Saints Vs Brighton friendly 2/8/25 3:30pm

[whelk]

1 minute ago, saintant said:

Wash your mouth out - nobody could have had us fitter than Russ boy 🙂

Be interesting to watch Rangers at 530 today. Although not sure I can be bothered 

[RedArmy]

2 minutes ago, coalman said:

I'm not used to us competing past the 80th minute. 

I’m not used to us competing. 

[hypochondriac]

Wellington, Sugawara, Charles, Robinson should all start next week. So much more attacking intent. Actually trying to play football. I don't care so much about the result so much as moves like we are doing now. 

[sockeye]

On fire. If this is down to Still’s conditioning that’s a big positive

[Saint NL]

Some decent play in the last few minutes. Encouraging 

[saintant]

Seems Will spent weeks seeing which players would do a job for him and then picked all those who wouldn't - now he's subbed on the ones he perhaps should have started with and we are a different side. 

[Farmer Saint]

Not been watching today, how have we actually played?

[maysie]

Just now, Sevvy said:

What was the firstgoal for us like,went for a dump and missed it,

Robinson cut in with a curler deflected past the keeper.

Tidy finish, hope you’re dump was the same.

[obelisk]

Seeing Saints as an attacking unit for a bit. Some encouragement.

[Ken Tone]

Is it just me or is bazunu looking better without having to play backwards and forwards with the centre backs like he had to under Martin? He seems to be clearing with more authority. 

[SNSUN]

Respect the point

[whelk]

3 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Wellington, Sugawara, Charles, Robinson should all start next week. So much more attacking intent. Actually trying to play football. I don't care so much about the result so much as moves like we are doing now. 

Blackmore did indicate the subs were more likely to be teh starts

[Pamplemousse]

Love that from Jay. Made a mistake, immediately sprinted back and stopped a dangerous attack. He'll go far.

[Saint Matty 76]

Wellington is absolutely miles better than Manning.

Not really sure why he's not an automatic first choice?

[Harry_SFC]

Quite clear that Sugawara and Welington add more to this side than Bree and Manning. Also Robinson must start next week. 

[SW11_Saint]

6 minutes ago, Sevvy said:

What was the firstgoal for us like,went for a dump and missed it,

 

Edited Saturday at 16:19 by SW11_Saint

[saintant]

Creditable draw and hopefully Will has learned that he can't rely on those who have been crap for a long time. Lots for him to ponder before deciding his line up next week and hopefully quite a few have played themselves out of the team and vice versa. Let's see if he learned much today.

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, Pamplemousse said:

Love that from Jay. Made a mistake, immediately sprinted back and stopped a dangerous attack. He'll go far.

Stephens, Smallbone, Aribo and co will soon knock that out of him during training. 

[Harry_SFC]

2 minutes ago, Ken Tone said:

Is it just me or is bazunu looking better without having to play backwards and forwards with the centre backs like he had to under Martin? He seems to be clearing with more authority. 

Tbf he's had a good game, couldn't do much about the goals (very poor defending) and made some decent saves. 

[whelk]

Just now, Saint Matty 76 said:

Wellington is absolutely miles better than Manning.

Not really sure why he's not an automatic first choice?

How do you know he won’t be? Too many reading the starting line up as if it is Will’s dream XI

[Saint NL]

It would have been nice to see Downs playing with this side rather than the players that started.

[lambtiss]

8 minutes ago, coalman said:

Wellington and Robinson are linking up really well down the left.

Can't understand why both aren't starters.

 

Wellington looks better than Manning to me.

[CSA96]

I get the impression that WS sees Sugawara and Welington as wing backs, who offer more offensively but less defensively, compared to Bree and Manning, who he seems to see much more as RB/LB types. I get the feeling he doesn't trust Sugawara and Welington when it comes to working back towards their own goal

Just basing that off how he has used those four players during pre-season and the change of formation since Yuki and Welington came on in this one

[VectisSaint]

16 minutes ago, for_heaven's_Saint said:

Penalty for nothing- will take it.

Blackmore did say it was a last minute ref change and that he was from the IOW...

good man...

[sockeye]

These subs are going to own Wrexham’s geriatrics.

[whelk]

Proper defending Ronnie

[lambtiss]

Just now, whelk said:

How do you know he won’t be? Too many reading the starting line up as if it is Will’s dream XI

Because you would think that with a week to go, he would start with his best 11, perhaps?

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, saintant said:

Creditable draw and hopefully Will has learned that he can't rely on those who have been crap for a long time. Lots for him to ponder before deciding his line up next week and hopefully quite a few have played themselves out of the team and vice versa. Let's see if he learned much today.

Hopefully a few of the starters have played their way out of the club judging by the rest of their ‘efforts’ pre-season and last season. But that will cost some subsidisation on wages to get rid.

[SW11_Saint]

1 minute ago, saintant said:

Creditable draw and hopefully Will has learned that he can't rely on those who have been crap for a long time. Lots for him to ponder before deciding his line up next week and hopefully quite a few have played themselves out of the team and vice versa. Let's see if he learned much today.

