Saints 0-0 Millwall - Match Thread

[BarberSaint]

No. Leeds shit the bed.

[Matthew Le God]

1 hour ago, Obstacle1 said:

Maybe someone can correct me if im wrong but my recollection of the year we went up under Martin is that Bazunu got injured and we switched to Mccarthy and that coincided with an increase in form?

I dont care for Mccarthy much either but I think its time to switch again

 

29 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

My recollection of this season is that switching to Bazunu coincided with an increase in form.

 

12 minutes ago, Obstacle1 said:

It did but do you think he was the determining factor?

We lost 3 of the 5 remaining league games after Bazunu was injured. 

We were going to be in the playoffs with or without Bazunu in goal. 

Edited 31 December, 2025 by Matthew Le God

[Dark Munster]

15 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

We lost 3 of the 5 remaining league games after Bazunu was injured. 

We were going to be in the playoffs with or without Bazunu in goal. 

Yes, but I doubt we would've won them.

[Matthew Le God]

24 minutes ago, Dark Munster said:

Yes, but I doubt we would've won them.

Why not, when we beat both West Brom and Leeds earlier in the season with him in goal?

Edited 31 December, 2025 by Matthew Le God

[SaintNewForest]

1 hour ago, coalman said:

He played 8 times all season. Admittedly that did include the playoffs.

The thing which really coincided with our form increasing was Stephens getting injured. That was at the start of our record unbeaten run. The Stephens came back and we nearly blew our shot at the playoffs.

Let's not reinvent history again.

We started the season unbeaten in 4/5. Stephens played in all of them. Stephens got injured, and we then lost 4/5 on the bounce, before that Leeds game kicked it off. 

Stephens then got fit again mid-december time, and we were still unbeaten going into mid-february.

So, no, our unbeaten run didn't start with Stephens getting injured, and nor did it end with him coming back. 

[VectisSaint]

2 hours ago, Obstacle1 said:

Maybe someone can correct me if im wrong but my recollection of the year we went up under Martin is that Bazunu got injured and we switched to Mccarthy and that coincided with an increase in form?

I dont care for Mccarthy much either but I think its time to switch again

We will not change following Baz being Player of the Match v Brum (however stupid that was).

[West Dean FC Legend]

There will be one, or perhaps two, weird changes, but mostly the same, three centre backs for sure, the team will pass it back and forth for a bit, have a little spell of confidence and look fairly good, perhaps even score a goal, then go back to tappy-tappy, Millwall will pump balls high into the box, no one will claim or stop them, they will score 1-1.

Last minute mistake at the back with pass-pass-pass play and we lose 2-1.

[LGTL]

Things you can guarantee tomorrow regardless of any result: 

3 CB’s on the pitch at ALL times

Captain Jack and Bazunu starting

Scienza subbed off after 55 minutes 

Lots of needless passing between CB’s and midfielders, back to CB’s, back to Bazunu. Repeat. 

Long balls up to Adam Armstrong after said needless passing

Losing the midfield battle. 30,000 people can see why except our ridiculous kid manager. 
 

Happy new fucking year. 

 

[Dr Who?]

Think we will win this game, but that could be the bottle of red wine and the half bottle of Red Leg rum I have drank this evening. Their away form is pretty hit and miss, losing at the skates, drawing at Oxford and beating Bristol City away. I think the championship is random. I think if we have the balls to play an open attacking game we will win 3-1. 

Edited 31 December, 2025 by Dr Who?

[Dr Who?]

2 hours ago, LGTL said:

Things you can guarantee tomorrow regardless of any result: 

3 CB’s on the pitch at ALL times

Captain Jack and Bazunu starting

Scienza subbed off after 55 minutes 

Lots of needless passing between CB’s and midfielders, back to CB’s, back to Bazunu. Repeat. 

Long balls up to Adam Armstrong after said needless passing

Losing the midfield battle. 30,000 people can see why except our ridiculous kid manager. 
 

Happy new fucking year. 

 

New Year… Same old shite! 

Edited 31 December, 2025 by Dr Who?

[Maggie May]

First post of 2026. Let’s do this!

[dsrdorset]

Why the fuck am I on here at 00:39 on New Years Day?  ffs 

 

AnywAY, Happy New Year. Up the Saints. 

[die Mannyschaft]

14 minutes ago, dsrdorset said:

Why the fuck am I on here at 00:39 on New Years Day?  ffs 

 

AnywAY, Happy New Year. Up the Saints. 

