Saints 3-1 Sheff Weds - Match Thread

[chivvy]

We should be beating Sheffield Wednesday at home and dare I say it QPR away .. if these idiots appoint this manager. It will be totally ridiculous.

[The Kraken]

Any news on Flynn Downes and why he got hooked at HT? Seemed very strange to bring a lad on in CM who has never made a squad before. Thankfully Wednesday were woeful so we didn’t pay for it, it wasn’t a very good second half performance.

[skintsaint]

6 minutes ago, The Kraken said:

and why he got hooked at HT?

Probably didnt fancy it and 'felt' his hammy.

[AlexLaw76]

Given Sheff Weds were so bad in general, Fellows was able to spend more time further forward. And guess what, he looks pretty decent and dangerous

[SambaMaverick]

No to Eckert, no no no

[Micky]

36 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

Downs is about as mobile as a fully laden oil tanker, and certainly takes as long to get up to speed.

 

Agreed, couldn't believe how slow and cumbersome he looked getting across the turf. I've seen enough of him to confidently predict another dud.  You can all thank me when he now wades in with a hattrick next week now! 

[OttawaSaint]

16 minutes ago, chivvy said:

We should be beating Sheffield Wednesday at home and dare I say it QPR away .. if these idiots appoint this manager. It will be totally ridiculous.

They will. You just know it...

[Suhari]

9 hours ago, Suhari said:

Hungry-eyed Saints are cooking today.

We're going to have them on toast, and all Wednesday get is an empty bag of crisps, courtesy of Baz.

3-1

Get the fuck in.

Fucking bosh.

[vectraman]

54 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Sills is making out this was a much better performance than it actually was.

You can only beat what's in front of you, but there was still so much to be concerned about in that today. We still panic and retreat into a disorganised defensive block when we take the lead. The formation is still causing the same problems - not enough control in midfield and too many defenders getting in each others' way. 

Daft question I’m sure, who the hell is Sills?? 

[Wade Garrett]

Fellows and Scienza were excellent.  Game died when they went off.

Eckert cannot be appointed.  An experienced manager can get us in the mix this season.

[John B]

2 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Fellows and Scienza were excellent.  Game died when they went off.

Eckert cannot be appointed.  An experienced manager can get us in the mix this season.

Who do you suggest we employ I think I would go for the bloke who was at Bournemouth and Wolves but do not want a manager from Europe

[S-Clarke]

It was OK, and two wins in a week cannot be sniffed at after what we've had to endure - but it wasn't amazing or breath-taking by any means.

Today was better than midweek as Wednesday, for all their effort and fight, are one of the worst Champ sides in many years, maybe ever - yet I still felt they caused us problems, which is a massive course for concern. Whenever they attacked with any form of purpose they could have nicked one - luckily they had no quality to take advantage. A better side would have done us today.

I liked Tom Fellows performance because he was able to push up today, and when he attacks he's a threat. That's why he was one of the better wide players in this league. He's a wide player, not a wing back. Against better sides it would be a travesty to have him held back defending. 

Bazunu is a boring argument really, we all know he's not a goalkeeper and today proved once again that he should simply retire. I'm just bored of it at this point, apathetic maybe. 

The next week or so is huge, as we need to use the tiny bit of momentum we've garnered to make the next appointment count. Let Ekert head back to the U21's and continue to grow with them, and maybe when we're less of a basket case he could be an interesting candidate to take over - but not now, absolutely not now. We need some knowhow on that touchline.

[Ralph Fastenbüttl]

I'm not saying Eckert is the man or anything, but you lot are IMPOSSIBLE to please. Like, we NEVER enjoy a new manager bounce. Never. So two on the trot is actually pretty massive. Most of us would have creamed our pants if Still had taken off Downes and brought on youth. And for all the folk saying "yeah, well, we should be beating QPR and Wednesday" I'm like yeah, and we SHOULD have beaten loads of teams we've lost to recently!

Obviously Eckert would not be my No.1 choice - I'd much prefer a far more experienced hire - but if he keeps winning (big 'if', of course) then the point will come when SR would be stupid to get rid of the one bloke who seems to be able to get results from our repeatedly disappointing players.

