Saints 0-0 Swansea - Match Thread

[Saint NL]

Archer was very poor again today. The chances that did fall to him were difficult, but he has no impact on the game whatsoever.

If Stewart played we'd have won today.

Surely there's a free agent or youth player we can play just to make up the numbers. 

[bpsaint]

Just now, Zorba said:

Shitty bore draw again!!

Scienza put a shift in. Wood solid. Strikers same old shit. Don’t blame WS, not having any sort of finisher is killing us.

You can’t say don’t blame WS when it was he who famously said he “ didn’t want to sign another striker” when we could all see the glaringly obvious need.

If that’s truly how he felt then he’s absolutely to blame.

[CSA96]

Games like this one just make me feel sorry for Will Still. Picked a decent lineup, defended well, created a tonne of chances, got a load of shots off… almost out of words with the wastefulness of our forward players. Pathetic finishing

[LGTL]

Absolutely unforgivable. For fuck sake put the ginger idiot out of his misery. 

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, CSA96 said:

Games like this one just make me feel sorry for Will Still. Picked a decent lineup, defended well, created a tonne of chances, got a load of shots off… almost out of words with the wastefulness of our forward players. Pathetic finishing

Don;t feel sorry for him, he started with 5 defenders.

[The Kraken]

Really disappointing.

Armstrong and Archer need a good hard look at themselves. Some other poor finishing too. But just papering over the cracks again, Still doesn’t seem to have an idea of what his system is other than throwing on lots of attacking players after 60-70 minutes. The 20 minute spell before half time should have seen us with a game plan to push them back but we just regressed to a pale imitation of Martinball.

Scienza looks great when he’s on it. Wood is our best centre back by a distance. Fellows looks very lively but needs an outlet to aim for. Shea Charles genuine quality, some other bright spots too but overall we are so much less than the sum of our parts right now, and I don’t see Still turning it around.

[Miltonaggro]

5 minutes ago, LocationRemot3 said:

Someone tell Adam Blackmore to fuck off. He keeps constantly telling us we should be positive and grateful when we can’t even beat EFL minnows. Twat. 

Brownmore loves all that! 

[SaintsBarry74]

Should we get Russell back? Tiki taka footy

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Just the sort of second half we didn't want. Swansea dropped back just a little and pressured the wide areas a little more in defence. Still obliged by switching AA and Scienza.

We're clearly not coached to break down defences. At every opportunity when we had a yard of space, centrally, in the final third we passed it back. We offered nothing for either Archer or AA through the middle. We've all but given up trying to deliver to them from wide. They aren't going to win any, and the accuracy of our crosses is very poor anyway.

Tepid stuff right up to the moment where Jander gets on a rebound and manages to miss a golden chance.

After that, we offered even less than before. The subs pushed the team not one jot.

Still will look at the near misses. Others will see plenty of other deficiencies to go along with that.

[Saint Fan CaM]

So. The take-away here is that Still should be encouraged by the showing from his starting 11. He has to be brave enough to stick with that for the next two away games and provide the team the opportunity to gel. Fuck around with the line-up just because we were unlucky to hit the post three times and have other close misses would be a terrible mistake. He doesn’t have better players at the moment, so the one chink of light was the team performed better - there was more attacking intent and that is progress after 3 seasons of shite football. 

It’s not the finished product no, but it’s progress, a clean sheet and a point. Yes we need more and the progress is fragile, but fucking around after clear improvement in performance will be the wrong move.

[beatlesaint]

If you have 21 shots, 8 of which are on target and don’t score that’s not on the manager, no way !!

[Vancouver Saint]

Can't keep making excuses for us not scoring - it's just so painful to watch. Criminal we can't beat a team like Swansea at home. 
Are we satisfied with a much better performance asks Adam Blackmore? NO! 
Results are important and it's simply not good enough.

[SouSaint]

People applauding at the FT whistle. 4 wins in our last 47 games, fair play if you think that's acceptable. Today was another damning indication of Sport Republics trash recruitment. We've been crying out for a reliable striker for years and they've not delivered. 

The owners are past the point of no return for me, this club won't heal until Solak and his goons sell up. 

Sport Republic OUT. 

[obelisk]

Just the sort of game where one would have gone in off Downs' arse I reckon.

[AlexLaw76]

1 minute ago, beatlesaint said:

If you have 21 shots, 8 of which are on target and don’t score that’s not on the manager, no way !!

he is a big part of the problem.

