Polaroid Saint

Away at one of the four or five pre-season contenders for automatic places (IMHO) is okay at this point in the season. We were pretty ugly at times, but this is the sort of away point that means we will be one of the (16? 18? lol) teams in the play-offs places after 46 games. More importantly it suggests that (once the dusts settles, post-Tonda ban, etc ) we will have the opportunity to push for those automatic spots/have momentum for the play off circus. Would prefer 3 poiints, obvs, but not unhappy with that result/performance either.

Point of order: The Vikings absolutely 'got that far south'. St.Marys Stadium sits directly over the site of one of the first big Viking raids in England; the "Sacking of Hamwic" Although the 'sacking' really didn't do a lot for Hamwic (old town was pretty much abandoned following this), the English probably actually won. (What's really weird is that when they built St.Mary's and confirmed all this, they didn't excavate below the pitch, only the stands and footings. So all that history - including a properly ancient graveyard - is lying there under the feet of the players every game they play).

I don't think I have ever left early. No matter how bad my team are playing, how terrible or predictable the movie is or how honkingly awful the band are... ...but I am at home on the sofa, so I can just turn this off, right? Right?

Akachukwu has been the only really positive thing from that first half (in both senses of the phrase). I appreciate the opposition midfield is nowhere near as tough as we will face most weeks. But he has looked really encouraging as an option. Hold up play good, defensive play decent and forward play excellent; always looking for a quick pass or carry the ball forward. A very energy to Charles but possibly filling a 'Shea Shaped Hole' quite well. (And the Wellington / Leo combo is always fun. ) But otherwise it's lethargic and almost disinterested. All said still arguably a better first half 'performance' than the first two league games. 🤷

If we really need to shift players to get others in... ...Can we not loan (or sell) BBD etc to Goztepe?! 😉 Turkish Super Liga club that has, I heard, recently done quite well out of Saints players. Gets them off our books a bit earlier in the window (and then SR can still sell them on if anyone wants them after that). Is this not the sort of shady shenanigans the multi club model is for? Actually, maybe Valenciennes is more BBD's level. (No offence meant @ChristopheVAFC ) 😛

I didn't say I thought it was what we should be doing, or what I would do or what I want the club to do. So yeah, I agree with you! However, I do think it is very possibly what the club ARE doing. Or at the very least it's the base line they have set pending lack of suitable transfers (in/out) and the probable Tonda sanction.

I think it's more a case of splitting the season into two - "consolidation and repositioning" in the first half of the season, making up those points, getting a slightly different team and attitude settled and whatever compensating we have to do with the manager's status. Then, in second half of the season, but hopefully before Christmas we can start to push (as we did last year) and to achieve a league position and performances the squad is capable of, and to tidy/add to it further in Jan. That kinda fits Dragon's stated aims of getting the footballing side of the club sorted and, what I imagine is just as important to him the mid/long term of financial security and clout. I would hate to think it's a full season consolidation but splitting it up works on both counts. (If it works at all of course).

Agree to a very large extent. With the various clouds over us, we were not going to continue the momentum from last year. But have also done remarkably well (so far) to keep the bones of the team together. I suspect that the club, and in particular Dragon, recognise this and feel if we can don't get completely wiped out the first half of the season, we can refocus and potentially rebuild a little in January. I suspect, even if we lose another couple of key players, that we are still good enough not to completely collapse from a footballing perspective AND survive a probable Tonda ban. Then take a shot at the ridiculous 6 team play off second half of the season. This will also likely mean that even if we don't do it this season we will be one of the best placed teams to go up 27/28 (as we will be financially sorted, according to Dragon, by then and able to be more than competitive without parachute payments). So, yeah, this window is about consolidation and trimming the squad in order to compete 'enough' until January. Frustrating, but might make a lot of sense for the club medium to long term.

What annoys me most about this is that Elvis never wore a pink suit or shirt with that black shoulder/chest yoke. The Sunderland site is careful to say it merely "references his early pink and black style" etc, but that exact design is from the 2022 biopic. It's a bloody movie costume, FFS! Of all the great (and bizarre) things that Elvis did wear that they could have referenced - the actual Elvis Estate (and Sunderland and Hummel) have ripped off something only ever worn by Austin Butler in a film. Definitely as bad as finding one photo of sunset reflections on wave ripples and deciding the Solent is pink. I'm livid, I tell you, livid!

Think it is a bit weird how a few people are writting him off. If anything he is set up perfectly for a 'breakout season'. It's not an unusual thing at all to have a tricky transitional year, (especially coming from boyhood club) and for wingers to be better in year two. Still only 23. First year at Saints: 0 goals, 5/6 assists in the league - But he’d already managed 14 Championship assists at 21, and last season’s 0 goals came from around 35 shots (3xG). It was freakish and very doubtful that will repeat this season. Moe settle + more minutes + normal finishing + another year experience at the club. He doesn't need to 'improve' so much as regain composure and get a couple of early goals. If he actually improves too, could be a monster season. All depends how and how much he is used of course, but: 10 goal contributions is a safe bet. 12-15 goal contributions? very plausible.

However, from the Spider Graph posted the other day, it was statistically (when he played in the Championship last season) one of his strengths. Better than Lankshear in the posted comparison for sure and actually pretty decent for a 19/20 year old in this league. He will need to improve for sure to be like a wise old head like Larin, but having eight players around him will help.

Well, I guess, that "technically"... ...analysts from Turkish or French clubs would not be subject to any EFL 72hr scouting ban? 🤔

It's a Spider Graph (I think they probably call them something fancy in the world of footy analytics, like a Player Radar or something) anyway, What this one sort of shows (and given the minutes are similar, it's reasonably useful): Mubama is stronger all-round/physical forward profile. Lankshear: comparable player, with some potentially more interesting attacking numbers. Which, given what we want is fine. We want a classic link-up man to bring the midfielders and wingers up the pitch as well as a finisher. I wouldn't trust just this graph, but it's a decent comparison for sure.

But they're better at it and less likely to slip. Perhaps why it was put that way? Just playing a devilish advocate, here.

Quick redesign is, of course, very possible... ...But also very doubtful.