Match Day Thread Saints v Leicester, Sat 4th March, 17:30

[thereisonlyoneno7]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but I have been impressed with Walcott for the last three games. I was worried when he came on against Chelsea and he was perfect for that moment, I thought he was one light in the darkness of Grimsby and yesterday he was excellent. Really shows that experience matters. A couple of touches have been pure vintage Walcott. You can tell he loves the club and isn’t the mercenary a few think he is.

 

[Lemons and Oranges]

I've just noticed that if Forest beat Everton by more than three goals, we'll move up to 18th! Nosebleed time!

[Edit] As Everton have scored fewer goals than us, a two goal defeat for Everton will put us on equal goal difference, and we'll be above them on goals scored. Two league positions in one weekend!

 

[tomw24]

I've just noticed that if Forest beat Everton by more than three goals, we'll move up to 18th! Nosebleed time!

[Edit] As Everton have scored fewer goals than us, a two goal defeat for Everton will put us on equal goal difference, and we'll be above them on goals scored. Two league positions in one weekend!

I'd still rather have a draw in that match.

 

[thereisonlyoneno7]

I'd still rather have a draw in that match.

Yeah me too. It will still mean we have gained 2 points on both. Forest are on the periphery atm of the battle - right at the extreme of ‘we don’t want to get dragged back in’. But the more around the better it is.

Don’t want an Everton win at all, but it wouldn’t be an unmitigated disaster for the reason mentioned above. Basically we did our bit yesterday, so will have to take what the universe gives up.

Control the controllables.

 

[RSS]

I have no idea why I’m going tbh. Relegation is almost a certainty, we haven’t won at home since August, we just lost to a struggling league 2 side, the players can never be arsed to raise their game unless we’re playing a big club and I’ve done farts that pose more of a threat than our attacking players. But this is being a Saints supporter I guess. If we were only there when we’re good we wouldn’t be around much at all. COYR

The way the crowd got behind the team when they saw the effort, the way we (the fans and players) were fighting for each other and the disappointment of the missed penalty galvanised us even more. The outpourings of pent up frustration and relief at the final whistle, thats why. **** me that was difficult to watch. The last 25/30 mins in particular were torture and Leicester really weren’t up to much thankfully or we’d have lost. But we didn’t we won, so **** it. Have seen it mentioned on here about Ely getting booed when he came on, but haven’t seen anyone talking about every player except a few (JWP, KWP, Lavia) getting booed too when the team sheet was announced just before KO. Hate that tbh, save the boos for when we are actually playing **** and not putting in the required effort during the game/at HT and FT. We may have been a bit **** again for most of the game but it’s not surprising given the absolute pit our confidence has been buried in. But you could tell every player was desperate to win and were giving it all they could. That’s all we can ask for at this stage, and hope we get the rub of the green like we did a few times today. Hope Alcaraz isn’t out long, though Man Utd is probably a game for Ely anyway.

 

[Che’s Godlike Thighs]

The way the crowd got behind the team when they saw the effort, the way we (the fans and players) were fighting for each other and the disappointment of the missed penalty galvanised us even more. The outpourings of pent up frustration and relief at the final whistle, thats why. **** me that was difficult to watch. The last 25/30 mins in particular were torture and Leicester really weren’t up to much thankfully or we’d have lost. But we didn’t we won, so **** it. Have seen it mentioned on here about Ely getting booed when he came on, but haven’t seen anyone talking about every player except a few (JWP, KWP, Lavia) getting booed too when the team sheet was announced just before KO. Hate that tbh, save the boos for when we are actually playing **** and not putting in the required effort during the game/at HT and FT. We may have been a bit **** again for most of the game but it’s not surprising given the absolute pit our confidence has been buried in. But you could tell every player was desperate to win and were giving it all they could. That’s all we can ask for at this stage, and hope we get the rub of the green like we did a few times today. Hope Alcaraz isn’t out long, though Man Utd is probably a game for Ely anyway.

