Saints 1-2 Stoke - Match Thread

[Appy]

In all the years I’ve watched Saints, it always feels like when we go down to ten men, we absolutely crumble and when the opponents have a player sent off, we have no idea what to do. 

[Charlie Wayman]

2 hours ago, gio1saints said:

Was thinking exactly that. Really hope Will Still learns from that brutal tactical lesson he got taught. Everything Ive heard about him says he will and can so fingers crossed. Harsh lessons often the best and I have belief in his pragmatism. I don’t think he’s one for repeating something over and over again like RM was even when it’s not working. 

I'm not that optimistic. In his pre match presser he said that the silly defensive errors leading to give-away goals were easy to eliminate through (his) better coaching and awareness. There was't much evidence of progress in that direction yesterday. 

Some players let us down badly yesterday, notably Fernandes who cannot be statisfied with that performance, his heart just was't in it. Manning especially infuriates me, rinse and repeat all afternoon.

This week will be telling, if the club fail to get the right people in to improve us fans are in for a very disappointing season; that's a big "if" based on who they've brought in so far in this window.

No way Saints will be going up with this squad of unimaginative journeymen.

Edited Sunday at 10:56 by Charlie Wayman

[S-Clarke]

5 hours ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

Really? You were talking a lot of sense until this bit. Stoke deserved the 3 points. They moved the ball forward  so much quicker and effectively than us. We were pedestrian, ineffective and full of basic mistakes.

I think we huffed and puffed to be honest, too slow with the ball, too passive off the ball. 

Of course we had some chances, but overall I'd say that Stoke 100% deserved that win. They carried a genuine threat in transition whereas we just didn't move it quick enough.

Low blocks like that need width and quick movement of the ball in between the lines, it's the only way you get around it - especially 10 men, stretching the game wins it.

Sadly our options for Stretching the game were an aging Fraser and a full back in Manning. It's a bit of a mess right now.

[The very right reverend]

We've been a side thats been bullied for years, look at that Stoke team, big, strong and fit, perfect for Championship, Johansson and Manhoef were class and would improve our side hugely, we deserved to lose, we didn't take our chances and they did, our defence is still woeful as is our attack, the club genuinely do not know what they're doing.

[Andrew Watson]

Cannot argue with much of the above post,from a man of the cloth. 

[saintant]

We have to move the ball much quicker and our passing needs to improve massively. This team is still far too slow in thought and action, a hangover from Russball for some of them who still instinctively pass square and back rather than forward. Will has his work cut out to rid them of the curse of Russ.

[benjii]

1 hour ago, saintant said:

We have to move the ball much quicker and our passing needs to improve massively. This team is still far too slow in thought and action, a hangover from Russball for some of them who still instinctively pass square and back rather than forward. Will has his work cut out to rid them of the curse of Russ.

I don't buy that. He's had a whole preseason. Blaming the failings of the previous manager is pathetic. They are set up in a way which doesn't really get the best out of any of the eleven players on the pitch, with the possible exception of the left wing back.

 

Edit: the manager, three managers ago.

Edited Sunday at 14:58 by benjii

[Gloucester Saint]

3 hours ago, Andrew Watson said:

Cannot argue with much of the above post,from a man of the cloth. 

And if Spors doesn’t pull his finger out this week and we lost at home to Pompey, he and Still will be touching cloth….

[Gloucester Saint]

2 hours ago, saintant said:

We have to move the ball much quicker and our passing needs to improve massively. This team is still far too slow in thought and action, a hangover from Russball for some of them who still instinctively pass square and back rather than forward. Will has his work cut out to rid them of the curse of Russ.

Best way is use fines and shout-outs in training for propaganda football and cowardice - ‘bottled it’, ‘weak dick’. Bally used a fines system for anyone smashing aimless over head height into the channels to rid the players of Branfoot behavoiour rapidly. High Viz worn at Staplewood for anyone persistently checking back and being ponderous. 

Edited Sunday at 15:43 by Gloucester Saint

[Football Special]

4 hours ago, The very right reverend said:

We've been a side thats been bullied for years, look at that Stoke team, big, strong and fit, perfect for Championship, Johansson and Manhoef were class and would improve our side hugely, we deserved to lose, we didn't take our chances and they did, our defence is still woeful as is our attack, the club genuinely do not know what they're doing.

Amen 

[saintant]

1 hour ago, benjii said:

I don't buy that. He's had a whole preseason. Blaming the failings of the previous manager is pathetic. They are set up in a way which doesn't really get the best out of any of the eleven players on the pitch, with the possible exception of the left wing back.

