gio1saints

The Will Still comments on Gavin are NOT a glowing endorsement. They’re the kind of comment you would make if you did not want to say anything bad but do not have much on the upside. Because they are NOT a glowing endorsement either Will Still does not do glowing endorsements ( he does- see Sesay) or he is of the school if you not got anything good to say say nothing(much). Referencing recent matches as “ proof” does not fool anyone either. Gav made maybe 3 saves let 3 in was it? It’s not proof it’s a figleaf to enable us to suspend disbelief until he finally sorts out this goalie position. Seems to me Still plays his cards close to his chest , is potentially effing ruthless and his heart is most definitely not on his sleeve. It’s in his head. Good. Gav will start Wrexham but will Gav still start by windows end if he lets in a bad one or two ? Because most pundits would agree Johannesson is certainly >or better than GB.

Interesting if Will starts any of those. I really liked the shape we finished the Brighton match with. IF that’s going to be our default shape (3cb’s plus 2wing backs plus 2 sixes,) then the only improvement I can see is in changing the front three around - because all the others seem effective in those roles. A front two with a new recruit #10 is something they may have in mind ..

My best team so far plays 3CB with two aggressively attacking wingbacks a double six, our new striker, our best old striker and our boy wonder: Bazunu Ronnie. Stephens. Quarshie. Sugawara. Welington Sesay. Charles Armstrong Downs Robinson Subs : Alex, Wood, Manning, Bree, Fraser, Archer, Stewart, & any two not tactically or genuinely injured/ being protected. If starts I’m putting ££ on Sugawara / Downs to score!

Thank you @Holmes_and_Watson- I think my ( some consider pompous and self indulgent - others more kindly simply foolish) impulse to help others has its origin, like so many, in early formative years. Partly that - and partly an ever-on acute awareness of my neurodiversity and its manifestation by being very willing to spend time considering the alternates to the “status quo” position. Quite often that’s seen me espousing unpopular minority views and positions here. Some might say being a saints fan is the perfect example of supporting an unpopular minority view - but the irony of other saints fans roasting a fellow supporter for same is quite probably lost on most!

I think it’s the context - not many teams have a shiny new EPL stadium to fill and justify by winning matches this year. Everton do. They will fill the stadium but will they win matches? They couldn’t beat us at SMS last year so a big stadium filled with disgruntled supporters “ starved” of winning and of star quality players may not be pleasant. Having a couple new box office players - like Tyler- is at least some way to moderating the downsides. Albeit v expensive way.

Everton would love a new Rooney/box office star. I guess they see Tyler may be that. He may just as easily be Tottenham’s new Paul Gascoigne…

I don’t think this thread is much about him anymore. It’s about the pain and shame many supporters felt last season. Currently personified in him. The anger can reside long after initial cause has passed. Today, this, (and the match day thread ) are an easily accessible meeting place for people to release / manage that anger ( or disgust/sense of betrayal/ hatred ) It is probably doing a good job. It’s not a technical critique thread as much as an emotional outlet thread for Martin-sufferers. Martin= is still anger & shame for some, and those are very real and hurtful emotions even if he is long gone. And people like me, instead of attempting to deny the validity of those emotions by “ arguing” that he was not as bad as people make out, should really take a slice of humble pie and understand that is not the way to deal with iT. Denying the validity of people’s anger does nothing but further grievance and dig upset deeper. If posting on this thread makes people better able to cope then, wether it’s the invective aimed at Russell, the emoji derision or the ❤️backslapping of anger filled posts - or whatever it is - if it helps Saints fans reconcile to the present then as long as it’s legal - go ahead! 😇

I do hope we’ve used Everton to flush out Spurs or even Newcastle as you say @Gloucester Saint. Spurs minus creative talents of Maddison -and Son - leaves a Tyler Dibling sized gap. They might be in need of a new, creative, Paul Gascoigneseque star I’d say. Thinking box office type player. They did a fine job with Bale anyways so might be an easy sell by the owner - to Tyler and his family - it’s just could we screw enough money out of him…🤞

I think he’s currently on £5k pw. That was from when his transfer value was £1.7m. Im unsure what a player valued at £45m package gets paid in salaries these days- does £100k pw on a 4 year deal sound right? Too little? Too high? Anywhere he goes the Kid essentially wins £20m+ just by signing his name. Does not even need to be any good anymore either once the signature is there. Just what is the fucking point eh? What’s the motivation once you’ve got all that and you are still essentially a child? He’s won nothing achieved nothing yet he’s an instant multimillionaire. I’m sure that’s the biggest thing his family are worried about and I hope he’s encouraged to mature further at SFC rather than go that other route. He WILL be an International he WILL play at a very high level. He’s literally only 18 years old ( 19 soon). Mature and get grounded at Saints is what I hope he does.

That’s An unsubstantiated rumour I’m afraid.

Will Saints have a team where all the starters are at the apex of their form ever again? Time after time we sell anything that’s got a whiff of a chance of playing CL or top EPL quicker than you can say “ player trading organisation”. I don’t want us to sell Tyler or Mateus. Keep them ffs. Make a special team not a special P&L account this year please. It pisses me right off. If We just somehow managed to keep all the talents together for a while we might just breakthrough. As it is we are just a feeder club, like the ancient Maya - sacrificing our best children every year to the Gods ( the big teams) in the belief we’ll have a good harvest. It’s a fucking death cult, a racket. oh - and SR I buy my ticket to see the talents and the hopes - not the accounts. Fill the team with mediocrities soon enough your spreadsheets will look same.

