Saints 2-1 West Brom - Match Thread

[Lighthouse]

On to the next one. Two sides in decent form, they've won their last three and five of the last seven. Our last meeting was an awful 3-0 defeat at The Hawthorns in 2021 but before that Saints had won the last five contests in all competitions. 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

1 hour ago, Lighthouse said:

On to the next one. Two sides in decent form, they've won their last three and five of the last seven. Our last meeting was an awful 3-0 defeat at The Hawthorns in 2021 but before that Saints had won the last five contests in all competitions. 

Tricky one this. Bednarek is going to be a big miss for us. 

[Chewy]

I saw them beat Coventry the other evening and they look very well organised; tough to break down and capable on the counter … which is probably our worst-scenario opponents. If we’re not reckless at the back we should have plenty of the ball and will need to be concentrated and patient; could be a long afternoon but if it’s 0-0 after 90 mins we’ve always got Gav and Fraser.

Edited 6 November, 2023 by Chewy
Typo

[Harry_SFC]

Same team but Holgate in for Bednarek.

There's an argument that Fraser deserves a start but him as an impact sub seems to be working very well at the minute. 

[Tommy Mulgrew]

Time for Sully to step up and recreate Boufal’s strike against WBA from a few seasons ago.  Now, that would be really satisfying. We’ll probably need more than one goal, though, so Charlie and Fraser to score, too.  3:1 to Saints.

🤞

[ErwinK1961]

Think this is the game that will tell us how far (or not) we have come.

Listening to West Brom fan on TSP, they sound like our kryptonite. 7 clean sheets in 10, compact, pace on the counter. If we can dispatch them then think we’re in a really good place. 

So I’m going 2-1 West Brom.

[CB Fry]

7 minutes ago, ErwinK1961 said:

Listening to West Brom fan on TSP, they sound like our kryptonite. 7 clean sheets in 10, compact, pace on the counter. If we can dispatch them then think we’re in a really good place. 

I listened to that this morning and thought exactly the same. Interesting the panel didn't really pick up on it.

We need to score first because it feels like they'll do us on the break if they can hold us off for an hour.

[Wade Garrett]

They’re West Brom, not Barcelona.

We’ll fucking smash them.  The Loch Ness Drogba will tear them a new asshole.

4-1.

[sfc4prem]

Sounds like a fucking tough game. Do we have the bottle? The shithousery? The creativity to unlock a brick shithouse of a defence?

Not sure.

[SaintBobby]

Yeah, they’re in good form and all their strengths count double as they reinforce our weaknesses. I’d take a point now if offered.

[JRM]

5 hours ago, Wade Garrett said:

They’re West Brom, not Barcelona.

We’ll fucking smash them.  The Loch Ness Drogba will tear them a new asshole.

4-1.

It's a very tough home game especially with our defence likely containing Manning and Holgate.  They set up the perfect way to play against us. 

They've only conceded two goals in last 6 games and look particularly strong on the break, obviously we can win but will need to be at our best, no silly mistakes. 

[CB Fry]

51 minutes ago, JRM said:

It's a very tough home game especially with our defence likely containing Manning and Holgate.  They set up the perfect way to play against us. 

They've only conceded two goals in last 6 games and look particularly strong on the break, obviously we can win but will need to be at our best, no silly mistakes. 

Disappointing goal from a football purist perspective. There were at least eight or ten more passes between the full backs/centre mid/keeper/centre backs that were on there. Far too frantic trying to get it forward and ruin the possession with scoring a goal so early. They need more time on the training ground learning the system.

[Pamplemousse]

If we keep up our recent habit at home of scoring early then we should pick them off if they have to abandon their counter attacking strategy. 

Routine 2-0 win.

[east-stand-nic]

Interesting games this. Had we have been at full strength I think we would have gotten a draw at least. Two sides on form yes, but West Brom are not great away from home, but sadly we are not great at home. West Brom have are 12th in the away form table as below, but we are not much better at home lying currently in 13th.

12

West Brom

7

2

3

2

11

8

+3

9

Sadly, I have to say i truly believe we will lose this one. Who ever comes in to replace JB will be one of our error prone players (Holgate) or someone out of position (Charles). We will have to be at our very best and push for 95 minutes to get anything out of this, unless we are lucky and West Brom have one of their off days away from home, which they do seem to do.

 

 

 

[jamesfp1]

If we can win this it would be massive

[notnowcato]

Thought they were impressive v Coventry. This game could be one to play a patient hand with, be progressive but not over commit. The longer the game is 0-0 the more I think they’ll settle for a draw. A draw for us wouldn’t be the worst result either but I think we’ll snatch a goal somehow, maybe Ross to pop up with one in the last few minutes. 

