Saint86

Nothing about today was Jack Stephen's fault...

What, like some of our know it all fans did to Hassenhuttle since the first game of last season? 🤣

Better raise our game for Watford or they'll castrate us on the weekend. They've got some serious pace and power in their locker and will be looking at us with knowing full well that even a counter attacking setup should deliver them at least a couple of goals.

The constant exclusion of players like Edozie and Sulemana is baffling, as was the swap out of Alcaraz for Rothwell. The only conclusion i can come to is that the manager actively dislikes flair players that take responsibility for getting us forward, carrying the ball up the pitch, playing good through balls etc. If we can't get through the opposition with short sideways passes its no good... seemingly anyway. And what is worse, is that i am sure every single person on here could see we needed to make attacking changes from about 30min into the game, certainly long before we did in the 2nd half.

The blueprint for how to knock us out of the playoffs has been well and truly drawn up. 17th in the league nearly beat us and made a draw look easy... our form is in freefall. 🤣

Martin wants us to retain possession!

That's because they actually take responsibility for carrying the ball and beating a man. Rather than always looking for the short layoff pass.

Blackburn timewasting down by their own corner flag. What a dire game.

This is dire this half. Being comfortably outplayed by 17th in the league.

Reckon Edozie would do well in this game. Able to hold onto the ball and actually carry it / beat a man.

Poor refereeing this game again. Every time we make a run they foul us or pull us back, and he lets them do it. Kills our game and wastes time.... to which we played only 2.5min of the allocated 3min stoppage time... and the fact that there was only 3min in itself is laughable.

Is Rothwell playing?

Partially agree with this, but also think its a bit harsh / too simplistic. We've signed a lot of youngsters or technically skilful players in recent seasons - and as yet they don't have the fight to get stuck in to the nitty gritty of this league - i can't recall who it was we played a month or so ago, but one of their players absolutely booted Edozie early on and he was in his shell for the rest of the game. As for stopping teams playing through us, we need two defensively good CMs to play the way we want to play - Its about balance and i really don't think its rocket science to be a bit less open tbh. We seem to go from passing it around our backline for fun, to then having no one sitting in the middle 3rd / covering outside the box when an attack fizzles out, allowing a break. Hoping it gets sorted by the playoffs for obvious reasons. Flynn Downes is class for this level, a real rolls royce of a Championship player imho. From a balance perspective, Smallbone is okay alongside him (provided he is tasked with remaining defensively aware - which isn't always the case, and causes issues when he isn't), and Charles would be okay as well but barely gets to play in this scenario.... What i'd love is a Wanyama style player to be the anchor, and Downes to sit alongside as CM. Sadly what tends to happen, is that time and time again we play only one player operating in a CM or CDM role (i.e. we overcommit on attacks a lot) and then wonder why a mix of 5 strikers, wingers, CAMs don't defend / win the ball back well. Maybe it doesn't need to be a dedicated CM/CDM player (i.e. Aribo adds a lot of strength and ball retention in the middle third), but we simply have to retain that cover in CM when we're attacking... Otherwise its a knife through butter on the counter every time - The oppo spray one ball into their own unmarked central players, who then picks a pass over the top or out to the wingers, and they're away, whilst we've got the majority of our outfield players over committed.

I suspect Ratcliffe had a hand in that given his reputation. He isn't a nice bit of work and we dared to say no to him and dig our heals in... Having a little stir of the club/fanbase's morale on the evening of a season defining match just summarises the spite of the man frankly. I don't know what our choices are, but if Wilcox has to give 1 years notice then i would make him work it through the summer as a minimum. The bloke banged on about integrity when he joined, and he's an ex player with familiarity to contracts and transfers between clubs - so lets see some. Equally though, if United think early april is sufficient time to plan their summer, then Saints should be able to do similar, albeit from a slightly later starting point... And it is only Jason Wilcox at the end of the day... If he were irreplaceable we'd be in the automatics with a raft of his signings as our standout key players. As it is, he's presided over some suspect deals - the rothwell/Alcaraz loans (swap out) in particular were bizarre to me, as is the mess at full back (which i was moaning about since pre-season and has avoidably cost us points). Our best attackers seem to still be Stu, AA, and Fraser (just coincidence that they're all Scottish and mates with the manager? 😅), and the JWP sale remains pivotal in my mind as to why we aren't getting promoted - for a side that relies on possession in midfield and pressing and intensity out of it, we chose £30M and smallbone over promotion.... You could argue that £15M of that went on Charles who barely plays as well. Plus side though, Sports Republic know exactly what they're doing going into another summer of complete upheaval at the club (3rd time's the charm right?🤩).

So... if you practice that for 10years, you'll basically have no knackers left to hurt? It really is a very good analogy for being a saints fan 🤣

Well, i think we all know that the prem doesn't want 3 relegated sides getting promoted... 😑

Technically Bree played the last 2 games, so KWP was dropped for Stephens.

Might want to ask Chelsea. Certainly done a good number on them 🤣

Just got home. I actually thought we played quite well up until the Bednarek challenge / injury. Which upset our tempo and allowed Ipswich to come back into the game. Ipswich scored 2 goals against the run of play, the first one it looks like he laces the ball with nothing but power, and actually slices it into the top corner by luck more than judgement, certainly doesn't go the way it would have gone had he hit it cleanly - the power, range, and slice of the shot certainly did for Bazunu. Regardless though, the team did well to rally and played very well. It is however the same old story, i can imagine that everyone on here was saying we were in trouble going in 2-1 at half time, everyone knew we'd give them a goal, and sure enough, another lax switch off and they take their chance - again, against the run of play, and again well taken. The ref i thought was a joke. They were going in late and hard numerous times, i don't think it was their throw immediately before the second goal (they scored from that passage), and the red card is a farce - he isn't last man and its barely enough to constitute a foul anyway. Actually thought Bree did well TBH. Gutted if we don't appeal that card. Ultimate joke is that they scored the winner (not that it matters relative to a draw anyway - neither good enough), in the injury time that only came about because of their fouling of / injury to Bednarek. Also, lets not even talk about the farce that was the scuffed shot acting as an incredible touch for their 3rd... whereas they had players blocking shots inside the 6 yard box without even realising where the ball was or where it was going ffs. Multiple times. Totally undeserved result all in all. Encouraging take aways is that we played them off the pitch for 60odd minutes, we rallied very very well after their goal, and we still and enough about us to be threatening with 10men. Going into the playoffs that isn't bad to build on. Will be tough however to maintain their focus now with what are almost dead rubber games over the coming weeks. But we have to either start taking our chances, or cutting out these moments of suicidal switch offs at the back. I'm normally critical of Martin, but don't blame him for todays result - we comfortably deserved to win that imo.

KWP has been poor in his recent games, and just back from injury layoff. We played well vs Ipswich with the side that started, so i don't think you can blame Martin for dropping KWP in all seriousness.

Defence switched off there.

Was that saints fans singing "you don't know what you're doing" when Mara came on? Embarrassing if so.

Well balanced team this time and it shows. Smallbone AND Downes in the middle. Actual wide players in the winger positions, and a proper CF up front... And ofc... Bree in for manning - so much more solid!!!! We look so much better with a sensible team. Find myself dreading the second half subs again however, no doubt we'll take off one central or central defensive midfielder for a CAM as a minimum. Because why would we try and keep the ball and be solid in central midfield?

10 wins and no bonus 2 points... 😰

Everyone ready to start our run of 10wins and 2 draws that is going to carry us into the automatic spots?