Charlton 1-5 Saints - Match Thread

[lambtiss]

2 hours ago, Saint NL said:

Damion Downs could have written his name in history there

Oh, he's definitely done that already ...

Edited 3 hours ago by lambtiss

[Jimmy_D]

Brilliant first half, and we were able to just control the game 2nd half with a tricky midweek game coming up.

 One lapse in concentration from a set piece aside, (when 5-0 up!) that was a damn near perfect performance.

[Secret Site Agent]

If that Tonda Ekert thinks he can come in here stand up and win his first three games including a 5-1 win and keep the job he can have another think coming.

 

We need another manager to come in and get us passing around at the back in the area and not this forward play and suckng other teams in.

 

Where's Kurt, I'm giving my Season Ticket back.

 

 

[NewYorkSaint]

Disagree with the mob rule on Downs.  There were enough glimpses on the pitch today to see possibility of a strong player there. He must be doing something in training to hold belief that he should be given chances.  I think it might turn out he's been hobbling himself through nervousness and the first goal will unlock a much better player. 

[Suhari]

Typical. We can only play well for the odd half.

Second half was shite.

Tonda out. SR out. Azaz is wank. Etc etc

[Hopper]

That’s as impressive as I’ve seen us since the last championship campaign. Everything felt far more automatic. Less thought more intent.

If you can’t see a difference in how we’re playing under Ekert at this point I think you need to get to Specsavers.

[NewYorkSaint]

One of the best things of today...  suddenly it seems like our signing strategy wasn't quite as crap as we feared. Scienza,  Fellows, Azaz and Jander all looking really really exciting.    Our current odds for promotion 6:1.  I think that's a good bet. If I was in the UK and could legally make it, I would.

[Wade Garrett]

Brilliant display, well done!

That’s a great win.  Actually looking forward to Tuesday now, for the first time in ages.

[SaintNate]

11 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

What planet are you on? Whichever it is, there isn’t enough oxygen.

I wanted 9. Excise some demons. Instead I got a professional performance, how dare they?

Of course it wasn't actually shite. Melt.

Edited 5 hours ago by SaintNate

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Not much to add from the first half, so just copied that below. 🙂

As the excellent Charlton co-tator said, one side didn't want to concede even more and the other were happy with the day's work. Charlton's subs were ahead of Tuesday, and ours were sensible like for like changes, probably with the same in mind.

In summary, Nathan's front footed, aggressiveness was his undoing. We easily played around their press. The work and intelligence of AA and creativity of Scienza gave us lots of space and dismantled them.  

It would have been nice to see more intensity to see more from the subs. But,mas a team, there wasn't much need. Before the pace dropped, we got to see more of attacking Fellows, who had a good game. Stephens was also moving into midfield, to give some direction at times. That was along with Jander and Bragg having dropped back as the tempo waned.

Downes did fine when he came on, mopping up any problems. Downs continued to not be a target man. He might do better with balls into plenty of space over the top. But he still struggles physically with defenders.

Robinson had a few solo runs. Some against ex-Saint Ramsey, fresh from a torrid half up against AA.

Cracking result. But to temper that just a little, Charlton played right into our tactics. 

Tonda's 100% record remains.

 

53 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Wow! We just blew them away in the first 25 minutes.

The team worked hard for each other, in a system that made use of a lot of their individual strengths.

AA put an early header over the bar, from a good position. But that was not the way the rest of our attacks came. AA wasn't pinned looking for scraps. He was using his usual work rate to move into spaces, supporting and disrupting. Others were asked to match that, by using all that space and move between the Charlton defence. 

Right from the first few minutes our passing ( little nod to RussBall) was pulling Charlton apart. Apart from that AA header, we had this week's Golden Miss going to Azaz, and Manning hitting the side netting.

The goals were a just reward for the work. But it's the work, support and anticipation that shone.

Credit to Eckhart. AA isn't a target man. So he's given runners to help. Fellows isn't a wing back. Watch how THB supports him a Ross the pitch.

Bragg isn't a midfield destroyer. But AA and Jander allow him to have passing options. Bragg took up a number of good spaces (little nod to Smallbone) to connect up the play.

After the fourth, it was a different tempo. So we got to see our defence in action. Not surprisingly, we're weaker there with Fellows and Manning. But solid enough in the centre. Only that free header at the end to look at.

Even when their forwards pressed Baz, there wasn't any worry. Baz is among the best for that sort of thing.

Lovely to enjoy the players rewarded for their effort.

 

[Bushey Saint]

8 minutes ago, Secret Site Agent said:

If that Tonda Ekert thinks he can come in here stand up and win his first three games including a 5-1 win and keep the job he can have another think coming.

