Pre Season Friendlies 2023/24

[Mr Brightside]

6 minutes ago, Saint Matty 76 said:

Played well in the second half. Other than potential sales, the team for AZ at the weekend and then Sheffield Wednesday pretty much picks itself for me at this point. 

Bazunu
Livramento - Bednarek - Stephens - KWP
JWP - Smallbone - Alcaraz
Tella - Adams - A. Armstrong

Subs: McCarthy, DCC, Manning, Bree, Charles, Stu, Edozie, Amo-Ameyaw, Mara

This is going on the assumption that Lavia is either gone or not touching the field again after his performance today, and Sulemana is also gone considering his lack of presence so far this pre-season.

Agree, except I’d have AA up top with Edozie wide. Think AA fits Martin’s style better. 

[woodsaint1]

Early doors but it seems the Swansea fans werent wrong;

Some exciting football going forward which could result in a lot of goals

Suicidal playing out from the back/defending which means we'll concede quite a few

Looking forward this season to plenty of 3-2, 4-3, maybe even 6-3 games for old times sake

[Bad Wolf]

Enjoyable game - Positives for sure - Weaknesses on show as well

[Sunglasses Ron]

Are we contractually obliged to gift opposition at least one goal a game?

[Saint86]

1 minute ago, The Kraken said:

Doyle is a nice player but needs to learn to take fewer touches, needs too much time.

Needs a little bit more power for me, but that will come as he fills out.

[S-Clarke]

Second half much better, looked a better team. My slight worry from the pre-season games thus far is that it's playing out how Swansea fans warned.

Lots of good football, good goals scored, but suicidal in and around the back with stupid goals given away. We need much, much, much better players in the back and in goal to be able to play that way, otherwise we'll need a minimum of 2 or 3 goals a game to get anything.

[bpsaint]

Fairly decent game all things considered. Defence needs major work though, and for fuck sake can we get McCarthy out of this club please.

[Chez]

13 minutes ago, Master Bates said:

who was that keeper conceding at his near post?

[coalman]

Keep the cutting edge and lose the suicidal passing and it's set for an exciting season.

[obelisk]

If Tella scores that late chance then we'd be pretty happy with that last 80 minutes.

[Saint86]

12 minutes ago, Saint Matty 76 said:

Played well in the second half. Other than potential sales, the team for AZ at the weekend and then Sheffield Wednesday pretty much picks itself for me at this point. 

Bazunu
Livramento - Bednarek - Stephens - KWP
JWP - Smallbone - Alcaraz
Tella - Adams - A. Armstrong

Subs: McCarthy, DCC, Manning, Bree, Charles, Stu, Edozie, Amo-Ameyaw, Mara

AA will start up top. Think you'll see A-A or Edozie on the wing. May see DCC over Bednarek - depends wtf is going on with our CBs transfer wise.

Lavia has been playing in 2nd gear all pre season so whether he's going or not i'd drop him. Smallbone/JWP/Alcaraz have all shown far more fight and commitment so far. He's probably leaving regardless, but the others deserve the start and commitment will be important vs a newly promoted Wednesday in a season opener.

Edited 25 July, 2023 by Saint86

[Convict Colony]

I am not being a hindsight merchant but i kept noticing when KWP made runs he would either pass it to a player with 2 guys around him or just lose it, unfortunate for the goal he lost it to a dude who was fast as shit.

Think manning and tino start and think jack and dcc did well and were calm, smallbone been excellent, liked charles as well everyone else in my view is up for debate.

Edited 25 July, 2023 by Convict Colony

[Turkish]

3 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

You're welcome.

[Saint_clark]

3 minutes ago, Chez said:

who was that keeper conceding at his near post?

Neto, usually very, very good. 

[Disco Stu]

Plenty of positive patterns of play in the final third but possibly lacking a clinical striker. I saw plenty to be optimistic about regarding Shea Charles and Will Smallbone was a positive influence again. The commentator on the stream highlighted that he had bulked up during his time on loan and he was strong in challenges and defended well today. Lovely through ball down the right for Tella too.

We gave away our customary cheap goal at the end there which was nice of us. This tippy-tappy at the back is going to be infuriating, at least with our current set of defenders. Goalkeeper remains undoubtably our weakest position.

