Saints 0-0 Millwall - Match Thread

[sfc4prem]

9 minutes ago, davefizzy14 said:

Bazunu's save in the second half was outstanding.

I used to refer to the chap as crisp-packet. He does seem to be improving.

This comes with a massive caveat that it isn't fucking hard to improve from a ghost between the sticks.

[die Mannyschaft]

If you ever wanted to know what diarrhea looks like under a microscope well we watched it on St Mary's pitch today. No attempt at all to win the game, not even try to draw. We were lucky that Bazunu got us out of trouble again.

Cant shoot at box

More sideways and back than Russell Martin and no end product 

£100m+ team, you could have spent £1m on players from leaque 1 to play Saints football. 

Total boring, utter shite football 

[The Kraken]

1 hour ago, benjii said:

Can anyone seriously say they wouldn't rather watch:

Jelert-THB-Stephens-Manning

-------Bragg---Jander--------

Fellows-Robinson/Azaz--Scienza

---‐-------Armstrong---------

I would, but I don’t think it’s the 3 CBs on their own that are the problem, it’s compounded by deploying 2 defensive minded CMs in front of them. When Jander came on I hoped for something more going forward but he did exactly what Downes and Bragg had been doing for lots of the game, dropping really deep and taking the ball off the centre back. Sometimes the CMs dropped back to be literally our deepest players.  Just means we get a lot of possession but the out ball is more difficult because we have fewer options further up the pitch. I dread to think what Shea Charles will be like when he gets back but I doubt under this manager he’ll be given as much license to drive into the box as we saw him do earlier in the season.

For me, it’s so much not the personnel as it is what the manager is getting them to do (or not getting them to do). We are much more reliant on a bit of brilliance from an individual player rather than grinding the other team down and creating chances. Tom Fellows was a livewire but it was mostly only the last ten minutes or so where he more consistently got the space to get right up the pitch and run at the defender.

 

[Wade Garrett]

What a load of fucking boring shite that was.

Waste of fucking time.

[stfrancisofbenali]

1 minute ago, S-Clarke said:

He won't though, as we have to play 3 at the back. We have to. It cannot ever change. We are not allowed to play any other way, so if  Fellows plays he will be a wing back.

This is why his line about always trying to win games doesn’t add up. To go for three points today, in a drab deadlock game, you have to try something different and get Fellows attacking rather than defending. Me and my Northam cohort were all saying at half time that we couldn’t see how we would score. If we can see it, why can’t TE and get our best attacking player up the pitch asking questions? 

[Saint Billy]

1 hour ago, coalman said:

It honestly feels like I'm trapped in an abusive relationship with this football club now.

The zero intensity we approach the game with is painful to watch.

I've pretty much given up caring. I think they call it punch drunk.

[Football Special]

1 hour ago, qwertyell said:

Yes. Tired of hearing about our amazing players (for this division) while simultaneously seeing no on-field evidence to back that up.

Can't always be the manager's fault (although he's not exactly helping).

Our squad have found their level. And it's utterly mediocre.  

Happy new year, everyone. It's going to be crap.

I lost the will to continue arguing with people earlier in the season making this exact point, our team really isn’t that good with glaring weaknesses that other teams can figure out quickly. 
poor at the back, weak in midfield and so soft up front just get bullied by championship defences, high wage bill though 

Spors failed to address these in the summer despite having months to prepare, combined with his management appointments it’s clear he has no idea what he’s doing. 
every single person in a management role at the club must be completely embarrassed at their incompetence 

[Dangerspoon]

Watched a fair bit on tv. Very poor. Manager very frustrating. He is now refusing to play scienza and fellows together which is silly as they both enable space for the other. I think he’s out of his depth, and has to go. His line ups are too bizarre and his substitutions just silly (taking scienza off for fellows today was typical of him). 

Bring in a proper manager now who can work with the players and train them to play their system ready for next season. Tonda doesn’t have enough experience to work out the issues

[S-Clarke]

Quote

 

“I think there are many positives to take away from the game today,” he reflected.

“We’ve been working on a clean sheet for quite some time, and I think we were a lot more solid on the set-pieces today, and we had some boys who haven’t played in a little bit of time and they were all very strong and positive.

