Southampton 0-2 Preston - Match Thread

[trousers]

1 hour ago, Pamplemousse said:

5 at the back is shit. Just play 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, the fans want it, you want it, just fucking do it. It can't be any worse than the last two games.

Didn't he revert to a back 4 vs Hull and that resulted in one of our worst performances of the season? That  seems to have spooked him into playing 3/5 at the back when perhaps he should've seen that match as a one-off blip...?

Edited Thursday at 16:54 by trousers

[saintstowin]

I get the sense that Still now thinks 4321 (or 4 at the back in whatever form) is a gamble that he'll only take in specific circumstances - in our case this seems to include the two extremes of perfect player availability, and terrible form with a different formation. And I expect if he does do it he will be looking to ditch it with the first sign of something not going well.

This in itself is bizarre and a reflection not just on us and rock bottom confidence, but on modern football.

Football remains a simple game, but with plenty of people ready to make it complicated.

[Farmer Saint]

Defenders are top shit to play 4 at the back unfortunately. It's why we reverted to it under Martin and pretty much all the time since.

[Dr Who?]

As we seem to be going backwards, I can only see this being a draw or a home defeat. Preston are looking ok, well compared to us everyone is. Things will not improve for the long run even if we managed to fluke a win. I am not sure why Still has not been sacked as he is clearly out of his depth. Also I cannot see how waiting for the international break is going to help, just sometimes you can tell that this situation is only going to end badly for Still and the club. 

[hypochondriac]

13 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

Defenders are top shit to play 4 at the back unfortunately. It's why we reverted to it under Martin and pretty much all the time since.

But we played five at the back against Bristol City and Blackburn and stil conceded three and two-Blackburn could easily have scored more. 

[LGTL]

I’ll be stunned if he sits there and gets the sack paying a system he doesn’t like. It’s absolutely fucking bonkers that he won’t play 4-2-3-1. We’re shit playing 5 anyway, so at least play and build the system you want. 

A whole pre season and a quarter of the way through the actual season and he’s still bleating on that he can’t play his favoured formation. It’s absolute bollocks and he needs to grow a pair because he seems to be fucking petrified of everything at the moment. 

Edited Thursday at 18:09 by LGTL

[Jack]

Yeah load of old waffle in the presser. Still keeps harping on about how good we were against Swansea, we only looked any good because they are/were fucking awful. If we’d have actually beaten anyone recently then you could maybe give him that one, but we’re going into November and we haven’t won at home since the summer FFS

[OneMrsWallace]

4 hours ago, AlexLaw76 said:

He seems to be in a doom loop. Cant play his favoured system as we let in too many. Changes system with players out of position, and we let in too many.

He made a point of the 'hybrid wingback' .....how's that working out!

If that's his presser, I think we'll be well beaten on Saturday. Fight back...with what? If we were as good in games as we are in training...FFS. 

[SWLondon Saint]

11 hours ago, Saint NL said:

That header was genuinely better than any of our strikers have managed all season 🤦

 

 

Bloody hell, thought you were just being ironic but that is a proper old school centre forward header 😂 Totally unmarked, but still a great effort!

[coalman]

1 hour ago, Farmer Saint said:

Defenders are top shit to play 4 at the back unfortunately. It's why we reverted to it under Martin and pretty much all the time since.

Playing with a back 5 doesn't seem to make us harder to score against than a back 4. If our defenders aren't up to it playing more of them seems like the wrong choice. I'd rather play more in midfield and make it harder to move the ball through us. Right now we get overrun in midfield too easily and then our not-up-to-the-job defenders have to deal with it. Then we have fewer options to pass out of defence and just wind up hoofing it up field.

 

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

1 minute ago, SWLondon Saint said:

Bloody hell, thought you were just being ironic but that is a proper old school centre forward header 😂 Totally unmarked, but still a great effort!

I'd bet Will Still is tempted to pop in the store and get a red and white striped shirt with Baz's name and number on just in case.....if we're losing with 10 mins to go and we're gonna just start bombarding their box he just as well sling someone on who can actually get on the end of the balls in. Failing that, someone could sneak round and set one of the warehouses alight behind the Chapel to get the game called off. Worked last time.

[die Mannyschaft]

10 minutes ago, SWLondon Saint said:

Bloody hell, thought you were just being ironic but that is a proper old school centre forward header 😂 Totally unmarked, but still a great effort!

Baz lost marker and ran into space very well. Which player are not good at doing due to pre programmed football.  There needs to be more old school basic football tactics and skills implemented on Saturday.  Have we got anyone who can header the ball apart from Baz ?

[Saint NL]

There's always someone in the match threads asking for a stream. 

