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"Don't worry, they are only friendlies"


saint_stevo

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Bull.

 

We are yet to win a match against 3 teams of part-timers and Cheltenham....The Ajax game was as expected but the others we really should have done better, reserves/youth players or not, our players do this for a LIVING.

 

It is too easy to find excuses. We should have at least beaten Totton and Salisbury, and at a canter.

 

Falling into the losing rut is not somewhere we want to be, don't see us beating Hearts or QPR either.....So going into the new season without a pre-season win, coming off relegation and on -10 means that billionaire owner or not, staying up should be the target for this season

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Hearts will be more of an indication of how we are I feel.

 

I agree, it sounds like Henderson was still running things tonight, AP will have had a few days, hopefully begining to piece together his squad for next year and will have begun to have an affect

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Of course we are losing these friendlies. We are still 10 players short of having a competitive squad. Just look at last seasons squad, which finished 2nd bottom in CCC and was therefore probably midtable L1 quality, and think about the players we've lost.

 

Surman, Size, Skacel, DMG, BWP, Euell and Smith. All karp to varying degrees, but all selected ahead of the players we have left. Given that Harding wasn't playing, we've pretty much added nothing to the squad so far.

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I agree, Liebherr out!!!

 

FFS, some people on here must enjoy pessimism, because it seems all they are capable of.

 

The majority of those results were when we had no proper management set-up and a real mish-mash of players who weren't sure whether they were coming or going.

 

Pardew is in now but he needs to build his coaching team and make the necessary changes to the squad too, I'm sure this will be addressed predominantly this week and next.

 

I'm sure those who matter are well-aware of the fact that the start of the season is just around the corner and things need to be set right before then.

 

All the thread title whinge has done is stir up a negative mood over a problem which is probably going to be addressed on the training ground and in the board room very shortly.

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Of course we are losing these friendlies. We are still 10 players short of having a competitive squad. Just look at last seasons squad, which finished 2nd bottom in CCC and was therefore probably midtable L1 quality, and think about the players we've lost.

 

Surman, Size, Skacel, DMG, BWP, Euell and Smith. All karp to varying degrees, but all selected ahead of the players we have left. Given that Harding wasn't playing, we've pretty much added nothing to the squad so far.

 

I agree, Liebherr out!!!

 

FFS, some people on here must enjoy pessimism, because it seems all they are capable of.

 

The majority of those results were when we had no proper management set-up and a real mish-mash of players who weren't sure whether they were coming or going.

 

Pardew is in now but he needs to build his coaching team and make the necessary changes to the squad too, I'm sure this will be addressed predominantly this week and next.

 

I'm sure those who matter are well-aware of the fact that the start of the season is just around the corner and things need to be set right before then.

 

All the thread title whinge has done is stir up a negative mood over a problem which is probably going to be addressed on the training ground and in the board room very shortly.

 

Playing semi-professional teams here people

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Look at every pre-season result, every season, for every 'professional' team, and you'll see sh!t loads of similar results, none of which usually have any bearing on the season ahead.

 

Winning helps, obviously, because it breeds confidence and gets players into a positive frame of mind. Losing is often more valuable IMO, because it shows the players who are working hard, or otherwise, and gives a manager time to work on things. Winning pre-season can often mask problems that better teams will exploit.

 

Last season's pre-season is a glowing example, having had decent performances and results in quite a few games, and we know what happened next.

 

All in all, take the positives, learn from and improve upon the negatives, and most importantly, don't start worrying that it's in any way, shape or form, any indication of the season ahead.

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Playing semi-professional teams here people

 

Teams of semi-pro players who up their effort to 110% because it's the game of a lifetime for many of them.

 

As I said, we all know the problems which contributed to the results we've been having, I'm sure it'll turn around now that the setup is being put in place.

 

Will Real Madrid be losing sleep over only putting 1 past a team of butchers, bakers and candlestick makers from Dublin?

 

Will Liverpool be staring relegation in the face this season after losing to Rapid Vienna this weekend?

