Saints 0-0 Swansea - Match Thread

[Football Special]

24 minutes ago, macca155 said:

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.

Feels like for that to happen we need to nick a few 1-0 wins , the 3 CB approach at home to teams like Swansea just doesn't make sense to me but perhaps Still is going for clean sheet safety first approach on the basis we're not capable of scoring goals I guess that makes sense. Don't concede then always have a chance 

[chownie20]

Feel like a few people need to give their head a wobble asking for Still out.

We've absolutely dominated that game, created plenty and conceded nothing, and on another day it's 4 or 5 nil. Just one of those days where it wouldn't go in.

Build on it, more clinical and a bit more luck. But, we do need more points more quickly between now and Xmas for sure.

[Scoobysaint]

I thought we played well today, creating chances and nullifying the opposition. 
I was sat quite near the Saints bench and it was clear that one of the tactical plans was to get Wellington on the ball more, presumably to tie up their full back and leave Scienza more space. At times Still was getting pretty exasperated when Wood or THB weren’t using that ball to Welly wide.

Tom Fellows was good when he came on but always received the ball standing still, with his back to goal, always needing to take his player on before starting the attack. A little more urgency could have meant he was running onto the ball or at least had more space. 
Alex McCarthy had plenty of opportunities to release Fellows or Jelert with a decent throw but too often took the safe option of passing out to Wood.

On the whole, it’s starting to come together. I think we need to find a place for Azaz, maybe for Archer. I am an optimist though. Had a fiver on Saints to win 3-0 and Scienza to score.

Edited yesterday at 05:16 by Scoobysaint

[a1ex2001]

8 minutes ago, chownie20 said:

Feel like a few people need to give their head a wobble asking for Still out.

We've absolutely dominated that game, created plenty and conceded nothing, and on another day it's 4 or 5 nil. Just one of those days where it wouldn't go in.

Build on it, more clinical and a bit more luck. But, we do need more points more quickly between now and Xmas for sure.

Maybe if he’d dropped the over defensive lineup played 2 or 3 up front  we would have created even more, scored more than none and actually won the game.  That line up at home against Swansea when we are desperate for a win was an act of out right cowardice.  Happy to eat my words when we storm up the league playing 1 up front and 5 at the back but I won’t risk holding my breath.  The writing is on the wall he won’t last the season and if you ask me will be lucky to make Christmas.

[vectraman]

36 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Feels like for that to happen we need to nick a few 1-0 wins , the 3 CB approach at home to teams like Swansea just doesn't make sense to me but perhaps Still is going for clean sheet safety first approach on the basis we're not capable of scoring goals I guess that makes sense. Don't concede then always have a chance 

As an away team at a ‘big’ team I completely agree. But us home to Swansea, that is weak manager thinking. Sorry, but 5 at the back to a distinctly ‘average Swansea’ ( despite them being above us),  is not the thinking of someone who believes we should be winning these games.

We have a manager who can’t think “this is a gimme win, let’s go and batter them”. Unadventurous mentality, unadventurous results. What we are getting.

The manager is responsible for team morale, belief, balls, whatever you want to call PMA (positive mental attitude). We just don’t believe we can win. It’s so obvious in the plodding play, sideways passing, safe passes, easy passes, lack of movement up front does my nut in.

Swansea did not play a low block. They compressed play to the middle third of the pitch, giving our forwards space to time a run through them. Sometimes the pass never came, sometimes it did and we are straight in behind them, mostly in the second half Arma and Archer didn’t make the runs because they knew a quick pass wasn’t coming. Sorry Will, that’s down to you to sort out and get the fuckers looking up and passing into space behind their high line. It was obvious to me that when we did this, we were clean through on goal. But no, let’s pass about at the back and go nowhere with 7 minutes added time. Bunch of fucking melts. Safety first wank ball. Should be ashamed at home to a middling side. Sort it out Will, or fuck off and let someone who can sort it…

Edited Saturday at 20:02 by vectraman
Autocorrect

[Harry_SFC]

7 minutes ago, a1ex2001 said:

Maybe if he’d dropped the over defensive lineup played 2 or 3 up front  we would have created even more, scored more than none and actually won the game.  That line up at home against Swansea when we are desperate for a win was an act of out right cowardice.  Happy to eat my words when we storm up the league playing 1 up front and 5 at the back but I won’t risk holding my breath.  The writing is on the wall he won’t last the season and if you ask me will be lucky to make Christmas.

Sorry but when you have 20+ shots, 8 on target, miss 2 open goals and nullify the opposition to one real chance, you cannot blame the manager for his tactical plan.

