Saints 0-0 Swansea - Match Thread

[die Mannyschaft]

4 minutes ago, Thereisonlyonemickychannon said:

Shite.......I asked for midtable as long as we don't faf with sideways, backwards, sideways.....and yet we play sideways, backwards, sideways and are not going to be midtable. Get Still out.

Its RM but with a twist. Like omelette and chips but now we have egg and chips. I cant see much difference to warrant a new manager may just as well kept RM. Its better in chunks of 10 mins but then all the momentum is lost and start again. 

We have to stop passing sideways, putting foot on ball stopping momentum,  and passing back to keeper. 

Another sign is fans falling asleep, send half atmosphere better but look around during the game and fans are not too excited from tactics.

[Dr Who?]

On 15/10/2025 at 22:03, Dr Who? said:

Think this will be quite open and highish scoring. 2-2 or 3-3…

… so 0-0

Oh yeah, that one! Not good enough! 

[saintstowin]

I'm not going to ignore the good things. When we did inject pace, cut inside, ran with ball, passed quickly (and there was some of this) we looked good. Not enough of it however. 

Subs 10 mins too late. Lived off the first half hope too much. 

And around 50 minutes of not good things.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

Hard not to feel frustrated after watching the game. Totally dominant against a very poor side who will be delighted to have a bonus point this evening. Swansea set up to play for a draw, the time wasting even started in the first half. We absolutely win that game if we had a Che Adams type player out there. Someone who maybe doesn't score 15 or 20 a season, but someone who is prepared to do the hold up play and bring others into the game. Not sure Still could have done a whole lot more to be honest. All the formations and tactics in the world aren't going to help if your forwards are absolutely dog shit. 

[notnowcato]

1 hour ago, 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

The second half was piss poor. We are utterly clueless in the final 1/3. 

[sfc4prem]

Could have been out of sight with some composure and technique in and around the box.

 

Shame.

[stfrancisofbenali]

30 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

Is it though? (Just counting today's match)

These are professional adult football players that are paid a fortune. When do they get to bear some of the responsibility? The shape, style and formation created a hatful of chances and I'm sure it wasn't Will's idea for Fellows to keep putting 'up and unders' into the six yard box that their GK and CBs dealt with easily, or for our defenders to knock it amongst themselves for the last 5 mins.

I’m afraid it is. Players are culpable of course but if you can’t work out a system to beat Swansea at home with the squad we have then it’s very much on the manager. 

[Andy Hill]

Poor second half - did not kick on. If we can’t beat Swansea at home then we are not going to get anywhere near the play-offs.

[Patches O Houlihan]

5 minutes ago, stfrancisofbenali said:

I’m afraid it is. Players are culpable of course but if you can’t work out a system to beat Swansea at home with the squad we have then it’s very much on the manager. 

He did work out a system to beat Swansea. Play that game exactly like that 10 more times and we win it 9 or 10 times.

xG was 3:25 : 0.26

...and yes I know Whitey will bitch about stats and its only about goals, but we don't have a clinical striker. Arma is the best we have currently and he has always been profligate - needing a load of chances in order to get one. We managed that under RM and so he scored a hatful. We managed that today, but it just didn't fall right for him or any of the others.

Edited 23 hours ago by Patches O Houlihan

[bpsaint]

2 hours 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?

Well if that truly were the case and he’s covering up for Spors or the board then he’s an absolute coward. You can’t be expected to challenge for promotion and not ask for the right tools to complete the job. It’s an utter farce if he looked at our striker options when he came here and thought that’s good enough for me.

[austsaint]

1 hour ago, davefizzy14 said:

Aribo is definitely an option I agree. 

Yes, in a game like today’s , Aribo playing just ahead of Jander and Charles, instead of 3 CBs would have been a better line up.   

[Hopper]

THB stuck out a mile for me today. Far too slow and pondering on the ball. Takes an age and inevitably chucks it either sideways and back or hoofs a long ball to no-one.

Some bright spots. I thought Welli had a solid first game back and I like the balance of him and Jelert. Leo was obviously a league above in his thinking and execution too but we have to start getting the ball in the net.

Fuck knows how we solve that problem.

