CSA96

WS interview on the club website - BBC interview coming just after 2pm apparently Reflections on the game... My reflections are that it showed exactly where we still need to improve. It shows why we still need to strengthen, as well. But there are positives: Damion came on and got his first goal, the first bunch of players have got 90 minutes in their legs, which is what we wanted. We've again finished off a big week of work and intensity in training to get to where we want to get to. We don't need to be ready right now and we knew we weren't going to be. Like I said at the start, that just shows where and what we still need to do things. The two goals conceded... I think the first one's unlucky and then lacks a bit of communication and decision-making. The second one is ridiculous. I can't understand how that is a penalty. But you're in Spain and with a Spanish referee. Hopefully in the Championship that won't be a penalty because there's nothing there. But we can improve on the first one, 100 per cent. We should communicate. I'm not looking for excuses but when you change the back line, that's always something that you're liable to then happening. I think it was a fair reflection of where we're at. Damion Downs... It was a great finish and a great move. But we could only play him for 20 minutes, os that's what we did. We pushed him a little bit further but we know he's got quality, that's why he's here. We want to surround him with a bit more quality and a bit more personality. I think that's what showed today. The week as a whole... All defeats are annoying, especially in the manner of the goals. But it's not important right now, the main objective is to be ready when we need to be ready - and to keep working on the things that we need to work on. As a whole, the week has been really positive. We've had time with the players, we've had time on the pitch and time altogether. That's what we need to focus on. Playing at St. Mary's next weekend... Buzzing. We've got a good week back at home, preparing and getting ready for the Championship to start in the week after. Obviously, playing in front of our fans for the first time is one that we will look forward to and it will be good.

We've not used any loan slots yet, tbf. Think it's fairly possible, maybe go as far as likely, to say we'll sign a 10 and a wide player, and loan one more in before the window shuts and PL clubs decide who isn't in the fold

I find it hard to care about preseason results, and a Championship team losing to a La Liga team isn't concerning at all. But the manner of the performance does concern me a bit. Look totally devoid of ideas in the final third. A load of people who want to finish a move but nobody to knit it together, to pick the pass, to commit. On the one occasion we actually gave our new striker a decent look to work with, he buried it and scored

Has anyone actually given Damion Downs a few passes to work with?

Subs on 62 mins On: Wood, Manning, Sesay, Downs Off: Edwards, Welington, Fernandes, Archer

Exactly, I don't know why people keep expecting him to do anything other than run off the shoulder and shoot, plus a bit of sniffing out chances in the box when there's a scramble. That's his entire game He can't link the play and create for other people, it's not who he is. Speaking of which, have Saints ever had a small striker up front on their own and had success with it? I don't recall anyone making it work

Tell a lie: Quarshie and BBD replaced by Bree and Robinson

No HT changes today, first time Still has done that. Pushing up the minutes for the starters

Think there's a point in this. We've got too many people who want to finish an attacking move (Archer, Arma, BBD...) and not people who can actually create the openings, getting themselves into the final third and opening up space (Dibling, Fernandes with movement, running, passing... Downs with link up play)

That’s it for me. Until you have Downes, Dibling back available and Downs has some minutes in him, I’m not sure what else you can really do with the forward options at this point, unless you prefer to see Stewart/Robinson

Came off injured against Castellon

Is it not pretty obvious why goalkeepers and strikers are a bit different in that regard?

The Athletic say Rangers made a loan offer with a buy option of £10m and it's been rejected by Palace

I would probably be trying to ship one of them out, for sure. Add some more quality out wide (where we are painfully lacking) and keep the other four together as our options. Given RS is unreliable with injuries, you'd effectively have three to compete for one spot most of the time and Ross being fit would be a bonus fourth option and help if you wanted to play two

The rest of the division would probably find this mental. Our striking options are an embarrassment of riches for most Championship fans I would never argue they are good enough for the PL, but if you look at pretty much every other club in the division's best striking options, they might have one player with a goal return that touches the track records of our strikers On top of that, we've also signed Downs, who is at international level for the USA at the age of 20 Cameron Archer Appearances: 40 Goals: 18 Adam Armstrong Appearances: 248 Goals: 80 Ben Brereton-Diaz Appearances: 230 Goals: 57 Ross Stewart Appearances: 16 Goals: 10 *Championship games only

Will Still on whether Saints can keep Mateus Fernandes: "I hope so, I hope so. I know he's a good player." "I know there's interest. I know there's a lot of noise around him. That's normal when you've got quality players like him, but I think the club has been clear. "If he leaves, he'll leave at the right price and we'll be able to replace him. I'm not too worried about that. I don't want to get involved in all the rumours and stuff. "We know that as long as he's here, we can use him and he'll be good. And if he goes, then I'm sure everyone will come out bigger and better from it. "He's quality. He's got that little extra about him. He's got that creative spark. He's interesting in the lower positions. "He's got the game in front of him, but it depends on the game, it depends on the scenario, and it depends on where he is physically as well. "We've just done his first minutes, and we just wanted to introduce it. He's got that versatility that we can use and be creative with, so I'm sure we will be."

We should be signing new wide players so that we do not have to rely on him whatsoever, he's just not good enough

I thought we looked great. Very energetic, lots of attacking endeavour and our new sky blue third kit looks great too Wait... Castellon were playing in blue? We're that other team? Oh fuck

Given our serious lack of any sort of options/depth out wide, Sam Edozie had a big chance this pre-season, especially being in from day one. He has not taken it at all, for me Still no end product and lets himself just drift out of games

FT: Castellon 1-1 Saints

'I'm glad there's not one of those in the Championship, or I'd get myself into trouble'