Match Day Thread Ralph’s Marauders (aka Plucky Little Saints) vs Norwich City. Fri. 25 Feb. 20.00

Yep...

 

This is right up there with the Poch years. Better than koeman, on a par with Poch. After so many years it’s so good to be watching saints playing like this again.

 

I should have put it in blue!

 

It’s so weird seeing us this high up in the table
I still expect to see us around 15th

 

Nosebleed time. We aren’t used to this rarified atmosphere!

(Editor’s note: it was less than 16 months ago that we were top of the Premier League!)

 

I assumed the reference was to Dave Merrington and not Dave the Mechanism

 

Here, Router thread or both?

Edit, both won.

 

I was pleased with the overall game. However we are still too slow sometimes moving the ball into a dangerous area. Also why is it at corners against we do not have someone up on the centre line or thereabouts to bring two of their player out of attacking positions. Or am I old fashioned? Coys

 

That’s always been one of my gripes, Beddy. If we put someone fast up there, it’ll keep at least one of their players back out of our area, plus, if the ball is moved quickly out of our box, we have an immediate attacking threat

 

I agree with all this
I laugh at all the 6-0 predictions for these games and feel the frustrated comments are unjustified
Smith has them really well organised and compact and they work hard and as a consequence there’s no space, hence we had to probe

No space for Broja behind the lines, for Moy between the lines or for Tino and Stu to run into. KWP was great but his mazy runs generally ended up with 5 defenders at him

I thought this was a very accomplished performance but not a great game because Norwich stifled it as Smith intended

As I think RSS said, a while ago this would have ended 1-1 or even 1-2 as the last one did and they had a good 5-10 mins 2nd half before Jack came on. Well done Ralph for that change

MOTM KWP & Oriel

 

Ok, so just imagine that our annus horribilis (2021) never happened, this is what the PL top ten would look like...

Liverpool....Pl 23 Pts 49
Man City.....Pl 21 Pts 42
Man Utd.....Pl 22 Pts 42
Saints........Pl 23 Pts 38
Spurs..........Pl 22 Pts 37
Wolves........Pl 23 Pts 36
Chelsea......Pl 22 Pts 35
Leicester.....Pl 21 Pts 34
West Ham...Pl 23 Pts 34
Everton.......Pl 21 Pts 32

 

Yes, despite this we created enough to win by a hatful, Gunn just had one of those nights when he was like a magnet for the ball.

 

Might try and catch football focus who usually analyse the Friday night game before previewing the Saturday games

 

Just watched the highlights and now I've seen our chances at the Northam end first half a bit better (I'm in Chapel so its a long way away) I'd have to say our finishing was a bit off last night, on target is good but straight at Gunn, not so much so

Moy had a very good game as well as KWP & Oriel, no one had a bad game

 

KWP, Tino and Perraud. Two from three. I'm struggling to think the last which we had such a (positive) selection dilemma? It's seems like every match, including yesterday, whichever two we select duly go and perform.

The thought of leaving one of them out... I'm glad I'm not Ralph.

 

More of those dilemmas all over the pitch, please and thank you

 

KWP has to play for me and I think that Perraud was very unfortunate to lose his place through covid but Tino has proved that he can come and do well, I guess we have to hope that KWP doesn't get injured as he covers two players.

 

You could add Graziano Pelle to that list, I think

 

I think Dean Smith is a bloody good manager

 

Mitchell Le Tissier getting called out by Bryan Gunn, then cacking it is my favourite Twitter thing today.