I probably work on too much of a rational and pragmatic (often verging on dull) basis when it comes to football. But Iâm becoming increasingly concerned about tonight.
Needing to score at least 2 to avoid penalties is the main worry. Midtjylland showed that they can shut down a game (using spurious tactics if necessary) and weâre simply not firing. Playground logic dictates that on the form of our last few games, weâre not good enough to do the necessary.
Still, wouldnât be Saints if there werenât a few twists in the tale to comeâŚ
What if we win 1-0?
âŚThough that said, if we score one early, our chances improve dramatically.
As pointed out on SaintsWeb:
0-1, we advance.
0-2, we advance.
1-2, we advance.
2-2, we advance.
It wonât allow them to park up and theyâll have to come at us. Also means we can afford to go balls to the wall and throw everything at them.
Damnit, I couldnât slip out of âlogical modeâ for more than 10 minutes. Such a crap football fan!
Originally posted by @Goatboy
What if we win 1-0?
I reckon theyâll score at some point. Most likely from a jammy set-piece.
Canât believe the numpties over on stevesweb. âWe have to play 6 up frontâ otherwise we will play hoof ball and they will eat that up type of posts.
Playing Mane Pelle Tadic & JRod up front is a recipe for disaster because they simply will not get the ball, didnât ANYONE watch Midgetlands tactics?
They will press us, squeeze out the space to build from the back by isolating the defence & DMâs from our forward players, that leaves a gap needing a long ball OR we end up with our attackers dropping deep to pick up the ball and adding to the mess.
It was like watching my old Pub team play football - we had lines across the pitch and 10-20 yard gaps between the lines so everyone goes hoof rather than moving the ball in groups of 3 or 4 players in short 5 yard passes. We let them isolate uys at SMS and being over attacking rather than being possessive in build up will be a recipe for disaster
------------Stickleback-------
-------CaulkerâFonte-- Maya
------------- Romeu-----------
Cedric/Tadic-Read/Davis-JWPâTargett/Davis
----------------Mane/Juanmi-------
------------------Pelle----------------
Cedric is the perfect wing back in our squad BUT lacks height and has been suffering that whack to the head since last week Tadic HAS to step up to the plate and deliver, but as a wing back will he do his defensive duties? If we put JWP there who do we have left in CM to actually hold the ball and make a pass?
Targett as a wing back is the best defensive option we have but is he effective enough when he gets forwards hence my question over where Davis will play.
Mane is first choice to start but has his dead leg/ knock cleared up enough?
Oh and also in ALL this build up why hasnât anyone asked the clearly obvious - I HOPE WE HAVE BEEN PRACTISING PENALTIES question
So Iâm sat in an airport and canât get BT Sport on my phone so Iâm going to need some updates on this thread.
But I only want to hear good news.
Line up: Stekelenburg, Martina, Fonte, Caulker, Yoshida, Targett, Romeu, S. Davis, Ward-Prowse, Pellè, Rodriguez.
Iâm surprised nobody on here has launched into a full meltdown and started wildly criticising RK yet
In the sort of same boat here.
we will win this game trust
Ten minutes until history. intiniki is completely oblivious,
I genuinely hesitate to use the word âretardsâ normally. But that pre-match thread on SaintswebâŚJesus Christ.
what is the furthest SFC have got in Europe ever? Are we already there?
Iâll swap âretardsâ for âbellendsâ actually. Utter bellends.
I think that when we beat Vitesse, that was our first European win for something like thirty something years. We are not good in Europe. No practice. I think weâll need to be on good form tonight. I am wondering if Big Vic being out of the travelling party might not be a bad thing. Great player, but if he really is asking to leave, he is not going to be a positive influence. At the same time, little bit scared of how we cope without him.
We got to the Quarter Finals of the European Cup Winnerâs Cup in 1976-77.
UEFA Cup-wise, weâve never got past the 2nd round (1981-82). That was obviously pre-Europa format with group stages etc.
Come on you fucking Saints!
(Now you canât say that on Stevesweb. Or Scunthorpe)
Them green shirts are a problem on TV ainât it. Weâre all shorts + heads.
Ooooh! Unlucky chaps. Letâs spank these Krona wielders. These bacon enablers. These bastards.
Good effort from the fans there. OWTS nice and audible. Itâs like our version of Thermopylae. The 500!