Preston 1-0 Saints - Match Thread

[SNSUN]

Thank God for the International break. 8 weeks until the window opens. 

[saintant]

Needs to be that last performance of its kind. That was horrendous.

[obelisk]

Just now, Jimmy_D said:

One of those days.

Another one of those days.

[Mr X]

We were so so poor in the first half didn't deserve to win 

[Window Cleaner]

1 minute ago, JohnnyShearer2.0 said:

Wonder if Tonda will come out again apologising. He needs to sort out the slow starts and away from.

Perhaps a bit of advanced information gathering would be useful

[benjii]

On another day we win comfortably. Same as Bolton and Wrexham matches. Never mind.

[Jimmy_D]

Just now, JohnnyShearer2.0 said:

Happened too many times this season already 

Few enough times that we were the best team in the league so far before today.

[whelk]

Just now, obelisk said:

And that, folks, is why this lot will be no more than play-off material.

It’s a long season. Do you think Wolves, West Ham and Boro fans are raving today about how they are going up automatically?

[Harry_SFC]

Just now, obelisk said:

Another one of those days.

Yeah, it's a regular occurrence now against teams in the bottom half. Unless we sign 2 more attackers in January we won't be going up.

[tdmickey3]

2 minutes ago, Jimmy_D said:

One of those days.

And **** officiating.

Nothing to do with officiating, the first half set the tone and we had no answer

Edited 2 hours ago by tdmickey3

[kitch]

Fucking atrocious, that. Awful from all them except Peretz and Abbott.  Did Mubama touch the ball at any point?

Honestly, it's games like that which will lose us the autos.

[LGTL]

Inexcusable. Preston are fucking dogshit and our bunch of cunts turn up first half and play like that. Lose our best defender for weeks too. 

Transfer window coming back to bite us on the arse quite significantly. Dobbin and Mubama are a waste of time. 

[Mboto Gorge]

Fucking pathetic. Can’t afford to be dropping points to shite like this. What the fuck was that! Probably be another 3 months until Preston win another game too. You can’t just expect to turn up for 45 mins of a game and win. Need an absolute bollocking for that first half 

[Disco Stu]

1 minute ago, Jimmy_D said:

One of those days.

So was Bolton, Lincoln, Wrexham and Watford. We've had rather a lot of them.

[saintant]

Thy have conceded 30 goals and we couldn't even manage one 🙂

[Harry_SFC]

7 minutes ago, Monk said:

This really cannot be swept under the carpet. 
 

This, Bolton & Lincoln are inexcusable, especially given the points deduction. The board backed Tonda and stated autos are still the priority and it’s not being delivered. 
 

International break much needed and I hope it’s used to take stock and make some changes/new plan b.

The board didnt back him though. We signed a 31 year old half fit striker and no alternative.

Huge mistake.

[Osvaldorama]

That was a handball at the end. Denied a clear pen

Edited 2 hours ago by Osvaldorama

[macca155]

W0hat a poor performance from Saints. Abject first half, what on earth were they doing.

The lack of a goal scorer horribly exposed in the 2nd half. Chance after chance went begging.

The only positive was Abbott did ok, so we at least have back up there.

League is shaping up for a 10 team battle for the top. Long hard season still to go, just have to regroup and grind out results.

[Osvaldorama]

Just now, Harry_SFC said:

The board didnt back him though. We signed a 31 year old half fit striker and no alternative.

Huge mistake.

Agreed, I don’t blame Tonda I blame the shit signings 

[Patches O Houlihan]

5 minutes ago, RedArmy said:

Abbott and Schlotterbeck are the pairing for the rest of the season when he’s fit again by the way. 
 

 

This is the issue - we look so much better with a proper left sided centre back - but that looked like a broken collar bone to me, so Shlotterbeck will likely be out a good while...

[Katalinic]

Propaganda football of the highest order. What a terrible decision to loan out Archer and sign Archer Mk2. 

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, Jimmy_D said:

One of those days.

And **** officiating.

PNE worked much, much harder today for a side low on confidence and fully deserved the win. But for their keeper, we might have burgled a point.

Bar 20 minutes in the second half, Preston put far more energy into the game and showed more quality. On 10% of Saints budget.

Today needs to be a kick up the arse to get the players fitter. Poch double sessions up to Christmas period. 

[There when Franny scored]

4 minutes ago, St. Ciervo said:

Surely a handball?

That’s what I thought, clear hand ball? 

am I seeing things? 

[Katalinic]

1 minute ago, Osvaldorama said:

That was a handball at the end. Denoted a clear pen

I genuinely think we would have missed it.

[Turkish]

What a terrible result. Their first clean sheet since February. That and Bolton two  crap results against crap teams and blown chances to close the gap 

[Sheaf Saint]

Got to hand it to Preston really. They defended very well in the second half.

We had the chances but it was just one of those days unfortunately. All teams have them.

I'm very concerned about Leo though - what on Earth has happened to his finishing? It was never great, but it's like he's just forgotten how to put the ball anywhere other than straight at the keeper.

