Norwich v Saints - Match Thread

[VectisSaint]

2 hours ago, Spitz said:

A bit like us with Fellows then, tit for tat.

Harsh calling Fellows "tat"

[Maggie May]

3-1 Norwich.

[SNSUN]

When we give them a good stuffing tomorrow it'll give my Norwich supporting missus another reason to moan. Thankfully as I'm out doing the 12 pubs of Christmas, I won't be there to hear it. I just hope (and expect) a few of the pubs we hit between half 12 and half 2 have Sky.

We've definitely caught Norwich at a good time, they're sinking, we're rising. It often seems like we catch teams shortly after they've had some sort of renaissance but that's not the case for Norwich. I saw bits of their game last weekend and their keeper makes Baz look like Peter Shilton. Sargent out seems like a plus, but reading their forum, they seem to think they looked better after he came off. I still think it's a good thing. 

I'm going 4-1.

[Willo of Whiteley]

Tomorrow would be a good opportunity to switch back to four at the back without Tom Fellows.

A team struggling too. I think it’ll be closer than some think, torn between 1-1 and 2-1 to us. It has every potential to be a bit of a banana skin for us.

[Appy]

9 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

Tomorrow would be a good opportunity to switch back to four at the back without Tom Fellows.

A team struggling too. I think it’ll be closer than some think, torn between 1-1 and 2-1 to us. It has every potential to be a bit of a banana skin for us.

We won’t go back to a four, we don’t have a right back 

[SNSUN]

1 minute ago, Appy said:

We won’t go back to a four, we don’t have a right back 

No but we do have a shoehorn. 😃

[Paul_B]

If we keep playing for only 45 mins we are going to come unstuck soon. The second half cuntishness just baffles me! Is it an intentional strategy? The fact it's happened in all of Tonda's games in charge suggests it is, which to me is not only bizarre but arrogance. It will catch us out.....we only hung on against WBA as they were shite in front of goal (Baz also made a couple of good saves). If we can play as well as we do in the first half, we can and should be doing it for the whole 97+ minutes! Cut out playing like absolute cockwombles for the second half please!!

[terrypward]

35 minutes ago, Paul_B said:

If we keep playing for only 45 mins we are going to come unstuck soon. The second half cuntishness just baffles me! Is it an intentional strategy? The fact it's happened in all of Tonda's games in charge suggests it is, which to me is not only bizarre but arrogance. It will catch us out.....we only hung on against WBA as they were shite in front of goal (Baz also made a couple of good saves). If we can play as well as we do in the first half, we can and should be doing it for the whole 97+ minutes! Cut out playing like absolute cockwombles for the second half please!!

I'd hope that only happens when there isn't 7 days to rest between games, so not as much of a reason to do that tomorrow apart from existing tired legs - which the players that were rested for (pretty much) half a match twice shouldn't have.

[lambtiss]

1 hour ago, Appy said:

We won’t go back to a four, we don’t have a right back 

Or a left back

[Dr Who?]

On 11/12/2025 at 07:03, Football Special said:

It's a fair observation, but they got rid of the manager responsible for most of that bad run, since Clement was appointed they have started to look better 

Lost one in last four. 

Last home game was a 3-1 win against QPR who currently sit above us in a play off spot. 

The same QPR side that when we beat them away, people on here were saying they were crap and that game along with Wednesday were no measuring stick for success! 

[warsash saint]

2 hours ago, Paul_B said:

If we keep playing for only 45 mins we are going to come unstuck soon. The second half cuntishness just baffles me! Is it an intentional strategy? The fact it's happened in all of Tonda's games in charge suggests it is, which to me is not only bizarre but arrogance. It will catch us out.....we only hung on against WBA as they were shite in front of goal (Baz also made a couple of good saves). If we can play as well as we do in the first half, we can and should be doing it for the whole 97+ minutes! Cut out playing like absolute cockwombles for the second half please!!

Yeah lets play flat out for 95 mins ... who cares about playing 3 games in a week, who gives a fuck about injuries !!  That Fellows guy - what a lazy c*** - fancy only lasting 60 mins on Tuesday

Edited 14 hours ago by warsash saint

[Saint Fan CaM]

Yeah, I think different coaches like to do things differently in terms of utilising a squad which has limited fitness capacity/resilience. 

With RM he liked high possession because there was less running to chase the ball thereby trying to eek out fitness, but the problem with that was there were slower transitions, less attacking intent and usually a need to score late in the game. Plus when it came to subs, poor squad quality meant things just got worse.