 

We need another manager to come in and get us passing around at the back in the area and not this forward play and suckng other teams in.

 

Where's Kurt, I'm giving my Season Ticket back.

 

 

And to think that there are (so-called) journos who trawl these type of forums and will take that literally ... 

[ButtikonSaint]

Been a long time since we blew away the opposition ... will savour that first half for a long time.
Great team goals, lovely skill moves, positive running, hard tackles... more or less perfect 45mins.

Managed the rest of the game which, with 2 other games quickly coming up, made a lot of sense.

Wonderful start to the weekend :-) COYS
 

[SaintBobby]

Excellent stuff.

That blistering spell in the first half was beautiful to watch.

Nerd/trivia question - have we ever scored 4 goals in as few as 8 minutes before?

[davefizzy14]

Absolutely brilliant performance today from us, get in! 😊

Edited 5 hours ago by davefizzy14

[ErwinK1961]

Blimey, perhaps the players DO actually like playing for this guy.

[benjii]

1 minute ago, SaintBobby said:

Excellent stuff.

That blistering spell in the first half was beautiful to watch.

Nerd/trivia question - have we ever scored 4 goals in as few as 8 minutes before?

4 in 13 against Villa... closest I can think of!

[Saint_Jonny]

2 hours ago, sockeye said:

Azaz is wank.

Lol. 

[Dr Who?]

I have to say, 3 in a row and 1-5 on the road. Without getting carried away, that is not a bad turn of events considering the state we were in. You could see the confidence returning. The only negative we seem to be returning to knocking the ball around our own penalty area, but not only this a few yards out from the goal. I thought we were moving away from this kind of football. 

We will see how the next 2 games go, but the owners should either say, you have got the job or employ someone else, so all know where they stand. 

[SuperSAINT]

Tremendous stuff. Excellent to see that after 2 weeks on the training pitch too.

[Crab Lungs]

Not sure what happened or what I just watched but I’m a lot happier for it.

Thank you, Saints 

[Barton Saint]

Best burst of scoring since that Mane hat trick 

[spyinthesky]

1 hour ago, sadoldgit said:

The last time I saw Southampton play Charlton at The Valley they hammered us 6-2. It has taken many years but revenge is sweet! 🥳

I still have the scars from that game too!!

Ted MacDougalls debut?

[Oh no Mick Mills]

1 hour ago, badgerx16 said:

How long have you been watching Saints ?

Since 1980 mush.

[trousers]

23 minutes ago, skintsaint said:

Looking upwards!

Too soon FFS!!

[LGTL]

That first half performance was magnificent, fair play. 

[Dr Who?]

Oh and what I have realised reading back through the start of the game comments, before we got our first. The majority of you lot of miserable gits! Not as busy on here already this evening than after a defeat. It should be electric. 

[Osvaldorama]

Bloody hell just seen the score! Get in. 
 

The 1 game I miss.. typical 

[beatlesaint]

Well I didn’t see that coming ! 🤣

If the players want TE that badly let’s hope they remember that when he’s made permanent!

[Toadhall Saint]

Waiter! Humble pie for me! 

[Golac's Cunning Stunts]

Superb from the lads. Keep this up and we will make top 6

[S-Clarke]

We haven't had enough of these games, not in many years.

The game was over on 15 mins, it was done. Charlton were just shellshocked. 

The movement of the front three, Azaz, Armstrong & Leo created so much space in behind for runners - either the wing backs, Fellows/Manning, or late midfield runs as we saw from Jander.

Charlton probably won't play as bad as that again tbf, not in that first 20 mins. The space they gave us was crazy, they stood off us and made it so easy - and they didn't track any runs. It was a really weird performance by them, they just weren't there. You can only beat what is in front though, and we put them to the sword - we didn't wait for them to wake up, we kept at them and finished it off.

It's still early days though, and this win doesn't go away and fix all the issues we've had to deal with in the last year/18 months. But it's as good as we've played in 18 months, that 1st half spell was as good as Swansea away in our last Champ season - we just didn't kill them off like we did to Charlton.

I thought this would be a tricky game, as they've had a solid home record - so credit to everyone for coming here and killing it off as quickly as they did. There is still fragility in the side, and had we gone into the 2nd half with just 2-0...it would have probably been very different, but we did what we needed to do in that 20 mins.

[BARCELONASAINT]

Shoutout to Bragg, the lad did very well and you could see at the end of the game the seasoned pro's were delighted for him. 2 very young central midfielders and both were excellent.

[sandwichsaint]

25 minutes ago, SaintBobby said:

Excellent stuff.

That blistering spell in the first half was beautiful to watch.

Nerd/trivia question - have we ever scored 4 goals in as few as 8 minutes before?

Mane hatrick and Long??