There is no news on all the new players Saints have got in window or the £20m from the sale of Ramsdale 😀 lets hope New Year brings goals and more goals.

[Andy Hill]

It will be 3 at the back so the usual boring sideways passing. Take a book to read if you are going.

[IFHP]

A tough game against play off chasing Millwall. 

They showed when they beat as The den they are well organised and a tough side to play against. 
 

They may get the better of us again . 

[Dusic]

6 hours ago, Andy Hill said:

It will be 3 at the back so the usual boring sideways passing. Take a book to read if you are going.

P5 W4 D1 L0 GF13 GA5

At home its largely been very good under Eckert so far playing with 3CBs - we have scored 3 in four of the five games - so not sure your point really holds up!

[Sheaf Saint]

34 minutes ago, Dusic said:

P5 W4 D1 L0 GF13 GA5

At home its largely been very good under Eckert so far playing with 3CBs - we have scored 3 in four of the five games - so not sure your point really holds up!

Yeah but that was all before TE signed a permanent contract. The dropoff in form and general performance since then has been stark. 

[SW11_Saint]

2 hours ago, IFHP said:

A tough game against play off chasing Millwall. 

They showed when they beat as The den they are well organised and a tough side to play against. 
 

They may get the better of us again . 

1-2 written all over it…

 

[LoyalSaintSO50]

We owe these bastards. Revenge will be served up when in the 96th minute at 1-3 down, one of our 6 centre backs aims to replicate their late winner and unleashes one from 35 yards… ooooh nearly, straight into the fanzone. Happy new year 

[Fabrice29]

15 hours ago, Obstacle1 said:

It did but do you think he was the determining factor?

 No. But I don’t think it was when it switched in the promotion season either.

[die Mannyschaft]

Tonda says, "In general, for players coming in, we don't need to do much because the squad is strong, the squad is good."

so if we are a striker squad and a good squad then let's see them beat Millwall to confirm that. Win or bust really today. We have to beat top 6 teams if make play offs. And at gge rate we go at if this is another draw or loss we cant wait till Feb to a 2-3 win run.

[die Mannyschaft]

38 minutes ago, LoyalSaintSO50 said:

We owe these bastards. Revenge will be served up when in the 96th minute at 1-3 down, one of our 6 centre backs aims to replicate their late winner and unleashes one from 35 yards… ooooh nearly, straight into the fanzone. Happy new year 

The shooting practice has been getting better in warm up! But you need to be in round early for that entertainment!

[die Mannyschaft]

Dispersal order section 13 Russact2024 will be enforced v Millwall. Saints players will be contained to thier own 25 yard box and any trouble makers running into opponents penalty area will be arrested.

[Chris cooper]

12 hours ago, LGTL said:

Things you can guarantee tomorrow regardless of any result: 

3 CB’s on the pitch at ALL times

Captain Jack and Bazunu starting

Scienza subbed off after 55 minutes 

Lots of needless passing between CB’s and midfielders, back to CB’s, back to Bazunu. Repeat. 

Long balls up to Adam Armstrong after said needless passing

Losing the midfield battle. 30,000 people can see why except our ridiculous kid manager. 
 

Happy new fucking year. 

 

Scienza protected at all costs with limited minutes cos SR have had the phone call from a prem club .. “look after our new asset Rasmus “ we intend to purchase in January 

[LoyalSaintSO50]

18 minutes ago, die Mannyschaft said:

The shooting practice has been getting better in warm up! But you need to be in round early for that entertainment!

I’m safer in the pub 

[Cabrone]

Get back to the flowing football of November and we can win.

Tonda actually saw the results for himself so why have we regressed back to stodgy Russball?

[Wade Garrett]

2 hours ago, Dusic said:

P5 W4 D1 L0 GF13 GA5

At home its largely been very good under Eckert so far playing with 3CBs - we have scored 3 in four of the five games - so not sure your point really holds up!

You can’t deny that we’ve regressed from playing quick counter attacking football to slow ponderous safe RussBall in the space of a few weeks.

 

 

[tdmickey3]

14 minutes ago, Cabrone said:

Get back to the flowing football of November and we can win.

Tonda actually saw the results for himself so why have we regressed back to stodgy Russball?

Because his single tactic has been sussed out..