Agree booing of any player is daft, but Elyounoussi's chance is up for most fans. Alcaraz showed in 45 minutes more than Elyounoussi has shown in the past year. He is really holding us back. Creates f*ck all. If Alcaraz is out, we can't go back to Moi.

 

[milton archer]

Yeah, strangely enough when JPW missed his spot kick I told the rest of my family that I thought it might oddly enough just galvanise us. No response ......Grandson was looking at his phone, son-in-law was asleep in his chair, missus and daughter were preoccupied planning an expedition to Ikea, but proves I know what I'm talking about.

 

[RedandWhiteManofKent]

Agree booing of any player is daft, but Elyounoussi's chance is up for most fans. Alcaraz showed in 45 minutes more than Elyounoussi has shown in the past year. He is really holding us back. Creates f*ck all. If Alcaraz is out, we can't go back to Moi.

Yes rather he was fully fit for the Brentford game. Brentford have had an excellent season but we will have a slightly better chance at home to them than Utd.

Having said that we have lost 0-9 at home to Leicester before and now beaten them and have lost 9-0 away to Utd, maybe the season for a perfect revenge

 

[Velcro Roy]

Anyone who boos a Saints player while getting subbed on can **** right off. You are a bunch of ****s for that. Not supporters

100% agree with this.
Pricks in chapel/itchen corner booing walcot before kick off.
I used to be able to take the piss out of the skates for booing there rabble but it looks like we've started to copy them,**** me whatever next?

 

[RSS]

Agree booing of any player is daft, but Elyounoussi's chance is up for most fans. Alcaraz showed in 45 minutes more than Elyounoussi has shown in the past year. He is really holding us back. Creates f*ck all. If Alcaraz is out, we can't go back to Moi.

I don’t rate Ely as an attacking option. I wasn’t happy he was the replacement for Alcaraz yesterday but limited though he is, he always puts the effort in. He’s coming on and desperate for us to hold out and win and we boo him. Not for me. No good will come of that.
I do still think he has a place in the team/squad but only for certain games. I never want him as one of our attacking options. I was delighted Alcaraz started ahead of him yesterday. But Elys good performances come in the games against the big teams where we need to stay tight, we need defensive output, effort and closing down. Chelsea at home this season is the perfect example and why I’d start him v Man Utd. I’d have been tempted even if Alcaraz didn’t injure himself as it’s a totally different task than home v Leicester.

 

[Surrey_Saint]

MOTD curated to make us look as **** as possible and then no discussion about us after we had won bar a nod to Alcaraz and how lucky he was to still be on and score

Come on guys we don’t win often…

(I have to say Bednarek and Bella-Kotchap do appear to have got luckier today than I first realised, I already knew Bazunu had been terrible).

Hosted by a Leicester fan…

 

[Saints FC 76]

I'm very happy with the win. I'm very happy with the clean sheet. I'm very happy at Alcarez playing no.10.

But nothing has changed for me. I'm still expecting relegation. I'm still not liking the subs we're making. We got very lucky that Leicester failed to hit the target with any of their chances. I don't make us favourties to win any of our next five games - if we can scrape together five or six points, that would be a great return; but even just two points seems a stretch to me.

I'm still going to enjoy the win though. I'm happy. It's been a good evening for us. I just wish I could believe it would actually mean something.

I agree with this. A great result, and extremely important, but a very poor performance. A performance that doesn’t give me hope of picking up points in our tough upcoming games. I can understand why people are still not hopeful and not celebrating the win as much as they’d like to.

If we continue to play like that, we’re down, so let’s hope we don’t.

 

[tomw24]

I agree with this. A great result, and extremely important, but a very poor performance. A performance that doesn’t give me hope of picking up points in our tough upcoming games. I can understand why people are still not hopeful and not celebrating the win as much as they’d like to.

If we continue to play like that, we’re down, so let’s hope we don’t.

If that's the case then people should be ecstatic. After all, sign of a good team is winning when they don't play well.

