Saint86

Feels like that for a reason!

In our 14 games, we've played 9 of the top 13 teams - excluding us that's essentially the top half. We are unbeaten across those games. This includes WHU, WBA, and Brum away - i don't think there will be many sides that take 5 points over those 3 away games. By any measure, that's a very strong start to the season by saints, and its on the other teams to better it. We've also then played the current 15th, 16th, 17th, 19th and 20th (3 of those away - which include our 2 defeats). Putting this another way, i've asked CoPilot to put the following together - its based only on the current league position, not the league position at the time of playing. Spygate is done and dusted, we look to have gone up a gear, and we're moving into a period where squad depth matters and we will be playing more of the struggling bottom half sides than our rivals. It looks to be a good position to be in, we are beating or drawing with our rivals. We do need to make sure we stop dropping points against the weaker sides - but i would say this is ominous for our rivals.

Truer advice has rarely been spoken.

The keeper positioning was very very good for that 1-1. He had a very short window to poke it past him into the bottom left corner, and after that the chance was always slipping away from him. I like the look of Dobbin, think there is a good player in there and he's useful for us across a number of positions. He's a good player to have coming off the bench for this league.

I had forgotten just how good he was in his prime for us. Very unlucky what happened to him - the levels he could have hit. The pace, strength/bravery/determination, and finishing in some of those clips was special.

Never in doubt with JWP imho. Tremendous fitness and stamina (almost like he's worth 2 players in the squad with this level of reliability - the minutes he's come in and clocked, after not playing much football, is impressive. Calm and aware on the ball, rarely gives it away. Good defensive awareness and positioning, and lost count of how many dangerous attacks/shots where he's been there to deny the opposition. And he carries his set piece delivery - which when paired with manning must make us a proper threat to face and defend against. We sold Charles and THB for circa £60M, and I think schlotterbeck and JWP have come in for around £5M and improved us - albeit without age or resale value on their side.

Not a bad point all things considered. Could have won, could have easily lost. And after that first half we had no business being in the game. Fantastic game for the neutrals for a 1-1.

Hard to pass good balls forward when there is nothing (Mubama/edozie) in front of you making food runs to hit.

If WBA can run through us like this, Middlesbrough will absolutely murder us.

Manning poor, edozie appalling (so bad he may as well be in a WBA shirt so far), and Mubama is equally killing our attacks. Wellington and Dobbin on for 2 of edozie and Mubama at halftime for me.

Is edozie on the take tonight? Should be Yanked now based on this first 30min... Certainly shouldn't come out second half.

Just thinking exactly this.

Goal is manning's fault as much as Stephen's tbh. What was he doing, that pass was telegraphed a month in advance.

Terrible start from us though regardless.

Is that not a dive? He felt the (minimal) contact, and then a split second later throws himself down. Silly from Stephen's to give the ref a decision though - but still, that's more of a cheat than spygate 🙄