 

Edit: the manager, three managers ago.

I don't like the 3 at the back but I am still seeing players who cannot seem to shake off the Russball way of playing - I guess old habits die hard. Also get that you are not the biggest Will Still fan 🙂

[saintant]

44 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Best way is use fines and shout-outs in training for propaganda football and cowardice - ‘bottled it’, ‘weak dick’. Bally used a fines system for anyone smashing aimless over head height into the channels to rid the players of Branfoot behavoiour rapidly. High Viz worn at Staplewood for anyone persistently checking back and being ponderous. 

Not a bad idea 🙂

[Dr Who?]

That was an awful and so disjointed performance. It was like the players had never met. Slinging balls into the box straight to the keeper and on other occasions like the players had their eyes closed while crossing the ball. There was no technique or accuracy at all. The passing was sluggish, slow and again way off the mark, and there was not any fight.

Ok we have time to sort this mess of a team out, but if we play the skates like that they rip into us. I fear that game at the moment. 

I was so pee’d off on the 7 hour journey home to Carlisle, not that we lost as I knew Stoke were high on confidence and well organised, but how we failed to turn up for a home game, and 30 minutes against 10 men. Absolutely clueless, headless chickens. Saying this the team were set up to fail with 5 at the back and only 1 up front at home as one of favourites for the league is criminal. 

Drop your data and stats and just man manage your team with what you see week in week out in training, this is real life football, not a computer game. 

You should have seen some of the puffed out chests and swaggers of the Stoke fans as they walked around the services on the way back to Carlisle. Annoying, but fair play to them, we would be the same in their position… intolerable! 

I do think they need to make the most of it as they will drop away, but as I have said confidence is a massive thing in football, as is togetherness as a club, and Robins brings that to Stoke, and we are way off at the moment. 

Edited Sunday at 16:47 by Dr Who?

[CSA96]

10 minutes ago, Dr Who? said:

That was an awful and so disjointed performance. It was like the players had never met. Slinging balls into the box straight to the keeper and on other occasions like the players had their eyes closed while crossing the ball. There was no technique or accuracy at all. The passing was sluggish, slow and again way off the mark, and there was not any fight.

Ok we have time to sort this mess of a team out, but if we play the skates like that they rip into us. I fear that game at the moment. 

I was so pee’d off on the 7 hour journey home to Carlisle, not that we lost as I knew Stoke were high on confidence and well organised, but how we failed to turn up for a home game, and 30 minutes against 10 men. Absolutely clueless, headless chickens. Saying this the team were set up to fail with 5 at the back and only 1 up front at home as one of favourites for the league is criminal. 

Drop your data and stats and just man manage your team with what you see week in week out in training, this is real life football, not a computer game. 

You should have seen some of the puffed out chests and swaggers of the Stoke fans as they walked around the services on the way back to Carlisle. Annoying, but fair play to them, we would be the same in their position… intolerable! 

I do think they need to make the most of it as they will drop away, but as I have said confidence is a massive thing in football, as is togetherness as a club, and Robins brings that to Stoke, and we are way off at the moment. 

He's said (many times) that he's not someone who spends too much time on data and statistics, plus the computer game line is lame

I don't think we failed to turn up, either. We had 18 shots, hit the post twice and forced a couple of big saves from Johansson. We played our way into trouble with Downes turning into traffic on the first and then got sucker-punched for the second, we weren't on the ropes and clinging on

You won't catch me arguing over the passing being crap and us slinging the ball in from wide, but the game as a whole was not the disaster it is being painted as in some quarters, at all. I would like to see the end of the 3-4-3 sooner rather than later and certainly the end of Armstrong lone striker immediately, but I am pretty sure that's imminent enough and will accelerate as soon as we sign the much-needed wide players and No. 10

Edited Sunday at 16:56 by CSA96

[Dr Who?]

10 minutes ago, CSA96 said:

He's said (many times) that he's not someone who spends too much time on data and statistics, plus the computer game line is lame

I don't think we failed to turn up, either. We had 18 shots, hit the post twice and forced a couple of big saves from Johansson. We played our way into trouble with Downes turning into traffic on the first and then got sucker-punched for the second, we weren't on the ropes and clinging on

You won't catch me arguing over the passing being crap and us slinging the ball in from wide, but the game as a whole was not the disaster it is being painted as in some quarters, at all. I would like to see the end of the 3-4-3 sooner rather than later and certainly the end of Armstrong lone striker immediately, but I am pretty sure that's imminent enough and will accelerate as soon as we sign the much-needed wide players and No. 10

The journey home just made me grumpy as well. I thought it was very poor. Also it will be my only home game of the season with my 13 year old, so want it to be good, to make a statement to the rest of the league, and we did not show up. We were not sharp enough or on our game. Lose that game in 2 weeks and the natives will turn. 

