SouthWalesSaints

Luckily for the club Millwall have sold out so it’ll mask the attendance and still be 29/30k. Was hoping JWP signing might bring a few more in late on. Clearly hasn’t worked.

Scienza of the left winning multiple free kicks in JWP favoured area, gives me the horn. They’ll have a choice, foul Scienza and JWP gets a dead ball or allow the little magician to weave his magic. This is a top signing.

Only 2000 home tickets available plus corporate. You’d imagine that with some sales tomorrow morning we’d hit 30,000 in all. What are the prices for those without season tickets?

On 60k per week, making Peretz uncomfortable with all the noise around Ramsdale.

Carragher an Everton fan still?

Goalscoring, physical, left footed footballing defender. Profile. TICKED.

Massive game. Let's get back on track.

Agreed, no sell on value but a low fee. We lack physicality and some men.

32.6 kmh fastest speed last season which is quick as well.

Bristol City were down to 10 at 0-0. Norwich were down to 10 at 2-0. Personally feel we're a better side and they'd be delighted with a point.

I write this from a good place, and I’d like to think an educated one as well. I’ve managed nearly 700 games and at the top end of non league football. Managed professionals, ex pros, analysyts, sports scientists, been in the hat for the first round draw etc etc. I’ve also attended every game since December (my last job) and I’ve fallen in love with this team and our manager. But… we’re on the cusp of it all going tits up. I’ll give you what I’ve seen and what i believe our issues are. Goalkeeper - I think it’s clear we’ve got a top one who is a big character, distribution has dropped off a cliff, and I think he doesn’t trust our back 4 without THB. Long isn’t good enough, clearly by how little he’s risked in cup games. That’s worry number (1). Defence - Bree - gets booked to often, doesn’t overlap his winger enough and looks a shadow of the lad who wanted to earn his big contract. Manager clearly doesn’t rate Mads Roerselv or however you spell it, so like last season he’ll be flogged and we have no depth. (Issue2) Wood & Stephens both good partners, reminds me of Claus when Svenson and Richards left look a fraction of the player without THB, have to sign a proper player... and replace 6/7 goals .. come on to that later oh and one that can start our build up (issue3). Like manning, Wellington is fine as back up, poor tonight though. Central midfield - Jander & Downes - top players can both run and look after the ball, nice balance between them. Matsuki I think when we’re chasing games late on can play in there, but not ideal. Can’t see Bragg being a player for a top team in the league. One paced, physically weak, doesn’t break lines and if we’ve got issue 3 of no THB we’re going to rely even more on our deeper midfielders to start building us up. We need a midfield player in the door like NOW. Can’t believe that signing Dobbin was seen as more of a priority than a midfield player. I think this is the biggest reason for our laboured start (issue4) Wide players - Scienza and Edozie from left is very good. Former is our best one, will get 10 goals and assists. Happy, I personally like Archer more from left than edozie presume he wants to play central and has bigger wages so edozie as back up is fine. Like Bree will want to earn a new deal so he’ll play hard. There is a player in there, not sure we’ll see it but I think he’s working hard as I said and offers bits from bench. Matsuki & Fellows - not got enough, huge huge issue. Both can only go one way, both are slow to cross, both are back up players for me, and Matsuki is ahead of fellows as at least he offers aerial ability and physicality. We have a forward in Larin that needs crosses, can remember goals from left being scored. Oxford & Blackburn but can’t remember any time when balls come in quick from right low and hard. (Issue5) 10s - Azaz - with Larin our best player. So clever, makes stuff happen, takes risks, our Bruno Fernandes. Doesn’t care if he gives it away 10 times, because he’ll find a pass for a goal. Dobbin - wrong profiling.. and this like mubamba worries me. Physically weak, quick enough, can finish but again we had archer - 9 million wasn’t needed to be spent here. Like Archer he’s a second striker not an azaz replacement. So again like Peretz and Bree we still have no back up for azaz. So prepare him to be flogged like a horse again (issue6) Forwards - Larin is top, losing Stewart was a travesty. I understand the fear of injuries but I can’t imagine at £30,000 per week for three years would be seen as wasted money ( 4 million quid ). When again we’ve signed Dobbin for 9 million. Muamba, has been profiled wrong to replace Larins mins. He’s poor back to goal, and like Peretz, Bree & Azaz we have no back up striker to play that role which is a travesty. (Issue7) The biggest issue though is with the data of the team, something that surely Saints internally have looked at. We need 80 goals this season minimum to get autos. You cannot get those numbers from this team. No matter how you play out the maths even in best case scenarios. Armstrong/Stewart - lost 22 goals THB - 6 Goals Charles - 5 goals ( plus cup ) Somehow we’ve got to replace 33 goals from our team… Larin can score 20 so he’ll take Armstrong’s. But making a case for 60 from the rest isn’t feasible. Scienza and Azaz will get 15-20 between them. We still need 40 goals from Matsuki, Fellows, Edozie, Divin, Downes, Jander, Dobbin. Based on last season and I’d imagine that both Divin and Dobbin are on reduced mins we’d be lucky to get half the amount from those guys. It’s hard to make a case for 40 goals. And the issue that our only goal scoring centre half is leaving. Manning can chip in so hopefully that continues. We have a lot of work to do in this last week, I’d even go as far to say that we need 4/5 players through the door and it feels massively unlikely. Centre half, an 8, a right winger and a forward … if I’m being greedy a big mobile centre half who can play RB as well as CB. Konsa type profile. The profiling is huge, we’ve signed two players this summer who don’t fit how we play. Dobbin as a 10 and Divin as a 9, so let’s hope spors gets the next ones right. Tonight was depressing. Onto Saturday.