[bugenhagen]

This was not a great performance, it was a wasted opportunity against a pretty poor team at home. One of the easier games of the season.

[Galway saint]

I read above we have won 4 out of 47 games 

If we fail to win the next game we will have won 1 league game for every 12 we play and that stretches back way before Still.

It’s soul destroying stuff and I no longer expect us to win a game. I wonder if any other side in league history has had a worse run over such a lengthy period. 

Thought we did ok today in the first half  and would have won that with a decent No.9 and that’s on SR. However we are clearly less than the sum of our parts. 

 

[saintant]

2 hours 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.

We don't have a centre forward to take off - just a bunch of short players who run around a lot but clearly need a focal point, a leader.

[Patches O Houlihan]

1 hour ago, macca155 said:

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.

I worry that if we replace Edwards with Downes we'll just go back to dull endless passing back with none of the optimistic incisive through balls, and the couple of quick breaks we made today. I'd rather have Jander play the holding role and bring Azaz or Fellows in if we go to a back four.

[Football Special]

Not looking good 😕 

[Charlie Wayman]

3 hours ago, AllyD said:

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….

Do people like you not realise that after Tuesday's match, one quarter of this season will have passed us by always hoping for jam tomorrow. 

Edited Saturday at 21:00 by Charlie Wayman

[chownie20]

1 hour ago, a1ex2001 said:

Maybe if he’d dropped the over defensive lineup played 2 or 3 up front  we would have created even more, scored more than none and actually won the game.  That line up at home against Swansea when we are desperate for a win was an act of out right cowardice.  Happy to eat my words when we storm up the league playing 1 up front and 5 at the back but I won’t risk holding my breath.  The writing is on the wall he won’t last the season and if you ask me will be lucky to make Christmas.

Our defensive line up which saw is create a ridiculous amount of chances? 

[Teamsaint1]

I’m as impatient as anybody to see an upturn in our fortunes. Not seen a win since Wembley, and thought we were very patchy today. Maybe the defence is gradually improving, which with such a mediocre bunch of strikers it really needs to. And hopefully the manager is working out which players he can get the most out of.

But Still is following three or four years of mostly shambles and constant change. We do really need some stability, cohesion, team building. Promotion this season isn’t the be all and end all, but building for the future  is absolutely vital. I’m not overly impressed with Still at the moment, but if it is going to work, he needs time and the support  of fans whose patience is already worn very thin. 

 

[Football Special]

 

[macca155]

7 hours ago, CSA96 said:

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

Armstrong scores in this league but needs a strong player next to him to make room. 

That isn't Archer (he's Armstrong's back up). Without Stewart you look for possibilities in the squad. Aribo is an obvious solution, not brilliant but he would occupy a defender.

Otherwise look for a an out of contract player like Patrick Bamford.

Here's the nub though. Spors bought Downs and is clearly insisting that he is on the bench at least. Pride comes before a fall.

Spors got some transfers right. Quarshie, Scienza, Jelert, Fellows, Jander. No disgrace in buying a dud, just own it, ship him out asap.

[Osvaldorama]

21 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Not looking good 😕 

I disagree, 4pts clear of the drop zone and with a better goal difference than Blackburn

[Badger]

Agree with Macca above about the strikers. Shocking ineptitude not reinforcing here.

But some posters told us our strikers were adequate for the Championship.

Has anyone mentioned that apparently Archer scored 18 goals in 40 games in this league ? Pretty sure I read that being bandied about on here.

Well call me a heretic, but I still think he’s shit. 

Edited Saturday at 21:39 by Badger

[Badger]

5 hours ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

Play that game exactly like that 10 more times and we win it 9 or 10 times.

xG was 3:25 : 0.26

We managed that today, but it just didn't fall right for him or any of the others.

 

1 hour ago, chownie20 said:

Feel like a few people need to give their head a wobble asking for Still out.

We've absolutely dominated that game, created plenty and conceded nothing, and on another day it's 4 or 5 nil. Just one of those days where it wouldn't go in.

Build on it, more clinical and a bit more luck. But, we do need more points more quickly between now and Xmas for sure.

I haven’t trawled back through the thread but expected some “ on another day.. “ type posts. Trouble is though, this is rather fanciful stuff given our experiences. 

Today isn’t really a one off when we didn’t get the rub of the green. We missed several chances, that’s not bad luck today, it’s what we do. Regularly. We spurn chances. In fact we’re rather good at it.

If you want an “on another day” to mull over, the more likely one is that after we’ve ballsed up chance after chance, Swansea go down the other end and sneak one in the 87th minute. 

