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Will Still

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StrangelyBrown

StrangelyBrown

Posted
Posted
20 minutes ago, St Chalet said:

I think some of the best times I've seen as a fan have been where the team have been very fit. The Pochetino era springs to mind where we punched above our weight by high pressing teams into submission.

Like what I am seeing from Still so far.

Agreed. Same with WGS - we seemed to be fitter than every other team and punched way above our weight as a consequence 

  • Like 4
Whitey Grandad

Whitey Grandad

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, John B said:

So what do you think the fitness coaches were doing sports science is pretty advanced these days perhaps they were told rushing about was not helping so conserve some energy

That doesn't help much in the says of five substitutes. The opposition can employ a couple of forwards to run around like electric bunnies for 40 minutes and bring on the empty players when they're knackered. 

  • Like 1
Saint_clark

Saint_clark

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, beatlesaint said:

To make them run 9km then play a match the next day is showing he wants Strachan type levels of fitness.

I like that, so far impressed by him.

Absolutely. Peak fitness is the bare minimum you should expect for a professional footballer to be honest, it shouldn't gain you any advantage because everyone should be at that level. Thankfully they're not. 

  • Like 3
SW11_Saint

SW11_Saint

Posted
Posted
On 17/07/2025 at 20:18, Saint Fan CaM said:

My word, makes you realise how poor team management has been. As far as Manning is concerned I hope Still is saying…

”The boys that want to defend can get back to defend. Yes Manning, that means you”!

Otherwise you get this! 

 

  • Haha 3
Badger

Badger

Posted
Posted
On 19/07/2025 at 11:19, St Chalet said:

Like what I am seeing from Still so far.

 

On 19/07/2025 at 11:36, LGTL said:

Still is so far proving to be a breath of fresh air after the vanity project of last season. The acid test is still to come of course, but it’s enjoyable to have a a normal fucking person in charge of us. 

I’ll reserve judgment on Still, await a few results and performances rather than a few friendlies and interviews with local media. 

As LGTL says the acid test has yet to come.

But in fairness to him I think he’s been at the club nearly two months and in that time hasn’t told us what he eats or how he votes. For that alone I can start warming to him. 

 

  • Like 4
  • Haha 2
SW11_Saint

SW11_Saint

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Yorkshire Saint said:

Jeez... Where and when was that ?

Guess a couple of years ago at Swansea. Downes comes into shot at the end too. Lord knows what Ryan had done to the Luton player before this! 

  • Like 1
Gloucester Saint

Gloucester Saint

Posted
Posted
26 minutes ago, SW11_Saint said:

Guess a couple of years ago at Swansea. Downes comes into shot at the end too. Lord knows what Ryan had done to the Luton player before this! 

At Kenilworth Road. We are all thinking logically ‘in the bit of footage afterwards the Luton player gets sent off right?’.

Wrong, only a yellow card. Quite astonishing.

https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/lutons-henri-lansbury-escapes-red-card-for-brutal-kick-on-swanseas-ryan-manning/104k47glk4xik14a44hsq4lfrk

  • Haha 2
  • Confused 2
SWLondon Saint

SWLondon Saint

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Gloucester Saint said:

At Kenilworth Road. We are all thinking logically ‘in the bit of footage afterwards the Luton player gets sent off right?’.

Wrong, only a yellow card. Quite astonishing.

https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/lutons-henri-lansbury-escapes-red-card-for-brutal-kick-on-swanseas-ryan-manning/104k47glk4xik14a44hsq4lfrk

Looks like Manning was obstructing a free kick, so yellow for him, obvious red for the kicker and yellow for the guy standing over Manning. Officials should be taken off duty if they only gave a yellow to the kicker.

  • Like 3
Yorkshire Saint

Yorkshire Saint

Posted
Posted
58 minutes ago, SWLondon Saint said:

Looks like Manning was obstructing a free kick, so yellow for him, obvious red for the kicker and yellow for the guy standing over Manning. Officials should be taken off duty if they only gave a yellow to the kicker.

If you watch it carefully Manning actually kicks the ball away first, from the place where he is stood when the player takes him out. I can see a little justification for the yellow rather than the red...

Crab Lungs

Crab Lungs

Posted
Posted
On 30/06/2025 at 23:49, Crab Lungs said:

I can't embed it so I might as well introduce you all to this pre-season summer BANGER 😄

And remember... Smallbones are good, that's what they say.

I still feel needs more traction. Shameless plug.

