Willo of Whiteley

I don’t think you can have a lazy opinion solely by not being at the game, radio commentators paint a pretty good picture; and the example I used was having listened to Total Saints Podcast - I would say those guys are pretty level headed and not reactionary fans. They can articulate the game pretty well, and I believe that based on the games I have been to and then hearing their analysis. 🤷🏻‍♂️

As much as I’m not always a fan of Alex’s opinions I think that’s a pretty fair and accurate summary above. Our tactics is pass sideways, across the back, hope that Harwood-Bellis can play a low whipped ball to the CM who can then play it off wide, who can then play it down the centre. It’s too easy. Yes he’s done ok and we’ve picked up points, but it was a low bar after Will Still. There is no excuse for not being top two with the squad we have, and that’s the biggest frustration. We sacrifice an additional attacking player in either midfield or up front for the sake of one additional five yard pass across the defence or between the goalkeeper and defence; it can’t be surprising that we get to the opposition penalty area and there is no other Saints player there? I think Saints will be looking for a new manager next season. We were rock bottom last season and persisted with a back five. Talk about going down with no fight whatsoever. We’re now in a league we should dominate and our tactics are to defend first, which we can’t, and attack second. It’s incredibly naive, and IF it’s a Sport Republic thing of playing a back five then they should hang their heads in shame. I’m not against Tonda Eckhart after our upturn in form, but if he is serious he has to try something new and have a plan B.

I’m assuming you’re in agreement? (Sorry I can’t be bothered to scroll up tons of comments) 😂 But football is pretty basic and tactics can be simple, and we pointlessly try to be too clever and edgy for our own good.

All about the payday. No sympathy for him. Should’ve learned from his first move (Chelsea).

1-1 draw. Oxford aren’t that great, and neither are we.

Expecting: Bazunu to sign a new contract. Stewart to sign a new contract. Charles to not sign a new contract. Maybe one loan signing in January. Maybe a couple of new loans out. Bree loan to be extended at Charlton until the end of the season.

Just listened to TSP, having not been at the game I wasn’t aware of a lot of what was happening yesterday: - Jander taking goal kicks, making our even more non-existent midfield even more non-existent. - Three CBs still at ninety minutes when chasing the win (allegedly) when the opposition have ten men. - Bazunu being sent up front for a corner with five minutes left. - Welington playing at RB, thus changing the balance/organisation of play. - No change in formation or tactics to try and win the game. I completely get everyone would’ve taken a point against Coventry pre-match, but surely with an entire half against ten men you go for it? He think tactically he is very naive. We really need to learn how to play with four defenders and not pass sideways.

Just read his comments. Not sure I believe him about the desperation to win the game when we continue with three centre backs.

Can someone summarise the game for me. How did we play? Was it close? Did we get any opportunities to win? Did we ever look like capitalising on ten men? Why was Frank Lampard a nob at the end?

But then you would hope that any one of those managers would’ve turned around and said “are you fucking deluded”? I’m not disagreeing but I feel like if managers would be strong armed into certain criteria off the pitch then we’d hear about it.

As the title says. Slow news week, lots happening around the club at the moment so thought I’d ask this after a conversation I had recently. What’s a moment that sticks out for you? I’m in my early 30’s so I’ve witnessed three relegations, three promotions, two pitch invasions, three Wembley trips including a cup final win; and that’s just the events. Some of the games I’ve seen in that time 8-0 vs Sunderland, beating Liverpool in the cup semi-final, JPT victory at Wembley, a play-off final win at Wembley; and think of some of the goals in those games, the moments you’ll remember forever. Whats your favourite? What sticks out as your “I’ll remember that forever” memory? Have a Merry Christmas all. Enjoy!

Let’s do it in the Mick Channon Suite instead, a little closer to home 😂

Blackadder Goes Forth Porridge Only Fools and Horses

Absolute bollocks on the whole “the players dictate what happens” or “the board dictate the formation”. There are that many leaks through the club it would be common knowledge. Also it would be fucking stupid of Sprt Republic to try and build a reputation on players that aren’t good enough and a formation that doesn’t work. 🤣

It just seems plainly obvious to me that this is the best formation

Jack Rosser saying Saints are after Patterson (GK) of Sunderland and als a ST in January. Not exactly amazing journalism, just stating the obvious. But some hope there that people at the club might’ve realised Gavin Bazunu is crap.

4-3-3 with a holding midfield allows the DM to drop back into a rough CB position to pick up the ball as an alternative. This spreads the CBs slightly wider, thus making a third CB completely redundant. I got so frustrated with Nathan Wood running five yards across Bazunu for every pass yesterday, it was so pointless. By the DM dropping deeper and pushing wide players either way you get left with this overload on the wider positions to attack, something that, let’s face it, Fellows and Manning are decent at. Generally a ST can drop deep (AM position) and this pushes not only the full backs higher, but allows the two wingers to come inside a lot more into ST positions - creating more of a threat. It’s very basic tactics. Nothing fancy hut would allow players to play to their strengths, eg. some of our midfielders are good at coming deep (Downes, Charles, Romeu), allow Manning and another full back to play higher up, and allow attacking players to play in more attacking and threatening positions. Constantly playing a back five wastes a position on another CB, we can’t fucking defend anyway so it’s a waste of a position, and nullifies attacking intent.

3-1 to Coventry. They’ll dismantle us.

Six wins in eight is very good. But these are the games we should be putting to bed, teams struggling at the bottom of the table. Norwich just did the basics today, and that was enough. Players down the wing, low balls across, cheeky handball too. After the penalty miss we looked totally lost. But the worrying trend is that we always look it after sixty minutes of a game. Our squad depth is very horrific. There is a gulf in quality between the starting XI and the rest of the squad; and the inconsistencies from that starting XI are alarming. No one that played today was any better than maybe a 5/10 rating, and that’s probably being generous.

We need to ditch this five at the back bollocks. I’ve got confidence (somewhat) in Bazunu passing it ten-fifteen yards either side of him to THB or JS, rather than NW who is running three yards in front of him. Absolute waste of an attacking position. Today was a huge example of a team being overrun in midfield, by a manager that didn’t have a plan B.

He’ll end up at Fulham or Bournemouth or somewhere relatively close in the near future. Close(ish) to family etc.

Terrible keeper and terrible defenders too

No one has covered themselves in glory today, but a few have smeared themselves in shit for the foreseeable future.

GK, RB, CB, LB, a wide player and a striker.

I don’t care if he scored from 25 yards, Manning has been terrible today. But then again there is no one after the first ten minutes that I would say has done any good. Absolute shit.