Saints 3-0 Blackburn - Match Thread

[trousers]

Tonda Eckert says he is "quite positive" that Finn Azaz will be fit to play against Swansea on Saturday. (Alfie House)

[Miltonaggro]

just got in, ref clearly read my advice tonight and two early yellow cards settled the visitors down nicely. This was saints at cruise control a bit like the Oxford game. Larin was MOTM and a colossus tonight, brilliant leading the line and properly effective as a centre back in defence. When Tonda brought Downes and Scienza on it was game over. Great to be a Saints supporter again, this is a surperb group. 

[Crab Lungs]

Tonda. 64 points in 29 games. 2.2 points per game.

And we had a literal phantom in goal for half a season, and a complete neek fraud mismanaging us for quarter of it.

It’s on, gents. 

[Vancouver Saint]

Another really good performance overall - and great result/s for us. Thought we deserved to be 2-0 up at half-time, second half we took our foot off the pedal and were fortunate not to concede with their shot that hit the bar...at 2-1 with 10 minutes to go that could have been nervy.
Thought Archer played really well and deserved his MotM - hopefully that will give him the confidence-boost he needs to shoot a few more arrows into the crowd. 
A great bit of man-management and patience from Eckert if so, as i for one had lost patience I must confess...

[Southner]

13 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Partner: I'm going up. Will you be long?

Me: I'll be staring lovingly at the league table for a while.

Partner: Weirdo

Me: Hush, while I'm working out goal differences...

Just like Saints, sounds like you were on a promise. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

5 minutes ago, Southner said:

Just like Saints, sounds like you were on a promise. 

That sounds nice, but it was probably more to do with making sure the lights were turned off. 🙂

Edited 18 hours ago by Holmes_and_Watson

[SWLondon Saint]

Hadn't had time to watch much lately but caught the last half an hour or so. Thought Charles looked a bit leggy, not busting a gut to get back a couple of times. Matsuki did all the hard work with that lovely first touch to take the ball away from the defender off the pass and then blasts it over when it looked easier to hit the target. Archer, lovely finish though, hope he can take some confidence and kick on from that because it was a proper striker's finish, first time bottom corner.

Loved seeing Larin with his defending at right back and then after he lost it in the midfield, getting back after their right winger and forcing him back and winning the throw too. Pure quality. He looks more than quick enough as well on the break for the Matsuki miss and recovering to defend. Sign him up!

[HarvSFC]

Nice if the McKenna links to Bournemouth ruin Ipswich's season.

[LuckyNumber7]

Have to pinch myself looking at the table! Second is still an outside bet but it's possible.

Larin was brilliant tonight, and big shout out to Archer too. Pleased for him.

[davefizzy14]

23 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

Is Bree ok or was his subbing tactical?

Hopefully just being rested.

[rallyboy]

A training match where first gear was sufficient, good use of the squad, nice job.

Next.

 

[Wade Garrett]

Cam Archer my MOTM tonight.  Was excellent.

Shea Charles can be so frustrating.  Brilliant first half, then continually gave the ball away in the second.  He could be a real Rolls Royce player but needs to concentrate.

Edited 9 hours ago by Wade Garrett

[Ekelund]

44 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

I respect the fact that you took the time to draft such a lengthy response to my question, but you still didn't actually answer my question which was: what specifically is it about Bragg that you think makes him L1 standard?

I'm asking again because from my perspective he had another excellent game tonight, showing a great maturity for his age and playing a (literally) pivotal role in an all-round good team performance. So I'm absolutely at a loss to understand what areas of his game you think are holding him back.

I switched off at Im usually ahead of the curve 🤦🏻 sound, cheers Jay

[Holmes_and_Watson]

3 minutes ago, Ekelund said:

I switched off at Im usually ahead of the curve 🤦🏻 sound, cheers Jay

Oh, I read a paragraph, before giving up. Would you say that made you ahead of the curve? 🙂

[Willo of Whiteley]

Blackburn tonight were one of the worst teams I’ve seen play live in twenty plus years of going.

That said it was nice that we didn’t have to break a sweat and had the options to change things.

Ringing the charges again and then even taking off the likes of Bree at HT for Wood, who made some fantastically timed tackles.

Larin is excellent, whether we’re in this league or not next season he is an absolute unit that we should 100% be considering permanently should finances be there.
Peretz once again very good, a commanding goalkeeper who can use his hands, basics. Love it.
Charles and Bragg decent in the middle, Charles looks so casual and at ease in the way he plays.

