Saint Fan CaM

Fucking Manning. Ducks away from the ball after not closing down as usual. Goal. Twat of a defender.

Do you honestly think a new Manager will do any better with our squad and if so, why? Personally I’m hoping every waking minute of Spors January window (and some days beforehand) is concentrated on searching for and signing a competent, big, CF. That way Still has a fighting chance of keeping us in the division.

Re-build from league one you mean? Not a bad idea, although I seem to remember a similar call when we were relegated to the Championship…re-build for the EPL they said…it’ll all be fine they said.

Any precedence in a top European league stealing a DoF from a lowly Championship club? Who knows, maybe SR reckon it’s job done with the squad and Spors is just an unwanted overhead now that can be let go with some compo?

Yeah the problem with Downs is that his role in the team requires him to get near to and then touch the football. Were it not for this he would definitely show some promise. 😉

Sounds simple right? It’s not…why? Because whatever combination of players chosen in midfield and up front will come unstuck because they’re nearly always attempting to play through 11 men. The act of “feeding the ball through” is easily defeated by 11 men behind the ball - we’re just so damned predictable. I don’t have the answer but I would bet a hefty sum that most Championship goals are scored on the break and/or through quick transitions to a striker who has a pair of shooting boots. When we manage to do that we look very good value - the problem is we rarely do it because of the snail pace manner in which the ball is moved out of defence and/or because we’re overrun in midfield with a higher risk of being turned over.

This with spades. There is a very real lasting malaise within the club - possibly at all playing levels - which has subscribed to the view that recruitment of nice, well spoken lads who are capable of passing OK (usually backwards under pressure), but have suspect fitness so can’t play at pace, is the way to go and that therefore the system of slow build-up play is of paramount importance to suit the recruitment strategy. Every game for years under different Managers we’ve seen the evidence of this. It’s Pep-lite except even Pep got found out and has changed his system to allow long balls up to a big target man. It needs to be eradicated. Then there’s the inability to coach systems of play that provide quick transitions out of defence to the forwards to attempt as much as possible to attack with fewer than 11 oppositions players behind the ball. This is where I think Still is slowly trying to make a difference, but is hamstrung by inconsistent defenders and the lack of a big CF. Then there’s the suicidal reliance for 4-5 seasons on CF’s that are made of glass, relative midgets or just plain incapable. See above. Perhaps Still is not the man, but my feeling is there’s too much wrong within the club to allow ANY Manager a fair crack of the whip and any change now will ultimately be another disaster in waiting. On the other hand, get the right CF Stewart replacement in for Still asap and wait until at least March before pulling the trigger.

This is true, but my question is why? Finishing obviously is due to the club repeatedly not signing a decent big striker. Personal mistakes is a bit more complex - take their first goal…you could argue that the scuffed attempt at a clearance by Wood was unlucky and let’s face it, Wood has looked good value lately. But when you look at where the entire defensive line was when he had to kick the ball (almost on the halfway line), which in turn allowed their striker in, you have to question the tactics or at least the coaching of tactics. Why did the defensive line need to be so high? Well because that’s the way we’ve played for 4-5 seasons now - every forward ball HAS to start with a CB who then passes out to a wing-back who invariably goes backwards to a CB ad Infinitum. This method of play persists - who is stipulating this? It’s a massive big deal because not only is it losing us games, it’s instrumental in not allowing the new players to make a positive impact on performance. I’m no tactical expert but to my mind it simply has to be stamped on or we’ll keep falling.

Don’t want to lose another manager, but it’s difficult to support Still’s position now.

90 minutes 3-1 down and we’re passing it around at the back. Atrocious!

Gotta say Still is not the answer, but the chances of a replacement now are minimal. And anyway, these players are just not good enough even to mount a play off challenge. It’s very bleak.

To have a really good fucking laff!

Manning is so fucking shit. Hang on - it’s ok - Downs coming on. Were saved.

Scienza is the only bright spark in the team. The rest…meh

What a bunch of arseholes. 3-1 game over. It might be more such is the shite in our team.

I can see this getting ugly now. No belief.

Utter shambles - 5 at the back is just fucking pointless.

Archer gives the ball away cheaply once again. He’s a fucking liability!

Fellows reports ill so nit able to take part 🙄

Beautiful shot from Scienza - hit bar

Fraser as I predicted is getting bossed completely - he’s no RB.

If he’d cut across the defender it might have got clipped and won a pen.

Archer not in the game whatsoever - pointless having him on the pitch. Plus we’re starting to give them the game.

Surely that fucker was miles offside?

Lovely through ball from Charles and superb chip from AA!