Saint Fan CaM

Honestly think this is going to be another shit show. COYR!

Hoping for internet connection and a stream from the Maldives. If RM can conjure up a win or even a draw - bonus.

Fixed it for you…😉

I think Potter would be a good choice if he could be enticed here, which is highly unlikely, especially as SFC will leave it too late to replace RM and our season will be be irretrievable by then. The future looks pretty miserable whichever way you cut it - I’m not particularly relishing the Championship again as it’ll likely be more of the same boring football with our best players gone.

That’s the team I’d be starting and sticking with as a first choice. Really put some concentrated coaching into those guys, in particular how to transition quickly from the back four into the final third…i.e. it’s ok passing out from the back sometimes, but it needs mixing up with other tactics so keeping the oppo guessing and getting some fast paced attacks will be essential to winning games of football. If this team can’t make it work then the rest of the squad don’t stand a chance. Having said that, I don’t think we’ll win…just can’t see RM and his team having the nouse to beat any other team in the Prem. Can see this being 1-3…maybe worse. I just hope Vardy gets badly injured - can’t stand the nasty rat.

Russ learning? Give me a break! Him swapping players around is like changing from a tooth brush to a broom to dust the mantelpiece. He doesn’t know how to utilise the players at his disposal because he’s NOT learnt how to adapt his system to a higher level of performance against tougher opposition. The reason we came fourth and scrapped a promotion last year was because of the players he had at his disposal. They did that, possibly for him, but not because he’s learning. The Prem has exposed him for what he is - a mediocre mid-Championship level manager who relies on keeping players on-side to achieve HIS goals, rather than properly coaching them to achieve the goals of the club and of course the supporters. If anyone like @gio1saints is in any doubt what that looks like (it’s been a long time coming), it’s scoring goals and winning some games of football!

FFS…who are the people involved in this rubbish? I’d love to know what £300 buys you…a drink or two, a packet of crisps, a sausage roll? Does it include a plush seat to actually watch a game of football or do you have to sit on a cold hard lump of plastic? The only upside to this that I can see is that it’s likely there’ll be plenty of space in there. How much does a box for 10 cost these days - £1500? If so, that looks like much better value.

Where to start - difficult to analyse that, but there are some key points. 1. Pairing KWP and Manning was a good move to contain Saka, however inevitably the method broke down at least once and most obviously when they scored when the two of them tried covering the same ground. For me that’s poor preparation and planning. 2. Suga and Downes were our weak links, however in both cases they were often left on their own to cope in situations. Again that’s poor planning. 3. Arsenals press and general defensive setup was the best I’ve seen in ages. Ours is a universe away and another example of poor planning. 4. When TP and Archer came on we looked so much more potent. There seemed to be more belief displayed by the team. Did someone say poor planning? Yep, why don’t we play our best players and best team consistently? 5. Dibling looked like his old self back out on the right wing, but why the inconsistency? So, poor planning and inconsistent team selections. We all know where the responsibility lies. Times up Russ…you’ve had a fair crack and the one thing that is consistent is the manner in which we lose games. You’re not giving our players what they need to score and win games of football. We waste so much time when in possession, it’s little wonder there so few chances created in the final third. Final thought. Such a shame to see Stewart get injured again, but he’s clearly not the answer…not enough dynamic movement on or off the ball. What a waste of money and squad place he has been.

Yep - as I said at the start - anything better than 3-1 and he’s done great. But…9 minutes of extra time??!?!!

And there it is - not enough goals and disarray in defence. Suga’s not been great this half.

Utter bollox VAR - everyone knows it depends when the line gets drawn that determines whether it’s onside or not…they just pull it back half a second.

Well I expect Russ will say the team have executed his instructions to get to half-time without conceding in perfect fashion. We all know how his halftime talks do wonders…I’m now quietly pessimistic rather than suicidal!🤣🤣

Anything better than 4-0 and I guess Russ will be deemed a genius! 😂

Utter joke. Basically surrendering the game early. Clown of Jones proportions.