[manji]

Just read this whole thread. I don’t normally bother. Basically all negativity and a lot of quite lunatic simplistic theories. 
so I might as well throw in an alternative view. I think Tonda is learning but he needs some back up. Being a manager in apparently one of the biggest leagues in football with a rebuilt squad with is going to be hard work.

again I sure I read we have one of the smallest support staff out of all the main teams in this league. Fans need to step back and stop looking for scapegoats". The game generally is becoming like American football with specialist coaching staff, set pieces are becoming important it really is a far more complicated game from when I started following Saints Combination League with Mick Channon still in the reserves. 
Sports Republic have financially backed well ( yeah I know lots of poor decisions but not all of them ) they aren’t going anywhere.

Unless it was a massive takeover the last thing we need is disruption. 
fucks sake look at some teams that have had “dream” takeovers. Man United fans were saying instant Champion League. Wrexham ( who I especially despise) wonder set up is starting to collapse. Lots of similar examples. 100% SR want Premier League football but do we really want promotion this season ? Really ? 
OK we might get all misty eyed over Wembley , great days out in London but that was a couple of nice days which inevitably led to one fk of a miserable season. That season damaged the club. 
yes this with hindsight whatever. I know Hull fans are dreaming of promotion they are ready for it. 
Wolves potentially heading for the worst record in the The Premier League🤔

I want the whole team to strive for promotion and that will make us stronger but another season in the Championship isn’t going to hurt us. The club isn’t a mess we aren’t a laughing stock. One thing reminded me of that. Gavin Bazuna and Cameron Archer being interviewed after the last match many commentators were saying Bazunu was man of the match he spoke well Archer clearly relieved he had finally scored. They were backing each other it was good.

many will want to see that as player delusion I saw that as team cohesion. We are going to have bad runs ( is our home form a bad run ? No) and good runs ,if at the end of the season we have improved ,finish in a decent league place that’s good enough for me. We beat Leeds in the playoffs which team is in a better position to us. 
and yeah I could have done a short post criticising Baz or Stephens for “likes” but  WTF 

see you at St Mary’s. 

 

Edited 12 hours ago by manji

[BranfootsLoveChild]

Just got off the train at central. Quite easy to spot Millwall fans...few police at the station and and about 10 millwall fans got off. Police looked a bit dissapointed 😅

[Saint NL]

13 minutes ago, manji said:

Just read this whole thread. I don’t normally bother. Basically all negativity and a lot of quite lunatic simplistic theories. 
so I might as well throw in an alternative view. I think Tonda is learning but he needs some back up. Being a manager in apparently one of the biggest leagues in football with a rebuilt squad with is going to be hard work.

again I sure I read we have one of the smallest support staff out of all the main teams in this league. Fans need to step back and stop looking for scapegoats". The game generally is becoming like American football with specialist coaching staff, set pieces are becoming important it really is a far more complicated game from when I started following Saints Combination League with Mick Channon still in the reserves. 
Sports Republic have financially backed well ( yeah I know lots of poor decisions but not all of them ) they aren’t going anywhere.

Unless it was a massive takeover the last thing we need is disruption. 
fucks sake look at some teams that have had “dream” takeovers. Man United fans were saying instant Champion League. Wrexham ( who I especially despise) wonder set up is starting to collapse. Lots of similar examples. 100% SR want Premier League football but do we really want promotion this season ? Really ? 
OK we might get all misty eyed over Wembley , great days out in London but that was a couple of nice days which inevitably led to one fk of a miserable season. That season damaged the club. 
yes this with hindsight whatever. I know Hull fans are dreaming of promotion they are ready for it. 
Wolves potentially heading for the worst record in the The Premier League🤔

I want the whole team to strive for promotion and that will make us stronger but another season in the Championship isn’t going to hurt us. The club isn’t a mess we aren’t a laughing stock. One thing reminded me of that. Gavin Bazuna and Cameron Archer being interviewed after the last match many commentators were saying Bazunu was man of the match he spoke well Archer clearly relieved he had finally scored. They were backing each other it was good.

many will want to see that as player delusion I saw that as team cohesion. We are going to have bad runs ( is our home form a bad run ? No) and good runs ,if at the end of the season we have improved ,finish in a decent league place that’s good enough for me. We beat Leeds in the playoffs which team is in a better position to us. 
and yeah I could have done a short post criticising Baz or Stephens for “likes” but  WTF 

see you at St Mary’s. 

 

Can you post a summary?

[suewhistle]

It was freezing briskly walking over the Itchen bridge just now. Let's hope the cold makes the team keep moving too..

I suppose I should add, not just across the back..

[Toadhall Saint]

Is this on sky?

