Vancouver Saint

Classy farewell message. I always liked Redmond. Thought his special power of running past his man and breaking up defensive patterns was never fully realised by either him and/or the managers. In the end, can't help but feel he never quite reached the heights he was capable of. A confidence player, that was unplayable when he had it and frustrating when he didn't. I wish him well at Besiktas...wouldn't be surprised to see him flourish in a different environment.

So what is the deal in the end? Besiktas for what fee? I liked Redmond. Mirror a lot of what's been said already. One of the best dribblers and would take people on and get past them...but a lack of a finish (generally). I thought he'd still have a place in this team tbh. So much better than Walcott. Too similar to Djenepo? (who has the same ball-losing habit). Guess they thought time to cash out and freshen up.

Sooooo frustrating that game. Wolves becoming a bogey team. Nothing ran our way today...you just knew when that scuffed goal went in right after us missing at the other end that it was going to be one of those days. We looked much the better team and I think we'll end up above Wolves this season. No complaints about the substitutions - were the right ones and well-timed. And for all those moaners complaining about us not getting a striker in the transfer window...better we didn't splash the cash on a striker with a history of injuries that gets injured after 45 mins eh? I remain excited for this team. Will we have enough patience to allow them to develop?

A really good window for us. Shields influence over the Man City deals is huge (from the Lavia deal, it suggests he knows what he's doing). Sports Republic keeping their promises. Yes, agree with everyone about the striker, but it looks like we were trying and thwarted last minute - not a lack of commitment. But everyone seems to have discounted who we KEPT - JWP and KWP are outstanding keeps. Could have easily taken a step backwards if we'd lost them. For me, I'm not unhappy having Redmond stay. Short memories and all that, but it wasn't that long ago this forum were generally agreeing he was our best in form player. I think he still has a lot to offer as an impact forward who can run at people and make space for others. Romeu a class act, sad to see him go but the timing is right for both the club and him - wish him well. Walcott...really the one who should have been moved on and out.

Well if the powers that be are testing this forum to see what the reaction would be to loaning Broja back, I say YES, YES, YES - DO IT!

We did a Leeds -yay! What a great team performance. So glad we kept fighting and going forward in the second half. Genuinely the better team. So happy. Hats of to Moi and Diallo...confess I was questioning their inclusion in the first 20 minutes but they were both like Energizer bunnies the whole game and played their part in a great victory - everyone did.

1-1 if we turn up and play like we did against Man Utd. 2-1 if we 'do a Leeds or a Brighton' and show them no respect whatsoever and play with belief and energy. 0-3 If we revert to 5 at the back and try to contain them.

What's up with our pitch btw? Looked really cut-up and patchy - not the perfect billiard table felt it usually is. Fubo commentators saying something about diseased grass? Will work against us as a footballing team if we don't fix it.

Posting before reading thread. Thought we deserved a draw at least. Played well against a not-very-impressive Man Utd team. Lots of endeavour, good possession after we conceded - just needed a finish. Still light up top. Che and Djenepo outstanding. Mara has something about him. Salisu and Ketchup an excellent centre-back pairing. Lost by an exceptional goal...tough. We will beat other teams if we play like this.

Pretty good draw...at home...7 all-premier league ties in other matches...

Please win this one Saints. And all the other games for the rest of the season come to think of it...

Just pinging a post in here to keep the Canadian Saints fans thread average of four posts a year up! I see lots of us on the 'main' forum. COYS!

Go with the team that ended the Leeds game in that formation as others have said. Start Aribo and Maru. Perraud if he's fit. Feel we might just win this one. 0-2 to the Saints.

Clearly super happy to get a point - Leeds were by far the better team for 60 minutes - high energy, dynamic, all over us...then a great - and let's admit it - unexpected turnaround. Yes with 4 at the back of course but what a difference a goal and a bit of confidence brings. Credit to A Armstrong for a strong run and decent delivery for Aribo who was very composed to finish. Commentators went from writing us off for the season to praising our determination and pitching us as most likely to win at the end. New players look good investments. Still need to fix basic defensive issues - like defending from corners and closing wide men down to stop crosses coming in. Still feel we need an out and out striker...perhaps Mara is the man? Hopefully that will give us some confidence to play with a bit more attacking flair and confidence away at Leicester next week.

