Doncaster 2-3 Saints - Match Thread

[USaintA]

Great job, lads. Wiped the floor with them.

[redkeith]

8 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

 

To be fair, they had to do something to get Jalert off the pitch . He was good first half but he should have been marking the scorers of both goals . 

[Gloucester Saint]

5 minutes ago, saintant said:

To be fair that's a given whoever is our manager.

Ralph handled it. Two divisions higher but that is never a guarantee of winning.

[Roo1976]

16 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

Well look happy you stupid b**tards! We won, didn’t we?

from the Italian job or our new version............Smash and grab up north...........

[Willo of Whiteley]

8 minutes ago, saintant said:

Has someone at the club upset Alfie - he seems to be quite scathing recently.

No he’s just saying it as it is.

He regularly talks about it as things are on Total Saints Podcast, but he’s tended to be more careful in the way he’s worded things.

Now even I think he’s sick of it. He might not be a supporter but he views this and enjoys football and must be just as baffled and confused at the club, the team selection every week.

[SaintNewForest]

Dreadful 2nd half. Again. 

[rooney]

Perhaps we could play 45 mins in the morning and 45 mins in the afternoon with a break for lunch.

[ant]

The confirmation that nobody asked for - that we're horrible at managing matches at a level below, too.

Bodes wonderfully for the rest of the season, doesn't it?

[Vancouver Saint]

I missed the first half - started watching from the second half - OMG, we seriously didn't touch the ball for the first 20 minutes, Doncaster scored twice...with our new goalie nowhere near clearing from a corner right under the bar (was he impeded?) then a statue for the second...I'm thinking well there's a lot of work to be done there if he's going to be any good.
'Southampton have been terrible in the second half' quote from the commentator. We didn't even get into their half let alone their box for that time - again the half-time team talk must have been 'We've won this, just mince about and don't bother, it's cold...here's a nice cup of tea'.
We look terrible in defence for anything hoofed high or long, or for corners or free kicks into the box - seems rare we get a defensive head to the ball first.

On the positive side...Scienza and Stewart made a big difference. The new keeper made a couple of good reaction stops at the end and showed enough to suggest he's already a much better goalkeeper than Bazunu (not difficult) - he'll learn not to get bullied in his own 6-yard box. Wellington much better than Manning. Quarsie needs more confidence with the ball at his feet. We still need more control of midfield.

A win is a win - we squeaked through as the commentator said. Against a team struggling in L1.

But I was pretty underwhelmed again from what I saw. Am I wrong?
 

[Miltonaggro]

16 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

Surely he just can't swallow this unacceptable shit that's being served up by SR and Eckert any longer? The entire fanbase needs to turn asap.

Sure Brownmore can step up. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

3 minutes ago, Vancouver Saint said:

I missed the first half - started watching from the second half - OMG, we seriously didn't touch the ball for the first 20 minutes, Doncaster scored twice...with our new goalie nowhere near clearing from a corner right under the bar (was he impeded?) then a statue for the second...I'm thinking well there's a lot of work to be done there if he's going to be any good.
'Southampton have been terrible in the second half' quote from the commentator. We didn't even get into their half let alone their box for that time - again the half-time team talk must have been 'We've won this, just mince about and don't bother, it's cold...here's a nice cup of tea'.
We look terrible in defence for anything hoofed high or long, or for corners or free kicks into the box - seems rare we get a defensive head to the ball first.

On the positive side...Scienza and Stewart made a big difference. The new keeper made a couple of good reaction stops at the end and showed enough to suggest he's already a much better goalkeeper than Bazunu (not difficult) - he'll learn not to get bullied in his own 6-yard box. Wellington much better than Manning. Quarsie needs more confidence with the ball at his feet. We still need more control of midfield.

A win is a win - we squeaked through as the commentator said. Against a team struggling in L1.

But I was pretty underwhelmed again from what I saw. Am I wrong?
 

You are not wrong. No one would be whelmed by that. Even the first half you missed had some of our lazy attributes to it.

[Suhari]

24 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

 

Alfie seems to have a few proper digs in the past few days.

I like that from a journalist.

[Patches O Houlihan]

30 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

Can we not find a specialist giver of halftime pep talks ?

I think you'll find we already have Rasmus doing it via Zoom - hence our second half consistency... 

[Toussaint]

Heard a rumour that Saints are abandoning the lasagne, wedges and garlic bread at half time?

[OneMrsWallace]

Doncaster put in 37 crosses. We put in 15. Pretty poor from us but it's so obvious teams know our weakness against crosses. We desperately need a strong, experienced CB to win the ball but we also need to stop the crosses at source. Loads of work to do as Tonda doesn't seem capable of getting any sort of tune out of this current squad.

