gio1saints

Jay is away with England atm -so in the practice and training matches between now and pompey it will be Ryan Fraser and Leo Scienza on that left hand side. Which means Will should be able to have a good look at Scienza in particular to see if he can do the job he wants of him at LW. I think I’d not find it surprising - but disappointing - if Jay was dropped for this home match though in favour of old hand Fraser. Jay scores v Pompey he’s set for life and probably knows it. So if he’s given the chance I think he’s totally going for it. And I reckon he will score. Who wouldn’t go mental if Jay scored?

With neither Mads nor Jelert in the Danish squad and Ryan Manning away with Ireland plus Bree andTaylor gone plusWelington injured there will be lots of time for Will to practise a flat back four with those two newbies as the full backs ahead of pompey..

I think the key factor in the back 5 back 4 debate is that we now have better full backs and wingers. The upgrade in quality from before to now is massive. It means we can play a higher quality back four than previously available - and with higher quality attackers than previously available. Having better defensive full backs in particular allows us to imbue our new and better offensive wingers/attackers with more licence to do what they are best at-attack and score. We don’t have to keep telling them about defensive responsibilities shit so much. I Expect to see a back four v Pompey accordingly.

He looks like he can play defensive midfield. But he won’t get the chance now we have back up. That’s what squad depth is for. But if he does not play by jan expect he will be sold or loaned.

I think he will realise that eventually. Prepare for some extra sucky fluff piece on Leo from him in near future…

If you put what the Constantin guy was basically saying into the context of Scienza’s career trajectory it makes passable sense. But he’s still a cu&t for trying to piss on our new player before he’s even kicked a ball. So I hear what you said mate now fark off. 😤 In effect, the obvious snide dissing aside, he’s said Scienza is on a mission. Mission of Impatient to score and impatient to achieve. Impatient to rise up to the highest level he can. One can infer he has frustrated coaches due to that drive and strong self belief that he has aka EGO? The German Coaches mates of the reporter who have moaned about him no doubt wanted to help him become a good pro- but I don’t know- maybe they are not used to that type of player & such attitudes? Without getting too stereotypical about it I would not be too bothered hearing how a Brazilian winger/#10 who loves to score dribble shoot do tricks plays futsal and no doubt had the crap repeatedly kicked out of him doing so in Sweden and Germany lower leagues does not particularly find defending fun! It’s hardly breaking news - But it might be coming from a reporter in a country that is renowned for prioritising discipline. I expect that from my Brazilian wingers - and its Wills job to give him freedom to score the fuck out of every game - if he can. As for not liking being on the bench….Good! Thats an attribute not a problem. Saints need players who do not want to sit on benches but who want to score and show what they can do- and most of all have the balls to put there hands up and go for it if and when they get the chance. So that guy and the idiot from the BBC can go do one. And Adam you should not have retweeted that pile of shit either so black mark to you as well - youve got off on wrong foot with Leo - and me(😂) and need sort yerself out!😁

@Farmer Saint are the Capology figures with the (40% off or of?) reduced salary relegation clause included? Either way yup it’s mental. Do you have any ideas on the salaries of the incoming newbies yet?

Leo Scienza first interview for Saints delighted me. He has charisma, intelligence, poise. And talks in an heartfelt way. And most of all a big smile! I can almost guarantee he is going to become a massive fan favourite if that approach translates onto the pitch. A late arriver player who until recently been in lower leagues realises it’s Xmas because he joined Saints is a romantic story I’m sure not just our media will pick up on. He’s going to be a star.

Worried that palace might go for THB now they’ve sold Guehi…

Who got injured 6 mins into his debut you mean and missed first two months but then played in 23 matches plus very well for Brighton against us the other day? THAT Matt I’ Reilly? Hardly missed an entire season did he😂

Plus there’s the problem of having five strikers potentially vying for just one place if we have Azaz and Fellows playing ( and Scienza?) As it is it looks like Armstrong Stewart & Downs are on the bench - recruit another forward and that’s four strikers out of the nine subs. IF ( and I do not expect it- if these forwards misfire they will get rotated and we will get a better one in Jan) another one comes in surely someone must go out on loan or get sold - my guess would be the one in his final year ( RS) to at least get a fee out of it.

