Saints 1-2 Stoke - Match Thread

[Crab Lungs]

Stoke were the first proper test. We failed it. They literally bossed us, embarrassingly. I always felt the game was on their terms, pretty much.

I see the issues are at many levels. Still no clear pattern of play; maybe that’s a good thing, but a lot of these players have had the autonomy coached out of them by Martin.

We had opportunities, but no clinical edge - we’ve got a load of scuffers who get into the good positions.

Fernandes and Charles dawdling on the ball and getting caught annoyed me.

Also, too many misplaced passes. From everyone.

Stoke are well organised and are not dour in any way…  but honestly, the time wasting and gamesmanship was awful.

Other thoughts:

Bazunu is NOT good enough. We do not go up with him in goal. 

Stewart, Downs - I actually can’t see a point in them either. Armstrong is ok but NOT through the middle.

Honorable mentions to Fraser, Robinson and Wood who really did try.

[davefizzy14]

Very dissappointing that today. We conceded twice through our own mistakes. We pull one back through THB. We had enough opportunities today to win that. Need to go back to a back four.

Edited 11 hours ago by davefizzy14

[Smirking_Saint]

We’re having real problems playing against sides good at counter attacking, and unfortunately thats going to be a popular tactic against us

I could blame Stephens and Bazunu for the 2nd but it was shit all round, we’d majorly over committed

I didn’t think we were that bad but for all our depth we look devoid of ideas up top, I don’t think 3 atb helps either, its unnecessary, move to a standard 2 cb formation and utilise the extra man forward…

Too many crosses, not enough take ons and no striker able to occupy CBs

We need recruitments, I thought we’d be ok but we definitely need a forward to lead the line

[SNSUN]

Season over. Still out. Sell everything and everyone not nailed down. SR out. 

Have i covered it?

Seriously I nearly went today with the family and I'm quite glad I didn't and got a bit drunk instead. This shows the work that needs to be done while the window is open. 

[Micky]

1 minute ago, Jimmy_D said:

Plus one just over the bar, their keeper making a fantastic save low to his right, and Robinson hitting the post twice.

Which gets you.....  no points.... none at all.

[skintsaint]

1 minute ago, Crab Lungs said:

Stoke were the first proper test. We failed it. They literally bossed us, embarrassingly.

 

shit finishing cost us...again. 

Edited 11 hours ago by skintsaint

[Crab Lungs]

Just now, skintsaint said:

Yeah, that’s all very well and sure, if a couple of close ones went in the dynamics of the game shift.

The game for me just felt completely on their terms.

 

[santolijador]

Just now, skintsaint said:

Clearly lacking quality going forward in general

[Lard]

Couple of weeks time the Skates will have a field day against us. 
 

[Smirking_Saint]

 

1 minute ago, skintsaint said:

 

shit finishing cost us...again. 

18 shots and only 2 on target (discounting the Robinson posts) is very poor

We need a striker and a winger/No.10

[Saint Billy]

Last season was painful enough, but seeing the same old dross in a lower league is taking the total piss. 

[Gloucester Saint]

5 minutes ago, saint michael said:

I just don’t trust they know who to buy. This insistence on buying players like Downs who they think they will make money on without considering how good they are NOW. Rome is burning 

SR are better off sending what they need to the top agency firms and letting them come up with a shortlist at the start of next week. Our scouts have proven time and again that they cannot spot a good player to save their lives bar the odd fluke eg Lavia, Livramento. I bet Fernandes was brought to them by Mendes as well.

[obelisk]

6 minutes ago, trousers said:

 

 

Attack at pace? We don't do that at Saints. Manning often had acres to run in to but he either couldn't or wouldn't. I thought they were supposed to be fitter this season. 

[Baird of the land]

Barring a 5 mnute throwing the kitchen sink against a poor wrexham side still tenure so far has been pretty abject.

None of the system flexibility we were promised at all either.

[Dman]

8 minutes ago, trousers said:

 

 

For all of our 'depth', I'd swap their front 3 today for ours.

I'd swap him for our manager as well, to be fair. 

[Jimmy_D]

5 minutes ago, Micky said:

Which gets you.....  no points.... none at all.

I know. It’s almost like I was saying that not taking the chances we did create cost us the points today.

[obelisk]

Just now, Dman said:

For all of our 'depth', I'd swap their front 3 today for ours.

