Saint Fan CaM

It’s a tough one to call, but I just don’t see enough dynamics and guile in our forward play to score the number of goals necessary to win a game of football. Ipswich have a good coaching team and they look good value. They’ll know how to counter high possession and be aggressive in their press. Think this will be the first nail in RM’s proverbial coffin sadly. 64% possession. 0-2.

Good to see most on here are not going overboard with euphoria of a goal and a win. Everton were poor and we were no better to be fair. In fact given the goal scoring chances created from 70% possession it’s still a huge concern how limp we are in attack. Some key observations… 1. Alex did a very good job most of the game. I’m not convinced he made any error with their goal - the area was so crowded. 2. Dibling once again showed what a massive talent he is. Starts every game as a CAM…build the team around him. Be brave. 3. THB took his chance in this game - looked v good for the most part. Nice touch from RM to give him the Captaincy in an “I trust you Son” motivational type action. 4. There’s no point having 3 strikers on the pitch when they get so little sight of the ball. It’s desperately obvious we are in need of a coach who can provide the team with some creative ideas in the final third. Over 90% of the time ball receivers have their backs to goal meaning there’s only one way to pass - backwards or occasionally sideways, unless your name is Lallana or Dibling who can actually turn a player successfully. Last thought. If nothing else - hopefully - this will give the team a taste of what it’s like to win a game against Prem opposition and be the catalyst for more.

There are a number of issues with the club and the standing of the first team - they’re not mutually exclusive… Over a longer period than Russ has been in place, the recruitment has been extremely second class, not really getting to grips with key areas (except the hiring of Ramsdale) and particularly the strikers. We’ve loaded the squad with Championship level players hoping they’ll come good in the Prem which they don’t. Possession football is nothing new or particularly rare in the Prem, but it’s use is apparent in degrees - that is, the Man City level teams employ it most of the time because they’ve got the players with the skill to step up a gear in the last phase of attack. As you work down the league the deployment of the system is less apparent, with a more counter-attacking approach being taken because this, coupled with a high press, is the best way to keep shape and stand up against the better teams. Russball does not appear to have enough flexibility to recognise this and especially that our players lack the skill to play such a high level of a possession game in this league (it was only just achieved in the Championship). The key problem is not Russball, it’s that Russ and his team don’t have the ability to coach a system that matches the skill level of the players at their disposal. They’ve been schooled in ‘Pep-ball’ and while they’ve tried ‘tweaking’ the system recently, all it’s doing is taking fewer risks within the same system. It’s still requiring the team to pass its way through 11 players and it’s not providing the team with the tools to do things differently. There’s only one player that has the ability to break the mould - Dibling…and he’ll be gone the minute a big offer comes in. It’s very difficult to see where this will lead other than a very humiliating relegation - when’s the earliest nailed on relegation date…Christmas? Russ is operating a system with the full backing of SR, so can’t see him being given the heave-ho anytime soon.

Is there any point to this game? Yep, you bet there is. RM should pick his best team and coach them to score a goal and win a game of f-ing football. They must know how to pass the ball now!

Did we really try to play differently, or just a case of telling Ramsdale to clear it if there was no clear route out (or similar)? The lower possession stats might suggest we did play differently, but was that because Utd were just better than us playing that type of game? And anyway, playing with high possession, in itself, is not enough…we know that. What is needed is some nouse moving forward at pace - players making themselves available to receive the ball - accurate passing in triangles - someone actually having the balls to shoot at distance - etc etc. It’s this part of our game I believe we are absolutely getting wrong. Russball has us trying to play through 11 players every single time and almost every single time failing. This is what needs to change and fast.

So wrt the above, are you saying with your ‘contacts’ you know this is the strategy? If that’s true and there’s some kind of inevitability to the season, then a lot of fans will need to re-adjust their expectations and prepare for another run in the Championship. I’m not buying it though - I don’t think any serious business model will adopt a plan to fail strategy.