  • Haha 1
Saint Gifford

Saint Gifford

Posted
Posted
On 19/07/2025 at 19:13, Saint_clark said:

Absolutely. Peak fitness is the bare minimum you should expect for a professional footballer to be honest, it shouldn't gain you any advantage because everyone should be at that level. Thankfully they're not. 

Even my youngest lads team run a 10k the day before a match. Thats at non league step 4. Wow what have we been doing the last 4 or 5 Managers. 

  • Like 2
Gloucester Saint

Gloucester Saint

Posted
Posted
On 20/07/2025 at 22:12, Yorkshire Saint said:

If you watch it carefully Manning actually kicks the ball away first, from the place where he is stood when the player takes him out. I can see a little justification for the yellow rather than the red...

If Lansbury pushed Manning firmly, fair enough but that was a full scale assault in football terms!

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
S-Clarke

S-Clarke

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Saint Gifford said:

Even my youngest lads team run a 10k the day before a match. Thats at non league step 4. Wow what have we been doing the last 4 or 5 Managers. 

We had a zeroed-in focus on ball retention, using the flawed logic that we don't need to run lots, as we'll always have the ball - thus less fitness required. Nonsense, especially when we step up a level. As we saw, our retention approach didn't work because of the better opposition, but we were so unconditioned that we couldn't even run to keep in the game when we didn't have the ball.

To be fair to Juric, he tried to install basic fitness and more aggression to our off the ball/out of possession work, but it was already a lost cause at that point and the players needed a proper pre-season foundation to recover what they've lost. 

Cheers Martin.

Edited by S-Clarke
  • Like 8
coalman

coalman

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, skintsaint said:

Assistant to the Analyst.

image.png.ceaca7e967d3e9aaeb1502ff7ac00d74.png

giphy.gif

Better "assistant analyst" than "analyst and therapist"

 

  • Haha 1
saintant

saintant

Posted
Posted
30 minutes ago, Weston Super Saint said:

How long will this unbeaten run last?

Unbelievable results so far.

Probably until the Wrexham game 🙂

  • Haha 2
for_heaven's_Saint

for_heaven's_Saint

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Weston Super Saint said:

How long will this unbeaten run last?

Unbelievable results so far.

Thought I'd have a look at Still's preseason results last year at Lens:

image.thumb.png.a4403fab558973391342103b5c80050b.png 

They then went unbeaten for their first 8 league games, albeit with 5 draws in a row at one point.

Weston Super Saint

Weston Super Saint

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, for_heaven's_Saint said:

Thought I'd have a look at Still's preseason results last year at Lens:

image.thumb.png.a4403fab558973391342103b5c80050b.png 

They then went unbeaten for their first 8 league games, albeit with 5 draws in a row at one point.

Nowt wrong with draws.

We crafted a record club non losing run by drawing. Lots.

  • Haha 2
Toussaint

Toussaint

Posted
Posted
48 minutes ago, sockeye said:

Not getting hopes up for “need to go”, may well just mean ABK..

Need to go and want to go will be the same thing in the clubs eyes. Flynn Downes, Aribo, ABK, Jan , maybe Tyler. Let’s not forget the little shit that is Fraser,  who didn’t feel like playing for half a season. 

hypochondriac

hypochondriac

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, Toussaint said:

Need to go and want to go will be the same thing in the clubs eyes. Flynn Downes, Aribo, ABK, Jan , maybe Tyler. Let’s not forget the little shit that is Fraser,  who didn’t feel like playing for half a season. 

I don't think that we can let Downes go to someone else in this division. If he's going the it's to the prem or abroad. 

  • Like 1
Toussaint

Toussaint

Posted
Posted
12 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I don't think that we can let Downes go to someone else in this division. If he's going the it's to the prem or abroad. 

He might be fully in board with Still? But I think he fancies himself as a premier league player, so whether a move to another championship club would suit him I’m not sure. 

hypochondriac

hypochondriac

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, Toussaint said:

He might be fully in board with Still? But I think he fancies himself as a premier league player, so whether a move to another championship club would suit him I’m not sure. 

I don't know. I just get a feeling with him. He was a Martin man, wanted to leave us in January when Juric was here and I just get the impression he isn't particularly fussed about staying. I haven't seen any quotes like THB about putting things right this season. It wouldn't surprise me if he's off. 