 

Words from the puppet.

[spyinthesky]

My thoughts, for what they are worth from todays game:

1. Bazunu                                   8    Faultless and his save in the second half probably
                                                          saved us from defeat.
2. Jelert                                     7    Thought he did well, Short in stature but used the
                                                         ball well. Better option than Roerslev (when he is fit)
3. Manning                                5  Not the greatest defender and his main action on the
                                                      ball is to pass it  backwards. Give Welligton another
                                                       go?
4. Stephens                               6  Average. No more no less.
5. Harwood Bellis                    6.5 Best of the three central defenders and could have
                                                       been a last minute hero.
6. Wood                                   5.5  Defended reasonably well but not much good with
                                                         the ball.
7.  Masuki                                5.5  Did reasonably well in his first start of the season He
                                                        is a tryer.
8. Bragg                                  6.5  A composed performance from the lad. Dont think he
                                                        played a bad pass. Hopefully one for the future.
9. Archer                                   5   I hate to say this but, as far as I am concerned, he
                                                        has contributed the square root of F**k all since the
                                                        club spent £15m (??) on him (apart from the goal at
                                                         St Andrews!!)
10. Downes                               6  A reasonable performance but expect more from an
                                                       expensive signing.
11. Sceinza                              6.5 Not sure why he was subbed but he seems to
                                                       contribute less when asked to play in the middle of
                                                        the park.

Overall defensively we were generally OK but if it wasnt for Baz's brilliant save then we could we easily have lost and that was from a Millwall move that started from our own throw in!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Once again, we have struggled to despatch opponents that have spent far, far less on transfers and salaries than us and overall a draw was a fair result.
We desperately need a decent target man.
With such a signing I am sure our form would significantly improve.

Edited 5 hours ago by spyinthesky

[die Mannyschaft]

5 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

What a load of fucking boring shite that was.

Waste of fucking time.

How on earth do you need a coaching licence to train players to pass 528 times sideways and backwards

[stfrancisofbenali]

1 minute ago, Dangerspoon said:

Watched a fair bit on tv. Very poor. Manager very frustrating. He is now refusing to play scienza and fellows together which is silly as they both enable space for the other. I think he’s out of his depth, and has to go. His line ups are too bizarre and his substitutions just silly (taking scienza off for fellows today was typical of him). 

Bring in a proper manager now who can work with the players and train them to play their system ready for next season. Tonda doesn’t have enough experience to work out the issues

Fellows didn’t come on for Scienza today and he has played them together. The biggest issue for me is TE not playing Fellows as an out and out attacker. 

[HedgeEnder]

9 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

What a load of fucking boring shite that was.

Waste of fucking time.

About sums it up

[die Mannyschaft]

14 minutes ago, sfc4prem said:

I used to refer to the chap as crisp-packet. He does seem to be improving.

This comes with a massive caveat that it isn't fucking hard to improve from a ghost between the sticks.

He's MOTM again for me which means the rest of the team are just as bad.

[die Mannyschaft]

1 hour ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

You can predict his post match press conference:

- Gavin Bazunu showed his quality

- We go into every game looking to win/get three points

- We should be pleased that we got a point against a very good team

Utter pish

We go into every game looking to lose and if we draw its a bonus 

[pingpong]

Another point saved by baz, well in double figures now.  Astonishing for someone who gets so much flak, two man of the match performances in a row, 2 world class saves in as many games, well deserved clean sheet today and still has people moaning, what more can a player do to win over his own teams supporters?

[StrangelyBrown]

I was confused by the pre-match conference when Ekhart said something about the players first before worrying about the system. The performance today underlines why this is nonsensical.

We need to establish a way of playing that threatens the opposition not one that fits the players we've got - the fact that we've signed a load of players that don't work in any system is one of our biggest problems, but it won't get better if we don't try and work out what we want to do to win a match.

Edited 5 hours ago by StrangelyBrown

[AlexLaw76]

1 minute ago, pingpong said:

Another point saved by baz, well in double figures now.  Astonishing for someone who gets so much flak, two man of the match performances in a row, 2 world class saves in as many games, well deserved clean sheet today and still has people moaning, what more can a player do to win over his own teams supporters?

