saintant

Palace looking ordinary without Gallagher pulling the strings.

Just watched a podcast hosted by a Spurs guy featuring a pundit (fan) called Michael Bridges plus a Spurs fan named Jason. This last guy said that Saints were the best side he saw at their place last season, said they couldn't get near to us and even said we were the best since Bayern Munich!. High praise but it begs the question where did that side and that style of football go - it just vanished into thin air. Why can we not seem to get anywhere close to those levels? I appreciate it is harder for teams like us to maintain and we were playing high energy, press football but it's so frustrating to see where we've fallen to from those dizzy heights of performance level. Ok, maybe it was a one-off and everything clicked into gear but you'd think we'd be able to get some form of consistency but it seems to be feast or famine under Ralph - let's hope for more feasting this season.

Only if you had any expectations of him when he signed. He's been pretty much what I thought he'd be so my only disappointment was that our management contrived to give him such a huge contract.

Not sure about centre back. For me 3 at the back does not work and causes us more problems than it solves - it's almost a case of too many cooks where nobody knows their job or takes charge. I think we'd be better with a settled pair at the heart of the defence who could develop a strong partnership and, where each knows his role and trusts the other. Whether that means we need to buy or can build this from our existing squad is the question - maybe try Salisu and ABK. We desperately need a number 10, a tricky midfielder who can carry the ball and dribble round opponents and pick a pass and create more for us plus a striker with experience so not sold on talk of Liam Delap if I'm honest.

This is my worry too. Ralph is understandably concerned that we might ship a lot of goals so he'll go tight in defence and that might mean we'll create very little. I'd rather we take risks and see if we can score some goals because we are never going to be a side that keeps many clean sheets. For us attack has more often than not been the best form of defence.

Who is the big donkey playing up front for Citeh?

If Ralph drops Bednarek I think he might give Stephens a go.

Equalise then give away a sloppy goal soon after has a familiar ring to it. Need to stop doing that and quick.

Who cocked up?

Would love him but there are big clubs after him including Real Madrid so I'm pretty sure we have zero chance.

Let's hope 'Mare' doesn't have one tomorrow.

Looking at his skills videos we could do a lot worse. He's 6'4", strong and quite quick. He has good skills, a nice touch, useful in the air, can pick a pass and takes a mean free kick and only 21. Think Ajax are interested though.

Very much improved second half and credit to Ralph for changing the formation. I would imagine he also demanded we up the tempo, press harder and be more aggressive which made a real difference. We got the ball forward quicker and with purpose, won a lot of second balls and there was much more movement between the lines. Adam Armstrong did well and deserved his goal. Some good individual performances in that second half and encouraging to create chances and score three goals. Aribo looks to have a bit about him and had a hand in Stu Armstrong's goal. Some good inter play and a very tidy finish from JWP. Much to be encouraged by in that second half and pleased we stepped up a few gears. More of the same at the weekend would be good.

Well, you'd like to have thought they'd have been trying a few different things in training but that was like dejavu.

Well that was depressingly familiar and I'm sure Ralph learned nothing more than the rest of us which will come as no surprise. Waste of 45 minutes other than a welcome run out for Perraud. Zero creativity and we look a side totally lacking in shape or direction. Armstrong buzzed about a bit and tried hard but with no support from the midfield. He hit one glorious pass out to Redmond and when the ball eventually arrived in the middle Armstrong was on to it and got a powerful shot away but too close to keeper. If any of these are trying to stake a claim to a first team spot it isn't showing. Turgid stuff again. Sideways, backwards, sideways rinse and repeat - nothing we haven't seen a million times before.

Typical. Waste of time.

Maybe. Let's see if he starts the second half with a strong line up.

Thanks

No but I thought we'd go with a strong mix in each half tonight.

Makes sense, Spurs away coming up in 10 days so field the B team.

Who do we have on the bench?

I might be wrong but wasn't Ralph quoted as saying this about Romeu playing up with the forwards and knowing how to score goals after one of the friendlies?

With just two pre season friendlies to go we need to see the intensity ramping up. No point strolling around in these two matches and then expect to hit the ground running against Spurs. We should be seeing signs that the starting line up is taking shape and beginning to gel. I'm hoping for a more dynamic approach, would like to see us getting the ball forward much quicker, pressing high up the pitch, creating some presentable chances and scoring some goals.

Yes but, as someone else mentioned, we've been left exposed down the flanks and Ralph will not want that in league games.

I fear Ralph is going to go with 5 at the back. My other fear with this formation is that he will instruct the two wing backs to be ultra cautious about venturing forward so, in effect, we'll be playing with a back 5 which will cut down the little supply we provide for the strikers even more.