Brentford 3-0 Saints - Match Thread

[Streaky]

25 minutes ago, DT said:

We can’t afford the compo, can we? Has to be the only reason. 

Of course we can. 90m from tv rights. Would only cost 8 to 10 million to sack him. 2 years left on contract right. Something like 7 or 8th highest paid manager in the league. We definitely aren't getting value for money. 

Falling behind the Brightons and brentfords just isn't good enough, sorry Ralph. 

[DT]

Just now, Streaky said:

Of course we can. 90m from tv rights. Would only cost 8 to 10 million to sack him. 2 years left on contract right. Something like 7 or 8th highest paid manager in the league. We definitely aren't getting value for money. 

Falling behind the Brightons and brentfords just isn't good enough, sorry Ralph. 

Those two teams are way above us. They have managers who k ow how to defend. And adapt. 

[The Cat]

17 minutes ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

Not quite true. Brentford fans threw a flare into the Saints fans at 3-0 and then it turned nasty

Didn't notice that. What bit of the away end was it?

[Teddeer]

5 minutes ago, DT said:

Hasenhuttl: "Strange game. The quality in both boxes made the difference today. We had our chances and didn’t do anything. Simply not good enough." #saintsfc [sky]
 

Christ he’s annoying 

Propaganda but you're fooling nobody Ralph.

[Chez]

3 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Doesn’t he only have one season left on his contract? The ‘only’ cost then is what he would have been paid for that season. No win bonuses obviously.

no. two.

[S-Clarke]

4 minutes ago, Chez said:

Diallo aint up to it. I love Romeu, but he's been terrible, so I can understand why Diallo got a chance, but you are right, he can't be trusted in a 2. Sadly in a 3 he looks lost. One of many positions we need to strengthen. Armstrong is not CM. That leaves us with 2 plus Diallo. Same with left back, we just keep ignoring it because we don't have the funds to upgrade. 

I don't think he's 'that' bad, but he needs protection around him. Throwing him into a two at this level is just crazy, but it does once again boil down to the sheer lack of quality in our side to choose from to be honest.

[Badger]

28 minutes ago, bpsaint said:

Wishful thinking unfortunately, he’ll wait for the multi million pound payout.

Get rid now and hope for some kind of new manager bounce against Liverpool that keeps the score to about 0-4. Can’t afford to give this man another transfer window and start off next season slowly, our luck will run out eventually.

Can’t see us having a new manager in place by then, it’s more likely to be another Kelvin & Watson holding the fort fiasco. Didn’t work too well last time as I recall.

Unless Semmens/Crocker , or will it be Rasmus now ? , have done their homework with an already available manager (for example Favre, or Fonseca who are touted for every job now) willing to come in, I doubt we’ll see an appointment soon. Esp if the preferred option is employed elsewhere 

It will probably be a few weeks of sifting, club putting out statements of quality of candidates (bullshit) whilst every fucker goes on holiday.

Can only hope the new team are more decisive and active than previous regimes if they do wield the axe.

 

Edited 7 May, 2022 by Badger

[Manuel]

9 minutes ago, DT said:

Hasenhuttl: "Strange game. The quality in both boxes made the difference today. We had our chances and didn’t do anything. Simply not good enough." #saintsfc [sky]
 

Christ he’s annoying 

The quality [of defending] in both boxes made the difference today. 

[Chez]

3 minutes ago, Streaky said:

Of course we can. 90m from tv rights. Would only cost 8 to 10 million to sack him. 2 years left on contract right. Something like 7 or 8th highest paid manager in the league. We definitely aren't getting value for money. 

Falling behind the Brightons and brentfords just isn't good enough, sorry Ralph. 

I wouldn't be too sure. We have £100m debt, we lost a shed load last year, gonna earn almost the minimum from league position, so its down to player sales. I am sure you don't want Salisu, KWP or JWP to depart. Where else is this money coming from?

[Whitey Grandad]

3 minutes ago, Chez said:

no. two.

Bugger 😢

[bpsaint]

Can’t believe he had the gaul to criticise people that claimed we were on the beach. We’re way past that now, we’re on the beach, by the pool, on excursions, the whole fucking package holiday.

No lie when walking away from the stadium after the West Ham cup match my mate said how nice it felt to be a Saints fan for a change, I replied that we should enjoy it as it’ll be back to being dogshit before we know it. Even I didn’t think it would get this bad!!

