Saint Fan CaM

True (if you read further up the thread you’d see I’d already said that), although that does not mean my last statement is not also true. 😉

Thing is if he’d have been given better players that had the skill to play the system successfully, this conversation would be quite different I reckon. My problem with Russball mostly was it was deathly boring, but would that position have changed if we’d gone up Champions last season and remained in the Prem? Maybe and to say otherwise is being extremely disingenuous.

Well that was my point - people often relate ‘Russball’ simply to possession football and playing out from the back, but in reality it’s when the squad is drilled into ONLY playing in that manner and squad quality is poor so that there’s next to no creativity or skill to move forward without making too many errors. It’s just about OK in the Championship (we still managed to ship far too many goals), but woefully found wanting in the Prem such is the gulf between the two leagues.

Cooper would mean the present squad would be more suited and so less work for Spors in the summer. For that reason I’m out (on Cooper).

I think there’s a bit of danger that we recoil completely from ‘Russball’, when there are some valid reasons for keeping possession in certain scenarios. The problem is when a particular tactic becomes the ONLY mode of play and allows the opposition an excellent opportunity to figure out a strategy to win BEFORE kickoff!

In analysing the game I find it interesting to note that Man City pretty much handed us that draw because their usual method of play is to break down 11 man defences (just the same as Russ tried to get us to do). We rarely gave them the opportunity to break at speed and therefore our usual defensive frailties were not tested much. The team sheet and tactics were as good as Rusk could muster and it worked, however our attacking threat was almost non-existent which clearly will not win games even in the Championship. In many other games this season, moving two wing backs and midfielders forward has meant an exposed defence and goals given away and Championship teams often rely on fast breaks and crosses into the box for a big striker to get their goals. So thinking ahead to next season, it’s clear to me that this squad is just not suited to those tactics - if we want to get anywhere near the playoffs or indeed auto’s, we’ll need to win games by scoring goals. We’ll need to be quick on the break and we’ll need to press high up the pitch. That’s not what this squad is designed to do - nowhere near - big changes needed. No five at the back. No slow ponderous players - goodbye to the likes of Bednarek, Manning and Tall Paul as starters. No selfish players who don’t know how to attack the goal by putting in teammates - goodbye Sulemana.

Disregarding a history lesson more boring than our season, the answer to the OP is no. Err, thanks.

Not surprised - hardly played despite being our best LB and then puts in what I thought was a man of the match performance - hardly put a foot wrong.

Fuck yes! Best point of the season!

Crowd doing their best to spur the players on

Oh no - Smallbone on.

Come on Saints - deserved draw

Fucking 7 minutes ET!!!

Brilliant - Manning on. That’s us done.

Living on by the skin of teeth

Pep’s scared - super subs coming on

Welington having a great game

OMG - he puts Archer on ahead of Tall Paul

Stephen’s goal line clearance

Rubbish Ref - being very biased to City now.

Dibling utterly robbed by the Ref.

Sulemana can’t pass for fucking toffee!

Aribo not covering the ground Les did - it will be our undoing.

Aribo on for Les

Right now Rusk is pointing the players to the banner on the dressing room wall. It says… ”It ain’t broken. Break it now”