Vancouver Saint

I think we all started off wanting to like him and wanting to give him a decent amount of time to make things work. Many of us have been pretty patient. My patience has expired. Not just because of incompetent management...from basic tactics like slavishly sticking to 3CBs/5 at the back...punting crosses into midget impotent strikers against giant CB opposition...inane in-game substitutions...always-the-same outswinging corners that end up being a breakaway on our goal...no movement for throw-ins...basic stuff that tells me this guy has never played the game... Not just because I can't think of a single player he's made a better player (Charles was doing fine on his own)...but I can see a ton he's made worse or lost/pissed off... But because he's just a bit of a misery really isn't he? For a young man he brings very little energy and enthusiasm into the room (or so it would appear from a distance). And don't mis-read me - I'm not advocating one of these false positive types where every friggin thing is about taking the positive (Canada)...oops, is that my inner voice speaking out! We all know just how crap our club is atm...it's not an easy job...but I'm thinking does this guy have the ability to lift others when things are really shit? I so want to give him the benefit of the doubt - I think he took the job in the first place to be closer to his partner who has a serious illness - that itself says something about his character that deserves respect. But perhaps it's a distraction too much? He certainly doesn't seem to be getting any joy out of his players or managing Southampton FC. If this post / PNE is the beginning of a turnaround for his fortunes and ours, I'd be the happiest person...but is there anyone out there who can see and brave enough to say so?

Goodness...just when you thought it couldn't get any worse...we manage to plumb a new low! So many things wrong with that performance and Will Still's bizarre substitutions I don't know where to start. Did I hear the Saints fans shouting "You don't know what you're doing when he took off Scienza and brought on Stephens?" Too right. We have also lost probably our only consistently good player in Shea Charles. I mean for good not just from injury - he's not going to hang around with this bunch of losers.

Okay, it's official - my patience with Will Still has expired. That second half was just woeful ineptitude. 70% possession and 5 touches in the opposition box, playing three CB's who pass it around the back in our own half because there's nobody free in the middle to pass to because the opposition have figured out they can out-number us and press us there - doh! They have 30% possession, three times as many touches in our box and two goals. we continue to have Manning do out-swinging corners (to nobody that can head a ball) that result in breakaways for the other team. Continued defensive errors that cost us goals...including massive momentum-swingers like their equalising goal. Yes the rose-tinted optimists will point to Scienza hitting the bar and Charles missing a header he should have scored from, Archer not capitalising etc...but this game was lost on tactics, energy and desire. We are absolutely where we deserve to be - 17th. That's us. Our new goal: reach the giddy heights of mid-table mediocrity.

We are owed one. 0-1 to the Saints. Own goal naturally.

Can't keep making excuses for us not scoring - it's just so painful to watch. Criminal we can't beat a team like Swansea at home. Are we satisfied with a much better performance asks Adam Blackmore? NO! Results are important and it's simply not good enough.

For all our issues about three or four at the back, GK woes, best midfield combo, the lack of an out-and-out striker, Will Still - the game is about goals - and we don't score them. Goal difference is the most telling stat. Coventry +20 Southampton -1 How about focusing single-mindedly on scoring goals Still?

Entertaining game. Unfortunately, those are the types of game we need to win, not draw. Was watching the 'RamsTV' stream and their commentators were saying that's the best Derby have played this season by far... We were the better footballing team but lack that killer edge. Armstrong unlucky not to score a second. McCarthy had a great game. Our defensive weakness against high crosses exposed again. The two Downses added absolutely nothing, weakened us. Scienza looked really sharp - subbing him off a mistake. Shame to lose Stewart just when he looked like he might, just might have been our go-to striker. Feel like that's two points dropped, but honestly can't say a draw is unfair - Derby could easily have scored another too. It's a long season and we're beginning to look a bit more like a team. But we won't win anything with draws. Coventry and Leicester doing what they need to do away from home...we need to start winning consistently soon.

