saintwbu

To be honest i’ll be happy if they come and park the bus, we’ve not struggled to break teams down recently - Oxford and Blackburn in particular were well dealt with. My memory of Bristol City is them completely outplaying us at Ashton Gate the last two times we’ve played there - at least Mehmeti has left now, he tore us apart earlier in the season.

Has Downes ever actually been sent off for us? Can’t recall. He also did brilliantly to avoid a 10th yellow for a 2 match ban, he was at risk of that for about 6 games! So he clearly can control it when needed, most of the time, but yesterday was the first time I can remember thinking he looked like he would get sent off at some point. Good management to take him off, they were desperate to get him sent off.

Bragg has played every FA Cup game so far, would be surprised if he dropped out. Could see it being a Bragg/Jander/Downes midfield like the Coventry game possibly. However i’d like Fellows and Scienza both on in this one to be able to break like we were against Arsenal.

Surely Gabbiadini? - whoops just seen ‘unlikely’, guessing a striker scoring wasn’t ‘unlikely’, although that’s up for debate with some of our recent ones!

Does anyone know if these games count as an away credit on your account?

It won’t be Saints setting the price, and likely not setting the fees either

On Stewart, he’d just scored twice against Sheffield United but then did his hammy a few days later against Derby. He probably couldn’t handle two starts in 3 days. Tonda has had more game time out of him than anyone, but has managed him very carefully - perhaps Still/medical team overdid it, whilst Tonda/medical team are being much more careful now.

Real shame to have no Matsuki and particularly no Downes for this - Bragg and Jander midfield feels right for me.

I think this last week has really shown his credentials - we’ve played three different ways against three different levels of team, without our two best attackers, and we’ve taken 9 points with no goals conceded from open play. Pretty impressive stuff, regardless of how good you might think the squad is.

Tonda’s first 5 games as a professional manager were all like watching a different sport compared to Will Still’s efforts. I can’t remember a single game where we genuinely played well for a whole game. He spoke all August about waiting for wingers to arrive before changing to a back 4, then played it for two games and went back to a 5. I can’t remember which home game it was that he basically left us with one midfielder in order to bring on more attackers, and then brought on Aribo to switch back about 5 minutes later - bizarre stuff.

You can think Tonda is a better manager, and still think recruitment last year was embarrassing. Tonda hasn’t been able to make Cameron Archer useful even in the league below, but he was brought in to be our centre forward in the top division. We were doomed before we began, really.

He looks like he’d smell great to be honest, great hair

For all their crying about time wasting, we seem to be the only team to have actually been punished for doing it all season. Players being made to go off at the nearest point (never happens in our games when opposition do it), Peretz booked for time wasting at the first opportunity, ref adding 7 minutes on and then nearly 2 extras. So not like we got away with anything, and guarantee next time we’re on the receiving end the above rules won’t be enforced.

Didn’t Tonda say recently that teams don’t mark him? Won the header unmarked for the first corner of the game, leading to Larin’s good chance.

Koeman’s team would beat Poch’s team

Maybe they can do something about defenders going down when under pressure and getting an easy free kick out of officials, when barely touched. Worst part of the modern game imo.

Was lucky again last night I assume

Almost every single result has gone our way since the Leicester game, our position has completely transformed since half time last Tuesday!

The only academy player he started was Bragg, who’s already started first team games already this season. He was able to field a complete second 11 of senior players, that’s how big our squad is. He’s gotten through in the cup whilst giving our entire starting 11 a complete rest, and giving a host of academy lads the opportunity to come on and win the game for us. To me, yesterday was brilliant management. Some people will never give him any credit whatsoever because they didn’t know who he was a few months ago.

One thing I noticed with all the youngsters is that with probably the exception of Bragg, they all look quite physically imposing - even Jay Robinson is a big lad too. Clearly something the club has been focusing on beyond just the senior team. Bragg was superb, so clearly being a bit smaller isn’t going to stop him!

Been a hell of a week for us this. Wrexham v Bristol City mid week too. Some huge games next weekend too. It’s all hotting up!!

Similar to his goal against Hull too if I remember rightly - Scienza heading back towards his own goal slightly to then put it into that space between defence and goalkeeper, Stewart there to guide it in.

Birmingham and Stoke now ‘officially’ below us after the last two night’s results. That Leicester result really could be season defining. Preston v Watford this weekend meaning either Preston remain in touching distance, or Watford stay below us.

Surely with the money we’ve invested in him already, he’s worth another contract on reduced terms - he’s shown he’s clearly a good footballer, he’s obviously not completely broken even if he has to be carefully managed. Would feel like an even more stupid transfer if we let him go for free after finally seeing what we bought.

Equally though Bree knows better than anyone the risks of joining a club because of who the manager is at the time