gio1saints

38 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

 

 

 

Exactly right. We’ve got Pompey amongst others in not very long and I’m not having lack of bite in the tackle anymore. We’ve had a too-long spell where Southampton are too posh to push to paraphrase - where we believed our football was so superior we don’t need or have to revert to the working man’s stuff. Well - we were mistaken and if that carries on early doors this season all hell will break loose.

Saints this season ARE allowed to lose - occasionally and rarely - but are not allowed to be outfought, or outthought, period. Not after what we endured last year. 

Was it MC or MLT said we need earn the right to play our football? We’ve had too many matches sending out an overentitled unfit team unprepared to do whatever is required to win and too focused on fragile tikataka forgetting the basics. 

Quarshie has already committed. I already know there’s some likely to duck out or who are simply mentally and physiologically not up for it because if theres full blooded challenges coming in - which I expect with a “ welcome back to the Championship” tag on it - there’s some of our players won’t like it and some will love it. I want the ones that love it get up and give it back with interest plus goals. They the ones I want to be playing all the time for us (in between suspensions 🤣) 

I know, I know, I should have saved this for half time at Wrexham but f&ck it I’m doing the speech now. 🤣😁

Hamer, Rudoni or Azaz. One of those at #10 please. All wanted by EPL clubs apparently but we all know that not all will get the transfer. The one that doesn’t is our guy. Saints are a better bet for going up than Sheffield Utd, Coventry and Boro - in my eyes anyway. All know what to do in the championship to score or assist. 

My how to do it guide - offer any of  BBD, SE , BK and JA in part exchange plus cash or even one of our spare defenders and they might bite. Or sell them quick and cheap and spend the ££ on one of those #10’s instead.
 

Preferably Hamer of course but he is most likely to be playing EPL anyways so it’s more likely Azaz Rudoni or that Watford Georgian name sounding guy  ( Chakakanvatdze?) instead. But we do need a creative MF attacker -especially as both MG and TD are in demand apparently. If we start with RF as our #10 ( as trialled in friendly) much as I love the wee man it’s not really good enough is it..

8 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

--------------Ramsdale

Bree-----THB--------Edwards-------Manning

<<<<<<<<<<Quarshie>>>>>>>>>>>

-------Downes-------Charles

----------Fernandes

----Downes------Archer

 

Something like that?

Assuming Tyler has gone because I’m starting him every match if still here. 

Interesting ideas on how to use his qualities. He could be a “ front sweeper” but I think best use of him is as the first contact player. Designated hard man. And let others in the team pick up the debris and distribute. 

I’m more proactive than that. Quarshie looks the sort of player that will exhaust the opposition who just keep rebounding off him and coming goff second best in foot races tackles headers and general physicality. Given the number of physical cf ‘s we will face in the championship he’s perfect IMO  to start as long as he’s got a wise head covering him and around the  flanks. We should play to his strengths not hide them on the bench. 

“Smashie”  has got a nice ring to it. Can see me giving that some airtime at SMS if he scores or indeed, smashes somebody. If Bree can get an element of grunting BREE guttural noise  sounds to emit from the stands when he touches the ball I’m sure “Smashie, Smashie “ ad infinitum has got a hope. Reminds of marvel comics Hulks slogan : “ Hulk Smash” or “hulk smash puny humans!” Can’t wait. Probably going to be more fun than the actual football by miles. 

2 minutes ago, trousers said:

I'm dusting off the red card sweepstake as we speak...

Pretty much what I warned RM and JS of last season but failed to monetise that knowledge.
The number of shirt pulls- which has become our signature yellow card - we will be receiving this season plus JQ Smashie and Flynn “give me a yellow” Downes in the team means I shall be keeping a close eye on card spreads all season- looking to buy if priced incorrectly (imo of course). 

Great interview in the Daily Echo. First time I’ve ever heard one of our players quoted as saying “ I want to win every fucking tackle”. 

This guy is going to be the heartbeat of the Saints renaissance! Got winner DNA. Superstar material. 
 

“Quarshie Smashie” needs to be a feature on here - how many opponents can he smash this season ( or put more correctly how many tackles he wins)

Depends on if he plays but I’m going overall for 1.5 players per match get Quarshie smashed. Players QS’d can be put in a special Championship smashed Hall of Fame.