I'd swap him for our manager as well, to be fair. 

And their 'keeper.

[RedArmy]

5 minutes ago, Crab Lungs said:

 

The game for me just felt completely on their terms.

 

Yep. Never felt like we were in the game. 
 

A couple of moments of individual quality that didn’t result in goals could have saved our blushes but that was fucking turgid. 

[Broccoli Man]

Mid table mediocrity it is then

 

[Gloucester Saint]

6 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

 

18 shots and only 2 on target (discounting the Robinson posts) is very poor

We need a striker and a winger/No.10

A couple of each arguably, and Downs, AA and BBD loaned out, even if Dragan has to stump up on the wages. Can’t close the curtains on bad investments.

[Toussaint]

31 minutes ago, Mattio said:

I forgot what this place is like after a loss, everyone calm the fuck down 🤣

Not really, you need to pick up 2+ points a game to get in the autos, every loss is a setback 

[Gloucester Saint]

3 minutes ago, Jimmy_D said:

I know. It’s almost like I was saying that not taking the chances we did create cost us the points today.

Plus having a better keeper, central midfield and forward line. Otherwise referred to as a team’s spine. And ours has been broken for several years.

[saint michael]

7 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

SR are better off sending what they need to the top agency firms and letting them come up with a shortlist at the start of next week. Our scouts have proven time and again that they cannot spot a good player to save their lives bar the odd fluke eg Lavia, Livramento. I bet Fernandes was brought to them by Mendes as well.

Yeah I agree. It worked well at wolves until they walked away from it. I don’t think this window can make the difference it needs. As you said, the slide is well and truly on 

[Galway saint]

11 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Did you miss that 5-0 defeat at Sunderland this time 2 years ago then? 

I saw that and it was abysmal but that was more a product of the wrong system, rather than shit players ( Holgate excepted).

The current team is a product of another two seasons of poor recruitment. We knew we were down by Christmas yet in the intervening period we have signed Downs and Quarshie, both of whom look really poor footballers.

Spoors has come in but still it looks like we cannot pick a good player.

I don’t think things will improve until SR move on and we are palpably a worse team than now than the one that came down in 23/24.

I’d love to see Che back up front as he’s light years better than the current pile of shite. 

[Killers Knee]

Same old sideways walking football, absolutely zero movement off the ball.  When the WeeMan looks like one of the better players you know you have big problems.

[Dman]

7 minutes ago, obelisk said:

And their 'keeper.

Harsh on Bazunu as he's not done anything wrong (yet), but fuck me, he's brilliant isn't he. 

I can't believe hes at stoke. 

[musesaint]

We only have ourselves to blame. Gifted 2 goals to Stoke. Failed to take our best chances - end of

We will get better - but we need to do that very soon if we are serious about promotion. 

[Football Special]

15 minutes ago, Crab Lungs said:

Stoke were the first proper test. We failed it. They literally bossed us, embarrassingly. I always felt the game was on their terms, pretty much.

I see the issues are at many levels. Still no clear pattern of play; maybe that’s a good thing, but a lot of these players have had the autonomy coached out of them by Martin.

We had opportunities, but no clinical edge - we’ve got a load of scuffers who get into the good positions.

Fernandes and Charles dawdling on the ball and getting caught annoyed me.

Also, too many misplaced passes. From everyone.

Stoke are well organised and are not dour in any way…  but honestly, the time wasting and gamesmanship was awful.

Other thoughts:

Bazunu is NOT good enough. We do not go up with him in goal. 

Stewart, Downs - I actually can’t see a point in them either. Armstrong is ok but NOT through the middle.

Honorable mentions to Fraser, Robinson and Wood who really did try.

Spot on. Chatting to a Stoke fan, they were surprised how POOR we were. 

No surprise to us as we saw the shite they served up week in week out last season. 

Will Still has a lot to learn from the likes of Robins 

[Mr X]

Till we get a class striker  (hopefully with experience at a higher level) that's capable of 15-20 plus goals we are going to struggle, our strikers simply aren't good enough!. 

[Toussaint]

Just now, Killers Knee said:

Same old sideways walking football, absolutely zero movement off the ball.  When the WeeMan looks like one of the better players you know you have big problems.