Actually, I think he is right - third goal did kill the game. The mood on this forum is clearly 'Ralph out' (after the first game away at a likely top four club that few would have expected us to win) that I fully expect to get stick but that's how I saw it too. That third goal came straight after a good period of possession in the attacking third in response to a lucky let-off with the offside disallowed goal from the kick-off and it completely killed the game. Not just the timing but the nature of the goal - simply awful. And no I'm not a blinkered 'happy clapper' in the same way most of you wouldn't call yourself bed-wetters. Yes, yes, yes I agree the tail end of last season was abysmal and we really don't need to carry that over. Some clear management flaws today - Valery a starter? Never. Bednarek not my favourite (but in fairness did ok) Djenepo playing out of position but did ok IMO (Perraud clearly not match-fit after injury), no Adams (something going on, I expect it's the Forest offer) Romeu and S Armstrong looked off the pace today. KWP much better going forward than backwards, but no support up front to hold the ball up (AA totally anonymous). We do need a striker and a trusted CB (still think Lyanco might be that). Let's see what the Leeds game next week brings - hopefully a win and a great performance. We are typically slow-starters. I think the SR approach to the new season and investment in younger players is right. I like our hire in the Man City recruitment guy. Lavia was our best player today. Who's to say our new French striker isn't going to be good. Think we are building something. Give it a chance FFS. If I'm wrong, I'll hold my hand up - but I expect others to do the same if we come good.

So I'm posting before reading other comments. Thought there were plenty of positives in that. Game turned on a ridiculous own goal just when we were pushing for an equaliser that killed it as a contest. Lavia looked really good. Djenepo played well in his new position. Bazunu is a real goalkeeper. Aribo will get some goals. Perraud back. Downside, obvious failings - suicidal defending, Failure to stop crosses. Valery starting? No striking threat. Romeu and S Armstrong off the pace. Spurs will spank plenty of teams at home this season - the depth of their bench is ridiculous when you see the four subs they can bring on at once. No Che Adams...suggests Forest sale might be real - I'd be okay if that meant we got Timo Werner, otherwise silly to sell. We will beat teams around us if we play like that minus the obvious mistakes.

We'd be mad to sell Adams at this time IMHO. Two seasons learning his trade. Coming good at international level with Scotland. Super hard worker that allows us to play the high press. Just needs to convert more of his chances. This is his season to shine. 🤞

A fantastic recruitment and could prove to be a pivotal moment in our clubs fortunes. I like what SR are doing. Feel happy.

Like the look of Mare...and the way the club are going about their business. Looks like we have targets and limits and aren't afraid to move quickly when either an obstacle (Liam Delap) or an opportunity (Mare) arises. Would love to see us bring in another striker and attacking midfielder given the game is all about scoring goals and we weren't very good at that last season.

Rangers mate says Aribo is great and a fantastic buy FWIW.

Well I for one am very happy that we've prioritised sorting out the goalkeeping situation one way or another - it's been a problem for years that we've done nothing about. I was up for paying what we had to to get Nick Pope, but then His ambitions are probably higher than us. So by the look and sound of him this youngster looks like a sensible and promising bet to take. I wish him all the best. I would love to hear that he's a good preventative goalkeeper. I can see his agility and that he can make spectacular saves, but the really best goalkeepers are brilliant at snuffing out danger before it happens...they come for and catch corners and crosses to start with (McCarthy and Forster both crap at this). Then his kicking / distribution (again shouldn't be difficult to be an upgrade).

Well. Thank goodness that season is over. Like many others here I have been following Saints for over 50 years. That last run was as bad as I can remember. One (fortunate) win against Arsenal saved our bacon. How we went from the high of beating Tottenham away (the best game of the season for us IMHO) and the new owner takeover optimism, to the low of that awful run after Villa....I don't know. Trying to stay sane. Need to bin my hard drive default of 'how are we going to devise a way to lose?' which has become hard-wired. Ralph has one window for me - first 10 games of next season. The new owners have the summer to show us their intent through recruitment and transfers. If we don't buy a new goalkeeper (we should be calling Nick Pope right now) - then I will know we are not serious about overhauling our squad. Apart from JWP and KWP, possibly a fit Stuart Armstrong and Che Adams as back-ups, who else would you keep?

It's improbable but not impossible that Saints could finish top 10...and that Liverhampton lose out on the league (very likely) the FA Cup and the CL Final. Sad that schadenfreude is all the joy that's left in this season, but it makes me feel better.

Well, assuming Liverpool are still in the title race, I don't know how many they will score - anywhere between 4-10 depending on how much effort they want to put it - but we will be nil.

So they don't even VAR check that?!!