I learned of both of these sites today and they both look very promising. Worth bookmarking:

 

https://streamed.pk/

https://watchsports.to/

[Football Special]

3 hours ago, LGTL said:

I’ll be stunned if he sits there and gets the sack paying a system he doesn’t like. It’s absolutely fucking bonkers that he won’t play 4-2-3-1. We’re shit playing 5 anyway, so at least play and build the system you want. 

A whole pre season and a quarter of the way through the actual season and he’s still bleating on that he can’t play his favoured formation. It’s absolute bollocks and he needs to grow a pair because he seems to be fucking petrified of everything at the moment. 

I agree and fed up with him bringing up last season, we're all well aware how shit it was Will, but we expected a bit more this season not more of the same 

[Football Special]

7 hours ago, BranfootsLoveChild said:

Just looked at the seat map. Surprised so many general sale tickets have been sold. 

Cat C prices helped and could get cheap tickets for junior members so that's probably helped, still loads of empty seats, Preston will have over 2000 empty seats in their corner as well 

[Willo of Whiteley]

Our best form of defence has always been to attack, it would be nice for that to happen on Saturday 

[Dman]

Just caught up on the press confrence. 

Feels like a sliding door moment for Still, but to his credit, I liked what I heard. He talks well and says the right things. 

Ultimatley he needs a result (win) on saturday otherwise its all in vain. Personally feel like its too late for him to turn the tide now. 

[Nordic Saint]

Some good news for those who want McCarthy in goal:

The only regular season game we've won at St Mary's in the last 4 years with McCarthy in goal was against Preston, and Preston did have 1 attempt at goal during the game! So, there is still hope.

Edited yesterday at 10:42 by Nordic Saint

[Football Special]

11 minutes ago, Nordic Saint said:

Some good news for those who want McCarthy in goal:

The only game we've won at St Mary's in the last 4 years with McCarthy in goal was against Preston, and Preston did have 1 attempt at goal during the game! So, there is still hope.

Remembered it well , game had been rearranged after the warehouse fire had postponed original fixture, maybe that was a lucky omen? No fires this time though 

[Nordic Saint]

10 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Remembered it well , game had been rearranged after the warehouse fire had postponed original fixture, maybe that was a lucky omen? No fires this time though 

Back in the days when we had a centre forward. 2 goals from Che Adams and 1 from Stuart Armstrong, who I see scored the winner for Aberdeen this week.

[Baird of the land]

So it seems like Aribo didn’t disappear into the Bermudan triangle and is available for selection.

[CSA96]

 

[CamSaint]

Distilled from the 2 pressers:

Charles, Jelert, Stewart, Edozie out injured, Welington suspended.

Robinson & Sesay have both been ill. Jay managed 65 mins for the U-21s on Wednesday but Sesay didn't play.

Archer has an ankle problem and hasn't trained all week; Downes got a knock on his knee in training so will have a late assessment.

Aribo & Matsuki in contention for tomorrow, but Aribo unlikely to be able to manage 90 mins.

One of those rare occasions when Saints huge squad may be a blessing?

[WALK DMC]

50 minutes ago, Nordic Saint said:

Some good news for those who want McCarthy in goal:

The only game we've won at St Mary's in the last 4 years with McCarthy in goal was against Preston, and Preston did have 1 attempt at goal during the game! So, there is still hope.

I don't want to be picky (and clearly about to fail) or to ruin our good luck, but .........   McCarthy was in goal against WBA in the play-off semi which we won 3-1. 

[Nordic Saint]

19 minutes ago, WALK DMC said:

I don't want to be picky (and clearly about to fail) or to ruin our good luck, but .........   McCarthy was in goal against WBA in the play-off semi which we won 3-1. 

Thanks. I missed that as I scrolled through transfermarkt, although it does rather spoil the uniqueness of the occasion.  Edited accordingly.

Edited yesterday at 10:43 by Nordic Saint

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

31 minutes ago, CSA96 said:

 

needs a song

 🎶 "We love Scienza, if it's quite alright

We love Scienza, in the red and white

We love Scienza

Trust in me when I say" 🎶

Edited yesterday at 10:53 by TheAlehouseBrawlers
for the young 'uns...Can't take my eyes off of you

[Dman]

42 minutes ago, CSA96 said:

 

What a likeable bloke. One that'll move on pretty quickly and it'll be well deserved imo. 

[RedArmy]

13 hours ago, Football Special said:

I agree and fed up with him bringing up last season, we're all well aware how shit it was Will, but we expected a bit more this season not more of the same 

Yeah he needs to stop comparing this season to last season it’s pathetic and it’s two different leagues. If he wants to start the comparisons then start comparing it to the last time we were in this league, but he wouldn’t possibly do that because it would shine an even worse light on him. 

