The Round Ball Game - II

[johncorrigan]

One of those games where you just feel it is going to be your night. Great effort from an injury hit Saints side, who always looked a threat from what limited possession we had, and there were a few heroics defending the lead.
Got lucky with the touch on Mane in the box, but so it goes. Such a shame not to be able to see this team playing after the dreadful stuff we endured at home for a couple of years.

Ings back on target, sainty...great result for you and Ralph.

[cloughie]

One of those games where you just feel it is going to be your night. Great effort from an injury hit Saints side, who always looked a threat from what limited possession we had, and there were a few heroics defending the lead.
Got lucky with the touch on Mane in the box, but so it goes. Such a shame not to be able to see this team playing after the dreadful stuff we endured at home for a couple of years.

Good win ts, has the top half of the Prem ever been so changeable and unpredictable. I think the usual suspects will be in the final top 4 but the current visitors add a breathe of fresh air which is much needed at the moment in more ways than one! However Covid could still declare the whole season a score draw!

[jayne lee wilson]

Yes, I'm feeling sour and sad today after the third frustrating 90 minutes in a row. Draw-draw-defeat is no disaster, but Ben Fisher's comment that "the title is now in Man Utd's hands" was over-excited and absurdly premature as I'm sure Mario would be the first to admit. One thing you can't do with this season is predict it!

Injuries have played a big part in our inconsistency; we've coped well with our various makeshift defences, but missed Henderson badly from midfield; Jota even more upfront, with loss of form among the usual front three, Mané excepted. Sheer fatigue is a factor (harder to stay there than get there etc, opposition always try that much harder), mental and physical, too. Trent Alex's rangefinder has lost its usual penetrating accuracy. But credit to Saints and others for sheer determination, organisation and concentration in keeping us out...

We have time to recoup precious energies before that summit meeting on the 17th....but not many Reds will look forward to the FA Cup tie this Friday with Villa.... with a necessarily much-changed side, which will probably be dumped out.

[cloughie]

Yes, I'm feeling sour and sad today after the third frustrating 90 minutes in a row. Draw-draw-defeat is no disaster, but Ben Fisher's comment that "the title is now in Man Utd's hands" was over-excited and absurdly premature as I'm sure Mario would be the first to admit. One thing you can't do with this season is predict it!

Injuries have played a big part in our inconsistency; we've coped well with our various makeshift defences, but missed Henderson badly from midfield; Jota even more upfront, with loss of form among the usual front three, Mané excepted. Sheer fatigue is a factor (harder to stay there than get there etc, opposition always try that much harder), mental and physical, too. Trent Alex's rangefinder has lost its usual penetrating accuracy. But credit to Saints and others for sheer determination, organisation and concentration in keeping us out...

We have time to recoup precious energies before that summit meeting on the 17th....but not many Reds will look forward to the FA Cup tie this Friday with Villa.... with a necessarily much-changed side, which will probably be dumped out.

Jayne - if they are dumped out by Villa that is no real disgrace compared to what the Owls may have to live with as we play Exeter - previous seasons show that Exeter like ‘having a go’!

[teamsaint]

Yes, I'm feeling sour and sad today after the third frustrating 90 minutes in a row. Draw-draw-defeat is no disaster, but Ben Fisher's comment that "the title is now in Man Utd's hands" was over-excited and absurdly premature as I'm sure Mario would be the first to admit. One thing you can't do with this season is predict it!

Injuries have played a big part in our inconsistency; we've coped well with our various makeshift defences, but missed Henderson badly from midfield; Jota even more upfront, with loss of form among the usual front three, Mané excepted. Sheer fatigue is a factor (harder to stay there than get there etc, opposition always try that much harder), mental and physical, too. Trent Alex's rangefinder has lost its usual penetrating accuracy. But credit to Saints and others for sheer determination, organisation and concentration in keeping us out...

We have time to recoup precious energies before that summit meeting on the 17th....but not many Reds will look forward to the FA Cup tie this Friday with Villa.... with a necessarily much-changed side, which will probably be dumped out.

I’m sure that Klopp knows better than I do, but I always favour having as few changes as possible, even if that means fielding a weaker player in one position.i would think that Saints would have been happy to see Henderson playing at the back.
One noticeable but unpredictable factor in last nights game was how effective our young subs were , despite it looking a very weak bench. But it often repays if you have faith in people.

The comment in the Guardian about Man United was presumably meant to be provocative, but came across as plain daft.

The TS system predicts Liverpool to finish top, city second United third. But it isn’t an infallible system,and its a funny old season.

[Mario]

Couldn’t agree with all the comments more.

I consider that Saints performance to be one of the finest defensive performances I’ve seen for a long time. My money is still on ‘Pool to be champs, I still think Man Utd are flattering to deceive, and ts, I still think you’ll finish above us.

Now, will ANYONE wish us luck tomorrow against citeh?

Mario

[Alison]

Good luck tomorrow friend Auferstehen!

Very engrossing match last night, congratulations to teamy and Jayne gracious in spite of her stated sourness.

Ralphs post match tears will have endeared him to many. A tribute to Liverpool in its own right.