Even with Dibling we’re looking very, very poor in the final third. That Lallana managed to craft such a lovely assist and Dibling was already in the box and only needed one touch to finish was an event that will likely happen once a season the way we tend to play…perhaps less. Let’s not get too misty eyed - it was one goal, albeit it a nice one - and the reason lies with the manager/coaching team. It needs to be said again - we’ll not know how good this team is until Russ & Co go.

Has he gone yet? 🧐

An ex-Prem Manager with a high level of experience, albeit with no significant success (e.g. titles) out of work for quite some time, if offered a contract to the end of the season with a decent bonus on Prem survival? Not sure, but surely he might be tempted? That would be an ideal scenario in my opinion - give SR / the club time to ponder over ‘what next’…breathing and planning space.

Yep, and there’s no point attacking without varying the manner in which attempts on goal are made. We’re so predictable in our build-up - almost schoolboy level. Whoever coaches this aspect of our play needs a rocket up their arse.

Bizarrely as there’s no chance of winning, this is one game where 70% possession would be a good thing to stop an absolute flood of goals against, so I’m fully on the Russball bus. With no Captain Jack to select we might see the dependable Manning re-introduced as he knows how to pass backwards and sideways very reliably thus proving we have the players to execute Russ’s master plan. Can’t see any hope of us scoring a goal so… 5-0 Arsenal. It’s going to be ugly.

It would be very easy to categorically state that we’re done for if Russ and his underperforming coaching team are left to continue on the same vein. I’d love to think he could turn it round, but I don’t think he’s capable of… (a) picking a consistent best side, (b) coaching the team to defend effectively, (c) coaching the team to play fast flowing attack minded football, (d) motivating the team to achieve anything other than passing backwards/sideways based possession football. Conversely there is every likelihood that there is a manager/coach out there with the nouse to repair the shambles we’re seeing unfold.

See above…^^^

That’s like watching your most prized horse run off over yonder hill, after your most trusted stable girl has left the stable door open. You know it’s pointless putting up a chase and for a minute all you can do is gasp at the ineptitude of the stable girl who is sobbing, not knowing whether to have a rant or call the authorities first. Whatever, you know for certain things will never be the same.

So you voted ‘no’? (I tried checking but the poll was anonymous unfortunately!)

That’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it. I’m not saying we’ve got anything more than a mediocre Prem squad, but it’s better than the results have shown. It’s the coaching that’s appalling. The recruitment has been awful too, but Russ has had his hands all over that too. Players that could get into Bournemouth’s team are - Ramsdale, KWP (unused), Downes, THB, Suga, Cornet (if used wisely), Dibling (if used properly), ABK (unused), TP (unused). But that’s not the point - they’re receiving crap, negligent coaching and team management. It’s utter rubbish to say Bournemouth are a relegation rival - they’ve spent better than us and have a better coaching set-up. They’re an established mid-table club who were out of sight by half-time playing quick expansive football, although I will concede Russ handed the first half to them on a plate.

I thought waking up this morning I might have softened my views in reflection of last nights debacle. Nope - the first half at least was an utterly dismal affair. But it didn’t need to be - that was inflicted on us (and the team) by Russ and the coaching team. The 2nd half despite getting a goal back was not much better in terms of performance - they still managed to move the ball around sluggishly as if they were drawing the match and yet Bournemouth still looked dangerous wanting a fourth. I didn’t want Russ to fail and I hate the managerial merry-go-round that Saints seem so good at perpetuating, but the show is over. The experiment has run its course. Whatever the question, Russball is not the answer and we’ll not know how good the squad is until he’s gone. Russ certainly doesn’t know - he just wants to be mates with as many as possible. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Stephens and Manning back in the team soon. However I don’t think the club will pull the trigger and sack him, such is the ineptitude. I’m thinking they’ll not even do it if we lose to Leicester. They won’t give a monkeys about having the lowest points total in EPL history. They’ll be thinking Russ is the man to re-build the team back in the Championship. Relegation - great way to lose the deadwood and start again. Break it to fix it. 🤪🙄