yep he’s walking a tightrope at the moment but not for any reason I can see. Keep it simple stupid, play a 433, let one FB roam and another stay back. Work on free men making runs into space and just let them relax and play the game they know how to play. We don’t need to have books written about how we almost reinvented football. Not yet at least.
Christ alive I can’t believe we have to contemplate that NJ may be doing better than Martin in this league. But I really think you’re right that he probably would have us more organised at the very least. What a harrowing time to be a saints fan . We have to continue to back RM now but his record doesn’t really offer much comfort. Absolute nightmare scenario really. Hopefully he can get some results
Or less organised in truth. We are over organised at present. Too many instructions and triggers and whatever.
Yeah, but not if the keeper is permanently stationed on the edge of the centre circle, and the only player on our side of the halfway line.
I do think it's mad how quick fans (not really on here but SaintsWeb and other social media) have turned on Russ. And people say I have knee jerk reactions with the club please log in to view this image Is it the manner of the last two defeats or is it pure fatigue of being ****ing **** on the pitch? As it stands I won't be calling for his head come a defeat on Tues, I have very strong opinions where the rot begins with Saints. Abject failures from the moment they took over and not a single decision right in my book. Gradually people will see I'm right but probably not until we've spent a couple of seasons in this league
Think that trickle will become a tidal wave in the event of another heavy dedeat tomorrow. I've said all season that I'll judge him in October but if we play with no DM again then that'll really test my resolve.
I hope Jim Magilton gets a good reception. It might change his mind and he'll come and save the Saints.
I think it’s both. Being one of the worst teams in the country for so long gives Martin a bit of pressure. But conceding 4 goals per game amplifies that pressure massively. Sprinkle some players out of position and the manager saying he is proud of the performance and you have a recipe for an explosive fanbase. I think we will stick with him until Christmas at least. We don’t want to be seen as a club like Watford that changes manager on a whim. (Even though we pretty much are). The whole plan of SR is to be a club that develops and improve players. If we are seen as a basket case that jeopardises their whole model.
I don't think it's a case of the fanebase turning on Russ, I think it's more a case of the average fan looking at the tactics and thinking 'What the hell are you doing'. From the first game of the season the defence has looked an absolute shambles. We're not Man. City. The players clearly don't know what their roles are resulting in players like KWP looking pretty awful. Can you imagine playing a Prem. league team with the current tactics?
Not that I'm suggesting we're Manchester United but I do recall them getting humbled 5-0 by Newcastle, followed by lots of pundits saying it would be a long time before they conceded that amount again. They rocked up to us the following week and lost 6-3. They then lost 2-1 at home to Chelsea. They went on to win the league. The nature of the two recent defeats was galling and if RM doesn't learn that he needs a DM to cover his defence then I fear he won't last long. Let's see how malleable his tactics are from here into October. Sadly, he doesn't have the reputation in the bank like SAF did all those years ago.
Difference being that Utd had won several titles prior to those results, so it was easy to argue those results were just anomalies. But yes, two bad results doesn't necessarily mean it will be a bad season. However two or three more and I think SR will have to take a serious look at what options they have.
Far too many FM players on social media, Thinking they know better and have us winning Every single game. I do get the concern with our defense and I want to see something change as it isn't working, But let's not just forget we are completely changing a style of play, following on from 4 yrs of absolute trash really It's going to take time, I think for now at least just get a proper DM in there (Charles) play Bednarek and THB and we have a decent back 3 really, I'd like Russ to be a little more pragmatic on the Inverted FBs too.. Like have only one for now playing that role so we don't have gaping holes out wide.
If you haven’t watched the TSP video yet, it’s worth watching to see the views of the Ipswich podcaster who guested on the broadcast. Paraphrasing. He talks about the momentum Ipswich built up during their promotion and how he felt they would have 6-8 games to settle down before teams worked them out. He was honest enough to say that the games against Sunderland and QPR could have gone against them but it was their momentum that helped them turn those games in their favour after being under the cosh. He called them coin flip games. He also said that pretty much everything they hit has been going in, which is what we don’t want to hear. They have 4 clean sheets in 6 games. I don’t know if he was just being polite but his prediction was a score draw with “something like 35 shots” in the game.
I've got no idea what the result will be tomorrow (really, I think it could be anything - in a perverse kind of way, I find that exciting not knowing if we might win 4-0 or lose 6-0). But I do very much expect Martin to stick to his guns. Given what the Swansea and MK Dons fans have said about him, and given his clear love and devotion to Pep (someone who doesn't compromise), I don't see that two big defeats is enough to make Martin change. Two matches is nothing. Now sure, there might be one or two personnel changes - such as Bendarek coming in for Downes, with Charles moving back into CM - but style wise and tactical wise, I'm expecting largely the same.
