Boro 0-0 Saints - Match Thread

[skintsaint]

Would have taken a draw before the game, they threw everything at us and couldn't break us.

Now its our turn at home and hopefully a better 90min performance!

[adrian lord]

Went to plan. 

[Saint Matty 76]

Hopefully we take some momentum from ending the better team into Tuesday.

Done well to turn round that awful first half.

[Doctoroncall]

Just think how bad we’d be without the spying 🕵️ 

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, adrian lord said:

Went to plan. 

That first half was not a plan

[saintant]

Inexplicably dire first half - not even sure what we were trying to do, decent second half.  Could have been 2 or 3 down at half time, could have won it second half. Happy to take the 0-0 in the end. Matsuki starts in front of Fellows every time for me and probably Stewart ahead of Larin.

[Stripey McStripe Shirt]

Very good result all this ngs considered, especially after the first half.

[stknowle]

5 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

Actually, nicking things IS generally considered to be criminal. HTH.

In a way good that we haven’t added stealing to spying on our charge sheet.

[CSA96]

First leg summary:

Better performance? Boro
Better result? Saints

All that domination and they couldn't even score a goal

One game shootout at St. Mary's now, win our home game and we're back at Wembley

[JohnS]

Great reaction for the 2nd half 👏

Subs made a huge difference & 0-0 maybe a fair result 

So disappointed with Fellows & Scienza

Think Boro will be very nervous now having to come to ours knowing how the 2nd half went 

[James]

1 minute ago, Saint NL said:

Fuck me. An absolutely honking start but probably should have nicked that.

Sets up a great game on Tuesday.

Boro had their chance and fucked it

Agreed. We played as bad as we have in about six months and probably still should have won it at the end. They had nothing in the second half. We won’t play as poorly as that at home. 

[StrangelyBrown]

Job done. Woeful 1st half - very poor from all the attackers.

Much better in the 2nd - Ross made a huge difference 

[Lighthouse]

Not sure how that ended goalless. We were always going to have to defend a bit in that first half but Christ alive, we did more soaking up than Bonnie Blue.

Still, we’d all have taken the draw before KO.

[Saint_clark]

These first legs not the best advert for "the most exciting league in the world".

[Sheaf Saint]

Just now, AlexLaw76 said:

That first half was not a plan

The plan was to soak up their pressure and not concede.

Mission accomplished.

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

That'll do. Got away with it in the first half. Improved in the second. Lets hope they build on that for the second leg

[Colinjb]

Game of two halves and all that.

Will take 0-0. But a late sucker punch there would have been perfect.

[qwertyell]

Take that. Truly dreadful until Boro tired. 

Can't afford a repeat performance on Tuesday. 

If memory serves we weren't any great shakes at West Brom in our last play off semi first leg, but ground it out nevertheless. 

The result is all that matters. Thank our lucky stars, and go again. 

[Miltonaggro]

First half about as one sided an affair as I can remember. Second half much more ourselves. Think we can win at a canter at SMS next week at full strength. Looking forward to that, and would bet on a terrific atmosphere under the lights which will unsettle these northern wankers!

[Ralph Fastenbüttl]

In the end that's worked out pretty well for us. Borough are surely going to be feeling a bit grim after throwing all that at us and coming away with nothing.

[Willo of Whiteley]

We all would’ve taken that after the first half 😉

[AlexLaw76]

In a one game shoot out, rather it was at St Mary’s ffs

 

[Mustang Saint]

What the fuck is that Boro player trying to say, he's just babbling 🤣🤣🤣

[PerthshireSaint]

Luke Ayling sounding like a coked up auctioneer there

[Saint NL]

Luke Ayling is not an intelligent man

[saintstowin]

I believe that was a game of 2 halves.

[Miltonaggro]

Just now, PerthshireSaint said:

Luke Ayling sounding like a coked up auctioneer there

which he is…

[Cabrone]

0-0, I'll take that.

Can see why Boro slid down the table in the last month, their finishing isn't the best.

We must put in a performance on Tuesday - this is ours for the taking.

[Patrick Bateman]

1 minute ago, Sheaf Saint said:

The plan was to soak up their pressure and not concede.

Mission accomplished.

That's how I saw it - do not concede a goal as a game plan which we got away with, just, but then unlucky not to score at the end though. Not much more to say, a bit meh, uncharacteristically bad passing from us too. 

I still think this should've been the play off final pairing too ... 

 

[Sheaf Saint]

7 minutes ago, Mustang Saint said:

What the fuck is that Boro player trying to say, he's just babbling 🤣🤣🤣

Edt: didn't realise he has a stammer so I retract my comment.

Edited 5 hours ago by Sheaf Saint

[Pilchards]

Advantage Saints.

