Boro 0-0 Saints - Match Thread

[OldNick]

I wish my life could roll on to 2-30 and I can get back to a calmer life, obviously hoping i would read a positive result

[Saint86]

My only hope is that tonda instructed them not to turn up and give Boro the ball as a defence against "spy gate" (i.e., look EFL, they totally battered us first half, it made no difference), and then we come out 2nd half with the other half of the team playing and some tactical tweaks and battery them 😅.... Because if that wasn't the gameplan then that's the shittest we've been in ages.

[hypochondriac]

Literally the only positive is that Boro didn't score. Other than that that's the poorest half I can remember. 

[Micky]

That was abysmal, but I'm actually delighted. How we got away with that half is anybody guess.  Surely we can't play that badly in the second half. 

[James]

Just now, Disco Stu said:

Missing our captain.

100%. Wood is back to early season form when he was slagging off the fans.

[Thripp87]

That was a shambles, scoreline aside.

Playing with 9 men with Larin and Azaz out there today. 

[sadoldgit]

Clearly the plan is to let them pummel us so the league go easy on us for Spygate, then go for it at home. We just haven’t turned up today so something is amiss.

[Suhari]

Phew. Got to halftime unscathed.

We look slow and weak. Second to everything. Too many players having an off day.

Surely we can only improve in the second half?

Let's get Matsuki on for Fellows and Bragg for Jander.

Give Larin another 15 minutes to do something useful.

[JCBSaint]

Wtf is going on?? 
 

glad we spied on them!

[Colinjb]

Positives: We have stayed disciplined, organised and just about held them off.

Negatives: Everything else.

 

Hoping that Boro's adrenaline will wear off and we grow into it. But that was one of the most one sided first halves I can remember us doing for a while. Can only credit Boro's aggression.

[6ft8saint]

3 minutes ago, adrian lord said:

Lucky, they haven’t got their shooting boots on

I hear they've not had them on since January 

[Monk]

1 minute ago, Disco Stu said:

Missing our captain.

I was thinking this… can’t believe I’m saying that out loud. 

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, Thripp87 said:

That was a shambles, scoreline aside.

Playing with 9 men with Larin and Azaz out there today. 

hardly, the ball is getting no where near them, Larin is well beaten by the CBs, and the ball is in our 3rd

[SNSUN]

1 minute ago, steve green said:

Bugger me, I'm off for a beer which I hadn't planned.

I need something stronger but even though the Piccadilly Line is shut, I have work later. So more coffee it is. 👍

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, James said:

100%. Wood is back to early season form when he was slagging off the fans.

He needs to slag himself off after that 45 minutes.

[Miltonaggro]

Right, we got there. We deserve to be at least 2-0 down. Need to really up the ante second half and challenge for every 50:50 ball. Boro playing like a cup final first half, Saints like a pre-season friendly against superior opposition. As said above, subs not the answer now, its about our players actually turning up / in first 20 of second half. 

[Mr X]

1 minute ago, Saint_clark said:

Well done Saints. They've thrown everything at us and drawn a blank. This games ours to go and take now.

Not playing like that it isnt! Can't believe anyone is happy with that half, things can change of course but we simply didn't show up 

[Paul_B]

Fucking embarassment and down right disrespectful to the fans who have travelled all that way. 

Worst performance this season imo, including under Still. They clearly aren't bothered about getting promoted.

Fucking sort it out Tonda!

[Toussaint]

10 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

Imagine if Bazunu was in goal for this

I’d prefer not to.

[redandwhitey]

Are we trying to prove that we had no idea of Boro’s tactics/approach ? 🕵️😎

[JohnS]

Well I’ll take 0-0 at halftime 😂

Battered all over the pitch there & could easily be 3+ Goals down.

God knows what’s going on here - shocking performance from pretty much everyone & giving the ball away so cheaply & in ridiculously dangerous positions.

Can only get better in the 2nd half 🤞🙏🏼

 

[Harry_SFC]

The whole team is far too deep. We are playing Middlesbrough now, not Man City. 

[Thripp87]

Just now, AlexLaw76 said:

hardly, the ball is getting no where near them, Larin is well beaten by the CBs, and the ball is in our 3rd

All the pressure is coming because Larin can’t hold it up. The one time he did, he set them up.

[saintstowin]

That's the worst half in many a month. Should be several nil. We look scared and feeble. Standing off them is presumably a tactic but if you're not engaging them at any point it becomes terrible. And nothing to take the pressure off because we've been so bad with the ball.

I hope it gets better.

