Stoke v Saints Saturday 31 Jan 12:30 Kick Off

[Stripey McStripe Shirt]

It's Tonda's birthday today!

Happy birthday boss, bring home the points.

[Obstacle1]

6 minutes ago, Stripey McStripe Shirt said:

It's Tonda's birthday today!

Happy birthday boss, bring home the points.

Im withholding any birthday greetings until he convinces me hes not a useless twat

[davefizzy14]

1 hour ago, Stripey McStripe Shirt said:

It's Tonda's birthday today!

Happy birthday boss, bring home the points.

A birthday present for Tonda - 2-0 to us - Scienza and Stewart to score - COYR 😊

[bangkoksaint]

1 hour ago, Stripey McStripe Shirt said:

It's Tonda's birthday today!

Happy birthday boss, bring home the points.

[SNSUN]

Horrible feeling it'll be a back 3 today if Scienza is out. Playing for a draw.

[SNSUN]

1 minute ago, SNSUN said:

Horrible feeling it'll be a back 3 today if Scienza is out. Playing for a draw.

Scienza is in!

 

[Saint NL]

A back 4 and Scienza.

Arma not even on the bench 👀

Edited 7 hours ago by Saint NL

[Saint Scott]

I like that

 

[whelk]

Good to hear Din Goodman talking about the Saints players getting away with murder and need to step up

[SNSUN]

Probably the strongest team bar squeezing Charles in. Still 4231 too which is positive. No AA though

[Sheaf Saint]

Probably the best team we can put out right now.

Seems that we just couldn't play a back four without Bree, which makes the decision to loan him out even more baffling.

[Saint Scott]

Arma and Archer both not included. SR have a lot of work to do in the next couple of days 

[Ken Tone]

So no Armstrong or Archer  Hmmmm 

[whelk]

Just now, SNSUN said:

Scienza is in!

 

Decent line up. We like 1230 aways. Convincing win today although wish they’d stop banging on about Stoke’s lack of forwards and goals 

[tdmickey3]

1 minute ago, Saint Scott said:

I like that

 

No Armstrong, so likely off

[Sheaf Saint]

1 minute ago, Saint NL said:

Arma not even on the bench 👀

Bye bye Adam.

Thanks for Wembley and good luck to you.

[Greedyfly]

This for me, is our best starting 11 aside from Downes for Charles... Cue getting smashed 6-0.

Balance is better and midfield cover is better 

 

But not having AA at least on the bench is an error even if he's fucking off elsewhere. 

 

That said, not even close to the error it'll be if we don't replace him.

[RedArmy]

That’s the team that should have started last week ffs 

[VectisSaint]

So just the one experienced striker in the squad, Armstrong and Archer both off. 

Think thats probably our strongest start XI now (except Charles for Downes).

Bit concerned that Bragg is still not back in the squad, concussion should not have kept him out this long, should it? 

Edited 7 hours ago by VectisSaint

[SNSUN]

We have to act in the window by Monday then. No AA, no Archer, we can't rely on Ross the Glassman and youngsters for the rest of the season. Deadline day may be more interesting than expected. 

Unless we're wrapping AA up in cotton wool until Tuesday.

Good to see THB in. Obviously no immediate plans to sell. 

[Jack]

SR better be busy in terms of their striker shopping list. No options off the bench for when Stewart inevitably limps off. 
 

Happy to get rid of Archer, Armstrong kind of makes sense for a decent fee and only if he’s replaced properly. In SR we trust 🙈

[Jack]

1 minute ago, RedArmy said:

That’s the team that should have started last week ffs 

100% 

[bangkoksaint]

So where are the goals coming from with Stewart likely to get injured and Arma and Archer probably off. First class decision making SR, great strategy to have a go for the playoffs 👏 

[LGTL]

That team is a week too fucking late

[coalman]

5 minutes ago, Saint Scott said:

I like that

 

It's just about our best lineup. I should be excited but it's a struggle.

[Wade Garrett]

Just makes the decision to bench Fellows last week even more baffling.

[AlexLaw76]

Arma and Archer off then

[Saint NL]

Just now, bangkoksaint said:

So where are the goals coming from with Stewart likely to get injured and Arma and Archer probably off. First class decision making SR, great strategy to have a go for the playoffs 👏 

You don't need to score many goals when you have a defense as good as ou..... Oh wait

[davefizzy14]

Leo is fit 😊 good to see Oyekunle in the squad. 

[Saint Scott]

2 minutes ago, SNSUN said:

We have to act in the window by Monday then. No AA, no Archer, we can't rely on Ross the Glassman and youngsters for the rest of the season. Deadline day may be more interesting than expected. 

Unless we're wrapping AA up in cotton wool until Tuesday.

Good to see THB in. Obviously no immediate plans to sell. 

If we let both go, they have to be replaced with someone ready made like piroe or Sargent.