Always fancy us to win any game at St Mary’s and it’s now down to us fans to bring the atmosphere on Tuesday.

 

[ButtikonSaint]

We do not lose. Love that.

Tense first half. Second half was back to normal service and we should have scored.

We have more than enough to win by a few on Tuesday.

UTS

[ChrisPY]

Just now, Mustang Saint said:

What the fuck is that Boro player trying to say, he's just babbling 🤣🤣🤣

If you’re talking about Luke Ayling, he’s got a stammer.
Thought he played down the impact of anything that’s gone on this week and said it wouldn’t have had any significant impact on the players.

[Thripp87]

Much better second half when the ineffectual Larin went off for Stewart. I like Larin but that was shocking today from him.

Matsuki and Stewart should start on Tuesday.

Would have taken that before kick off. 
 

[Sheaf Saint]

1 minute ago, Pilchards said:

Advantage Saints.

Always fancy us to win any game at St Mary’s and it’s now down to us fans to bring the atmosphere on Tuesday.

 

We need some of that energy from the second leg against WBA two years ago.

[Wade Garrett]

Some selection dilemmas for Tonda for the second leg.

[Patrick Bateman]

1 minute ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Like, like, like...... Don't know nuffin about that like.

Pure poetry.

TBF the interviewer was asking stupid questions about Leeds and "spying", both players have just bust a gut playing and really couldn't give a fuck about the silly question, that was apparent. 

[Wade Garrett]

1 minute ago, ChrisPY said:

If you’re talking about Luke Ayling, he’s got a stammer.
Thought he played down the impact of anything that’s gone on this week and said it wouldn’t have had any significant impact on the players.

I agree.  Thought what he said was very good.

[CSA96]

5 minutes ago, Mustang Saint said:

What the fuck is that Boro player trying to say, he's just babbling 🤣🤣🤣

He has a speech impediment. Fair play to him for actually accepting interviews rather than refusing them (and he was actually quite reasonable with his response to the spygate baiting from Sky!)

[Miltonaggro]

At the end of the game that felt a lot like the WBA play off semi at the Hawthorns under Rylan. Reckon a similar fate awaits the Teeside tossers on Tuesday.

[Secret Site Agent]

But,but,but....I though we cheated and knew how they played and would win them and stuff.

 

Didn't gain a competitive advantage at all.

[Gloucester Saint]

Whilst I switch focus to Hornchurch v Torquay, all other Saints fans can take a break now from all that tension.

Bond films usually do the trick

 

[Convict Colony]

9 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

That first half was not a plan

Play utter shit to refute spying allegations then play much much better 2nd half

[Scoobysaint]

Tricky first half but did well to come through that. Scienza and Fellows were just defending, and when they did get the ball as an outlet, they were stationary and facing our goal. 
Sometjmes you’ve just got to ride the storm out. Boro would have wanted to a big start to get the fans up. 
The only disappointment for me today was Larin. Got man handled a few times early and seemed to struggle after that. 
My man of the match was THB with honourable mentions for James Bree and Peretz. 
We’ll have them at St Mary’s. 

[SNSUN]

Boro forum still wanting us kicked out the play-offs. Knock them out on Tuesday and it won't be them going up anyway even if that happens.

Which it won't.  

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, SNSUN said:

Boro forum still wanting us kicked out the play-offs. Knock them out on Tuesday and it won't be them going up anyway even if that happens.

Which it won't.  

Saints supporters now on their way home, leaving Middlesbrough behind.

Just as the rest of the country has done really. 

[Zorba]

Need Azaz to step up on Tuesday. He was one of three or four players today that well below par. Larin, Fellows in that lot too and Scienza is becoming a one trick pony.. cut inside and tries to curl it inside the far post.. far too predictable.. but nice when it comes off.

We soaked up a lot of pressure first half, they were knackered second half.

Will take that result. Advantage Saints.

Edited 5 hours ago by Zorba

[austsaint]

Matsuki, Stewart and Charles made a big difference in the 2nd half.    THB really held things together in that abysmal first half.      Azaz has to lift on Tuesday.  Advantage Saints, all to play for.

[Convict Colony]

4 minutes ago, Thripp87 said:

Much better second half when the ineffectual Larin went off for Stewart. I like Larin but that was shocking today from him.

Matsuki and Stewart should start on Tuesday.

Would have taken that before kick off. 
 

Yeah i think the set up was all wrong.

Larin just being a static target man but stewart just gives you that movement so if you can tactics to actually not lump it to the big man up front both can thrive but stewart way more dynamic today.

Also fellows should never run towards our goal with the ball.

Everyone (except charles) should stop trying to overcomplicate shooting.

[Sheaf Saint]

Reporter desperately trying to get Tonda to comment on the spying charge, despite starting with "I know you won't comment on it".

Why even ask then?