Saints 5 Ujpest 2

[Minsk]

I know this has been covered on a few other threads but it hasn't had a thread of its own, so maybe there are some who were still unaware of this match. It also raises a number of footballing questions (what a novelty ) which could be discussed.

 

So, for those who didn't know, Saints apparently played a 'behind closed doors' friendly against a Hungarian team at SMS on Friday. And, as the thread title states, we won 5-2.

 

First question: Why has there been no mention of this match on the OS?

 

There have been some rumours that this match was played in front of some rich guy who wants to invest in Saints. I think it is more likely that the tooth fairy will visit me tonight. My thoughts as to why this match was shifted from Staplewood to SMS is along the lines of when WGS was here and he got the team to train at SMS when they hadn't won a home match for while.

 

Anyway, onto the match and footballing type questions it raises.

 

Apart from the goalkeeper, Tommy Forecast who played the entire match, two different Saints teams lined up for each half. The line-ups were:

 

1st half: Forecast, Hatch, Saeijs, Perry, Molyneux, James, Smith, Gillet, McGoldrick, Lallana, Holmes

 

2nd half: Forecast, Imudia, Wotton, Lancashire, Mills, Schneiderlin, Boyle, Pulis, B. Wright-Philips, Sasanowski, Gasmi

 

Saints were 2-0 up at half time (DMG got both goals) with Pulis, Spiderman and Gasmi scoring in the second half in response to the 2 goals our 'reserve team back 4' let past them.

 

Questions:

 

1. Seeing as this was the same day that JP resigned, who took charge of the match?

 

If it was JP's last gig I would guess it was the usual formation with Lallana behind DMG, with Smith and Holmes as the wide players, in the first half; with Boyle behind Saga, Gasmi and BWP out wide, in the second.

 

If Wotte took charge, did we play 4-4-2?

 

2. In the first half the back 4 was: Hatch-Perry-Size-Molyneux; is this an indication that maybe Hatch is going to get a go in the first team? Possibly allowing James to play in midfield?

 

3. Players who had NO PART in this match include: Davis, Bart, Surman, Skacel, Euell, Paterson, McLaggon (have I missed anyone? I know White and Gobern are injured.) I wonder what the reasons were for their omissions? i.e. were Drew and Paterson ot allowed to take part in a behind closed doors friendly because they are currently suspended? Why didn't we change the 'keeper for the 2nd half? Even if resting KD it would have made sense for Bart to get an outing?

 

I expect this thread will only have about half-a-dozen replies, as it is about football.

[Big Bad Bob]

Does a tree make a noise if it falls and no-one is there to witness it!!

 

(The game was "behind closed doors" so, by definition, no-one would have been there to see it, so how can we answer your questions)

[OldNick]

my info is that Jan managed the team and midway through the 2nd half the whispers started growing that he was departing, a push I suspect.

[Hatch]

Where did this Hungarian team come from , before you all shout 'Hungary', I mean they don't just happen to be hanging around.

Flights , hotels etc have to be paid for and surely they wouldn't be paying us for the privilege of playing at SMS.

[OldNick]

Where did this Hungarian team come from , before you all shout 'Hungary', I mean they don't just happen to be hanging around.

Flights , hotels etc have to be paid for and surely they wouldn't be paying us for the privilege of playing at SMS.

I think it was hastily arranged,why i have no idea

[dubai_phil]

The prefect response would be to ask whether you have any Gold teeth for the fairies Minsk?

 

Not worth as much as they were but may help out?

 

Away from the cheap joke, perhaps after Saturday they were worried about the fans giving some stick?

 

Why else have the game at SMS except as we had said on here perhaps the players needed to actually have a practice game there to help with their sight-lines and shooting - that sure seemed to have worked.

 

Who paid the electricity bill etc though?

[Greenridge]

 

 

I expect this thread will only have about half-a-dozen replies, as it is about football.

 

This is post #6 so I'm afraid this thread has to stop now, sorry.

 

PS wasn't there a thread floating about ref a Hungarian consortium?

[Minsk]

Does a tree make a noise if it falls and no-one is there to witness it!!

 

(The game was "behind closed doors" so, by definition, no-one would have been there to see it, so how can we answer your questions)

 

Does a tree make a noise if it falls and no-one is there to witness it!!

 

Yes, it does!

 

Okay, I wasn't looking for answers per se, but maybe for comments/thoughts.

 

Okay, here's another one:

 

For those who watch the reserves: IYO, is Jamie Hatch a better RB than Lloyd James?

