Hee, hee, finally back home. Watching saints with Ralph at the helm is like watching Syd Barrett experimenting with LSD, it's really surreal. I think I like it in a kind of alternative reality way.

0

Why Walcott, what has Stewie Armstrong done so badly to not get picked over him, I really do despair with Ralph at times.

8

In my view, we lost two points against Burnley because we chose to go toe to toe with a heavyweight slugger, rather than be smarter with our lighter and more nimble players.

Saints best player by a country mile was Livramento.

Burnley, aside from Cornet, have little guile or craft and instead rely upon a series of long balls to a bully of a centre forward (why was he not at least booked?) or throwing the ball in from wide. They had little in terms of midfield because they never really use it. Their midfield is there to stop the opposition from playing up to what is a static and rigid back 4, sometimes a back 6, and passing around them. That was clearly their tactic and we fell for it.

The centre of our midfield (Romeo and Diallo) both had decent games. But, how many times did we see one of them challenge for a ball in front of a Burnley forward who was also be challenged by Bednarak or Salisu? The result was often that a ball dropping into the centre of the pitch was picked up by a Burnley player and not Diallo or Romeu.

In short we lacked quality in the centre of the pitch and chose instead to throw long balls into the channels which left Redmond and Walcott chasing against bigger and stronger opponents. Against Leeds (a poorer side with no real tactical plan), we took the ball forward in the midfield and fed Redmond etc with better precision and effect. Boroja won a lot of aerial challenges but I don't recall any of the flick ons reaching one of our players.

The right side moving forward worked well but Walcott, once he had pulled his defended inside to give Livramento space, thought his work was done. He then idled with no real further contribution. Elyounoussi was wasted by playing on the left. As we saw against Leeds and others, he is a right sided player and whilst I thought he was no worse than others, he was not as effective.

Bedranal and Salisu were also average. Perraud was limited because the players in front of him were not allowing him the space.

RH is partly to blame here. He spoke pre match about how Burnley were not just a long ball team and then picked a team with no quality in the centre of the pitch instead choosing to go down the flanks (to cross the ball into the box against 3 or more six foot plus defenders?). Surely somebody with the ability to put their foot on the ball and more it forward toward the Burnley back line, feeding our quicker forwards would have been better.

The best player we have for that is JWP who was unavailable. This shows the threadbare nature of the squad.

Finally, what was the point of the goal kick routine? McCarthy worries me a lot. His kicking is erratic and his positioning questionable. If he cannot be trusted to kick the ball to a red player, why is he in the team?

An opportunity lost in my view because we played to Bunrley's game and not ours. Look at the last ten minutes when we pressed and played on the edge of their box. Unfortunately it also showed a lack of creativity with JWP.

An opportunity for two more points lost.

-3

Agree with the ratings: Broja, Salisu, and especially Livramento were class; the two DMs were solid; Perraud and Walcott were poor. Redmond was Redmond: he did some good things, looking dangerous with the ball at his feet, running at the defense a bit...but poor decisions still plague him after all these years. A couple of posts question how he could possibly miss from two yards out--I'll tell you: if you are at the back post when a cross comes in from the right, hit it with your left foot ffs! How on earth a professional football doesn't have the sense to do this I'll never know. All he had to do was stick his left foot out--he didn't even have to swing it or try to make solid contact! Instead he sweeps with his right, predictably drags it past post, and looks amazed when he didn't score...ok rant over.
Overall an entertaining match but it's so frustrating continually outplaying opponents and not getting three points. Last three home games: 53 shots to 17. 3 goals to 3. Not just speculative pops from distance, either: Ely and Redmond have managed to miss from less than two yards out, Walcott and A.Armstrong misses uncontested shots from near the penalty spot, etc. Can't blame Ralph for that. The results haven't been there but the team is entertaining, creates plenty of chances, and outplays their opponents. Have to think we'll come good at some point.

5

Admittedly I had totally forgotten that Burnley - somehow - have bought a very good offensive player whom I remember very well from last seasons Champions League, playing for Lyon. Max(well) Cornet. For 15 mill. Euros. 5-year contract. A fantastic signing. He scored both their goals, and Burnley came away with a point, because we couldn't score more than 2 goals. We should have scored at least 4, and everything would have been ok, but Tino hit the inside of the post and Redmond missed an absolute sitter as did Walcott.
We didn't look good in defense when Cornet scored in each half, and McCarthy didn't save us though he had a reasonably good save from a side-footed low, deflected shot from Chris Wood.
We gave Cornet too much space on both his goals. I thought we had moved on from conceding such easy goals. But no, not against Burnley, which was such an important match.
Disappointing!
Broja did well again and scored another memorable goal. This time from a good assist from Diallo and credit to Walcott for the clever run he actually did to try and give as much space as possible for Broja to aim and shoot.
In hindsight I would always have started with Armstrong in stead of Walcott, though. And if Armstrong was not fit enough for a starting place, I would have played Tella.

2

Please give me a good reason why Theo gets to start in front off Stuart Armstrong he basically offers nothing anymore.Again a game of lost chances should of won this game comfortably, and why subs on way to late to alter the game.

0