Spreadex are quoting 35-40 smashes for the season which is bit mingy and you should buy imo as I’d say nearer 60 cos I think he will play a lot, smash a lot. 😁🙏
 

That this €10m figure has been outed by Hamburg is a good sign. 
IF he ever comes good he might be a €50m+ world class CB. A 20% sell on clause when we unload him for not very much could be a result for both sides. A deal to be made I reckon. 

15 hours ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Bednarek with more pace and less experience, basically. 

More pace more height less experience more talk and, importantly, more higher ceiling on his potential. Can you imagine trying to get the ball off him once he’s reached speed???? If he is allowed to smash through the centre of the park with the ball ( which he won’t) it would be like a battering ram from Game of Thrones!

He seems to have self belief about himself and what I’ve most liked is his propensity to open his mouth and play enforcer if needs be. About time we had another player willing and able to bully other teams instead of other way around. He likes a challenge for sure. V happy with him so far 

Just testing who is reading and what’s the knowledge like lol.
I do not endorse his policies but the gist is that I like it when we play cosmic alien football. It’s like a massively rare event, an eclipse of the Sun or a fancy meteorite shower - compared to so many seasons of average mediocrity. I can appreciate that even if it was versus lower opposition and that we were terrible in the EPL. Does not mean when it was glorious should be forgotten about. Or who the Manager responsible for it was.  We by now all know the bad and the ugly- but let’s not forget there was also some good under RM! 

1 minute ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

Nobody is saying he’s a bad Manager. He gives the best cuddles.

Football style however is as boring as [insert expletive of choice here].

Except when we score after a move in which everyone on our team pretty much touches the ball from goalie to back of the opposition net…🥰

I can remember some brilliant goals that made me swell with pride but then again I’d rather a flash of brilliance than a season of mediocrity or as my great friend once said “ better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep”. 🤣

We scored 91 goals in our promotion year - the year of the most turgid football of the last 65 years for some fans. But yeah he’s a bad Manager. 

1 hour ago, trousers said:

You sure about that...?  

#footiebanter

Incredible that so many people lack the mental capacity to understand what he’s saying there. If Klopp said it would it be something g to vilify him with? 
 

Liverpool 0–1 Inter Milan (March 2022 – lost on the night but advanced)

🗣️ “It’s not that I’m over the moon but I’m really happy because, especially in the first half, I liked our game a lot.”

Even when his team lost, Klopp focused on good phases of play and energy levels.

🧠 Why does Klopp do this?

• He’s focused on building confidence and resilience.
• Klopp often uses losses as teaching moments rather than scolding.
• It’s part of his man-management style — defending the team outwardly while correcting internally.

Easy to find other example of “ proper” top managers who have said pretty much the same thing. It’s not the sign of a bad or stupid manager that done make him out to be. Other stuff he said or did- maybe- but that quote-desperation time using that. 

12 minutes ago, Dusic said:

Well Still said about him and Downes that they couldnt train for the next 10 days because of their knocks so that pretty much rules them out of the remaining friendlies and therefore would assume the Wrexham game at least.

I imagine something will happen with him in August anyway as we need to raise some cash and he isnt going to be extending his contract.

Good spot. Given Stills’ logic no way THB or FD are playing Wrexham. 
We have cover at CB but in the FD role we are def short. Perhaps why Sesay has been brought along? I don’t know too much about him apart from Still seems happy with him so far and he’s done ok. 

JR has shown more attacking intent in his minutes so far than anything I’ve seen of BBDAACARSSE.

Our current forwards are not attacking or entertaining. At all. They are boring negative predictable and disappointing. And on bloody high wages too which makes it worse. All seem frightened to do anything  effective or unable - to do anything effective - with or without the ball. 

The best players make it look like time has stood still for them. It’s effortless. MLT would drift past players without pace just skill god knows how but he did it. We seen glimpses of that with JR recently and TD last year. Occasionally KS did it. Never two games in a row though or even two halves. But rest of them? Pedestrian ball passer -backers frightened to lose possession. They Cannot run cannot time a run  make space for anyone or anything cannot fight hard cannot bloody shoot are rubbish in the air and completely silent all match ….wtf are they doing up front then go and get a job window cleaning or something else useful.?!?

