Anyone writing off the manager, the style of play or individual players is over-reacting, and already forgetting how we got here. However, tweaks are needed for sure - I'd move back to 433 or 442 rather than have three at the back. We need to work on our distribution patterns from the back with this new GK to avoid being undone by a heavy press. A few players have started the season out of form and are ready for benching as well.
Lets be totally honest mate. Saints just don’t hv the required technical skill players to play out from the back. As much as it is nice to the eyes and keep ball from back to upfield, we just don’t hv the right players to do this. Burnley and Vincent Company learn this last season and we are simply repeating exactly the same mistake. If we hv players like those top 6-7 clubs then that would be fantastic football but let’s not kid ourselves by saying we can improve on this style of play. Brentford hardly press the back 5 and they crumbled. Imagine playing same against the likes of MC and Liverpool, we will be obliterated to pieces. Question is if Martin hv plan B and if so does he hv the correct game plan and players to play to the effective plan B scheme. This will be the test to his managerial capability and if he failed then question will be ask if he is the right man for the job or Saints with him are just a Championship team - nothing more. Sad but be realistic and recognise a Spade and say it as it is.
Amazing to be as positive as Weeks. When you compare the opposition a team like Tractor Boys have faced so far to Saints this start is no less than abysmal imo. Granted, Ramsdale should be an upgrade. A player like A.Armstrong though-shines in Ch ship but PL is beyond his level, that is well documented over several seasons. Not that I value pundits that much, but the impression is that the rest of the league regard Saints as this year’s punching ball. They did so before league start, and I cant say they have gone horribly wrong so far, albeit a bit too early to write Saints off. I have followed Saints loosely from Norway since LeTissier shone alongside Shearer in his junior years and the state this franchise appears to be in atm is depressing to say the least
There are signs we can do well. The game management, some players reaction to the Prems pace & unforgiving nature is learning curve Martin will relish. We now have options to adjust personnel and tactics. I believe RM will do this. Also, if we had scored one of our many against the last 3 teams, it could be a different outcome. Finishing is an issues currently. Not chance creation. Oh, & silly mistakes at the back. Standard! Let’s see.
Do agree that subbing Harwood Bellis and not Stephens was a surpirse but not one I disagree with. On form he's been the weakest of the three. That Martin ruthless streak you referred to
Archer is our most natural finisher, so for me he has to start in the no 9. I'd set up in a 433, where you can play Archer in the 9 or if you want a more physical presence up top, you play Dias through the middle and Archer off the right. Fernandes should start and even possibly Lallana (instead of Aribo or Smallbone). If you want a more defensive minded player in there, Lesley plays. For now I'd keep Dibling on the bench, but keep giving him 30mins (for a tiring Lallana).
We gave the ball away at the back last season too, but we were up against teams of limited quality who seldom took advantage. This season we are being punished by higher quality players.
Completely disagree that KWP is the better RB/RW than Sugawara. Sugawara is the first winger/back (this includes both left and right side players) in a long time that can beat his man send a decent ball into the box and also has the technical skills to finish as well. Even defensively KWP is questionable, he doesn’t win the ball clean, his technique is stopping his player by grappling and taking the foul. KWP is a decent ball runner, but no end product. (I didn’t get to watch the championship games last season because of where I live, but KWP hasn’t really changed in the PL games I’ve seen) Also, I’m pretty certain Harwood-Bellis was subbed off both games because he was sitting on a yellow both times. Form wise, the 3 CBs are about the same, they’ve all made pretty shocking mistakes. Although, I’d like to see Bednarek dropped before he scores an own goal, and also to stop those leaky passes. If I was to change it up, I’d drop BBD, Aribo, Smallbone, AA, Bednarek, KWP (for a proper LB/LM, and I don’t see much point in him playing on the right). Id like to see Fernandes, Ugochukwu and Archer get a start. At this stage I think Dibling, as good as he is, will be more effective off the bench, when the opponents have tired a bit, that way when he comes on he can dance around some spent legs. Solid debut from Ramsdale too. Good to see some confidence between the sticks, none of the goals against he could do much about.
Smallbone and aribo both need to come out for the next game. Not willing enough to come back and pick up the ball putting to much pressure on the defence and not playing the passes through the line to great options for the forwards, lalana much better at this when he came on. The idea of playing 2 holding midfielders after scoring one goal in three games seems a little illogical to me.
Manager does my head in. Anyone can see where are failings are, yet he persists with the ridiculous over-playing at the back. Stephens, Armstrong and Smallbone are not good enough at this level.
