The Kraken

The unholy trinity. The usual suspects. The pile on gang. The geezer really is a weird bloke.

Simply not true at Rangers. They spent a comparative fortune in the summer. And since they’ve brought in Danny Rohl they’ve won all 3 league games, are 4th in the table (they were 9th when they jettisoned Martin) and it’s not inconceivable that they could yet win the title (fair play to Hearts, they’ve been great but have slipped up of late and lost ground). Under Saints in the championship the recruitment was very good and given the squad, promotion was a reasonable expectation. In the Prem the recruitment was diabolical but so were Martin’s management skills.

Of all the managers named so far Rogers seems to fit the bill best by far. I’d just be a bit concerned by the manner of his dismissals at Leicester and Celtic. But his CV stands up with many top managers and you’d like to think he’d have the gravitas to get our current lot into shape. I still stand by my original belief that Eckert will get the job though. Just seems like he was lined up for it to me. Which I think would be a really bad move. And I also don’t like the idea of managers being forced to use a coaching team they wouldn’t choose themselves.

The same Pilchards who claimed that Gary O’Neil was in a St Mary’s box yesterday, even though he was presenting Sky’s 5.30pm game.

There were 3 foul ups for the goal. Giving the ball away so cheaply. Flynn Downes made a mess of intercepting and got wrong side allowing the player to drive through. And Bazunu doing another demonstration of his crisp packet wrists. The fact that there was more than one error doesn’t mitigate much, it was crap play all round. The fact that Bazunu’s part gets highlighted in particular is that it’s yet another repeat of the same failings we see time and again with him.

Any news on Flynn Downes and why he got hooked at HT? Seemed very strange to bring a lad on in CM who has never made a squad before. Thankfully Wednesday were woeful so we didn’t pay for it, it wasn’t a very good second half performance.

true, or that

Watched it again. I don’t think it’s a howler as such, and I think the shot may take a minor deflection on the way through. But as Tessem said on commentary, a good goalkeeper saves that.

Gary O’Neil must drive fast, he’s got from St Mary’s to the Sky Sports studios in time to present on the 5.30 game.

Here comes Downsy!

Great finish

Genuinely think we’re worse with 3/5 at the back. Even against a terrible Wednesday side our midfield is stretched so there’s a big gap between the CMs and three CBs who are often mostly marking space. It’s bloody infuriating to watch time and again.

Wednesday’s keeper might actually be worse than Baz.

Terrible defending, crap from Downes, crisp packet wrists from Bazunu.

It’s exactly this. Wednesday forwards are pressing ok but their midfield press is non existent and their defenders look scared and are on the back foot.

2-0. Nice finish. Wednesday are terrible 🤣

You can tell why Wednesday are still on minus points. 3/5 at the back against this lot is a monumental waste of time. Fellows is well forwards, would do well just to tell him to not bother coming back. 1-0. Very easy.

Shocking dive ffs.

Yep, was just running through his wiki to make sure I remember it right. He got off to a great start in management at New York, improved them every year, but after that it’s not exactly a glittering resume.

And there it is.

I know that. You know that. You only need to look back a few pages on this very thread to find some history of people who were so very keen to say that his legs had gone. Lighthouse, I’m looking at you especially. Not only on here but other threads too. Welcome back OR.

Tbf you were telling everybody on here that his legs had gone in 2022 and his time in Spain was nothing more than a retirement gig, so there’s probably a bit of give and take on either side.

In those formations, yes. I felt his final full season with us (when our season fell off a cliff and we lost something like 12 or 13 out of our last 15), Ralph was persisting with. I or variations of his 4222 and Romeu was being asked to do all the midfield work with JWP in the middle, often against sides who were actually going 4231 or 433. Outnumbered in the middle of the park, basically. Back then there were quite a few on here who said (and still do say tbf) that Romeu’s legs had gone, we needed to get rid etc etc. it was drivel then, and his successful seasons for Girona proved he had plenty left. You don’t get signed for Barca, even in a sub’s role, if your legs have gone. And you certainly don’t play in 100 games in 3 seasons across all completions. For a Oriol to work well, I think he needs a midfield 3 where he is one of a defensive 2, and the extra midfielder is either another standard CM or a number 10 like Azaz. I don’t think the current 343 or whatever it is will play ideally to his natural position (certainly didn’t last night when it looked like we had 7 defenders on the pitch at various times). Hopefully Eckert can get Sheff Wed out of the way with what the players are used to then get us playing a system that maximises the skill set of players we actually have at our disposal. Oriol and Shea Charles, when back, give us enough height, presence and coverage to have 2 CBs.

Blackmore was whanging on about this during last night’s comms. He said Bazunu should’ve done one of two things: 1: stay on his line and be in position to make a save. 2: come out with dominance and strength, take the ball and take out the striker/defenders while doing so if you have to. Baz isn’t strong enough to take out man and ball, so it was a non-starter of an idea really. Blackmore had a bee in his bonnet about it though, he must have said it about 5 separate times.

Seems like I’m not the only one chopping onions. Best Saints news I ran recollect in a long time.