[Teddeer]

5 minutes ago, Chez said:

yeah, we had a few chances, like they did, ,but it wasn't just the goals conceded, it was the number of times they broke and had a man free, which the man with the ball often didn't find. If they had, it could have been much worse.  Did we ever catch them on the break? Were we ever one on one with a CB? Were we fuck.

Exactly this. Ralph is treating the fans like idiots with those comments and they do him no favours. Man-up, take the hit and give us some honest answers not the sugar-coated nonsense.

[warsash saint]

The players have stopped playing ever since Ralph came out  & said hat he was contemplating jacking it all in!!

[Chez]

2 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

I don't think he's 'that' bad, but he needs protection around him. Throwing him into a two at this level is just crazy, but it does once again boil down to the sheer lack of quality in our side to choose from to be honest.

No, he is that bad. I really like some elements of his game the way he positions himself scholes-like to shield the ball, decent first touch and moves the ball quickly, but I watch him closely and he hasnt a clue how to play the position. His positional play is shocking. he provides very little cover to CBs. 

[Matthew Le God]

8 minutes ago, Streaky said:

Falling behind the Brightons and brentfords just isn't good enough, sorry Ralph. 

I can understand you picking newly promoted Brentford. But why Brighton? 

[Chez]

2 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Bugger 😢

Forster-like contract. 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

33 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

1) We really don't know the financial position of the club given the new ownership

2) The only reason for what?

You don't have to be a fuckin finance expert to know we haven't got a pot to piss in

[Diabolus Ex Machina]

The high press just compacts the opposition defense and we don't have players skilled enough to play through it. The fact we were regularly having 8 players in the final third and still created nothing just highlighted our weaknesses even more and made us so easy to break against leaving the CBs with no support whatsoever. He has to learn to sit back and let teams push onto us a bit to create gaps if Ralph does continue with us. Our weakness against set pieces also showing up as usual.

Other teams seem to know our tactics well and are obviously trying to take advantage of it. It's the same issues we've been seeing week in and week out - players will always have variations in performance but to not even try and adapt to work around our squad shortcomings is foolhardy and we're seeing the results. I swear I saw KWP more on the edge of the opposition box than I did defending the right flank. The subs not really helping either, why only use 2 and leave your top scoring striker on the bench when we are chasing the game?

It's frustrating because he's got a tune out of these players previously but he just can't seem to break out of his standard methods and his 'automation's' are leaving us entirely predictable and stifling any possible creativity. I will admit a good portion of the players are also horribly under-performing but when that's been happening for as long as it has you need to make changes rather than just trying the same things over and over again and just hoping it reverts back by itself. You do wonder if he is starting to lose the dressing room now too.

[Chez]

3 minutes ago, Teddeer said:

Exactly this. Ralph is treating the fans like idiots with those comments and they do him no favours. Man-up, take the hit and give us some honest answers not the sugar-coated nonsense.

yet he got criticised on here this week for being honest. He's got no chance. 

[Matthew Le God]

Just now, Lee On Solent Saint said:

You don't have to be a fuckin finance expert to know we haven't got a pot to piss in

How can you possibly make such a claim given he new owners haven't had the opportunity of a summer window yet?

[macca155]

16 minutes ago, Jimmy_D said:

Well... we've had a better day than Northampton fans 😕 

Something fishy going on there, Rovers win 7 0 and go up on goals scored.

[Chez]

8 minutes ago, Badger said:

Can’t see us having a new manager in place by then, it’s more likely to be another Kelvin & Watson holding the fort fiasco. Didn’t work too well last time as I recall.

Unless Semmens/Crocker , or will it be Rasmus now ? , have done their homework with an already available manager (for example Favre, or Fonseca who are touted for every job now) willing to come in, I doubt we’ll see an appointment soon. Esp if the preferred option is employed elsewhere 

It will probably be a few weeks of sifting, club putting out statements of quality of candidates (bullshit) whilst every fucker goes on holiday.

Can only hope the new team are more decisive and active than previous regimes if they do wield the axe.

 

to be fair, no one is going to turn this side around in time to do anything against Liverpool. You could drill them all day, all week and it would still nit be enough.

[Teddeer]

Just now, Chez said:

yet he got criticised on here this week for being honest. He's got no chance. 

Not by me he didn't. He's paid a vast sum of money and, when things go wrong, he should front up and stop hiding behind the propaganda which fools nobody. Sick of it now.