[derry]

That was garbage. We were set up not to concede. We were also unbalanced. Three centre backs, the left back behind a winger the right back was the winger. Armstrong and Archer were hopeless everything but finish. The two central midfielders were reasonably positive. 

I've had it with smart arse technical coaches. Keep it simple, stupid. Stop trying to reinvent the wheel and go back to basics. We've bought two good wingers, so play them. Two full backs and two centre backs as a defensive back four. Two midfielders and Azaz with Armstrong/Archer up front. 

Today we were wasting high crosses as Swansea gobbled them up. We need to attack and defend as a team. Scienza looked brilliant on the ball but hitting crosses make it impossible for the strikers he has to pass it. Fellows the same, standing the ball up was easily defended. I know it's 4-4-2 but it's balanced and just go for it. 4-3-3 is a compromise but doesn't look as balanced with the players we've got.

Personally if I was looking to have an aerial presence I'd push Quarshie up on the centre backs and let him battle it. Until we get in a couple of uncompromising big centre forwards on New Years day and from the UK.

Edited 22 hours ago by derry

[Osvaldorama]

19 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

He did work out a system to beat Swansea. Play that game exactly like that 10 more times and we win it 9 or 10 times.

xG was 3:25 : 0.26

...and yes I know Whitey will bitch about stats and its only about goals, but we don't have a clinical striker. Arma is the best we have currently and he has always been profligate - needing a load of chances in order to get one. We managed that under RM and so he scored a hatful. We managed that today, but it just didn't fall right for him or any of the others.

I don’t think you can confidently say this. 
 

Scienza was fantastic until he got tired (and was moved out of his favoured position for no reason)

We moved the ball well at the end of the first half. Apart from that 15 minute spell at the end of the first half, we looked like a badly coached side with no idea how to create space or score goals. 

If you can only play well for 15 minutes per game, you will struggle. 

[Patches O Houlihan]

4 minutes ago, Osvaldorama said:

I don’t think you can confidently say this. 
 

Scienza was fantastic until he got tired (and was moved out of his favoured position for no reason)

We moved the ball well at the end of the first half. Apart from that 15 minute spell at the end of the first half, we looked like a badly coached side with no idea how to create space or score goals. 

If you can only play well for 15 minutes per game, you will struggle. 

I posted this on 33 minutes, we were already playing well and then ramped it up again for the last 15 mins of the first half.

4 hours ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

One advantage of playing three at the back is that we have three tall defenders to aim at for corners + Charles. So 30% more attacking threat at set pieces.

After 33 minutes we've had 10 shots to their 2. Xg of 1.19. I'd say the tactics are working. Just need someone to finish accurately.

 

[Patches O Houlihan]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0m9fj2r

Goin Home with Adam & Jo

[The very right reverend]

The question has to be asked also why hasn't our resident journo's of House and Blackmore asked tougher questions? Are they scared of losing the gig? There needs to be honesty here, why has SR been given such an easy ride for being so so poor in so many departments.

[AlexLaw76]

3 minutes ago, The very right reverend said:

The question has to be asked also why hasn't our resident journo's of House and Blackmore asked tougher questions? Are they scared of losing the gig? There needs to be honesty here, why has SR been given such an easy ride for being so so poor in so many departments.

You have to be joking, right?

One is a sycophant, who seemingly suckles on the teat of who ever put in front of them. The other can be pretty rude to saints fans online for simply questioning the manager (not actually demanding he does it, mind).

When you compare that to the peers around the country, it is pretty lame. Not saying they have to be rude, not at all but represent the fans base frustration at least. 

A good recent example of this. House stated that another media booking was due to take place during the international break - nothing happened (easy to assume why)....Yet, nothing mentioned again. Im sure people on here will say "what is the point", I guess that is part of the problem/the decline.

Edited 22 hours ago by AlexLaw76

[Saint_Jonny]

Best performance of the season at St Mary's so far this season, but it's totally overshadowed by the piss poor finishing.

At least there are signs of improvement happening. Hopefully we can turn 1 point into 3 in the next few games. 

[LGTL]

2 minutes ago, The very right reverend said:

The question has to be asked also why hasn't our resident journo's of House and Blackmore asked tougher questions? Are they scared of losing the gig? There needs to be honesty here, why has SR been given such an easy ride for being so so poor in so many departments.

