Saints must be fucking horrible to play against. They press and defend like I would imagine Klopp would coach a rugby league team, right in your faces defending from the front. They’re a bit like us when we won the league in the sense that they just grind you down mentally and physically, leading to silly mistakes which they then punish. Fans of other clubs always say to me players turn to shit against you and do stupid things and that we aren’t that good but it’s because we grind teams down and they do those stupid things.
Been a joy watching saints the last few seasons, hopefully we can make it three in a row.
Woolf has certainly got Saints defending on another level. I think for last season and much of this, we looked pretty uninspiring with ball in hand, very methodical and conservative. The odd spark of entertaining rugby, but generally an 'arm wrestle' approach.
Since young Dodd has come in at 7, we've looked a different team from an attacking perspective - especially when Welsby has partnered him.
Two halfbacks, aged 19 & 20, looking like top, top talents, and dominating games. Superb stuff.
That's just part of a wider programme of bringing players through from the Academy. We'll likely have 7 of the starting 13 on Saturday who've fully come through the ranks, plus Walmsley and Batchelor who we signed as young and unproven players from lower-league, part-time clubs.