[HKsaint]

We need a new manager sooner than later

[Toadhall Saint]

Just now, HKsaint said:

We need a new manager sooner than later

Keep winning and that will sort itself out.

[Dr Who?]

Honestly, that performance today was way better than any interview. Just stop knocking it around near our own goal, been there and regretted that. 

[Baz Fl]

Let’s just enjoy a result, it’s been a while. That first 45 minutes was Saints at their best. Hopefully they can add a few more proper performances and get us into the playoffs 🙏

[badgerx16]

22 minutes ago, Oh no Mick Mills said:

Since 1980 mush.

11 years less than me.

Edited 4 hours ago by badgerx16

[Dan Johnson]

Probably the best half of football I have seen us play since Koeman was in charge, utterly dominant. Not only that, the way we played, the directness, the positivity the energy levels are exactly how I'd want us to play as well.

Blow teams away in the first 20 minutes and then play out the rest of the game. Absolutely scintillating stuff!!!

Have to give a shout out to some players.

Adam Armstrong, my MOTM, WHAT A PERFORMANCE!!! that might be the best I have ever seen him in a saints shirt, just wow, dangerous going forward, tracking back, defensively excellent, released the ball quickly and with purpose, great running off the ball. Just all round superb from him today!!!

Azaz, that's the player I'd hoped for, cultured, composed, ran the game for the first 20 minutes. Probably should have had a hattrick but looked every part a £12m player today. Built on his performance against Sheff Wed and again his best performance in a saints shirt.

Fellows, Best performance again in a Saints shirt, looks dangerous every time he gets to the by line, really really excited to see more from him.

Scienza, what a play we have on our hands, his influence on the game was absolutely massive, his directness and willingness to run causes sooo many problems, he's the player I'd hoped Tyler Dibling would be, but he's better with better decision making!

Jander and Bragg, ran the midfield today, some great interceptions great balance, great energy, superb.

Manning, think he gets unnecessary stick sometimes (others its deserved) but he's our best option at Left back by some way and he was excellent again today. 

Back 3 where solid, wood lost the ball more than I would have liked but they didnt look troubled all afternoon.

Baz - could do nothing about the goal that was down to poor marking.

Exceptional Performance, I'm all for Eckert getting the job if the performances in the last 3 games are anything to go by. We've seen resilience against QPR, professionalism against Sheff Wed and absolute utter class today!!! 

[SNSUN]

If we do appoint Tonda i hope he's not the Saganowski of managers but you can't deny he's done his chances of the job the world of good with that performance. Players are playing for him. The most annoying thing is that this is the same set of players that Still barely got a tune out of for a third of a season. We're playing catch up for the rest of the the campaign but keep putting in performances like this and there is no reason we can't at least get into a play off spot, especially if we bring in the right players in January (GK and striker).

[Vancouver Saint]

Well that was different! Hadn't planned to watch it - it being 4.30am in Vancouver but was awake - glad I tuned in. What a first half. Goodness, almost looked like we were much the better team in a competitive football match.
Listened to the Charlton commentators who had an interesting observation: they said we were ruthless against an ineffective high press from them but much less effective when facing a low block...very true 

[OttawaSaint]

On 17/11/2025 at 07:53, OttawaSaint said:

Bobby Charlton, Jackie Charlton, my highschool biology teacher Miss Charlton, Suzanne Charlton, Charlton Heston...your boys will take one hell of a beating!

A hell of a beating!!!

[PerthshireSaint]

What a weird feeling it is being happy at 3:20 on a Saturday 

some really pretty football in that first half and looked pretty solid in the second. 
 

more importantly - what were all the words to ‘cheer up Nathan Jones’? Couldn’t make them all out. 

[jamesfp1]

We will walk this league. 

[woodsaint1]

Page 4 of this thread is an epic read

Dont be deleting your posts 😂

[M271]

Was lallana in the dug out today? I didn’t notice him when watching on tv.

[maysie]

3 minutes ago, M271 said:

Was lallana in the dug out today? I didn’t notice him when watching on tv.

He's interim U21's manager.

[AlexLaw76]

Thought Arma was superb. Less long balls punted up to him, more him dropping deep with plenty of bodies over lapping.

Some of the break aways in the 1st half were excellent.

That first half display was what I expected under Still, but fair play to Tonda....

[die Mannyschaft]

Brilliant performance by Saints.  Armstrong motm but all played excellent. First half every attack looked like we we going to score. Great movement,  passing, forward play. 5 goals away and in first half.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

Well that was most unexpected, to be honest it was the sort of performance that we should have been delivering most weeks with the standard of players we have. Acid test for Eckert willbe Tuesday now, avoid defeat in that one, and he'll probably get the gig ubtil at least the end of the season.