[Turkish]

11 minutes ago, Streaky said:

Of course we can. 90m from tv rights. Would only cost 8 to 10 million to sack him. 2 years left on contract right. Something like 7 or 8th highest paid manager in the league. We definitely aren't getting value for money. 

Falling behind the Brightons and brentfords just isn't good enough, sorry Ralph. 

Brighton fans are absolutely fed up with Potter He’s been sending them to sleep all season, only 3 home wins, fewest goals in the league at the Amex, in the last 6 homes games they’ve only scored against us. Plus they say his interviews are dull. They want him out as they’re not being entertained. Some even say it’s been their worst season ever 

[captainchris]

38 minutes ago, woodsaint1 said:

Blackmore needs to put it Ralph after the game. No dilly dallying round the subject

Lol at that prospect. 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

6 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

How can you possibly make such a claim given he new owners haven't had the opportunity of a summer window yet?

Ok. Let's see who's right on 1st September then shall we? 

[Chez]

 

3 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Brighton fans are absolutely fed up with Potter He’s been sending them to sleep all season, only 3 home wins, fewest goals in the league at the Amex, in the last 6 homes games they’ve only scored against us. Plus they say his interviews are dull. They want him out as they’re not being entertained. Some even say it’s been their worst season ever 

They started brightly, but overall have ben pretty shite. They were terrible at our place. They don't score any goals. Boring as fuck. Very little up front.

[Turkish]

Just now, Chez said:

 

They started brightly, but overall have ben pretty shite. They were terrible at our place. They don't score any goals. Boring as fuck. Very little up front.

Potter is the English Puel yes?

[Matthew Le God]

1 minute ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Ok. Let's see who's right on 1st September then shall we? 

What do you mean 'see who is right'? I was not the one making a claim... you were! All I did was question you on your claim, I did not say I believed the opposite to be the case.

[Badger]

11 minutes ago, warsash saint said:

The players have stopped playing ever since Ralph came out  & said hat he was contemplating jacking it all in!!

Not sure of the timing of his statement but for me the turning point came after we beat West Ham in the cup.

I came away from that match thinking it would be a springboard to an exciting end of season. Instead of which is has just been a pitiful belly flop as they seem to have given up.

His comments were naive and ill thought out but the players should be able to cope with that in the background without the collapse we’ve seen in recent weeks. 

[captainchris]

12 minutes ago, Diabolus Ex Machina said:

The high press just compacts the opposition defense and we don't have players skilled enough to play through it. The fact we were regularly having 8 players in the final third and still created nothing just highlighted our weaknesses even more and made us so easy to break against leaving the CBs with no support whatsoever. He has to learn to sit back and let teams push onto us a bit to create gaps if Ralph does continue with us. Our weakness against set pieces also showing up as usual.

Other teams seem to know our tactics well and are obviously trying to take advantage of it. It's the same issues we've been seeing week in and week out - players will always have variations in performance but to not even try and adapt to work around our squad shortcomings is foolhardy and we're seeing the results. I swear I saw KWP more on the edge of the opposition box than I did defending the right flank. The subs not really helping either, why only use 2 and leave your top scoring striker on the bench when we are chasing the game?

It's frustrating because he's got a tune out of these players previously but he just can't seem to break out of his standard methods and his 'automation's' are leaving us entirely predictable and stifling any possible creativity. I will admit a good portion of the players are also horribly under-performing but when that's been happening for as long as it has you need to make changes rather than just trying the same things over and over again and just hoping it reverts back by itself. You do wonder if he is starting to lose the dressing room now too.

Well done you have worked out that we have too many players too far advanced - all the bloody time!

We have no midfield consequently and no protection for what amounts to our back two only.

Unfortunate for us that Ralph cannot work this out himself which has been the case for three years now.

New players will not solve Ralph’s tactical inadequacy and lack of vision tactically. He has to go, as nothing has or will change.

Edited 7 May, 2022 by captainchris

[Chez]

Just now, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Ok. Let's see who's right on 1st September then shall we? 

I'm with you L-O-S-S, I think money is tight, but what kind of net spend would prove otherwise? How much do you think we will have to spend, should we not sell Salisu - without some sort of owner cash injection (which I can't see happening, other than a bridging loan to sign a player before we sell another)?

[macca155]

A real shame it's come to this. At times Ralph has sent out teams that have been breathtaking to watch. Those periods are sadly short lived. A change is required.

The new owners need Saints in the EPL. Another season like this and Saints are down. So regardless of the cost he is toast.