[sockeye]

On another day it's 1-1.

[Sheaf Saint]

28 minutes ago, Badger said:

Has anyone mentioned that apparently Archer scored 18 goals in 40 games in this league ? Pretty sure I read that being bandied about on here.

Well call me a heretic, but I still think he’s shit. 

It's not heresy to point out the obvious. He was very poor again today. He's got a tidy finish when it's put on a plate for him. But he doesn't contribute enough, and having both him and Armstrong on the pitch today was never going to work.

[Osvaldorama]

I think a few people are sort of underestimating just how shit Swansea were today. 
It wasn’t some epic performance from us that limited them to few chances. They literally offered nothing.
They were so poor. 
 

Yet we contrived to not win, yet again.

[Badger]

7 hours ago, sadoldgit said:

I’m not sure why Still is getting so much flak. We bossed the game and had enough chances to win comfortably. 

Todays failings are on the piss poor recruitment of a striker. Not Still. 

 I’m not a fan of 5 at the back, but even so it didn’t stifle us and we created chances. 

Far from convinced by Still being right to take us foward but I certainly don’t pin today on him. 

[Badger]

3 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

It's not heresy to point out the obvious. He was very poor again today. He's got a tidy finish when it's put on a plate for him. But he doesn't contribute enough, and having both him and Armstrong on the pitch today was never going to work.

Like on the edge of the six yard box, and skewing it wide ? 
 

£19m wasn’t it ? 

Edited Saturday at 22:02 by Badger

[Sheaf Saint]

1 minute ago, Badger said:

Like on the edge of the six yard box, and skewing it wide ? 

I should have inserted the word 'occasionally' somewhere in that sentence.

However, if you're referring to the one that came back off the post to him, I'm not gonna blame him for that. It sat up just too high and was a much harder chance than some on here made out. 

Edited Saturday at 22:05 by Sheaf Saint

[Patches O Houlihan]

26 minutes ago, Osvaldorama said:

I think a few people are sort of underestimating just how shit Swansea were today. 
It wasn’t some epic performance from us that limited them to few chances. They literally offered nothing.
They were so poor. 
 

Yet we contrived to not win, yet again.

Swansea's Alan Sheehan:

"That is our first good point of the season. The draws we have had have felt like losses. We've played better with the ball and come away short of points.

"They created a lot of chances in that spell in the first half. That is the first time a team has created that amount of chances against us, credit to them."

[Badger]

3 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

Swansea's Alan Sheehan:

"That is our first good point of the season. The draws we have had have felt like losses. We've played better with the ball and come away short of points.

"They created a lot of chances in that spell in the first half. That is the first time a team has created that amount of chances against us, credit to them."

Wasn’t Alan Sheehan, Nathan Jones’ assistant when he was here ? 

[Patches O Houlihan]

1 minute ago, Badger said:

Wasn’t Alan Sheehan, Nathan Jones’ assistant when he was here ? 

Yes

 

[madge]

2 hours ago, chownie20 said:

Feel like a few people need to give their head a wobble asking for Still out.

We've absolutely dominated that game, created plenty and conceded nothing, and on another day it's 4 or 5 nil. Just one of those days where it wouldn't go in.

Build on it, more clinical and a bit more luck. But, we do need more points more quickly between now and Xmas for sure.

We have dominated the game…. But, Swansea are probably the worst team I’ve seen visit ST Marys in the last 2 years.. this Coventry side would have destroyed them.

[cambsaint]

I watched the game on Sky and I felt I had wasted my time. Yes we were dominant but  the commentator called our attack powder puff and I thought it was an apt description. No height in attack in a physical league is very dubious. I wondered if there is a place to play Manning in a midfield position, at least he can hit a barn door from 5 yards.

[Saint_clark]

6 hours ago, a1ex2001 said:

Maybe if he’d dropped the over defensive lineup played 2 or 3 up front  we would have created even more, scored more than none and actually won the game. 

Mate you need to think about what it is you're saying. If we'd picked a different line up we'd have created even more...than the 29 shots we had on goal. How many chances do we need to create before you say the way we're set up has worked, but the individuals taking those chances have let us down? 40, 50 shots on goal? 

[Saint_clark]

4 hours ago, madge said:

We have dominated the game…. But, Swansea are probably the worst team I’ve seen visit ST Marys in the last 2 years.. this Coventry side would have destroyed them.

They would have, but Coventry have Wright, Thomas-Asante and Torp, who have 20 goals between them already this season. Clearly much better finishers than anyone we had going forward today.

[Thripp87]

16 hours 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 are some stats for you.