With Tonda he’s got the team putting a lot of effort into scoring early in games. This is working well, but players tire quicker and while we’ve got a large squad, depth of quality is lacking still so in most cases subs continue to make things worse, especially when the tactic of tippy tap at the back to conserve energy goes awry because the opposing team play a high hard press.

[Football Special]

Update on Tom Fellows. 

Couple of players look distracted on their phones, reading Saints Web perhaps? 

 

[HKsaint]

Clean sheet!

[Sheaf Saint]

11 hours ago, Paul_B said:

If we keep playing for only 45 mins we are going to come unstuck soon. The second half cuntishness just baffles me! Is it an intentional strategy? The fact it's happened in all of Tonda's games in charge suggests it is, which to me is not only bizarre but arrogance. It will catch us out.....we only hung on against WBA as they were shite in front of goal (Baz also made a couple of good saves). If we can play as well as we do in the first half, we can and should be doing it for the whole 97+ minutes! Cut out playing like absolute cockwombles for the second half please!!

That's a bit like saying a F1 driver who starts a race on a new set of soft tyres should be able to maintain that same pace for the full duration of the race. 

[Sheaf Saint]

58 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Update on Tom Fellows. 

Couple of players look distracted on their phones, reading Saints Web perhaps? 

 

It's just mind games.

They smuggled him into the luggage hold before taking the video 😉

[Convict Colony]

13 hours ago, Maggie May said:

3-1 Norwich.

[Convict Colony]

I see Sargent is meant to be out with concussion so think we could keep a cleansheet today.

Wonder who will do a poor impression of fellows on the right.

Reckon 2-0

[lambtiss]

43 minutes ago, HKsaint said:

Clean sheet!

Congratulations, first this year?

[M271]

Better to rest Fellows for another week and hopefully fully recover missing only one match, than risk aggravating his injury and potentially being out for several matches over Christmas and New Year.

[Paul_B]

10 hours ago, warsash saint said:

Yeah lets play flat out for 95 mins ... who cares about playing 3 games in a week, who gives a fuck about injuries !!  That Fellows guy - what a lazy c*** - fancy only lasting 60 mins on Tuesday

"Yeah lets play flat out for 95 mins" - Yes, absolutely!

"who cares about playing 3 games in a week" - they're highly paid professional athletes who should be able to do this with a little bit of squad rotation where needed. I get legs will tire towards the very end of games but let's not use this as an excuse to stop playing immediately after half time.

"That Fellows guy - what a lazy c***...." - No idea what you're on about here. I never mentioned Fellows or that he was lazy. He came off injured.....

 

[Obstacle1]

5 minutes ago, Paul_B said:

"Yeah lets play flat out for 95 mins" - Yes, absolutely!

"who cares about playing 3 games in a week" - they're highly paid professional athletes who should be able to do this with a little bit of squad rotation where needed. I get legs will tire towards the very end of games but let's not use this as an excuse to stop playing immediately after half time.

"That Fellows guy - what a lazy c***...." - No idea what you're on about here. I never mentioned Fellows or that he was lazy. He came off injured.....

 

And there will be more injuries if we try to play flat out for 90 minutes every game

[die Mannyschaft]

8 minutes ago, Obstacle1 said:

And there will be more injuries if we try to play flat out for 90 minutes every game

Can we just keep sitting down on pitch pretending to be injured like all other teams. Don't think keeper has to come off pitch. Let's use as much gamesmanship.  Throw ball out on throwing and you have to take it again. 

[Saint NL]

I have a bad feeling about today, hope I'm wrong

[Saint Matty 76]

We'll really miss Fellows drive, puts even more pressure on Leo who already has plenty.

[Chez]

5 minutes ago, Saint Matty 76 said:

We'll really miss Fellows drive, puts even more pressure on Leo who already has plenty.

massively. he has totally changed our approach. He starts so many attacks and covers a huge amount of ground. defensively he has been pretty solid too. we could easily look a side bereft of ideas if they get a hold of Sienza. hope he is not out for too long.

[Saint Matty 76]

3 minutes ago, Chez said:

massively. he has totally changed our approach. He starts so many attacks and covers a huge amount of ground. defensively he has been pretty solid too. we could easily look a side bereft of ideas if they get a hold of Sienza. hope he is not out for too long.

I think I'd favour starting Robinson today as he's the closest profile, albeit still nowhere near the level just yet. I don't see what Fraser offers other than being a safe figure, which doesn't feel like what's needed.

[benjii]

14 hours ago, SNSUN said:

No but we do have a shoehorn. 😃

Abso-bloody-lutely.

Back four:

Stephens-THB-Wood-Quarshie

 

Shithouse them into next week.

[benjii]

Is Wellington available? Could play Manning right and Welly left. Would allow Manning to spin the ball infield to Azaz or Arma. 

