Jump to content

Saints 2-0 Cardiff City - Match Thread

waylander

By waylander,
in The Saints

 Share

Recommended Posts

Maggie May

Maggie May

Posted
Posted

I can’t see Ipswich dropping away. Their record in the whole of 2023 has to be up there with the best in Europe. They remind me a lot of our 2011/12 promotion side. They have the ascendancy and the confidence to pull it off. 

We need to keep doing what we are doing and beat Leicester and Ipswich in the return fixtures for the slightest hope of the automatics, in my opinion. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
gio1saints

gio1saints

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, Ex Lion Tamer said:

Today gave me some optimism that with a run in the side, Che could get his form back

I agree but perhaps more importantly it gives a major clue as to how we are likely to integrate RS into the team. 

The experiment with che Aa and Charlie seemed to work well against these. Replace Che with RS and it in theory should be producing more goals from the chances created.

 I must admit the idea of putting RS wide as he has been tried in his brief appearance was not one I wanted to see.m repeated too often He needs to be near the goals cos he’s there to score  so this formation suits him better. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
miserableoldgit

miserableoldgit

Posted
Posted (edited)
14 hours ago, Greedyfly said:

Perspective is a funny thing.  I thought we were shit Wednesday, resorting to passing for possession stats.

 

We were not shit on Wednesday. We were not very effective in the first half admittedly, but we controlled the second half. What we were not good at was scoring another goal or two. People have got into this negative mindset (Bazunu is shit, Manager is shit, Manning is shit. style of football is shit. every win is "lucky"....I even saw early posts saying that THB was shit....after two games!). We are 11 games unbeaten and are probably the form team in the Championship, but some people find it difficult to admit that they might be wrong, and look for any opportunity to prove that they are right.

Edited by miserableoldgit
  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Miltonaggro

Miltonaggro

Posted
Posted

Just seen the video of our manager at the final whistle yesterday. Goading the Cardiff fans by holding up four fingers is not likely to endear Saints to the wider football community. Particularly when the post match trains to Wales were cancelled and it was below zero. Imagine how it felt on the journey back to the ‘land of my fathers’. I know Buddhism includes karma but this is stretching it.

Very well played Russell Martin, we’ve needed this for years! COYR! 

  • Haha 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites
The Cat

The Cat

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, gio1saints said:

I agree but perhaps more importantly it gives a major clue as to how we are likely to integrate RS into the team. 

The experiment with che Aa and Charlie seemed to work well against these. Replace Che with RS and it in theory should be producing more goals from the chances created.

 I must admit the idea of putting RS wide as he has been tried in his brief appearance was not one I wanted to see.m repeated too often He needs to be near the goals cos he’s there to score  so this formation suits him better. 

The front 3 swap around a fair bit during the game, it's quite a fluid set up. 

I think this really helps Alcaraz as he looks a little lost when he's continually the furthest forward as he was for some games.

Actually think that having Adams around should really help him. Adams main strength is holding the ball up, which draws in defenders and allows Alcaraz opportunity to find the space he needs to have a huge influence on the game.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
JRM

JRM

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, whelk said:

Was there any trouble after game? Big group of Cardiff lads clearly waiting for it before subway into town. 

Not sure but I hope all our fans in  the Northam survived from this incident 

 

  • Haha 19
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
rallyboy

rallyboy

Posted
Posted

Great team performance, we cut out the sloppy passing, people are chasing, we're moving it quick, the only time we gave Cardiff the ball was when they had to kick off.

The usual top performers were on it, Manning looks like he's settled, Mara looked sharp when he came on and after a rocky couple of months, our manager does appear to know what he's doing...

Apart from the temperature it was very good - they just need to carpet the Northam, that concrete is way too cold.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Greedyfly

Greedyfly

Posted
Posted (edited)
40 minutes ago, miserableoldgit said:

We were not shit on Wednesday. We were not very effective in the first half admittedly, but we controlled the second half. What we were not good at was scoring another goal or two. People have got into this negative mindset (Bazunu is shit, Manager is shit, Manning is shit. style of football is shit. every win is "lucky"....I even saw early posts saying that THB was shit....after two games!). We are 11 games unbeaten and are probably the form team in the Championship, but some people find it difficult to admit that they might be wrong, and look for any opportunity to prove that they are right.