Edited 25 July, 2023 by Disco Stu

[saintant]

We improved as the game went on. I was very impressed with Will Smallbone who came on and provided some great link-up play, he was always making himself available and rarely wasted a pass. He looks to be one who'll make the starting line-up against Sheff Wed. Tino had some good moments as did Stuart Armstrong and KWP was another who did well. Unfortunately, we do not have a good goalkeeper on the books and neither McCarthy or Baz are anywhere near good enough. It was a good match to watch but very hard to decide whether we are good, poor or indifferent - I guess we'll find out as the season unfolds.

[Master Bates]

12 minutes ago, Convict Colony said:

KWP fuck up

I blame Stephens, no?

 

[Saint_clark]

1 minute ago, Disco Stu said:

Goalkeeper remains undoubtably our weakest position.

And yet it's literally the only position we aren't looking to sign anyone in. 

[spyinthesky]

5 minutes ago, bpsaint said:

Fairly decent game all things considered. Defence needs major work though, and for fuck sake can we get McCarthy out of this club please.

Why?
I thought he did OK although his distribution could be better

[Saint Matty 76]

5 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

AA will start up top. Think you'll see A-A or Edozie on the wing. May see DCC over Bednarek - depends wtf is going on with our CBs transfer wise.

No issue with that, LW is definitely the tough one to predict at the moment.

[Saint_clark]

Just now, Master Bates said:

I blame Stephens, no?

 

I'd say that's 60/40 in favour of it being KWPs fault. Stephens should have committed to the tackle instead of backing off because - as we saw - he was never going to be able to cover the run anyway. 

[woodsaint1]

Just now, Master Bates said:

I blame Stephens, no?

 

Would be harsh on Jack. JWP tied to force the pass and then got beat in a leg race. Stephens could have maybe dropped off and tried to match Brooks' run but he wouldnt have had the pace

[Turkish]

2 minutes ago, Master Bates said:

I blame Stephens, no?

 

KWP looked like a 11 year old playing men’s football there, pathetic 

[Maggie May]

Promising signs but again shows why we shouldn’t be so precious over players we had here last season leaving. No one is indispensable or even has a divine right to be a PL player, IMO.

[DrunkenSaint]

so cb and dcm needs sorting but at least we are scoring some goals

[Convict Colony]

5 minutes ago, Master Bates said:

I blame Stephens, no?

 

no i think stephens was back pedalling for the return for a give and go

Edited 25 July, 2023 by Convict Colony

[Disco Stu]

2 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

I'd say that's 60/40 in favour of it being KWPs fault. Stephens should have committed to the tackle instead of backing off because - as we saw - he was never going to be able to cover the run anyway. 

KWP should have just fouled the runner 😂, they were fouling us all game without repercussion.

[woodsaint1]

3 minutes ago, spyinthesky said:

Why?
I thought he did OK although his distribution could be better

It wont get better, we've literally seen these standards repeated for the best part of 7 years. He needs to go

[Bad Wolf]

"Pathetic performance. Tactics are a disgrace. Passing around without any skill to keep the ball. Only one completed long pass in the game. McCarthy not fit to be playing in the football league. On for back-to-back relegation playing like that."

My personal favourite comment from social media so far.

[Master Bates]

Just now, Convict Colony said:

no stephens was back pedalling for the return

Stephens passed it to Walker-Peters knowing he's cack, his fault

[Master Bates]

4 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

I'd say that's 60/40 in favour of it being KWPs fault. Stephens should have committed to the tackle instead of backing off because - as we saw - he was never going to be able to cover the run anyway. 

Or even better, Stephens shouldn't have passed it to KWP 🤦‍♂️

[Master Bates]

4 minutes ago, woodsaint1 said:

Would be harsh on Jack. JWP tied to force the pass and then got beat in a leg race. Stephens could have maybe dropped off and tried to match Brooks' run but he wouldnt have had the pace

He passed it to him, rookie mistake. AND Ward-Prowse had nowt to do with it, I'm certain 

[Saint_clark]

Just now, Master Bates said:

He passed it to him, rookie mistake. AND Ward-Prowse had nowt to do with it, I'm certain 

Not entirely sure why KWP was so far infield to be honest. If he's out on the wing, that goal doesn't happen.