Cam Archer, when his name was on the team sheet I raised an eyebrow, but he was MOTM tonight. He kept beating his man in the first half, excellent assist. Second half you could see he was trying to hard, maybe a tad selfish on one occasion but deserved that goal.

Another routine and professional win, draw a line, move on, plan, prepare and go again.

Second is there for us!

[JustinR]

28 minutes ago, saintant said:

Matsuki should have killed the game off to give us a more comfortable second half. Still trying to figure out how he failed to score - a slight bobble as he shot is all I can give him but he still should get his knee over the ball to keep it low.

He was looking at the goal rather than the ball when he struck it

[bpsaint]

2 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

Blackburn tonight were one of the worst teams I’ve seen play live in twenty plus years of going.

That said it was nice that we didn’t have to break a sweat and had the options to change things.

Ringing the charges again and then even taking off the likes of Bree at HT for Wood, who made some fantastically timed tackles.

Larin is excellent, whether we’re in this league or not next season he is an absolute unit that we should 100% be considering permanently should finances be there.
Peretz once again very good, a commanding goalkeeper who can use his hands, basics. Love it.
Charles and Bragg decent in the middle, Charles looks so casual and at ease in the way he plays.

Cam Archer, when his name was on the team sheet I raised an eyebrow, but he was MOTM tonight. He kept beating his man in the first half, excellent assist. Second half you could see he was trying to hard, maybe a tad selfish on one occasion but deserved that goal.

Another routine and professional win, draw a line, move on, plan, prepare and go again.

Second is there for us!

It’s criminal really that we lost to them away. If we don’t make the autos I’ll look at that and Oxford away as the two games that cost us.

[Whitey Grandad]

1 hour ago, influx said:

What a time to be alive 

"Bliss it was in that dawn to be alive..."

[trousers]

39 minutes ago, trousers said:

Tonda Eckert says he is "quite positive" that Finn Azaz will be fit to play against Swansea on Saturday. (Alfie House)

Eckert also saying Bree should be fine for Saturday too 👍🏻

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

13 minutes ago, bpsaint said:

It’s criminal really that we lost to them away. If we don’t make the autos I’ll look at that and Oxford away as the two games that cost us.

And Swansea at home with the terrible finishing. 

[saintant]

40 minutes ago, Vancouver Saint said:

Another really good performance overall - and great result/s for us. Thought we deserved to be 2-0 up at half-time, second half we took our foot off the pedal and were fortunate not to concede with their shot that hit the bar...at 2-1 with 10 minutes to go that could have been nervy.
Thought Archer played really well and deserved his MotM - hopefully that will give him the confidence-boost he needs to shoot a few more arrows into the crowd. 
A great bit of man-management and patience from Eckert if so, as i for one had lost patience I must confess...

I'll counter that by saying Matsuki missed an absolute sitter that would have made it 3-0.

[saintant]

19 minutes ago, JustinR said:

He was looking at the goal rather than the ball when he struck it

Strange thing for a pro footballer to do 🙂

[influx]

This run is turning me into one of those annoying greedy fans like Man U in the 90s.  Expecting to win.   So we will lose 6 3 against Bristol,  mark my words.

[JustinR]

12 minutes ago, saintant said:

Strange thing for a pro footballer to do 🙂

Strikers watch the ball not the goal. Google it

[Football Special]

2 hours ago, kwsaint said:

I never thought 2nd was on…

 

 

 

… until tonight.

Its still highly improbable, we need to win every game and Ipswich need to lose two, plus that goal difference helps them 

Millwall to overtake as well 

[bpsaint]

3 hours ago, Mattio said:

What sort of reception did Redmond get?

Got a decent applause from the Northam/ Itchen when he came over to take a corner, shame he was quietly taken off at HT, didn’t get announced in the ground.

Who is our match day announcer by the way, so fucking cringey, sounds like Mr Tumble.

3 hours ago, bobby_charles said:

I still can't get over Redmond is only 32. 

Still can’t believe he had a year in Turkey and came back still bald.

Edited 17 hours ago by bpsaint

[hypochondriac]

I'm not quite believing we will go ten league wins in a row yet. Beat Swansea and Bristol City and I will start to believe. 

[captainchris]

Charles superb, Larin Motm … 

Honourable mention as well to Archer who had a great game.

Fellows just isn’t going to step up if we get promoted… He’s not really a top third Championship player even… 

Normally love Bragg but he was slightly off his best tonight…..

THB isn’t a right back ! Our balance suffered when Bree went off.

 

[Harry_SFC]

How good was Nathan Wood when he came on? Some quality last ditch tackles. 