Tell the club, they are about to loan a keeper from Bayern Munich.

 

[Dangerspoon]

2 minutes ago, stfrancisofbenali said:

Fellows didn’t come on for Scienza today and he has played them together. The biggest issue for me is TE not playing Fellows as an out and out attacker. 

Good point….. for Azaz. Point still relevant that he is too defensive. Jelert looks good. Problem is he’s playing in Fellows position so if Jelert plays we become more defensive. I’m up for keeping him in the team if we switch to 2 centre backs with fellows in midfield.

[lambtiss]

5 minutes ago, die Mannyschaft said:

We go into every game looking to lose and if we draw its a bonus 

Unbeaten this year ...

[Big M]

I truly believe there is a player power problem at St Mary's, looks to me that a few ego's pressure a very young inexperienced manager, and that manager knows full well they will throw him under the bus, I was no fan of Will Still but I think that's what happened to him. RM was the players buddy, train when you want to, extra days off for the all important golf, playing terribly but you still get picked etc etc, I bet there was no fine system, discipline whatsoever.So on massive wages they don't break a sweat, manager pisses me off, I won't break a sweat, the attitude of he'll be gone soon etc etc. And so it's toxic, we'll sell Scienza, fellows for good money, probably a couple of others for not a lot, and next season we go again in the championship, with a far on paper weaker team, a new manager, and Sports republic mediocrity for seasons to come. 

[vectraman]

51 minutes ago, adrian lord said:

Timid, tepid, trepidation-filled football. 

It is awful and won't win anything. 

Tonda triple T football.

Has a ring to it 👍

 

 

 

 

….and it’s a shit ring….

[StrangelyBrown]

4 minutes ago, pingpong said:

Another point saved by baz, well in double figures now.  Astonishing for someone who gets so much flak, two man of the match performances in a row, 2 world class saves in as many games, well deserved clean sheet today and still has people moaning, what more can a player do to win over his own teams supporters?

2 good saves shouldn't make 2 motm performances - just shows how bad the rest were.

Things I'd like to see as a start is him command his box and get something on a cross for once.

 

[lambtiss]

Anyone who couldn't attend today was lucky.

One of the worst matches of football I have ever had the misfortune to watch. My son-in-law and I groaned when they announced at full time that we had to endure another 7 minutes.

Edited 4 hours ago by lambtiss

[HarvSFC]

90 minutes wasted. We tried the same move over and over again. 10 passes between our backline, Millwall aren't getting pulled out of position, so we resort to hoofing one up to no one, Millwall get the ball back with ease and start a threatening attack. Even without the ball our players just jockey slowly, not really applying any pressure or threatening to put a challenge in to win the ball back. The opposition force us into far more errors than we do the other way.

Said on Monday that Birmingham are in poor form, haven't won any of their last 7, we made them look good and they got trounced by Watford today. That wasn't a good result and these performances are way below standards, again.

Archer really does hate Birmingham on that note. Only turned up for two games this season, Birmingham home and away.

Our best attackers are Fellows - Azaz - Scienza with Armstrong in front of them. That should be the starting front four every week. But, like with Still for whatever reason we're rarely seeing them all on the pitch together. I thought Matsuki was fine today, but no reason why Fellows shouldn't have been in that position with Jelert playing as the right wing-back.

Whatever the formation anyway, we're not beating anyone with the lack of intensity that we showed today.

This is starting to feel like the form an individual brilliance of Scienza and Fellows got Eckert those early points. They flagged in second halves and so did our performances. Now Scienza's off form and Fellows is returning from injury we don't have a clue. Another SR masterstroke?

 

[Hawkswood]

3 minutes ago, lambtiss said:

Anyone who couldn't attend today was lucky.

One of the worst matches of football I have ever had the misfortune to watch. My son-in-law and I groaned when they announced at full time that we had to endure another 7 minutes.

Couldn't really tell on TV, but what was the general reaction from the crowd throughout the game ?

[Wade Garrett]

Just now, Hawkswood said:

Couldn't really tell on TV, but what was the general reaction from the crowd throughout the game ?

Bored

[Hawkswood]

2 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Bored

Sure but were people making their feelings known out loud or just to each other. Basically was there any booing at all towards our bench or the manager? 