  • Like 1
revolution saint

revolution saint

Posted
Posted
21 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I don't know. I just get a feeling with him. He was a Martin man, wanted to leave us in January when Juric was here and I just get the impression he isn't particularly fussed about staying. I haven't seen any quotes like THB about putting things right this season. It wouldn't surprise me if he's off. 

Tend to agree with you, I think he probably would leave if it was up to him. His problem though is that he isn’t going to get many offers. I doubt any prem teams will want him and championship either can’t or won’t pay what we want for him.  I think he’ll have to knuckle down and get on with it and I think he will do that.

He went off injured in one of the games the other week so sounds like the injury is a genuine one and not an excuse for not taking him to Spain.

  • 2 weeks later...
BERMUDASAINT

BERMUDASAINT

Posted
Posted

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11700/13406817/the-will-still-philosophy-southampton-boss-on-entertainment-proactivity-the-seven-minute-rule

Love what he coaches:

Still explained his playing philosophy and how he motivates his players.


"I've always thought of it this way: I hate watching boring games of football. I don't want to go to a stadium or sit down to watch a match on TV and think, 'I don't want to watch this'. I want to see something engaging.

RM are u listening?

"The main thing is to enjoy it. But if I had to describe [my teams] in one word, the best one I've found is proactive.

 

One of my key phrases is 'defensive effort is non-negotiable'

"How long do we show this to players? Seven minutes. That's about the maximum for their attention span.

"Honestly, I'd bore myself going longer.🤣😂

  • Like 2
Doctoroncall

Doctoroncall

Posted
Posted
58 minutes ago, SWLondon Saint said:

Guardian interview with him today:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/aug/08/southamptons-will-still-ive-always-stuck-out-footballs-helped-me-integrate

Doesn't say that much really, a few interesting bits about his life story, - football-wise he mentions he wants to replicate the Poch era here.

Wanted his brothers here was another point of interest. Trollope seems like he's a good sounding board and an experienced hand for any advice so they may not be missed. 

Saint_lambden

Saint_lambden

Posted
Posted

New Southampton boss Will Still has opened up on a year of turmoil for him and his Sky Sports host partner Emma, who was diagnosed with cancer, and juggling being Lens manager with being there for his sweetheart:

🗣️ “I moved to Southampton for both personal and professional reasons. Everyone wants to play or coach in the Premier League because it’s the highest competition. I’d been in French football for four seasons and met Emma two-and-a-half years ago.

“Then she got seriously ill last year. As much as I love football there are sometimes more important things in life. I was going to games, travelling back and forth, thinking, ‘I shouldn't be standing on this training pitch. I don't even know why I'm here.’ I needed to be closer to home, and ultimately Emma is home.

“I'm not going to pretend it wasn’t tough but was lucky my brothers were also working at Lens. They knew exactly what was going on. When Emma got the cancer news, they said: ‘Will, just go away, you shouldn't be here.’ But I kept coming to the UK two days a week. If there was a day off on a Monday I’d stay Tuesday and come back Wednesday to prepare for games.

“It was too difficult not saying anything. That’s not the right thing to do. As soon as you open up, people go, ‘I'll give you a bit of time and space to be just a human being' and you realise there are much more important things than football. Football's great, pays the bills and it's what I love. But when Emma was diagnosed with cancer and then the brain infection in March, [football] was not that important.

“It was draining because I also needed to be at Lens as that was my job and people were paying me a lot of money to do it. I was torn between ‘I know, I've got to do this but I know you're there.’ I tried my best and honestly finishing eighth last season was one of my proudest achievements. And doing it with my brothers was pretty special."

Crab Lungs

Crab Lungs

Posted
Posted
15 hours ago, SWLondon Saint said:

Guardian interview with him today:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/aug/08/southamptons-will-still-ive-always-stuck-out-footballs-helped-me-integrate

Doesn't say that much really, a few interesting bits about his life story, - football-wise he mentions he wants to replicate the Poch era here.

The fact is he in tune with what Southampton fans enjoyed watching previously is huge for me. 

  • Like 2
Maggie May

Maggie May

Posted
Posted
On 07/08/2025 at 15:10, BERMUDASAINT said:

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11700/13406817/the-will-still-philosophy-southampton-boss-on-entertainment-proactivity-the-seven-minute-rule

Love what he coaches:

Still explained his playing philosophy and how he motivates his players.


"I've always thought of it this way: I hate watching boring games of football. I don't want to go to a stadium or sit down to watch a match on TV and think, 'I don't want to watch this'. I want to see something engaging.

