Lincoln vs Saints - Saturday 1230

[Lighthouse]

This league fixture is being played for the first time since March 1961. We won 3-0, so hopefully we can continue our run of good form up there. We haven’t lost on the Witham in any competition since 1932.

[Saint_lambden]

Has to be a win if we're serious about promotion. Won't be easy - again a very physical side who will be direct but we should show too much quality for them. 

Bring Matsuki back in on the right as Fellows was poor last night and would be tempted to rotate JWP in for Bragg who has played a lot of minutes in the last two, for a bit of freshness. 

1-2 Saints. 

[Gloucester Saint]

Some excellent pubs on this video for anyone staying up there 

 

[AlexLaw76]

Have to win this.

I would start Matsuki, JWP and Mubama.

[Willo of Whiteley]

This HAS to be a seriously good win if we’re serious about promotion.

[hypochondriac]

47 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Have to win this.

I would start Matsuki, JWP and Mubama.

Think I would too. Mubama needs the minutes and we have no choice but to give him a chance and give Larin a bit of a rest.

[SouthWalesSaints]

21 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Think I would too. Mubama needs the minutes and we have no choice but to give him a chance and give Larin a bit of a rest.

We cannot play him... 

[hypochondriac]

1 minute ago, SouthWalesSaints said:

We cannot play him... 

Eh? Larin physically cannot start every game.

[WALK DMC]

33 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Think I would too. Mubama needs the minutes and we have no choice but to give him a chance and give Larin a bit of a rest.

I watched the first 15 minutes of the Lincoln game last night. Every opportunity they got from free kicks, throw ins and corners they would hoist the ball into the penalty area. We're not a big team, and we've seen in the past thay these tactics can cause us problems. Peretz is a great goalie but he does seem to struggle with crosses.

On the basis that Larin is better in the air and stronger physically than Mubama, I'd keep him in to support our centre halves defend from set pieces. Plus, as it was a Tuesday game, he has an extra game to recover. 

I dont think that Saturday will be pretty to watch for the faint hearted.

[Saint Pete]

13 minutes ago, WALK DMC said:

I watched the first 15 minutes of the Lincoln game last night. Every opportunity they got from free kicks, throw ins and corners they would hoist the ball into the penalty area. We're not a big team, and we've seen in the past thay these tactics can cause us problems. Peretz is a great goalie but he does seem to struggle with crosses.

On the basis that Larin is better in the air and stronger physically than Mubama, I'd keep him in to support our centre halves defend from set pieces. Plus, as it was a Tuesday game, he has an extra game to recover. 

I dont think that Saturday will be pretty to watch for the faint hearted.

Your post demonstrates how exposed the club has left us for striker options after the transfer window. We know the right thing to do is to give Larin a rest to avoid him burning himself out early in the season, but against this kind of opposition, the lack of a similar replacement for the departed Stewart means that he probably needs to go again. I agree Mubama looks like he won't be as strong defending set pieces and we also lack aerial power in midfield.

But at some point, we will need to bite the bullet and see if we can manage without Larin starting. Maybe we need to throw the young lad in if he has more physical strength (won't attempt to spell his name at this point)?!

[CSA96]

Win this and it's been another good week. 7pts from a week with Millwall and Birmingham away in it is a good return. If it's only 4pts or 5pts then it's going to feel like a bit of a missed opportunity

Win this and we move up to 7pts and will be on the cusp of the playoffs with two home games to follow before Wrexham away and the international break

[Lee On Solent Saint]

Larin has to start. He's going to have to start the majority of our games until at least the beginning of January. 

[Osvaldorama]

2 hours ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

This HAS to be a seriously good win if we’re serious about promotion.

Bit dramatic  

We were awful for 6 months last year and still should have gone up. 

Draw your away games, win your home games. 

[SouthWalesSaints]

1 hour ago, hypochondriac said:

Eh? Larin physically cannot start every game.

Worrying if a footballer can't play MOST games. 

[AlexLaw76]

4 minutes ago, SouthWalesSaints said:

Worrying if a footballer can't play MOST games. 

few few players will perform to their peak for 46 games this season.

[Football Special]

I think Larin will start but Tonda will have an eye on what is looking to be a tough Swansea game Tuesday night and will take him off on 60 mins, hopefully big Cyle can bag a couple before then. 