[lambtiss]

4 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

I think you'll find we already have Rasmus doing it via Zoom - hence our second half consistency... 

To be fair to the players, he would put me in a zombie like trance as well 

[Whitey Grandad]

Just now, OneMrsWallace said:

Doncaster put in 37 crosses. We put in 15. Pretty poor from us but it's so obvious teams know our weakness against crosses. We desperately need a strong, experienced CB to win the ball but we also need to stop the crosses at source. Loads of work to do as Tonda doesn't seem capable of getting any sort of tune out of this current squad.

Call me old-fashioned but I have always considered it to be the fullbacks' job to cut out the crosses. 

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Call me old-fashioned but I have always considered it to be the fullbacks' job to cut out the crosses. 

Hmmm Ryan Manning, I can see the problem there…

[Sir Ralph]

Just to check did we play 4 at the back and go 3-0 up and then switch to 5 at the back and concede 2 goals?

[lambtiss]

1 minute ago, OneMrsWallace said:

Doncaster put in 37 crosses. We put in 15. Pretty poor from us but it's so obvious teams know our weakness against crosses. We desperately need a strong, experienced CB to win the ball but we also need to stop the crosses at source. Loads of work to do as Tonda doesn't seem capable of getting any sort of tune out of this current squad.

💯 It does feel that if we had a Razor Ruddock like CB we would reduce our goals conceded by half overnight 

[skintsaint]

[SaintNewForest]

4 minutes ago, Sir Ralph said:

Just to check did we play 4 at the back and go 3-0 up and then switch to 5 at the back and concede 2 goals?

No. We switched to a back 5 at 3-2. 

[lambtiss]

5 minutes ago, Sir Ralph said:

Just to check did we play 4 at the back and go 3-0 up and then switch to 5 at the back and concede 2 goals?

No

[AlexLaw76]

8 minutes ago, OneMrsWallace said:

Doncaster put in 37 crosses. We put in 15. Pretty poor from us but it's so obvious teams know our weakness against crosses. We desperately need a strong, experienced CB to win the ball but we also need to stop the crosses at source. Loads of work to do as Tonda doesn't seem capable of getting any sort of tune out of this current squad.

that there is why we are in a fight to stay mid table..

[Sheaf Saint]

6 minutes ago, Sir Ralph said:

Just to check did we play 4 at the back and go 3-0 up and then switch to 5 at the back and concede 2 goals?

No, we reverted to 3/5 after conceding the two goals.

[VectisSaint]

5 minutes ago, Sir Ralph said:

Just to check did we play 4 at the back and go 3-0 up and then switch to 5 at the back and concede 2 goals?

No, I think we played 4 at the back and went 3-0 up before half time, had a nice chat at half time, conceded 2 and then went 5 at the back and by some miracle held on.

[Patches O Houlihan]

35 minutes ago, bpsaint said:

Happy to give Peretz the benefit of the doubt, he’s barely been here 48 hours so can forgive a couple of adrenaline rushes. Couple of decent saves at the end to prevent an equaliser.

That second half though, utter fucking shite. Can only hope one of the two games prior to the derby is bad enough to get Tonda the boot.

So you want Tonda out in time for us to appoint Nivea as caretaker manager against the fish**ckers?! With that sort of sensible thinking surely you're already employed by SR as a specialist consultant 🤦‍♂️

[M271]

From the bbc:

Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert told BBC Radio Solent:

"The FA Cup is a very special tournament, and never an easy one, because you have nothing to lose when you go down, so I'm very pleased we're in the next round.

"In the end, there were some patterns we have seen all season. We need to make sure we improve our resilience on set plays.

"It was a very good first-half. The second-half could have been better, but we're in the next round.

"We have a good squad but we have seen that flow in a game before, even at 3-0 up at half-time, we have conceded off a corner and [start] suffering.

On Daniel Peretz: "It's not so easy when you come in after a couple of training sessions with new colleagues and have to learn their names and ways of defending but he had an excellent game, a very promising start."

[Miltonaggro]

Rasmus and Johannes loving it today:

[Whitey Grandad]

4 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

Rasmus and Johannes loving it today:

A bit of trivia for you all. 'Tonka' is derived from the Native American Sioux word   'tanka', which means "great" or "big".

[BARCELONASAINT]

I wish Tonda for once would quit with this playing the party line and call a spade a spade.

"We were decent in the first half and at half time were where we should be against a team struggling in Div 1."

We were utter shit second half and the performance was unforgivable. We have a worrying  lack of mental strength and lack any backbone and leadership and these are traits that have been with us for the last 2 seasons"

Bloody say it as it is Tonda you spineless cretin!

[Whitey Grandad]

21 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Hmmm Ryan Manning, I can see the problem there…

As a former full back myself, I can categorically say that Manning is not, and never will be, a member of the Grand Order of Full Backs.