[Minsk]

Where did this Hungarian team come from , before you all shout 'Hungary', I mean they don't just happen to be hanging around.

Flights , hotels etc have to be paid for and surely they wouldn't be paying us for the privilege of playing at SMS.

 

I'm sure I read somewhere that they played a friendly against Wolves last Tuesday. So maybe they were over for a couple of friendlies?

[Big Bad Bob]

Does a tree make a noise if it falls and no-one is there to witness it!!

 

Yes, it does!

 

Prove it

 

Schroedinger's tree anyone?

 

Okay, I wasn't looking for answers per se, but maybe for comments/thoughts.

 

Okay, here's another one:

 

For those who watch the reserves: IYO, is Jamie Hatch a better RB than Lloyd James?

 

I don't know as I have never seen the ressies play!

[Minsk]

Prove it

 

Schroedinger's tree anyone?

 

 

The other day there was a nasty car crash on my street. I did not WITNESS the crash but I heard it.

 

Now, if you had asked:

 

Does a tree make a noise if it falls and no-one is there to hear it? I may have had to answer differently.

[lordswoodsaints]

a few times in the 80's i used to attend 'behind closed doors' games,they were usually arranged for different reasons maybe tohave a look at a few players who wouldnt normally get a chance, not just for saints but for the opposition team,to keep the team on its toes when there was a break in the season or to give some of the unfit players coming back from an injury a chance to get match fit.

i have no idea why the match on friday was played but i guess it was for one of the above reasons or a mixture of them all.

im guessing that surman was given some time off for the new baby thing and calvin is a 'shoe in' everygame and is not one of the players that really need to improve this season.

 

oh and they were probably paying us good money for the friendly.

[Big Bad Bob]

The other day there was a nasty car crash on my street. I did not WITNESS the crash but I heard it.

 

Now, if you had asked:

 

Does a tree make a noise if it falls and no-one is there to hear it? I may have had to answer differently.

 

Ah you see I was trying to be unambiguous, one could say that by hearing the crash you witnessed it!!

 

BTW I have no real input or answers to your questions, you may have worked that out already!!

[dubai_phil]

Minsk, I think you'll find that this is simply a commercial deal.

 

European clubs have their midwinter breaks and go off on tours or training camps. We've had a January Tournament here for the past 5 or 6 years and had about 30,000 watch Beckham Kaka et al against Hamburg couple of weeks back.

At that level it is quite simple (and lucrative) for the clubs to find a sponsor for that type of trip

 

Lower down the food chain, clubs look for teams who they could arrange a game against. With the FA Cup weekend there were a few of us without matches and we probably made a few bob into the bargain. That is not to say the game or their tour wasn't sponsored by some business or person, just more likely we had a blank weekend and were available.

 

The good news was seeing some of the "sick notes" get a game. IMHO one criticism I had of JP was the permanent chopping and changing and never seeming to give players long enough runs in the team to get match fit at CCC levelso good deal all around i reckon

[eelpie]

What league are Ujpest in?

[Saints foreva]

I am guessing Drew had no involvement because of his newly born child.

[maxi_sopez]

Its all very weird and mysterious

[Minsk]

Ah you see I was trying to be unambiguous, one could say that by hearing the crash you witnessed it!!

 

BTW I have no real input or answers to your questions, you may have worked that out already!!

 

Yeah, I kind of figured that out.

 

[Minsk]

I am guessing Drew had no involvement because of his newly born child.

 

I forgot about that.

[Minsk]

my info is that Jan managed the team and midway through the 2nd half the whispers started growing that he was departing, a push I suspect.

 

Very strange that he would manage a (friendly) game and then resign immediately afterwards. I could have understood it if he resigned straight after the Donny match, but a behind closed doors friendly which we won?????

 

That smacks of him being pushed, not jumping.

 

I had thought maybe Wotte had taken this game and that was the reason for the 'new look' (seemingly first choice) back 4.

[eelpie]

a few times in the 80's i used to attend 'behind closed doors' games,they were usually arranged for different reasons maybe tohave a look at a few players who wouldnt normally get a chance, not just for saints but for the opposition team,to keep the team on its toes when there was a break in the season or to give some of the unfit players coming back from an injury a chance to get match fit.

i have no idea why the match on friday was played but i guess it was for one of the above reasons or a mixture of them all.

im guessing that surman was given some time off for the new baby thing and calvin is a 'shoe in' everygame and is not one of the players that really need to improve this season.