 

Will Man City be spending another £500m on players because they lost to Orlando Pirates?

 

If we lose the first few games of the actual season, then have a whinge.

 

Until then, accept that until a few days ago, the club was in freefall with a joke setup and only recently has this been addressed.

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Look at every pre-season result, every season, for every 'professional' team, and you'll see sh!t loads of similar results, none of which usually have any bearing on the season ahead.

 

Winning helps, obviously, because it breeds confidence and gets players into a positive frame of mind. Losing is often more valuable IMO, because it shows the players who are working hard, or otherwise, and gives a manager time to work on things. Winning pre-season can often mask problems that better teams will exploit.

 

Last season's pre-season is a glowing example, having had decent performances and results in quite a few games, and we know what happened next.

 

All in all, take the positives, learn from and improve upon the negatives, and most importantly, don't start worrying that it's in any way, shape or form, any indication of the season ahead.

 

Did we play 3 non league clubs pre season last year?

 

How many clubs would go a whole pre-season without a win?

 

This is preparation, and preparation is key

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Did we play 3 non league clubs pre season last year?

 

How many clubs would go a whole pre-season without a win?

 

This is preparation, and preparation is key

 

And proper preparation has only been happening in the last 2 days.

 

As I (and a few others) stated on another thread, Pardew has picked up immediately on a lack of a winning mentality which should be ingrained in the club. He is not going to turn this around overnight, he has 5 years worth (or since WGS left) of mis-management to sort out. Yes we should be beating Totten, Eastleigh, Bournemouth, Cheltenham & Salisbury - 3 draws & 2 defeats isn't good enough & thats why pardew is now here.

 

He is going to need time - this is a bigger job than many think & I include Pardew in that judging by some of his comments!!

Edited by Gorgiesaint
spelling
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AP has had 2 hours with the squad.

 

He's no miracle man to turn a bunch of losers in such quick time.

 

When he brings his coaching team with him and some decent signings we will hold our own in this league without a doubt.

I have seen with my very eyes how bloody hard he gets his point across to a bunch of airheads who are starved of any confidence due to the crock of **** that's run the setup before.

 

Onwards and upwards TRUST ME.

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words fail me

 

Earlier this month I thought we may no longer have a SFC to support

 

chill people, we are at the start of a long and winding road, be thankful we are on it

 

The future is bright

The future is Red & White!

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words fail me

 

Earlier this month I thought we may no longer have a SFC to support

 

chill people, we are at the start of a long and winding road, be thankful we are on it

 

The future is bright

The future is Red & White!

Welcome to Saints Web Drama Queen Forum;)
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Pardew talked about instilling a winning mentality - the simple taste of winning sometimes matters more than the circumstances of the match and the strength of the opposition. If we were in form, I would give less of a s**t about friendlies; but given how low confidence must be following the horrors of last season, friendlies assume special importance IMO.

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Will Real Madrid be losing sleep over only putting 1 past a team of butchers, bakers and candlestick makers from Dublin?

 

This phrase has been overused so many times and you should be disgusted at mentioning candlestick makers in the same breath as butchers and bakers. What do you do when there is a powecut? Spark up a baguette? FFS.

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Agree with the OP. This may not have been about the result per se, however the performances on show tonight were nothing short of extremely poor.... e.g. Saga looked pretty disinterested, Pulis is a liability.

 

And have we not been told that Wotte et al have courageously kept the club going? Well, on this showing I would hazard a guess that Henderson and Co have done NO tactical training atall in the past!

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Hopefully this will result in the cheque book coming out asap. Alan Pardew has said on Saints TV that we need "a few" new players. I hope he means that in the metaphorical sense because like many others on here I think we need more than a few!

 

I would have thought one of the main condition of agreeing to become the Saints manager was that he was guaranteed money to spend on the squad. I wonder what figure he was told he would have to spend? It would be very interesting to know!

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Agree with the OP. This may not have been about the result per se, however the performances on show tonight were nothing short of extremely poor.... e.g. Saga looked pretty disinterested, Pulis is a liability...