[notnowcato]

Is Stephens a possible replacement for Jan? Not sure where JS is in his recovery. 

[Mr Nimbus]

Hopefully we can continue our recent performances of flying out early at SMS.

I think this will be tight but we will nick it 2-1

[Sheaf Saint]

4 hours ago, JRM said:

It's a very tough home game especially with our defence likely containing Manning and Holgate.  They set up the perfect way to play against us. 

They've only conceded two goals in last 6 games and look particularly strong on the break, obviously we can win but will need to be at our best, no silly mistakes. 

Some nice tidy passing in the build up, but the thing that struck me is the ridiculous amount of space their winger was given, leading to a 4 on 3 overload. 

I just hope Bree is going to be fit, because I don't really trust Manning not to go missing and leave the same kind of space on that side.

[leeham_69]

5 hours ago, JRM said:

It's a very tough home game especially with our defence likely containing Manning and Holgate.  They set up the perfect way to play against us. 

They've only conceded two goals in last 6 games and look particularly strong on the break, obviously we can win but will need to be at our best, no silly mistakes. 

The WBA fan on TSP was absolutely wetting his pants at this goal, he said something like if it was in the PL it would be goal of the season but because it's in the champ it doesn't get air time. Good goal, for sure, but I feel a little more confident seeing it. I don't think we would give them that much time in the box.

[hypochondriac]

A friend just reminded me of this brilliant away day that we went to 14 years ago on Saturday. Was anyone else there? Hoping for a similar type of outcome this Saturday 

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/4733020.bristol-rovers-2-southampton-3/

[Lighthouse]

20 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

A friend just reminded me of this brilliant away day that we went to 14 years ago on Saturday. Was anyone else there? Hoping for a similar type of outcome this Saturday 

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/4733020.bristol-rovers-2-southampton-3/

Yep, I was in the dry side. I think that was the game I got really drunk and ended up chasing a squirrel through Queen’s Square.

[hypochondriac]

17 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

Yep, I was in the dry side. I think that was the game I got really drunk and ended up chasing a squirrel through Queen’s Square.

Lucky bloke. I was absolutely soaked and wore a chunky goody that suddenly became very heavy. Memorable game though! 

[Dark Munster]

4 hours ago, leeham_69 said:

The WBA fan on TSP was absolutely wetting his pants at this goal, he said something like if it was in the PL it would be goal of the season but because it's in the champ it doesn't get air time. Good goal, for sure, but I feel a little more confident seeing it. I don't think we would give them that much time in the box.

He also said they don’t have a pot to piss in (or words to that effect) and their owner is AWOL, taking money out and not investing a penny. Basically they’re doing well solely because of their brilliant manager. He did very well against all odds last season too. But not hipster enough to be on Ankersen’s radar in the summer apparently. 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

1 hour ago, Dark Munster said:

He also said they don’t have a pot to piss in (or words to that effect) and their owner is AWOL, taking money out and not investing a penny. Basically they’re doing well solely because of their brilliant manager. He did very well against all odds last season too. But not hipster enough to be on Ankersen’s radar in the summer apparently. 

He's done pretty well at previous clubs too, I had hoped he was under consideration for us, but seemed we only had eyes for Martin. And possibly the Leicester fella too.

[notnowcato]

4 hours ago, Dark Munster said:

 But not hipster enough to be on Ankersen’s radar in the summer apparently. 

He actually was, apparently

[Daft Kerplunk]

21 hours ago, Wade Garrett said:

They’re West Brom, not Barcelona.

We’ll fucking smash them.  The Loch Ness Drogba will tear them a new asshole.

4-1.

West Brom might not be Barca but we are Valladolid and not Real Madrid 😎

[Wade Garrett]

9 hours ago, Daft Kerplunk said:

West Brom might not be Barca but we are Valladolid and not Real Madrid 😎

Wash your mouth out son, we’re the mighty Saints.

[Convict Colony]

On 07/11/2023 at 00:24, Wade Garrett said:

They’re West Brom, not Barcelona.

We’ll fucking smash them.  The Loch Ness Drogba will tear them a new asshole.

4-1.

Finally someone posting what i was going to - all hail the LND

[Daft Kerplunk]

2 hours ago, Wade Garrett said:

Wash your mouth out son, we’re the mighty Saints.

COYR 💪

[Miltonaggro]

Got to win this one and I think it will be tight but we will get it done, likely 2-1. Should Ipswich lose and Leeds draw Saturday we would then be in third, six points off second place going into the break. What a turnaround and psychological boost that would be. COYR. 