[Crouchie's Lawyer]

Anyone else get booted out from the feed midways through the game with the message "you need to sign in to watch the game"? Happened to me twice during the Bournemouth game

[saintant]

On a side note I thought Dean Hammond was superb as the co-commentator.

[Nordic Saint]

Unless we get a decent goalkeeper in, the efforts of our outfield players will count for little, other than being part of some high scoring defeats..

[Convict Colony]

2 minutes ago, Crouchie's Lawyer said:

Anyone else get booted out from the feed midways through the game with the message "you need to sign in to watch the game"? Happened to me twice during the Bournemouth game

Did you sign in to watch the game 🤣

[Convict Colony]

Just now, Nordic Saint said:

Unless we get a decent goalkeeper in, the efforts of our outfield players will count for little, other than being part of some high scoring defeats..

We are going to be Ossie ardiles spurs win games 6-5

[The Juice]

Smallbone owned the midfield when he came in. Think he looked a real asset. 

[OttawaSaint]

KWP has been awful for quite some time. I was hoping someone would take him off our hands. 

[Turkish]

10 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

Not entirely sure why KWP was so far infield to be honest. If he's out on the wing, that goal doesn't happen.

[SotonianWill]

Didn’t watch the game but apparently lavia looked disinterested and people saying he had a lack of enthusiasm to get about?

[Matty's Caddy]

5 minutes ago, OttawaSaint said:

KWP has been awful for quite some time. I was hoping someone would take him off our hands. 

Been saying it for ages….

[Matty's Caddy]

2 minutes ago, SotonianWill said:

Didn’t watch the game but apparently lavia looked disinterested and people saying he had a lack of enthusiasm to get about?

Just going thru the motions. 

[Badger]

9 minutes ago, SotonianWill said:

Didn’t watch the game but apparently lavia looked disinterested and people saying he had a lack of enthusiasm to get about?

Called Van Dyke Syndrome 

[bpsaint]

34 minutes ago, spyinthesky said:

Why?
I thought he did OK although his distribution could be better

Caught in no man’s land for the first goal, and almost gifted them a 3rd at 2-1 short passing it straight to a Bournemouth player,only Smallbone saved us from conceding.

[Matty's Caddy]

Smallbone excellent. 
Stuey looks a class above anyone else.  Amo great prospect, I’m sure we’ll get him passing sideways soon enough. Manning very promising. Lavia might as well go. 
absolute shite roll call…. McCarthy, lyanco, kwp, djenepo, the rest…..meh. 
if you continue to fuck about at the back like that, you’ll be sacked by crimbo. We don’t have the defenders to play that way. McCarthy cannot be part of a defence that try’s to play that way

[Streaky]

35 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

I'd say that's 60/40 in favour of it being KWPs fault. Stephens should have committed to the tackle instead of backing off because - as we saw - he was never going to be able to cover the run anyway. 

100 percent on kwp don't know why you would jump in as last man 

[Suhari]

28 minutes ago, saintant said:

On a side note I thought Dean Hammond was superb as the co-commentator.

Although he did say he thought MaCarthy played well.....

[Dusic]

I thought it was a good game at decent intensity where the difficulties Martin faces were clear.

Centre back is a bit shambolic - we need an addition who can play the style but badly need rid of probably three minimum (ABK, Salisu, Lyanco). I guess Lyanco only played because Bednarek is injured but Charles and Lyanco will never start as a CB pairing so nothing really gained.

At full back KWP and Livramento are so far ahead of Bree, who is basically a mannequin (another poor signing) yet he doesnt know if either or both will be able to play the first game let alone much after that.

Midfield we are short in the #8 position assuming JWP goes. Clear that Alcaraz is better the further forward he plays.

Then up front he has basically one viable option that will be here after the window in Adam Armstrong and I'm still far from convinced he can play up front on his own and be effective.

Can see an obvious style and lots of good things but we really need to start getting rid of some players and enabling RM some certainty and a chance to add in key areas, particularly at centre back which is surely set for big churn in the next month.

Oh, and giving Djenepo a 3yr extension was a terrible decision.