Anything else is ridiculous, but that is the SR mantra

[beatlesaint]

1 minute ago, davefizzy14 said:

Leo is fit 😊 good to see Oyekunle in the squad. 

The way things look you could be seeing him a hell of a lot more!!

[Wade Garrett]

5 minutes ago, Ken Tone said:

So no Armstrong or Archer  Hmmmm 

There are probably a couple of strikers playing in Bundesliga 2 today who haven’t scored all season and are mysteriously being benched today.

Apparently this will have a positive effect on their xG stats and the nerds in the broom cupboard are all over it.

[Saint Matty 76]

It's what I'd consider our best team outside of Charles. So naturally we'll look shite and lose 2-1.

Also a nice sign that we might finally be committing to a rebuild up front. Hopefully they both leave on a permanent deal and my guess would be Fofana or Piroe inbound on deadline day.

[OldNick]

4 minutes ago, Saint Scott said:

If we let both go, they have to be replaced with someone ready made like piroe or Sargent.

Anything else is ridiculous, but that is the SR mantra

Perhaps the rumour of Nketia on lon is true, he is also slight and similar to those 2

[Saint NL]

4 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Apparently this will have a positive effect on their xG stats and the nerds in the broom cupboard are all over it.

Archers xG stats won't be impacted by him not being in the squad that's for sure 

[obelisk]

With Arma and Archer seemingly off then it's going to take a hell of a lot of persuasion to get a decent replacement in if Saints don't get 3 points here.

[InvictaSaint]

Consider this: if Arma goes, we will not have a single player with a Saints career goals tally in double figures….

[macca155]

Good team and a much better structure. No Bragg which is annoying, he provides a option from the bench in my opinion.

Selling or loaning Archer and Armstrong makes sense. They aren't clicking even at this level, and if the club is serious about promotion, then the rebuilding has to start now. 

No point scraping through the play offs, but go in to the Prem with a bunch of non starters. We've all got the T Shirt for that scenario.

Jander, Leo, Fellows, and Bragg all have the potential to step up. That's the sort of players we need.

Obviously need a replacement for Armstrong but they'll be some loans available. Quite a few are collecting splinters on the bench, so hopefully SR can do something.

Currently listening to Robins speak to Sky, oh how I wish we had him.

[ButtikonSaint]

We've all been asking for this 442 / 4231 ... Didn't quite work out last weekend but we could see some positive out of it.

We've all been asking for the deadwood to be trimmed...  Our squad depth , starting lineup and bench are now starting to reflect that reality.

Feels like the reset that was due to happen last summer.
I'll take that... even if it takes us another 18 months to complete the rebuild.
 

[SaintNewForest]

Armstrong has a knock. Yeah, right. 

 

 

Edited 6 hours ago by SaintNewForest

[macca155]

6 minutes ago, InvictaSaint said:

Consider this: if Arma goes, we will not have a single player with a Saints career goals tally in double figures….

But we've been dog shit, things have to change

[Saint Mikey]

1 minute ago, SaintNewForest said:

Armstrong has a knock. Yeah, right. 

 

 

Insurance. In case his move doesn't happen.

[beatlesaint]

1 minute ago, SaintNewForest said:

Armstrong has a knock. Yeah, right. 

 

 

aah Tonda is learning quickly 😂

[SouSaint]

I'll bet that Stewart gets injured within 20 minutes next weekend if we sell and don't replace Armstrong/Archer. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

28 minutes ago, SNSUN said:

Probably the strongest team bar squeezing Charles in. Still 4231 too which is positive. No AA though

Agreed. That's the side and Archer and AA protected ahead of potential moves.

[SNSUN]

Just now, SouSaint said:

I'll bet that Stewart gets injured within 20 minutes next weekend if we sell and don't replace Armstrong/Archer. 

I guess we'll be hoping Oyekunle, Ehibhatiomhan or Akachucwu can step up to be the next wonderkid then. Though I can see us scrambling round the market for whatever cast offs we can get before that. 

[Badger]

9 minutes ago, SaintNewForest said:

Armstrong has a knock. Yeah, right. 

 

 

Perhaps it's a 'knock' on the door from Wrexham or Middlesbrough..

[coalman]

3 minutes ago, SNSUN said:

I guess we'll be hoping Oyekunle, Ehibhatiomhan or Akachucwu can step up to be the next wonderkid then. Though I can see us scrambling round the market for whatever cast offs we can get before that. 

Or we can finally go full Pep and play the false nine that Rasmus has been secretly wanting all along.

[Saint86]

AA is gone then. Excited to see the young lad get some game time TBF. Think he's got it.

[Convict Colony]

36 minutes ago, Greedyfly said:

This for me, is our best starting 11 aside from Downes for Charles... Cue getting smashed 6-0.

Balance is better and midfield cover is better 

 

But not having AA at least on the bench is an error even if he's fucking off elsewhere. 

 

That said, not even close to the error it'll be if we don't replace him.