Saints v Stoke - Match Thread

[trousers]

No Adam Blackmore asking questions at today's pre-match press conference... anything to read into that?

[warsash saint]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE no 'we spy when we want chants'!!!

[trousers]

Eckert (paraphrased): "Jander not ready to play tomorrow. Potentially available for West Ham next week, but more likely not until next weekend."

Edited yesterday at 14:05 by trousers

[Osvaldorama]

1 minute ago, trousers said:

Eckert (paraphrased): "Jander not ready to play tomorrow. Potentially available for West Ham next week, but more likely not until next weekend."

Aka.. he’s on the move too and would only be fit when the window is closed ?

[trousers]

Just now, Osvaldorama said:

Aka.. he’s on the move too and would only be fit when the window is closed ?

I couldn't possibly be that cynical...

[M271]

25 minutes ago, trousers said:

No Adam Blackmore asking questions at today's pre-match press conference... anything to read into that?

Was the women asking the questions from Radio Solent in place of Adam? For whatever reason.

[tdmickey3]

34 minutes ago, trousers said:

No Adam Blackmore asking questions at today's pre-match press conference... anything to read into that?

He had a day off..perhaps

[23rdSaint]

37 minutes ago, trousers said:

No Adam Blackmore asking questions at today's pre-match press conference... anything to read into that?

Subject to a transfer to Villa

Edited yesterday at 14:26 by 23rdSaint

[Britannia]

I suspect tomorrow will be carnage with people not being able to access tickets, not realising the access has changed and haven't installed the other app, not understanding how the new one works, or other technical issues.

Just a word of warning, do check you can access your tickets in airplane mode just in case there is no data flow once you get to the stadium.

[CSA96]

Press conf: 'Are you expecting Finn Azaz to be in contention to start tomorrow?'

TE: 'Oh, not in contention. He will start'

[BranfootsLoveChild]

1 hour ago, warsash saint said:

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE no 'we spy when we want chants'!!!

Well said. Although you know it's going to going to happen.....

[Wade Garrett]

Lets get the season started tomorrow and fucking smash Stoke.  Can't see THB starting so probably Wood and Stephens.

No Jander, who I suspect is playing silly buggers, but Azaz starting will probably help Bragg.

Or we could go full Mike Bassett, 4-4-fucking 2.  Larin and the new guy up front, Downes and Azaz CM, with Downes playing deep and Azaz further up the pitch.  😂😂

[Charlie Wayman]

2 hours ago, Wade Garrett said:

Lets get the season started tomorrow and fucking smash Stoke.  Can't see THB starting so probably Wood and Stephens.

No Jander, who I suspect is playing silly buggers, but Azaz starting will probably help Bragg.

Or we could go full Mike Bassett, 4-4-fucking 2.  Larin and the new guy up front, Downes and Azaz CM, with Downes playing deep and Azaz further up the pitch.  😂😂

THB will start, Jander is genuinely injured and it's very unlikely we'll go 442.

What's happened to your last season's optimism?

[Charlie Wayman]

3 hours ago, BranfootsLoveChild said:

Well said. Although you know it's going to going to happen.....

Puctuated by "We hate Pompey" chants even though both are irrelevant to this match.

[Football Special]

17 hours ago, LGTL said:

And we’ve scored one goal against them in the last 5 or 6 home games 😂

Just remembered they have that keeper our fans kept wanting to sign , Viktor Johansson , always seems to play well against us 

[Pamplemousse]

4 hours ago, Britannia said:

I suspect tomorrow will be carnage with people not being able to access tickets, not realising the access has changed and haven't installed the other app, not understanding how the new one works, or other technical issues.

Just a word of warning, do check you can access your tickets in airplane mode just in case there is no data flow once you get to the stadium.

Apparently there are still 3000 people or so who haven't downloaded their tickets from the new app, according to the OS. 

[Dr Who?]

3 hours ago, Pamplemousse said:

Apparently there are still 3000 people or so who haven't downloaded their tickets from the new app, according to the OS. 