I notice Matt O’Reilly is off to Marseille on loan. I always had an idea he’d move this window. Shame we cannot afford him ( nor would he drop a league and muss CL football!) but great player and I guess we have Azaz in that kind of role now- though he can play false #9 ( like he did v us in preseason). Think there were some scoffing when I mentioned his name before but my hunch he was moving was correct.

Incorrect. Your definition of “rivals “ and mine may differ - you may count only Ipswich and Foxes maybe Leeds as such - but I think it’s more logical to consider every Championship team a rival. You get same number of points for a win or draw whoever it is. We went clear of several other teams who could have stopped us getting a play off berth if we had derailed and started losing more. That’s what the unbeaten run helped us deliver - an opportunity to go up via play offs. Not get mugged off finishing 7th or something. Easy mistake to make though @trousers on a forum where the notion that a record unbeaten run must be mocked not applauded seems to gain credence with every halfwit who repeats it (not you of course!)😂

That was before he made the comment about scoring. 🙂. Are you suggesting to drop Manning for relatively unknown quantity Jellert - for the Derby match?? I think the three UK based newbies make fair sense - but not Jellert right off the bat imo. It’s a high pressure match for players who have been around the block a little. Im not sure, for example, that Jay should start that one either. Better as a last half hour sub and let Fellows Azaz Fraser and co do their thing. They have dealt with derbies before.

I’m not quite sure Ryan is quite ready to be dropped after those two goals. Ditto Cameron. Will Still has already said if you want to stay in the team you have to score. Can’t see him dropping Manning after two excellent strikes then so Jellert will probably be bench for Portsmouth IMO.

My challenge for Will is to put as many of the good new players we have into their known best positions - the positions in which they have done so well they they have come to Saints attention and we bought them. Id be wary of attempting to “ convert” these new players to play other positions or ways of playing. They are joining a team that fell well short last year. So, instead of asking the new ones to play like the players they are replacing I hope Will creates a structure in which the new players can flourish immediately. How? By engineering it so they play in the same way - in the same spaces - or near as damn it - as they did for Brentford, Boro, WBA, etc. THAT is his biggest job imo. Don’t try to fix the new players - play them in their best positions and focus on fixing the old ones to adapt accordingly. And if the old ones don’t or cannot adapt. Move them on.

Just for you @benjii a Huey is a spew and a spew is, well, a kind of vomiting. Most Cockerels know that and those that cotton like.

Open yer minces me old mucks. You acting half a brick ain’t yer?

Both him and KWP played very well indeed. I like him playing with their #10 Paqueta who is a top top and very intelligent footballer will bring him along for sure. Mattie is a star player basically and destined to play for his country in big matches my belief.

He’s been a right cheeky toy! Getting the old Nicks and pulling a Huey like that. I reckon his troubles got into a right eight over all this!

What rumours?

It’s a good point. But strikers who can come good straight away in our league cost £20m plus in this market. £130m in the EPL! We recruited defenders and midfielders and wingers at great prices. I reckon the opportunity to bring in a proper ready forward can only be realised once BBD is gone ✅Edozie is gone Aribo is gone. AND more controversial - one from Archer Armstrong and Stewart gone too. Don’t see us buying Downs to loan him out. Can see a surprise leaver in the front line though. But if not they are probably plenty good enough anyways over the season. It’s a squad game not just best 11 and ours is probably the best as it is

That’s a good argument but - please hear this - By your own brand of logic - and to be consistent - in all the games we won or drew other than with Leeds you must also feel that his tactics DID work - because we got promoted right? The Job was not done just in the final match but also in every win/draw that enabled us to get to the Final. All the win/drawmatches count - or none of them count - as Martins tactical success. You cannot have him failing for 42 matches succeeding in just 3 - you know put it that way it’s obviously not so. So maybe without realising it, you have shown yourself to be someone with a deeper more holistic understanding of football than most! 😃

Calling someone a coward online from the safety of your computer desk miles away…😉Irony is lost on you.

Get your point totally valid. My explanation of why three CB’s is that Still worked out rather quickly our full backs cannot defend. They all fancy themselves as wingbacks. On the other hand we have 4/5 CB’s who know what there job is. Defend . Fairly easy decision to play 3 of them when the rest of the squad is still in transit I’d say. He may/ will change after the window IF we get a better defensive left back - though if Manning keeps scoring could be hard…