The Kraken

Looks like a complete change of personnel. If my stream wasn’t so shit I might be able to make out who is actually playing.

I think Saints need to find a way to keep Oriol Romeu at peak fitness throughout the season. Hopefully having Lavia will do that and allow OR some rest in between games as he proved last season, he can’t play 90 minutes effectively every week. In that half he was IMO our stand out player, just keeps things ticking and breaks play up. A very effective player. Smallbone did alright, Edwards looked lively, not much else stood out. Disappointed with Diallo, just can’t impose himself. Being as we’ve got a mini crisis at full back, I wonder if he can do a job there, cos he’s not really doing one in the middle of the pitch.

Yep, like the look of him. Very raw but always looking to do something positive. He’s not ready for a starting first team yet but hopefully a few cup games and sub appearances to come in the season ahead. The only issue is where will he play, he looks like he’d thrive in a central role in behind the striker(s).

It’s not the players, it’s how far up the field the wing backs are. Seems very deliberate of the system itself, I’m not criticising the players (though Thierry Small is a bit out his depth just now, needs time to develop).

I was thinking that! We’ll concede tons of goals with this system. Diallo hits the bar, nice move, should score there.

It’s an early pre season friendly, they’re always awful. The later ones aren’t much better either.

We are getting absolutely burnt down our left side.

Yeah not the best stream. We’re very much playing with 3 at the back, but we have no presence out wide so looking very vulnerable especially on the break.

Looks like this Austrian outfit play in purple, so likely we’ll see our new home kit tonight.

Seems to be Diamond Edwards in a wing back role, according to the way it’s been listed by the club. I thought he was more of an attacking player. We’ll see soon I guess. Does seem strange that Bazunu is not going to get any game time.

Sometimes you’ve got to do it, but I can play my course any time I want so I’ve rescheduled for Wednesday when it’s a more reasonable temperature. My folks have got a holiday apartment on the south coast of Spain, I go there a bit, last time was in May and I played golf at a cracking course called Los Arqueros (Seve designed) when it was 32 degrees. It was actually ok, but only insofar as we had a buggy (it’s 90% buggies down there as it’s so hilly and spread out). Don’t think I’d have made it walking.

Currently 27 degrees in Southampton, only scheduled to get to 30 today and tomorrow so looks like we’ll miss the worst of it here on the coast. Go inland a few miles and it goes up, Winchester heading for 34/35 today. Whatever, I’m glad I cancelled playing golf today, a bit too warm.

Don’t be a dick. Literally nobody is suggesting todays game is a big indication of too much. It’s just early feedback on a game people watched, and providing opinions on it. Kind of the purpose of a fans forum. Our starting lineup won’t be anything like what we started with today, in the first or second halves, it’s just a bit of discussion about those who played. Nothing more.

Has she scored more than Harry Kane though?

Got a knock in training, as announced by the club pre game.

I don’t want to quash your enthusiasm in the slightest so I’ll just say: have another drink.

It was noticeable today just how short of options we are at full back. KWP aside, we have Tino long term out, Perraud out until who knows when, Valery a liability at RB, and Small who while only young looks like he’s got some improving to do before being first team ready. I reckon Ralph might be going with 3/5 at the back to mitigate that, it gives him slightly more options at wing back. Problem is, I don’t think they’re particularly good options. If we’re starting the season with Djnepo in the first XI I’d be worried. Think we need to get in the market for a full back, especially if Perraud is out for a bit (and Ralph doesn’t seem to rate him that much anyway). Not sure if we will though, I’m guessing likely not.

First half yeah, though Djnepo got forward a bit more. First half was strange, no pace to the game, very much a kick about where both sides passed it about a lot and there was plenty of space. Second half was a bit livelier.

Well, one should never read too much into pre season games. But there wasn’t a huge amount to be optimistic about in those 105 minutes. Bazunu looks good, Lavia a prospect, not much to be really confident about outside of that. We look horrendously short of creativity up top, outside of the goal I don’t think we troubled their keeper.

Oops

Should’ve been 2-2. Poor ball from Smallbone, poor miss from Small

Can someone please explain the offside rule to Thierry Small.

McCarthy just does not make saves.

A Armstrong equalised with a nice header then we conceded a couple of minutes later.

Poor defending from Simeu.