Source? West Ham have sold 3000 so we'll likely get close to 20k tonight.

Probably because for Leicester in the cup we attracted 16000 fans... if we sold out they may have done it again. Who is to blame? Already sold 17000 or tonight.

And I get that, but same can be said for a business. Especially one who’s having to sell its best players to stay in line with financial fair play nonsense. Fine, don’t attend at £22.50 but don’t moan that much, it’s not that different from £15 all things being equal. People want something for nothing from football clubs, reality is they rarely get that.

Anything under £30 seems acceptable to me. However, I think they should have gone for £15 personally.

I don't see it as idiotic. Everything has gone up with inflation and i cant ever remember footie tickets being less than £25. Even for cup games.

Pompey had loads left in the shed on Saturday.

My understanding is that it doesn’t get scanned, it doesn’t count at WHU.

At least he couldn’t play against us.

Horrific. Genuinely horrific.

On to the next one. I always like a cup game, less bothered if we lose but enjoy a win similar amounts. Peretz Mads Wood Quarshie Wellington Bragg Matsuki Edozie Dobbin Leo/Archer Divin Hopefully they go weak, big Divin scores again, Leo plays himself into form, and we setup a trip to Arsenal. Although I like Archer and do hope we hang onto him past window. Up the saints.

Right first off … THB is gone. Huge shame… but I don’t think the panic is needed. Yes we’ve gone backwards SO FAR with the squad but we’ve not fallen as far as i would have assumed after the fallout from last season. The league is better than last year argument, everyone says that every year. The points available in the division don’t change. Milwall came third last year and had a better season than us with a squad that isn’t comparable. Our target is 91 points ( average to be promoted in the league in 2nd place ) obviously for us that means 95 points. 28 wins, 11 draws, 6 defeats. We don’t have to be better player for player than Wolves, Burnley, West Ham. What we do need to be is more consistent. Those three teams aside I think we have a better squad than the other 20 odd teams. So we have to be good at beating the teams worse than us. Out record last season under a good coach, was exemplary from January onwards. I’ve seen nothing, even in the Watford game to suggest that we won’t dominate most games this season. We’ve got a top keeper, a centre forward that’s better than any in the league IMO. Azaz, Scienza, Jander, Downes, Bree, Manning, that every club would take pretty much. The difference this year is the manager, he’ll get us up. I genuinely believe that. We’ll sign a defender, we’ll sign a midfield player, and I reckon we’ll have a loan or two if we can shift some others. Relax, win on Saturday, beat milwall, 4 points from Brum and Lincoln, another 4 from B City, Swansea, and we’ll be geared up to beat them down the road. Liverpool signed Isak, Wirtz, Frimpong, Ekitike, and got much worse for it. Signings aren’t a given to work, so let’s keep our heads a little. Oh, one last thing. Don’t boo if it’s 0-0 and we’re being patient Saturday. Rushing passes is why we lost v Watford. Up the saints.

I’m proud of my city, my club, and I like us to be viewed to have a decent fan base. Hence embarrassment. I suspect others feel the same way, I’m fortunate to not have to worry about money but I understand money is tight and i think it’s over priced. Slightly. But I also think supporters expect something for nothing these days. If you can afford it and would pay £15/20 suck it up and support the club. I’m also 40 years and can’t be assed to argue on a fans forum any longer 😂. So I’ll bid you a nice evening.

Didn't he come in after Still left, was definitely before Jan.

I'm generalising idiotic football fans. I reckon you fit that narrative, do you shout shoot from 40 yards, and ffs pass it forwards 100 times per game as well. Please speak English in the first sentence.