Wish I did not download my ticket last season for the home game against Stoke. My one home game this season will be 29th August Millwall. 🙏 

[CSA96]

Random question if anyone has been in this scenario. Borrowing a ticket at late notice for tomorrow's game for someone who can't make it - but it's an over-65 ticket, can I upgrade to adult at the ticket office or do the stadium staff not really care?

[whelk]

No THB for the game. 

[whelk]

8 hours ago, Charlie Wayman said:

THB will start

Afraid he won’t 

[Toadhall Saint]

6 hours ago, CSA96 said:

Random question if anyone has been in this scenario. Borrowing a ticket at late notice for tomorrow's game for someone who can't make it - but it's an over-65 ticket, can I upgrade to adult at the ticket office or do the stadium staff not really care?

Think they are supposed to care but more interested for an adult using a kids ticket. I’d use it as is and if your stopped then say it was a later decision and you couldn’t find out how to change the ticket. Personally I don’t think you’ll have a problem.

[Football Special]

7 hours ago, CSA96 said:

Random question if anyone has been in this scenario. Borrowing a ticket at late notice for tomorrow's game for someone who can't make it - but it's an over-65 ticket, can I upgrade to adult at the ticket office or do the stadium staff not really care?

Yes have had this scenario a couple of times,late notice, just used the ticket didnt faff around with the ticket office trying to upgrade 

Edited 8 hours ago by Football Special

[Badger]

1 hour ago, Toadhall Saint said:

Think they are supposed to care but more interested for an adult using a kids ticket. I’d use it as is and if your stopped then say it was a later decision and you couldn’t find out how to change the ticket. Personally I don’t think you’ll have a problem.

 

21 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Yes have had this scenario a couple of times,late notice, just used the ticket didnt faff around with the ticket office trying to upgrade 

Are the club able to determine or record that the ticket has been transferred to another person/email address? 
 

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

Today, Tonda, don't try and put Matsuki in that defensive midfield spot. It didn't work against Colchester because he's not that sort of player. He gets muscled off the ball and then there's pressure on the centre backs - and we saw how Jack S. dealt with that against Watford. 

[Toadhall Saint]

4 minutes ago, Badger said:

 

Are the club able to determine or record that the ticket has been transferred to another person/email address? 
 

As it’s digital - yes there will be record of the transfer but unable to see the age of the person it’s being transferred to unless it’s recorded against their profile. 

[Disco Stu]

[StrangelyBrown]

17 hours ago, M271 said:

Was the women asking the questions from Radio Solent in place of Adam? For whatever reason.

Some of the dumbest questions Ive ever heard. Closed questions that didn't get anything like an interesting answer. Amazing what passes for journalism.

[Willo of Whiteley]

2-1 win.

Scrappy beyond belief but a win is a win.

Tom Fellows tos core his first goal. Taylor Harwood-Bellis to start with Jack Stephens.

[sfc4prem]

Can only see a loss without THB

[Football Special]

Lovely sunny morning here in Southamptonshire, home win weather, few tickets left still , get on down there get behind the lads 

[RedArmy]

6 hours ago, whelk said:

No THB for the game. 

Who do you think you are, TheVMan? 

[Lighthouse]

7 minutes ago, sfc4prem said:

Can only see a loss without THB

We’re still a far better team than Stoke, and indeed most of this league, even without THB. Clearly we’re weaker without him but anything other than a win in this game is unacceptable.

[CB Fry]

23 minutes ago, sfc4prem said:

Can only see a loss without THB

Jesus wept.

[die Mannyschaft]

3 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

We’re still a far better team than Stoke, and indeed most of this league, even without THB. Clearly we’re weaker without him but anything other than a win in this game is unacceptable.

We are far better than Watford and lost. I think the spygate and -4 is in the back of the players minds and just adds to the stress of being a expected 2nd place team.

The prediction bots obviously has us in 2nd place on basis of the unbeaten run saying Saints will play like that all season. But it doesn't account for tge dodgy goals and defence we have or the fact there is no out and out goal scorer up front.

The -4 hasn't been factored in either, it looks an insignificant amount to claw back as long we get point in first 5 games to avoid playing catch up all week.

I still think a realistic achievement is 6th, 7th or 8th.