[CSA96]

1 minute ago, Dr Who? said:

The journey home just made me grumpy as well. I thought it was very poor. Also it will be my only home game of the season with my 13 year old, so want it to be good, to make a statement to the rest of the league, and we did not show up. We were not sharp enough or on our game. Lose that game in 2 weeks and the natives will turn. 

Yeah I agree we weren't sharp and it was sloppy but that's not anything I didn't expect from an early season game with the window still open, soon after an all-time misery of a relegation. The three relegated sides are all outside the playoffs so far, with Ipswich down in 18th. It always takes a bit of time for those teams to click again

I sympathise with the journey though because that is one hell of a commitment, so I don't blame your grumpiness!

[Miltonaggro]

20 hours ago, The very right reverend said:

We've been a side thats been bullied for years, look at that Stoke team, big, strong and fit, perfect for Championship, Johansson and Manhoef were class and would improve our side hugely, we deserved to lose, we didn't take our chances and they did, our defence is still woeful as is our attack, the club genuinely do not know what they're doing.

Spot on. Half the stadium thought we should have bought Johansson after his heroics for Rotherham in our last Championship season, and many said so on here. So obvious to anyone who has watched the game for a few years, and could likely have bought him for £3m. Sport Republic’s expert scouts seem to see things differently from the majority of SFC fans. We have a proven formula for rapid promotion from the Leibherr / Adkins era, but these doughnuts don’t seem able or willing to replicate it. 

[obelisk]

Three points thrown away at the start of the season have the same value as 3 points at the end of the season. Can't really go along with the complacency that it's early in the season so who cares. If promotion is the aim then accepting a bad start is as dumb as being happy with a bad run-in.

[Badger]

On 23/08/2025 at 22:13, S-Clarke said:

I don't think we can play Downes and Charles together, it's one or the other for me. I'd plump for Charles as he has a bit more mobility, but having them both in there keeps the game slow and there's a lack of drive.

Like you say, Fernandes was the only one really doing it, but he was coming quite deep to get the ball. He's not a 10 as some are suggesting, so if we get our 10, go to a flat back 4, I'd stick Fernandes alongside Charles (if he stays that is), with a 10 in front of them and two wide players either side.

That combination certainly didn’t work in Saturday. Really have to ask why, as last time in the Championship the Downes/Smallbone tandem worked reasonably well for us most of the time (even allowing Smallbone’s non existent tacking). Certainly wouldn’t see or expect Charles after his season at Sheff Weds to be a downgrade.

Perhaps just an off day, but it doesn’t bode well. 
 

I like your proposed line up, but hinges on bringing the right players in. With a week to go.. 

Edited Monday at 11:28 by Badger

[St Chalet]

On 23/08/2025 at 17:44, sockeye said:

Who needs strikers anyway?

We have far too many False 9's

[OldNick]

For a club that were top of the league, what a dismal turnout of fans, League 2 sides have sent more in cup games. They also were full of mouth in the streets after the game. 

[OldNick]

On 23/08/2025 at 22:30, vectraman said:

Their 2nd goal (a proper fast break (Saints take note)) should have seen Capt Jack haul him down and take a yellow. But no, they score.  Amateur time again. 
 

 

 

 

I was in line with Jack as he came across and could sense he was thinking of taking him out but had he done so it was a straight red. No doubt all the crap he has taken about being sent off also would have crossed his mind. Baz should have perhaps got something on it as it was at an tight angle.

Mark Robins is a very astute manager for this league, he has a squad that is strong , powerful on the break, with pace. 

That is the type of player we should be going for, less silky but with the above attributes, and their 9 who got sent off is only 19 he was a right handful. It is about time we bought a c/f who also is a right handful that roughs up the opposition defenders. Man City have a very good future forward there.

I may be in the minority but I thought Wood was very good and unlucky to be the centre half taken off

Edited Tuesday at 12:10 by OldNick

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

40 minutes ago, OldNick said:

For a club that were top of the league, what a dismal turnout of fans, League 2 sides have sent more in cup games. They also were full of mouth in the streets after the game. 

Back in the day their mob was known as the Naughty Forty, it’s more Squirty Thirty these days.