Vancouver Saint

This is a game about goals. We don't score them - we can't even score sitters. Our opponents seem to score with every second shot on target (or, as toda,. every shot on target). I agree today we did not play that badly or get the rub of the green - Almiron's first goal was jammy, with rebounds and missed tackles, and all three other Newcastle goals found the exact right spot just inside the post...Woods a blind shot predictably for the his first of the season, Willock a toe-poke and Guimares a great curler. Could Bazunu have saved any of them? - you'd have hoped so...especially the last one. But the bad misses just killed us. 1-1 going in at half time would have been a different game. 2-1 if Che had put his must score chance away. Instead they go right down the other end and score - game over. So today was a bit unlucky, but then we are saying this virtually every game. It masks some fundamental problems. We have no identity. We have no confidence. We have no goal-scoring threat. We had much less intensity than Newcastle. We have no idea what shape or tactic we are playing - you could see the confusion amongst the players after Larios was subbed off. And starting Walcott - seriously? I mean seriously?! I saw that and thought Ralph is trying to get himself sacked. The only explanation I can think of is he was sending his little message to the owners ' I asked for a striker last window, we didn't get one - this is what I'm left with' (not true - could have played, Adam Armstrong, Mara, Aribo...should've kept Tella...even played Lyanco as a striker!...so many other better options). New manager. Two new strikers and a midfielder like Guimaraes please... Lavia fit. JWP rested for a bit until he finds form. I was in the 'go all out to keep Broja' camp and still think if we had him we'd be at least 3-5 points better off than we are now. Do this and we might just stay up.

Used to be totally predictable we'd beat Newcastle at home and they'd beat us at St James's - both teams not travelling well. Am sure it was part of a long-standing rolling agreement between the two clubs! They broke that agreement last time with that outrageous Guimares goal at St Mary's (our last gasp draw up there felt like a win). That era is done. The confidence and team-togetherness (oh yes...and better, in-form players) of Newcastle should make this a no-contest. 0-3 I reckon if it goes to form. I'm praying for a combination of Newcastle having a really bad off-day (let's not get injured before the World Cup) and Saints playing out of their skins in response to a heartfelt plea from Ralph to save his job. Although, I think that ship has already sailed and we'll get an announcement after the Liverpool game using the World Cup break to hire a new manager.

So another Ralph special - somehow engineer a 1-0 loss to a close rival. The worst. We lost that game in the first half with the wrong attitude and approach.

Honestly, be fair. Che hits it first time, low, on target - it's a good save. First chance I agree could have worked the 'keeper better but let's give the goalie credit for a good save - it wasn't a crashing miss.

Well that first half was diabolical. Palace looked SO much better than us it was embarrassing. Fortunate to only be a goal down. S. Armstrong having a mare but nobody really connecting. Our lack of attacking menace is going to kill us. Time to bring Edozie on and run against Ward. At least we can't pretend sitting back and hold on to a 0-0 will work for us.

Very happy with that point and that second half performance. Have to confess I was cursing the selection of Elyonoussi but he was excellent in this game - full credit to him. Lyanco massive game. Great equalising goal from Armstrong. Edozie looks good. If we can do that without Che (mostly) Ketchup, KWP and Lavia against the league leaders...

Unless this is one of those rare games where the form books are reversed and the football gods smile on us, we are going to get torn a new one. What's the story with Ketchup btw?...didn't get to see the first two thirds of the West Ham game in which he was injured - what's the prognosis? Also, when is Lavia back? this probably isn't the game for him to return to. KWP? Three of our best and only in-form players out...

Managed to get the livestream working two minutes before Rice equalised. Then saw nothing but a WHU onslaught. Please tell me played okay before this - we looked absolutely terrible from the time I started watching.

It's not losing games like this that bother me - it's losing games like Villa, Wolves and Everton - and going into every game thinking where are we going to get a goal from? We badly need more goal-threat - not just from strikers, but from all sources. To win games you need to score a goal. Pretty basic. Mara, Adams and A Armstrong are not going to cut it. So miss a Broja equivalent - we no doubt all saw his first goal for Chelsea.

This. Or another Scandinavian coach.

Really not sure what the point of this game is. Not so much a behind the couch game (too many like this these days) but under the couch. 5-0 to City. Ralph's farewell.

Too many changes to the starting 11 - looked dreadful first half, like a team that had never played together before - disjointed and lacking energy or belief. Were lucky to go in at half-time 0-0. Aribo, one of our brighter spots, gave us the perfect platform to move forward on, but then we decide not to bother defending set pieces (where was Caleta wassisname allowing that header at the back post?) To concede one goal so quickly is criminal, two is unforgivable. Played okay after AA came on - he created our best chances - but we have no natural finishers...no surprise we can't equalize ourselves. Maitland-Niles was useless, off-the-pace. JWP anonymous - between them we had no control of midfield and lost the game there. I was thinking Diallo and Redmond would have at least tackled and moved the ball forward. SA played well. Mara anonymous but got no service. But above all, we don't know who we are - what shape or style we play. We've lost the high-energy, high press and swapped it for slow sideways passing with hopeful punts up the park to small players who can't hold the ball up, even if they can get to it.

So if he starts Elyenoussi he is seriously taking the piss...and unless we win, or play brilliantly and draw, or Elyenoussi scores a hatrick....I will have finally, finally lost my patience with Ralph. Ever the optimist, I'm going for a 2-0 win.

Can't keep a clean sheet. Can't score. Not a good combo. Add totally inept performances from just about everyone except KWP and Bazunu and you get the simply dreadful performance like that. How Elyounoussi gets to start ahead of Stuart Armstrong I'll never understand. Then kept on the pitch forever - WTF! Without Lavia we have no inventiveness or grit in midfield. Diallo is bang average, so is Ely. JWP had his worst game since I can remember. Even Ketchup was poor. What was it...past our bedtime late kick-off? We didn't deserve anything but 0 goals from that game for our total lack of inventiveness or threat - but Villa deserved 0 too. How can that not be offside FFS? So you're offside if you're coming back from an offside position, unless you're scoring a goal against Southampton in which case it's okay.

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...