 

[Harry_SFC]

Also Abbott is better than Stephens

[OneMrsWallace]

Sounds like Abbott could be a decent replacement for Schlott. We desperately need Larin fit and firing. Can't afford many more of these performances to finish top two. 

[Britannia]

If Lankshear is back and Larin is not by the end of the 27th I shall be very worried.

Edited 2 hours ago by Britannia

[qwertyell]

What happened to the hungry eyes?

Fucking garbage, and the manager had no clue how to turn it around. Yeah, let's sling some more crosses into tiny Dobbin. It's never worked, ever, but maybe this time...?

We're not going up. Bollocks to our points total - we've played like shit more often than not this season. It's a weaker squad, playing worse football. 

[BotleySaint]

Today could have been a lot worse when you look at other results.

We just lacked quality when it mattered today. Sat back too much first half and second half no attacking edge.

Need another striker in Jan.. 

[Greedyfly]

Utterly fucked me off that has. 

[Chez]

attack vs defence second half, but not a lot of space to work in as they parked the bus. we create some shooting opportunities and i thought Azaz should have done better with his chance. maybe could have curled into the top right rather than going for the other corner. scienza needs to get the byline a bit more. its always inside. i think we miss larin a lot.

[sfc4prem]

Just seemed all a bit toothless. Tame or wild shots. Awful first half.

All to the bottom of the league. 

The fuck is up with us?

Watford, Wrexham and Preston!?

[tdmickey3]

2 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

Also Abbott is better than Stephens

Yep, but low bar

[saintant]

1 minute ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Got to hand it to Preston really. They defended very well in the second half.

We had the chances but it was just one of those days unfortunately. All teams have them.

I'm very concerned about Leo though - what on Earth has happened to his finishing? It was never great, but it's like he's just forgotten how to put the ball anywhere other than straight at the keeper.

 

We did.....in the first half.

[Vancouver Saint]

Terrible result. We all said before this game that we had to come out of the gates flying and attack. We did the exact opposite.

Not starting to play until the second half was always going to cost us. We did exactly the same thing against West Brom. 
Terrible tactics and approach. 
PNE deserved their lead in the first half and we have just shown we do not have enough attacking edge to beat a low block. Never felt we were going to score today after that save from Wellington's piledriver. Even deflections played into the 'keepers hands.
We will not get into the automatic promotion spots if we can't beat teams in the bottom three.
Azaz deserves credit, Scienza too (although could do with better finishing). Dobbin and Mubama not the answer to scoring goals we need.
Oh well, reality bites. 

Edited 2 hours ago by Vancouver Saint

[Disco Stu]

Abbott looked competent against the worst attacking side in the league. I think people are jumping the gun a bit.

[The Kraken]

9 minutes ago, RedArmy said:

Because we’ve ended up with a squad with pretty much zero competition for places. Complacency creeps in pretty quickly. 

Thats just not true though, I’d it?

Wellington and Manning. Stephens Wood and Abbott. Downes JWP Jander Bragg. Fellows kept out by Matsuki. The only places on pitch we don’t have competition are RB, up front and Leo, and our starting striker wasn’t playing today so can’t play the complacency card with Dobbin.

we just weren’t at it from the start, Preston did a great pressing job on us and until the second half we weren’t good enough to break it.

Edited 2 hours ago by The Kraken

[RedArmy]

Nothing has ever been more “saints” than Lankshear getting injured and Boro only picking up 1 point in their last 2 and to close the gap we pick up 1 point in our last 2. 

[badgerx16]

Without the -4 we would be 1 point off top spot, no need to panic.

[madge]

9m on dobbin is atrocious….  

[austsaint]

2 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

Also Abbott is better than Stephens

He (Abbot) was the one bright spot of the day.  Good player.

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

6 minutes ago, Jimmy_D said:

Few enough times that we were the best team in the league so far before today.

Indeed and Saints would have been even better if points weren't dropped.

[obelisk]

6 minutes ago, whelk said:

It’s a long season. Do you think Wolves, West Ham and Boro fans are raving today about how they are going up automatically?

I was watching Saints screw up another game against mediocre opposition. Again.

[AlexLaw76]

5 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

The board didnt back him though. We signed a 31 year old half fit striker and no alternative.

Huge mistake.

The board didn’t back the manager.

are you really suggesting that after what happened end of last season?

[CanadaSaint]

At its worst, and we’re seeing it more and more often, Tonda’s football is like Russball thirty yards farther up the pitch. Mind-numbingly frustrating over-elaboration is definitely IN and early balls into the box or through the channels are OUT.

That shit cuts no mustard against the hardworking teams with limited skills that make up most of this division.

[bpsaint]

Just now, badgerx16 said:

Without the -4 we would be 1 point off top spot, no need to panic.

 

[stknowle]

Kin ell I can’t remember the last time I was this INFURIATED by one of our displays. So FUCKING FRUSTRATING passing around and dominating but not really creating f’all. Just gotta suck it up I guess and have to give PNE credit. Thought Abbott looked decent enough. 

[skintsaint]

Playoffs at best due to these away performances.