It's like we've forgotten how to be pleased.
We lose = we're sad.
We're shit = we're sad.
We win = we're sad, because it means we might stick with the winners who we're convinced are actually shit!

[madge]

That last 30 mins showed why we’re not going to get anywhere near the top of this division. I thought we were really poor, lost shape, gave the ball away and rarely got forward. Against better teams we don’t win on that display. But we won to lift some gloom. But SR do not need to make the same mistake they did with selles. This squad needs someone experienced at the helm.

[Saint_clark]

55 minutes ago, chivvy said:

We should be beating Sheffield Wednesday at home and dare I say it QPR away .. if these idiots appoint this manager. It will be totally ridiculous.

That's exactly why they sacked Still when they did mate. Take the cheap option by giving the reserve manager two very winnable games. 

[Thereisonlyonemickychannon]

The prancing pony (more like a shire horse) Downs should never wear the Saints shirt

[S-Clarke]

6 minutes ago, Ralph Fastenbüttl said:

I'm not saying Eckert is the man or anything, but you lot are IMPOSSIBLE to please. Like, we NEVER enjoy a new manager bounce. Never. So two on the trot is actually pretty massive. Most of us would have creamed our pants if Still had taken off Downes and brought on youth. And for all the folk saying "yeah, well, we should be beating QPR and Wednesday" I'm like yeah, and we SHOULD have beaten loads of teams we've lost to recently!

Obviously Eckert would not be my No.1 choice - I'd much prefer a far more experienced hire - but if he keeps winning (big 'if', of course) then the point will come when SR would be stupid to get rid of the one bloke who seems to be able to get results from our repeatedly disappointing players.

It's like we've forgotten how to be pleased.
We lose = we're sad.
We're shit = we're sad.
We win = we're sad, because it means we might stick with the winners who we're convinced are actually shit!

I'm not getting carried away whatsoever by these two wins. QPR away was a disgusting performance by the way, we won...but fuck me, we were utterly non-league standard during the majority of that game.

Today was better, but you have to look at it in the context - the oppo were horrendous. We had it on a plate really, we'd have had to have been totally out of our minds not to have won today. We didn't make it straight forward though, as I said I thought we gave them way too much of a sniff given their limitations - and a better side would have almost certainly picked us off.

There are still lots and lots of problems and these two results don't cover those up for me, nor does Eckert.

[saints-til-i-die]

We won again! 6pts. 3 goals at home.

[Lighthouse]

You can't argue with two back to back wins, however they come, especially in our position. First time since West Brom and Leeds in the playoffs, if we're talking league matches. Hardly polished performances and plenty to criticise but you can only beat what's in front of you. Most importantly, we're back closer to the playoffs than the drop zone, so the new bloke has something realistic to work towards after the international break.

Best I've seen Fellows and Manning play for a while. I'm not sure how Leo, decent as he was, got MotM ahead of the former. Good to see Azaz on the scoresheet and Armstrong showing why it would have been madness to sell him in summer.

[John B]

1 hour ago, chivvy said:

We should be beating Sheffield Wednesday at home and dare I say it QPR away .. if these idiots appoint this manager. It will be totally ridiculous.

Yes but we did not beat PNE at home or Blackburn away as most people expected but the results have improved since Still left so he has had a posive affect on the team whether it will continue we will have to wait and see but the team's confidence seems better

 

[Charlie Wayman]

22 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

I'm not getting carried away whatsoever by these two wins. QPR away was a disgusting performance by the way, we won...but fuck me, we were utterly non-league standard during the majority of that game.

Today was better, but you have to look at it in the context - the oppo were horrendous. We had it on a plate really, we'd have had to have been totally out of our minds not to have won today. We didn't make it straight forward though, as I said I thought we gave them way too much of a sniff given their limitations - and a better side would have almost certainly picked us off.

There are still lots and lots of problems and these two results don't cover those up for me, nor does Eckert.

Are we harping back to the old trope that we can only beat poor teams?

