Tommy Mulgrew

Salisu and Sulemana scored today in a 5:0 win for Ghana v Central African Republic. Isn’t it wonderful how prolific our “rejects” are after they leave us? 🧐

Go on then, I’ll ask the obvious question: whom does he think we should sign (or should have signed) as a CF to set the Championship alight in Still’s preferred attacking style? Answers on the back of a brown envelope, please.

No. If you read the next sentence in my earlier post you will see that it ends with an exclamation mark. Perhaps I should have used an emoji. Still is known as an adaptable manager, fitting in with the players he has available to him, but we have not seen much success from his adaptability so far. He could adjust our style of play to suit Archer or Armstrong (or both) but if he does not and wants to continue with a bruiser of a CF to get his head to crosses coming from our wingers or wing-backs the players I listed are those we have who are well over 6’. We don’t yet know what he will do. Fact is often stranger than fiction. We might be surprised by his choices of a central attacker in our next few matches if Stewart is unavailable. I don’t mind what he does as long as it gets us several wins.

Agreed. But we have plenty of wildcards we could try: Aribo, Quarshie, THB and Stephens to name but four. I assume that none of the under21s is ready to step up yet. Prepare to be astounded at our forthcoming ingenious solution!

Juan scores again for Goztepe, who, with only 28% possession, win 1:0 to go third in the table, up there with Galatasary, Trabzonspor and Fenerbache. Only two goals conceded in eight games. Why cannot we learn something from our sister club?

Agree with all that. Except for a proper CF and a decent back-up to Macca, our squad is totally acceptable for getting promoted from this league. What is missing is how we play effectively most of the time. When we progress forward at pace, either by passing to unmarked players or willing runners or by running directly into the danger zone with the ball, as Leo did yesterday, we look as though we could score loads of goals. But we don’t do enough of that. Look at our crab football on Saturday. I’ll say it again. Look at our crap football on Saturday. Always gives enough time for getting 10 players behind the ball to defend against us. And seldom draws opponents out-of-shape. At least, with Still, it occurs mainly in the middle third of the pitch and not in our defensive third, which it seemed to under Martin. But it slows the game down to walking pace and we find it difficult to up the pace again. I find it impossible to believe that every other Championship side can impose an effective block on our forward passes whereas we struggle to do the same to them. But that is exactly what my eyes tell me. Where are our unmarked midfielders and unmarked attackers? Where are our attackers making runs to receive the ball? When they do run into unmarked space, why do they rarely receive the ball? Crappy crab football sets in yet again. It is a really depressing watch. Almost as bad as when Martin was our manager. And, when they receive the ball, our wide players are immediately closed down whereas we almost always give theirs (especially on our left) plenty of time to cross into our penalty area. Closing down opponents is a basic part of the game. We do it (most of the time) in the middle of the pitch; why not out wide? Our main on-pitch failings are coaching-related. Still and his coaching team have not yet worked out how to win and win again and again in this division. Until they do, us fans will remain disappointed and frustrated. It’s the SR Saints way, unfortunately.

Not according to those in charge of Birmingham, of all places: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c5yv8qj0y0zo That attitude will get only stronger, I’m afraid. Sad. What hope is there for almost all EFL clubs?

Liverpool need CB cover now that Leoni is out for the rest of the season. Perhaps Lallana can at long last do something positive and put in a strong recommendation for Cpn Jack. 😀

Well, well well (and btw I agree); I wonder whether that consideration entered the thought process of those who came up with the suggestion. 🤔

What is Kevin Davies doing these days? Surely he wouldn’t turn down the chance of getting 100 (or more) yellow cards. I’d suggest George Kirby but he’s a bit past it!

Goztepe buys 19 year-old Ibrahim Sabra for £150,000 and a year later sells him to you-know-who for £6million. Another SR project for the Championship … or perhaps EFLeague 1. 🤩

Like almost everyone else on here, I am so far totally underwhelmed with Will Still and the performances he has delivered on the pitch. But our disappointing efforts are not due to just one man; the players have been terrible and to lay the blame for most of the goals we have conceded purely on the manager is wrong. Also, the staff responsible for coaching the team and improving its performance comprise six men, see below. WTF are the other five doing both between games and during games? I can see no evidence of any analysis, coaching or improvement from one game to another. Indeed, the performance at Hull was even worse than in previous weeks. And, during the game, do we see any signs at all of the other five staff recognising our shortcomings and trying to rectify them? I certainly do not; I cannot even remember more than one of them being involved in pitchside discussions, let alone giving Still advice. Lallana, Lemaitre, Martin Martinez and Trollope should all be capable of seeing our problems and suggesting solutions. For what else are they employed? From what I can see, about a hundred or so posters on here could do a better job than our coaching staff. All five of them, not merely the manager, should get several rockets up their arses. I was tempted to start a new thread for discussion about the coaching staff but put this post here nevertheless. Still needs help and at the moment he does not seem to be getting it from those who are supposed to help him. WILL STILL FIRST TEAM MANAGER PAUL TROLLOPE ASSISTANT MANAGER ADAM LALLANA FIRST TEAM COACH CARL MARTIN FIRST TEAM COACH RUBÉN MARTÍNEZ GOALKEEPING COACH CLÉMENT LEMAITRE FIRST TEAM ANALYST