[Matthew Le God]

4 minutes ago, Toadhall Saint said:

Is this on sky?

Yes

[suewhistle]

44 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

Can you post a summary?

Bless, the younger generation do have attention span difficulties.. 

[obelisk]

If not a must-win game I'd suggest that is certainly a must-not-lose encounter. To be 10 points behind Millwall in the play-off positions at this stage of the season would make any thoughts of promotion this season almost a forlorn hope. Not impossible of course but given Saints mixed form I'd say improbable.

[Hodgey]

1 hour ago, manji said:

Just read this whole thread. I don’t normally bother. Basically all negativity and a lot of quite lunatic simplistic theories. 
so I might as well throw in an alternative view. I think Tonda is learning but he needs some back up. Being a manager in apparently one of the biggest leagues in football with a rebuilt squad with is going to be hard work.

again I sure I read we have one of the smallest support staff out of all the main teams in this league. Fans need to step back and stop looking for scapegoats". The game generally is becoming like American football with specialist coaching staff, set pieces are becoming important it really is a far more complicated game from when I started following Saints Combination League with Mick Channon still in the reserves. 
Sports Republic have financially backed well ( yeah I know lots of poor decisions but not all of them ) they aren’t going anywhere.

Unless it was a massive takeover the last thing we need is disruption. 
fucks sake look at some teams that have had “dream” takeovers. Man United fans were saying instant Champion League. Wrexham ( who I especially despise) wonder set up is starting to collapse. Lots of similar examples. 100% SR want Premier League football but do we really want promotion this season ? Really ? 
OK we might get all misty eyed over Wembley , great days out in London but that was a couple of nice days which inevitably led to one fk of a miserable season. That season damaged the club. 
yes this with hindsight whatever. I know Hull fans are dreaming of promotion they are ready for it. 
Wolves potentially heading for the worst record in the The Premier League🤔

I want the whole team to strive for promotion and that will make us stronger but another season in the Championship isn’t going to hurt us. The club isn’t a mess we aren’t a laughing stock. One thing reminded me of that. Gavin Bazuna and Cameron Archer being interviewed after the last match many commentators were saying Bazunu was man of the match he spoke well Archer clearly relieved he had finally scored. They were backing each other it was good.

many will want to see that as player delusion I saw that as team cohesion. We are going to have bad runs ( is our home form a bad run ? No) and good runs ,if at the end of the season we have improved ,finish in a decent league place that’s good enough for me. We beat Leeds in the playoffs which team is in a better position to us. 
and yeah I could have done a short post criticising Baz or Stephens for “likes” but  WTF 

see you at St Mary’s. 

 

 Couldn’t agree more on coaching resource. It’s always baffled me why when you pay £50k a week on players you wouldn’t have as many specialists as needed to bring the best out of them. Our coaching set up is extremely light / inexperienced, there is talent there but they’ve been found out by the scores of coaches / analysts most clubs now have and need support.

Couldn’t disagree more on the another season in the champ though. We got battered in the Prem as we went into it with no director of football (unbelievably thought we could get away with ‘sharing that out’ to a load of nobodies in the toughest league in the world), cheap and horrendous transfers strategy, and a manager who refused to be pragmatic despite his system clearly needing better players than the opposition. Look at Sunderland if you don’t think staying up from the play offs is achievable - is there any real reason we couldn’t do the same ??

Next season I’d fancy at least 5 teams with parachute payments - 2 of whom likely to be established Prem clubs - next season will be harder to get out of that this - anyone half decent we have will go to the Prem (Jander, Scienza and Charles, maybe Fellows too)

no point holding your powder dry - get a gk, get an out and cf, get the coaching team we need early Jan. We just need to get 6th and be on an upward trajectory when we get it.

 

[BARCELONASAINT]

3 minutes ago, obelisk said:

If not a must-win game I'd suggest that is certainly a must-not-lose encounter. To be 10 points behind Millwall in the play-off positions at this stage of the season would make any thoughts of promotion this season almost a forlorn hope. Not impossible of course but given Saints mixed form I'd say improbable.

I would say every home game between now and the end of the season is a "must win game" IF the club honestly have ambitions in making the playoffs. I just want to be entertained rather than the utter crap we have gone back to recently.

[davefizzy14]

2-0 to us today - Scienza and Adam Armstrong to score 😊 COYR 😊

[vectraman]

New year, new start today Saints.
 

Let’s have a high tempo up and at ‘em start to the game today, Scienza and Fellows taking on their full backs and causing mayhem. 