Zzzzzz. Look back at where this conversation came from and you'll find plenty of balance. It's just I didn't want to write a summary of the Wednesday game having just applauded the performance (note I was applauding the performance) of today's game.

 

I'm neither wrong or right until the season ends, and until that point I think, prior to yesterday, we were keeping the ball without doing anything with it. That was the same on Wednesday where we needed a moment of brilliance from the one very clearly prem player we have. Thus, instead of writing all of that out, it was simply easier to write 'we were shit' because in my opinion, we were. And I'm not alone in that.

Edited by Greedyfly
Removed personal jibe, wasn't necessary
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Greedyfly

Greedyfly

Posted
Posted
13 hours ago, Wade Garrett said:

Absolutely tore them a new arsehole.

Shea Charles and Flynn Downes were very good.  Stuart Armstrong really positive on the ball and Adam Armstrong is a real handful for any defence.

I actually prefer them as the CM pairing. With maybe Smallbone pushed up a little further. Then he's interchangeable with Alcaraz but either way they were both good again yesterday.

 

Note, this is not an attack on Smallbone. I like him too.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ex Lion Tamer

Ex Lion Tamer

Posted
Posted
25 minutes ago, rallyboy said:

Great team performance, we cut out the sloppy passing, people are chasing, we're moving it quick, the only time we gave Cardiff the ball was when they had to kick off.

The usual top performers were on it, Manning looks like he's settled, Mara looked sharp when he came on and after a rocky couple of months, our manager does appear to know what he's doing...

Apart from the temperature it was very good - they just need to carpet the Northam, that concrete is way too cold.

Mara was really good in his cameo. It was one of those days when every player looked great

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Charlie Wayman

Charlie Wayman

Posted
Posted
16 hours ago, mikeyc said:

Second half perhaps the best I've seen us play under Martin. Some lovely football.

Perhaps but my impression was that Cardiff were not up for the fight, a combination of the terrible weather and Saints keep-ball seemed to have knocked the stuffing out of them after our second goal and from then on it was only going to end one way. True, they made a brief recovery after the break but it didn't last long after which they threw in the towel. We were really good on the ball though. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
suewhistle

suewhistle

Posted
Posted

To add to the chorus of positivity here I'd say that the game was really  enjoyable to watch and the only stress was mild frustration at not seeing more goals!

I commented to my neighbour that this should add a few hundred on the gate next time: not just the win but all the rest. Clean sheet too..

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ken Tone

Ken Tone

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, Charlie Wayman said:

Perhaps but my impression was that Cardiff were not up for the fight, a combination of the terrible weather and Saints keep-ball seemed to have knocked the stuffing out of them after our second goal and from then on it was only going to end one way. True, they made a brief recovery after the break but it didn't last long after which they threw in the towel. We were really good on the ball though. 

Thought you said you weren't going to the match?  Cardiff were up for it. We were just better!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
david in sweden

david in sweden

Posted
Posted (edited)

This must have been the right response to those critics who (despite 10 now 11 undefeated games) were unhappy with our style of play.

To a neutral, it may have looked like a standard home win, but a result with 5  or 6 goals might have shown our true dominance throughout the game.

The first 20 minutes was the most intense attacking / possession period  I've watched in a very long time, where we deserved more than just  2 goals.

 

Everyone put in a good shift with a number of outstanding performances and this was one game where the subs. really made a strong contribution.

I recently criticised Joe Aribo for a lack of impact in sub. appearances but he was a revelation and very unlucky not to get on the score sheet, and 

for a relatively short period (30 minutes) Ryan Fraser was almost unplayable and might have got a hat-trick on another day, but leaving the best to last...

the real injustice was Adam Armstrong's failure to get a most-deserved hat trick in a game where he was both goal-poacher and outstanding defender. 

 

We are hitting the right buttons  a.t.m. but we must now concentrate of two potentially difficult away games against teams in the mid table morass

of this league.  None of the teams above us look likely to drop points,  so it will be imperative to hold this fine form in the period upto the New Year. 

 

 

 

Edited by david in sweden
Link to comment
Share on other sites
david in sweden

david in sweden

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Miltonaggro said:

Just seen the video of our manager at the final whistle yesterday. Goading the Cardiff fans by holding up four fingers is not likely to endear Saints to the wider football community.