I think it's quite risky not having Jelert on the bench though. THB at right back did not work. 

[Sarnia Cherie]

8 hours ago, Crab Lungs said:

Tonda. 64 points in 29 games. 2.2 points per game.

And we had a literal phantom in goal for half a season, and a complete neek fraud mismanaging us for quarter of it.

It’s on, gents. 

Not just gents, ladies too support our team!

[hypochondriac]

8 hours ago, Football Special said:

Its still highly improbable, we need to win every game and Ipswich need to lose two, plus that goal difference helps them 

Millwall to overtake as well 

Big goal difference swing tonight. They'd only actually have to lose one because us winning them all means beating them. If that happens we'd be very likely to overtake their goal difference I would think. Still think it's not going to happen but it's not as outlandish as it was.

[badgerx16]

Harbie is disappointed that she cannot post a happy picture after that result, but says well done to her fellow Cannuck Cyle, and for once Archer was most definitely NOT shit.

[trousers]

2 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

Harbie is disappointed that she cannot post a happy picture after that result, but says well done to her fellow Cannuck Cyle, and for once Archer was most definitely NOT shit.

Someone will be pleased.... @SaintsRoyalty

...even though they don't know their arse from their elbow (only when it comes to identify posters that post photos of their dog, of course...  )

Edited 8 hours ago by trousers

[bender]

If Ipswich draw against Boro on Saturday and then fail to win both of their next 2 games which are away (or if they lose to Boro and still win those 2 games), we can catch them in our penultimate game with them at SMS.  There's a chance we're both on the same points and very similar goal difference going into the last game.  All irrelevant though if Millwall win all 4 of their games and they have an easy run in.  It could literally be 1 out of 4 going into the last game.

[EssEffCee]

12 hours ago, SaintsRoyalty said:

I’m usually ahead of the curve. Can bookmark this for when the penny drops for everyone. I called Bazunu out after his first game and look how that turned out and Martin the night he was confirmed as our manager. Sure with hindsight everyone thinks those were obvious calls but back then people thought I was being unfair on them.

Conversely I back much maligned players like Onuachu and Matsuki who then turn out to be decent. Said Onuachu would have fired us to the title in this league and everyone laughed and said he was a donkey. Currently sits on 22 goals in 25 games and his team are a few points off top. Everyone was slating Matsuki and singing the praises of average joe Fellows and look how important Matsuki is now. I’m not always right, looks like I’ve been wrong about Tonda. But it’s no different than race horses, it’s all about pedigree and track record.

I’m not a huge fan of Charles but he’s already producing moments or brilliance and being the man for the big occasion. It’s no surprise prem teams including Man U are sniffing around him. Who’s scouting Bragg? Nobody because he’s not got a high ceiling. He’s only playing because Tonda was in the u21s and goes unnoticed in one of the best squads in the league. It’s really not rocket science. 
 

When it comes to Bragg, he has all the ingredients of a league 1 player if he reaches his full potential. I’ve been to around 6 u21 games this season and he looked competent but no better than some of the other players like Merry, Ackachukwu, Awe etc who coincidently have all been on loan to league 1/2 clubs. 

So a player who is performing well for a top championship club has a ceiling of L1?

Makes sense.

[OldNick]

A few words for the Blackburn fans. Tremendous that they got that many to travel at late notice for a Tuesday night 8pm kick off. Proper fans those who did the trip, especially to see such a poor team, well done 1 and all

[Fitzhugh Fella]

10 hours ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

Blackburn tonight were one of the worst teams I’ve seen play live in twenty plus years of going.

That said it was nice that we didn’t have to break a sweat and had the options to change things.

Ringing the charges again and then even taking off the likes of Bree at HT for Wood, who made some fantastically timed tackles.

Larin is excellent, whether we’re in this league or not next season he is an absolute unit that we should 100% be considering permanently should finances be there.
Peretz once again very good, a commanding goalkeeper who can use his hands, basics. Love it.
Charles and Bragg decent in the middle, Charles looks so casual and at ease in the way he plays.

Cam Archer, when his name was on the team sheet I raised an eyebrow, but he was MOTM tonight. He kept beating his man in the first half, excellent assist. Second half you could see he was trying to hard, maybe a tad selfish on one occasion but deserved that goal.

Another routine and professional win, draw a line, move on, plan, prepare and go again.

Second is there for us!

I have followed BR's fortunes since my son in law played for them and I feel sorry for their fans who are right up there in loyalty terms. Their owners have not invested, they penny pinch and have little respect for the fans. Deep down its an old fashioned, lovely club with good people doing their best to keep their heads above water. I've sat in their away end many times and seen their passion despite getting nothing back from their owners.

