these damn international breaks which seem to come around with increasing frequency. Yes, Mannyschaft, this is a minimum of four points from the next two games to keep the momentum going.

I reckon Will S is going to stumble in to a format that works and we'll go shooting up the league. Plan A with Ross Stewart up front started to look like a plan but there was a flaw! Plan B or C will work. He's got the players and I genuinely think that when things tick, he's not some arrogant knob like previous managers, he'll adapt and take us forward. Just hope he's drilled in to the players to be more attack minded. When the ball is in their half, they can't score!

Yeah, yeah, yeah....but would putting him up front be a sign of desperation or an acknowledgement that he could actually do a job for us? Given Downs is beyond awful, given Aribo is pretty good with the ball at his feet, I would like to think they've used the international break to test him out as our centre forward.

Interesting couple of games coming up. Swansea have brought in new players so won't be the pushover they were a couple of years ago and Bristol City have just lost their way a little so a good time to play them. If Will Still has used the international break to get the players to work as a cohesive unit (appreciate some were on international duty themselves) and we beat these two teams, attitudes about him will quickly change. Problem is, who's going to score our goals?

Sorry Saint_clark but I think we have every right to write him off. Originally, he looked like a Sekou Mara v2 but that's a disservice to Mara. Downs has an incredibly poor touch, can't head, can't hold the ball up, can't pass - can't do anything useful. It's trendy to revert to lumps up front who can boss a defence. We could do a lot worse than follow this trend. Aribo anyone?

I get your point but Azaz, Fellows and arguably Edwards were fans' favourites at their respective clubs so we should also be getting a tune out of these players. Have started to see signs that Fellows will come good. Azaz is taking longer but he likes fast football and our coaches need to speed up our play. It's so laborious and has been like this for years.

This is my main concern about Will Still. His set up with five at the back, I think, sets out the wrong signal to the opposition. It says we're being negative but I can handle it if the wing backs attack, but these subs are all wrong. He either throws every attacker on the bench on at the end and they all run around like madmen bumping in to each other, or like on Saturday, when Ross Stewart gets injured, he gets rid of a plan that was working and puts AA in the middle....which anyone can tell him doesn't work. Can't blame SR for effectively cherry picking and giving Will Still the best of the championship talent (ok, he hasn't been given a striker) - which suggests the coaching is to blame. Work on one touch progressive football and hey up, having lumps for attackers seems to be a trend, and we've got Aribo...

Well that was all rather underwhelming. A few on this website have said it would be risky to rely on a centre forward who is injury prone, but once Will Still realised Downs wasn't going to be our new wonder striker, that's exactly what he's done. Still seems to like a target man centre forward and if Stewart is out for a while, you can't put AA in there. Hopefully he's realised Downs shouldn't be anywhere near the team, so possibly Aribo, possibly Robinson can go there. I think Scienza came off because he was knackered. He was our best player though also liked Charles again and McCarthy must stay as our No1. And while I don't like to boo our players, I do think if Downs comes on again, there needs to be a chorus of "You don't know what you're doing" aimed at both him and the manager.

It was working well so we then put him in the centre where he's ineffective. Fellows has been good since coming on and like Scienza. Hoping they'll create a few opportunities second half. And Mac in goal has been terrific.

Oh well, it was good while it lasted.

Just seen a corner from Birmingham that went right across the goal and went out for a goal kick...and there was a Brum striker with his arm around the Wrexham goalkeeper. If someone had snuck in on the far post and scored, that goal wouldn't have been disallowed but it should...just like ours on Tuesday night. People said we were lucky but I disagree. Refs have to stop opposition strikers from obstructing goalkeepers...

Many of us don't argue with the principle of VAR. It's how long decisions take and the fact that in the crowd, we're left in the dark not knowing what's happening. If the authorities can't work out a way to make it more interactive (like cricket and rugby), then I prefer the EFL where it doesn't exist.

My sentiments entirely, Verwood 😀

Natural leaders don't have to be all shouty and the 'follow me' types. When managers earn respect through their coaching and get results because of their tactics, players get inspired to play better because they have the belief in their manager.

Absolutely. Looks really solid. Think Jack S. will be squeezed back in to the team at the expense of Quarshie (though hope not) but Wood has cemented his place for the next few games at least.

Thought Quarshie was good on Saturday but today their guy walked round him to score and he didn't look so assured. He can't kick a ball but he can head and get in the way and today he didn't do that so much. I'd still keep him in because I think we're getting in to a winning combination at the back.

VAR would have given our penalty 10 times out of ten. And you can't grab the goalie on a corner. So pleased for Ross Stewart. We're getting there

You can't put your arm around the goalkeeper - so fuck off. It's not a goal

Have you got Sky? it's on the Red Button

Think Will is slowly stamping his authority. Didn't we go on our unbeaten run last time Shoehorn was injured? Like this team. Really hoping Stewart makes a mark today.

Agree with this and agree with Lambtiss. Saints are moving forward. We were unlucky to concede and the defence looked solid. Good team selection. Little disappointed with the substitution but overall, we're on the march again.