In any case we weren't very poor by any stretch. We weren't great, but not close to very poor.

 

[shoot_spiderman]

I don’t rate Ely as an attacking option. I wasn’t happy he was the replacement for Alcaraz yesterday but limited though he is, he always puts the effort in. He’s coming on and desperate for us to hold out and win and we boo him. Not for me. No good will come of that.
I do still think he has a place in the team/squad but only for certain games. I never want him as one of our attacking options. I was delighted Alcaraz started ahead of him yesterday. But Elys good performances come in the games against the big teams where we need to stay tight, we need defensive output, effort and closing down. Chelsea at home this season is the perfect example and why I’d start him v Man Utd. I’d have been tempted even if Alcaraz didn’t injure himself as it’s a totally different task than home v Leicester.

He shouldn’t play if we’re pressing as he is awful at it. Stands too far off players and moves too slowly and too late, balls gone before he’s there

Unless Ruben can fix that?

Theo’s pressing was excellent, always in the right place, always pressed immediately and quickly, often ensuring ball had to go backwards

 

[shoot_spiderman]

If that's the case then people should be ecstatic. After all, sign of a good team is winning when they don't play well.

In any case we weren't very poor by any stretch. We weren't great, but not close to very poor.

And you can’t magically change from poor to brilliant, this was a definite step in the right direction

 

[Beddy]

I was at the match and I have to say we were very patchy. Our goal was an excellent move and started by the determination of two saints players to rob them of the ball with success. The rest was history. The final ball being laid on with utter perfection and so quickly. COYS

 

[RSS]

He shouldn’t play if we’re pressing as he is awful at it. Stands too far off players and moves too slowly and too late, balls gone before he’s there

Unless Ruben can fix that?

Theo’s pressing was excellent, always in the right place, always pressed immediately and quickly, often ensuring ball had to go backwards

I agree, Ely is not quick enough to play the high press. High press needs pace and energy. Games against the big teams where we try and limit space in our half, stay tight and harass and hassle he’s been good at in the past and I imagine that’s the kind of game we’ll have to have against Man Utd. Hence that’s the type of game he should be involved in imo.

 

[Brinkworth Saint]

He shouldn’t play if we’re pressing as he is awful at it. Stands too far off players and moves too slowly and too late, balls gone before he’s there

Unless Ruben can fix that?

Theo’s pressing was excellent, always in the right place, always pressed immediately and quickly, often ensuring ball had to go backwards

Right now, Ruben has my vote for whoever he puts into our team, after all he is the Manager and has 2 wins from 3 in the PL! That's better than recent weeks, surely?

I just get the feeling that he's confident about what he is doing, takes responsibility for his decisions and that the players are getting the message on effort, commitment and playing for the shirt. I wish I could have gone yesterday as it's worse not being there, I always seem to be a bad omen for watching Saints on the TV, but from reading the post match comments and taking a general view, 3 points, no goals against, it was a good day for us.

 

[StJabbo1]

Right now, Ruben has my vote for whoever he puts into our team, after all he is the Manager and has 2 wins from 3 in the PL! That's better than recent weeks, surely?

I just get the feeling that he's confident about what he is doing, takes responsibility for his decisions and that the players are getting the message on effort, commitment and playing for the shirt. I wish I could have gone yesterday as it's worse not being there, I always seem to be a bad omen for watching Saints on the TV, but from reading the post match comments and taking a general view, 3 points, no goals against, it was a good day for us.

His confidence and the team's committment key factors in yesterday's win and this morning's hangover. Two mugs of coffee and a brisk walk along the canal will help the recovery.

 

[ChilcoSaint]

I was at the match and I have to say we were very patchy. Our goal was an excellent move and started by the determination of two saints players to rob them of the ball with success. The rest was history. The final ball being laid on with utter perfection and so quickly. COYS

I agree, no one has mentioned the excellent tackle Lavia made to set the move up. He was imperious again yesterday I thought.