Perhaps we had something to do with them looking so poor?

[BarberSaint]

Best player was Bannan and some of Wednesday's one touch stuff was good. We were much as we've always been apart from we moved it quicker, played with more energy, the game was more open and chaotic partly because it was faster-moving but I wouldn't say we would have more points if Eckhart had been in charge for longer; we just might have troubled teams more.

Seemed like they'd tried to hit Downs earlier and use him more to get him on the ball and I think I saw enough to consider he won't ever be PL level and as that's where we want to be, that's the yard-stick. 

Don't know why Azaz headed the ball miles wide when the goal was the other way and still not impressed by him.

Happy for the points, like the fact that we're trying to play through the lines rather than round the sides, might make the play-offs but don't see us a particularly good team. Manning is still shit. No idea who the new kid was and saw nothing from him to make any impression but would be interested to learn where he came from (out of nowhere), etc. 

 

 

[BarberSaint]

3 hours ago, Saint NL said:

A loud Fuck Gary ONeill chant can be heard 😂

Yep. Joined in with that one.

[Sheaf Saint]

1 hour ago, vectraman said:

Daft question I’m sure, who the hell is Sills?? 

The commentator on Solent today in place of Adam Blackmore.

[BarberSaint]

2 hours ago, egg said:

I'm with you on this. A lot of people see a better player than I do. 

I like his effort but I really can't see why we offered him a contract with a view to being an EPL club. He just won't cut it up there.

[AlexLaw76]

2 hours ago, egg said:

I'm with you on this. A lot of people see a better player than I do. 

You can see why he doe not start. Gives the ball away a lot, and times and really dangerous position. This is not always trying to play with flair and beat his man, but with rubbish passing across the pitch

Got talent, yes. But, being in and around the team this season and not having the pressure to perform weekly, is probably not a bad thing to be fair. 

[Cabrone]

It's all about confidence and even if it wasn't pretty these 2 wins will have done us the world of good.

Another 4 points from the next 2 games should hopefully see us back on our way.

Despite our overall crapiness amazingly we are only 7 points off playoffs with 23 games to go, everything is still to play for.

[macca155]

Other than being dicked by Coventry, Wednesday have put a pretty decent fight up against other sides. QPR are above us. I wouldn't be quite so sniffly about the opposition. This league is a great leveller.

It's good to see some players starting to bed in, and own their positions. That takes the pressure off a bit. Equally there are some serious holes in this squad. The GK position and CF are currently dismal.

Good to see Williams get 45 mins, he definitely grew into the game. Long way from being a regular but not disgraced. 

Onward and upward

[Willo of Whiteley]

My thoughts having gone today is that it was a better performance than QPR midweek, but it was a very low bar, and Sheffield Wednesday were extremely poor, yet somehow we still allowed them to cause the occasionally problem and conceded on the back of some pathetic passing out from the back and simply not wanting the ball more than the other man.

I wouldn’t say anyone had a particularly bad game, all I’ll say is those that came on as subs (apart from Williams) were very ineffective. We didn’t really bother trying for the last thirty minutes, and if we carried on with the same intensity we could’ve scored a few more.

The five at the back still frustrates me immensely, all we gain by playing a back five is that we make that one extra pass across defence every time the ball is at the back. We could’ve taken them to the cleaners today.
I noticed a number of times today Armstrong and Scienza pointing down the channels for a through ball and every time there was an opportunity we opted for another sideways pass. They were getting very frustrated.

Scienza was excellent, we may as well enjoy him while he’s here. Fellows was good when he got forward, which again begs the question, why isn’t he allowed to play in his favoured position?

Nice to have two wins in two games, but let’s not gloss over again that midweek was a poor performance, there is more that can come out this squad and it is not a formation that is designed for getting a team to attack and try and get promoted.

Yet somehow I still imagine Eckhart has made a claim to be kept on after this. 

[die Mannyschaft]

A good win considering we cant defend and if it wasn't for Armstrong closing down and running around Shef Wed would be passing around uninterrupted.  Armstrong great goal which one of our other forwards will never score. Saints played some decent football again in very small patches.