[skintsaint]

12 minutes ago, RedArmy said:

Yeah he needs to stop comparing this season to last season it’s pathetic and it’s two different leagues.

We lost 28 points from winning positions last season. 12 already this season. Its a trend of us taking the lead and messing it up.

[EssEffCee]

39 minutes ago, TheAlehouseBrawlers said:

needs a song

 🎶 "We love Scienza, if it's quite alright

We love Scienza, in the red and white

We love Scienza

Trust in me when I say" 🎶

Either that or we could just shout 'Leo' and reuse the Fernandes song word for word.

This also seems far too complex for our fans. How about seven nation army?

Edited yesterday at 11:28 by EssEffCee

[RedArmy]

7 minutes ago, skintsaint said:

We lost 28 points from winning positions last season. 12 already this season. Its a trend of us taking the lead and messing it up.

Against a completely different calibre of opposition 

[Hodds37]

First minute in the presser Still says its time to stand up and fight back. 

Next minute he wheels out half the team injured/ill/can't be bother or don't fancy it.

Laughable once again. 

[Wade Garrett]

1 hour ago, CamSaint said:

Distilled from the 2 pressers:

Charles, Jelert, Stewart, Edozie out injured, Welington suspended.

Robinson & Sesay have both been ill. Jay managed 65 mins for the U-21s on Wednesday but Sesay didn't play.

Archer has an ankle problem and hasn't trained all week; Downes got a knock on his knee in training so will have a late assessment.

Aribo & Matsuki in contention for tomorrow, but Aribo unlikely to be able to manage 90 mins.

One of those rare occasions when Saints huge squad may be a blessing?

Flynn Downes knock on his knee now he can’t play the illness card.

What a complete fucking wanker he is.

[LuckyNumber7]

12 minutes ago, EssEffCee said:

Either that or we could just shout 'Leo' and reuse the Fernandes song word for word.

This also seems far too complex for our fans. How about seven nation army?

That's literally what's been happening.

The Matty Fernandes song is now the Leo Scienza song. Fits well.

[BARCELONASAINT]

1 hour ago, CSA96 said:

 

If he wasn't already a crowd favourite then this kind of plain talking no nonsense attitude will really get the fans loving this guy!

[EssEffCee]

5 minutes ago, LuckyNumber7 said:

That's literally what's been happening.

The Matty Fernandes song is now the Leo Scienza song. Fits well.

Ummmmm yeah that was the point.

Typically dull and unimaginative shite from our fanbase.

[bpsaint]

Can get 4/1 on Preston at Betfred

[Saint NL]

2 minutes ago, bpsaint said:

Can get 4/1 on Preston at Betfred

Wait until we're a goal up and the odds will be even better 😂

[skintsaint]

7 minutes ago, bpsaint said:

Can get 4/1 on Preston at Betfred

[tdmickey3]

14 hours ago, Football Special said:

I agree and fed up with him bringing up last season, we're all well aware how shit it was Will, but we expected a bit more this season not more of the same 

Blah Blah Blah.....

[Mattio]

Just realised it's rail replacement from Salisbury this weekend too, just when you thought it couldn't get more arduous!

[HarvSFC]

4 hours ago, CSA96 said:

 

I still can't believe Solent conducted and Blackmore promoted the most negative interview about Scienza when he first signed, particularly scathing of his character. They didn't do it for any of our other signings, but the one player who's actually any good and has the character that we need 10 more of in our starting eleven.

[Toadhall Saint]

17 hours ago, Football Special said:

I agree and fed up with him bringing up last season, we're all well aware how shit it was Will, but we expected a bit more this season not more of the same 

Yawn. Will you were brought in to sort that out not anyone else - you.

[LiberalCommunist]

Can we fluke some sort of performance? I reckon we'll string together a couple 20 minute dominant passages in the match, perhaps even score while creating some well worked chances. But ultimately we will be undone by the usual mental weakness that we are contaminated with. Add to that some bizarre subs and I think that will leave us too much to do. 1-2 home defeat incoming. Sadly. 

[gammon cheeks]

If we don't win tomorrow 

He will be out .

[lambtiss]

Give him the captain's armband now

[ally_uk]

2-0 Saints easy...... 

[CB Fry]

19 hours ago, Football Special said:

I agree and fed up with him bringing up last season, we're all well aware how shit it was Will, but we expected a bit more this season not more of the same 

Everyone needs to stop going on and on and on about that thing I keep referencing over and over again.

[trousers]

10 minutes ago, lambtiss said:

Give him the captain's armband now

This. 100%

[CSA96]

8 min interview by Adam Blackmore with Leo Scienza: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0mczrwq?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

Can't remember a player sounding this fired up, especially in a pre-match interview