Well done on the unbeaten run saints. As much as we have been good for the last 25 games, tonight we were incredibly bad. Pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and go again
Totally agree about Smallbone not being a DM. But I'm not sure Martin had much choice. Charles had to be subbed off, and we've left ourselves terribly short in that position. Hopefully Downes is back for Friday. If not, then we're in trouble. (I suppose some people might suggest Stephens as an option, but when did he last play DM? And that's before you consider how absolutely essential that role is for Martin's style of football.)
I was there for that one. £27 to sit on plastic dining chair, screwed to a scaffolding stand. Living the dream.
It seems like we can’t recruit someone to be backup in that position when it is likely they won’t play many games. It sunk us last year with no Lavia back up
Mara nor Edozie are those type of runners. Wee man & a wide AA can, especially with Adams in middle. I think we got caught out with a double / triple whammy tonight. Downes & Adams missing, a totally misfiring midfield & ineffective forward line. Still, there’s a long way to go & Leeds will slip. We’ve just got to reset & move onto another unbeaten run.
Kind of not that worried about tonight, as long as there's a reaction on Friday (which on paper is a tougher game). Almost glad the run is over, so we can start afresh. The part I do worry about is the mental fatigue. We have a really good, deep squad. It's going to be needed now, and the second string players that come in are going to need to hit the ground running. Suspect the same will happen to Leeds, and even Leicester at some point too. Bad day at the office. Start again.
This was always going to come at some point, the key is how we respond. Main concern is 6 goals conceded in 2 games and 5 of those since Downes was injured. Bristol were competent today but not spectacular, we were way waaaay off of it. Gappy, disorganised and blunt. But after so many unbeaten it can be forgiven, but we can’t afford many days like today. Well done on the run, but let’s not do today again.
I'd start him ahead of Adarma on Friday. There's a few first team picks that need a bit of a rest. Worth pointing out, for all the criticism of Shea this evening (and fair enough), it was 0-0 when he came off. Smallbone isn't a six.
Not sure I agree. Charles wasn't having a great game of course but we looked even worse when he went off and Smallbone went there. Personally I'm always a believer that I'd rather have someone playing their natural position poorly then have somebody else play one they're not suited to. Especially when it's a DM which is arguably the most important position on the pitch and the hardest to play. Ultimately though I don't think it'd have made much difference to the result we were just very under par and they played very well to take advantage.