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Anyone writing off the manager, the style of play or individual players is over-reacting, and already forgetting how we got here. However, tweaks are needed for sure - I'd move back to 433 or 442 rather than have three at the back. We need to work on our distribution patterns from the back with this new GK to avoid being undone by a heavy press. A few players have started the season out of form and are ready for benching as well.
Lets be totally honest mate. Saints just don’t hv the required technical skill players to play out from the back. As much as it is nice to the eyes and keep ball from back to upfield, we just don’t hv the right players to do this. Burnley and Vincent Company learn this last season and we are simply repeating exactly the same mistake. If we hv players like those top 6-7 clubs then that would be fantastic football but let’s not kid ourselves by saying we can improve on this style of play. Brentford hardly press the back 5 and they crumbled. Imagine playing same against the likes of MC and Liverpool, we will be obliterated to pieces. Question is if Martin hv plan B and if so does he hv the correct game plan and players to play to the effective plan B scheme. This will be the test to his managerial capability and if he failed then question will be ask if he is the right man for the job or Saints with him are just a Championship team - nothing more. Sad but be realistic and recognise a Spade and say it as it is.
Amazing to be as positive as Weeks.
When you compare the opposition a team like Tractor Boys have faced so far to Saints this start is no less than abysmal imo. Granted, Ramsdale should be an upgrade. A player like A.Armstrong though-shines in Ch ship but PL is beyond his level, that is well documented over several seasons.
Not that I value pundits that much, but the impression is that the rest of the league regard Saints as this year’s punching ball. They did so before league start, and I cant say they have gone horribly wrong so far, albeit a bit too early to write Saints off. I have followed Saints loosely from Norway since LeTissier shone alongside Shearer in his junior years and the state this franchise appears to be in atm is depressing to say the least
There are signs we can do well. The game management, some players reaction to the Prems pace & unforgiving nature is learning curve Martin will relish. We now have options to adjust personnel and tactics. I believe RM will do this. Also, if we had scored one of our many against the last 3 teams, it could be a different outcome. Finishing is an issues currently. Not chance creation. Oh, & silly mistakes at the back. Standard! Let’s see.
Play KWP as a winger in front of Suga, good balance and sorts the gap out
Do agree that subbing Harwood Bellis and not Stephens was a surpirse but not one I disagree with. On form he's been the weakest of the three. That Martin ruthless streak you referred to
THB was subbed out because he had a yellow card, at least in my vision, but Russell loves Stephans too much...
Archer is our most natural finisher, so for me he has to start in the no 9. I'd set up in a 433, where you can play Archer in the 9 or if you want a more physical presence up top, you play Dias through the middle and Archer off the right.
Fernandes should start and even possibly Lallana (instead of Aribo or Smallbone). If you want a more defensive minded player in there, Lesley plays. For now I'd keep Dibling on the bench, but keep giving him 30mins (for a tiring Lallana).
We gave the ball away at the back last season too, but we were up against teams of limited quality who seldom took advantage. This season we are being punished by higher quality players.
Completely disagree that KWP is the better RB/RW than Sugawara. Sugawara is the first winger/back (this includes both left and right side players) in a long time that can beat his man send a decent ball into the box and also has the technical skills to finish as well. Even defensively KWP is questionable, he doesn’t win the ball clean, his technique is stopping his player by grappling and taking the foul. KWP is a decent ball runner, but no end product. (I didn’t get to watch the championship games last season because of where I live, but KWP hasn’t really changed in the PL games I’ve seen)
Also, I’m pretty certain Harwood-Bellis was subbed off both games because he was sitting on a yellow both times. Form wise, the 3 CBs are about the same, they’ve all made pretty shocking mistakes. Although, I’d like to see Bednarek dropped before he scores an own goal, and also to stop those leaky passes.
If I was to change it up, I’d drop BBD, Aribo, Smallbone, AA, Bednarek, KWP (for a proper LB/LM, and I don’t see much point in him playing on the right).
Id like to see Fernandes, Ugochukwu and Archer get a start.
At this stage I think Dibling, as good as he is, will be more effective off the bench, when the opponents have tired a bit, that way when he comes on he can dance around some spent legs.
Solid debut from Ramsdale too. Good to see some confidence between the sticks, none of the goals against he could do much about.
Smallbone and aribo both need to come out for the next game. Not willing enough to come back and pick up the ball putting to much pressure on the defence and not playing the passes through the line to great options for the forwards, lalana much better at this when he came on. The idea of playing 2 holding midfielders after scoring one goal in three games seems a little illogical to me.
WEEKEND RUINER!
Manager does my head in. Anyone can see where are failings are, yet he persists with the ridiculous over-playing at the back. Stephens, Armstrong and Smallbone are not good enough at this level.
Martin out