2 home wins since the play off final.

4 wins in almost 50 games

1 win in 9.

[Football Special]

4 hours ago, Saint_clark said:

They would have, but Coventry have Wright, Thomas-Asante and Torp, who have 20 goals between them already this season. Clearly much better finishers than anyone we had going forward today.

Ha yeah Cov have scored 29 goals in 10 games, we've scored 11 🤣 

We'll be lucky to score that many by the new year 

[Football Special]

1 minute ago, Thripp87 said:

Here are some stats for you.

2 home wins since the play off final.

4 wins in almost 50 games

1 win in 9.

I think as many people as possible need to copy and paste this post and email to Saints , subject FAO Sports Republic 

Ps those two home wins were far from convincing. 

[Patches O Houlihan]

12 minutes ago, Thripp87 said:

Here are some stats for you.

2 home wins since the play off final.

4 wins in almost 50 games

1 win in 9.

Yes - shit.

BUT Still has only managed 10 league games, and won the cup games + a creditable performance at Anfield. League = W2, D6, L2

How easy do you think it is to immediately turn around a team with those stats with a fan base that has seen the worst results in Europe over the last 4 years?

 

Edited yesterday at 07:04 by Patches O Houlihan

[Thripp87]

The only way to get through to Sports Republic is to hit them in their wallet. After the shitshow they have overseen I can’t believe hoards of people are still queuing to spend £7 a pint in the fanzone. It should be completely boycotted. Support the local pubs ffs.

All I can see they have produced is some fancy technology to reduce queues for an over priced sausage roll at half time. Well if performances don’t improve there won’t be any half time queues, performances like this will lead to 20k attendances over winter.

Solak needs to have Spors in a meeting first thing, justifying what he saw in Downs. A £7m striker not getting off the bench (rightly cause he is utter shite) in a game like that shows how bad a job Spors has done.

The performance was better, but Still has some serious questions to answer yesterday. How can he persist with 5 at the back for 97 mins against probably the worst side I’ve seen us play at SMS? Fellows is also a good player, he brings him on at rwb, therefore spending his whole cameo with his back to goal. Why is Aribo not on the bench ahead of the aforementioned retard Downs? 

 

[LGTL]

9 hours ago, Osvaldorama said:

I think a few people are sort of underestimating just how shit Swansea were today. 
It wasn’t some epic performance from us that limited them to few chances. They literally offered nothing.
They were so poor. 
 

Yet we contrived to not win, yet again.

The crux for me.

People harping on about creating chances. So we fucking should, we spent tens of millions in the summer and were playing against complete and utter fucking shit, who were offering absolutely nothing, at home.

And we still didn’t win, and still didn’t score. Pathetic that anyone is defending it, but not surprising given our weak, apathetic fanbase. 

[Wade Garrett]

10 hours ago, saintant said:

We don't have a centre forward to take off - just a bunch of short players who run around a lot but clearly need a focal point, a leader.

I think Archer is a centre forward.  Armstrong has shown time and again that he can’t play there, yet Still put him there, knowing this, again.

Then what does he do at the end of the game?  Stick Harwood-Bellis up but puts Charles back as LCB.  The bloke is fucking clueless.  Got the job on the strength of a tactical piece he did on Sky.  It was just a sales pitch that the circus at SR swallowed hook, line and sinker.

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

11 hours ago, Harry_SFC said:

Sorry but when you have 20+ shots, 8 on target, miss 2 open goals and nullify the opposition to one real chance, you cannot blame the manager for his tactical plan.

Just watched the highlights and when you're at the game you're thinking that was close, that was also close, but the highlights make you realise just how close we were. Had all the hallmarks of the Rotherham home game a couple of years ago except this time it was against a team above us in the league and not a team destined for relegation.

Will Still has realised Downs is useless which gives us the age old problem of who is going to score our goals. Blame Spors for that crucial signing. You could see Still urging the centre backs to get a move on but THB in particular really doesn't see a good forward pass. Should we have gone to a 442 in the second half? I think so because that would have kept the momentum going but otherwise the tactics were ok today.

Bristol City will be a bigger test.

[LiberalCommunist]

23 hours ago, LiberalCommunist said:

After a two week break, we'll all be rather excited for this mid day fixture. But, a word of warning. Lower your expectations. Losing the Drog is a blow, expecting Will to have a complete rewiring is fanciful. This will be a very frustrating 1-1 where we absolutely dominate, but miss countless opportunities to score more than one goal.  

On a brighter note, I'm now firmly top of my predictions mini league with my pessimistic predictions. 

