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.

[Raging Bull]

5-0 saints with a TE masterclass 

[Wade Garrett]

A real test for Eckert now Millwall have shown how to nullify us.

Will be interesting to see how we’re set up to play.  Personally, I would love to see 4-2-3-1, with Manning and Stephens out of the side.  Sadly I don’t think it will happen.

[Harry_SFC]

2 hours ago, Dusic said:

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.

I mean Stephens and Manning were just as bad. Both marking the same player FFS.

[Wade Garrett]

1 hour ago, Harry_SFC said:

I mean Stephens and Manning were just as bad. Both marking the same player FFS.

They are both really poor at defending, full stop.  Manning never cuts crosses out as he doesn’t get close enough to wingers.  If I was the keeper and would go fucking mad at him every game.  Stephens is a ball watcher who is always losing his man in the box, but apparently he’s a good lad in the dressing room so that doesn’t matter.

[Turkish]

Birmingham City gave me one of my most embarassing moments as a Saints fan when our brilliant fans started a chant of "just a small town in Villa" possibly the worst chant i've ever heard, please dont shame our club by trying that again.

As for Birmingham themselves, another load of big mouthed wannabe hardmen who turn into hide and seek world champions whenever they know the DEF are in town. Think they're hard men but ever seen them try to take on Romsey and the infamous Romsey Yoof? Ever seen them strolling around Southampton unchallenged? Course you haven't, they wouldn't dare. We never even got a mention in their book because why would you want to tell stories about cowering in pubs hiding from the DEF? Zulus, dont make me laugh. More like Tutus and i dont mean Desmond.

Cant see anything other than 6/7-0 and Damien Downs to score

Edited 22 hours ago by Turkish

[VectisSaint]

2 hours ago, Harry_SFC said:

I mean Stephens and Manning were just as bad. Both marking the same player FFS.

If they were both marking the same player that would suggest one or other was wrong, rather than both.

[die Mannyschaft]

3 hours ago, Turkish said:

Birmingham City gave me one of my most embarassing moments as a Saints fan when our brilliant fans started a chant of "just a small town in Villa" possibly the worst chant i've ever heard, please dont shame our club by trying that again.

As for Birmingham themselves, another load of big mouthed wannabe hardmen who turn into hide and seek world champions whenever they know the DEF are in town. Think they're hard men but ever seen them try to take on Romsey and the infamous Romsey Yoof? Ever seen them strolling around Southampton unchallenged? Course you haven't, they wouldn't dare. We never even got a mention in their book because why would you want to tell stories about cowering in pubs hiding from the DEF? Zulus, dont make me laugh. More like Tutus and i dont mean Desmond.

Cant see anything other than 6/7-0 and Damien Downs to score

Just a small town in Royal Leamington Spa.

[Football Special]

6 hours ago, Wade Garrett said:

A real test for Eckert now Millwall have shown how to nullify us.

Will be interesting to see how we’re set up to play.  Personally, I would love to see 4-2-3-1, with Manning and Stephens out of the side.  Sadly I don’t think it will happen.

I think Hull and Bristol City also showed a blueprint on how to pressure us into errors and physically dominate the game, Millwall did it well, funny enough conceded 3 in all of those , we really struggle against such opponents 

[die Mannyschaft]

6 minutes ago, Football Special said:

I think Hull and Bristol City also showed a blueprint on how to pressure us into errors and physically dominate the game, Millwall did it well, funny enough conceded 3 in all of those , we really struggle against such opponents 

Russ Ball relies on opponents being as slow as we are when doing this tactic. It needs space and time do compare all the pointless passing. The amount of times we give the ball away, lose 2nd ball and misplace passes is the main issue. Saints need to play a much higher line so the lose balls are contested in midfield not in our 6 yard box. The refs, lino have also helped us out so lucks going to run out with officials soon so need to pickup on intensity.

[Ekelund24]

16 hours ago, Turkish said:

Birmingham City gave me one of my most embarrassing moments as a Saints fan when our brilliant fans started a chant of "just a small town in Villa" possibly the worst chant I've ever heard, please don't shame our club by trying that again.

Yeah, there is a fucking massive clue in their name as well, they haven't been a town since 1889.

[OneMrsWallace]

22 hours ago, Dusic said:

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.

 

I know we all want to forget last season but really? 

[macca155]

17 hours ago, Wade Garrett said:

They are both really poor at defending, full stop.  Manning never cuts crosses out as he doesn’t get close enough to wingers.  If I was the keeper and would go fucking mad at him every game.  Stephens is a ball watcher who is always losing his man in the box,

I think we've all seen enough now to know their limitations. Problem is there are no  alternatives at the moment. They better sort this out in January. Play offs or even autos are still in touch but not  with this fragile squad .

[andrew7610]

Watched the Birmingham game last night, and there's no way we're keeping a clean sheet with Demarai Gray and Jay Stansfield up top.  And although Lyndon Dykes is generally shite, he's exactly the type of player we can't defend against.

 

2-2

[Wade Garrett]

1 hour ago, macca155 said:

I think we've all seen enough now to know their limitations. Problem is there are no  alternatives at the moment. They better sort this out in January. Play offs or even autos are still in touch but not  with this fragile squad .

Welington for Manning, we've also got Quarshie, Edwards or the option of only playing 2 CBs for Stephens.

[S-Clarke]

44 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Welington for Manning, we've also got Quarshie, Edwards or the option of only playing 2 CBs for Stephens.

I thought Wellington would be decent for us at this level, but count me totally underwhelmed by him at this point. I've just not seen anything from him yet, doesn't seem to do anything in an attacking sense nor is he very good defensively.

[Disco Stu]

1 hour ago, andrew7610 said:

Watched the Birmingham game last night, and there's no way we're keeping a clean sheet with Demarai Gray and Jay Stansfield up top.

There's no way we'll keep a clean sheet because we'll have Bazunu, Stephens and Manning in our defence.

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

Against Millwall we were missing arguably our best two players in Scienza and Charles and Downes was also unavailable. That's quite a chunk out of the team.

What I would like to see at goal kicks is Armstrong coming back to give another out option for the defence and mixing it up more with goal kicks getting to the half way line and us chasing that second ball.

And for corners, we need to have a release. Someone on the half way line. Someone half way between the penalty area and half way line. Chelsea did this against Arsenal.

And if Aribo comes on as a sub, we need to boo him. Sod that song. We need to let Tonda & SR know that this guy should not be wearing a Saints shirt.

[lambtiss]

12 minutes ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

Against Millwall we were missing arguably our best two players in Scienza and Charles and Downes was also unavailable. That's quite a chunk out of the team.

What I would like to see at goal kicks is Armstrong coming back to give another out option for the defence and mixing it up more with goal kicks getting to the half way line and us chasing that second ball.

And for corners, we need to have a release. Someone on the half way line. Someone half way between the penalty area and half way line. Chelsea did this against Arsenal.

And if Aribo comes on as a sub, we need to boo him. Sod that song. We need to let Tonda & SR know that this guy should not be wearing a Saints shirt.

I have been saying this for years. It immediately gives you an out ball, and secondly, the opposition is forced to keep at least one, if not 2, players back. Now that we have the speed and trickery of Scienza, it makes even more sense to have him on the halfway line. If I were the opposition, I would definitely keep 2 players back as I would fancy Scienza in a one-on-one situation with most players.