 

oh and they were probably paying us good money for the friendly.

 

A bit of foresight, a little to pay on insurance and they could have let the fans in, even at short notice. Even if they only charged us a token £1, it would have given the players valuable experience of playing at St Mary's in front of a crowd. Maybe they wouldn't be so scared of us fans when they have a home match.

[trousers]

Minsk, I think you'll find that this is simply a commercial deal.

 

European clubs have their midwinter breaks and go off on tours or training camps. We've had a January Tournament here for the past 5 or 6 years and had about 30,000 watch Beckham Kaka et al against Hamburg couple of weeks back.

At that level it is quite simple (and lucrative) for the clubs to find a sponsor for that type of trip

 

Lower down the food chain, clubs look for teams who they could arrange a game against. With the FA Cup weekend there were a few of us without matches and we probably made a few bob into the bargain. That is not to say the game or their tour wasn't sponsored by some business or person, just more likely we had a blank weekend and were available.

 

The good news was seeing some of the "sick notes" get a game. IMHO one criticism I had of JP was the permanent chopping and changing and never seeming to give players long enough runs in the team to get match fit at CCC levelso good deal all around i reckon

 

Still doesn't explain why the OS wouldn't even 'bother' mentioning it....as other's have posted: since when have the club/OS shirked from publishing 'clutch at straws' good news before?

 

This is either:

 

(a) very inconsistent in-house journalism

or

(b) there's "something significant" connected to the game taking place that they don't want to shout from the rooftops

[N/West Saint]

Why dont we play the rest of our home games behind close doors? It seems to work lol

[trousers]

Why dont we play the rest of our home games behind close doors? It seems to work lol

 

Give it time...

[camdijk]

A bit of foresight, a little to pay on insurance and they could have let the fans in, even at short notice. Even if they only charged us a token £1, it would have given the players valuable experience of playing at St Mary's in front of a crowd. Maybe they wouldn't be so scared of us fans when they have a home match.

 

That would have been a novelty....seeing a home win. ;-)

[minime]

from what jp told me friday night the hungarians were playing with 10 men in the second half due a player getting sent off at the end of the first half...

[Scudamore]

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to witness it will Stanley still blame Rupert Lowe?

[JohnnyFartPants]

If a tree falls on Stanley in a forest and nobody sees it, is that was is called "a result."?

[MrWoody83]

I cannot find any decent Hungarian to english translation but check out the webpage... we are mentioned.

 

We actually won a game at home!

 

http://www.tranexp.com:2000/InterTran?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ujpestfc.hu%2Findex.php%3Fpg%3Dnews_lead%26csid%3D3&type=text&text=&from=hun&to=eng

[NorthamSteve]

I have a feeling that JP was convinced by Wotte to go 4-4-2.. I'd say the conversation may have been as follows....

 

Wotte: This is stupid, let's play 4-4-2

JP: Don't be silly, that'll never work

Wotte: yes it will

JP: No it wont

Wotte: yes it....

JP OK play 4-4-2, if we win, I'll **** off and you can manage the team.

Wotte: Deal.

 

The rest as they say.....

[The Rover]

Still doesn't explain why the OS wouldn't even 'bother' mentioning it....as other's have posted: since when have the club/OS shirked from publishing 'clutch at straws' good news before?

 

This is either:

 

(a) very inconsistent in-house journalism

or

(b) there's "something significant" connected to the game taking place that they don't want to shout from the rooftops

 

Perhaps they don't want us to know Lowe is on holiday in Budapest?

[david in sweden]

Minsk, I think you'll find that this is simply a commercial deal.

 

European clubs have their midwinter breaks and go off on tours or training camps. We've had a January Tournament here for the past 5 or 6 years and had about 30,000 watch Beckham Kaka et al against Hamburg couple of weeks back.

At that level it is quite simple (and lucrative) for the clubs to find a sponsor for that type of trip

 

Lower down the food chain, clubs look for teams who they could arrange a game against. With the FA Cup weekend there were a few of us without matches and we probably made a few bob into the bargain. That is not to say the game or their tour wasn't sponsored by some business or person, just more likely we had a blank weekend and were available.

 

The good news was seeing some of the "sick notes" get a game. IMHO one criticism I had of JP was the permanent chopping and changing and never seeming to give players long enough runs in the team to get match fit at CCC levelso good deal all around i reckon

 

 

Good reponse Phil, though it seems to me that enforced changes were also caused by suspensions/ injuries / and a bit of poor form amongst the many youngsters.