Not one player looks like he’s loving it and bringing his game to the table. Not one. Maybe Gav- just.,Quarshie is giving it some but the rest, really?? Wake up Saints! 

Yeah - I’m getting Into posting  froth form for the season ahead nicely. 😁😇

Our players looked half a yard slower everywhere on the pitch -again - so all I can assume - desperately trying to find positives - is he is still beasting them in training and all this will come good latter part of the season. It’s obvious physical conditioning is being prioritised much much more than we’ve seen, certainly in last two preseasons. Friendly Results in that case will be affected for sure. Without fitness all the other football stuff won’t work so I guess he is resolving the big problem first- triage style. 

Just now, hypochondriac said:

Only positive is :

Fernandes in proper position 

Downes 

Dibling maybe 

Downs 

 

Are all players potentially to come back 

Charles Downes 

Dibling Fernandes Robinson 

Downs 

Is a very different setup to the one we have seen so far. 

We are desperate for a player to be able to HOLD the ball final third- and that’s probably why we don’t pass to our forwards. None of them can hold the damn thing. 

Well that was awful. 
Only bright spots were GB and Shea. 

Negatives? So many but our entire forward line is basically weak. JR was the only player took someone on tried to make something happen. 

I can see Bree made case for himself in the starting 11 but frankly our attacking intent-and ability to attack - was absolutely rubbish. The best players were those who didn’t play! No cohesive approach to our play in either half. Just looked hotchpotch and there were many times we were totally dominated. They were by far the better team and the draw was a real fluke for us should have been 5-1 or similar and would not have been unfair. 15th in Spanish 2nd division last year. Got to be a big wake up call. 😵‍💫

14 minutes ago, coalman said:

Worth noting. We _still_ haven't had a shot at goal despite being 1-0 up.

Definitely this is a big problem. They’ve had I think 6 shots on target first half. We’ve been shockingly bad final third. Woeful. 

GB and Shea best players for us. Best I’ve seen of GB! 
 

AA and CA largely anonymous.
We’ve conceded far too many chances. MF too porous. 

Play like that away in Championship  could easily be 3-1 4-1 down at half time. 
 

Scruffy first five minutes. 

I wanted to remind myself on sone stats from last champs season: 

Saints conceded 63 goals from 49 matches. Or c 1.3 goals per game. We conceded c. 4 shots on target per match - so roughly one shot in three on target went in! 

With Ramsdale in goal, or a gk of that quality- all things being equal, he will save more of those shots. 
 

Im assuming the opposition have the same 4 shots on target every match as last time we played championship. 

IMO : Rambo will let fewer goals per game in than GB and AM. Those 2 were the goalies who played last time. 

How many fewer? If you said 25% better that might represent 25% fewer goals conceded. Ie from 63 down 47 - 16 less goals! Getting to under one per match - which is a figure a promotion achieving team should be aiming for. 

Conclusion  : if AR leaves we must get a starting goalkeeper replacement.- not rely on the previous goalies. 

18 minutes ago, CSA96 said:

It's 2025 and the 'chatting up' of football transfers happens on WhatsApp, regardless of where clubs/players/agents are at any moment in time

Really? I had no idea. 

3 minutes ago, CSA96 said:

Today was a travel day, with Wednesday and Saturday as game days. So there's only three solid days of training to be had: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday (and maybe a bit of today and Sunday on top, if they fly later?)

If a player is injured and isn't participating with the group, why would you stick them on a plane drag them over to Girona for three days of training which they can't even join in with?

May as well leave them with the larger medical/rehab team back in Southampton, with access to better facilities, and get them to rest up and rehab for the games that actually do matter

Because they are less likely to be chatted up if they are in Spain with teammates. And they might feel the love more surrounded by mates. Especially Tyler. Psychologically speaking it’s not brilliant.
I can swallow the they are injured so leave them behind argument if you like but quite literally the only person not “injured” who is not there is Jan. Him leaving is hardly a revelation.

Still seemed to suggest who was or was not going would be meaningful - I think it is despite the “injured” cover story thats developing as the bona fide reason. Sry to be suspicious on this just don’t look right to me.