 

[die Mannyschaft]

1 minute ago, CB Fry said:

Jesus wept.

Some fans think he's our best player so that could leave a big gap to fill. You would think there is enough on bench to plug the gap.

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

On 21/08/2026 at 00:02, saintant said:

Likely to be a pairing of Stephens and Wood on Saturday. Oh joy.

Just because THB is likely to be off soon, he can still play for us today. Last year, we played Stoke at home at a similar time in the season and Matty Fernandes played and he went to West Ham a week later.

[CB Fry]

12 minutes ago, die Mannyschaft said:

Some fans think he's our best player so that could leave a big gap to fill. You would think there is enough on bench to plug the gap.

He is (one of) and he will. Which is not the same as thinking we are incapable of beating Stoke without him.

[die Mannyschaft]

If THB does leave at least I have some stickers for away games.

[sockeye]

1-0, Azaz to score

[Lighthouse]

1 hour ago, die Mannyschaft said:

We are far better than Watford and lost. I think the spygate and -4 is in the back of the players minds and just adds to the stress of being a expected 2nd place team.

The prediction bots obviously has us in 2nd place on basis of the unbeaten run saying Saints will play like that all season. But it doesn't account for tge dodgy goals and defence we have or the fact there is no out and out goal scorer up front.

The -4 hasn't been factored in either, it looks an insignificant amount to claw back as long we get point in first 5 games to avoid playing catch up all week.

I still think a realistic achievement is 6th, 7th or 8th.

None of that means that we can’t expect anything other than defeat against a Stoke team who, man for man, I wouldn’t swap a single player for any of ours.

Eighth is not realistic, it’d be disastrous with the players we have and the money we spent on them. Usually that’s in the region of seventy-ish points. This team should be getting mid to high nineties before the minus four is applied.

[Saint Matty 76]

Peretz
Bree - Stephens - Wood - Manning
Bragg - Downes
Fellows - Azaz - Scienza
Larin

[Disco Stu]

3 minutes ago, Saint Matty 76 said:

Peretz
Bree - Stephens - Wood - Manning
Bragg - Downes
Fellows - Azaz - Scienza
Larin

After Manning's performance last week, I'd be tempted to start with Welington.

[sockeye]

Tbf not so sure of a win now, playing against an invisible team might be too much for Saints

[Harry_SFC]

11 minutes ago, Saint Matty 76 said:

Peretz
Bree - Stephens - Wood - Manning
Bragg - Downes
Fellows - Azaz - Scienza
Larin

The recruitment at CM and CB will probably determine how well we do this season. 

I say that because I still expect Jander to be sold. 

They will be incredibly hard pressed to improve on or even equal the quality of THB and Jander. 

So Solaks statement saying how we will be better or equal to last season was probably a bit risky, but it improved the fans mood at the time so I guess it did it's job. 

[RedArmy]

21 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

After Manning's performance last week, I'd be tempted to start with Welington.

Nobody played well last week. 
 

Dropping Manning after 1 game when he had his best season in a Saints shirt would be a bit silly. 

[ecuk268]

11 hours ago, CSA96 said:

Random question if anyone has been in this scenario. Borrowing a ticket at late notice for tomorrow's game for someone who can't make it - but it's an over-65 ticket, can I upgrade to adult at the ticket office or do the stadium staff not really care?

Guy I sit next to is over 65 and, if he can't make it, he gives to his nephew.

Never had any problems.

 

[Football Special]

20 hours ago, warsash saint said:

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE no 'we spy when we want chants'!!!

Its normally in response to "you cheating bastards, you know what you are", being sung by opposition 

We should just reply with an unrelated song, the more we react to songs like that the more they'll do it 

[Disco Stu]

24 minutes ago, RedArmy said:

Nobody played well last week. 
 

Dropping Manning after 1 game when he had his best season in a Saints shirt would be a bit silly. 

Fair point but I've always preferred Welington.

[danjosaint]

Manning is a right headache, he is all over the place and so poor defensively but he supply's some great balls in and chips in with assists and goals but not good enough for a lm/lw

[LiberalCommunist]

1-1. A whole host of chances missed. 

That is the nightmare scenario we face today.