Saint Fan CaM

Wonder who will have the binoculars trained on the Director’s box on Sunday? Will we see the attendance of not so Cleverly, will it be Will Still still or will Danny Rohl into town in a late bid to claim a seat, a champagne lunch and the keys to the Managers office? Your guess is as good as mine folks, but one things for sure…there’ll surely be a party to celebrate the last game of the English Soccerball Super League season. (apologies I went all @Turkish there for a minute).

Mmm, it was eerily too similar to the first team - there’s a huge job at hand if that style of play is to be exorcised from all levels of the club, if indeed that’s what Spors intends. I hope so, because I’ve really had a gutfull of it.

At this level I don’t think the quality of players makes as much difference as the game strategy employed. When we moved the ball forwards at pace hunting as a group we looked good. For far too much of the game it was ‘Russball’ playing slow ponderous possession football out from the back with little to show in terms of attacking ideas or intent. And in defence we were too passive - no press. As the game wore on Ballard got frustrated and tried bulldozing his way through several players aka Dibling/Sulemana - obviously didn’t work. For their part City looked OK but not remarkable - we gifted them both goals…firstly with a poor pass out from defence by Sanda…second by standing off a player about to cross (aka Manning) and then switching off at the back ball-watching as it floated over everyone’s heads leaving the attacker a free header 8 yards out. On the plus side, I think Dipepa and Sanda have a lot to offer going forwards. Both looked very comfortable. McNamara looks an OK keeper - better than Baz at shot stopping. Players that don’t look good enough to step up - Larios and Ballard. As someone else said, we probably missed Robinson in the middle.

Game lost now with 2.5 minutes of extra time left. City streets ahead in terms of tactical play.

Everything being routed to Dipepa - too much really. Sanda has saved the day twice in quick succession.

I was expecting Abu to look pretty good but he’s been poor too. City still looking for a third. Ballard thinks he can run through 3 players.

Larios picks up a card. Poor game from him.

Ballard offside - on his own. Looks dejected and beaten.

12 minutes left - not looking anywhere near scoring a goal. Not what I was expecting to be honest.

Decent chance for Saints - a quick transition forward rather than pissing about at the back.

Really like Dipeper and Sanda - they will do well in the Championship if they get their chance.

Dipeper has his first shot on goal - a good effort tipped over by the keeper. Corner? No.

Larios is just a young version of Manning…back pass is the first thought in his head. Ballard totally ineffective - seen hardly anything of the ball.

City nearly score a third. Keeper does well.

Saints make sub - some prolific scorer for U18’s apparently. Depepper?

Saints corner. Still trying to walk it through 11 players into the net.

Amazed to see a fair number of Saints fans in the crowd. Fair play.

Maybe, but we’ve got decent players and City are not all that - our tactics are just terrible…every attack starts with 11 oppo players behind the ball, too many slow passes sideways and backwards, no runners to split lines and when we lose the ball the press is ineffective. Now where have we seen that before?!

There’s the 2nd goal for City. Cross into the box…Saints defence switches off…just watch the striker have a free header.

I’ve lost count of the number of balls played long forward that go straight to a City player. We look very much like a team playing Russ football - slow, predictable and no bite.

I would love to provide some. Trouble is we’re not really doing anything of note except of course moving the ball nicely in our own half.

McNamaras distribution is pretty shocking which given the possession football is not great!

Ballard wastes another chance without getting a shot off.

Difficult to say - they complained to the Ref about something but it was nailed on error.