Well...very happy we finally won a game despite trying our hardest to lose it. Very happy for Stewart who played really well and scored a stunner to win it. But... ...let's not kid ourselves...we were very lucky with some of those refereeing decisions - especially for their disallowed goal...no protests from our players a giveaway. I didn't see a foul despite really wanting to - did I miss something? Our defence is shambolic...toss a high cross up into our box and there's a fair chance you'll get your head to the ball first if you're an attacker. Quarshie is still a work in progress, Woods was solid apart from a silly foul in the D that almost threw the game away at the end. McCarthy blows hot and cold - kept us from going 0-2 down but then just not great at commanding his 6-yard area let alone 18-yard box...he's still better than Bazunu. The last 15 minutes was painful, sitting back and inviting pressure. Fraser covering Quarshie as left back is not a great combo IMHO, although Fraser did well. Roerslev and Downes did nothing to impress me when they came on. We should have had at least one or two breakaway chances to score a third but we didn't even get a sniff. Shame Arma missed that penalty...I play striker and have missed exactly the same (yes, I'm not a professional footballer!) but it takes courage to take a penalty and that was not as bad a miss as it looked...just a tad too much adrenalin and lean-back. Still, could have cost us the win - glad it didn't. Now, let's take our luck and ride it. Another three points on Saturday please...

Definitely a better performance. Disappointing and predictable we couldn't hold on for a win we just about deserved against a well-organised team that are top for a reason. But for glaring misses from Azaz and Quarshie (are we allergic to scoring goals! - what is it?) we'd have been in a stronger position earlier. Thought Targett should have been booked early in the first 10 minutes, not the 90th minute of the game - would have stopped his 'plough through the back of them' play all game. All defensive replacements were better than those at Hull. Why oh why do will still persist with outswinging corners? And Robinson should have been on much earlier. Adam Armstrong ran his heart out and a great goal. Keep McCarthy in goal until we buy a better goalie...or get Ramsbottom back.

Pointless game. Make Bazunu play and let's see if he is capable of denying Liverpool a goal. I think Slot will give his third-stringers a run-out and they'll beat us 2-0 in a drab game. Of course, if we do what we've done before and pull off a miraculous 1-0 away win I'll be delighted...but let's get real...

Abominable. Supposedly better players on paper - definitely the inferior team on the pitch. I badly want Still to succeed but fear he is a fake. If there's such a thing as the opposite of getting a tune out of bunch of players he's getting the exact opposite. But it's not formations or anything complex that's exposing him for me - it's just the basic stuff for anyone who's played the game. Throw-ins - let's have some movement and 'offers' - throw it forward FFS. And for corners -INSWINGERS not outswingers FFS...he's just not there. Charles played well. The newcomers did little to impress - Downs has shown nothing to convince me he's the killer striker we need (did he win one header today?) Roerslev was gash, Fellowes will be good but didn't play particularly well today, Scienza meh, Azaz meh... Any positives at all from that? Armstrong was a bright, energetic spark even before he scored. 6 points out of a possible 18 says it all. We are crap.

OMG been watching since the 20th minute - we are terrible! Toothless in attack, ponderous, slow build-up, we don't cross when we should and do hen we shouldn't - what is it with us?! Sorry, but Bazunu is just not good enough...he has to know their player was close - that was the time to catch the ball not play it straight into the attackers path! If we don't win this against a very ordinary side we need to face the fact we are going to struggle to get anywhere near promotion this season. Where's the bite, the speed, the shots FFS?! C'mon Saints - this is rubbish!

Only saw the second half - thought we were the better team but never looked like we were going to score. If Will Still is setting us up as a crossing team we need a big, aggressive No.9 who is going to get to the ball first...you just knew every cross was going to be met by a blue head or foot first. I do think the timing of this game worked better for Portsmouth than us...international break, lots of new players for us who need some time together. Not the result we wanted but too early to panic. I think if we start playing the ball on the ground and central mixing it up with wide attacks and crosses we will be top six.

Fair result. We didn't do enough to win. Thought we lost this by failing to exert our dominance earlier. Archer doesn't work as a lone striker and he looked isolated. Robinson not one of his better days. Azaz will get better. Two great free kick goals - unfortunately one was theirs. I still have questions about Bazunu for their first - yes it was well struck, but the angle was tight again - he's been beaten both sides from narrow angles Stoke and Watford now - you want your keeper to save at least one of those. Stewart on the wing, really?! No, needed his head on the ball in the centre. It's a long season, thankful we didn't lose that as momentum was with Watford after their second equaliser.

