Saint Fan CaM

We should be bossing this but we’re giving up midfield. No targets up front.

Robinson trying to do too much.

I was just about to write that - idiot.

Welington looks to be in all kinds of pain. 😬

Stoke looking like the home side! 🤨🙄

Defence is looking shite.

On the plate for AA - he slips over. Poor.

Another chance for AA - poor.

Wide? That was nearer the corner flag! 😉🤣

Manning in the bench as Will fancies not conceding early. Stephens in back three - disappointing but inevitable. AA up front…good for an early press - again inevitable. It’s going to be a difficult day.

So you think Sugawara is more able to perform well than Mads? OK then.

I agree with those saying we need to keep Quarshie in place to gain experience and create a solid partnership with Stephens (would prefer THB but Cap’n Jack will never be replaced unless he’s injured). I believe it’s been confirmed that Mads has had a good pre-season, so it would be strange not to get an international defender straight into the starting 11.

Will believe he’s gone to Everton when I see it on the OS. I thought Still said he was available for selection this weekend - perhaps he’ll use the opportunity to come in in the 88th minutes to wave goodbye? Perhaps he’ll get injured by a burly Stoke slugger and the transfer put into doubt? If it comes into being then I’m pleased that it’s Everton who have had their pants pulled down. I mean - £45m + on a nipper that’s got some tricks, but has hardly played like a £45m player for us. He will go with my blessing and sigh of relief that it’s over. I’m sure many of us will be watching his ‘development’ closely.

Meh - bye…thanks for the £££…hope that mean’s Fernandes stays.

How many more in this ‘fine harvest’ then? Can’t see that that information would sink any ships.

Great signing for Goztepe! 😉 Should walk straight into our team as a starter - Prem quality albeit not a big name. Have to remember who he’s got next to him in defence though - that’s going to knock 20% off his game. Overall happy with this signing.

That’s true - there’s still time to get it right. The trouble is we know the turn around in the squad was a huge undertaking and so far there’s been so little relative movement, added to SR’s previous performance in the market, so it’s not hard to understand why there’s so much pessimism. I think there’s slightly more chance of Fernandes being sold than Dibling, but either way those two go and don’t get replaced with quality and it’s the same old watering down of the squad as we’ve experienced time and time again.

Yeah I was just thinking that with two clubs now in the race, its highly unlikely we’ll be able to resist an inflated fee. If either/or Dibling and Fernandes don’t play at the weekend (minor knocks in training!) we’ll know why.

Think this could be our first home defeat of the season. Stoke may well have only played lesser teams but they’ve still got to do the business…be well drilled etc. Their GD after 2 games shows they know where the net is. Going with 0-1 or possibly 1-3 if the wheels really come off. If we end up with 3 points I’ll start to believe Still is the real deal because this match would previously have been a big banana skin.

That might be funny if it were not somewhat likely to come true. There’s still time to come out of the window with a couple of quality signings and with a bit of luck Fernandes still in place. I dread to think how the season will pan out without more creativity in the side - we’re 1 or 2 injuries away from a bad run of form.

Agree with this - madness to expect a youngster to have a fully developed game. He’d have cost £40m and would be playing in a Prem side if he were the finished article. Think he’s doing ok.

Take it all back - the lad has really improved this year and particularly since he’s had the ‘Martin shackles’ taken off him.

Fair enough. I don’t think he’s ever played down the middle for Saints or at least very rarely, but as you say that was where he had his best performances regrettably pre-Saints.

Put Manning on who stands off against their player will be a disaster IMO.

Saints doing ok but there are some big questions over the defensive coaching when five at the back. There are still scars from RM and last season. Cant help but think that’s connected to Stephens and THB.