VectisSaint

We have already equalled our club best ever unbeaten away record (1949 and 1984) but apparently that form is 'not great'. Some people have unrealistically high expectations. Agree it would have been good to win one or more of the ones we drew but I think what we have achieved is pretty damn good and has never been bettered not even by our star teams (1984) or managers Koeman/Lawrie Mac) of the past.

Don't think it will make much if any difference. Having the away supporters exiting via Melbourne St and their coaches parked there won't preclude home supporters using that road to get back to Docks/Chapel/Ocean Village etc. I used to frequently exit past the buses in Britannia Road, we weren't usually diverted away from the area, maybe for high risk matches, but we don't play the Skates very often. There are for sure a relatively small number of people who might choose to go round the stadium and down Marine Parade to avoid mingling with the visitors, but in the end if they feel that is a big problem they have the option to relocate.

There is no way this would have got this far without already having buy-in from the police. They are and always have been the reason for where the away fans are located. The Kings land/Chapel corner is the only viable option and will allow for the simple entry and exit of away coaches, although it will mean some disruption to the routes Home fans take into the ground, i.e. those coming from St Mary's and docks, who will presumably be diverted down Britannia Road. No doubt in my mind that the police have already been consulted and are on board.

Now I can post again I can explain, in your pre ious post you were referring to League appearances (before that you were talking all competitions). Both Stu and Jan currently sit on 176 League appearances, so can't get to 200 this season. Of course they can get to 200 in all comps in about a month, but that isn't what you were talking about in the post that I replied to. Personally I think 200 league appearances is a decent milestone.

You're quite correct. In fact it looks like 19 home league wins on the trot, latter part of 2010/11 (L1) and start of 2011/12 (Champ). So, unless someone comes up with something better 19 seems to be the record for consecutive home league wins, twice. A ways to go for that one.

They've both got a way to go to get to 200 League appearance, don't think they can achieve that this season, even if we were to play in the play-off final (if that counts as a League game).

It looks like we went 19 league wins at home on the trot in Southern League days, 1894 to 1897. Ended by a 1-1 draw with Spurs. There may be later runs of home wins but I doubt none as long as that. Of course 9 includes the FA Cup. In Football League days the season we went 19 unbeaten we didn't get past 6 home wins in succession. That season was part of our longest unbeaten home run in the League, 31 in total, a long way to go (Jan 21 to Aug 22). Avoid defeat at Swansea and that will be a record unbeaten away run, currently the record is 9 in 1949-50 and 1977-78, so already equal. My source (Saints, A Complete Record) only goes to 1987. I can't think of many times we went unbeaten away after that, indeed winning away was often an unexpected treat.

Reasonably sure avoiding defeat will also be a new all time record for unbeaten away matches.

Only seems to have been credited with 2 assists, not the one for Adams, though I can't see why, unless the defender touched it before it got to Che.

Not all time League we don't. 24 is the all time record for league matches unbeaten. You're on about the record in the Football League. Try to keep up. 😵‍💫

Just found out the sad news that Mel Blyth has passed away. Great player for us and of course part of the 'Class of 76'. RIP Mel.

One day, maybe, but not tomorrow.

Would agree that THB is the best central defender, but he is clearly going to be a class act and will not be with us for long. Disagree about Stephens, what he is bringing to the team is a desire to get forward quickly and make incisive, perhaps a little riskier forward passes. The pass to Alcaraz that led to the Mara goal being a case in point. He made several passes of that ilk against Walsall, and also in previous games. We do seem to have developed this aspect of our game in the last 2 or 3 matches, where before we messed around with it at the back, we now take some risks in getting balls forward from the CBs into the midfield/forwards, and Stephens has been central to this (THB has been doing as well). My hunch is that this is why Martin prefers Stephens over Bednarek, Bedders has been excellent this season defensively, but he is not so good in the area of making incisive passes and playing out with pace from the back. We have looked so much better recently, now that there is pace, and the ball is being moved far more quickly, Meghoma was excellent on Saturday playing out and running with the ball at pace and making good passes to Fraser especially. Personally I wouldn't be averse to playing Meghoma in preference to Manning, who is poor defensively and ponderous on the ball, sadly I am pretty sure Martin will stick with Manning.

Duncan has rightly pointed out on Twitter this morning that this is not the all time unbeaten run record. For League games (Southern League) the record is 24, set from the end of season 1895-6 (4 games) and throughout the 1896/7 season (20 games). The record for "all competitions" (League and FA Cup) would appear to be 21, that run ended in Feb 1897 when we lost to Newton Heath in a 2nd round replay in February. The record I referred to of 9 away games unbeaten I now realise must refer to Football League only and must also have been beaten in 1896-1897 given that we remained unbeaten in all league matches in that season (10 games) and presumably 2 at the end of the 1895/96 season, so record would be 12. Actually the last 4 games in 95/96 were all at home (strange) so the record appears to be 10. So we have a few more games to go unbeaten to break our all time records for unbeaten runs and for Duncan to literally rewrite the history books.

Incidentally, I believe we have already equalled our record unbeaten away run. Avoid defeat at Swansea and it will be a new record. We last went 9 unbeaten away in 1977/78 (promotion season) and before that in 1949/50.

No need for a poll for MotM today.

Alcaraz is having a mare. He should be bossing this, he has the ability, but just doing nothing, giving the ball away.

His first season in charge, or the first half a season he was in charge?

One game away.from.equalling our best unbeaten run in the League (19). In 1921/22 we followed the unbeaten run in the league with a win in the FA Cup (3-1 v South Shields) but then lost our next league match (Brentford 0-1). So Walsall makes no difference to our unbeaten league run record. But as you say it would be a shame to mess the run up now. I'm sure we can put a team out that can take care of Walsall, and it's not like we have another game soon after so plenty of rest and recovery time. January is a very relaxed fixture schedule, unless we get into replay territory. For me, I would just give a break to some of the players who have had fitness/injury issues recently, such as Downes and Bednarek, maybe give KWP a break as well, his ankles must be in a shocking state after Norwich.

Looked like a head/face injury shortly before HT, probably just a precaution to leave him off second half.

Bree went off injured against QPR (hamstring), Martin said he needs a second scan and won't be involved over the festive season series of games. Stephens came in (started) against Swansea and altogether has played in the last 4 games (all wins), not sure why people are suddenly getting excited about him being in the team today.

He's played in the last 4 matches, we've won all of them. Started against Swansea, we won 5-0. Not sure he is being shoe-horned in today.

But he did say it publicly. He said we lost our positivity and played too many back passses (or words to that effect) post match, but that he wouldn't blame Gav in any way. We do still have a tendency to go defensive at times when we don't need to. Not sure if it's fatigue (mental) that sets in, but it is something we need to cut out. There was also nothing wrong with Jack's pass, Gav had loads of time to deal with it, but we all saw what happened, just one of those moments every player has from time.to time. As it turned out no harm was done, except to GD, but it made forma nervous end to what was otherwise a complete walk in the park.

Good job his name isn't Young, he'd be ranked much lower. 😉

Don't want to be overly pessimistic and I'm not a doctor, but this is beginning to sound like something that it might not be possible to 'solve for good', wish the lad well, have experienced similar in my family.