Bar a couple of places up for grabs, that should basically be our first team and there were some chemistry issues, I thought Fernandes, Lallana and Downes often started occupying the same space. there was a lack of third man runs and too much ball watching, especially from the subs. No balls were played down the line by either full back. We play the ball across the back four multiple times looking to play up the pitch through the middle, which the Ipswich press had covered, the best out ball was to set either Fraser or Dibling down the line on a one on one foot chase, but they didn’t even look for this option and instead back to the central defender which allowed Ipswich to squeeze and push us back. Although Archer didn’t clearly win many passes out to him, it at least got us up the pitch.
I think almost every Saints will be of the view that Ramsdale, Sugawara, Lallana, Fernandes and Dibling are all good enough to start for a top 17 PL team. So that is five of the 11 sorted (when available). Then there is KWP, who we also know is good enough, as a RB, but has seen his place taken by Sugawara. So whilst he is definitely a PL level player in our squad, I'm not sure if we can count him as a 6th player out of the 11 being sorted. Or at least not unless we can find a way of getting him and Sugawara into the same team in an effective way. I've suggested three different possibilities in the past few days, but until or unless I see them in action, I can't be sure if they would work or not. Then there is Downes, who I think we are all hopeful will prove to be good enough to start for a top 17 PL team. But it is still very early days, and so far his impact hasn't been as big as Fernandes or Dibling. But I remain very hopeful. I don't yet have any doubts creeping in (unlike with THB for example). So maybe we have five, or maybe we have six, or maybe we have seven. Or maybe we even have eight, considering that Cornet hasn't been given a proper chance yet. I think with a prudent manager, that might just be enough quality to finish above the bottom three. It's not like you need a whole 11 of top 17 quality players to finish in the top 17. For example, Everton survived easily last season and they had holes all over their team. But with our style of play, that small pool of quality players is nowhere near enough - especially given that such a pool includes no CBs and no strikers. Errors at both ends get punished far too easily and often.
You're right, we have options, but quality is the current issue BBD offers something, but need more Fraser doesn't look up to starting there Sulemana is injured and didn't impress in Champ, so Prem??? Russ has played Cornet on the right, so I didn't include him, can he play left? I seem to recall he is two-footed KWP is possible, but more effective on the right where Suga is doing fine, and I think he was on the bench as our only Full Back sub Although clearly KWP on the bench is a waste Having Suga and KWP is a conundrum, 2 of our best players and both best at LB Adam & Joe have mentioned the issue of having KWP LB & BBD LW, when they both want to cut inside
Not sure I've seen it mentioned but why on earth did Aribo turn his body for the goal? He's huge and had he not done we'd have won that game. Pathetic really.
I think fundamentally it's a squad issue. However, if you accept that the squad is what it is, I do think a different type of manager would get us to a higher points tally than what Martin will. Nevertheless, I still maintain that I wouldn't change manager now. You either get rid of Martin after the play-off success - which would have been a massive decision by the board, and I suspect would have very difficult to justify except in the event of surviving relegation - or you give him a decent run of games. Because who knows, maybe I'm wrong and Martin can keep us up?
I don't understand why he was even on the pitch tbh. At 1-0 up with 91 minutes on the clock, there wasn't a single part of me thinking "do you know what we could do with here to help see the game out? Aribo." Too many times last season Martin had one late sub up his sleeve when 1-0 up, with defenders available on the bench, and declined to use them. He still hasn't learnt.
Ironic, if Martin had not made that substitution in the 91st minute, we likely win the game. more bad luck than too much blame on Aribo
I said it the other day but if you look at Martins managerial history he basically achieves what is expected of the squad he has. He may do it in an attractive style if that’s your preference but ultimately he finishes around where the talent level of the squad warrants. That needs to change if we want to survive as everyone would agree that we are a bottom 3 squad on paper
Don’t know about the rest of you but I was mightily relieved when Ipswich subbed Szmodics off. I mentioned yesterday about how good his runs from deep were and I thought he was a big thorn in the side of the defence because nobody was picking him up, so taking him off was, imo, a mistake by them. I would like to see us persevere with Archer for a few games because he also makes good runs and the passes from Dibling and Downes that put him through would probably not have been won by any of our other front line players. If he keeps making those runs, Fernandes and Dibling have the ability to put him clear, and then the rest is up to him to prove himself.
Dibling played a through ball after a great run but unfortunately Archer had already been replaced by Stewart and he was slow off the mark.
Poch - curiously - often used to take him off midway through the second half Good list. Grant Holt did score 15 goals in first season in the PL with Norwich, we really could do with that. Well, we could do with the 8 he scored in his second!
We’re far too lowly now, but can you imagine what a Poch or Koeman type manager would do with this squad?
Important to remember: There are five other teams with equal or better squads (and more experienced managers), who are all still winless. Half our team is brand new, so at the moment its all about them gelling together and improving with each game. Long way to go.
This is exactly how I feel. We are seeing improvements and I think now have some exciting players. Let’s see what happens.
I think the squad is capable of more, whether that is enough to keep us up? Who knows, but I think it could be good enough. My view, as harsh as it sounds, was I saw enough from Russel last season to think he would be a disaster playing such a way in the EPL, as we couldn’t ever simply afford to quality of player to execute such a high risk strategy. I said to my two sons that I’d have sacked him after the playoff final victory. Unless he adapts, he is toast. Ipswich were the poorest team we have faced so far this season, and we are crap at defending, worse at defending set pieces (I thought we would improve under Calderwood), and don’t look like scoring in most games, maybe 1 in others. Recipe for relegation unless something changes - tactics, set-up, or manager. That said, nothing will happen until the next international break imo, which I think is the earliest we can realistically do it now.