However could be down this year yet. Both Leeds and Everton could theoretically overtake Saints with their games in hand. Doubt it will happen but there are no more points coming our way.

Ralph needed to set Saints up for a draw against Palace and Brentford. Just get us over the line.

Now two spankings on the way and we have to hope those teams below us remain as crap as they've been all year.

This was not the end of season we imagined in January.

 

[Chez]

2 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Potter is the English Puel yes?

Funnily enough I typed `could be another Puel Mark II situation', but deleted it.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

4 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

What do you mean 'see who is right'? I was not the one making a claim... you were! All I did was question you on your claim, I did not say I believed the opposite to be the case.

If you believe that is the case why then bother to question it?? You are fuckin deluded if you think this lot are bringing any extra money to the table.

[Streaky]

21 minutes ago, Chez said:

I wouldn't be too sure. We have £100m debt, we lost a shed load last year, gonna earn almost the minimum from league position, so its down to player sales. I am sure you don't want Salisu, KWP or JWP to depart. Where else is this money coming from?

90m tv rights plus you know jwp is going right. Why would he stick around for this shit show.

[Matthew Le God]

2 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

If you believe that is the case why then bother to question it?? You are fuckin deluded if you think this lot are bringing any extra money to the table.

What do you think I've said 'is the case'? All I did was question what you based your view on.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

5 minutes ago, Chez said:

I'm with you L-O-S-S, I think money is tight, but what kind of net spend would prove otherwise? How much do you think we will have to spend, should we not sell Salisu - without some sort of owner cash injection (which I can't see happening, other than a bridging loan to sign a player before we sell another)?

Personally, I don't think we have any money. Totally dependent on League positions and we have funked that up. Not sure what kind of fee Salisu will command given that he has been bollocks for a few months now. 

[Cabrone]

Can't believe I'm still looking at the table wondering if we could still go down. Arsenal and Chelsea could do us a massive favour taking out Leeds but it's not good looking to get favours from other teams.

[Streaky]

22 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

I can understand you picking newly promoted Brentford. But why Brighton? 

Because they are so similar to us in no sugar daddy, similar fan base, same wage budget, stadium capacity, recruitment policy. Other than that no idea why.

[SNSUN]

The quality in our squad has been diminishing for years and feels as if it isn’t likely to get better.
 

GK: Since being back in the Prem there have always been question marks over our keepers. Boruc as a panic free was ok, Fraser and McCarthy have had odd moments but even McCarthy was signed as back up. There hasn’t been a keeper of Niemi’s class to unite the fans this time. We need one.

 

RB: KWP is probably on a par with Clyne. That we have 2 good RBs and shit in other areas is a joke. Thank god KWP can play left back.

 

CB: Nowhere near Alderweireld, Fonte, Van Dijk or even Lovren. Bednarek was basically signed as back up.
 

LB: Not a patch on Shaw or Bertrand at his best.

 

CM: JWP the academy product that came good. Romeu (signed when we had Wanyama and Morgan) and Diallo weren’t signed as first choices.

 

AM: They’re all just… average. It’s unlikely any were signed as back ups per se based on how much we paid for them but Stu on his day aside, they’re just… average. The days of Tadic, Lallana, Davis etc long gone.

 

Str: This lot is probably the worst we’ve had since being back in the Prem. Even Charlie bloody Austin was better than this lot. Pelle, Lambert, Ings, Rodriguez… give me any of them.

 

Please God can we sign some quality before it is too late. We need quality all over the pitch (bar right back), we have most likely a limited budget to do it, and limited time to do it. 
 

It feels a bit doom and gloom to say it but… I fear for our Premier League status over the next couple of seasons unless something big changes…and I’m usually glass half full. This is what this season has done to me.

Edited 7 May, 2022 by SNSUN

[The Kraken]

15 minutes ago, Chez said:

I'm with you L-O-S-S, I think money is tight, but what kind of net spend would prove otherwise? How much do you think we will have to spend, should we not sell Salisu - without some sort of owner cash injection (which I can't see happening, other than a bridging loan to sign a player before we sell another)?

I agree.

At the moment I have no faith that our current owners are going to provide us much more than we had under Gao. AFAIK our major loan is still in place which, according to previous reports, is at a very high interest and costs us many millions per years in repayment. In effect it has contributed to something akin to, in part, a leveraged buyout of the club.