Lincoln away giving me Oxford vibes , we lost there last season so let's try and pick up 3 points from this one

 

Edited 13 hours ago by Football Special

[Football Special]

Any news on how many of these 400 additional tickets are still available? Hopefully Saints will drop down to just season ticket holders and members to shift them at short notice 

https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/lincoln-city-vs-southampton-2627

Edited 13 hours ago by Football Special

[hypochondriac]

18 minutes ago, SouthWalesSaints said:

Worrying if a footballer can't play MOST games. 

Not worrying at all. Almost every footballer once they hit 30 will be managed over a season to ensure that they don't get injured or overly tired and unable to perform at their best.

[whelk]

What’s a good result if we are unserious about promotion?

Better not be a repeat of Oxford away as we should be on a different level. 

[SaintNate]

Think JWP starts this game. Can even see him scoring tbh. Good freekick attempt last night, thought it was going to go in. 

It will be interesting to see if Larin starts, seeing as they'll have half an eye on the Swansea game. 

0-2 Saints and we march on. 

[Wiggles31]

Perfect opportunity to get the first away win of the season and build momentum. 

[Saint Garrett]

28 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Any news on how many of these 400 additional tickets are still available? Hopefully Saints will drop down to just season ticket holders and members to shift them at short notice 

https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/lincoln-city-vs-southampton-2627

[Saint Garrett]

Peretz

Bree Wood Schlotterbeck Manning

JWP Downes

Matsuki Azaz Scienza

Larin

 

Lacking any other options really. Only thought was about whether we keep something back on the bench to have an impact, and whether Larin can start 3 games in a week.

Concerned about the lack of options we now have though... 

[Lighthouse]

3 minutes ago, Saint Garrett said:

Peretz

Bree Wood Schlotterbeck Manning

JWP Downes

Matsuki Azaz Scienza

Larin

 

Lacking any other options really. Only thought was about whether we keep something back on the bench to have an impact, and whether Larin can start 3 games in a week.

Concerned about the lack of options we now have though... 

Our bench will have Abbott, Bragg, possibly Jander, Fellows, Dobbin, Romeo, Mubama and Welly. You think we have a lack of options? They’d all start for Lincoln.

[trousers]

1 hour ago, Osvaldorama said:

Draw your away games, win your home games. 

Is this going to be this season's oft trotted out mantra...?

Given we won't win every home game, and have already lost one away game, I'd rather the mantra was:

"Just aim to win every f***ing game, especially away games against the poorer sides in the division, you tarts"

I thank you.

 

[trousers]

13 minutes ago, Saint Garrett said:

Peretz

Bree Wood Schlotterbeck Manning

JWP Downes

Matsuki Azaz Scienza

Larin

99% this... The only doubt being Larin and whether Tonda (and/or the player management computer) thinks he is capable of starting for the 3rd time in a week. 

[Ex Lion Tamer]

I think Bree could do with a rest but it's probably not an option

[Football Special]

38 minutes ago, trousers said:

99% this... The only doubt being Larin and whether Tonda (and/or the player management computer) thinks he is capable of starting for the 3rd time in a week. 

Mubama starting not end of the world with Larin to come on fresh last 30 minutes against a tiring defence 

[SouthWalesSaints]

1 hour ago, AlexLaw76 said:

few few players will perform to their peak for 46 games this season.

This is game number 5...

[sockeye]

Our offense is too much for this team. I'd like to see JWP start, he looked a cool presence the last couple games.

[Midfield_General]

Start your strongest side, go hard from kick off, try to get out of sight by 60 minutes and then once you're ahead sub off those who most need to be protected e.g. Larin, Leo. 

Starting with a weaker side and then if it's not working bringing the bigger guns off the bench later in the game when there's less time to affect it is so much more high risk. 

Also, it's a shame that the day after the transfer window closes, when we should be licking our lips at all our new options, we're instead talking about who we need to rest because we don't have enough depth in key areas, but there we are, that's life as a Championship club who needs to balance the books with the parachute money running down. 

Once our key targets fell through in the last 24-36h I suspect the approach became to keep a bit of wedge in reserve, get through to January and then make one or two surgical additions based on the proven needs exposed by the first half of the season (like we did last year when we brought in Larin and Peretz in Jan), rather than just panic buying whatever was left before 11pm last night and leaving ourselves with no funds for the rest of the season.