Not over yet! 

[saintant]

1 minute ago, whelk said:

How do you know he won’t be? Too many reading the starting line up as if it is Will’s dream XI

Well it's normal to start your preferred X1 in the final friendly but maybe Will does it differently.

[whelk]

1 minute ago, lambtiss said:

Because you would think that with a week to go, he would start with his best 11, perhaps?

Ok mate, yeah sure today’s starting lineup will be the start next Saturday. Guaranteed 

[saintant]

1 minute ago, SW11_Saint said:

Not over yet! 

Oh, thought it was 🙂

[hypochondriac]

2 minutes ago, whelk said:

Blackmore did indicate the subs were more likely to be teh starts

Wonder how he knows that. Odd way to do it if that's the case. 

[Pamplemousse]

Well I feel a lot more optimistic

[coalman]

When we changed formation we looked so much better.

[Farmer Saint]

3 minutes ago, whelk said:

How do you know he won’t be? Too many reading the starting line up as if it is Will’s dream XI

Agreed. Have to say, Wellington actually seems alright. Defo high end Championship player IMHO.

[Smirking_Saint]

2 hours ago, Smirking_Saint said:

Plenty of bed wetting on here today

[Saint NL]

Started shite, ended pretty well.

 

[santolijador]

Our fitness levels showed in the end there. Nice feeling to be the fittest team on the pitch for once. 

Thought we didn't look bad at all in the end, and a lot of fuss about the first half against prem opposition, with a team which hopefully doesn't necessarily reflect who starts next week. 

I feel as though I should point out, from what I can work out, Wrexham have had a pretty dire pre-season too - beaten twice down under and lost today 1-0 to Groningen. Even their very own club website notes that Danny Ward was quite busy in goal for them...

All that whilst we finally show a bit of bottle and fitness and come back to give a spirited go against 8th in the Prem last year...

A lot of people getting wound up about an objectively awkward situation for Will Still, Spors and the coaching team in general, but I would rather play Wrexham next week than in 4 months time for example, and see what the squad is looking like by the end of the transfer window. 

I remain cautiously hopeful. 

[saintant]

Just now, Smirking_Saint said:

Lots of realism too.

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, Farmer Saint said:

Agreed. Have to say, Wellington actually seems alright. Defo high end Championship player IMHO.

Can occasionally be rash - like early on in Espanyol game - but agree that light years ahead of Manning who was poor even under Martin’s set up which had worked for him at Swansea.

[trousers]

A decent 2-2 draw (as predicted )

Only watched the last half an hour and we looked pretty good.

Robinson has to start and Charles looks class.

Edited Saturday at 16:25 by trousers

[for_heaven's_Saint]

I guess one way to look at it is that the likes of Robinson, Welington and Sugawara played 90 minutes today, just split over the 2 games. That's more than Manning or Bree got.

[macca155]

6 minutes ago, saintant said:

Well it's normal to start your preferred X1 in the final friendly but maybe Will does it differently.

Feels like he is keen to put players under pressure. That starting XI was always going to be under pressure. Maybe that tells Still more at this stage.

Good workout, certainly didn't disgrace themselves.

Headlines will be Robinson but Bazunu's continued confidence is an absolute bonus. Not one of us trusts him yet but nothing else can be asked of him.

That Pompey game will be a massive test for him.

Good to see Sesay and Charles playing well.

No howlers from Stephens either 😲

Edited Saturday at 16:27 by macca155

[Gloucester Saint]

3 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

If we roll Wrexham 3-0 and get at least a point at Ipswich, the cigars can maybe make an appearance then. Certainly more prospect of doing so with the players on the pitch at the end today than the start. 

That gif sums the club up 2017-25 and drive, determination and ambition need to replace it. Earn the cigars and nice things.

Edited Saturday at 16:28 by Gloucester Saint

[SW11_Saint]

5 minutes ago, saintant said:

Oh, thought it was 🙂

It is now! 

[Smirking_Saint]

Just now, Gloucester Saint said:

If we roll Wrexham 3-0 and get at least a point at Ipswich, the cigars can maybe make an appearance then. Certainly more prospect of doing so with the players on the pitch at the end today than the start. 

We’re a better team than Wrexham, lets be real

Ipswich will be a test but im confident we’ll have a closer version of a team this year by then

[Doctoroncall]

10 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

Not been watching today, how have we actually played?

Only watched the second half. Over ran in midfield until the subs and change to 5 at the back and Quarshie could occasionally step up. Robinson a good outlet. Fraser played well enough. Just missing a bit of dynamism in midfield. Welington far better than Manning. 

[hypochondriac]

I wonder which but of that Will will find interesting? Probably the first half. 

[Gloucester Saint]

2 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

We’re a better team than Wrexham, lets be real

Ipswich will be a test but im confident we’ll have a closer version of a team this year by then

We should be but we have to earn it on the pitch by working harder, hopefully the fitness work pays off. Their pre-season has been worse than ours but assume nothing. Club needs humility and realism game by game.

Edited Saturday at 16:30 by Gloucester Saint