Saint Fan CaM

Biggest woooosh in the history of mongboarding? You decide.

High press and controlling the football from us will be essential if we're to get anything. Sit back at our peril. At the end of it though, can't see anything other than a loss - probably 2-0 Chelski.

Big Vic. Awesome presence in midfield and the most improved player in my book - his ball skills and passing are very good now. Then followed closely by Fonte (great Captains performance) and Reed (superb introduction to the 1st team and a worthy successor to Morgan if he goes IMO).

I'm still suffering the trauma of realising a monkey chicken petting zoo is a complete fabrication and will never happen (in my lifetime). The fees at the Priory are mounting every day...please help me.

Can only win the games and get 3 points. Not a classic, but got there. Great win. Vic my MOTM.

Another draw or loss to contend with I reckon. They are a decent side now with good attacking options. We on the other hand can't score a goal, largely because the front line has not been coached properly - too many free spirits and not enough drilled discipline is my take on things. I so want us to score and win this game...it's been a very long time since we last had to endure 'the losing habit' - it's not nice.

Well Saints are really making a great fist of proving all the doubters right. 4 points from 7 games...that's not European contention...some might say it's relegation form. Fact is, we can play well, but the quality of striking is shockingly abysmal. Pelle needs a long break - he is doing more harm than good. Long was a waste of money for the value he brings to the team - no assists and no goals.

I said in the build-up thread - "WBA will set-up to play a tight ship and hit us on the break. 10 men behind the ball and all that. It'll be another 0-0 or even a 1-0 loss. Seriously, we just don't look like scoring at the moment as (a) the front line is not cohesive and (b) we seem to want to walk the ball into the net. Add to that a sh!t ref and hey presto, another wasted game and opportunity as we slip another place or two down the table. Yes, that is a pessimistic view I guess - or it could be just good observation of how the team has performed over the last 10 or so games.".... YUP!

We are utter, utter rubbish in attack - very slow, no ideas, no movement off-ball, same old thing trying to walk the ball into the net. I can see this ending 3-0. Pelle, Mane, Tadic - not good enough. Elia is trying to get into the game but is getting nowhere fast. Honestly do not know where we're going to get a goal from.

WBA will set-up to play a tight ship and hit us on the break. 10 men behind the ball and all that. It'll be another 0-0 or even a 1-0 loss. Seriously, we just don't look like scoring at the moment as (a) the front line is not cohesive and (b) we seem to want to walk the ball into the net. Add to that a sh!t ref and hey presto, another wasted game and opportunity as we slip another place or two down the table. Yes, that is a pessimistic view I guess - or it could be just good observation of how the team has performed over the last 10 or so games.

I think the most of it is that the front men (and supporting midfielders) have no system - no concrete ideas or routines. They are individual players that are being swapped around too much to gain a clear understanding. Oh for JRod to be available...we can but hope he comes back as good as before...Pelle needs to be dropped so he can get his head right.

The front three are not co-ordinating well at all and I don't think Mane starting would make the blindest difference. Pelle needs to be dropped to help him. JWP is pretty ineffectual apart from corners and attacking free-kicks. Davis and JWP together douse any form of attack through midfield - no vision and couldn't hit a barn door from 10 paces out...we need better. Wanyama ran defensive midfield today - was superb and even added to some attacks with some nice touches. My MOTM. I thought generally the defence was sound, but it was a big ask to expect Targett to come off error-free all afternoon when most attacks came down that flank. I predicted 1-3...but thought we would get something. Didn't count on another diabolical ref though.

SRL - not a problem - he was at the end of his career. Lovren - couldn't give a toss...mercenary journeyman. Lallana - completely without an ounce of class...didn't understand what being a Captain is about and showed how shallow he really is...no respect for his position, SFC or the fans. His mate Gerrard could teach him a few things about loyalty and respect.

I would like to see him played central behind Pelle just for spells during the game when we're on the front foot. I think he could be the key to unlocking defences, but he needs to work on his offside trap awareness.

No. We've earned the right to be here...we battle on and get that 3rd or 4th place - it's completely within our grasp with some of our better players coming back from injury.

The atmosphere will be rubbish from a Saints fan POV largely because our most vocal support will be spread across other parts of the ground while Pools away supporters will be grouped as one. If we score first, then we might experience some noise and passion - if they score first I suspect SMS from a Saints perspective will turn somewhat quiet...it's what happens.

Can see us losing this one - disliking the 'Pool and everything they stand for is not enough - we've got to score goals to beat a team like them and we're not doing that. It's going to be 1-3 and a really big wake-up call...the start of the slide down to 7th? Maybe.

Well I would play that video back to Mane and tell what a plonker he is for not going down in agony when Adrian kicks his leg. THAT would have been a stonewall penalty decision and we would have scored and gone home with all three points! The Ref killed the entire game with poor decisions frankly and showing that red was one of them in hindsight.

It was a point so not a complete disaster. Ref was probably the worst I've seen all season - truly shockingly bad. Pelle appears tired and out of ideas - he tries, but he's just not getting there and we need another option. Build-up play is generally slow and predictable - shooting is pathetically poor...17 shots, 7 on target and no goals. In the final third the off ball movement of the whole front line is awful - very static. On the plus side, I thought Reed was fantastic - my MOTM.

My feeling is that we will fall on the way due to injury or just bottle. Saints don't do this...this winning consistently thing...this staying focussed thing. Something will break us. Surely? If we finished 6th it would an incredible season and no mistake. Anything higher quite frankly would be a stellar achievement that would leave English football gasping. Once again, we can say...strap up and enjoy the ride!

Can see a draw... 2-2. I don't think we're untouchable and invulnerable to teams like West Ham in particular. In fact I am less certain of a positive result than if we were playing Manure. It really will depend on whether we're able to get the ball moving quickly to Mane and Elia...Wetsham do have the midfield to catch us in possession, but worse still I really hope it doesn't slide into a hoofing match so our midfield gets bypassed. On another note, anyone know when our new striker can play?

Pelle is just making up the numbers and I fail to see why Tadic gets his name sung - very poor. Thank goodness we've got some goal threat in Mane and Elia. If we do reach Europe it will be a massive achievement based on these last few performances. And the Ref was shocking.

Should have got a better striker than Pelle in the window. Simple as.

Playing awfully - Pelle looks disinterested - they will score on the break. We just do not look like a threat in front of goal at all. So poor now.

Who manages the u18s? Could be furthering his career elsewhere soon then.