Go Saints!

[Bakovnetski]

10 hours ago, macca155 said:

Armstrong scores in this league but needs a strong player next to him to make room. 

That isn't Archer (he's Armstrong's back up). Without Stewart you look for possibilities in the squad. Aribo is an obvious solution, not brilliant but he would occupy a defender.

Otherwise look for a an out of contract player like Patrick Bamford.

Here's the nub though. Spors bought Downs and is clearly insisting that he is on the bench at least. Pride comes before a fall.

Spors got some transfers right. Quarshie, Scienza, Jelert, Fellows, Jander. No disgrace in buying a dud, just own it, ship him out asap.

It would make more sense pairing Azaz up front with either Armstrong or Archer. 

[macca155]

I know people want Still's head already, but part of our problem is SRs appalling management appointments.

We appear twice on this list of shame, and that doesn't include the hapless Seles. Another sacking isn't going to help.

Swansea aren't shit, they have more points than Saints. That seems mainly by defending well, and grinding out draws.

Felt like Still hadn't done his HW, and he failed to manage the game effectively.

But let's not rewrite history, the 1st half was great. No complaints there. Pressure was building to overwhelm them in the 2nd half.

Easy to complain from the stands but playing 5 defenders against a team camped in their own half was unnecessary. Leaving tired players on too long, and then playing the replacements too deep or too wide just gave Swansea respite, and allowed them to get narky and disrupt the last 10 minutes.

The crowd sang 'fuck them up, get into them'. Perhaps Still should have listened.

[Wade Garrett]

4 minutes ago, macca155 said:

I know people want Still's head already, but part of our problem is SRs appalling management appointments.

We appear twice on this list of shame, and that doesn't include the hapless Seles. Another sacking isn't going to help.

Swansea aren't shit, they have more points than Saints. That seems mainly by defending well, and grinding out draws.

Felt like Still hadn't done his HW, and he failed to manage the game effectively.

But let's not rewrite history, the 1st half was great. No complaints there. Pressure was building to overwhelm them in the 2nd half.

Easy to complain from the stands but playing 5 defenders against a team camped in their own half was unnecessary. Leaving tired players on too long, and then playing the replacements too deep or too wide just gave Swansea respite, and allowed them to get narky and disrupt the last 10 minutes.

The crowd sang 'fuck them up, get into them'. Perhaps Still should have listened.

I don’t think sticking with Still just because we’ve sacked other managers quickly is the way to go.

Juric was fucked from day one but did nothing to lift the club.  Jones was a ridiculous appointment and had to go.  But in both cases, my opinion is that their predecessors were correctly sacked.

If we stick with Still, we are looking at mid-table and lucky to get crowds of 24000.  Which is criminal when you look at the squad he has to work with in the league we’re in.

[kitch]

6 hours ago, Saint_clark said:

Mate you need to think about what it is you're saying. If we'd picked a different line up we'd have created even more...than the 29 shots we had on goal. How many chances do we need to create before you say the way we're set up has worked, but the individuals taking those chances have let us down? 40, 50 shots on goal? 

Exactly this. Still did his job. We conceded nothing and created a fucktonne of chances. 

The players wasted all of them. That's on them.

[Toadhall Saint]

Played well, should have won, same shit different day (no CF).

[Dr Who?]

9 hours ago, cambsaint said:

I watched the game on Sky and I felt I had wasted my time. Yes we were dominant but  the commentator called our attack powder puff and I thought it was an apt description. No height in attack in a physical league is very dubious. I wondered if there is a place to play Manning in a midfield position, at least he can hit a barn door from 5 yards.

I watched the last 25 minutes, and it did feel like a waste of time. There were at least 4 balls into the box that the Swansea keeper caught unchallenged. Our final ball is pants, but the build up play is good when we use some tempo. It was boring. 

[DT]

Come on, everyone. The manager is totally out of his depth. System and selection randomiser and with the charisma of a wet lettuce. 

Nothing will change with Still still here.

[Wade Garrett]

28 minutes ago, DT said:

Come on, everyone. The manager is totally out of his depth. System and selection randomiser and with the charisma of a wet lettuce. 

Nothing will change with Still still here.

This 100%.

[Patrick Bateman]

1 hour ago, Toadhall Saint said:

Played well, should have won, same shit different day (no CF).

Exactly this. I thought we looked decent and created enough chances. Scienza was brilliant, Wood amused me a lot too - but we do need a bloody decent striker who probably with that service, got 3 goals easily. 

Decent striker and we win that 3-0.

That scoreline and lack of win was purely down to poor recruitment.