Saints 2025-2026 17 home wins 12 away wins 10 draws 7 defeats Gls scored : 76 Gls against : 46 Plus 30 GD 97 points: Automatic/play-offs. Joshua Quarshie : POTS Jay Robinson : YPOTS Championship team of the season : 4 players : Quarshie, Edwards, Charles, Downs. Pompey matches : home draw, away win : 4 points.

Wrexham play a fairly regular 4-4-2. Brighton played 4 at the back but was something like 4-2-2-2 with double sixes (holding/defensive MF’s) ahead of the back four. First half they stumped us but second half Saturday a reversion to 3CB’s plus two wingbacks worked. Perhaps we will start with that v Wrexham as our starting Brighton set up seemed too passive. We looked much more aggressive with the flying wingbacks both sides. And Ronnie, Stephens and Quarshie should be able to hold that back line even with balls played into the wide spaces - neither Ronnie nor Joshua are slow!

We shouldn’t. BUT if Flynn wants a chance of a medal and European football and does not find the thought of another slog in the Championship all that appealing AND Rangers pay him well ( which they probably cannot) and can afford him ( which they probably cannot) then it’s a possible. Plus this niggle he’s got at a funny time. Probably nothing but I do have a flag raised in my mind on him.

Ok have it your way. He’s been linked with Rangers can’t see it happening. Happy now?

Agreed. But I think he is going to be on the bench this year a lot. He and Saints might be better off him getting games. Don’t want him gone but just being pragmatic. Then again he is a direct replacement if DD fails or gets injured I guess.

Just a hunch he might go and the figure is a guess-estimate - but is anybody really paying what we paid for him nowadays anyway? Seriously? I think RM would love to have him. I want him to stay but it’s a hunch. It is the transfer speculation thread right?

My current views: Mateus and Tyler are as good as gone. Ditto Sam Edozie & Joe Aribo - if JA lowers his wage demands. Will Smallbone is now in final year and I’m sensing he’s not going to get renewed. Club may just let it roll. Or sell him to another Championship club for £3-5m. FlynnDownes is a very good championship MF but could be a star in Scotland - I think he’s going to leave for £10m if Rangers can find the pennies that is. THB may find suitors ditto Nathan Wood - but not both - I think one will leave the other stay. And the sellable one is obviously THB. Got a hunch Stewart will go out on a loan just to get minutes in his legs. DD is obviously ahead of him Also think we may recruit a veteran goalie as back up or even starter - the free agent Still knows is the favourite.

My view on the match : High up central Itchen was a better view but less noise than my mid Northam ST😁. Fraser played his best game since the last Championship season. Not a high bar perhaps but a Timely return to early Fraser. Put in a lot of hard yards. He’s fit for sure. If Flynn, Mateus, Tyler, Smallbone and Aribo are all “unavailable” - as likely - then he’ll start v Wrexham. And deserve to on that contribution. Im hoping Sesay will start also. A big match and he did not wilt - he flourished. Showed mature confidence, -and skill-and applications that made me nod my head in appreciation. New rough diamond we may have ourselves! I love it when we blood kids and they do well. Love it!🙌. Stephens haters turn away now. Best game, like Fraser, since the Championship days. Looked a real captain at times, some important blocks, calming distribution and actively supporting / encouraging kids like Jay and Sesay on the pitch. Quarshie partnership obviously good - -but most of all that final three CB’s solution with Ronnie , Quarshie plus the attacking wingback pair Wellington and Sugawara really clicked.👍 It might just be the optimal / default defensive formation this season. Especially as I don’t see too many teams coming to SMS and attacking much. Having a flat four may be too passive for home matches - especially with Manning and Bree not as dynamic offensively as Suga and Wellington. Gavin did good/ok. Conceded two and Just one bad pass - but several very good saves and generally good distribution. No criticism on the goals and he seems fit and confident. Obviously starting v Wrexham. We will and need get another GK in - but I am reassured he is in decent form for the early games of the season. Apart from the penalty Adam was quiet. Ditto Downs though he made a few good channel runs. Think they are both going to start. Cam was a bit more lively towards the end and unlucky not to score having had several decent attempts blocked. All three to start next week. Jay Robinson came on against Tired Legs ( Brighton’s new Danish full back 😉) & looked great. Think that’s a plan for this season. Got a feeling he’s going to start from the bench, initially, until his legs can take 90 minutes. He will be targeted by hatchet men defenders but he’s got a lot about him and he’s a starter by Xmas I hope. Lastly my twin MOM - Shea and Joshua Quarshie. Build team around them. Herculean effort. Great I’m not being subbed off attitude from JQ - made the penalty, should have done better with first half header and cleared everything in the air away - which he will need to do in this league -got done twice by that excellent winger but no disgrace and his sum contribution to team fuck off we are not getting beaten bollocks was excellent. A star is born.

We finished strongly but they should have been out of sight. It might have been the formation change- if so kudos Will - it was way more aggressive having two full backs actually getting over half way line and both Wellington and Sugawara looked the part - or it could have been personnel - Jay was great - or, as I also suspect, Brighton ran out of gas a bit and after 0-2 kind of relented. Just happy to come away from SMS seeing we got a team that’s got heart enough to come back from 0-2 after all we went through last year.

Before anyone gets too happy - Brighton took foot off the gas for sure after second goal and if it was 0-2 at HT would not have been totally unfair. Got a hunch our subs were better than theirs. And we were fitter than them also.

Quarshie who made the equalising penalty happen by winning that header from a corner? Who headed away countless crosses? What match were you watching? He was an awesome presence especially staying on when most players would have limped off several times.

Edwards is a well tidy player!

Are we fitter than these? Is that’s what’s happening?

Quarsie header was stopped with hand. Def 100% handball.