The Minsk Thread - 2022/23

[redkeith]

Put up a good fight for 44 minutes and a nice finish from Mara, but that's it really.

HTH  -14 points - 9  goal difference.

Match day -13 points and -18 goal difference.

 

 

If we don't beat Palace in the next home game, we will need snookers to stay up. I still worry that Selles will shoehorn Elyonousi somewhere. 

Last season was a tame 2.1 defeat to Palace, while the equivalent match day was the 6 0 loss to Chelsea, where Ralph decided to play a high line against Werner, and leave Mount unmarked because he is a smelly skate.

[Ted Bates Statue]

On 15/03/2023 at 21:51, Ted Bates Statue said:

Continuing the 2004-2005 comparison, as reviewing against any other season is a bit depressing right now.

Match day 26 featured an infamous 2-2 draw against Everton, versus our 0-0 against Man Utd.

Match day 27 was a 0-0 against West Brom, in comparison with our 0-2 defeat tonight. 

That gives 20 points after round 27 in 2005, so we are still +2 points up over that season, at this point.

Match day 30 and back then we rounded off a 5-game unbeaten run winning 1-3 at Middlesbrough, to give us 27 points from 30 matches. So currently, we're four points behind our worst PL season.

We would go on to only win once more that season for a total of six wins. Even if we do go down again, I would like to think that we can do better and at least surpass the 32 points total that we got that season.

[redkeith]

That was shite, I didn't even see the chances we created in the first half due to constant buffering, so I had to wait until the next day to find out how Aribo  fucked up that chance from the corner.

HTH  -14 points - 10  goal difference.

Match day -13 points and -14 goal difference.

Next up is Arsenal away was a 3 nil loss. . Last season it was a The corresponding ,match day last year was a Arsenal at home, a game that proved to be our last win of the season, although that was all down to FF.

I am just  about past caring. 

 

[redkeith]

I couldn't bring myself to watch it, as I feared a hammering, and then I didn't want to jinx it a 2 nil up. Great performance until we ran out off legs. I would have bitten your hand of for a point on Friday morning.  

 

HTH  -13 points - 7  goal difference.

Match day -15 points and -15 goal difference.

Bournemouth at home is very much a must win game, and we know how that normally turns out.  Last year the equivalent HTH was Watford at home, a dreadful 2.1 defeat.

The matchday was an equally dreadful 2 0 defeat at Burnley. 

Let's hope Selles takes a leaf out of the Alan Ball playbook. " Give the ball to Aclarez, he is your best player" .

[Dark Munster]

4 hours ago, redkeith said:

Let's hope Selles takes a leaf out of the Alan Ball playbook. " Give the ball to Aclarez, he is your best player" .

More like "He's our best player so I'll haul him off at half time."

[Whitey Grandad]

55 minutes ago, Dark Munster said:

More like "He's our best player so I'll haul him off at half time."

Reminds us of the famous Rodney Marsh story,

 

It has been reported that the England manager Alf Ramsey told him "I'll be watching you for the first 45 minutes and if you don't work harder I'll pull you off at half time," to which Marsh replied: "Crikey, Alf, at City all we get is an orange and a cup of tea."

[redkeith]

God that was awful.  I know a lot of people don't rate Perraud, but we got even worse after he went of injured.  Hope they give the new left back in the B team a run until the end of the season. Start looking towards next year. 

HTH  -13 points - 7  goal difference.

Match day -15 points and -14 goal difference.

Next up is free scoring Saudi Arabia/Newcastle. Their away kit last night is a real Fuck You to the Premier League for trying to block the sportswash. I fear a new record defeat, with Elyonousi as a midfield general. Last year was a 3 nil defeat I think.   

The corresponding matchday was Brighton away, a 2 all draw . Fat chance of matching that result. 

I will not watch another game where we play with false 9's.  

 

[Whitey Grandad]

Perraud looked distraught when he had to go off injured.

[redkeith]

True to my word, I watched Man City instead, although this a game that you could understand us being more defensive than AT HOME TO BOURNEMOUTH AND CRYSTAL PALACE !  Apparently we were ok in the first half, but chose in the 2nd half to show any potential new manager that we can't defend in a block of 8/9 . We also showed the match losing substitution of brining on the worst 2 players in our previous 2 matches. 

 HTH  -14 points - 10  goal difference. ( I was wrong in the previous post it was a 2 2 draw. Where is MLG when you need him? )

Match day -16 points and -16 goal difference.

Next up is should be the dictionary definition of a must win game, away at Forest. Shame that we have already thrown in the towel.

The corresponding matchday was a drab 2 1 home defeat to Palace, while the head to head equivalent is Norwich Away, also a 2 1 loss. 

Big chance to make up sound ground on last years results. Fat chance more like.

  

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Such a good thread. Such an appalling team that's being tracked by it. >sigh<

[redkeith]

Well, although that was entertaining, it turns out that you need more than a number 3 on your shirt to play at left back. The AMN tombola choice was even more insane when you know that Forest's danger man plays on the right wing !   

 HTH  -14 points - 10  goal difference.  

Match day -16 points and -16 goal difference.

Next up is Fulham at Home.  This equates to  the 2 all draw at home to Burnley last year. 

The corresponding matchday the appalling 3 nil defeat at Brentford ( no to be confused with this years appalling 3 nil defeat at Brentford). 

