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Pre Season Friendlies 2025/26

Master Bates

By Master Bates
in The Saints

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leeham_69

leeham_69

Posted
Posted

it's going to be absolutely maddening if, after a full preseason and seeing these performances with his own eyeballs, still decides Jack is the best option for first pick CB.

I just can't help but wonder if he's picking him to make a full assessment of the club captain, and so there is no unrest when he doesn't pick him. 

He is terrible. Got involved in yet another snarky little incident in first half too. I find it very annoying that he picks these fights when he can't even concentrate on his own basic competence.

  • Like 14
sockeye

sockeye

Posted
Posted

Stephens needs to go. It is gross incompetence from top to bottom if he appears during the Wrexham game. Utterly awful player and a symbol of our mediocrity over the last few years. I don’t want to hear how much passion he has, he should not be at the club.

  • Like 14
lambtiss

lambtiss

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, Wsaint said:

Nice little layoff from Stephen's, solid assist... Ah shit wrong end.

Probably our most creative player preseason 

  • Haha 2
SaintJakko

SaintJakko

Posted
Posted

Imagine your captain is the one player that lets you down time after time. Jack Stephen’s needs to be out of that team, he is terrible from top to bottom. We also look terrible attacking wise and general optimism of play. No one looks to be enjoying their game. 

  • Like 7
Football Special

Football Special

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, obelisk said:

The lack of any attacking threat is becoming a little bit worrying.

We are so easy to defend against , same as last season , no threat and no chance of a top 2 finish 

  • Like 2
lambtiss

lambtiss

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, jamesfp1 said:

Stephens being directly responsible for every goal conceded in pre season is quite the feat.

Crikey, is that true?

CSA96

CSA96

Posted
Posted

I find it hard to care about preseason results, and a Championship team losing to a La Liga team isn't concerning at all. But the manner of the performance does concern me a bit. Look totally devoid of ideas in the final third.

A load of people who want to finish a move but nobody to knit it together, to pick the pass, to commit. On the one occasion we actually gave our new striker a decent look to work with, he buried it and scored

  • Like 3
Football Special

Football Special

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, haddock24 said:

I was thinking to go to Brighton game before wasting time watching this rubbish

Got an email from the club offering discounted tickets, can see why that's not appealing , anything like last seasons league game at St Mary's will trigger PTSD in the fan base 

ErwinK1961

ErwinK1961

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, CSA96 said:

I find it hard to care about preseason results, and a Championship team losing to a La Liga team isn't concerning at all. But the manner of the performance does concern me a bit. Look totally devoid of ideas in the final third.

A load of people who want to finish a move but nobody to knit it together, to pick the pass, to commit. On the one occasion we actually gave our new striker a decent look to work with, he buried it and scored

The attacking three behind the strikers are an absolutely critical need for new signings. 2x wingers and an attacking 10 are musts, if we don’t we’ll be going nowhere.

Badger

Badger

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, sockeye said:

Most of the standouts this preseason have been those who weren’t in the side last year. Food for thought.

No surprise 

  • Like 3
hypochondriac

hypochondriac

Posted
Posted

Stephens should be nowhere near the team. Robinson needs to start and probably Downs as well. Fernandes needs to play further forward so fingers crossed Downes is fit to play next to Charles in two weeks. 

Ramsdale 

Bree Quarshie/THB/Wood Wellington

Downes Charles 

Armstrong Fernandes Robinson 

Downs

  • Like 12
obelisk

obelisk

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, sockeye said:

Most of the standouts this preseason have been those who weren’t in the side last year. Food for thought.

That losing mentality will take some effort to shake off.

  • Like 1
Harry_SFC

Harry_SFC

Posted
Posted

Based on pre season Stills favoured front line is Archer, BBD, Fraser and Armstrong. That is hideous. Signings needed and quick. As for Stephens - he is a complete disgrace of a footballer. 

  • Like 14
HarvSFC

HarvSFC

Posted
Posted

Damn was just about to come on and say how grim a display it was and how there wasn't a single positive going forward. But, we make one quick forward pass at the end and Downs scores it from an angle first time. Shows he has something and we need to sort the service out behind him, because he had nothing else to work with after coming on.

