North 0-1 South - ampton - Match Thread

[obelisk]

Please stop with the bleedin' Russball.

[Gloucester Saint]

Early days but hard to imagine how Downs got Bundesliga 2 double figures for a big club.

I thought he’d be like an early Kenwyne Jones but he’s far worse so far. Not just missing two sitters but he’s like concrete, ball bounces off him.

[whelk]

1 minute ago, Whitey Grandad said:

What on earth have we bought?

Looks a total dud but lets hope it’s nerves

[saintant]

Got to ditch the back five at ht.

[Costa del Solent]

So… for Stephens’ goal on Saturday, did Downs dummy or did he just muddle his feet? Because…. And I’m gonna say it… he looks pretty shit 

[whelk]

Just now, Gloucester Saint said:

Early days but hard to imagine how Downs got Bundesliga 2 double figures for a big club.

I thought he’d be like an early Kenwyne Jones but he’s far worse so far. Not just missing two sitters but he’s like concrete, ball bounces off him.

 Can you say touch of a rapist these days?

[Turkish]

On his arse again he looks shite so far 

[Smirking_Saint]

Are we playing long ball against a league 2 team

[ant]

If I were being charitable I'd say our positioning, communication, passing, ball retention, crossing, finishing, pressing, marking, tackling and goalkeeping have been a little under par.

[Bakovnetski]

Downs can't stay on his feet

[Whitey Grandad]

Just now, Costa del Solent said:

So… for Stephens’ goal on Saturday, did Downs dummy or did he just muddle his feet? Because…. And I’m gonna say it… he looks pretty shit 

I thought Ali Dia was better. 

[SambaMaverick]

What a horrific buy he looks, Jesus Christ

[Suhari]

1 minute ago, whelk said:

 Can you say touch of a rapist these days?

Online Safety Act means I can only read this after age verification.

Edited 12 August, 2025 by Suhari

[bobby_charles]

To be fair downs was pushed on Saturday, just enough to put him off but not enough to fluff it as badly as he did

[Ekelund]

Just now, whelk said:

 Can you say touch of a rapist these days?

CB Fry would #bants

[Bakovnetski]

1 minute ago, Costa del Solent said:

So… for Stephens’ goal on Saturday, did Downs dummy or did he just muddle his feet? Because…. And I’m gonna say it… he looks pretty shit 

He did get a push. Or maybe a mild slap. 

[die Mannyschaft]

15 minutes ago, Suhari said:

We are not actually very good.

Are we playing possession aimless type football ?

[Gloucester Saint]

3 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Why is it so hard for us to buy decent forward players? 

When we refuse to pay the market rate for the division we are in, very hard.

I thought for £7m he’d be quite raw but we are talking Flynn Downes-cooked chicken livers.

Edited 12 August, 2025 by Gloucester Saint

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, Bakovnetski said:

Downs can't stay on his feet

Or use them.

[Suhari]

Just now, die Mannyschaft said:

Are we playing possession aimless type football ?

Definitely not!

[saintant]

1 minute ago, Smirking_Saint said:

Are we playing long ball against a league 2 team

Yes because they outnumber our midfield. Nolan doing a number on Will here.

[Andy Hill]

How bad is this ?? 

[OttawaSaint]

Fuck we don't half dig up some shite!

Not confident in any of our so called forwards getting more than about 4 goals each this season.

A real headache for WS, who the fuck can he rely on?

[CB Fry]

Cobblers.

[coalman]

BBD down injured at the end of the half. Nobody cares

[saintant]

That was as bad as it gets. Will must change our shape at half time.

[AlexLaw76]

HT.

So far, Still's saints are pretty crap. 3 at the back, no cohesion in midfield and not a threat up top. We are turning into a prime Stoke City...

Why are we playing 5 defenders and hoofing it so much (again)....

[obelisk]

Well at least Will Still is hopefully learning a few things. Saints look painfully slow to everything and the passing is dreadful.

[tdmickey3]

5 minutes ago, Turkish said:

2 sitters In about 60 minutes of football 

Yep but hardly a collection, yet

[Andy Hill]

Hopefully Stewart stays fit - he is our only hope for goals. 