Which, while not ideal, does make sense. 

Edited 11 hours ago by Midfield_General

[AlexLaw76]

38 minutes ago, SouthWalesSaints said:

This is game number 5...

so?

[SouthWalesSaints]

4 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

so?

So, Larin shouldn't need a rest.  He had one against West Ham, did you see how that went by the way.... 

[AlexLaw76]

2 minutes ago, SouthWalesSaints said:

So, Larin shouldn't need a rest.  He had one against West Ham, did you see how that went by the way.... 

If he does not need a rest, why has he been routinely rotated since arriving

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

2 hours ago, Saint Garrett said:

Looks around 60 left, remaining should now get snapped up, pretty good going as it was so restrictive for most to buy them a few days before the game.

[LGTL]

Looking forward to this, travelling up Friday afternoon. Bit annoying there were only tickets left in that crap stand to the side when we were buying, before Saints went and magically found another 400 behind the goal!

Peretz, Bree, Kevan, Wood, Manning, JWP, Downes, Scienza, Azaz, Matsuki, Larin.

Have to win this game really. 

Edited 10 hours ago by LGTL

[Fabrice29]

Assume it’s not this one but found it interesting Tonda said in a press conference recently there’s a game coming up we’ll likely go 5 in midfield like we did at Coventry last season.

 

[Toadhall Saint]

Away win

[saintant]

It's a game we should expect to win. Work as hard as them from the start and our superior skills should be enough for a victory.

[SouthWalesSaints]

50 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

If he does not need a rest, why has he been routinely rotated since arriving

Because we had someone equally ( if not better at the start or Larins spell ) as good.  Now we do not, hope this helps. 

[SouthWalesSaints]

34 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

Assume it’s not this one but found it interesting Tonda said in a press conference recently there’s a game coming up we’ll likely go 5 in midfield like we did at Coventry last season.

 

When did he say that?  Can’t remember that.  Can only be Wrexham. 

[Fabrice29]

11 minutes ago, SouthWalesSaints said:

When did he say that?  Can’t remember that.  Can only be Wrexham. 

Right at the end, around 30 minutes. Swansea my guess.

[CSA96]

Wearing our third kit for this one

[Scummer]

1 hour ago, AlexLaw76 said:

If he does not need a rest, why has he been routinely rotated since arriving

Tonda said (I think at the fans forum) that Larin is much fitter now than when he arrived at the club.

As a comparison, Kane is a couple of years older and has averaged about 60 games a year for the past 3 years.

[Saint_lambden]

Lincoln have had more shots from set-pieces than any other Championship team so far this season (25), 50% of their shots! Going to have be on our game from that point of view. 

[whelk]

46 minutes ago, Saint_lambden said:

Lincoln have had more shots from set-pieces than any other Championship team so far this season (25), 50% of their shots! Going to have be on our game from that point of view. 

Portsmouth beat them ergo they must be shite

[Harry_SFC]

Based on how poor Larin was last night (probably because he looked knackered after 30 mins) I'd start Mubama, especially given we have Swansea next Tuesday who are bang in form.

Peretz, Bree, Schlotterbeck, Wood, Manning, Downes, JWP, Matsuki, Scienza, Azaz, Mubama. 

[Disco Stu]

This is the game to give Mubama and Dobbin the opportunity to start.

[die Mannyschaft]

If we can grind out a draw at Birmingham then 3-1 Saints. I hope we don't play slow controlling passing keep ball thinking we are superior. More direct ball to Larin who should have more time to hold up and turn. Not sure if Azaz should stay on even if he's invisible in case he comes alive. 

KS and JWP have bolstered the squad so that's a positive. 

 

[Saint Fan CaM]

It’s a risk but this is the best chance to (a) give Larin a rest and (b) provide a good opportunity to Mabuma and Dobbin to put in a successful performance. Larin and Azaz can be utilised from the bench if we need to go large from 50-60 minutes onwards. Would also start Downes alongside JWP to run midfield. Also consider giving our new lad CB a start alongside Keven, but this is perhaps too risky and consistency at CB pairing is important.

I’m thinking a tough 1-2.

Edited 2 hours ago by Saint Fan CaM