Its a win so that's a huge positive the negatives are

We cant defend 

Too slow

Cant cross or shoot enough first time

Don't have anyone up front except AA

It still looks like Russ ball to me and not enough energy in whole team. No good 3 players running guts out when some stopped and tacking the scenery in.

Bazunu made more important saves than howlers so that's another positive

I'm quiet excited about season now as we could be the worst team to make the play offs.

[die Mannyschaft]

52 minutes ago, Cabrone said:

It's all about confidence and even if it wasn't pretty these 2 wins will have done us the world of good.

Another 4 points from the next 2 games should hopefully see us back on our way.

Despite our overall crapiness amazingly we are only 7 points off playoffs with 23 games to go, everything is still to play for.

Its unbelievable with the style and tempo we play at. 

[spyinthesky]

1 hour ago, BarberSaint said:

Best player was Bannan and some of Wednesday's one touch stuff was good. We were much as we've always been apart from we moved it quicker, played with more energy, the game was more open and chaotic partly because it was faster-moving but I wouldn't say we would have more points if Eckhart had been in charge for longer; we just might have troubled teams more.

Seemed like they'd tried to hit Downs earlier and use him more to get him on the ball and I think I saw enough to consider he won't ever be PL level and as that's where we want to be, that's the yard-stick. 

Don't know why Azaz headed the ball miles wide when the goal was the other way and still not impressed by him.

Happy for the points, like the fact that we're trying to play through the lines rather than round the sides, might make the play-offs but don't see us a particularly good team. Manning is still shit. No idea who the new kid was and saw nothing from him to make any impression but would be interested to learn where he came from (out of nowhere), etc. 

 

 

 

[Osvaldorama]

2 hours ago, Ralph Fastenbüttl said:

I'm not saying Eckert is the man or anything, but you lot are IMPOSSIBLE to please. Like, we NEVER enjoy a new manager bounce. Never. So two on the trot is actually pretty massive. Most of us would have creamed our pants if Still had taken off Downes and brought on youth. And for all the folk saying "yeah, well, we should be beating QPR and Wednesday" I'm like yeah, and we SHOULD have beaten loads of teams we've lost to recently!

Obviously Eckert would not be my No.1 choice - I'd much prefer a far more experienced hire - but if he keeps winning (big 'if', of course) then the point will come when SR would be stupid to get rid of the one bloke who seems to be able to get results from our repeatedly disappointing players.

It's like we've forgotten how to be pleased.
We lose = we're sad.
We're shit = we're sad.
We win = we're sad, because it means we might stick with the winners who we're convinced are actually shit!

Absurd post

 

Weve won against the worst team in the league, not fucking Man City away. 

[spyinthesky]

1 minute ago, spyinthesky said:

 

Agree with you about Barry Bannan.
He signed for Weds 10 years ago on a free transfer and doesnt look like a footballer but he hardly misplaced a pass today and was an example to our midfield players.
I hope Oriol Romeu makes the same impact when he turns out for us.
We had a slice of luck with our first goal and Aziz and Armstrong did well with our other two goals.
Aziz seemed to duck away from the glorious header opportunity he had second half.
Weds passed the ball better than us at times and on occasions we had two players challenging for the same ball as has been the situation a few times this season.
As ever our throw ins were poor.
Weds looked like a Div 1 side in the making but to be honest we werent much better.
Nice to win at home for once though.

[Harry_SFC]

12 minutes ago, spyinthesky said:

Agree with you about Barry Bannan.
He signed for Weds 10 years ago on a free transfer and doesnt look like a footballer but he hardly misplaced a pass today and was an example to our midfield players.
I hope Oriol Romeu makes the same impact when he turns out for us.
We had a slice of luck with our first goal and Aziz and Armstrong did well with our other two goals.
Aziz seemed to duck away from the glorious header opportunity he had second half.
Weds passed the ball better than us at times and on occasions we had two players challenging for the same ball as has been the situation a few times this season.
As ever our throw ins were poor.
Weds looked like a Div 1 side in the making but to be honest we werent much better.
Nice to win at home for once though.

