Stoke v Saints Saturday 31 Jan 12:30 Kick Off

[benjii]

Just now, obelisk said:

Could always try Quarsie up front. ☺️

Azaz false 9 and bring Charles on?

[Baird of the land]

Another of those half’s were you come away thinking that was good but may live to regret not having a bigger lead

[Chez]

3 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

Leicester 2-0 down at home to Charlton 😂

are they even shitter than us? 

[SWLondon Saint]

And the whole team looks so much more comfortable with 4-2-3-1, why the hell were we ever playing the back 3? 

[CylonKing]

Comfortable really, should've done better in some situations and still going backwards from good positions too much but decent overall. Think Peretz is a step up in keeper but not by as much as we'd hoped, but hopefully still a bit rusty...like him talking to his defence more.

One moan...stop having everyone back for corners. We're causing our own problems by congesting the six yard box making it more difficult for Danny to come out and claim. Keep people forward forcing the opposition to keep people back!

[Jack]

Who’d have guessed that with an extra man in midfield, there’s more often an outlet in midfield and we can play further up the pitch. Need to keep moving the ball quickly and don’t let Stoke settle. Obviously we’ll need another goal to win the game as we don’t do clean sheets away 

[CB Fry]

Tonda will get them fired up at half time CAGED TIGERS FUCKING CAGED TIGERS FUCKING CAGED TIGERS FUCKING

[hypochondriac]

8 minutes ago, LGTL said:

Who’d have thought we’d look so much better with a back 4 and actual full backs. 

@egg @Fabrice29 

[Turkish]

9 minutes ago, LGTL said:

Who’d have thought we’d look so much better with a back 4 and actual full backs. 

Nothing to do with formations pal

[Chez]

4 minutes ago, SNSUN said:

I'd be interested to see if Tonda has the balls to put Oyekunle on should the need arise.

I think he will.

[Wade Garrett]

Played well.  Scienza is well off it today.

Downes good again though.

[Saint Fan CaM]

We would score more goals if some of our players were a little less selfish in attack. The pass from Fellows to Azaz who scored was an excellent example of what needs to be done more.

[Patches O Houlihan]

4 minutes ago, SWLondon Saint said:

Leo doesn't look on it today, tired / injured? Still working hard but looks a step slow. Matsuki time imo, he has more of an end product than JRob.

In fairness I wasn't even expecting him to be on the bench today after limping off with a groin injury at that hole down the road

[SNSUN]

Seeing the pen/dive again, definite contact. Azaz went down too quickly though. VAR would have given the pen but would probably have given the handball before that anyway. Small margins. 

Come on football Gods,  please let us have the 3 points! 😁

[Saint86]

The worry 2nd half is that stoke have a good manager - will he simply tweak things and out tactic eckert?

[Convict Colony]

Half Time team talk our kryptonite

[Patches O Houlihan]

1 minute ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

We would score more goals if some of our players were a little less selfish in attack. The pass from Fellows to Azaz who scored was an excellent example of what needs to be done more.

Fellows passes plenty because both he and we know he couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo. Azaz, Arma, Stewart and Scienza all have a good shot on them. I'm ok with them having a go, and avoid having to watch a goal scoring position end up back with the keeper for the hundred millionth time...

[Farmer Saint]

1 minute ago, SNSUN said:

Seeing the pen/dive again, definite contact. Azaz went down too quickly though. VAR would have given the pen but would probably have given the handball before that anyway. Small margins. 

Come on football Gods,  please let us have the 3 points! 😁

Should have had one earlier in the half on Stephen's. Think we've looked really decent this half.

Win this and playoffs are definitely reachable.

[trousers]

4 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

@egg @Fabrice29 

"Yeah, but.... No, but.... Yeah, but...."

[Hopper]

I for one want to see some HUNGRY EYES in the second half.

