Saints 0-0 Skates - Match Thread

[Forester]

I thought it was a good occasion, and people around me were definitely more up for it than a usual game.

In terms of the game itself, am not surprised it was low on quality but we were even worse in the first half than I expected, and I always thought we would struggle to have a good pattern to our play given change in formation, personnel, international break and the whole pressure of the day.

I actually thought, despite not scoring, that was Archer’s best game for us in terms of workload and trying to do the right thing consistently.  Both centre backs, Bazanu and Charles also good performances and a clean sheet pleasing.

The biggest disappointment first half for me was the lack of any forward runs by either full back.  I sense they were either instructed not to bomb on while adjusting to back four or just lacked confidence.  Either way, net result was that both wingers lacked support to create two on ones, and when people looked up there were too few options to pass to in front of the ball.

Better second half, but ultimately a poor game of football and a fair result.  However I am not panicking and as others have said time now time to bed in new signings, formation and tactics.  

[the colonel]

I don't think today was ever going to be a classic, but that 1st 45 minutes produced was as bad as a performance of any of the last 6 managers. But, so many new additions so late in the transfer window is costing us points, presuming Still will get them to blend well. A run of difficult games coming up to get them playing. Need to pick up max points, Liverpool game is nothing to lose, so might as well get the practice in and go for it.

Home atmosphere pretty good most of the time. I have been at every derby since Moran's winner at Fractured Park, 1984 and I think that skates were as quiet as I've ever heard them. It seemed too easy to nullify 'play up pompey'. 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by the colonel

[Ted Bates Statue]

2 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

I'm glad it's not just me who felt the atmosphere was so passive. It felt like a normal league game where I was sat, everyone sat in silence. It was infuriating.

Couple started to get something going a row or 2 below, with your standard chants, but were told to shh and sit down by fans around because of the naughty words they said.

Everything about today was absolutely fucking shit. Fans included.

In Kingsland North it was fine but I got the sense it was the Northam doing the heavy lifting, and generally the people who want to stand and sing the most will gravitate towards the top of the stands. Back of the Chapel was decent last time I was there a couple of years ago, with a decent group of people demonstrating that it was ok to sing there.

Curious to know what block you were in, so I can avoid ending up being in your situation. Guessing it was south of the halfway line?

[gio1saints]

2 hours ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

That’s not entirely accurate. They had circa 70% possession at one point passing it around like they owned the place. OK, our press was almost non-existent, but they had a decent game plan, had decent chances and even hit the bar with dear old Baz beaten. We were strangers.

Pointing to a prolonged period of possession in first half does not make them a top team. or even a decent team. Your proposal is a non sequitur.

We were shocking. I’m not giving them the benefit of saying they are a decent team because we were so very bad. 
 

And dear old Baz did not put a foot wrong today. He is one of the very few relatively immune to being hung drawn and quartered for that pathetic first half non performance. 

[BarberSaint]

Baz - 5.  Did ok with what he had to do.

Mads - 4.  Struggled against Murphy. Wouldn't like to see him against a good player in the league above.

Manning -4.  Too slow on the ball. Needs to be dropped.

THB - 5.  Nondescript. You saw how slow he is a couple of times. Needs to stop playing keep ball for no reason.

Stephens - 5.  At least he didn't get sent off which I thought he would.

Downes - 3.  Drop him and sell him.

Charles - 5.  Was ok. Not very good at doing anything with the ball but that might have been lack of movement around him.

Fellowes - 5.  No support really and his running was mediocre: head down and he's not very solid/strong.

Azaz - 4.  Looks a bit slow. Did drop into space but not sure if he ever let anyone know about it or was it just us failing to spot runs again.

Fraser - 4.  Works hard. Slow, no skill, not good enough. Drop him for Robinson.

Archer - 5.  Occasionally did a little something but for some reason passed when he could have shot and scored (2nd half).

Subs.

Armstrong. 3. Armstrong. Enough said.

Stewart 3. Has very little strength or presence and doesn't strike me as a goalscorer. Perhaps better to leave judging him to the end of the year given his injury record, however.

Robinson 5. Did more in a few minutes than some (Downes) did pretty much all game. Pushing to be a regular starter.