Wee man did put in a good shift, but he’s getting too long in the tooth to play that role, he badly ran out of puff. I also noticed he is reluctant to take his man on anymore, so generally cuts back or passes short. 10/10 for effort, but we need better. Someone who can get behind.
 

We are really missing KWP

[ItchenRob]

I might have missed any pertinent comments regarding him but Shea Charles isn't adding much at the moment imho. Ponderous in possession and some poor passing.

[SouSaint]

Sport Republic out. They've turned us into a midtable Championship side and are well on their way to another failed transfer window. Dogshit owners. 

[Dman]

1 minute ago, ItchenRob said:

I might have missed any pertinent comments regarding him but Shea Charles isn't adding much at the moment imho. Ponderous in possession and some poor passing.

Both he and Downes were apalling today. Throw Fernandes in the mix as well. 

[E_H_Saints]

No creativity from the outside or in the box.  Nobody wants to shoot the ball.  How many times the ball got dribbled across the box to just be passed out wide.  Frustrating to say the least.  

Passing out wide should be an option not the game plan.

Edited 11 hours ago by E_H_Saints

[sockeye]

1 minute ago, SouSaint said:

Sport Republic out. They've turned us into a midtable Championship side and are well on their way to another failed transfer window. Dogshit owners. 

20th (25pts) -> 4th -> 20th (12pts) -> ???

What next? 6th? 9th? Or nowhere near the playoff positions entirely?

Still a lot of time, but it's hard to look past the trends.

[RedArmy]

1 minute ago, ItchenRob said:

I might have missed any pertinent comments regarding him but Shea Charles isn't adding much at the moment imho. Ponderous in possession and some poor passing.

He had more freedom to get forward and either press or be heavily involved in our attacking play against Wrexham and he was far better. It felt like he spend most of that game on the edge of their box. 
 

I guess a mixture of Fernandes being the one to do that since he’s come back in and needing bodies in the middle because we’re getting overrun in midfield every game has reined him in a little bit. 
 

Plus Downes being utterly shite next to him. 

[stknowle]

45 minutes ago, HKsaint said:

Relegation battle begins

It’s not THAT bad HK my old pal but we do look bang average tbf. 

[Harry_SFC]

4 minutes ago, ItchenRob said:

I might have missed any pertinent comments regarding him but Shea Charles isn't adding much at the moment imho. Ponderous in possession and some poor passing.

He was more than good enough in our first two matches. Poor today like a lot of them. I'm more worried about Downes who looks like e league two player at the moment.

[Sparkkyy]

When are these “prolific” forward players going to be prolific again? It’s been ages. I don’t get the logic in backing players based on what they did a few seasons ago. 

[Baird of the land]

At the moment i'm laying far more blame on the way still's tactically setting up the players to fail. That may change games down the line

[Football Special]

18 minutes ago, Baird of the land said:

Barring a 5 mnute throwing the kitchen sink against a poor wrexham side still tenure so far has been pretty abject.

None of the system flexibility we were promised at all either.

Yes , we've had some wise guys on here preaching that our pile of shite squad from last season will still be "good enough for the championship " despite us losing what little quality we had. 

Damion Downs will be worse than Sekou Mara 

[Miltonaggro]

24 minutes ago, Crab Lungs said:

Stoke were the first proper test. We failed it. They literally bossed us, embarrassingly. I always felt the game was on their terms, pretty much.

I see the issues are at many levels. Still no clear pattern of play; maybe that’s a good thing, but a lot of these players have had the autonomy coached out of them by Martin.

We had opportunities, but no clinical edge - we’ve got a load of scuffers who get into the good positions.

Fernandes and Charles dawdling on the ball and getting caught annoyed me.

Also, too many misplaced passes. From everyone.

Stoke are well organised and are not dour in any way…  but honestly, the time wasting and gamesmanship was awful.

Other thoughts:

Bazunu is NOT good enough. We do not go up with him in goal. 

Stewart, Downs - I actually can’t see a point in them either. Armstrong is ok but NOT through the middle.

Honorable mentions to Fraser, Robinson and Wood who really did try.

Agree with this. Bazunu groundhog day today, and simply have to get a new keeper who can catch and command the box. Our finishing was so poor second half (right in front of us) it was pitiful. Every shot a last resort, weak and half hearted. Downs and Stewart equally inept and behind every fucking play. The reluctance to play down the wings and use width was also baffling - every time a player was in space they turned inside to recycle, apart from the new lad who came on as a late sub. We need a keeper and a couple of attackers pronto - perhaps Still can make the choice of who these are. 