Azaz didn't duck away from it. The ball was behind him and he was trying to flick it, just didn't get enough on it. 

[Ralph Fastenbüttl]

2 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

I'm not getting carried away whatsoever by these two wins. QPR away was a disgusting performance by the way, we won...but fuck me, we were utterly non-league standard during the majority of that game.

Today was better, but you have to look at it in the context - the oppo were horrendous. We had it on a plate really, we'd have had to have been totally out of our minds not to have won today. We didn't make it straight forward though, as I said I thought we gave them way too much of a sniff given their limitations - and a better side would have almost certainly picked us off.

There are still lots and lots of problems and these two results don't cover those up for me, nor does Eckert.

I mean, yeah, I'm not going to argue with you about the opposition. Dogshit. Tho QPR are above us in the table, so maybe we shouldn't be quite so sniffy? Nor will I argue that we're good or played well. We're not and, overall, we didn't. But what we did do was win, and that objectively is an improvement! Obviously lots and lots of improving is still required, of course.

11 minutes ago, Osvaldorama said:

Absurd post

 

Weve won against the worst team in the league, not fucking Man City away. 

Nor did I claim any such thing! That's not really the thrust of my post, is it? Honestly not sure we would have gotten three points against Wednesday under Still, but guess we'll never know (thank fuck).

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

3 hours ago, Saint NL said:

Gary O'Neil must be fuming

The Northam made is patently clear we don't want him as our next manager. Problem is (and I didn't notice Spors come on at the end) there is a danger they'll go for Eckert and this will be a Selles-style mistake. 

Disappointed to see our four centre backs all on the pitch at the same time. We were playing Wednesday FFS.

What's Matsuki done to be so far down the pecking order? No-one around us knew why Downes was replaced at half time with Williams, and while it's good to give the lad a run out, surely Matsuki deserves to be ahead of him.

[SaintBobby]

Pleased with the win, obviously.

4/10 Performance though. Maybe 5.

[Willo of Whiteley]

Playing with four at the back and having that extra attacking player we should’ve easily scored another two or three minimum.

Mad that we played with a back five against bottom of the league.

[Nordic Saint]

Good match report from the Wednesday site: Report | Southampton 3-1 Wednesday - Sheffield Wednesday FC

[SNSUN]

It was... ok. Trees were not pulled up but we definitely played better today than we did against QPR although they were better than Wednesday were. Some of attacking moves were decent in the first half but then we conceded to a decent goal (and poor keeping) and suddenly you could see the nerves creep back in. Half time came, Barnaby came on and suddenly I worried about how it would turn out, but the Armstrong goal pretty much killed the game. To be fair to Wednesday, they did try, they just lack the quality which isn't a surprise bearing in mind their predicament. They'll go down but will probably be better for it in the long run. 

I CBA to do a player ratings but Scienza, Fellows and Jander were the stand outs (summer signings working well), and I thought AA and even Manning had decent games. Pleased for Azaz to get his first goal, more please. THB was a bit better too. Williams was tidy but didn't blow me away. I can't say it enough though... drop the 3CBs but I guess with injuries we're stuck with it as we have numbers in that position. 

2 wins from 2 from Tonda but I'm with others, we need a more experienced manager going forwards. Not Martin (whatever the players want) and not O'Neill as neither will get the fan base onside.  Carrick might be dull but he'd probably do for the short term. Either that or stick with Tonda for a few more games then see who becomes available. 

Anyway a nice day out with my daughter who has now seen 7 Saints goals in 2 games in her life time. I should take her more. 

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

Don't get me wrong, absolutely stoked with winning two games.

However Saints weren't convincing in either in my opinion. 

Playing 5 at the back and no midfield is just killing us.

[LGTL]

Barry Bannan is a brilliant little player isn’t he. Don’t think he gave the ball away once. Best player on the pitch. 

[Lighthouse]

Just now, LGTL said:

Barry Bannan is a brilliant little player isn’t he. Don’t think he gave the ball away once. Best player on the pitch. 

On the flip side, he does need to accept that he's bald and just shave it all off.