Birmingham 1-1 Saints - Match Thread

[saintant]

10 hours ago, SW11_Saint said:

You can’t seriously be blaming him for that melee? Shouldn't Stephens, the Captain no less, have that responsibility? 

Bazunu needs to learn to open his mouth because that is part of a goalkeeper's job.

[SW11_Saint]

29 minutes ago, saintant said:

Bazunu needs to learn to open his mouth because that is part of a goalkeeper's job.

No argument there. But it still doesn’t absolve Stephens & Co. Talking of, Arma too - our silent (deputy) Captain. 

[rallyboy]

Let's just hope that 2026 sees the return of that old fashioned idea that served us well for 135 years - a centre forward.

[S-Clarke]

3 minutes ago, SW11_Saint said:

No argument there. But it still doesn’t absolve Stephens & Co. Talking of, Arma too - our silent (deputy) Captain. 

You were a huge supporter of the decision to renew Stephens contract in the summer, siting it as good due to his leadership and experience.

As we all said at the time it was flawed, and it was a decision which pretty much nailed our trajectory this season.

[tdmickey3]

1 hour ago, Fabrice29 said:

That’s not actually true. What I don’t do is wet the bed about managers all the time, despite being on our 4th one this year (and only this one is actually having any sign of actually improving anything). 

It is true, the only manager you have spoken out about was Juric but that was because he replaced your hero .

[derry]

Yet again another garbage display with the back three passing sideways ably abetted by nearly everybody else who passed it back to them. Birmingham just got their whole team into defence which meant when, more often if the ball got into the final third we were outnumbered and blocked snatching at shots. I don't think Wood made anything other than sideways ten yard passes all game.

The first five games were entirely different with less possession which is purely a count of passes, most of ours in our final third. I don't buy this possession crap. We have the players to destroy teams but are neutering them. Coventry v Ipswich last night was as different as chalk from cheese. We are saddled with a defensively non existent left back, three ball watching centre backs and a midget up front. 

We need a physical centre forward for the others to play off and trade it off by playing four at the back. I quite like Armstrong from Bristol City for dynamism and putting defenders under pressure. That creates space and panic for the others to exploit. also allows the ball to be played forward.

Edited 2 hours ago by derry

[saint michael]

Eckhart says he is playing to win but I think he is playing not to lose in the hope we win. Keep possession as the main defence tactic and hope we create enough chances to put a couple away. What has happened recently is we haven’t taken the chances the same and our shit defence can’t defend other than pass the ball along the back and between them and the midfield. 

[Fabrice29]

55 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

It is true, the only manager you have spoken out about was Juric but that was because he replaced your hero .

So did I speak out about him or do I never criticise the managers however bad they do? Make your mind up you wally. 

If someone can point me in the direction of how having 4 managers in 2025 and still pretty much having the same spine of the team is going to bring about drastic change, I’ll happily start jumping on board a manager change train, but given I think our problems lie elsewhere and the only manager who has actually got some results is the one who has the benefit of new players settled into the side, I’ll probably continue to leave it for now if that’s okay with you? 

Edited 2 hours ago by Fabrice29

[West Dean FC Legend]

The way things are going, the play, the players, the different managers, I think we can see that within the club and the majority of senior players we have absolutely live by the 'tippy-tappy passing back and forth game'. Russ Martin installed it, hugged everyone, told them it was the best way to play, the team got promoted playing it and now it is entrenched in the very fabric of the club because of that 'instant' success, doesn't matter about losing two games 5-0 or the embarassing relegation, it WORKS!

The players definitely want to play it and I think the senior managment are tied to it.

It is boring and crap but I feel SFC are stuck with it until some major changes happen, so it doesn't really matter who the manager is, doesn't really matter who we sign on - we will tippy-tappy our supporters and opponents into comas.

[S-Clarke]

1 minute ago, Fabrice29 said:

So did I speak out about him or do I never criticise the managers however bad they do? Make your mind up you wally. 

If someone can point me in the direction of how having 4 managers in 2025 and still pretty much having the same spine of the team is going to bring about drastic change, I’ll happily start jumping on board a manager change train, but given I think our problems lie elsewhere and the only manager who has actually got some results is the one who has the benefit of new players settled into the side, I’ll probably continue to leave it for now if that’s okay with you? 

I don't fully disagree with you on this one, I believe the problems go far deeper than any manager here today. The makeup of the squad is all wrong to start with. But...that does all boil down to the ownership making bad decision after bad decision with the managers since Ralph, which has created us such a confused and odd looking squad caught between a few playing styles. (add the constant cycle of DoF's to that as well)

For this season in particular I believe the club have needlessly gambled and thrown away a season to try and be clever and seen as 'revolutionary' by appointing a left field choice, when in many ways it's like throwing a lamb to the slaughter with the mishmash of a squad we have. 

[LGTL]

2 hours ago, tdmickey3 said:

It really isn’t worth asking him questions that suggest manager/coach criticism because he supports everything they do however bad it is.

And we all know why. 

[LGTL]

28 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

I don't fully disagree with you on this one, I believe the problems go far deeper than any manager here today. The makeup of the squad is all wrong to start with. But...that does all boil down to the ownership making bad decision after bad decision with the managers since Ralph, which has created us such a confused and odd looking squad caught between a few playing styles. (add the constant cycle of DoF's to that as well)

For this season in particular I believe the club have needlessly gambled and thrown away a season to try and be clever and seen as 'revolutionary' by appointing a left field choice, when in many ways it's like throwing a lamb to the slaughter with the mishmash of a squad we have. 

Spot on.

The bit that defies belief for me though is that they appointed a massively young, inexperienced gamble and when that inevitably went tits up, they fucking well doubled down and appointed ANOTHER massively young, inexperienced gamble. 

They've managed to throw away the season not once, but twice 😂

Just complete and utter bellends.

[Gloucester Saint]

31 minutes ago, West Dean FC Legend said:

The way things are going, the play, the players, the different managers, I think we can see that within the club and the majority of senior players we have absolutely live by the 'tippy-tappy passing back and forth game'. Russ Martin installed it, hugged everyone, told them it was the best way to play, the team got promoted playing it and now it is entrenched in the very fabric of the club because of that 'instant' success, doesn't matter about losing two games 5-0 or the embarassing relegation, it WORKS!

The players definitely want to play it and I think the senior managment are tied to it.

It is boring and crap but I feel SFC are stuck with it until some major changes happen, so it doesn't really matter who the manager is, doesn't really matter who we sign on - we will tippy-tappy our supporters and opponents into comas.

Relegations and administration is the only escape.

[Roo1976]

23 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

Hopefully it will apply to Manning, Bazunu and Stephens too, permanently 

nearly every time Manning received the ball in space he passed it straight back to the player who gave it him. No point in trying to keep recycling the ball for possessions sake,and as for defending hes really IMO not upto it. What i saw last night is a continuing panicked defence that are so not very well coached in defending.This is just not aimed at last nights performance but ongoing still from at least 2 seasons of

[trousers]

15 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Relegations and administration is the only escape.

This, sadly. Didn't do us any harm last time, mind you.... as long as we get another Liebherr / Cortese esque combo when we hit the bottom...

Edited 1 hour ago by trousers

[VectisSaint]

15 hours ago, saintant said:

I was taking the last 4 games.

then you should have referenced that in your post. <disables MLG mode> 😉