Match Day Thread Newcastle vs Saints, 20th April, 17:30

You sir, are a sadomasochist. I feeling guilty for even contemplating our achievements last week. I'm back to taking 17th!

 

Name, shame & quote. Then people will debate it.

 

Okay, I'll start. Josh Sims.
Love the little man, but starting him here was a mistake. They didn't want to take on his skill, so they just bullied him out of it. And it worked perfectly.

Want to add any usual suspects to the list SF4L?

 

Exactly it’s irrelevant to me how many yards to goal they were to go Newcastle were in with two on just the keeper! They weren’t getting caught either I was close to level with the foul at the ground, they would have walked that in

 

That's not excitement that's fear. I will be on my holibobs so can't be there, but I hope all Saints fans at the Hudders game have a nice lie back in the sun whilst discussing next season, followed by the team and their families walking round to cheers and waves.

 

I seem to remember that you wrote off the young, inexperienced JWP a few years ago Ian.
You may well be right about Sims but it is way too early to make a judgement on a young player with so few matches under his belt IMO. He has already proved more useful in a creative sense than Mo El has for example and plays in a position where he might have some quiet games if he is being defended and marked out of it well.

 

Ian, what did you think of Sims last weekend against Wolves?
Be good to get some balance to the Newcastle game.

 

Sims is fast and creative...he isn't a powerhouse, but he can earn his corn with us. It opens opportunities if a team set themselves up to negate his qualities....may make him look ineffective but he has value as a distraction. He has shown that he has some value....now he needs to prove to Ralph that he is the real deal.

 

JWP was played out of position and it didn’t work at all. He has neither the speed or the physicality to play as a wingback or a full back, which were his positions in the first and second halves respectively. Sacrificing James’ best position further forward so that Sims could play was a big mistake by Ralph. He was obviously left on second half for his set pieces, and we should have scored about 5 goals from them, but we needed what he brings in open play when he plays as a 10.

In fact the whole first half was like watching men against boys, so dominant were Newcastle. Ralph has to learn that while we can play very well (up to a point) against the more footballing sides, most of the teams in the PL only have a couple of skilful players, with the rest being physically strong and imposing. The only players able to combat Newcastle effectively yesterday were Lemina with pure skill and Armstrong with his aggression. Even Højbjerg and Romeu were bullied off the ball too often, and the whole of the defence might as well have been traffic cones.

 

Four at the back with Stephens at RB and JWP playing in midfield would've made a big difference to our first half performance, we were simply outnumbered in midfield and I sincerely hope that Ralph ditches 3 CBs now.

 

Agree 100%. Stephen did really well as an overlapping full back against Wolves, albeit was only for the final minutes.

 

Gus Poyet, apparently.

 

Are they still only giving away about 1,000 seats to away fans up at St. James? Or is it cos we didn't sell many?

 

Why are we anti-Brighton again?
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They have the potential to by a bigger competitor than Cardiff. Get rid!

 

Codswollop. Does the law have a distance? Is 30 yards a goal scoring opportunity and 32 yards not.

They had two players through with the ball in our half when JWP cleaned their player out inside their half. Our nearest player was 10-15 yards away. That is a clear goal scoring opportunity. If we had a def beer with their other player, I’d agree with you. We didn’t and they were in on goal... I’d have given the red if it was on splayed like that, but two players? Bleeding Nora, that’s a clear chance.

 

My apologies if I'm wrong, but I'm sure you were one of the people in January telling me that JWP would be an option at RWB, when I and others were lamenting the decision not to replace Cedric.

Leaving Valery as our only RWB was never going to be a wise move.

 

On that, I'll happily side with you. Stephens wasn't great (again), but he was nowhere near as dire as Yoshida. But Maya will regularly get a free ride.

Both WBs were poor too - or at least until they became FBs in the second half. (But I'll happily let JWP off, because that is just not his position.)

 

JWP - crucial goal line clearance as well!

 

Not sure I was one of them. I’ve always thought JWP would be best as a 10, except in emergencies, which yesterday wasn’t, because Kayne Ramsay was on the bench.