Yep. They are both pussy footing around, gaslighting the very crowd who are having to put up with this utter fucking nonsense. Cowards, both of them. 

[Appy]

Our midfielders look so scared to shoot, even before the dreadful miss, Jander was doing anything not to let fly, Charles did a powderpuff shot too, just put your foot through it. 

[Whitey Grandad]

1 hour ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

He did work out a system to beat Swansea. Play that game exactly like that 10 more times and we win it 9 or 10 times.

xG was 3:25 : 0.26

...and yes I know Whitey will bitch about stats and its only about goals, but we don't have a clinical striker. Arma is the best we have currently and he has always been profligate - needing a load of chances in order to get one. We managed that under RM and so he scored a hatful. We managed that today, but it just didn't fall right for him or any of the others.

Here come da Bitch 🤗

Just more proof of what I've always said.

[stfrancisofbenali]

1 hour ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

He did work out a system to beat Swansea. Play that game exactly like that 10 more times and we win it 9 or 10 times.

xG was 3:25 : 0.26

...and yes I know Whitey will bitch about stats and its only about goals, but we don't have a clinical striker. Arma is the best we have currently and he has always been profligate - needing a load of chances in order to get one. We managed that under RM and so he scored a hatful. We managed that today, but it just didn't fall right for him or any of the others.

Er, he didn’t work out a system to beat Swansea because we didn’t beat Swansea! Second half was piss poor having dominated the first 45. 

[Charlie Wayman]

Remarkably we seem to have a few very talented young players in our squad. All we need now is a decent manager who can meld them together into a fluent team and start scoring goals. Today we saw several brilliant individual performances but no semblance of a plan or team understanding.

Still has had long enough, let's not waste our talent on his ineptitude any longer.

[The Kraken]

28 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Here come da Bitch 🤗

Just more proof of what I've always said.

It really isn’t. In fact it’s pretty much the opposite.

[Patches O Houlihan]

On average if 'Team A' has 21 shots, 8 on target and 2 off the inside of the post, and 'Team B' has 7 shots, 2 on target you would expect Team A to win.

To put it another way. I would be more than happy if those are the shot stats after our game at Bristol - because I would expect us to have won the game.

[die Mannyschaft]

1 hour ago, saintstowin said:

I'm not going to ignore the good things. When we did inject pace, cut inside, ran with ball, passed quickly (and there was some of this) we looked good. Not enough of it however. 

Subs 10 mins too late. Lived off the first half hope too much. 

And around 50 minutes of not good things.

Spot on. At times, it looked great, but then you think is this really a £40m plus team. 

[Patches O Houlihan]

1 minute ago, die Mannyschaft said:

Spot on. At times, it looked great, but then you think is this really a £40m plus team. 

I think we should have used the Azaz money for striker

[Hopper]

Still talking about the defence, in particular a moment where Macca has asked them to slow down:

"Those are the moments where there's such a big shift in what they were doing to what we're trying to do or where we're trying to go," Still said of that incident.

"They used to invite the press and wait for things to be set up. We're going the opposite way. We're a million miles away from other performances, but we're still getting the same result, which is s***."

...They are still so brainwashed from Russ ball.

Edited 21 hours ago by Hopper

[Challenger]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but since a lucky 1-0 win against Everton last season, every league clean sheet this lot have achieved have been in a game where "we" haven't scored ourselves.  Absolutely pathetic.

Get used to this perennial, second rate shite as this is the future with these losers at the wheel.

Edited 20 hours ago by Challenger

[AllyD]

53 minutes ago, Charlie Wayman said:

Remarkably we seem to have a few very talented young players in our squad. All we need now is a decent manager who can meld them together into a fluent team and start scoring goals. Today we saw several brilliant individual performances but no semblance of a plan or team understanding.

Still has had long enough, let's not waste our talent on his ineptitude any longer.

10 games is long enough. What a ridiculous statement!!! Who do you suggest we get then in your remarkably short patience and short sighted view. I am intrigued….

[benjii]

37 minutes ago, Hopper said:

Still talking about the defence, in particular a moment where Macca has asked them to slow down:

"Those are the moments where there's such a big shift in what they were doing to what we're trying to do or where we're trying to go," Still said of that incident.