[trousers]

40 minutes ago, EssEffCee said:

So a player who is performing well for a top championship club has a ceiling of L1?

Makes sense.

Yeah, but he's doing well on the bite count...

[Holmes_and_Watson]

5 minutes ago, trousers said:

Yeah, but he's doing well on the bite count...

I hope he realises it's nothing to Bragg about. 🙂

[Fabrice29]

Nice to see the 3 at the back working.

[Oldandtired]

11 hours ago, HarvSFC said:

Nice if the McKenna links to Bournemouth ruin Ipswich's season.

Eckert to Bournemouth....?

😬😬😬

[saintant]

10 hours ago, JustinR said:

Strikers watch the ball not the goal. Google it

No need for me to google it because I was replying to a poster who suggested that Matsuki was looking at the goal rather than the ball 🙂

[saintant]

9 hours ago, captainchris said:

Charles superb, Larin Motm … 

Honourable mention as well to Archer who had a great game.

Fellows just isn’t going to step up if we get promoted… He’s not really a top third Championship player even… 

Normally love Bragg but he was slightly off his best tonight…..

THB isn’t a right back ! Our balance suffered when Bree went off.

 

I think there's a case to be made for Archer to replace Fellows on the right with Leo on the left and Larin through the middle. Archer is a goal scorer, has pace and is more of a threat than Fellows who has been a disappointment if I'm honest. Leo, Larin and Archer would potentially make a superb front three and Archer will only get better with more matches..

[Jack]

Brilliant first goal that, defence splitting pass from Matsuki, great run and cross from Archer and Larin got up to full speed just in time for an easy tap in, left his man for dead. 
 

Shame Matsuki fluffed that chance as it would’ve killed the game earlier, things are going well if that’s the biggest grumble. On to the next 

[Saint Pete]

1 hour ago, saintant said:

I think there's a case to be made for Archer to replace Fellows on the right with Leo on the left and Larin through the middle. Archer is a goal scorer, has pace and is more of a threat than Fellows who has been a disappointment if I'm honest. Leo, Larin and Archer would potentially make a superb front three and Archer will only get better with more matches..

Whilst Archer put in a good performance against a pretty low level opposition last night, I think it's premature to see him as a starter in our best 11. We shouldn't lurch from thinking he shouldn't be anywhere near the 1st team to he should be starting in big games on basis of one decent showing in my opinion. Yes, Fellows has been disappointing this season, but he himself has contributed a fair few assists along the way and at least some good performances. And we do also have Matsuki as another good option on that right hand side. I have a feeling he may get the nod in the big games coming up.

Don’t get me wrong, I'm happy that Archer put in a much improved performance and that goal will do him good, but I think we should be seeing him mainly as another good option off the bench in a wide position at the moment, particularly if we are chasing a goal late in the game. 

[Charlie Wayman]

14 hours ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Partner: I'm going up. Will you be long?

Me: I'll be staring lovingly at the league table for a while.

Partner: Weirdo

Me: Hush, while I'm working out goal differences...

A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!

Good to see you got your priorities right

[Charlie Wayman]

14 hours ago, SaintBobby said:

We have our eyes on Ipswich but Millwall and Boro are also in the race - especially if, as we want, Boro beat Ipswich at the weekend.

None of that will be of any interest if we win our four remaning games

[Miltonaggro]

Watching Larin last night wondering who he reminds me of. Not a past Saints player  as the name i settled on was Cyrille Regis. A committed powerful player who popped up all over the park resulting in visible winces from defenders back in the day. You see that when Larin plays, with oppo defenders pulled all over the place trying to hang on to him and swerving 50/50s. Wherever we are next season, if he can be signed for a reasonable fee he gives us an extra dimension. Great signing. 

[Saint Luke]

13 hours ago, Football Special said:

Its still highly improbable, we need to win every game and Ipswich need to lose two, plus that goal difference helps them 

Millwall to overtake as well 

if we win all of our games then we will be level on points although they will still have that game in hand.

We do need someone else to do us a favour and a 6 goal swing in goal difference which is not much to ask.

[Hawkswood]

Just watched the goals again and I think my favourite moment of all the goals came at the start of the third one.

The first was beautifully made with two killer passes and Larin making an excellent run.

The second was winning the ball back in their third 

But the best thing about all of the goals was the third. For years we've been tippytappying it about going nowhere. In this instance Peretz just smashes it upfield and we pick up the pieces and score.  I very much enjoyed that.