[Miltonaggro]

1 minute ago, Whitey Grandad said:

A bit of trivia for you all. 'Tonka' is derived from the Native American Sioux word   'tanka', which means "great" or "big".

It does indeed Whitey, hence the reverential and highly spiritual phrase from folklore: ‘Tonka, Tonka, stick it up your Honka!’

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

8 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

Rasmus and Johannes loving it today:

"Tonda's boys, make more noise,

when they play with Tonka Toys, la-la-la-la,,,,,"

(The seventies would like its terrace chant back)

[rooney]

2 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

As a former full back myself, I can categorically say that Manning is not, and never will be, a member of the Grand Order of Full Backs.

We can always get Jason and Francis back as full back coaches.

[OneMrsWallace]

16 minutes ago, M271 said:

From the bbc:

 

Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert told BBC Radio Solent:

"The FA Cup is a very special tournament, and never an easy one, because you have nothing to lose when you go down, so I'm very pleased we're in the next round.

"In the end, there were some patterns we have seen all season. We need to make sure we improve our resilience on set plays.

"It was a very good first-half. The second-half could have been better, but we're in the next round.

"We have a good squad but we have seen that flow in a game before, even at 3-0 up at half-time, we have conceded off a corner and [start] suffering.

On Daniel Peretz: "It's not so easy when you come in after a couple of training sessions with new colleagues and have to learn their names and ways of defending but he had an excellent game, a very promising start."

"The second half could have been better" And the winner of the football manager understatement of the year award goes to...

[Charlie Wayman]

34 minutes ago, Sir Ralph said:

Just to check did we play 4 at the back and go 3-0 up and then switch to 5 at the back and concede 2 goals?

No

[Charlie Wayman]

We won, that's all that counts tonight

[Harry_SFC]

5 minutes ago, Charlie Wayman said:

We won, that's all that counts tonight

I don't agree. We need a performance.

[qwertyell]

Doesn't matter if it's three, four, or five at the back. 

This is not a good squad. Not balanced. Not "fine" for whatever level we've deluded ourselves that we belong at. 

Experienced managers, inexperienced managers, and work experience managers have all run up against the same brick wall: these players aren't worth a damn. 

[Whitey Grandad]

24 minutes ago, Charlie Wayman said:

We won, that's all that counts tonight

Yup. No extra points for winning by a ten goal margin. 

[Ken Tone]

1 hour ago, Toussaint said:

Heard a rumour that Saints are abandoning the lasagne, wedges and garlic bread at half time?

But what about the Horlicks and cocoa? 😉

[StrangelyBrown]

1 hour ago, Suhari said:

Alfie seems to have a few proper digs in the past few days.

I like that from a journalist.

A bit more like it. He's been a feeble excuse for a journo until recently

[JohnS]

Tonda might’ve stumbled on our winning formula moving forward now

Score at least 3 goals & we may be with a chance of winning 

[Gloucester Saint]

4 minutes ago, Ken Tone said:

But what about the Horlicks and cocoa? 😉

Never mind the Horlicks

[die Mannyschaft]

Well that was another away nightmare performance.  We have no defenders at all, replace them quickly.  Team so slow, cant challenge ball in air list goes on. Very lucky not to lose. Doncaster better team 2nd half and better attitude,  fitness, gameplay. I think my relegation bet will pay out end season on Saints. Need new manager and get rid all the coaches,  complete waste of time. 

How can playing leaque 1 football with sideways and back be an improvement on Still. 

Utter shit football yet again.

 

[Sheaf Saint]

Well that was a strange game. We looked so comfortable in the first half - Donny offered nothing. Then we just didn't turn up after half time and the most interesting bit of the second half was the huge murmuration of starlings that was flying about in the sunset above the stadium. 

Edited 22 hours ago by Sheaf Saint

[Andy Hill]

Just seen the extended highlights - typical second half no show. 

[die Mannyschaft]

30 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

I don't agree. We need a performance.

Total crap football 2nd half, very lucky Doncaster couldn't finish other a loss. The quality of football is so bad by Saints its just all falling apart. Can't shoot in box but pass, these are not goal scorers, cant defend corners, none fitness.  This manager has gone in reverse tactically,  the players have slud back to old ways. We won't get many more wins. Keeper saved us from being beaten by leaque 1 worst team.

[Golac's Cunning Stunts]

Just now, Sheaf Saint said:

Well that was a strange game. We looked so comfortable in the first half - Donny offered nothing. Then we just didn't turn up after half time and the most interesting bit of the second half was the huge murmuration of starlings that was flying about in the sunset above the stadium. 

Over the years, Saints have always had the ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, but this season it seems every second half performance has been abysmal. Need to be 3 up to even have a chance it seems.