| Why things have gone wrong 08:18 - Apr 3 with 6671 views | Heisenberg |
We went on an amazing unbeaten run and looked like we could get automatic promotion but now look a shadow of that team. Would suggest change is down to.
1. Trying to accommodate Stephens into a settled back four. It’s no coincidence that since he returned the defence has looked poor. This has exposed Bazunu whose confidence looks shot.
2. RM is a one trick pony. We have been found out by opposing teams.
3. I don’t think the players are fit enough. It’s why we concede so many late goals.
4. Lack of leadership / experience. We should have brought in one or two old heads who can direct things in the centre of the park. |  |
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| Why things have gone wrong on 07:43 - Apr 4 with 919 views | sledger |
| Why things have gone wrong on 11:36 - Apr 3 by felly1 |
I agree with this.
We are way too open, Swansea under Martin were exactly the same.
The tactics and style is quite entertaining and at times very pleasing on the eye, but it's a bit of a horror show defensively.
We lack strength in midfield and we have a keeper who is good with distribution and coming off his line quick but is pretty terrible at stopping shots going in.
The manager deserves to be partly blamed for this but so does the club as they knew his background.
For me we give him next season on the premise that the new DOF sits him down and explains we need some pragmatism along with the possession ideology.
If he's not prepared to compromise then bin him off.
Stephens is an easy scapegoat.
I actually think he's played quite well since he's come back into the side.
The downturn in our fortunes occurred at home to Huddersfield.
Although we ended up winning we were 3-1 down against a poor team.
Stephens didn't feature.
We then lost two out of our next three games and the only game Stephens played was the the win at West Brom where his clearance off the line kept the score at one nil.
During our unbeaten run we got lucky at times, dodgy draws and last minute goals masked some indifferent performances.
It's hard to see us going up via the playoffs.
We look too mentally weak.
Nest season we have to bring in a better keeper and a couple of experienced CDMs and CBs and hope Ross Stewart actually gets fit. |
saints this season in a nut shell,you saved me typing it,thank you |  | | |
| Why things have gone wrong on 08:54 - Apr 4 with 836 views | saintwizzler |
| Why things have gone wrong on 07:43 - Apr 4 by sledger |
saints this season in a nut shell,you saved me typing it,thank you |
We let too many goals in.
How many times are we caught on the break or a winger is given all the time in the world to get a cross in as our full backs are too narrow and don’t close down soon enough?.
When Calderwood came in the goals against improved with the help of a settled back four, especially the TBH and Bednarek partnership.
Playing TBH at Right Back was a mistake, don’t break up that CB partnership.
Stephens could of gone in at RB when needed or sorry Captain, you’ll have to wait your turn to get back in the side!
Also this insistence in passing in and around our penalty area has to stop. Some times it has to go Row Z or long.
We have conceded the same amount of top of the table Ipswich but the difference is they’ve done the double over us.
I’m sorry but with any of the other top six club’s managers in charge, with the players we have, we’d be top 2 at present.
Nothing against Martin, he seems a nice enough chap who seems well liked by the players, but his tactics haven’t worked yet as in automatic promotion.
We well may go up via the play offs but playing this way in the PL with the quality of player we will have is suicidal.
Throw in are we going to have as good a team next season if we stay in The Championship?
WE MARCH ON |  |
| We thought that we had the answers,
It was the questions we had wrong. |
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| Why things have gone wrong on 09:41 - Apr 4 with 814 views | PatfromPoole |
The teams that are currently in the top 2 play a more pragmatic type of game, and don't faff about with the ball so much at the back.
We have a lot of possession, but we don't have that clever Berkovic type of player in a midfield position who opens up defences and creates chances.
We will need one of those for next season, in addition to a keeper, left-back, centre-backs, strikers etc etc..... [Post edited 4 Apr 9:41]
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| Why things have gone wrong on 11:00 - Apr 4 with 763 views | saint901 |
It's been said before but the way to play to get out of the Champ and the way to play in the PL are different.
The Champ demands a more muscular and physical style with direct play, more emphasis upon pace up front and creating chances knowing that the conversion ratio will be relatively low..
(Just looked it up. We have had 717 shots at goal and converted 10.6% into goals. Oddly PNE have the best conversion ratio at 11.8%. But in ratio, goals and shots, we are third or fourth in each measure).
Teams who get promoted tot he PL and continue to charge forward in the same way do not do well and usually get relegated quickly.
Changing playing style and personnel if you get promoted is necessary.
Our problem is that RM wants us to play like a PL side when we're in the Champ and he's too damn stubborn to adapt that style even for crucial games.
Those crucial games are against the top 6 teams and I suggest that our record there so far
is that they have taken more points from us than we have from them.
That refusal to play to win and instead stick to the plan will see us in playoffs. | | | |
| Why things have gone wrong on 11:27 - Apr 4 with 744 views | Ifonly |
| Why things have gone wrong on 11:00 - Apr 4 by saint901 |
It's been said before but the way to play to get out of the Champ and the way to play in the PL are different.
The Champ demands a more muscular and physical style with direct play, more emphasis upon pace up front and creating chances knowing that the conversion ratio will be relatively low..
(Just looked it up. We have had 717 shots at goal and converted 10.6% into goals. Oddly PNE have the best conversion ratio at 11.8%. But in ratio, goals and shots, we are third or fourth in each measure).
Teams who get promoted tot he PL and continue to charge forward in the same way do not do well and usually get relegated quickly.
Changing playing style and personnel if you get promoted is necessary.
Our problem is that RM wants us to play like a PL side when we're in the Champ and he's too damn stubborn to adapt that style even for crucial games.
Those crucial games are against the top 6 teams and I suggest that our record there so far
is that they have taken more points from us than we have from them.
That refusal to play to win and instead stick to the plan will see us in playoffs. |
I don't think that's right. You need physicality in both the PL and Championship. In the PL, teams have better quality players, so they play more of a possession game on average, but it is still a very physical league. If you don't bring the physicality, you don't earn the right to play.
You say there's more emphasis on pace up front in the Championship. I respectfully disagree. Teams like Liverpool, Spurs and others are built around pacy attacking players. I don't think you need to change styles when you're promoted either. Brentford, for example, play exactly the same way that they used too. It just gets more difficult against better teams.
All the top teams are physical, even Arsenal who used to be a bit lightweight and get pushed around. Now they have a very solid and physical defence (see a replay of last week's game v Man City if you doubt this) and they have added Declan Rice who has added real strength and athleticism to their midfield. The better physicality is a prime reason why they are now challenging for the title.
Teams that don't bring the physicality won't last in the PL. As an example ..... Saints last year. One of our many problems was that we had a team of midgets who couldn't impose themselves on the opposition. A few players like that is fine, but not a team full of them. | | | |
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