We didn't get many clues from the pre-season squad, but today was quite telling with the lack of minutes for some with two weeks before the season's start. No run out for Bazunu, or McCarthy again, although they're keepers, so probably slightly different there. Sugawara didn't get on the pitch and played very little in midweek, so probably not going to get many minutes once the season starts, which is good because he is more of a defensive nightmare than Stephens. Neither Smallbone, nor Aribo got on the pitch today either. Two of our most lethargic players in the squad, so possibly not endearing themselves to Still. Sesay was picked ahead of them. Kayi Sanda also an unused sub, needs a loan to League One. You'd hope these players who aren't getting minutes will start to actively seek moves elsewhere, rather than seeing out their well paid contracts.

  • Like 3
Badger

Badger

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Other than Fernandes I really think we should be looking just to sell anyone who wants to leave. Just replace them we need a refresh and a new attitude. 

Ridiculous thing is that we all knew that at the end of the season if not before. 
 

Accept the ‘difficult to get rid’ argument but it seems the club have embraced the turds back into the fold. Recruitment seems disappointing so far, although perhaps limited by outgoings. 

  • Like 1
UpweySaint

UpweySaint

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, ErwinK1961 said:

The attacking three behind the strikers are an absolutely critical need for new signings. 2x wingers and an attacking 10 are musts, if we don’t we’ll be going nowhere.

No chance we’re signing two wingers and a 10 without major sales. Expect the likes of Edozie, Dibling and Robinson to offer some more of the creativity. Fernandes as a 10 with Downes back in the middle with Charles also an option. 

Lallana's Left Peg

Lallana's Left Peg

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, UpweySaint said:

No chance we’re signing two wingers and a 10 without major sales. Expect the likes of Edozie, Dibling and Robinson to offer some more of the creativity. Fernandes as a 10 with Downes back in the middle with Charles also an option. 

I like Fernandes but he's not creative.  He's a driver of the ball in the middle third.

  • Like 3
Badger

Badger

Posted
Posted (edited)
13 minutes ago, saint michael said:

Same ingredients produce the same results. Chef will not make a difference on his own 

Most past their Best Before dates.

Turds that simply won’t flush 

Edited by Badger
  • Like 1
UpweySaint

UpweySaint

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, Lallana's Left Peg said:

I like Fernandes but he's not creative.  He's a driver of the ball in the middle third.

I think he has the ability and vision to be more creative. There were games last season where showed it. I do agree that he is at his best a little deeper but in a 4-2-3-1 with the current options we have I would see him playing as a 10 in games we feel we need more solidity. We could drop one of Downes or Charles and put him alongside one of them in the middle where we expect to be seeing more of the ball and trying to break down sides.

  • Like 1
ErwinK1961

ErwinK1961

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, UpweySaint said:

No chance we’re signing two wingers and a 10 without major sales. Expect the likes of Edozie, Dibling and Robinson to offer some more of the creativity. Fernandes as a 10 with Downes back in the middle with Charles also an option. 

I agree it’s unlikely, but we need to if we want any chance of promotion.

leeham_69

leeham_69

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, HarvSFC said:

Damn was just about to come on and say how grim a display it was and how there wasn't a single positive going forward. But, we make one quick forward pass at the end and Downs scores it from an angle first time. Shows he has something and we need to sort the service out behind him, because he had nothing else to work with after coming on.

We didn't get many clues from the pre-season squad, but today was quite telling with the lack of minutes for some with two weeks before the season's start. No run out for Bazunu, or McCarthy again, although they're keepers, so probably slightly different there. Sugawara didn't get on the pitch and played very little in midweek, so probably not going to get many minutes once the season starts, which is good because he is more of a defensive nightmare than Stephens. Neither Smallbone, nor Aribo got on the pitch today either. Two of our most lethargic players in the squad, so possibly not endearing themselves to Still. Sesay was picked ahead of them. Kayi Sanda also an unused sub, needs a loan to League One. You'd hope these players who aren't getting minutes will start to actively seek moves elsewhere, rather than seeing out their well paid contracts.

I agree it was mostly grim, but if I am forcing myself to be optimistic, I would say that a few players are showing promise, and I don't think they've all been on the pitch together at once.