Fast breaks, quick passing, getting on the front foot and taking the game to Millwall. 
Please no more tippy tappy “to me, to you” nonsense. Return of Tonda ball, end of Russ ball. Please 🙏. 
 

😇s to win 2-1. 
 

🤞

Edited 10 hours ago by vectraman

[S-Clarke]

1 hour ago, manji said:

Just read this whole thread. I don’t normally bother. Basically all negativity and a lot of quite lunatic simplistic theories. 
so I might as well throw in an alternative view. I think Tonda is learning but he needs some back up. Being a manager in apparently one of the biggest leagues in football with a rebuilt squad with is going to be hard work.

again I sure I read we have one of the smallest support staff out of all the main teams in this league. Fans need to step back and stop looking for scapegoats". The game generally is becoming like American football with specialist coaching staff, set pieces are becoming important it really is a far more complicated game from when I started following Saints Combination League with Mick Channon still in the reserves. 
Sports Republic have financially backed well ( yeah I know lots of poor decisions but not all of them ) they aren’t going anywhere.

Unless it was a massive takeover the last thing we need is disruption. 
fucks sake look at some teams that have had “dream” takeovers. Man United fans were saying instant Champion League. Wrexham ( who I especially despise) wonder set up is starting to collapse. Lots of similar examples. 100% SR want Premier League football but do we really want promotion this season ? Really ? 
OK we might get all misty eyed over Wembley , great days out in London but that was a couple of nice days which inevitably led to one fk of a miserable season. That season damaged the club. 
yes this with hindsight whatever. I know Hull fans are dreaming of promotion they are ready for it. 
Wolves potentially heading for the worst record in the The Premier League🤔

I want the whole team to strive for promotion and that will make us stronger but another season in the Championship isn’t going to hurt us. The club isn’t a mess we aren’t a laughing stock. One thing reminded me of that. Gavin Bazuna and Cameron Archer being interviewed after the last match many commentators were saying Bazunu was man of the match he spoke well Archer clearly relieved he had finally scored. They were backing each other it was good.

many will want to see that as player delusion I saw that as team cohesion. We are going to have bad runs ( is our home form a bad run ? No) and good runs ,if at the end of the season we have improved ,finish in a decent league place that’s good enough for me. We beat Leeds in the playoffs which team is in a better position to us. 
and yeah I could have done a short post criticising Baz or Stephens for “likes” but  WTF 

see you at St Mary’s. 

 

I agree that he needs some backup 'experience' around him, but haven't we got it all back to front here? The main man should have the experience, the coaches around him could be younger up and coming voices. If we are now saying the manager needs 'experience' around him, then it makes their decision to appoint Tonda look even dafter than it did.

I don't really buy the comparisons with other takeovers, or the suggestion that it could be much worse. From my point of view, watching this team for the last 2 years - it can't get much worse. We are owned by a group who have had full control for 4 years, in that 4 years they have relegated us twice - one of those relegations is among the worst in footballing history. We are now sat bottom half in a lower division after splurging £55m. I notice you mention Wrexham as starting to collapse, but they are 5 points and 5 league places above us in the league. When Sports Republic assumed control of us, Wrexham were battling for promotion from the National League, we were established in the PL. Wrexham are now above us in the football standings.

I get that you take a positive view and you like to think things are getting better, which is fair - but there comes a point where you need to take a step back and realise that actually there's no route to 'gold' with these owners. They don't have a scooby.

Edited 10 hours ago by S-Clarke

[saintstowin]

I'm Christmas confused. I had the game in my head for the weekend and definitely not on TV. I'll watch but only if they promise to do good football things.

[M271]

11 minutes ago, saintstowin said:

I'm Christmas confused. I had the game in my head for the weekend and definitely not on TV. I'll watch but only if they promise to do good football things.

I know, these 3 days between matches seem to go so fast. I can’t not watch our matches on the tv but I would rather not, I’m back to dreading watching rather than a month ago looking forward to it.

[trousers]

[Saint Matty 76]

5 actual defenders and 3 central midfielders at home.

[HarvSFC]

I suppose the subs did make a good impression on Monday, so rewarded with starts. 

[trousers]

[beatlesaint]

I just don’t understand how Manning and Stephens keep their places.

[egg]

2 minutes ago, Saint Matty 76 said:

5 actual defenders and 3 central midfielders at home.

They bullied us at their place. We need strength and size out there today. 

[CB Fry]

It's Tombola time