[benjii]

6 minutes ago, beatlesaint said:

He wasn’t the one that missed 3 chances whilst virtually stood on the goal line you twat !!!

No, but he has zero credit in the bank after being pathetic overall, and he is the one who sticks attackers at wing back when we need a goal.

[captainchris]

3 minutes ago, Hawkswood said:

Genuinely, why is that his fault ? Created loads of opportunities. Surely you cant blame him for some of those chances that were missed. I get youre pissed off straight after but dont think Still can be blamed for what happened today.

Because he knows that Armstrong and Archer up from doesnt work…. Still also put Downs on the bench Wtaf !!!! Does he seriously think that Downs is good enough to even be on the bench, if he does then God helps us!!!!!

[CSA96]

2 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Don;t feel sorry for him, he started with 5 defenders.

The set up he went for created a clean sheet, 21 shots, 8 shots on goal and 4 clear chances. With those statistics you are always expecting to win the game, that's on the players composure and efficiency in individual moments and not related to the manager or the system

[Jimmy_D]

Not much wrong with the tactics or even the performance today, just a combination of woeful (and unlucky) finishing have let Swansea commit daylight robbery to steal a point from absolutely nothing.

[Hawkswood]

4 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Don;t feel sorry for him, he started with 5 defenders.

And we played really well with those 3 cbs and created loads of chances

[CSA96]

Just now, captainchris said:

Because he knows that Armstrong and Archer up from doesnt work…. Still also put Downs on the bench Wtaf !!!! Does he seriously think that Downs is good enough to even be on the bench, if he does then God helps us!!!!!

So what's your solution if all three of the three available strikers shouldn't be considered?

[ErwinK1961]

Don’t think you can put today on the manager. Not his fault they missed the chances they did and if one goes in like it should in the first half, then it probably plays out in a different way.

It’s hard to see when a corner is getting turned though. The squads still way too big which makes it harder to manage, yet we still don’t have a striker (fit) that suits how he wants to play. That said, he can’t seem to settle on a team or formation and we look embarrassingly mediocre. Despite a full pre-season and two international breaks, we’re not really improving. 

The club is rotting and has been for some time, Still could leave tomorrow but it isn’t going to get any better I’m afraid.

Edited 17 hours ago by ErwinK1961

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, CSA96 said:

The set up he went for created a clean sheet, 21 shots, 8 shots on goal and 4 clear chances. With those statistics you are always expecting to win the game, that's on the players composure and efficiency in individual moments and not related to the manager or the system

of the 21 shots, many were incredibly hard / not on target. Usually against a packed defence/from range.

Yes, we created some chances (and a couple of really good chances), I would expect that given the vast gulf in the quality of the squads. 

His set up does not allow for overloads in the attacking 3rd very much. The period that we did do it (from about 30 mins to HT), we immediately had their defenders facing their own goal (where a handful of our good chances/situations came from).

The 2nd half was crap, largely because they started to press us (remember, our extra player is in defence) making us hoof it more, and their keeper overall, had a fairly quiet game. It happens every fucking game

 

[The Kraken]

1 minute ago, Hawkswood said:

And we played really well with those 3 cbs and created loads of chances

Apart from the last 20 minutes in the first half I’m not sure how you can say with conviction that we “played really well”. If anything I’d say we very much underperformed compared to what this lot should be capable of. Yes, poor finishing and lack of composure up front cost us, but it’s not the only story and the performance as a whole is indicative of our problems right now.

[Patches O Houlihan]

7 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

FT 0-0

No one can say with a straight face that the set up was not a big factor in that game?

We played well for about 35 min in total, against a team who are fucking shite, and don't have a single player who would make our match day squad.

Yes, we had chances, and yes we missed easy chances, but you would expect us to give the vast gulf in the standard of player. Look at many of the chances outside of our 30 min purple patch..lots of blacked penalty areas, chances from range - all very difficult. Was not until around the 30 min mark when Scienza started to be given the ball deep inside their half and he was able to get their defenders facing their own goal

Time and time again our overloads were in our defensive 3rd meaning when they woke up, they could press us and push us into a hoof.

As for the manager, fuck me. sticking with CBs at home to Swansea, bringing on Fellows at RWB, Azaz wide right - just WTF (again).

For a supposed tactical master who does not have a style of play, Will Still has been appalling and has no business managing this club IMO

 

Set up was not a big factor in the game

Stats aren't everything but on Xg that was 3.25 : 0.21

You cannot account for 3 missed finishes from 3 yards out.