[Turkish]

Very good first half, clearly a much better team, look a lot more comfortable in this formation surprise surprise 

In some ways I love the new keeper but he’s going to cost us a goal sooner rather than later but it an upgrade on Baz

Full backs much better too. Just weird what’s been going on this season with players, systems etc 

[Saint Fan CaM]

I just hope the instruction from Tonda is keep the pressure high away from our goal! Stoke are not good enough to create their own chances and so we must not give them easy ones.

[egg]

5 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

@egg @Fabrice29 

As I said, we couldn't play a back 4 with the defenders we had. We've now got a proper RB, and aren't playing Manning. No gotcha there pal. 

[Saint Scott]

10 minutes ago, SWLondon Saint said:

Leo doesn't look on it today, tired / injured? Still working hard but looks a step slow. Matsuki time imo, he has more of an end product than JRob.

Matsuki isn't great on the wing imo, he's better as a 10

[egg]

1 minute ago, Turkish said:

Very good first half, clearly a much better team, look a lot more comfortable in this formation surprise surprise 

In some ways I love the new keeper but he’s going to cost us a goal sooner rather than later but it an upgrade on Baz

Full backs much better too. Just weird what’s been going on this season with players, systems etc 

Playing a proper number 9 makes all the difference. Let's see how we do 2nd half - fitness still concerns me. 

[Saint Fan CaM]

3 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

Fellows passes plenty because both he and we know he couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo. Azaz, Arma, Stewart and Scienza all have a good shot on them. I'm ok with them having a go, and avoid having to watch a goal scoring position end up back with the keeper for the hundred millionth time...

Yeah, they’ve been scoring for fun right? 🥴🙄

[Bushey Saint]

14 minutes ago, captainchris said:

Stewart is not fit and has been abysmal…. 
Get him off…

To be replaced by whom?

[hypochondriac]

1 minute ago, egg said:

As I said, we couldn't play a back 4 with the defenders we had. We've now got a proper RB, and aren't playing Manning. No gotcha there pal. 

Lol. No evidence at all that we couldn't have played a different formation without Bree. 

[Hopper]

6 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

The worry 2nd half is that stoke have a good manager - will he simply tweak things and out tactic eckert?

3 Subs…

[saint michael]

Here we go. Tonda has done his tactical talk so will be fired up 

[egg]

Just now, hypochondriac said:

Lol. No evidence at all that we couldn't have played a different formation without Bree. 

This has been done to death mate. Until Bree returned we didn't have a RB good enough. We have now. I wouldn't have played a back 4 with what we had. I would now. 

[saint michael]

12 minutes ago, Chez said:

are they even shitter than us? 

They will be when they hire Martin 

[egg]

2 minutes ago, Hopper said:

3 Subs…

Let's see if we have a plan b to deal with their plan b. 

[saint michael]

Breath of fresh air our attackers receiving the ball facing goal

[Saint Fan CaM]

Ref is an absolute arsehole.

[benjii]

Another dive, from Leo this time.

[Jack]

Ref is having none of players going down easily today. Got to stop trying to buy free kicks and be stronger 

[obelisk]

Saints really aren't very dangerous from corners.

[coalman]

Nice to see the player that had THB in a bear hug end up in a heap in the goal.

[Saint Fan CaM]

Need another goal. Now please.

[Saint86]

We are missing AA up top atm. Stewart offering basically nothing.

(Hopefully he scores now to prove me wrong)

Edit - no sooner do i type this and he gets a marginal flick on assist. Who shall i criticise next? 😄

Edited 7 hours ago by Saint86

[Saint NL]

So much space for us going forward 

[obelisk]

Saints score from a corner - just. 0-2. Downes.

[Suhari]

Bosh!

[stknowle]

AVE IT! Good improvisation after the initial miss hit!!

[davefizzy14]

Yes Flynn 😊 get in! 

[Saint Scott]

Lovely footwork on the deck

[coalman]

Get in!

[Colinjb]

Great finish.

 

[Viking Saint]

Downes!!! 2-0