Saint Fan CaM

I can’t help but feel somewhat pessimistic about where things will end up this season and the reason is that we’re still playing the same turgid football as we’ve done for 3-4 seasons now irrespective of manager. Yes there are new players to pin our hopes on, but will they really make a difference when they’re not part of the starting 11 and players that have been very mediocre in the past get picked to start? We’ll not be in the relegation zone obviously, but the playoffs look way off right now.

They’re one point behind us and the last game I saw they can pass the ball forward and score goals. We don’t against even supposedly ‘worse’ teams. There are some on here that are going to have a few nasty shocks this season - we’re not all that.

Didn’t say they were a top team - but ignoring that they played better than us (they even contained us sufficiently in the 2nd half) and remain above us in table, is closing your eyes to the mediocrity that has pervaded the club for many seasons now.

I’d get as many of the new signings in as possible plus Robinson, with Downes, Manning and Fraser on the bench. I’d also consider starting Stewart. Training this week needs to concentrate on getting that team playing proper dynamic, forward thinking football. Hull are looking good value at the moment - it’s going to be another tough day - play like today and I wouldn’t be surprised if we lose to be honest.

That’s not entirely accurate. They had circa 70% possession at one point passing it around like they owned the place. OK, our press was almost non-existent, but they had a decent game plan, had decent chances and even hit the bar with dear old Baz beaten. We were strangers.

Spot bollock on.👌

This ^^^ absolutely!!! None of the back four are capable of feeding the midfield and Downes is the perennial re-cycle king…has nothing in his game that enables him to turn and play forward. Charles is only just better, but there’s not much in it so the two of them = an ineffective midfield. Azaz, Fraser, Archer and Fellowes are often so far apart they’re playing solo.

That was very, very poor - from the team yes, but also Still - he was out-classed by his oppo manager until he made subs. He’s said it was like the players were still playing like last season - well don’t play a majority of the players that played so fucking badly and leave our most creative player (Robinson) on the fucking bench for 70 + minutes!!! Starters today… Baz - the worst keeper in our last Championship season. Defence - Stephens, THB, Manning - substandard. Midfield - Downes, Charles, Fraser. Striker - Archer (can’t work alone). That’s 8 of 11 players that we know are not going to work well as a team. Charles is better, however he doesn’t do well with Downes. Fraser and Manning don't work that well together. Mads was OK but to be honest no better than Bree. Azaz and Fellowes didn’t get to see enough of the ball, but that didn’t matter because those feeding them were in slow motion mode and lost the ball too many times. In the first half we seemed to play like a team with 5 at the back rather than the 4. Too slow in transition and so many times the ball was recycled across the back and played forward along a very narrow corridor along the wings. Absolutely played into their hands with their high press. The only way out was to hoof it to the two smallest players on the pitch. I really thought my prediction of a 15th position in the table would not come true with the new signings Spors made, but based on the starting team selection today I’m not so sure. Promotion is a pipe dream right now.

We look like a team of strangers. Poor. And what’s the point of a back 4 if you by-pass a bolstered midfield? Not impressed to be honest and hoping for much better in the 2nd half.

Love the banner that says “Battered skate and chips anyone?” 😂

Only one result needed today - a convincing win - even a draw would be a disgrace given our squad and the formation chosen. Let’s absolutely embarrass the fish fuckers. COYS!

Good point well made. Can’t help starting to question everything in the excitement of it all! Goodness knows how I’ll feel tomorrow morning!

His reputation really is starting to proceed him now. The destroyer of pro football teams!

Is it me - feels like there’s not enough fire in their bellies befitting of a home derby game of this magnitude? Even Stephens seems a bit subdued and if there’s anyone I’d expect to be hyped it would be him.

Surprised they’re not talking about putting a multi-storey car park there with public transport links to the town centre. Would make more money than anything else as it would be used a lot more. Either that or affordable housing for illegal migrants (🤭😉 joke).

I would imagine that should we get back to the EPL and then push on to establish ourselves as a permanent fixture, to climb any further and compete without sacrificing squad quality in the shadow of FFP, revenue from increased ticket sales will be vital. Given all of that is unlikely with SR at the helm, the whole premise is somewhat mute.

@Rivers - thanks for sharing your story…tough time. I lost my Dad just over a year and a half ago - still miss talking about Saints with him. He used to keep clippings of Saints stories from the Echo for me - never had the heart to tell him I’d already read it all on-line. Yeah, you’ll never stop missing your Dad - make the most of the time you have left.

And there it is. The luvvies are so sensitive that even a winking emoji on a post is ignored now. How long before they demand censoring anyone with an open mind…Orwell eat your heart out.

Just stumbled on this ‘interesting’ place. Not read all the way through, but it’s clear it’s full of looney lefties wanting to spend money the nation hasn’t got. 😉😂

Clearly these guys will be re-integrated in some way back into the squad if they remain SFC players, however it would be an unwelcome surprise to find them starting ahead of the signings we’ve made - they’re clearly not suited to the way Still wants to play and/or been seen to be ineffective in the past. It’s likely their wage demands versus their ability indicate why their agent has not been able to find new homes for them, so they’ll more likely remain proverbial scar tissue rather than valuable assets.

You’d have to say though, if Aribo or Edozie get anywhere near starts, it would signify that either there’s been a disastrous series of injuries and/or the new recruits from this window have failed to bed in for some reason (possibly because Still’s management/coaching is not working). It would be damning indictment of the recruitment team if they were just deemed better than the new recruits, but I can’t see that being the case.

Trouble is, think it was reported that he wanted to go back home to Spain - can’t see him coming to the UK again sadly.

I’d have to say it’s a 7/10 for me right now and the rationale is quite simple… Pro’s: 1. with the number of incoming players, it’s easy to forget how much of a task was in front of Spors moving the lesser unsuitable players onwards. I believe Spors has done a remarkably decent job - the list of outgoings is long and while we’ve also lost our best players in Rambo, Dibling and Fernandes, we’ve also gained crucial rebuild funds. 2. the incoming players appear to be of a generally decent level and in terms of numbers, provide a healthy turnaround in 1st team make-up, particularly in creative attacking intent - time will tell of course whether they can all gel and importantly whether Still can get a tune out of them. Cons: 1. there appears to be a continued ‘blindness’ to the deficiencies in Bazunu and Stephens competency, which in terms of the latter is a difficulty masked by the Captaincy. This chink in the armour of the spine of the team will continue to plague results I fear. Manning as LB adds to the defensive weaknesses we’ve seen, however the window may have possibly solved this. 2. the only true striker addition is Downs and so far, he doesn’t appear to have the necessary guile to make a huge impact, although again it’s early days and the midfield/winger additions may influence his output greatly. It just feels like it’s an area that has once again received a lack of attention, although AA, Stewart and Archer with their past performances could very well be enough to fire Saints to the top…we’ll see.

Yeah, my immediate thought - too cultured a player for the cloggers at Millwall. Will improve their squad immediately though.

Odds for Capt Jack to see red?