Saints vs Boro - Saturday 3pm

[Convict Colony]

The bastards.

Play ok to give me hope and then let me down like a wet fart on Saturday or will be of finally turned a corner

[gio1saints]

This could be our Leeds match. 

[Andy Hill]

All depends on the team selection.

[RedArmy]

14 minutes ago, gio1saints said:

This could be our Leeds match. 

Could also be our Leicester. 

[Challenger]

If he (Still ) brings back the " old guard" to stink the place out yet again then I'm done with him,and for fucks sake don't waste a squad place on Downs.

[SWLondon Saint]

For me Quarshie and Wood have to play and ideally Edwards too. The 3 of them seem to be building a good understanding and I thought Quarshie did really well the couple of times Isak and Ekitike managed to get him 1 on 1, he just has the acceleration and strength to not have to panic when they knock it past him. We also saw Edwards carrying it forwards a few times and he's clearly better than THB or Cap'n Jack at that.

Rest of the team honestly think we have good selection problems. Not sure Azaz or Fellows have shown they deserve to start and think Downs needs some time in the reserves till he learns to be the bully he should be and not the bullied.

[saintant]

7 minutes ago, SWLondon Saint said:

For me Quarshie and Wood have to play and ideally Edwards too. The 3 of them seem to be building a good understanding and I thought Quarshie did really well the couple of times Isak and Ekitike managed to get him 1 on 1, he just has the acceleration and strength to not have to panic when they knock it past him. We also saw Edwards carrying it forwards a few times and he's clearly better than THB or Cap'n Jack at that.

Rest of the team honestly think we have good selection problems. Not sure Azaz or Fellows have shown they deserve to start and think Downs needs some time in the reserves till he learns to be the bully he should be and not the bullied.

Agree with this and Wood also carried the ball some distance out of defence. These 3 looked good together so no reason to break them up to accommodate Stephens or THB.

[sfc1142]

One of Stephens or THB to be dropped. I still don't trust Quarshie 🫣

[saintant]

Just now, sfc1142 said:

One of Stephens or THB to be dropped. I still don't trust Quarshie 🫣

Quarshie may be a little raw but he's learning fast and has the useful assets of pace and power. It's not as though Stephens and THB have been any good so it's a low bar. Quarshie was excellent last night in a big game against good opponents and did little wrong so why not trust him.

[coalman]

Neither Stephens or THB are good at defending crosses. For the last couple of seasons every time the ball goes in our box we look like conceding

[Football Special]

Some insight from the Boro fans , most comments seem fair enough, understandably cautiously confident. 

https://www.oneboro.co.uk/forum/topic/13992-southampton-v-boro/#comments

I remember playing them away about this time of year in the last championship season, taking the lead and somehow managed to lose 2-1, going on current form a similar outcome seems likely 

[Toadhall Saint]

5 at the back?

[Chris cooper]

Boro’s 1st defeat .. 2-0 saints .. 1 in each half from Arma then Robinson 

[Pamplemousse]

3 hours ago, gio1saints said:

This could be our Leeds match. 

The Ryder Cup was on that weekend as well

[VectisSaint]

3 hours ago, saintant said:

Agree with this and Wood also carried the ball some distance out of defence. These 3 looked good together so no reason to break them up to accommodate Stephens or THB.

So you want to revert to 3 at the back when everyone has been screaming out to get away from it. 

[VectisSaint]

3 hours ago, sfc1142 said:

One of Stephens or THB to be dropped. I still don't trust Quarshie 🫣

On evidence of the season so far dropping THB is a complete no-brainer, regardless of what happened last night. Personally don't think Stephens has done much wrong. Quarshie was completely different last night, his previous appearances were shocking but last night he looked calm and assured (maybe just a little bit of criticism for his involvement (or lack thereof) in their first goal.

[Badger]

4 hours ago, gio1saints said:

This could be our Leeds match. 

Do you mean as in 3-0 up at half time, or  ….…. an earlier one (2005 ?) when we were also 3-0 up at half time, but second half didn’t go to plan (under ‘Arry)

 

[S-Clarke]

57 minutes ago, Badger said:

Do you mean as in 3-0 up at half time, or  ….…. an earlier one (2005 ?) when we were also 3-0 up at half time, but second half didn’t go to plan (under ‘Arry)

 

Christ, I'd forgotten that 3-0 game.

That left permanent scars. fricking David Healy.

[saintant]

2 hours ago, VectisSaint said:

On evidence of the season so far dropping THB is a complete no-brainer, regardless of what happened last night. Personally don't think Stephens has done much wrong. Quarshie was completely different last night, his previous appearances were shocking but last night he looked calm and assured (maybe just a little bit of criticism for his involvement (or lack thereof) in their first goal.

How can you possibly criticise him for their first goal? - McCarthy decided to pass the ball straight to Cienza. Quarshie had nothing to do with it.

Edited 10 hours ago by saintant

[Willo of Whiteley]

He’s 100% reverting to a back five again isn’t he…

[Wade Garrett]

Would start the same back 5 and keeper as the other night.  Not really controversial as you’re only dropping players that have been shite.

[Charlie Wayman]

15 hours ago, Challenger said:

If he (Still ) brings back the " old guard" to stink the place out yet again then I'm done with him,and for fucks sake don't waste a squad place on Downs.

Give the armband to Adamarma and bin Shoehorn for good. Can't we send him out on loan to Scholing.

[Convict Colony]

For me THB needs to be dropped at least.

[Patches O Houlihan]

14 hours ago, coalman said:

Neither Stephens or THB are good at defending crosses. For the last couple of seasons every time the ball goes in our box we look like conceding

The Hull manager said it in the press conference - just in case the rest of the league hadn't already worked it out. You can sit back in a low block, wait for us to lose it. Loft in a back post ball from anywhere in our half, Saints will fail to deal with it and provide an easy header or tap in.

With the defensive unit we had at Liverpool that wouldn't be the case: Wood and Quashie would be fighting to make the clearing header and muscling out all but the biggest Championship strikers. Edwards would be collecting the knock downs and playing sensible forward balls to the midfield. Macca is not afraid to come for crosses. Jelert will get out and be in the face of a player looking to cross, and Manning has shown a little more in that realm recently.

The issue is that to do this we give up Azaz in that creative 10 role.

We could just play Wood and Quarshie as CB in a back 4 but I don't want to put that pressure on them yet. Although Wood showed a bit of confidence with the ball at his feet it is Edwards that has that skill.

Playing the 5 at the back makes it easier to pick Jelert and Manning too as Roerslav's defensive skills are less required, and he seems to be hopeless offensively

Edited 35 minutes ago by Patches O Houlihan
extras

[Toadhall Saint]

9 hours ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

He’s 100% reverting to a back five again isn’t he…

Yep