When you have a team that 'feels' solid at the back, then the midfielders feel confident they can get forward - and we need them to because our front players are midgets. 

That's why Charles has two shots and Jander one.

[badgerx16]

1 minute ago, CSA96 said:

So what's your solution if all three of the three available strikers shouldn't be considered?

I hope nobody shows him the Russball team selection that had no strikers in the starting 11. Don't want him getting any bright ideas like that.

[Saint NL]

It was clear early on that Swansea offered nothing up front but we stuck with 5 at the back. At least get another body in midfield

[Zorba]

3 minutes ago, bpsaint said:

You can’t say don’t blame WS when it was he who famously said he “ didn’t want to sign another striker” when we could all see the glaringly obvious need.

If that’s truly how he felt then he’s absolutely to blame.

WS is new to this level and playing lip service to the club money men who have already told him that’s your lot. Of course he wanted better strikers.. You don’t honestly believe he thinks our front line is good enough when even all us halfwits with no real football intelligence can see they’re nowhere near the mark, do you?

[badgerx16]

2 minutes ago, ErwinK1961 said:

The squads still way too big which makes it harder to manage, ..........

Settle on which 22/23 are his first team squad and stick with it. If those left out are unhappy they can ask to leave in January.

[AlexLaw76]

3 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

Set up was not a big factor in the game

Stats aren't everything but on Xg that was 3.25 : 0.21

You cannot account for 3 missed finishes from 3 yards out.

When you have a team that 'feels' solid at the back, then the midfielders feel confident they can get forward - and we need them to because our front players are midgets. 

That's why Charles has two shots and Jander one.

I would expect us to have good chances, look at the standards of their squad/team...

We could/should have been solid at the back with Edwards pushed RB (or replaced) with Azaz or Fellows in their place.

As for a blueprint, we will be nowhere near the playoffs if this is the framework the manager is going with (and what would that say about the "need" for wingers and a No.10).

Will Still is a terrible manager, who's record so far s there for all to see

Edited 17 hours ago by AlexLaw76

[davefizzy14]

So infuriating that we've completely dominated the game today and yet we've only come away with a point. We should have won that comfortably with all the chances we created. Will Still picked the right team today for me. 

[austsaint]

7 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

he is a big part of the problem.

What more could Still have done today?   Perhaps leave out Edward’s for Azaz or Fellows.   We dominated the game and had a hat full of chances; shots of the post, and on another day could have had at least 3 goals.   McCarthy didn’t have a save to make.  Be frustrated with the result but the performance was good, with plenty of of quick transitional play and chances created.

[Gloucester Saint]

5 minutes ago, Zorba said:

WS is new to this level and playing lip service to the club money men who have already told him that’s your lot. Of course he wanted better strikers.. You don’t honestly believe he thinks our front line is good enough when even all us halfwits with no real football intelligence can see they’re nowhere near the mark, do you?

That’s on him, if he didn’t think Downs was good enough, and most of this forum didn’t at the time, then needed to leak to the press and push Spors under the bus. Ditto the keeper, put Gavin in the bomb squad and don’t take him on the pre-season tour. 

Edited 17 hours ago by Gloucester Saint

[Killers Knee]

Joe Aribo as a striker, alongside AA.  Give Archer and Downs the rest of the season off and cancel their contracts

[davefizzy14]

1 minute ago, austsaint said:

What more could Still have done today?   Perhaps leave out Edward’s for Azaz or Fellows.   We dominated the game and had a hat full of chances; shots of the post, and on another day could have had at least 3 goals.   McCarthy didn’t have a save to make.  Be frustrated with the result but the performance was good, with plenty of of quick transitional play and chances created.

Absolutely this. Will picked the right side and then made changes in the second half. We've hit the post three times and created a load of other chances too. 

Edited 17 hours ago by davefizzy14

[SaintNate]

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, austsaint said:

What more could Still have done today?   Perhaps leave out Edward’s for Azaz or Fellows.   We dominated the game and had a hat full of chances; shots of the post, and on another day could have had at least 3 goals.   McCarthy didn’t have a save to make.  Be frustrated with the result but the performance was good, with plenty of of quick transitional play and chances created.

Not play 3 at the back, not put Fellows at Wing Back, not put Azaz wide, not put Scienza the other side of the defender he had in his back pocket, not stuck with 3CB when it was clear how bad Swansea are, put another body in the middle of the park to push them back and create overloads in our attacking 3rd... 