[igsey]

I think this will be our toughest game for some time, sounds like the kind of team we are bad against - sit deep, very effective on the counter attack. A win and I will start believing that second place is possible...

[AlexLaw76]

If their style is as described, they will likely beat us. They will defend well and pretty deep, watch us fanny about with it and hit the wide open spaces we leave behind.

getting a 93rd min goal may not be enough to get any points.

 

[Miltonaggro]

34 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

If their style is as described, they will likely beat us. They will defend well and pretty deep, watch us fanny about with it and hit the wide open spaces we leave behind.

getting a 93rd min goal may not be enough to get any points.

 

Yes, it's going to be an ask, especially with Holgate likely in at CB, the Bednarek / THB partnership is the foundation for our recent upturn in form. 

[SNSUN]

Tough fixture this. Potential to drop points at home, WBA going great guns right now, tight at the back and with Thomas-Asante and Diangana in good form they look strong in attack. We are picking up results without showing much of a cutting edge, the mark of a good team, but the defence will be shuffled and I think we will drop points here, but maybe do enough for a point.

 

1-1. A win would be huge though.

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

With Bednerek (and is Bree fit?) missing, think this will be a good pointer as to where we are. Are we chasing after Leicester and Ipswich/Leeds for an automatic promotion or in the pack going for a play-off place. I reckon those late late goals in the last couple of games are more than luck. This is a winning team on the ascendency and we'll be angling for the automatic spots.

COYR!

[Convict Colony]

Fuck west brom, we take their heads.

15-0 us, loch ness drogba scores 10 the rest are own goals

[Saint_clark]

Win this game and i'll be firmly turned around on Martin. 

[saintant]

Funny how Bree is now considered a big miss if he doesn't play. It took too many games to work out that he's better than Manning.

[Dark Munster]

1 hour ago, Saint_clark said:

Win this game and i'll be firmly turned around on Martin. 

And if we lose would you agree they have a much better manager, given the vastly greater resources we have?

[Saint_clark]

1 hour ago, Dark Munster said:

And if we lose would you agree they have a much better manager, given the vastly greater resources we have?

I've never heard of their manager so no idea. 

[Dark Munster]

1 hour ago, Saint_clark said:

I've never heard of their manager so no idea. 

Me neither until I listened to TSP the other day. The WBA guest fan made some very interesting remarks about him. 

[The Cat]

7 hours ago, Dark Munster said:

And if we lose would you agree they have a much better manager, given the vastly greater resources we have?

If this argument works then does it not mean that Nathan Jones is a better manager than Guardiola because we beat Man City last season?

[CB Fry]

Just now, The Cat said:

If this argument works then does it not mean that Nathan Jones is a better manager than Guardiola because we beat Man City last season?

If WBA beat us they will go above us in the League after a decent chunk of the season has elapsed so its not just some freak result.

[gio1saints]

 

Assuming that Saints should walk this league, should beat WBA, anyone, by looking at names on a team sheet, amount spent or the result of any one match or series of matches is one dimensional. Very easy. But not the full story. Which those using it as a stick to beat RM and the club ( and the mug supporters who think it’s going ok) know full well. 
 

The obvious trolling of supporters and the club that’s still taking place to do so despite the start point of utter chaos post and pre relegation with an exit only sign for players but then, recruitment and, slowly, obvious signs of improvement, obvious development, obvious rectifying of mistakes, obvious club and team unity growth and understanding and now some decent results in a row is not unnoticed. But it’s really hard to understand. 

 Saints fans deserve hope after many seasons of depressing outcomes. We seem at last to have that via RM and this team which is reactive to mistakes and makes adjustments along the way - just as we’d hope. Just as we’d expect - even demand.
 

So enjoy these days whilst we can. Enjoy supporting Saints on this oath. Lets try not get spooked or imprisoned by ghosts of our past ( hard for long term fans I know) and concentrate on the here and now.  😇
 

 

Edited 9 November, 2023 by gio1saints

[goodymatt]

Bednarek is a big loss for this game, Holgate still worries me. We are more than capable of winning this game though and if we do we will be building up to the best run of fixtures of the season in good shape. Does feel like a big game for our season and momentum. Looking forward to it.

[Dellyears]

Glad to see Bednarek is appreciated by some at last.

[Saint86]

When is stephens due back from injury?

[Jack]

45 minutes ago, Dellyears said:

Glad to see Bednarek is appreciated by some at last.

A big part of that for me is a lack of any competent backup. Bednarek has been decent recently but we’re still a decent player short in that position 

[Charlie Wayman]

I must have missed something, why will Bednarek miss this game? Suspension or injury? He looked OK at The Den, a bit slow and hesitant but physically OK.