Sounds like an excellent signing by all accounts - and weakens a Championship opponent challenger at the same time - double-whammy.

Any streams anyone outside of the UK? Sky Sports normally reliable but not working...

Well that should be the reality check Will Still needs. I missed most of the first half but thought we were way too ponderous at home to not be surprised to go 0-1 down to a mistake (again)...then a terrible second goal to concede. Bazunu? Everyone says he's had a good season and he made a match-winning save against Wrexham - but that second goal should just never go in - has to be saved. The difference was some appalling lack of finishing (Flynn Downes - how? Stewart - wha? Our other Downs - hasn't give me any confidence he has a nose for a goal) and the goalkeepers. Thought we looked flat, grey and slow and Stoke were more up for it than us which is unforgivable. Ref opened the door for us with a soft red card and we couldn't take the opportunity. It's a long season, but we will have to do much much better to be top-two challengers.

Will take the draw. Much better in the first half than the second. Missed the first 20 minutes and wondered why no Stewart or Downs - answered above...

0-2 win for the Saints. Yes, I realise that means a clean sheet and I am being ridiculously optimistic! I feel this could be one of those games where they throw everything at us, we score one against the run of play in the first half then cling on until the 85th minute when we break away and do it again!

Haven't read any posts yet but reckon this win is down to me! Managed to watch from the 35th minute - what I saw from then was Saints in control despite commentators best attempts to convince me Wrexham should have been 3-0 up. Liked what we were doing. Right substitutions.Amazing free kick goal from Manning (I confess i said 'no chance' to myself as he ran up to take it)...just when it looked like another hard luck story after two appalling non-called penalties from the officials (what are linesmen for if the ref doesn't see it or give it when it's so obvious?!) Incredible to snatch it at the end. Well played Stephens. Could this be our season?

Thanks Hamilton. Last time Brave Browser worked with soccer100 to access - worked for me for this game

Any overseas Saints fans on here know the best way of watching Saints games live? I tried the Saints channel last time we were in the Championship and it was a disaster. Ended up with Brave Browser and chancing Saints games were covered...any better suggestions please? P.S. I hate lunchtime games - 4.30am in the morning for me!

You're right! It does get a bit silly when you see these huge 6'4" goalies with huge pads literally blocking the goal...but there is a size, weight and agility trade-off. These NHL hockey forwards are so good they can hit a small space only a couple of square inches wide. My son is a good hockey player...not quite NHL standard...but he can regularly score 'bar-down' goals intentionally (that is goals that go in off the underside of the bar). Same thing applies with footie goalies - I'm thinking of a certain Fraser Foster here...a giant of a man you'd think would block most shots but anything low to either side! (or high or straight at him for that matter!)

Thank you so much S-Clarke, very helpful - you are a gent. Some players in the looking certain to stay space I would give away for free to save wages and eliminate the threat of taking space up on the pitch...BBD / Smallbone. Jay Robinson a highlight in the certain to stay list I hope too. I'd have put Nathan Wood in the keep category too. When you see it like this, if we could keep Fernandes and THB we could be alright this season...

I know I'm being lazy, but can someone spare me the trouble of trawling through the last however many pages of this and just summarise who we've sold / who is on the block now (i.e. real offers on the table) and who we've acquired or is definitely staying. Thank you in advance. FWIW my thoughts on transfers: I can't believe a new No.1 goalkeeper isn't our top priority. Hockey is the national sport here and the goalkeeper plays a disproportionately important role in determining the team's success or not...not so different in footie. I think our fortunes this season are directly linked to if Fernandes stays. And we have a new captain. It used to be it was the best player that everyone looked up to that was captain, age didn't matter. I think Stephens seems like a decent bloke, but giving him a 3-year extension and the club captaincy is idiotic IMHO...it takes away the opportunity to retain and attract the new captain material we so badly need. Of course if Stephens goes on to have the season of his life and lifts the Championship Winners Trophy at the end of the season I'll be delighted to eat humble pie.