Particularly when the post match trains to Wales were cancelled and it was below zero. Imagine how it felt on the journey back to the ‘land of my fathers’.                    I know Buddhism includes karma but this is stretching it.    Very well played Russell Martin, we’ve needed this for years! COYR! 

...the closer they got to the Severn Bridge they might have been glad that it was only a 2-0 defeat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
whelk

whelk

Posted
Posted

 Cardiff fan in pub after game saying to me how boring Saints were and how we must be bored watching it. Was clueless that we were 11 unbeaten although fair play he was honourable in letting me be served before him although still a bit of a knobhead

  • Haha 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites
trousers

trousers

Posted
Posted (edited)
27 minutes ago, Ken Tone said:

Thought you said you weren't going to the match?  Cardiff were up for it. We were just better!

It's almost as if there's more than one person that uses that forum account... ;)

(Although, to be fair, 'he' may have watched it on a stream of course...)

Edited by trousers
  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Totton Saint

Totton Saint

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Saint Billy said:

That's more like it, attacking football.

Good result, had them beat early and could/should of had more. Hopefully this is the new philosophy.

I only saw 10 minutes on youtube today but was most impressed with what I saw. , The build up to the first goal was mesmeric. Pity I cannot attend the games. I havel  lived in Scotland last 5 years. Stu stood out on what little was shown on the video.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
S-Clarke

S-Clarke

Posted
Posted

An incredibly comfortable and controlled performance, there was never any drama. We strolled that from the start to the end.

We have the players to play those quick 1-2 movements, and at this level no team can deal with that - we saw that yesterday, whenever we played quick and short in and around the box Cardiff were lost. We can play like that and if we consistently start doing that in the final third then not many teams will have an answer to that.

The run we've been on since the Boro game is exactly what was needed, but it's a bit sobering that even after 8 wins in 11/un beaten in 11, we are still miles off the top 2. I still think we're a nailed Play Off team but we've been incredibly unlucky to be in a season where two teams just continue to Walz away at the top.

Special mentions y/day to Manning, who has been really poor, but put in a good shift yesterday. I'm a huge fan of Downes and I think he's the best CM at this level by a mile, such a class act. THB is just there, you never end up talking about him as he strolls games at this level. We actually have a real spine down the middle of this side now and it makes all the difference.

Watford away will not be easy, they've picked up a bit but they do strike me as a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde team.

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Saint Marky

Saint Marky

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, Miltonaggro said:

Just seen the video of our manager at the final whistle yesterday. Goading the Cardiff fans by holding up four fingers is not likely to endear Saints to the wider football community. Particularly when the post match trains to Wales were cancelled and it was below zero. Imagine how it felt on the journey back to the ‘land of my fathers’. I know Buddhism includes karma but this is stretching it.

Very well played Russell Martin, we’ve needed this for years! COYR! 

What the Welsh bar stewards were singing about him, I’m surprised he was so self- contained.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mr Nimbus

Mr Nimbus

Posted
Posted

Really enjoyed Saturdays performance. A good end to a tough week.

Thought Manning had the best game I have seen him have for us this season, Downes was tremendous as was Adam Armstrong.

Huge credit to him also for the desire to score that second goal. They didn't show it in the replays but he (like Alcaraz) got pole axed in the build up, but he got up got in a goal scoring position and wanted it more.

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Totton Saint

Totton Saint

Posted
Posted
18 hours ago, Ted Bates Statue said:

Just watched this build-up to the first goal again, as the short highlights don't include it. So enjoyable to watch the match, and so many instances where we simply bamboozled our way out of potentially tricky situations for the defence.

 

 

Thanks - what  a build up!!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
niceandfriendly

niceandfriendly

Posted
Posted
On 03/12/2023 at 02:05, gio1saints said:

Best match for Saints - cut out his odd mistakes and made some good defensive interceptions and challenges. His haters must be fuming he didn’t fuck up but they may get satisfaction yet. It’s a long season and defensively it’s clear that lh side is still our Achilles heel.

Re: Manning. I certainly don't "hate" him but I think he's been awful this season. But I'm far from fuming to hear he played well, I'm delighted. Fans don't actually want our players to play badly, we want to win, play well, have success, so I don't understand your odd comment. Hopefully the introduction of Bree on the left and his decent performances have made Manning step his game up. Hope so, we need them both. 

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...