[Big M]

10 minutes ago, vectraman said:

Tonda triple T football.

Has a ring to it 👍

 

 

 

 

….and it’s a shit ring….

I'd rather have triple G in charge, I'm sure none of the players would piss him off if was manager. 🤣🤣

[Galway saint]

23 hours ago, Matthew Le God said:Why not, when we beat both West Brom and Leeds earlier in the season with him in 

5 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

How boring was that game ? Christ it was awful 

[Football Special]

Talking to those around me the consensus seems to be a shared frustration that overall the quality isn’t great throughout the championship yet somehow we’ve been so poorly managed as a club we’ve managed to set up a team capable of a bottom half position, astonishing really considering the money they had to spend. 
must struggle to look each other in the eye at board meetings from shame at how bad they are at their jobs , clueless from top down as an organisation 

[macca155]

I thought the Millwall defence was a cut above ours today. Solid, dynamic, and they did the basics well. Game saving block at the end as well.

Decent performances from Bragg and Matsuki. Usual story at the back, defended quite well, but this garbage sideways passing, and lack of urgency, is doing my head in.

In isolation not a disastrous performance, a point against a decent side. However when viewed with recent results, it continues our grim slide into mediocrity.

There is a transfer window up now, so that's an opportunity. Let's hope they take it.

[BarberSaint]

I think we played to not lose rather than to win.

My ratings.

1. Bazunu                                  5    Ok. Good reaction save but one he probably could have collected (maybe) or the defence should have stopped but it was a good save nonetheless.
2. Jelert                                    5    Not bad. I would like to see him behind Fellows who can play his normal position and he can overlap.
3. Manning                                Minus infinity. The more I see this fraud the more I dislike him.  
4. Stephens                               4  Got kicked. That was his memorable moment.
5. Harwood Bellis                    5 Same as. I just find him average at best.
6. Wood                                   5 Happily anonymous although he did drive forward with the ball nicely once. Likes a sideways pass.
7.  Masuki                                5 Did ok. Nice introduction to a physical game. Let's see if he can adapt/impose himself. If he can't, he'll have to go because he won't be good enough but happy to give him some time based on that.
8. Bragg                                  6.5  Could turn into a player. Wants the ball, wants to do things with it. Means we can have him, Jander and Charles as a 3 in that 3 man midfield we might see one day..
9. Archer                                  3 I just don't see him as a viable option for anyone. A player who's best playing on the shoulder of the last defender needs a good team to create loads for him, but that kind of team would have and want a better player than him.. 
10. Downes                             5 Put some effort in but I still cannot see quite what the point of him being in the team is in terms of what he doesn't contribute.
11. Sceinza                              5 Got sat on and crowded out so we saw some of his limitations in a poor team that couldn't give him the option of a give and go so he could play with his back to the defender.

Subs. Not a lot. Robinson did a couple of things. 

Tonda. More Tonda toy than 'on the bus'.  Clearly another spreadsheet manager.

 

Millwall. Physical, cleverly dirty. Average. Would love to see them go up cause I think they'd make a lot of Wolves fans very happy. 

[bangkoksaint]

I made the decision that over Christmas I wasn’t investing 1000 miles, around £400 and three days away following this rubbish and it looks like I made the right decision. I don’t mind losing when we’ve given it a go but my god we don’t get close to that now. I’m sure I won’t be the only one who feels like this.

 

[Willo of Whiteley]

1 hour ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

You can predict his post match press conference:

- Gavin Bazunu showed his quality

- We go into every game looking to win/get three points

- We should be pleased that we got a point against a very good team

Utter pish

BINGO - the 3rd one

[derry]

The real problem is the three centre backs. I think Wood passed the ball forward once. Stephens is a ball watcher. Harwood-Bellis is our best centre back. Personally I think there is a team there if it allowed to play and the manager stops taking the best players off after an hour.

In my opinion we need to play a back four. I'd go with Quarshie and THB as centre backs. Jelert at right back with possibly Welington at left back. Manning is a poor defender. Fellows on the right and Scienza on the left. Two up front. Downes, Jander, Bragg, Charles, Matzuki gives us two decent midfielders. We really need to bring in a robust centre forward but in the meantime two from Armstrong, Azaz, Robinson.

