Match Day Thread Saints vs Leicester City - Tuesday, November 25 - 20:00 KO

But not every team needs a Russell Martin

 

https://youtube.com/shorts/tt3MrAfRO8Q?si=u6gmtwiFrPe9OiCV

 

28c too hot
3c and warm clothes, proper footy weather
We were and are that good

 

That's fine as we always blow teams away in the first half and settle for a 0-0 in the second.

 

Mainly us playing safe and maintaining a big lead TBF
Less appealing for fans, but understandable for team, inc less injuries and yellow cards

… excluding stupid Flynn

A LOT of empty seats in away end, cold game and on TV, so no reason to worry

 

As an ST, I was gutted I couldn't make it last night but the household is full of winter ills and so we all stayed in. Watched the highlights and also had some considerations around the setup of the team and it has me thinking that Tonda isn't afraid of making changes to suit the game at hand and what is coming up next.

- As much as we'd love to see Saints go and smash more goals in, once a game is won ... make the subs, play it out, think about the next one
- THB, Wood and Quarshie were a powerful selection against a team that had pace and power. He matched up to a degree so that they couldn't easily hustle us. No doubt this would have been explained to Stephens (i.e. no offence captain but Fatuwu will destroy you for pace. Quarshie can handle that and knock him about a bit)
- Although his yellow was a let-down, the experience of Downes was right for this game (vs Bragg). Just hope we don't overdo it with Jander as someone else pointed out.
- Having Scienza, Armstrong and Azaz constantly move around each other is currently a masterstroke. Defenders can't set up against them as they're not set into position. Tracking runs from deep (such as Azaz's for the goal) is a nightmare. There was no-way Vestergard and Faes were going to handle that.

Obviously a little luck sprinkled in helps but at the moment it's all great. Teams will begin to try and work it out and counter it and that will be where Tonda will need to earn his crust some more.

 

Lots of melting down on the Leicester forum but this one made me laugh (posted at 11pm last night)...

"I’ve just heard, Vestergaard has finally arrived back in the box to defend the second goal"

 

And for a fraction of the price.

 

Only just seen this!

 

Although I understand why, I really wish we hadn't taken our foot off the gas last night. It was perfectly set up to give them a proper arse kicking. Need to get a result on Saturday to justify it. Still, if that's all we've got to moan about then can't really be too unhappy!

 

I thought the first half was scintillating. Up until the first fifteen minutes, I felt Leicester were the best team but we broke with far more effect. The sending off changed the match and I felt we were lucky that the first goal stood as it was off side.

Once we got the second goal , we took control of the game for the remainder of the match. Scienza missed a golden opportunity to make it 4 nil. The second half lacked the excitement of the first yet was a masterclass in preventing Leicester getting the merest of toe holds. Not sure how many times they managed to touch the ball in our box.

All in all , I felt that this was the most professional performance at St. Mary's since Koeman.
We need to tie down Tonda.

 

Gotta love football humour

 

The championship as we know is brutal. It makes a lot of sense to manage games and minutes out once it's won. Boring though that is.

 

The second goal was against eleven men, so either we took control of the game at that point, or the sending off didn't change the match. You can't have both, Ian!

Scienza's chance (great save) was to make it 3-0 too.

 

TBF the sending off may have saved them from a 5 or 6-0 loss, so yeah, you could say it changed the game.

 

Ok I’m sold, Tonda it is.

I actually liked the way we closed out the game at 3-0 up. Why risk conceding or injury by going at them in the second half? A massive problem was our inability to see out a win, which we’ve done twice now.

 

As I've banged on about it like I'm Peter Shilton or something, being a former-goalie, I can say that this is 100% correct, the elusive clean-sheet is always great but making a great save at an important time, to ensure the clean-sheet, is a real confidence booster.

Hopefully, like Saints performances, Bazuna can add to the 'making me look like a twat hill'. I, for one, hope he and the club do this for the rest of the season. I'd be happy to be the biggest twat on the planet

 

Thing with Baz is that he enables us to play the way we do and the fast transition. It really is Russel Martin very very very lite. It is the composure and confidence at the back, without the pissing about. Forwards thinking always.

Watch him have a howler v Millwall now.

 

You will have to settle for second , I beat you too it