Bring on forum Derby Foxes v Saints 16 Jan.

[jayne lee wilson]

Couldn’t agree with all the comments more.

I consider that Saints performance to be one of the finest defensive performances I’ve seen for a long time. My money is still on ‘Pool to be champs, I still think Man Utd are flattering to deceive, and ts, I still think you’ll finish above us.

Now, will ANYONE wish us luck tomorrow against citeh?

Mario

Come on you Reds!

[teamsaint]

Couldn’t agree with all the comments more.

I consider that Saints performance to be one of the finest defensive performances I’ve seen for a long time. My money is still on ‘Pool to be champs, I still think Man Utd are flattering to deceive, and ts, I still think you’ll finish above us.

Now, will ANYONE wish us luck tomorrow against citeh?

Mario

Not because of your nice comments, but because I am definitely not in the ABU camp..... good luck Mario. United, Liverpool, Arsenal.....proper big clubs...just IMO of course.

I wonder if the ABU tendency is stronger among fans of other “ big six” clubs ? i don’t sense it elsewhere, but I know other United fans who often refer to it.


Edit : Still happy to take that pint off you......

[jayne lee wilson]

Intriguing first EFL semi tonight, high motivation on both sides you'd think..no silver for Spurs for 13 years........ any Bees fans around here?
Main thing will be a plan for the Kane-Son thing....

Definitely keep an eye on it, join it for the second half at least.....tonight it's ET and then penalties if deadlocked at 90'.....all I want is some drama!

[teamsaint]

Intriguing first EFL semi tonight, high motivation on both sides you'd think..no silver for Spurs for 13 years........ any Bees fans around here?
Main thing will be a plan for the Kane-Son thing....

Definitely keep an eye on it, join it for the second half at least.....tonight it's ET and then penalties if deadlocked at 90'.....all I want is some drama!

The new Brentford stadium looks much more boring than I expected. But the fans would doubtless be delighted to be there.
I’ll be watching. The emotions from the 2017 semi and final still seem fresh.

( Didn’t know it was play to a finish tonight. Love the two leg semis,which have a special magic, but as that cannot be, this will do nicely)

Edit.. they seem to have switched the game to North London....

[Leinster Lass]

Yes, I'm feeling sour and sad today after the third frustrating 90 minutes in a row. Draw-draw-defeat is no disaster, but Ben Fisher's comment that "the title is now in Man Utd's hands" was over-excited and absurdly premature as I'm sure Mario would be the first to admit. One thing you can't do with this season is predict it!

Injuries have played a big part in our inconsistency; we've coped well with our various makeshift defences, but missed Henderson badly from midfield; Jota even more upfront, with loss of form among the usual front three, Mané excepted. Sheer fatigue is a factor (harder to stay there than get there etc, opposition always try that much harder), mental and physical, too. Trent Alex's rangefinder has lost its usual penetrating accuracy. But credit to Saints and others for sheer determination, organisation and concentration in keeping us out...

We have time to recoup precious energies before that summit meeting on the 17th....but not many Reds will look forward to the FA Cup tie this Friday with Villa.... with a necessarily much-changed side, which will probably be dumped out.

Never mind, love! Leinster lost as well, but I have robust plans in place to survive until they get back to winning ways.

[jayne lee wilson]

Interesting comments from Pep today about élite football continuing while the rest of the world shuts down..."An island inside society".......
Key workers or bread & circuses? Take your pick...

So much talent on the pitch in the derby tonight, nothing less than a thriller will do! Sad that Cavani won't be there though...as a former languages academic, that looked a very dubious, misunderstood suspension to me......words live almost entirely through context.

A word for Colin Bell - RIP, to a faithful, gifted and creative servant of English football, unluckily for him at a time when we couldn't even qualify for World Cup finals. As you watch the verve and speed and firepower of Kevin de Bruyne tonight, consider the similarities...

[Mario]

Interesting comments from Pep today about élite football continuing while the rest of the world shuts down..."An island inside society".......
Key workers or bread & circuses? Take your pick...

So much talent on the pitch in the derby tonight, nothing less than a thriller will do! Sad that Cavani won't be there though...as a former languages academic, that looked a very dubious, misunderstood suspension to me......words live almost entirely through context.

A word for Colin Bell - RIP, to a faithful, gifted and creative servant of English football, unluckily for him at a time when we couldn't even qualify for World Cup finals. As you watch the verve and speed and firepower of Kevin de Bruyne tonight, consider the similarities...

Re Colin Bell – beautifully put Jayne, I remember him well, as a fine player.

As for Cavani, contextual linguistic differences notwithstanding (as I myself have sometimes found out to my own personal, “non-British”, cost), nevertheless as another Man Utd fan put it on another forum, the Club must take some responsibility in ensuring players’ tweets, texts, etc are properly scrutinised or supervised, particularly foreign players. That word that he used was always sailing close to the wind, and much as we shall miss him, the FA really had no other option open to them.

But we’re still good enough to win without him, aren’t we, I said, AREN’T WE?

Mario

[johncorrigan]

Re Colin Bell – beautifully put Jayne, I remember him well, as a fine player.

A wonderful player in a great team.