[Whitey Grandad]

16 minutes ago, beatlesaint said:

If you have 21 shots, 8 of which are on target and don’t score that’s not on the manager, no way !!

As I have always said, statistics are meaningless. 

[austsaint]

1 minute ago, Whitey Grandad said:

As I have always said, statistics are meaningless. 

If you watched the game today, the statistics were spot on. We dominated the numbers and dominated the game.   

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, davefizzy14 said:

Absolutely this. Will picked the right side and then made changes in the second half. We've hit the post three times and a load of other chances too. 

If they wanted to score some of those they could but didn’t have the desire and application to do so. Micky Evans v West Ham collided with the post but determined to score. Boring shit players we have with carrot crunching wooden tops clapping them at the end. 

[Patches O Houlihan]

4 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

I would expect us to have good chances, look at the standards of their squad/team...

We could/should have been solid at the back with Edwards pushed RB (or replaced) with Azaz or Fellows in their place.

As for a blueprint, we will be nowhere near the playoffs if this is the framework the manager is going with (and what would that say about the "need" for wingers and a No.10).

Will Still is a terrible manager, who's record so far s there for all to see

We have had our fair share of shit managers. But you just cannot place the blame on Still for this match. Sometimes I wonder if you neg heads have ever had to manage anything that wasn't guaranteed to be entirely in your control

These are not the stats of a poorly set up team. They are the stats of a team with only midget strikers playing for a club bereft of confidence. 

Still isn't as good at positive atmosphere creation as Russell Martin was - but you hated him too.

 

[Miltonaggro]

I dont think Will Still can improve on this, so looking like a dead duck. Wonder if the brains trust in the Boardroom can see it. 

[tdmickey3]

Just now, Patches O Houlihan said:

We have had our fair share of shit managers. But you just cannot place the blame on Still for this match. Sometimes I wonder if you neg heads have ever had to manage anything that wasn't guaranteed to be entirely in your control

These are not the stats of a poorly set up team. They are the stats of a team with only midget strikers playing for a club bereft of confidence. 

Still isn't as good at positive atmosphere creation as Russell Martin was - but you hated him too.

 

Clear cut chances….. 0

[RedArmy]

1 minute ago, austsaint said:

If you watched the game today, the statistics were spot on. We dominated the numbers and dominated the game.   

Except the only numbers that actually fucking matter…goals! 

[davefizzy14]

2 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

If they wanted to score some of those they could but didn’t have the desire and application to do so. Micky Evans v West Ham collided with the post but determined to score. Boring shit players we have with carrot crunching wooden tops clapping them at the end. 

But your missing the point here. Will Still picked the right team today. We've totally dominated and kept a cleansheet. It's our missed chances which has been frustrating. 

Edited 17 hours ago by davefizzy14

[Gloucester Saint]

5 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

We have had our fair share of shit managers. But you just cannot place the blame on Still for this match. Sometimes I wonder if you neg heads have ever had to manage anything that wasn't guaranteed to be entirely in your control

These are not the stats of a poorly set up team. They are the stats of a team with only midget strikers playing for a club bereft of confidence. 

Still isn't as good at positive atmosphere creation as Russell Martin was - but you hated him too.

 

Here we go, blame the fans, the club/SR is at it yet again on here.

How many clubs at this level have an unselectable £7m striker on the bench who is so appalling he couldn't be brought on during a stale 0-0 at home?

Edited 17 hours ago by Gloucester Saint

[Willo of Whiteley]

I mean it is a very Will Still-esque team in the sense of he has always set up to not concede, but that doesn’t say much for the attacking threat if you only score twelve goals all season.

If he uses phrases like “scar tissue” or refers to last season he can bugger off.

[maysie]

3 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

Clear cut chances….. 0

We his the post from 2 yards out you mallet

[Cuddles]

Even the best teams have days like this. Problem is all our other performances have been total wank, so it feels worse.

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, davefizzy14 said:

But your missing the point here. Will Still picked the right team today. We've totally dominated and kept a cleansheet. It's our finishing which has cost us. 

Trying Aribo up top for an hour would have been a better option - something different. If AA and Archer aren’t scoring or even striking the ball professionally the team isn’t the right one is it? Ask Ian Rush down for a few weeks to try and sort out the other ‘strikers’ during the afternoon sessions.