saintwbu

Just shows sometimes players really do need time to adapt - he’s taken longer than most in fairness, including a two year loan to another country, but still he’s turning out to be a good player for us. I hope we give him a new deal.

He’s the only right back in the squad so surely he’s going to start - can’t even really see anyone you might shoehorn into right back instead of him.

Stephens did have a bad injury early in the season, after a good start to the season. I think Ralph said it was basically what Lyanco now has. He hasn’t had a run in the team since, and yesterday he looked rusty. On form he’s decent imo, at least as good as Bednarek, who I don’t rate in the slightest. Both similar attributes but one is a complete pussy and the other one brings some aggression to the table. Also not sure why Lyanco is suddenly getting written off now he’s injured - he’s done pretty well when i’ve seen him so far. For me, the Chelsea League Cup game with a back 3 of Lyanco, Salisu, Valery was a fantastic defensive performance. He showed that night he could be useful. To me he’s 3rd choice in Ralph’s mind, ahead of Stephens.

Anyone know if tickets are sold out for it?

The main thing is avoiding Chelsea, as it would mean not having Broja. We can beat anyone when we’re at full strength.

The thing with Ings/Villa is that he is a much, much better footballer than Ollie Watkins, but Watkins has been popular at Villa since his arrival and people like his effort. Normally Ings is shoehorned in around him whereas really he should be the focal point of their attack with Buendia behind.

I bloody love Romeu

Are Everton attacking the Northam in the first half? Been a while since that happened.

I can’t imagine it’s as much of a secret as we think it is, I think a commentator referenced it during a game not too long ago as something he’d noticed. However, it does seem a bit of a weird thing for a Saints reporter to write about, given it’s quite clearly a tactic rather than coincidence.

I was thinking Bruno Lage - Frank is doing a good job but not sure i’d call it unbelievable given their really poor from since December.

It’s a shame, albeit not particularly surprising, that it isn’t working out for Vestergaard. It was a move that suited us and him, and i’d never heard a bad word about him as a character so I don’t wish him anything negative. I’m enjoying Ings’ move going to shit though.

Yeah I guess my point is more that this particular statistic gets used as a reflection of us not being very good. In reality, a lot of teams in our position don’t ever get in front in the first place, so can’t lose points from winning positions. To me us scoring early against City at home, United at home, Spurs at home, and coming away with a point is a good result. Whereas this statistic would make it look like a negative. I don’t imagine Burnley, Watford, Brighton, Norwich etc have taken the lead against these teams in the first place.

I think that the dropped points stat is skewed by the fact that we score the first goal in a very high percentage of our games, or so it feels. I’d be surprised if anyone in the bottom half of the table has scored the first goal in anywhere near as many games as we have.

Che has 6 goals (sort of 7) in 18 appearances, 4 of which came off the bench. Broja has 6 goals in 20 appearances, 8 of which came off the bench. So they’re pretty even in terms of goals per game.

Saturdays goal was his 6th of the season in the league, drawing him level with Broja, also would really be 7 as our goal at home to United was down to him. Going under the radar a bit in what feels a bit of a stop/start season for him. He’s on track for back to back double figure seasons, which for a club of our size is very respectable. Remember Lambert got 13 and 15, whilst Pelle got 11 and 12 in their Premier League seasons. I’d also argue Che’s role is much more sacrificial than those two, he’s often the support for a partner, and he’s playing in a less able team. He’s become a very good signing.

You clearly don’t watch/listen to Jenas much then. He’s borderline teary when Spurs lose a game he’s on comms, there’s a clip of him acting like a petulant child when Chelsea beat them in the FA Cup a few years ago. If he’d been half as good a player as he thinks he was, he’d have been a hell of a footballer. He is just a massive, massive twat.

Moi looked to be cramping up a bit to me on Wednesday so it’ll be interesting how much he has left in the tank. Happy with the unchanged team though, a point would be great.

Will be tough but would be great to have gone 6 games without defeat to City, Spurs and United this season.

One of my least favourite players of our Liebherr era. Gave the impression he was all blood and thunder and leave it all out on the field for the team, but actually used to jog back whilst runners bypassed him, passed responsibility to others and his ability was very limited. Still can’t think of a worse performance than home to Inter under Puel, he looked like he’d won a raffle to be on the pitch that night. Glad he’s Spurs’ problem now.

I thought exactly the same after the game

Chelsea had that goal ruled out against us where Azpilicueta fouled KWP early in the build up. It had everyone up in arms that it was too early in the phase of play to matter, but it was much further back than last night. To me, if the player wins the ball illegally, and that directly starts the attack that ends in a goal, I don’t see how it can be too early. That goal last night was about 3 passes on from the foul?

Son

I’d also be happy with Valery in a back 3 with Salisu & probably Bednarek (although i’m not a fan). Forster Valery Bednarek Salisu KWP Perraud JWP Romeu Armstrong Broja (if fit) Redmond That’s probably what i’d expect dependent on Broja’s fitness.

I’m sure all our players, most of whom will probably have moved on themselves by 2024, are gonna just give up now they know their manager won’t be their manager for the rest of their lives.

Plenty of revisionism on here regarding Adams. I always thought he would be good enough, but more than plenty did not so it’s not really accurate to say he looked any better than Armstrong at this stage as he didn’t. Armstrong has two goals this season, it took Che about 30 games to get his first. I also remember very clearly being at Pompey away and thinking it was Adams’ night to announce himself - he was totally anonymous, and he knew it, and looked very frustrated at the end of the game. There are lots of parallels. It’s still too early to write off Armstrong imo.