Stop messing about after an hour. I remember under Ted Bates a promotion winning team on rough old pitches, mud etc I think at least 8 players played every minute of 52 games a couple more played 50 games and only 16 players were used.

We should play our best team and only make necessary changes, not changes for the sake of it.

Edited 4 hours ago by derry

[Patrick Bateman]

29 minutes ago, Hawkswood said:

Couldn't really tell on TV, but what was the general reaction from the crowd throughout the game ?

Bored as hell, most people around me groaning and eventually completely disinterested in the game and looking at crap on their phones instead.

Big groan when the Scienza sub was announced. 

I don't have much to say, it was so very dull. Still, a clean sheet .... 

 

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, Patrick Bateman said:

Bored as hell, most people around me groaning and eventually completely disinterested in the game and looking at crap on their phones instead.

Big groan when the Scienza sub was announced. 

I don't have much to say, it was so very dull. Still, a clean sheet .... 

 

Better for them to save themselves a few quid or if they are going to attend, oppose SR and their horrific experiments loudly. 

[23rdSaint]

Surprised no-one's mentioned this, but Scienza was definitely subbed off for taking the free-kick instead of Manning. You could see Eckert screaming at him to leave it for Manning but Scienza ignoring and blasting it over. 

[Turkish]

20 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Talking to those around me the consensus seems to be a shared frustration that overall the quality isn’t great throughout the championship yet somehow we’ve been so poorly managed as a club we’ve managed to set up a team capable of a bottom half position, astonishing really considering the money they had to spend. 
must struggle to look each other in the eye at board meetings from shame at how bad they are at their jobs , clueless from top down as an organisation 

More astonishing the the money spent is that all 4 of our attacking players are proven players of real quality at this level yet somehow we’ve gone from playing exciting fluid football to this boring, negative crap in the space of a month. 

[LGTL]

21 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. 

 

Well well well. 

[Wade Garrett]

35 minutes ago, Hawkswood said:

Sure but were people making their feelings known out loud or just to each other. Basically was there any booing at all towards our bench or the manager? 

Heard a few boos

[Football Special]

6 minutes ago, Patrick Bateman said:

Bored as hell, most people around me groaning and eventually completely disinterested in the game and looking at crap on their phones instead.

Big groan when the Scienza sub was announced. 

I don't have much to say, it was so very dull. Still, a clean sheet .... 

 

Yep its bored disappointment , groans rather than boos 

we’ve won 8 out of 25 championship games, fans worn down by it all watching the same old rubbish tactics 

[die Mannyschaft]

5 minutes ago, Turkish said:

More astonishing the the money spent is that all 4 of our attacking players are proven players of real quality at this level yet somehow we’ve gone from playing exciting fluid football to this boring, negative crap in the space of a month. 

The critical thing is the players are following someone's instructions to play crap football and settle for draws if the get lucky

[Football Special]

6 minutes ago, 23rdSaint said:

Surprised no-one's mentioned this, but Scienza was definitely subbed off for taking the free-kick instead of Manning. You could see Eckert screaming at him to leave it for Manning but Scienza ignoring and blasting it over. 

Has he commented on that? Free kick did look perfect for a left footer 

[the boy from saints]

3 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Heard a few boos

Yeah! Definitely a few boos at the end and a growing frustration with the sideways Russball-lite!

[Appy]

At least “Spin the Wheel” at half time was a roaring success 

[madge]

Spors, ekhert and SR are destroying a generation of potential saints supporters. What is there for kids attending their first matches to get excited about. That performance was a shocker and Millwall were by far the more organised and purposeful team. Tonda just hasn’t the ability to change his formation and today confirmed that he’s nowhere ready to manage at this level. It’s not his fault but this all lies on spors… he’s directing this shower of shite from above and our completely clueless owner seems content to see if all unravel..

[LGTL]

2 minutes ago, Appy said:

At least “Spin the Wheel” at half time was a roaring success 

😂 the fuck was all that about?! Poor old Kenzie

[Football Special]

1 minute ago, LGTL said:

😂 the fuck was all that about?! Poor old Kenzie

Missed that, was Kenzie attached to a wheel and spun around?