If you pick Ramsdale, Downes (based on last champ season), Downs (based on one good touch at the end of the game) Quarshie, Bree (except for the penalty that should have been, I know I know), Shea (ok clutching but I have hope), it looks like it could be at least be not shit.

probably time to stop having a broad look and start refining the matchday 11 for longer minutes (but wtf do I know about professional preseasons) 

  • Like 1
saint michael

saint michael

Posted
Posted

Every manager we’ve had seems to have to go through the same learnings about skills and capability of this group. The fans already know and we see the rehash of the same performances 

  • Like 2
Brumsaint

Brumsaint

Posted
Posted

I watched the whole game after coughing up a fiver for some bizarre reason that I can't quite fathom.

Let's start with positives:

Downs - great finish with the only real opportunity he got to do anything after coming on. I just don't understand why WS didn't play him for 45 minutes and Ross Stewart for the other in their preferred position so we had a big guy to hit who can hold it up.

Moses Sesay was trusted ahead of Smallbone and Aribo to come into the midfield and did decently well I thought. I'd say he's deserving of a spot in the squad and coiuld develop into an option for the first team.

Jay Robinson - once again looked far more likely to do something worthwhile than AA, BBD or Wee man. I don't think we can rely on him for 46 games as a starter, he will have dips and struggle at times, but he gives me hope.

Quarshie - By far the best of our defenders - dominant against the strikers he's come up against so far and plays good passes forward. A great signing - well done Spors!

Now for the negatives:

Stephens AGAIN! I don't need to say any more. He's a complete liability on the pitch and I don't care if he's vocal, he's not good enough.

Fraser playing the full 90 - WTF! He offered very little other than effort, but no creativity, most of his crosses when he did decide to put one in were poor. Should not be a key player. Would rather his position was like last season - out of the squad for most games.

The front four generally from the start and Will Still's tactics going forward. Why did we start with BBD, Fraser, AA and Archer again! That's two games in a row when it obviously doesn't work and he's the only person on the planet who thinks that combination will do anything on the pitch. We never looked like scoring. I know his options are limited at the moment - that's worrying this close to the season, but unless he's trying to prove some kind of point to SR about the players he has, it's madness to be playing those players together. Even if Edozie and Dibling both stay, I still think we need a direct winger with pace and physicality who can beat his man and put crosses in.

Picking players out of position - for the second game in a row, he started a CB at RB with two RBs on the bench. Is this a damning assessment of Sugawara? Are we going to try to sign another right back before the season starts, as Bree really hasn't looked great either, but Ronnie Edwards doesn't offer anything going forward, which I thought was an essential part of Still's gameplan. I don't know who's going to be Quarshie's partner starting the season, but I hope it's not Stephens and I don't want our multiple CBs shoehorned into the side out of position to try to keep them happy. The squad needs sorting out now!

Midfield - if Flynn Downes stays and can remain fit for a good proportion of games, we should have a solid base. Shea Charles has looked decent, if not outstanding generally. If Fernandes stays, we have some real quality in there and I liked what I saw of Matsuki before he got injured, but if any of those leave, I would be seriously worried about having a strong enough pair of CMs and an AM who will create chances. 

  • Like 4
UpweySaint

UpweySaint

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, ErwinK1961 said:

I agree it’s unlikely, but we need to if we want any chance of promotion.

I don’t agree. I think this overestimates the quality in other squads we are competing with. I think the ‘as is’ squad should be comfortably in the play offs with an eye on the automatics. If we want to be a good candidate for the autos and have a fighting chance of staying up were we to go up I agree improvements are needed.

Lighthouse

Lighthouse

Posted
Posted

Whenever we’ve played the 4-2-3-1 successfully in the past, we’ve relied on four different types of player, each with defined roles.

  • The focal point, front and centre -  Lambert or Pelle
  • A mobile, supporting striker out wide - J Rod or Mané
  • A creative player who can make the key passes - Lallana or Tadic
  • An industrial player to link attack and defence - Davis

We didn’t have that today, we basically had a not very physical focal point, with two J Rods and a Tadic. Aside from the obvious difference in quality, the balance just wasn’t there, hence we had three strikers not doing much.

 

  • Like 5

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