[saintant]

3 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

Are we playing long ball against a league 2 team

I think they are League 1.

[Wade Garrett]

Is Danny Ings still looking for a club?

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, coalman said:

BBD down injured at the end of the half. Nobody cares

I do because with RS sick it means the American ‘won a lottery to play’ stays on.

The scout at the Koln games must have over-done the pre-match Kolsch big time. Mind you, it is a lovely drop.

[Smirking_Saint]

Im going to give Downs the benefit of the doubt for now… but I am a bit worried 

[tdmickey3]

1 minute ago, Wade Garrett said:

Is Danny Ings still looking for a club?

Bring Carrillo back 

[Mattio]

I hope Still bites their heads off. 

[Sidney Fudpucker the 3rd]

Fuck me, we're so shit! 

We're gonna need an experienced striker. Downes is never going to be the solution. 

Just get Romeu and Ings in. They're the sort of thing that's needed at this level. 

Edited 12 August, 2025 by Sidney Fudpucker the 3rd

[bpsaint]

That could be one of the worst halves of a football match I’ve ever watched from a quality POV. I’ve seen Sunday league teams with more cohesion than us. Reminds me of that Lincoln City game under mad Nate where we just looked completely disjointed.

Main takeaways are that we definitely need a new keeper as a number 2 that is going to pressure Baz for the number 1 spot. QPR fans must be easily pleased, Edward’s default setting seems to be Russball across the face of his goal regardless of pressure which you just don’t do as a footballer. Lastly BBD, I tried being patient I really did, but fuck me that bloke has just lost it. It reminds of that Space Jam movie when they steal the abilities of all the NBA players. Like he woke up one day and had forgotten how to play football.

Edited 12 August, 2025 by bpsaint

[Harry_SFC]

10 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

Downs is Adams 2.0

At least Adams looked good outside of the six yard box. Downs looks just as bad as football as BBD. 

[SfcPhil]

Only one word is required to describe that first half: shite.

[StrangelyBrown]

Switch to 4 at the back, take BBD off and bring on Frazer or Robinson, take off Edwards or sugawara and bring on either Downes or Matsuki. Give Downs 10 mins and replace with Arma. Simples

Edited 12 August, 2025 by StrangelyBrown

[saintstowin]

Being very generous, tonight's was slightly behind him, doesn't justify the outcome but....and being too generous Saturday's had a mitigating circumstance or two. He is at least enthusiastic!

That miss sums up rather than overshadows a bad first half.

[Saint NL]

Our attacking options are pretty poor:

 

BBD is awful. Can't control a ball.

Downs looks ok defensively, but goes to pieces in the oppositions area.

Archer is the invisible man. He's never involved in the game.

 

We need a striker.

[SWLondon Saint]

We desperately need a 3rd man in midfield. Can also see why AA started up front on Saturday now, these 3 look absolutely hopeless. What is going on with them? Downs just looks a bag of nerves right now but at least he's trying.

[saintant]

Just now, Mattio said:

I hope Still bites their heads off. 

He picked the side and the formation which is the problem

[die Mannyschaft]

1,000 of forwards scoring goals week in week out in England and we can't find a goal scorer. Its not difficult. Lots of goals going in today in other games. You could get 10 in at £1m each. Or 20 at £500k. 

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, Saint NL said:

Our attacking options are pretty poor:

 

BBD is awful. Can't control a ball.

Downs looks ok defensively, but goes to pieces in the oppositions area.

Archer is the invisible man. He's never involved in the game.

 

We need a striker.

What we need to do is have a system that gets a tune out of these players...

[lambtiss]

1 minute ago, Smirking_Saint said:

Im going to give Downs the benefit of the doubt for now… but I am a bit worried 

I agree. I'm not going to write him off yet after 60 minutes of football.

But, that was a horrendous miss, that David Blunkett would have tucked away 

[CB Fry]

GET THE ARMENIAN 

[saintant]

1 minute ago, StrangelyBrown said:

Switch to 4 at the back, take BBD off and bring on Frazer or Robinson, take off Edwards or sugawara and bring on either Downes or Matsuki. Give Downs 10 mins and replace with Arms. Simples

Why waste another 10 minutes?