 

 

Saga needs to go to Swansea asap (lazy git) - and Pulis won't get a look-in from Pardew.

 

At least AP can start to see where all the problems are & will get some idea of the huge task ahead. We are indeed sh*t - but things can only improve from here lads!

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Did we play 3 non league clubs pre season last year?

 

How many clubs would go a whole pre-season without a win?

 

This is preparation, and preparation is key

 

First 3 words of last sentence sums it up for me.

i suspect that the team that takes the field on Aug 22 against Brentford will bare little resemblance to the one used in friendlies.

depends on how quick AP is in transfer market

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I was under the Impression last night was a Saints XI under Henderson, rather than the full team under Pardew.

 

but if you do want to choose to include Salisbury as such an important preseason result, then you must also include the result from Newport last week where Saints XI WON 4 - 1.

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I was under the Impression last night was a Saints XI under Henderson, rather than the full team under Pardew.

 

but if you do want to choose to include Salisbury as such an important preseason result, then you must also include the result from Newport last week where Saints XI WON 4 - 1.

 

Be off with your balanced argument and thing...

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Ive read some crap on this forum in the past but this really takes the biscuit.

 

Everyone knows the problems weve just came through, weve a depleted squad and a new manager(for one training session) it wont come right over night, give the man time for christs sake

 

****ing unbelievable

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Anyone who saw us last year, coupled with the fact that we have lost two of our brightest players and all the upheaval over the summer should not be surprised.

 

Our new owner and AP certainly have their work cut out this year but from what I've seen and heard I think they are more than capable of doing a good job for us.

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Agree with you fellow Oxonian.

Friendlies are used to build match fitness and are not played at 100%.

Who cares if we lose the lot running up to Millwall, thats when it counts!

Get them fit Pardew.

 

I agree, Liebherr out!!!

 

FFS, some people on here must enjoy pessimism, because it seems all they are capable of.

 

The majority of those results were when we had no proper management set-up and a real mish-mash of players who weren't sure whether they were coming or going.

 

Pardew is in now but he needs to build his coaching team and make the necessary changes to the squad too, I'm sure this will be addressed predominantly this week and next.

 

I'm sure those who matter are well-aware of the fact that the start of the season is just around the corner and things need to be set right before then.

 

All the thread title whinge has done is stir up a negative mood over a problem which is probably going to be addressed on the training ground and in the board room very shortly.

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Bull.

 

We are yet to win a match against 3 teams of part-timers and Cheltenham....The Ajax game was as expected but the others we really should have done better, reserves/youth players or not, our players do this for a LIVING.

 

It is too easy to find excuses. We should have at least beaten Totton and Salisbury, and at a canter.

 

Falling into the losing rut is not somewhere we want to be, don't see us beating Hearts or QPR either.....So going into the new season without a pre-season win, coming off relegation and on -10 means that billionaire owner or not, staying up should be the target for this season

As fans it is difficult not to fret over defeats in friendly matches against supposedly inferior opposition. However, if we had won these games then everyone who is now whining about the results would be saying how meaningless friendlies were (results-wise).
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Instead of discussing the result, what about if I ask: Is there anybody out there who has spotted confidence and fighting spirit, and if you have, when and where, exactly?

 

A couple of players with skill will not solve our problems, which are deep set and psychological and have come after years of losing and expecting to lose matches, with a bunch of coaches who provide creative excuses for why it didn't matter or, as if by magic, next game will be better. Confidence has been replaced by chest thumping, and I would be grateful if the players stopped saying "hopefully" about the future, as it is so self-defeating.

 

Pre-season is an indication that this problem is gigantic. In my experience from both work and football, this is not an easy problem to remedy. That is why I think that decent survival in League 1 this year coupled with a turnaround in the squad confidence will be a great achievement for AP. We haven't yet made a starter for ten when it comes to promotion. But we have a manager who knows what the problems are, and that goes some way for now.

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