Sheaf Saint

We could do a lot worse than play Edwards there. Stephens has played there in the past as well without disgracing himself (well, not by his standards anyway). I simply don't buy this idea that we have to stick with an obviously flawed formation just because Mads and Jelert are injured.

We just need to find another tactic other than knocking it around the back line, out to THB who plays a quick ball towards the centre where Fellows has come infield to lose his marker, and hoping he can turn and run forwards with it. It's been working well for us, but the problem on Saturday against Norwich was that Fraser simply can't play the same role as Fellows, so whenever he received the ball from THB it inevitably went straight back under pressure, so we would then resort to knocking it long to our non-existent midfield and gave away possession. Tonda needs to find some other ways of getting us to transition into attack. The obvious decision would be to change the formation, sacrifice a CB and put an extra body in midfield. But I don't hold out any hope of him actually doing that, so we'll have to see what else he can come up with. Cov have been scoring for fun, and I fear that our fragile and mentally weak defence could easily buckle and it might turn into a hammering if they nullify our attacking threat. Usually when a new manager takes over a team that has been on a losing run, the first order of business is to tighten up the defence and make them hard to beat. Tonda has taken a different approach - he's focussed on how he can get us scoring freely up the other end and gambled on being able to outscore the opposition. But to be successful in this (or any) league, we need to be defending better, as a team and individually, and find a way to eek out 1-0 wins when necessary or at least make sure we're drawing games we're not winning.

First game of the season against Wrexham. Manning came on and sparked our comeback with a goal and an assist. But the irony is that it wasn't even a planned sub, it was enforced due to Welington getting injured. Because let's face it - no manager is ever going to look at his bench when losing and think "I know, I'll put Manning on. That will definitely turn the game in our favour".

Spors forecasts quiet January window for Southampton - https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c058863npnvo So, basically, we changed too many players from the squad that got utterly humiliated in the PL last season and that was why results weren't great under Still (nothing to do with him leaving all our best attacking players on the bench then). And so, to stop that from repeating, we're going to largely stick with the same players that have proven themselves to be crap time and time again. Makes perfect sense 😐

Leo actually played the full 90 yesterday for once, but we were appalling from the moment the second half kicked off.

It's crazy when you think that at the start of the 2022/23 season, he was packed off on loan to that tinpot club down the road because we thought we had upgraded the position with ABK. We all breathed a big sigh of relief at the thought that we wouldn't have to put up with his ball-watching and general crapness ever again. 3.5 years later and not only is he still here stinking the place out, he's been made captain and given a contract extension. And said tinpot club are now riding high in the PL while we flounder around in mid-table of the Championship after the second worst attempt at a PL season in its history. Nothing exemplifies our falling standards since the SR takeover more than this.

Even glossing over the fact that Norwich also missed some chances in the first half, our xG for the whole 90 mins was only 2.1. So I have absolutely no idea how you've arrived at this conclusion.

Been saying this for ages. He's so slow of thought. When the ball comes to him on in the edge of the box and he's decided he's gonna leather it, he's incapable of recognising better options and changing his mind. Same with penalties. He makes up his mind which way he's going, and even if the keeper telegraphs which way he's gonna go, like today, he can't do anything other than what he had already decided to do.

Actually I think the 1/5 that he's scored might stretch back further than the start of this season. I can't be arsed to go through the match reports of every game to check.

Can we please take him off penalties now? 1/5 this season is shocking.

That Stephens > Robinson sub was utterly bizarre. Everyone - literally everyone - assumes that he's decided to switch to a back 4 and get us competing up the pitch more. But then he goes and moves Wellington, who had not long come on for the hopeless Fraser, into CB and sticks with the same shape. I mean - what the actual fuck?

And Manning too. Just jogging about in the box marking nobody, like he does far too often.

Yep. Threw his hand out in desperation and got lucky it hit it.

Just like at Millwall, today perfectly highlights why many of us were deeply concerned about his appointment. When an opposition team susses out our gameplan, he's got no idea how to change things.

Makama basically admitting he cheated in his post match interview. How the fuck can he have the nerve to accept that POTM award? Prick.