Edited 7 May, 2022 by The Kraken

[Chez]

 

6 minutes ago, Streaky said:

90m tv rights plus you know jwp is going right. Why would he stick around for this shit show.

£114m wage bill, plus I didn't know JWP was going.

[Matthew Le God]

8 minutes ago, Streaky said:

Because they are so similar to us in no sugar daddy, similar fan base, same wage budget, stadium capacity, recruitment policy. Other than that no idea why.

Brighton have had a massive net spend compared to Saints over recent years funded in part by their 'sugar daddy' by Tony Bloom. This image is a couple of years old, but illustrates the point...

Edited 7 May, 2022 by Matthew Le God

[LaptopSaint]

I was in sitting in the home seats for this one (I emphasize sitting cos no one could be arsed to stand up unless they scored). 

So, first of all fair play to the Saints fans. Noisy all game with particularly loud renditions of the Sir Rickie and Gabbiadini songs just after the hour mark, as it was becoming clear we wouldn’t score even if we played until midnight. After we went three-nil down, bringing on a defensive midfielder and leaving two centre forwards plus Tella on the bench provoked an extremely well-justified round of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing.’ Well played. 

 

That’s where the congratulations stop. A few pretty passing patterns around the middle of the park, but a complete shit show in both boxes. The Brentford fans around me couldn’t believe how easy it was. The team looked short of any ideas or confidence. 

 

Another season with Ralph in charge is a high risk strategy unless we get four or five starters signed in the summer. Not projects who might develop but better players than we have now. 

 

If every other team somehow gets more than 40 points (unlikely but still not impossible) we’re going down because I’ve seen nothing in the last 5 (or is that 10) games to suggest we’re getting another single point this season. 

 

COYR

[Chez]

 

7 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

What do you think I've said 'is the case'? All I did was question what you based your view on.

So do you think we have pot to piss on or not MLG?

[Matthew Le God]

1 minute ago, Chez said:

So do you think we have pot to piss on or not MLG?

I don't know, and I have not claimed otherwise. Let's wait and see what the summer brings (or doesn't bring)

[captainchris]

3 minutes ago, SNSUN said:

The quality in our squad has been diminishing for years and feels as if it isn’t likely to get better.
 

GK: Since being back in the Prem there have always been question marks over our keepers. Boruc as a panic free was ok, Fraser and McCarthy have had odd moments but even McCarthy was signed as back up. There hasn’t been a keeper of Niemi’s class to unite the fans this time. We need one.

 

RB: KWP is probably on a par with Clyne. That we have 2 good RBs and shit in other areas is a joke. Thank god KWP can play left back.

 

CB: Nowhere near Alderweireld, Fonte, Van Dijk or even Lovren. Bednarek was basically signed as back up.
 

LB: Not a patch on Shaw or Bertrand at his best.

 

CM: JWP the academy product that came good. Romeu (signed when we had Wanyama and Morgan) and Diallo weren’t signed as first choices.

 

AM: They’re all just… average. It’s unlikely any were signed as back ups per se based on how much we paid for them but Stu on his day aside, they’re just… average. The days of Tadic, Lallana, David etc long gone.

 

Str: This lot is probably the worst we’ve had since being back in the Prem. Even Charlie bloody Austin was better than this lot. Pelle, Lambert, Ings, Rodriguez… give me any of them.

 

Please God can we sign some quality before it is too late. We need quality all over the pitch (bar right back), we have most likely a limited budget to do it, and limited time to do it. 
 

It feels a bit doom and gloom to say it but… I fear for our Premier League status over the next couple of seasons unless something big changes…and I’m usually glass half full. This is what this season has done to me.

Don’t you think that no matter what quality of players we sign with a 226formation that Ralph has dreamt up and played for three years we would still ship tons of goals.

We cannot trust Ralph to change this idiotic format. Also you have to say Ralph has not improved a single player since he has been here….

[Matthew Le God]

3 minutes ago, captainchris said:

Don’t you think that no matter what quality of players we sign with a 226formation that Ralph has dreamt up and played for three years we would still ship tons of goals.

We cannot trust Ralph to change this idiotic format. Also you have to say Ralph has not improved a single player since he has been here….

Let's be fair to him even if you want him out, that isn't true. Ward-Prowse, Walker-Peters, Romeu, Adams and quite a few others are better now than they were the day before they first worked with Hasenhuttl.

Edited 7 May, 2022 by Matthew Le God

[RedWillie]

and on it goes.....utter shambles