"They used to invite the press and wait for things to be set up. We're going the opposite way. We're a million miles away from other performances, but we're still getting the same result, which is s***."

...They are still so brainwashed from Russ ball.

Come off it. This is pathetic.

These aren’t players who grew up in the Russel Martin football academy. They are pros who played under him for a total of 1.5 seasons.

And if they really have been lobotomised, don't play them. Play Fellows, Azaz etc. instead. 

This guy needs to cut the stupid excuses and accept he's a Wotsit with the charisma of a Wotsit.

[St. Ciervo]

I am tired of watching Adam Armstrong slash at balls from bad angles instead of making a better key pass in the box. He continually kills movements on his own with low percentage chances that float wide to nowhere.

[AlexLaw76]

2 minutes ago, benjii said:

Come off it. This is pathetic.

These aren’t players who grew up in the Russel Martin football academy. They are pros who played under him for a total of 1.5 seasons.

And if they really have been lobotomised, don't play them. Play Fellows, Azaz etc. instead. 

This guy needs to cut the stupid excuses and accept he's a Wotsit with the charisma of a Wotsit.

Hell Yeah...agree

[Whitey Grandad]

47 minutes ago, The Kraken said:

It really isn’t. In fact it’s pretty much the opposite.

Except it isn't. 

Any statistics that have been quoted so far do not come near the actual result. They are therefore de facto a useless irrelevance. 

What we see is a result of targeting good statistics and is the bane of modern football be it possession,  Xg, XgA or whatever. 

 "When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure"

[Holmes_and_Watson]

55 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

On average if 'Team A' has 21 shots, 8 on target and 2 off the inside of the post, and 'Team B' has 7 shots, 2 on target you would expect Team A to win.

To put it another way. I would be more than happy if those are the shot stats after our game at Bristol - because I would expect us to have won the game.

So, 2 nil to Bristol then. 🙂

[Patches O Houlihan]

1 minute ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Except it isn't. 

Any statistics that have been quoted so far do not come near the actual result. They are therefore de facto a useless irrelevance. 

What we see is a result of targeting good statistics and is the bane of modern football be it possession,  Xg, XgA or whatever. 

 "When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure"

So by extension if we were to field a team that played a low block and had shots raining in on the keeper throughout every game, both home and away, but every third game we scored a breakaway goal with our one chance that would make you a happy man?!

[Wade Garrett]

I’m a few beers in, but taking off your centre forward and leaving 3 CBs on the pitch is criminal.

We aren’t going anywhere with this manager in charge.  He’s useless.

[hypochondriac]

This performance and result would have been acceptable after two or three games. The problem is we are ten games in with a load of underwhelming performances so it isn't really acceptable. We can't really afford performances like this.

[Whitey Grandad]

1 minute ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

So by extension if we were to field a team that played a low block and had shots raining in on the keeper throughout every game, both home and away, but every third game we scored a breakaway goal with our one chance that would make you a happy man?!

Raining in on our keeper or theirs?

That's a false extension anyway. I would be a lot happier to see traditional classical British football, not some modern theoretical experiment. 

[Harry_SFC]

11 minutes ago, St. Ciervo said:

I am tired of watching Adam Armstrong slash at balls from bad angles instead of making a better key pass in the box. He continually kills movements on his own with low percentage chances that float wide to nowhere.

His shooting today (and in general) is hopeless. How many times did he either place the ball straight at the keeper or smash it wide. The Jander miss has kinda hidden the fact that Armstrong should've scored as well. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

4 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

So by extension if we were to field a team that played a low block and had shots raining in on the keeper throughout every game, both home and away, but every third game we scored a breakaway goal with our one chance that would make you a happy man?!

A quick peek...If we won every third game, and drew the other 2 0-0, we'd have more points, and be fighting for a play off spot. 🙂

Getting to moan nearly all the time and still go for promotion, is quite appealing.

[The Kraken]

10 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Except it isn't. 

Any statistics that have been quoted so far do not come near the actual result. They are therefore de facto a useless irrelevance. 

What we see is a result of targeting good statistics and is the bane of modern football be it possession,  Xg, XgA or whatever. 

