kitch

That was encouraging. 1st half was a mess, but that's understandable given the circumstances. 2nd half was the first bit of football I've really enjoyed this season. Genuinely thought there was a chance we could score, and the players were all trying. Thought Matty F was brilliant, and good shows from Archer and also Suga when he came on. Decision not to give foul on Matty at the end suggests ref might be a Koppite to me, but otherwise I'll take it. As lovely as a cup run would have been, we've got more pressing issues to be dealing with. Would have been nice, but it's not season-defining to be out now. There's a faint pulse, that's what the second half showed me. This team should easily have had more points on the board if they were allowed to play.

Thought he was alright until that!

THE banner!

God, we're really missing Jack Stephens...

I won't.

Fiver says he does.

Did you come down specifically for the game?

He's useless in the PL, how they don't see this I've no idea.

Hey Russ - now imagine being a fan and being powerless to do anything about it.

8th place papered over the cracks - we were closer to 17th than 7th. Much of our finishing position came down to other teams being shit, not us being good. He'd also lost the dressing room. Seemed a good man, but not much of a motivator!

Took longer to read that than it does for our defenders to get the ball to our midfield.

And me. You've nailed it.

Ah fair enough, I only heard a snippet on the radio this morning. Agreed they're still fighting, but for how much longer? Getting embarrassed week in, week out is eventually going to test even the most loyal players.

Away from the standard feelings/opinions from last night, I thought Archer, Aribo & KWP really put a shift in. Wood wasn't horrendous either. Matty F looked to keep trying when the chips were down. RM's comments in the post-match interview annoyed me, when he said it's all about players fighting for each other, and style of play isn't important. No mate, it IS important because if your players can't do it, they all have to work twice as hard as they should have to and when you're overstretched is when you make mistakes. The arrogance is mind-blowing. I liked RM last season, but can't abide his character now. Talks like he takes accountability, yet does the absolute opposite and hangs the players and the fans out to dry.

Hopefully you're right. Certainly not writing him off yet, but he doesn't look like a winger.

He really was dreadful when he came on. Don't like to single players out really, especially if they're new or don't get many chances, but christ he was poor. Would SAA really have offered nothing better?

Well, he's a striker playing in the highest level of league football, so objectively he's a top-class striker. Whether you or I think he should be, of course, is a different matter entirely.

Realise I'm going to get pelters for this, but fuck it... I'm not angry at VAR. I think there's a reasonable case to argue that Arma did interfere with the play. Initially Archer looked to be close but onside, but Arma allowed himself to run ahead of the ball before it was played, and then half-heartedly swung a leg at it. If you watch the keeper, he (albeit very, very briefly) hesitates and waits for the ball to cross Arma before thinking about dealing with Archer. If Arma isn't there, the keeper would have been more central. Or, if Arma was there but made no effort to connect with the ball in any way and blatantly let it go past him, the keeper's in the same position and we get the goal, and all Arma did was draw a defender out with him. VAR couldn't have argued as easily with that one. It's unfortunate, and I know I'll get hate for it, but if that happened at Brighton's end I'd be arguing that their equivilent of Arma interferred with play. The fault lies with Arma; He was offside for half of that play, and when it came to making the decision in a split second, he made the wrong one. Gutted, but my enthusiasm for this season died a month or so ago so I'm not raging that we only got the draw. I did think we played well in the 2nd half though, much better to watch.

Dunno, he only came down from Manchester...

4-2 Saints. BBD with first league goal, Dibling masterclass, Arma scores off his arse, McCarthy with the assist: 3-0 at half time. A defender hits a thunderbastard in the 2nd half before BHA pull back two. O'Riley gets injured, VAR overturn the straight red given to us as it turns out he tripped over his other foot. Dry first half, rain second. Season is rescued, all hail Russball! Europa League here we come.

Russ is the laxative.

Same!

Exactly what I thought. We defended for 6mins (against the league leaders, by the way) and DIDN'T concede. How many goals have we conceded twatting around with it at the back in 6mins?

I've never quoted myself before, but it's easier than writing it all out again.

I think we need change at the top as much as most fans (whether it's RM finally admitting that his approach needs a total rethink, or the board deciding someone else needs to take the reigns)... ...but the bloke's allowed a few days holiday occasionally, surely? This seems to be stretching a bit.