Yes, but what I meant was if there were no further goals (or positive results) from now on, which frankly is looking highly likely.

Maybe but that’s history and before anyone witnessed the shit show we’re seeing now. Things will be different come end October if we’ve still no points and worse still no goals from open play.

Think it boils down to one thing - do SR want (need) the club to stay in the Prem? If they do, then RM will be gone well before Xmas because the evidence screams that there’s very little chance his system or indeed his ability to coach the team to success, is going to win or draw us a game of football.

THB guilty of playing their man onside for their third. I just don’t believe in this Manager anymore unfortunately. I wanted him and his system to work, but it’s not nearly enough whether we go down or not. Oh, and I just hate reading that we’ve another record in a shit way.

Utd are not that much but we are devoid of ideas. Thats the Managers fault as is playing fucking Jack Stephens.

Feel somewhat ambivalent about this to be honest, but he’s done enough to get a new contract and let’s face it, he’s not going to be replaced by anyone much better.

I’ll not be able to watch the game unfortunately, so it’s quite possible it’ll be a great game and somehow we’ll win. In reality though there’s very little to suggest Russball will win out against a much better quality side. Even if we go in at the break 0-0, they’ll quickly figure out how to get around Russball. It’s likely going to end up 0-2…perhaps more. Think Russ has until end October before there are serious questions asked about his tenure as an EPL manager.

Sod all to do with formation. It’s what players are told to do with ball that matters.

Yeah, the shipping time is weeks, but I did message them and they promptly answered saying it was being processed. The packaging bag indicated that the shirt had come from Puma Turkey, so it’s no wonder it took that long to wing it’s way to the UK! Incidentally, the main Rollbit logo was a little bit creased in one area - not a problem to me, but I wonder whether these are seconds sold cheap and modified with addition lettering. If that’s true then they’re not ‘fakes’ atall.

I’m not advertising anything and I’m not selling them. And who’s to say they’re fake - as far as I can see they’re just a lot cheaper than those supplied by the shop.

DH - someone on here posted a link on here a while back. Home kit.

Just received my shirt order from China (ordered long before the season start). It’s very slightly smaller than a normal UK medium but an OK fit. Material and transfers, including the EPL logo are all just like the ‘real thing’ and the Saints badge is nicely embroidered. It’s actually marked as a Puma shirt. In fact there’s nothing I can see to distinguish it from one you’d purchase from the store at £50+. This cost £16 landed which included a name and number on the back, which is pretty amazing value. How it fairs in the wash might be another matter I suppose, but you take your chances as they say. Anyone else got one and been unhappy with the product?

Edozie proved himself to be a good solid….Championship player. That is all.

That’s pretty obvious and serves to show perhaps where his fitness levels actually are - i.e, he really is crocked for good. Let’s hope not - it’s a big investment for the club to lose.

I’m very surprised there’s been no decent journo digging around and finding out what’s happening with him. It’s been such a long time for what on the surface appears to be a relatively minor injury or even injuries, there must be a decent juicy story somewhere. If it’s true that he’s been out playing golf then there’s something fishy going on.

Think Bazunu is a long way from recovery let alone making any kind of professional appearance at EPL level as a keeper. He couldn’t jump for toffee when he was fully fit and he’ll need a huge a mount of conditioning work to get him back to anywhere near full fitness. With Rambo now in as no.1, reckon we’ll see Baz do some time at Goztepe perhaps, because I can’t see us recouping his fee anytime soon.

Think this thread is now deserved of the lounge - as amusing as it is sometimes, there’s not enough football chat content now to be worthy of a place on the main board.

Would be a great addition, but as you say we’re overloaded with CB’s now and can’t even shift Stephens out of the starting 11, so just can’t see it working let alone actually happening!

Holds little interest for me now thanks to the corrupt nature of the draw and the likely uninspiring team selection RM will make. Manning and Stephens to start anyone?