Saints vs Birmingham - Saturday 3pm

[SuperSAINT]

Going to be interesting to see how we bounce back from the defeat & what Tonda can come with after 7 days on the training pitch.

[Appy]

Tough game, they’re very strong at home but ropey away, will be interesting to see if Tonda has the ability to bounce back from a setback rather than when it’s just been fairly plain sailing. 
 

Need Downes and Scienza straight back in. 

[Junior Mullet]

Saints win by two goals. We will bounce back. 
 

[die Mannyschaft]

If Scienza isn't playing we won't win. So going for a 1-1 draw. 

-sit back and invite pressure from Birmingham 

-Not a physical team

-Can't work out that in added time teams really good for a goal.

-no real backup from subs and just messes up the flow of play and any formation we have.

Scienza plays then we move as a unit out of our half and midfield is not left open and overrun. The who team evolves around one player in option 1. There is no option 2 at the moment just revert to RM ball. 

Birmingham are similar to us as let in as many goals as score so on paper another winable game, but in practice!

[die Mannyschaft]

10 hours ago, SuperSAINT said:

Going to be interesting to see how we bounce back from the defeat & what Tonda can come with after 7 days on the training pitch.

Need to develop a plan B that works without Scienza and anyone else out. We cant play like the Millwall game again. Keeping hold of the ball doesn't work anymore unless your main objective is avoiding relegation and need a point vs a decent team. We shouldn't be doing that in a promotion chase. Playing with 10 men doesn't help either.

[tdmickey3]

12 hours ago, SuperSAINT said:

Going to be interesting to see how we bounce back from the defeat & what Tonda can come with after 7 days on the training pitch.

Yes, this will tell us if he is the right man

[SuperSAINT]

2 hours ago, die Mannyschaft said:

Need to develop a plan B that works without Scienza and anyone else out.

True, but that’s why I mentioned the 7 day break as helping us.  Hopefully people with knocks & sickness etc can be ready after a nice big gap between games.

[Badger]

Is Downes available or still suspended ? 

[Willo of Whiteley]

Tonda’s first official game in charge will finish in a scrappy 1-1 draw. 👀😅

[Lighthouse]

1 hour ago, Badger said:

Is Downes available or still suspended ? 

Poultry depending, he will be available. It's just the one game for collecting yellows.

[Dr Who?]

Going for 2-1 home win for this one. Back on track. 

[Toadhall Saint]

2 nil

[Barton Saint]

I think this game will determine if TE can learn quickly from Saturday and not get stuck in the shoot yourself in the foot repetitive mode

[benjii]

MUST WIN GAME.

[Draino76]

Scienza plays,  we win. 

[Wade Garrett]

7 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

Poultry depending, he will be available. It's just the one game for collecting yellows.

He needs a run of games to make sure he’s suspended over Christmas.

[Wade Garrett]

4 hours ago, Barton Saint said:

I think this game will determine if TE can learn quickly from Saturday and not get stuck in the shoot yourself in the foot repetitive mode

Fair.  

[Saint Fan CaM]

Did Millwall get lucky? Let’s face it, we were matching them until the last minute and they score a worldly right? No - the reason they won that game was because the players decided to revert to Russball and sit back too much - we invited the pressure and certain cowards in the team didn’t pressure oncoming attackers and didn’t put a boot in. Millwall did that to us and that was the difference - they wanted it more…had more character.

So the question is, can Tonda ensure the mistakes and general lack of character get eradicated in the future? Perhaps he should just accept that there will be bad days at the office? Birmingham will present a perfect opportunity to prove that he really is the real deal. Fail to get a win or draw and it will be time to question his credentials, however continuing to select Stephens and Manning will contribute to his downfall IMO.

1-1 or 2-1 if we’re lucky and Scienza plays.

[AlexLaw76]

7 hours ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

Did Millwall get lucky? Let’s face it, we were matching them until the last minute and they score a worldly right? No - the reason they won that game was because the players decided to revert to Russball and sit back too much - we invited the pressure and certain cowards in the team didn’t pressure oncoming attackers and didn’t put a boot in. Millwall did that to us and that was the difference - they wanted it more…had more character.

 

No, we were not matching them, pretty much for the entire match

We were passing it around at the back because, unlike the last couple of game, Millwall actually pressed our midfield players (and the space around them). 

Tonda and the team showed they had only 1 way of playing, which was extremely tinpot and shows why we need something else.

[S-Clarke]

7 hours ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

Did Millwall get lucky? Let’s face it, we were matching them until the last minute and they score a worldly right? No - the reason they won that game was because the players decided to revert to Russball and sit back too much - we invited the pressure and certain cowards in the team didn’t pressure oncoming attackers and didn’t put a boot in. Millwall did that to us and that was the difference - they wanted it more…had more character.

So the question is, can Tonda ensure the mistakes and general lack of character get eradicated in the future? Perhaps he should just accept that there will be bad days at the office? Birmingham will present a perfect opportunity to prove that he really is the real deal. Fail to get a win or draw and it will be time to question his credentials, however continuing to select Stephens and Manning will contribute to his downfall IMO.

1-1 or 2-1 if we’re lucky and Scienza plays.

The players have never dealt with pressure very well, they always wilt. When the going is good (3-0, 5-0 etc etc) or the oppo are so poor they can't block space it's great, they can enjoy themselves. But whenever there is adversity or a tight game (which they will be lots of) we can never seem to handle that professionally. Players like Jack Stephens were kept around for this very reason supposedly - vocal on the pitch, good organiser, leads the defence - but we knew how that story was going to end when he re-contracted.

It was a performance which closely mirrored QPR away, we just couldn't see this one over the line.

[Dusic]

3 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

The players have never dealt with pressure very well, they always wilt. When the going is good (3-0, 5-0 etc etc) or the oppo are so poor they can't block space it's great, they can enjoy themselves. But whenever there is adversity or a tight game (which they will be lots of) we can never seem to handle that professionally. Players like Jack Stephens were kept around for this very reason supposedly - vocal on the pitch, good organiser, leads the defence - but we knew how that story was going to end when he re-contracted.

It was a performance which closely mirrored QPR away, we just couldn't see this one over the line.

Well the most pressured games in the Championship last time we executed brilliantly so I'm not really having all this cliched stuff about wilting under pressure regarding Millwall.

If you do want to dig out individuals then rather than Jack Stephens it was Oriol Romeu who was absolutely awful for their winning goal - but that doesn't suit the narrative.

Millwall played well, scored an absolutely worldie, and got a late winner when it looked like we had earned a hard fought point when not playing well.

Frustrating? Absolutely. Some kind of sign of an inherent ability to wilt, despite having how a totally different team to previous years? Not for me.

On Birmingham - will be a very tough game so could do with a few more players being available, certainly to beef up the bench.