But I think playing Fraser makes most sense.

[Jack]

Imagine it’ll be Fraser for Fellows and otherwise unchanged. I don’t like it but can’t see Eckhert changing formation and we haven’t got a fit RB anyway. Can’t see it being a 4, especially with either Edwards or Captain shoehorn having to play there 

[whelk]

1-4. Saints even money is a gift

[Chez]

18 minutes ago, Saint Matty 76 said:

I think I'd favour starting Robinson today as he's the closest profile, albeit still nowhere near the level just yet. I don't see what Fraser offers other than being a safe figure, which doesn't feel like what's needed.

not sure Robinson does the defensive stuff well enough, but I might be wrong. Fraser is better defensively, will work and get up and down, but he is pretty basic with the ball and wont dribble well like Robinson.

[Chez]

17 minutes ago, benjii said:

Is Wellington available? Could play Manning right and Welly left. Would allow Manning to spin the ball infield to Azaz or Arma. 

But I think playing Fraser makes most sense.

is Fraser able to play on the right? I recall him playing there in preseason, but cant recall since.

[Football Special]

47 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

I have a bad feeling about today, hope I'm wrong

Same, got a Millwall away feel to it , 2nd half against WBA was so bad feels like we could let that drag over into this game 

[hypochondriac]

As expected. Fraser in unfortunately.

[Saint NL]

Not a fan of Fraser there. But not a suprise

[The Kraken]

Probably the right choice. But Fellows is a big miss.

[davefizzy14]

3-0 to us today - Adam Armstrong, Scienza and Azaz to score 😊 COYR 😊 

Edited 1 hour ago by davefizzy14

[davefizzy14]

3 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

As expected. Fraser in unfortunately.

Wee Man will provide good cover for Fellows today. I rather Fellows was rested if not hundred percent fit.

[Sheaf Saint]

5 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

Not a fan of Fraser there. But not a suprise

That's a bench that screams "desperate second half retreat" if ever I saw one.

Just got to pray we can repeat our first half finishing and get ourselves into a good lead to defend.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

On my way to my parents to watch this one. More of the same please Tonda. Not that my Dad expects much from his Norwich side, but 3-0 up before half time will destroy any hope for another year.

[Obstacle1]

1 hour ago, die Mannyschaft said:

Can we just keep sitting down on pitch pretending to be injured like all other teams. Don't think keeper has to come off pitch. Let's use as much gamesmanship.  Throw ball out on throwing and you have to take it again. 

Most teams would time waste at 1 nil but for us it makes sense to start doing it at 3-0

[hypochondriac]

6 minutes ago, davefizzy14 said:

Wee Man will provide good cover for Fellows today. I rather Fellows was rested if not hundred percent fit.

I agree I never expected him to play. Just a shame as it weakens us a lot and I'm not sure we can get success without the specific setup we have been getting results with.

[ErwinK1961]

Think we’ll miss Fellows as much as we missed Scienza the other day. Norwich aren’t great but have improved over recent games under new management.

I don’t think we win this, maybe a 1-1. Think some people getting very carried away.

[RedArmy]

If we can’t beat that Norwich 11 with just Fellows missing then we have no chance of getting top 2. 
 

3-1. The Tonda express carries on. 

 

[Suhari]

Wondering if I can get a stream to work on the Brussels Airport wifi. Might buy myself an official audio pass.

Since I'm not watching:

5-0 Saints 

[Turkish]

2 hours ago, M271 said:

Better to rest Fellows for another week and hopefully fully recover missing only one match, than risk aggravating his injury and potentially being out for several matches over Christmas and New Year.

Yep we’ve got Coventry and Middlesbrough coming up so will need him fit. 

[sfc4prem]

14 minutes ago, ErwinK1961 said:

Think we’ll miss Fellows as much as we missed Scienza the other day. Norwich aren’t great but have improved over recent games under new management.

I don’t think we win this, maybe a 1-1. Think some people getting very carried away.

Followed directly by this...

11 minutes ago, RedArmy said:

If we can’t beat that Norwich 11 with just Fellows missing then we have no chance of getting top 2. 
 

3-1. The Tonda express carries on. 

 

Looks like we're undecided! 

[Lighthouse]

22 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

That's a bench that screams "desperate second half retreat" if ever I saw one.

Just got to pray we can repeat our first half finishing and get ourselves into a good lead to defend.

Who's fit that you'd have on there? Everything looks as I'd expect TBH, given the players available. Fellows will be a miss but we should still have enough to beat an awful Norwich team, who are missing Sargent.

[adrian lord]

Fabulous weather for a skill-laden match.