Saint86

5 at the back should just be outlawed imho.

TBH i am pretty chilled. Keep Larin fit and we've got a top goalscorer contender. His off the ball movement is superb for this level (he makes great runs constantly, and is always asking for the ball to be played through - unlike BBD etc), and he's got the likes of Scienza, Azaz, manning, and Fellows putting in a variety of high quality balls for him to attack. He's perhaps unusual in that he's not the big physical "target man" who will necessarily hold the ball up reliably (i thought he struggled last year against physical defenders), but he's mobile, physical enough, and a real "fox in the box" type - to be a real nightmare for defenses to deal with - his goal against Colchester personifies that.. His movement is good, he attacks balls superbly, and once he's on his way thats a lot of pace and power to try and defend against, especially if he catches the defenders flat footed or half a yard of it. Given the service he'll get in saints, he's a very potent focal point for the side. And his movement and physicality will at the very least occupy defenders and create space for the rest of the attackers. Stewart is a loss as he was more the classic target man, he would hold up the ball brilliantly and link play, and he'd get goals seemingly out of nowhere due to his added physicality - its a shame as i thought the two of them dovetailed nicely, and both of them were a goal threat. It will be interesting to see how the new guy fits - I'm expecting him to be more like Larin than Stewart. I do think we're short one more striker however, asking Larin to play some part in every game of a circa 50+ game season is a lot of eggs in one basket.

I know, I don't know how their fans haven't kicked off about it. I guess its true what they say, "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"...

It's a total mess these days. Shirt prices fans can't afford to pay, and so it's normalising buying knock off shirts - with more and more fans becoming familiar and comfortable buying them online season after season. The club need to look at the pricing asap imho.

It concerns me that we will miss those moments of quality... Boro, Leicester, arsenal... That's our season right there.

Read a few pages of that and it sounds like his attitude was rotten though - couldn't be bothered, no pressing, turning up late etc. That's a big concern in my book.

I think we had a really good pre-season. They've all had good minutes without over doing it, and they all know the tactics (bar dobbin - who's looked good). Team looks in a find state going into the first game of the season.

Agreed. Doesn't seem remotely phased, great athleticism and composure, and a pretty decent control and finishing. Great option to have in the squad - for no outlay this window as well.

So... are you saying we should ignore Sidney's potentially hysterical post above? 😄

He can't play target man or left wing with his limited ball control.

Lovely goal for the 2nd one. Larin nod down and a great through ball by azaz! The young lad looks like he's going to have a good future... Reckon we'll be seeing a bit of him off the bench this year. Love that eckert trusts the academy - finally got a manager that brings them through properly.

Deleted - wrong thread!

What?! The actual are you smoking? 😆 From the moment we switched to a back 4, Peretz in goal, and had a target man up front, we averaged enough for 113points over a 46game season... Plus beat the English champions at home in the cup quarter final 😅.

Larin's movement is so good, all the time. It's incessant. Honestly worth watching just him for a few minutes and appreciating it. Superb cross by manning, but larin was watching that all the way.

It will 😌

Colchester are a well coached young side, definitely well organised and able to play to their strengths (which are good for league 2). Saints look poor without an effective CF, reckon we scored 1 or 2 this half with Larin and the balls that have been put in.

Playing 4-2-3-0 at the moment.

BBD trying his hardest to look like a non league football this half.

Yeah, but only on 2 occasions... and it would be un-enforceable regardless as no way to know who was watching. It would make a total mockery of the nonsense EFL rule as well.

As far as i can work out, if a member of the public decides to rock up at Middlesbrough's training ground every week, and live-streams their "restricted" training sessions online for anyone to watch, there is absolutely nothing the league can do about it. Would get their fans absolutely frothing at the mouth as well.

Yes.

That's still way better than the away kit...

Maybe the plan is to nauseate and confuse the opposition? Also has another square back as well - i think these always look terrible when they break up stripes / patterns.

I reckon they're going for this... (and missing 😅)

Please don't tell me its meant to be there attempt of a pink sunset reflecting of rippling water... because ffs.