saintwbu

There’s also been some complete re-writing of history suggesting our goal against Everton was some abandonment of ‘russball’ and it was a rapid counter attack. Fernandes stopped and played the ball backwards, accompanied by a collective groan that you can hear on the highlights, got it back and waited for all Everton players to get behind the ball and then played it back to THB again. THB then plays the ball forward to Sugawara to put the ball into the box and we score.

I’ll be absolutely shocked if he doesn’t get the boot if we beat them. Despite people on here convincing themselves they’re only below us because of an impossibly difficult run of games (they shipped 5 against Brentford and 6 against Chelsea…), they haven’t won a game since beating Luton in April.

For all the talk about messing about with it at the back costing us goals, have we conceded one of those since Brentford in game 3? I can’t remember one… Most of our goals conceded are down to poor defending from set pieces, which isn’t a result of the style of play from what I can see…

So what you’re saying is that there are 3 other mid sized teams (i’d say 4 as you forgot Brighton) who are successfully playing a possession based game in the Premier League? That seems at odds with all these esteemed pundits like Tony Cascarino, Jamie O’Hara all categorically deciding that possession based football isn’t for minnows like us, because Burnley were shit last year.

Two of the ones I can recall THB doing well with from corners were delivered by Manning - against Everton and hitting the bar vs Leicester. Think Fernandes took the Stoke one? That of course was also good.

Some of them will be doing so with an informed view, i’d be pretty confident that Tony Cascarino won’t have watched us play a single 90 minutes this season that wasn’t on Sky (United and Bournemouth). Most decided from watching Burnley last year that no team will ever be able to play a possession based game without getting relegated - ignoring that there have been several mid table teams doing so in recent years.

Does Martin demand our players regularly blast crosses into the first defender or float it into the keeper’s arms? A game that sticks in the mind was Brentford at home under Selles - I reckon we could still be there now and we wouldn’t have put in a remotely decent cross. We’ve not added a good crosser of the ball since really. Ironically the only two players i’ve seen put in a good cross on a half regular basis is probably Manning and Fraser, who get absolutely slaughtered on here. Our crossing of the ball is utterly woeful.

Was just wondering what Tony Cascarino thought actually. Anyone got a report of the game from Tim Sherwood, Garth Crooks or Clinton Morrison?

Personally there isn’t a world where i’d be putting Sulemana on the pitch ahead of him, I wonder if Leicester had been different if we’d put Arma on instead.

The Northam was better on Saturday, having been a bit underwhelming so far imo. However, shoving the away fans in the corner has definitely quietened them I think. I’m closer to them now but I forget they’re there for a lot of the game.

I’d say since the Bournemouth disaster he’s pretty much settled on his best 11, with a couple of tweaks depending on fitness/availability. Taking out Bournemouth, we’ve actually played pretty well from Ipswich onwards, but people ignore it because the results don’t reflect it - yesterday the result arrives and now it’s all about the performance instead 🤷‍♂️

In the summer, in dire need of an attacking boost, we signed a striker who last night managed to muster up 6 (SIX) touches of the ball in over an hour against a lower end Championship team. Yet people think a change of manager will solve our problems…

If Jamie O’Hara told me it was hot outside i’d wear my coat. He knows absolutely fuck all, and i’d be amazed if he’s watched a single game of ours this season. He said on the same show ‘what’s happened to the academy’ whilst naming about 4 players we’ve produced over a range of 40 years (MLT, Walcott, Bale, Lallana) whilst clearly not realising we currently have an 18 year old starting every game for us at the moment.

Arma who scored nearly 30 games in the Championship, and Archer who scored a hatful when he had a season in there too? Seems pretty potent to me.

Peter Walton v Leeds Kevin Friend v Liverpool Anthony Taylor v Leicester The hall of shame..

He’s just had his red card overturned, so minus 3 is your answer.

Thankfully we’ve stopped giving away soft goals and switching off defensively all the time, since he got banned. Long may that continue, as he is the reason for all that is evil in the world etc.

Be interesting to see what his attitude would be to leaving the club (at any point) given his short lived spell at Chelsea. I wonder if he’s a talent we’d be able to hold onto for a bit longer…

Lesley looking very casual out there, in a good way

Wonder if ABK on the bench is partly to send a signal that he is fit and well, should any clubs be interested..

Sugawara..

Most fans find Charly exciting, but it’s pretty difficult to find a place for a player in a possession based game when he constantly gives possession away..

Loving the mix of ‘we need to be more like Brighton!’ vs ‘why are we spending all our money on Goztepe!’ as we take an approach that is much more Brighton… A multi club model is not going to reap success overnight, and i’m sure instant relegation for the flagship team (us) was not part of any strategy, so it’s going to take some time.

We are all agreeing on doubts over our ability to score goals, because we seemingly all doubt Adam Armstrong’s ability to score goals at this level. However, he was our top goalscorer, so I guess the hope from the club will be that he will be again, and BBD/Archer can add to his goals rather than replace them. If (a big if) Arma can hit 10/12 goals then the numbers BBD/Archer put up last season wouldn’t be far off being what’s required with us this season, although you’d hope BBD in particular could add to that given that he amassed them in only 14 games.

Assuming you’re talking about Che Adams, but not sure i’d class him or Archer anything close to ‘tall’…