 

[Big M]

If that same 11 comes back on 2nd half Tonda needs sectioning,I'm actually lost for words on how shocking we are and how Boro have failed to score, seriously what on earth is going on, we have absolutely no midfield,Larin, azaz, fellows, Manning off. If this is nil nil at full time I'm buying a lottery ticket. 

[Stripey McStripe Shirt]

Feels like it's going to need a Leeds circa 2012 performance....

[bpsaint]

5 hour drive for that performance? Cunts. Honestly fucking awful.

i hope this is all some clever plan to come out second half and batter them.

[Saint NL]

Just now, redandwhitey said:

Are we trying to prove that we had no idea of Boro’s tactics/approach ? 🕵️😎

Doesn't look like we know our own tbf

[Convict Colony]

It was like we were set up for another formation and our team didnt know who to track, what to do etc its crazy.

Anyway we would be gutted if we played like boro and were 0-0 at HT.

We can only get better as Tonda makes tactical changes and maybe personnel for the updated formation.

Personally I'd have Charles in for Fellows to support Bree on right, play Azaz off Larin/Stewart, teach Leo how to defend and show the whole team what control and a completed pass looks like.

Edited 5 hours ago by Convict Colony

[Saint86]

Never mind spying, 0-0 at full time would be outright theft.

[Miltonaggro]

4 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

Missing our captain.

A captain.

[Sunnyside Saint]

One of the most one-sided half of football i've watched in a long time. They have been more agressive and first to everything all over the pitch. Very worrying performance from us. But incredibly it is still 0-0, really need to buck our ideas up.

[Saint NL]

17 shots to 0.

An absolute bumming, but while it's 0-0 we have a chance

Edited 5 hours ago by Saint NL

[captainchris]

Tactically pour full backs are far too narrow and leaving the wide men completely free to do as they please. Bree particularly has been dreadful. Conway has never had an easier game. 
Fellows is never going to make it ever, yet again we are carrying him. Matsuki is such a better player … Tonda how did you set up like this mate?

[Baird of the land]

Pathetic, playing as if they are asleep. Completely unable to pass to another saints player. Hopefully tea cups flying at ht and subs made.

[LiberalCommunist]

Self sabotage. I look forward to finding out who destroyed our preparations. 

[BotleySaint]

Awful first half but all that matters is nil nil. Second half I'd fully expect us to be better. Too isolated going forward. 

[Harry_SFC]

Matsuki and Stewart for Fellows and Larin are two obvious changes. 

[VectisSaint]

That was bloody awful. Larin having an absolute mare, not winning anything attack or defence, and on the odd occasion he does he gives it away immediately. Not all down to him of course, but we need to get hold of the ball and keep possession. Need Matsuki and Stewart on soon after HT. 

[steve green]

Best summed up by when my stream hung I felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

 

Can't play as poorly as that 2nd half ???

[Kermitzasaint]

Wtf are we doing??

[Miltonaggro]

Just now, Saint NL said:

17 shots to 0.

An absolute bumming, but while it's 0-0 we have a chance

Its a reverse Russ!

[Convict Colony]

Also people staying get stewart on to hold the ball up better for larin Im not sure you've compared the 2 in that skill set.

Bring on Stewart around 60 to start running for azaz against now tired CBs

[Miltonaggro]

Commentator wankfest continues…

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Whoof! Glad to hear that whistle. Not often I say that, under Tonda.

Defensively, we've soaked up an awful lot in that half. We're well drilled to do it. But it takes one slip/error or bit of extra Boro quality.

Larin has been easily countered. He's looked isolated too. So, he's trying to contest balls in a way where he knows he's not got the support.

Tonda's game plan gets us to 25% of the tie even. Boro will no doubt be pumped up after that half. They've not had to overextend themselves to do that. So, a bit more to hold that ball up and stretch the game would be useful. Hopefully, they'll get caught coming forward at some point.

 

[Toussaint]

My pre match prediction was a 1-3 defeat, I’m no longer confident in the 1. 

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, Miltonaggro said:

Commentator wankfest continues…

what should they say?

[OldNick]

7 minutes ago, Monk said:

 

I have to say it, the away fans are pony. It’s a play off game -  creating absolutely nothing. 

Disgraceful having a go at our away fans, have a word with yourself. Those 2000 have got up early this morning had the 5 hour drive, getting slagged off constantly on way to the ground and then after that expected to be in full throttle. Im knackered and didnt do what they have had to do and sit through our appalling display.

Our fans are magnificent , period

[SNSUN]

Story of our week in Smileys

💩

Let's finish it with

🥰🔥

[coalman]

Stewart -> Larin
Matsuki/Edozie -> Fellows
Bragg/Charles -> Azaz

We have to get on top of the midfield or it's a shooting gallery.

Edited 5 hours ago by coalman