Saints 1-1 Coventry - Match Thread

[austsaint]

2 minutes ago, imadirtyurchin said:

This is only going one way at the moment. Once again we don’t stop the cross. Again 

And at the other end, only Scienza as an attacking threat, nothing down the right.  Azaz is lost without Fellows. 

[Sheaf Saint]

1 minute ago, Obstacle1 said:

Are any of our defenders good? 

Quarshie has done OK today. Bailed Manning out a couple of times with his recovery pace.

[Gloucester Saint]

3 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

One of the worst left backs we have had 

Don’t like booing our own players but he deserves to be today. Like he’s had four pints at the Xmas market before kick off.

[badgerx16]

Probably the only member of the defence not at fault for that goal is Baz.

[Harry_SFC]

Get a defender off surely. Better to have 4 shit ones on the pitch than 5.

[Saint NL]

Coventry the better team, but we had the better chances (goal aside).

I don't know where we go from here, we can't defend crosses. 

But Coventry defensively don't look great either, the only way we get something is to go all out attack. 

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, badgerx16 said:

Probably the only member of the defence not at fault for that goal is Baz.

Wellington as well. Manning has been a liability all half.

[AlexLaw76]

If we continue to just do the same thing, Tonda can get in the bin.

crap

[Dr Who?]

Here are my thoughts, we have not played like we have against other teams in the first half. Is this too much respect or Coventry are just the better team. This only spells disaster for me being 0-1 down at the break, when we are normally 2 to the good. I am changing my stance on the game, even though it will be interesting as we have to come out and have a go in the 2nd half which we have not had to do under Tonga. Saying this, with the evidence of our inept second half performances thus far I can only see this being 0-3 or worse. We might nick one. 
 

Merry Christmas everyone! 

[madge]

442… Coventry back 4 is pretty poor so start dominating the ball and put them under pressure. 3 centre backs and not one marking their striker. Sorry but if Tonda persists with this then he’s a stupid prick..  get full backs who defend. This is so poor with only scienza showing any ability. 

[Mr X]

1 minute ago, AlexLaw76 said:

HT

wE simply cannot keep playing this way,  no midfield and relying on individual brilliance.

Tonda well and truly found out

This we really struggle against well organised physical teams that capitlize on our weak defense and fucking around at the back, I've yet to see any evidence that he can manage a game in the second half.... Prove me wrong tonda please! 🤞

[saint michael]

Scienza and Armstrong v Coventry. Can the two of them score more than them. That’s what this game is. 9 saints players contribute the square root of fuck all 

[Toussaint]

4 minutes ago, adrian lord said:

Oh no. This game is likely to give us a true sense of where we are in terms of development under this manager.  

I don’t think this is just about the manager, we have, much discussed , major areas of weakness throughout the squad. We also have no fit left back / wink back. Welington is very rusty and playing on the wrong side. 

[CylonKing]

Similar thoughts as everyone else I suspect...

1. THB and Wood marking no one for the goal

2. Stop faffing around at the back, play forward

3. THB, stop falling over, play football man

4. Stop the attempted sh*thousing Manning, play football man

5. Why take so long with throw-ins, just allowing them to get into shape

Overall, shocking from Saints! 🙁

[OneMrsWallace]

4 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Terrible from Manning, this is like a collage of the worst bits of early Benali defensively but who is picking the free striker up six yards out? No pressure whatsoever on the cross coming in, just pick your spot. And again nearly, between a cross and a shot that time.

Pathetic.

And if Fellows comes on, I'm betting he'll bin Wellington and leave Manning on. 

[HarvSFC]

Hasn't hit a decent free kick since August either.

[Sheaf Saint]

5 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

One of the worst left backs we have had 

Undoubtedly the worst in my lifetime.

Even Danny Fox occasionally managed to be in the right place to stop a cross. Manning just wanders around in no-mannings-land completely oblivious of what's going on around him.

[AlexLaw76]

1 minute ago, Mr X said:

This we really struggle against well organised physical teams that capitlize on our weak defense and fucking around at the back, I've yet to see any evidence that he can manage a game in the second half.... Prove me wrong tonda please! 🤞

Most teams will noW press hard in the middle of the park.

we clearly have no other way of building attacks

[badgerx16]

Come on Saints, this is putting a right damper on our 45th wedding anniversary.

[adrian lord]

1 minute ago, Toussaint said:

I don’t think this is just about the manager, we have, much discussed , major areas of weakness throughout the squad. We also have no fit left back / wink back. Welington is very rusty and playing on the wrong side. 

Yes, I was not blaming the manager, the improvement under Tonda has been remarkable, but there's a fair way to go. 

[austsaint]

6 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Just watch Manning jogging around marking nobody in the build up to that.

He's just so utterly fucking shit it's quite unbelievable.

Martin should never have sold the young left back who went to Brentwood and is now with Rangers.  

[Toussaint]

Coventry are a very good side, they are we they are and we are where we are for very good reason 

[saintant]

3 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

If we continue to just do the same thing, Tonda can get in the bin.

crap

We will. He'll stick with the back five.

[obelisk]

Looks like Leo was fouled just before half time there. Ref never going to give a penalty though.

[die Mannyschaft]

Not winning tacles on right. Keep losing balls in midfield. Not getting 2nd ball. Scienza may just as well play as tge whole month and forward. Mostly ot played. If we don't shoot quickly irdt time we won't score. Oh well at least we have it confirmed what our level is. 7th or 8th

[Lee On Solent Saint]

2 minutes ago, OneMrsWallace said:

And if Fellows comes on, I'm betting he'll bin Wellington and leave Manning on. 

Both are shit, doesn't really matter

[goodymatt]

All 3 pundits think it was a penalty, where is the foul?!

