StrangelyBrown

Finn Azaz take a bow. Class performance. A 5-1 win and we looked like we had another gear. Another tactical masterclass from Tonda - and enjoyable to watch! For once being a Saint is an absolute joy.

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Still can't believe what I watched last night. Saints defending very well against the best the premier League has to offer, every player understanding their role, team spirit, cohesion, clinical finishing, ... Compare that to the start of the season. Hats off to Tonda. He's certainly the real deal and my god has he got these players playing - every single one of them were brilliant! So pleased to see Fellows back to his best and Jander looks like he's getting his mojo back too. Special mention also for Manning who was fantastic defensively despite picking up that yellow card.

On the basis of the stats quoted - Azaz is better than both of them, which shows what a load of nonsense comparing stats is it's a completely pointless comparison - as you say different types of players

4 from 8 needed. Great work Tonda! Hopefully we can start to move up through the play off contenders

5 wins from 9 still needed based on needing to get more than 70 to make the playoffs. It's going to be tough with a difficult run of games coming up, but hats off to Tonda he's keeping the hope alive! Tough game tonight.

GET IN!!!!!!!! Coventry are a thoroughly unlikeable team with a classless manager and we outsmarted them and got a deserved result. Flynn Downes was class and shout out to Azaz and Matsuki who also had very good games. Tonda tactical masterclass today!

Ha ha by "big" I meant people trying to be smart arses

"Low block" is the one that really gets on my tits.... In my experience people who use big words to describe something simple usually don't understand the thing they're talking about - it's just word salad.

That aged well

It's amazing how unbalanced we look. Huge gaps in midfield. So slow to move the ball. Tactical mess from Tonda tonight - one to move on and learn from. Sadly it seems that Charles undermines out structure - he's everywhere and nowhere at the same time. On tonight's showing we're kidding ourselves if we want a playoff place, but we are due a bad performance.

Much as I like Charles he's been utter gash so far. Hook him and Matsuki at half time.

These days it feels like we're just in the FA cup to make up the numbers before one of the big boys wins it. As a consequence there is no FA cup magic and I couldn't give less of a shit about what happens today.

6 from 11 now... Starting to look more realistic! But the hope kills

What are these "wild conclusions" you are talking about? When are people allowed to have an opinion?

This is horseshit I'm afraid. There was no reason not to play a back 4. If Baz was incapable of playing with a 4 then McCarthy has played with a four for most of his career. If it was about height then play Stephens at right back - he's filled in there plenty. Playing 4 at the back doesn't necessitate a target man. Tonda has done well, but let's not reinvent history - he should have switched to a four way sooner.

Do you think he identified the problems quickly enough? For me they were so blatantly obviously only someone with deceitful eyes would claim otherwise and frankly I didn't buy into the "height" bullshit. Don't get me wrong I think he's doing well and I do wonder if he's getting less interference now we're getting results??

Imagine if he'd also switched to a back 4 a bit quicker... The most promising thing for me is that a number of players actually seem to have improved. When was the last time we had a manager who made players better?

Glad to see an Azaz masterclass. Wonderful passer of the ball. Yes he's inconsistent, but if he was any better he wouldn't be playing for us! Big shouts out for Larin for leading the line so well, Leo for a much better 2nd half, Harwood Bellis for another very composed game and Matsuki for 2 very nicely taken goals. I'm starting to like this team again!

7 wins from 12 needed. The hope is going to kill me

I'm not sure that's true. We're on course to get 69 points - Tonda is on 1.75 points per game.

8 wins needed now from 13. Still doable but we love to make things hard for ourselves.

I don't disagree, watching his presser yesterday was comedy gold, but like you very glad he's not out manager.

The criticism of Jones is about him being a twitchy mentalist. You can't go around making claims about being the fittest man in the world and the best manager statistically and say bizarre things about staying in Wales with a girl from the valley and not expect a bit of criticism. The man is a walking box of frogs.

Interesting post that backs up what a lot of us were saying without analysing the stats - i.e. a back four gives us an extra body in midfield and therefore control. It also highlights a weakness of our over reliance on stats/data - you have to have data to see trends and therefore react whereas using your "deceitful" eyes you can fix problems as they happen.