 "When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure"

Except it is.  The statistics from today will demonstrate that the game pretty much reflected the eye test.  Nobody has ever suggested that stats will provide a definitive result of the game, but they can paint a picture of it. Todays did just that.

[StrangelyBrown]

Wow. Some staggering over-reaction on here.

We absolutely battered Swansea, but are without any confidence and consequently nothing went in for us today. 20 odd shots - a lot on target and hitting the post twice (arguably 3 times).

Some real positives: Scienza was fantastic, fellows was very lively when he came on, jelert and welington looked really good at wing back and the charles/Jander pairing is getting better.

I also thought Archer looked lively enough, THB played some brilliant passes despite being a little off the pace and we kept a clean sheet.

On the downside 3 CBs simply doesn't work because our players aren't good enough to recognise when we are being overrun in midfield and step up to help - whether that's one of the CBs or one of the wingbacks. Still needs to recognise this and do something about it.

The other problem is confidence in front of goal - just a goal or two would fix this, but also St Mary's getting so edgy so easily can't help. The second half support really wasnt helping today.

[Saint NL]

23 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

I’m a few beers in, but taking off your centre forward and leaving 3 CBs on the pitch is criminal.

We aren’t going anywhere with this manager in charge.  He’s useless.

That's a good tactic if you're 1-0 up and under pressure.... But it's fucking stupid if it's 0-0 and you're the side on top 🤦

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

2 hours ago, Hopper said:

THB stuck out a mile for me today. Far too slow and pondering on the ball. Takes an age and inevitably chucks it either sideways and back or hoofs a long ball to no-one.

Some bright spots. I thought Welli had a solid first game back and I like the balance of him and Jelert. Leo was obviously a league above in his thinking and execution too but we have to start getting the ball in the net.

Fuck knows how we solve that problem.

These are my thoughts too. THB is very slow. Edwards can pass a better ball but their winger was all over him. 

But the problem is up front. Would have liked us to have gone to a 442 after the break. Will Still has wingers so use them but teach Fellows to cross quicker and not do those floaty crosses that get gobbled up all day long.

And the FA has got to crack down on time wasting. Pundits call it game management but when their players started lying down with 20 minutes to go, the ref has got to get on top of it. Their goalie took the piss. I'd like to see a rugby union style where players can receive attention but the game continues around them.

[StrangelyBrown]

1 hour ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

I think we should have used the Azaz money for striker

We should have used the downs money for a striker...

[Lee On Solent Saint]

8 minutes ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

These are my thoughts too. THB is very slow. Edwards can pass a better ball but their winger was all over him. 

But the problem is up front. Would have liked us to have gone to a 442 after the break. Will Still has wingers so use them but teach Fellows to cross quicker and not do those floaty crosses that get gobbled up all day long.

And the FA has got to crack down on time wasting. Pundits call it game management but when their players started lying down with 20 minutes to go, the ref has got to get on top of it. Their goalie took the piss. I'd like to see a rugby union style where players can receive attention but the game continues around them.

Yeah. The keeper going down was absolutely pathetic. Ref's should be able to caution players when they get back to their feet. Clearly a time wasting tactic as we were building up some momentum. 

[macca155]

10 games and it is inevitable that our patience is already wearing thin.

There was a fair bit that was good today, great build on that. However, there was also some poor game management in and off the pitch. No need to list the issues we can all see it.

Nobody won or lost this league 10 games in. Had one of those chances been converted then we'd be having a very different conversation. The margins are very tight.

Somehow that team needs to grind out a few wins. That will get some momentum going and things will look a bit more rosy. To do that he will have to drop his principles, with 3 CB. Replace Edwards with Downes and Swansea would have been in an Alamo situation.

[Football Special]

On 16/10/2025 at 18:39, Football Special said:

Yeah bottom half championship, early kick off, ticket prices are too high - particularly for kids. 

Away corner holding just over 3000 will have about 900 in it leaving big 2k empty which is amplified by us having 1000 unsold either side of away fans as well. Probably be our lowest league attendance for a long time, 27k probably 

Official attendance of 27,256 but i'd say less that 27k in ground with season ticket no-shows, 4000 empty seats, fans starting to vote with their feet (and wallets) 

Warning to Sports Republic,  apathy is building 

They're just lucky we have so many season ticket holders