[Dman]

On 18/08/2025 at 09:50, Dman said:

To be fair, they're right. They're nothing to shout about though. 

1-1 another masterclass at SMS by Johansson 

2/3 things were bang on in the sentance. Serves me right for trying to be slightly more optimistic. 

[Roo1976]

15 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

A couple of each arguably, and Downs, AA and BBD loaned out, even if Dragan has to stump up on the wages. Can’t close the curtains on bad investments.

Christ i forgot about BBD..........Stewart should have got one today,not sure about Downes, not sure hes the answer either,but were nowhere near where we hope as a team we need to be,early days yes but lets hope for cohesiveness and better understandings of what were about after the dust has settled after this transfer window.

[Toussaint]

3 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

Agree with this. Bazunu groundhog day today, and simply have to get a new keeper who can catch and command the box. Our finishing was so poor second half (right in front of us) it was pitiful. Every shot a last resort, weak and half hearted. Downs and Stewart equally inept and behind every fucking play. The reluctance to play down the wings and use width was also baffling - every time a player was in space they turned inside to recycle, apart from the new lad who came on as a late sub. We need a keeper and a couple of attackers pronto - perhaps Still can make the choice of who these are. 

What did Bazunu do? I couldn’t see from the other end of the ground 

[Lighthouse]

F**k me that was bad, from pretty much all involved. Five at the back is fine, if your WBs are pushing high up the pitch but ours seemed to play more like traditional FB just with three CBs in the middle. Nothing in front of them and trying to go long and central to a dwarf #9. At home to Stoke that really is a poor mindset, Armstrong leading the line, Robinson the creativity and nine ball recyclers behind them. Second half we got forward more but it was barely an improvement. Pass, pass, pass, floaty cross from deep straight down Johansson’s throat.

Downs, I know it’s early days but he looks like Onuachu with a fancy hair-do.

Downes, an absolute mug for their first goal and poor generally.

Still took nine minutes to make a sub after the red card, used up nearly a third of our remaining time. Stewart should have been on at HT for Wood, up ahead of AA. Not doing that immediately against ten men, just to see how it goes is really poor and indecisive on his part.

Early days but big improvement needed. Still no goals from any striker in four matches too.

[Nolan]

My word isn't everybody having a hilarious meltdown.

We had a testing start and know that there's another week to go. 

We missed Quarshies pace in chasing the ball back. He has to start over Wood.

We'll need to get some left back cover in on loan as Weli didn't look good. 

We need to be faster on the ball. Both Stoke and Ipswich had too much time and ability to leverage Charles out of the game. 

FFS two years ago we lost 4 on the bounce at the beginning of the season, and Still's a lot more proactive in play than Martin was. 

Lesson learnt, let's take it out on Norwich on Tuesday.

[LGTL]

Tried to calm down now but proving difficult. That was worryingly bad. Stoke were everything we weren’t - clinical, hard to beat and street wise. They had a better 3 up front and a far, far better goalkeeper. 

We have no patterns of play, I can’t tell you what Still is trying to do. Five at the back is ridiculous, even with that we’re conceding on the break so renders it pointless anyway. We’re pumping balls into Armstrong who has no hope, play Stewart off him FFS. 

We’re a complete mess really and the recruitment has been awful. Spors proving to be everything we’d feared, despite MLG’s nonsense about him. We’ve had since May and this is what we’re stuck with. It’s fucking shambolic. Three weeks until those cunts at home, and lose to them and Still can fuck off for all I care. 

[stknowle]

51 minutes ago, The Kraken said:

I’m still waiting to find out what a Will Still side is. Under Martin, for better or worse, at least you knew what they were trying to be. This team doesn’t seem to have any sort of balance to it, just a bunch of players shoved together in a pretty turgid system. Needs to get a grip, that’s 3 league games and a cup game where it’s so often looked massively disjointed and so vulnerable on the break.

Yep my main takeaway so far is WTF are we trying to do. We just look like a disjointed collection of supposedly strong players for this level with no apparent strategy or game plan. 

[Toussaint]

Imagine that team minus Fernandes