Scienza. 4 Not really on long enough. Likes to roll around with every tackle. Probably has some skill and will look to do things. Could be good.

Jander. 5. Could actually be the intelligent, ball-playing midfielder we've needed for quite a while. Promising and looks to get on with it.

 

As everyone's said, a turgid, bitty first half followed by a little better second half but we look toothless, uninventive and a bit shit.

[Lord Duckhunter]

16 minutes ago, gio1saints said:

We were shocking. I’m not giving them the benefit of saying they are a decent team because we were so very bad. 

What a load of old pony, you’re making things up, he didn’t claim they were a decent team.He said they had a decent game plan & had decent chances, which is pretty much spot on. 

[Galway saint]

I am not sure how much influence Still has over transfers so this may not be his fault but we have ended up with a manager who likes to play pacy wingers ( presumably to get the ball into the box to try and score) and a short guy up front on his own as our first choice CF.

The back up is a guy who has been injured for several years and looks like Bambi on ice, another short bloke plus Downs and where ( being polite) it’s early days.

Today was poor but we did get some balls into the box into the second half but had no on to attack them and hence didn’t look like scoring from open play. I’m not sure how we correct that with the personnel assembled. 

 

 

 

[beatlesaint]

Am I the only one who thought Wee Man was our best player?

[RedArmy]

12 minutes ago, beatlesaint said:

Am I the only one who thought Wee Man was our best player?

He has been all season, which no offence to the bloke is why we are 15th. 

[davefizzy14]

The positives from today we looked solid and kept a clean sheet today, our first in the league this season. But we simply have to create more and be ruthless in front of goal. Something for Will and the coaching staff to work on during the week. Fraser was excellent today, was everywhere. Bazunu, the back four and Charles good too. Wee Man my motm. 

Edited 27 minutes ago by davefizzy14

[SouSaint]

A better team thrash us today, we were absolutely pathetic. 

Early impressions of Will Still aren't great. 6 points from the 5 games we've had is a shite return. 

Spending £50m in the Championship and not competing for the League title is failure. We look like a fucking midtable side. 

[Mixedkebab]

17 minutes ago, beatlesaint said:

Am I the only one who thought Wee Man was our best player?

I agree. Armstrong also very good when he came on, and Shea Charles did well considering he was next to the piss taking lazy  fuckhead Downes who can fuck off back to his beloved cockney cunts West Ham in January 

 

Edited 31 minutes ago by Mixedkebab

[S-Clarke]

1 hour ago, Ted Bates Statue said:

In Kingsland North it was fine but I got the sense it was the Northam doing the heavy lifting, and generally the people who want to stand and sing the most will gravitate towards the top of the stands. Back of the Chapel was decent last time I was there a couple of years ago, with a decent group of people demonstrating that it was ok to sing there.

Curious to know what block you were in, so I can avoid ending up being in your situation. Guessing it was south of the halfway line?

Yeah Kingsland South - I was block 30 or 29 i think, one of those two. For a block right 'next' to the aways, it felt pretty flat.

Probably better Northam end, but I just grabbed whatever ticket I could!

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

3 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

I'm glad it's not just me who felt the atmosphere was so passive. It felt like a normal league game where I was sat, everyone sat in silence. It was infuriating.

Couple started to get something going a row or 2 below, with your standard chants, but were told to shh and sit down by fans around because of the naughty words they said.

Everything about today was absolutely fucking shit. Fans included.

To be fair, the Fanzone was pretty good.

Charles was again my MOTM. Thought Azaz was anonymous but then with balls sailing over his head all the time on route to Archer, that wasn't surprising.

Liked Joe Aribo when he came on! Yes the announcer got it wrong but how people could start singing the Joe Aribo song when it was obviously Ross Stewart.

Don't know what the team practised during the international break, but they need to up the tempo and stop those floaty crosses. Would like to see Stewart and Archer start together in the next match.

[Whitey Grandad]

I found it all very disappointing. 

I couldn't find a half and half scarf anywhere 😒

[chownie20]

3 hours ago, skintsaint said:

I agree....but why a nonce?

These are the same fans that burnt down a Paediatricians house in Paulsgrove because they couldn't understand a word that long.

Edited 3 minutes ago by chownie20