Fully agree with that. One of the most satisfying games at the Dell in that era was when (I forget which year it was) we roughed up Leeds and kicked them all over the place. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer team! We were a load of hard nuts in those days, as alluded to by the name of ale house brawlers. I’d love it if we showed now the same grit and determination as back then. (Obviously, making allowances for today’s different attitude to violence on the pitch.) We have tended to be a team of pussycats for several years now and I hope that our ginger alleycat boss can put that to rights. “Hi there, TC. Are you listening? Get it done.” 😈 😺 👮‍♂️

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c9wd80n1v5zt 3:0 to Goztepe. Juan scores the first (pun intended). Just over 30% possession and less than 60% pass accuracy - almost the complete opposite of us under Martin. 2nd in the table but played one game more than most teams. A fine achievement considering Goztepe’s relative lack of spend on players and salaries. Well done. I wish we were Goztepe! 😉

If Al Hadary is as good as implied in that article, perhaps we should get our scouts to give him the once over. I have seen a photo (taken earlier this summer) of him and he looks older than 19. I hope he plays really well for you, Christophe, and inspires VAFC to rise up the table.

SR are more likely to get us Kaspar Hauser: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071691/ (Warning - It’s a bit like watching a Russell Martin team.)

First game was Millwall at home to Accrington Stanley at the (old) Den in the early to mid ‘50s with my dad and then several other home games there; we used to walk from the East End of London under the Thames at Rotherhithe and onto the ground, which was nowhere near the new Den. Later Brentford home games with my dad and uncle before, from 1960 onwards, supporting Saints always at the Milton Road end at the Dell, first with my dad and then without him. St Mary’s, sadly, gets nowhere near the atmosphere at the Dell. My username gives a clue to whom the crowd generally blamed if we were not winning. I’ve been through loads of ups and downs with Saints but nothing as bad or prolonged as the period since the demise of the team in the late-Ralph period. I cannot seem to help it but red and white blood still surges through my veins and almost every week nowadays I endure disappointment; the occasional exciting wins are few and far between. 😞 😇

Sugar impressing in Germany; Werder Bremen likely to want him permanently according to this source: https://sportwitness.co.uk/club-almost-certain-to-use-clause-to-buy-southampton-man-big-impression-made-early-on/ Here’s hoping his good form lasts!

Lost 2:1. Played 3:4:2:1; 61% possession; Dibaga scored from a Bragg assist. 5 corners, only 8 shots and only three on target. Woking won on goals scored. We won on goals conceded, possession, corners won, fouls committed and shots off target. Shaping up well to prepare players for the first team. 😇

I’ve seen some feed lines in my time but that is sooooo asking for trouble on this forum, benjii.

Still’s stated tactics for the early part of the match were obviously misguided and did not achieve the desired outcome; he should have ensured after about 10 minutes that we changed our style of play. By then, the problems that we suffered from for the duration of the game were readily apparent: Pompey played an aggressive press, gave us little time on the ball, went man-to-man on Charles and Downes, their full-backs came forwards to shut off the forward passes to Fraser or Fellows, they placed themselves in the way of our forward-passing channels and so all our back four could do without giving the ball away (which the did far too often) was pass it back and forth across the pitch among themselves or back to Bazunu or whack it long and high in the vague direction of Archer or Azaz. That meant we looked like a league 2 side playing a well-coached Championship side. How neither the players nor the manager (nor the coaches sitting near him) did anything to rectify it is hard to fathom. They should all be told in no uncertain terms that that is unacceptable. Still, his coaching team and the players need to up their performance considerably, and win at Hull, or they will lose the faith most of us supporters have in them and our promotion hopes will be in ruins before the end of September. We simply have to average more than two points a game from now on if our season is to be salvaged. More in hope than in true expectation, I look forward to our next run of games to set us back on our way to promotion.

Thank goodness at least one Saints’ team can score: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c2knxep8811t But still could only draw. 4:4. A much better watch than the shite served up at St Mary’s earlier today.

I see the supporters are not going to be entertaining at the stadium tonight. Too morose, I expect. 😞 Good luck, Christophe and Fred.

Pedant alert - If 1948/49 was your first season surely you attended only three of those games: the Swindon cup game was in the previous season.

New half-time snacks: https://www.weschenfelder.co.uk/about_us