Saint Fan CaM

Yep, can't help myself...snagged a ticket. Huge game..too huge for a stream.

Cannot underestimate Brentford and the relatively great season they’re having. They’re a well drilled side, difficult to break down and able to find ways to win games. We’ll need to once again be at our best to get a result, but three points here could be huge. I’m not overly confident to be honest…head says 1-2…heart says 1-0.

That table makes for very sobering reading. When you’re bottom it doesn’t matter how many heroic draws you achieve - it’s three points that gets you out of the mire and we’re just not capable even against 10 men. Shocking how few shots on target our strikers got away…I stand by the contention that’s what will relegate us.

Well a point is not bad at OT, but we’ll not get a better chance to beat them at home. Very disappointing from our forward line.

Totally wrong positioning from Tall Paul - stood at the far post rather than running onto the ball.

Here we go - long balls to Tall Paul.

Good attacking subs from Selles.

Rashford should be booked for simulation - cheating fucker!

Mara for Walcott?

Great hit by KWP.

They’re going to win because there’s not the belief that we can win. No use of our extra man. Sullemana is having a fucking mare!

Point is, Walcott is getting into the positions to create the chance in the first place. If that carries on against 10 men he will score. Key here is make the pitch big and don’t panic…1 point is better than none today. The longer the game goes on the more chance we can hit them on the break. Sulemana’s decision making is not honed yet - could have given Walcott a lovely assist to put us one up.

If Carling did…

Would be mad not to play him really if he’s fit. He and Lavia have been the bright sparks of the recent intake, with Tall Paul and Sully not showing their value just yet. Can’t see Che not holding his place - that assist on Saturday was sublime and something we’ve been missing. A friend said to me at the weekend that they thought Che looked better as an advanced midfield provider than an out and out striker…can understand that.

And your thoughts on the game are? 🤨

This is going to be a difficult one, despite their humiliation at the hands of Liverpool, unless of course their players want to send an adverse message about their Manager. Think Selles will need to consider a more conservative formation to protect our fragile defence/GK, but still have pace up top to hit them on the break and give us a chance of a goal. A great result would be a draw…an unbelievable result a tight win (we rarely look like scoring more than one). Bazunu AMN. Bednarek. ABK. KWP/Perraud Diallo. JWP. Lavia. Sully/Walcott. Alcarez. Che.

Ran the calculator and still had us relegated.

It’s a win. No need to over analyse too much, but suffice to say Che made a difference to our attack even in his role as providing an exquisite through ball to Alcarez who finished as well as a seasoned striker. That was the main difference. JWP’s penalty was negligent…an easy chance spurned and the 2nd from a supposed specialist in a season where goals have been few and far between. As for booing fans I cannot for one instant condone that during the match - it is the height of stupidity in my opinion. Do it if you must after the match has finished, otherwise be a supporter…goodness knows this team needs all the help it can get! The only concern I have now is how Selles sets us up for the United game. 442 might be too ambitious so I think 4321 might be a good plan. 3 of JWP, Diallo and Lavia. 2 of Sully and Alcarez. Che up top.

Wonder if the new Director of Football will still be joining from City? Not a sustainable appointment for a Championship team, but sounded like it was all done and dusted.

There is a well known saying - "there are two certainties in life - death and taxes". There's an even more well known saying now - "there are two certainties in life - Saints will be relegated and the Saints / Leicester game will be first on MOTD with Lineker able to gloat over the win". 🤨😉

Trouble is Djenepo invariably looks like Bambi on ice which I think influences officials to ignore stuff like this. If that’s Grealish etc. he goes down writhing in pain, the Ref gets surrounded and there’s a card and free kick. Our lot just give up or get distracted and lose their composure.

Absolutely. Thing is, even if your team is not doing so well, the joy of going to a home game is soaking up the atmosphere and feeling part of something bigger, whether you go with mates or just on your own. One of the reasons I’ve given up my ST of many years and stopped going is because I just don’t get that feeling of inclusivity from the club or a match day anymore. Add in the other inconvenience of Sky/BT Sport re-arranged games meaning missed games and the decision was an easy one.

I know it’s an old hobbyhorse for many, but decimating the more vocal home support in the Northam is a recipe for a quiet game. Those in the ‘home end’ galvanise the rest of the ground or at least they used to. The “we’re the Northam over here” chants were a bit Noddy perhaps, but at least the home support sounded like it had a voice. Last nights lack of attendance, the take over of the Northam by the Grimsby fans and the resultant lack of home support voices made for an atmosphere as bad as I can remember ever.

Yep. The Johnstons Paint Trophy. 😜

Agree with all that, except the bit about Perraud. He’s not the cause of why we’re so shit in any way and in my opinion, he’s as good as any other bottom 8 team LB’s. In terms of a prediction…it will be Saints 0 (we can’t score) - Leicester 2 (they’re not much at the moment).