RM are u listening?

"The main thing is to enjoy it. But if I had to describe [my teams] in one word, the best one I've found is proactive.

 

One of my key phrases is 'defensive effort is non-negotiable'

"How long do we show this to players? Seven minutes. That's about the maximum for their attention span.

"Honestly, I'd bore myself going longer.🤣😂

Forget about RM. Some of us sound seriously obsessed. 
 

I’m delighted we have Still at the helm. It’s going to be a massive season. We have one of the most promising managers in Europe and it’s exciting to envisage how far we can go with him. 

  • Like 1
Saint Fan CaM

Saint Fan CaM

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Maggie May said:

Forget about RM. Some of us sound seriously obsessed. 
 

I’m delighted we have Still at the helm. It’s going to be a massive season. We have one of the most promising managers in Europe and it’s exciting to envisage how far we can go with him. 

Indeed. I just hope the club back him to ensure the squad is of sufficient quality to allow his ideas to take root and blossom.

  • Like 1
aintforever

aintforever

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Maggie May said:

We have one of the most promising managers in Europe and it’s exciting to envisage how far we can go with him. 

Hopefully, it’s easy to talk a good game though. He hasn’t actually achieved anything yet.

  • Like 1
hypochondriac

hypochondriac

Posted
Posted
22 minutes ago, aintforever said:

Hopefully, it’s easy to talk a good game though. He hasn’t actually achieved anything yet.

Yep. Imagine if we lose today we won't be hearing much about most promising manager in Europe! 

Holmes_and_Watson

Holmes_and_Watson

Posted
Posted
47 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

Indeed. I just hope the club back him to ensure the squad is of sufficient quality to allow his ideas to take root and blossom.

Absolutely. In fairness to all of his SR predecessors, I don't think any of them got to field a team where they had all of the key pieces. Hopefully, this can change for Still.

  • Like 1
coalman

coalman

Posted
Posted
On 27/07/2025 at 09:57, hypochondriac said:

I don't know. I just get a feeling with him. He was a Martin man, wanted to leave us in January when Juric was here and I just get the impression he isn't particularly fussed about staying. I haven't seen any quotes like THB about putting things right this season. It wouldn't surprise me if he's off. 

Rumour heard from someone with connections to West Ham is we've been touting out for loans to get his wages off the books. No idea how much truth in it.

Turkish

Turkish

Posted
  • Author
Posted
57 minutes ago, aintforever said:

Hopefully, it’s easy to talk a good game though. He hasn’t actually achieved anything yet.

Define achieved 

  • Like 1
John B

John B

Posted
Posted
24 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Absolutely. In fairness to all of his SR predecessors, I don't think any of them got to field a team where they had all of the key pieces. Hopefully, this can change for Still.

I totally agree but I do not think it is easy to currently persuade decent players to come to St Mary's as even our youngsters wish to defect and our decent players hardly ever wish to extend their contracts

Holmes_and_Watson

Holmes_and_Watson

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, John B said:

I totally agree but I do not think it is easy to currently persuade decent players to come to St Mary's as even our youngsters wish to defect and our decent players hardly ever wish to extend their contracts

I'd agree with that. At the same time, SR's model is to pay low individual wages. There are positive  and perfectly natural reasons for that. But they shouldn't be surprised when players change their minds when other clubs come in for them or when players run down contracts. Likewise, when they are well down their list and every player on it wants more. That's what their agents are for, after all.

As for youngsters, SR actively encourage selling them on, if the fee is matched. Again, there's some good reasons for this. We're not giving them away. Away from the first team, other clubs do offer more for top talented youngsters. But we're part of that food chain too. Again, there are some good reasons not to destabilise the rewards every time they'd like to keep someone.

  • Like 1
John B

John B

Posted
Posted
17 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

I'd agree with that. At the same time, SR's model is to pay low individual wages. There are positive  and perfectly natural reasons for that. But they shouldn't be surprised when players change their minds when other clubs come in for them or when players run down contracts. Likewise, when they are well down their list and every player on it wants more. That's what their agents are for, after all.

As for youngsters, SR actively encourage selling them on, if the fee is matched. Again, there's some good reasons for this. We're not giving them away. Away from the first team, other clubs do offer more for top talented youngsters. But we're part of that food chain too. Again, there are some good reasons not to destabilise the rewards every time they'd like to keep someone.

I am not really sure that SR want real success on the field but want real success on the balance sheet

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