[tdmickey3]

Midfielder ambles into box unmarked because 3 centre backs isnt enough, so Downes is in there as well, don’t stop the cross which is no surprise and the defence leave a free header…. Mess

Two good chances squandered at other end…

Please go 4 at the back and put another body in midfield, not Aribo, at least with three in midfield when one drops in we have another body.

Wellington way off it but out of position, Manning terrible defending again.

[Saint NL]

Commentator on Sky half time analysis reckons that THB challenge is a clear penalty. Actually all three said it was a pen.

I don't see it at all

[saintant]

9 minutes ago, Dr Who? said:

Here are my thoughts, we have not played like we have against other teams in the first half. Is this too much respect or Coventry are just the better team. This only spells disaster for me being 0-1 down at the break, when we are normally 2 to the good. I am changing my stance on the game, even though it will be interesting as we have to come out and have a go in the 2nd half which we have not had to do under Tonga. Saying this, with the evidence of our inept second half performances thus far I can only see this being 0-3 or worse. We might nick one. 
 

Merry Christmas everyone! 

No, it's mainly because Fellows isn't playing. Wellington has been hopeless aside from the ten  minute spell when he pushed up and we were on top.

Edited yesterday at 13:31 by saintant

[Doctoroncall]

6 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Piss poor defensively as usual

Another cross & we seem to all freeze

 

Tonda is aware and working on it, it takes time (as stated in the press conference), although with these defenders I think the crayons need to come out of the cupboard. 

[SWLondon Saint]

Coventry have been the better side because they have an extra unmarked player at most times thanks to our 3 CBs. We seem to have no way to play out as well since too much of the time Woods is just on top of Bazunu. No point having a ball-playing keeper if you just plonk a defender right next to him.

[Turkish]

I’ve always though Manning got a bit of a raw deal from the fans but fuck me he’s been awful today and so poor for their goal 

[obelisk]

Just seen that goal again. Manning might as well be sitting in the stands for all that he's doing on the pitch. Switch Welington to the left, get Fellows on and try attacking their dodgy looking defence.

[Sheaf Saint]

Just now, goodymatt said:

All 3 pundits think it was a penalty, where is the foul?!

I guess when THB falls on the back of Wright's calf. 

But if Baz had better reactions and had come out sooner then it would already be in his hands by then and there's not even a debate to be had.

[Turkish]

1 minute ago, Saint NL said:

Commentator on Sky half time analysis reckons that THB challenge is a clear penalty. Actually all three said it was a pen.

I don't see it at all

No chance shoulder to shoulder 

[Monk]

Won’t be a popular opinion but we’ve made a rod for our own back here. 
 

Let’s call a spade a spade, Cov are okay but that’s it. Shows how bad the rest of the league is that they’re 12 points clear. We’re showing them far too much respect. When we took the game to them in that little spell, they couldn’t handle it.
 

Massive 45 for Tonda… quite frustrated at that.

Amazed that the Sky studio all thought it was a pen too! 

[UpweySaint]

10 minutes ago, Mr X said:

He doesn't know what to do in the second half of games especially when we are trailing we have been found out and teams know exactly what to do against us! 

Good time to prove us wrong. Coventry will be tough with a lead - expect to see Fellows on at some point. Feels odd to say but not many other potential game changers on the bench. 

[Edmonton Saint]

Got to be honest, I’m a bit worried the longer Tonda is in charge the more we seem to be reverting to MartinBall. 
 

Also not sure why Manning is still taking free kicks, Scienza came closer to scoring last week than Manning has since August:

[tdmickey3]

10 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

HT

wE simply cannot keep playing this way,  no midfield and relying on individual brilliance.

Tonda well and truly found out

Spot on 

[Bewildered]

Can't defend crosses and we sit too deep with nobody up the pitch who can win an aerial duel or hold the ball up to serve as an out ball.

[tdmickey3]

2 minutes ago, UpweySaint said:

Good time to prove us wrong. Coventry will be tough with a lead - expect to see Fellows on at some point. Feels odd to say but not many other potential game changers on the bench. 

He will likely bring Aribo for Scienza

[NewYorkSaint]

It ain't over yet.   tom fellows chance to be a hero...

[Sheaf Saint]

2 minutes ago, Monk said:

Won’t be a popular opinion but we’ve made a rod for our own back here. 

Appointing Tonda you mean?

I'm inclined to agree with you.

[Convict Colony]

need balance, easy for them to control our left outside the occasional Leo bursts, would bring on fellows for wellington to give us an out on right and stretch them

[Toussaint]

7 minutes ago, adrian lord said:

Yes, I was not blaming the manager, the improvement under Tonda has been remarkable, but there's a fair way to go. 

I get that, all I’m saying is we need to sort a few squad issues to sort out to give him the best chance 

[Mr X]

Just now, tdmickey3 said:

He will likely bring Aribo for Scienza

An absolute waste of a player like having ten men, barely puts any effort in 

[tdmickey3]

If they score again, it’s game over

[Lee On Solent Saint]

3 minutes ago, Edmonton Saint said:

Got to be honest, I’m a bit worried the longer Tonda is in charge the more we seem to be reverting to MartinBall. 
 

Yep, same here. We are just so predictable

[Lone ranger]

We never took a grip on the game arguably because Coventry are a much better side than us even with two reserve centre backs. We are at our worst when we pass backwards and invite disaster and at our best when our quick and skilful attackers stream forwards. We are certainly missing Fellows but we need the ‘we can win this’ mindset rather than ‘let’s build laboriously from the back’ nonsense. I had hoped the new manager would see that or is Russball a clause in any new manager’s contract?