I hope that, now that we need snookers to stay up, he chucks out some those that we know won't be here next year, AMN, Walcott, Adams, Orsic and Elyonousi, as well as some that are just shit, and are blocking the path of the youngsters, like Aribo, and AA.

JWP, Lavia and Alcarez have to play, because we have no-one else, but I would like to see Payne, Morgan and Ballard get a place on the bench. 

[Saint Garrett]

So how are we going to carry on Minsk's legacy next season then?

This is always an interesting thread. 

[Sheaf Saint]

1 hour ago, Saint Garrett said:

So how are we going to carry on Minsk's legacy next season then?

This is always an interesting thread. 

Good question. I don't see how it's possible really. We'll have to furlough it for a year to gather a baseline to work from in 2024/25 (assuming we're still in the Championship and haven't exited in an upwards or, perish the thought, downwards direction)

Poor old Minsk would be turning in his grave if he could see how this thread has unravelled this season. I miss him 😢 

[redkeith]

This year we have seen Saints not go for a win in a number of must win games. This time, even though it was only a slim mathematical chance that we could stat up, they didn't didn't turn up at all. 

Maybe 3 or 4 players put a shift in but the rest were rank. Don't think I have ever felt so detached from what I was watching. Felt much more involved watching Real Sociadad V Gerona beforehand.

 HTH  -15 points - 16  goal difference.  

Match day -16 points and -16 goal difference.

Next up is Brighton away, where we drew 2 all last year and Tino picked up that terrible injury. We have no chance, the way we are playing this year, let alone when having nothing to play for.

I might watch this if he ditches AMN,Ely AA etc and puts Doyle, Payne and Ballard on the bench. If not ...

The equivalent Match Day was a tame 2.1 defeat at home to Liverpool reserves.  

[redkeith]

Five minutes of the 2nd half were fun, although my stream froze when Theo scored and came back after the Var decision. Won't miss Var, even though I thought it was a great idea after the Gabbiadini hat-trick denier at Wembley.  Nice to see Tino back. hope he can stay injury free.  

HTH  -16 points - 14 goal difference.  

Match day -16 points and -17 goal difference.

 Last up is Liverpool at home. A tame 2.1 defeat, while the matchday equivalent was a 4 1 loss at Leicester. Must have made an error somewhere, as the 2 totals are a one goal out .  Oh well not as far out as Rasmus's spreadsheets. 

[redkeith]

Quite enjoyed watching Saints try to attack without looking over their shoulders all the time. Gives you a bit of hope, as long as Alcarez and Sulemana are still with us next season. Although you have to think that if the game mattered in any way, Fabinho would have taken Sulemana out on the way to his second, and someone would have done the same to the nipper right at the end. 

HTH  -15 points - 13 goal difference.  

Match day -15 points and -14 goal difference ( match day was the one that was a goal out somewhere.

A further comparison between the 2 seasons . 

 

21/22 

 

Doubles for                 Doubles against

None                            Liverpool,Wolves

22/23

Doubles for                 Doubles against 

Chelsea, Leicester     Man City, Newc Utd, Palace, Fulham, Brentford, Brighton, Wolves, Villa, Forest.

That really is a list of shame, 9 teams out of 19 that we didn't get a single point from.

At least poor old Minsk, RIP, didn't have to witness the pathetic end of the dreadful season.  

[S-Clarke]

1 hour ago, redkeith said:

Quite enjoyed watching Saints try to attack without looking over their shoulders all the time. Gives you a bit of hope, as long as Alcarez and Sulemana are still with us next season. Although you have to think that if the game mattered in any way, Fabinho would have taken Sulemana out on the way to his second, and someone would have done the same to the nipper right at the end. 

HTH  -15 points - 13 goal difference.  

Match day -15 points and -14 goal difference ( match day was the one that was a goal out somewhere.

A further comparison between the 2 seasons . 

 

21/22 

 

Doubles for                 Doubles against

None                            Liverpool,Wolves

22/23

Doubles for                 Doubles against 

Chelsea, Leicester     Man City, Newc Utd, Palace, Fulham, Brentford, Brighton, Wolves, Villa, Forest.

That really is a list of shame, 9 teams out of 19 that we didn't get a single point from.

At least poor old Minsk, RIP, didn't have to witness the pathetic end of the dreadful season.  

Thank you for keeping this thread going, it's been an interesting insight - I don't think anyone foresaw the drop off we've had though, -15 less!! Minsk will appreciate it for sure, but like you said...at least he didn't have to witness such a downturn!

[Suhari]

I do like this thread. Would be great to keep it going somehow next season.

The question being: how would you make the comparison?

Against our last promotion campaign would make for a lovely trip back to some great memories, and a good benchmark against the 'win the league ' ambition.

 

 

Edit: I see I am not the first to ponder this!

Edited 31 May, 2023 by Suhari

[Picard]

2 hours ago, Suhari said:

I do like this thread. Would be great to keep it going somehow next season.

The question being: how would you make the comparison?

Against our last promotion campaign would make for a lovely trip back to some great memories, and a good benchmark against the 'win the league ' ambition.

 

 

Edit: I see I am not the first to ponder this!

As Saints replace Luton you could use their results from last season as a comparison.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

I had being thinking about our promotion campaign. There's not as many still in there as I thought there would be. Even a smaller version would be nice to keep it going. Of course, we're sure to be promoted. But, and this is a little silly, say SR make some sort of dreadful decision, and we're there for longer, we'd have the continuity of the thread still going.