Saints v Stoke - Saturday 3pm

[Harry_SFC]

16 hours ago, jrobsbigshorts said:

                           Peretz

Bree            THB              Wood          Manning 

                          Downes 

Fellows               Jander              Scienza

                            Azaz

                            Larin

This team for me 

[SouthWalesSaints]

Around 1000 tickets left in the home end, hopefully get close to a sell out as match day approaches. 

[saintant]

We must make a fast start with no walking football. Get at them and dont allow them time to settle.

 

[kjurwi]

Would prefer Wellington for Manning and Wood for Stephens. Maby Azaz for Masuki and play Dobbins right wing.

[Football Special]

6 hours ago, SouthWalesSaints said:

Around 1000 tickets left in the home end, hopefully get close to a sell out as match day approaches. 

Not bad going that, assume most unsold are either side of away end,  looks like Stoke will have about 1000 empty in the away end as well (blocks 27 and 28) (they've sold about 1900 so far) 

Edited Tuesday at 15:37 by Football Special

[hypochondriac]

4 hours ago, kjurwi said:

Would prefer Wellington for Manning and Wood for Stephens. Maby Azaz for Masuki and play Dobbins right wing.

I wouldn't be playing Dobbin on the wing at all. I'd give Fellows a run out on the right with Matsuki and Dobbin on the bench and Azaz starting. Agree about Wood though:

Peretz 

Bree THB Wood Manning 

Fellows Downes Jander (if fit) Scienza 

Azaz 

Larin 

Should be enough to win us the game.

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

20 hours ago, SaintNewForest said:

I wouldn't be dismantling that based on one game whilst the majority of the team looked rusty.

Thought we also looked sluggish against Colchester. Maybe it's my selective memory, but it feels like we never get off to a good start at the beginning of the season.

That stated, confident we'll beat Stoke. Don't expect Jander to start. On bench at best. I would start with Azaz and keep back four same as Watford. Is Wellington fit? He was just starting to get in to his stride last season but is also another player that's injury prone.

 

[Ex Lion Tamer]

I reckon Stephens will be given the chance to play himself back into form

[Challenger]

11 hours ago, Ex Lion Tamer said:

I reckon Stephens will be given the chance to play himself back into form

Just imagine him playing for us in the Prem this season if we had gone up ?

Don't anyone suggest we would have upgraded on him if we had; we wouldn't.

[tdmickey3]

12 minutes ago, Challenger said:

Just imagine him playing for us in the Prem this season if we had gone up ?

Don't anyone suggest we would have upgraded on him if we had; we wouldn't.

We didn't last time and gained 12 points, no confidence we would do it next time

[Winnersaint]

George Hirst signing for Stoke will be registered in time to play at St Mary's on Saturday.

[Stripey McStripe Shirt]

Feel like we have to make home advantage count more than ever this season, given we'll always be the party villains away from home. Hopefully Saints fans realise this and make the noise throughout the season.

Going for 2-1 Saints.

[Roy Munson]

I hope we can refrain from the 'spy when we want' chant. It’s really noddy. 

[CB Fry]

5 minutes ago, Roy Munson said:

I hope we can refrain from the 'spy when we want' chant. It’s really noddy. 

Our fans are incapable of coming up with anything better than that, it's a shame.

There are other songs right there - something based on "Every Breath You Take" for example would really help us "own" spygate but our fanbase is incapable of coming up with actual new songs. 

If next week Man City come up with a chant based on Every Breath You Take wed be all over it. Our singers can only copy.

[Football Special]

7 hours ago, Winnersaint said:

George Hirst signing for Stoke will be registered in time to play at St Mary's on Saturday.

Guaranteed to score 

[Matthew Le God]

8 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Guaranteed to score 

His dad scored 9 goals for us...

Edited Wednesday at 18:48 by Matthew Le God

[LiberalCommunist]

His goals kept us up when he came in. Great end to the season. Very injury prone though. 

[Football Special]

1 hour ago, LiberalCommunist said:

His goals kept us up when he came in. Great end to the season. Very injury prone though. 

Used to make an appearance in kebab shop on Bedford Place as well after a few beers 

[James]

10 hours ago, Winnersaint said:

George Hirst signing for Stoke will be registered in time to play at St Mary's on Saturday.

Good signing for them. Wouldn’t have minded us going for him. 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

On 18/08/2026 at 16:51, hypochondriac said:

I wouldn't be playing Dobbin on the wing at all. I'd give Fellows a run out on the right with Matsuki and Dobbin on the bench and Azaz starting. Agree about Wood though:

Peretz 

Bree THB Wood Manning 

Fellows Downes Jander (if fit) Scienza 

Azaz 

Larin 

Should be enough to win us the game.

Unfortunately, there is no way Stephens will be dropped. Wood replacing him is not exactly an upgrade.

[hypochondriac]

3 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Unfortunately, there is no way Stephens will be dropped. Wood replacing him is not exactly an upgrade.

Personally I thought when wood came in at the end of last season he was a decent performer.

[Badger]

20 hours ago, Winnersaint said:

George Hirst signing for Stoke will be registered in time to play at St Mary's on Saturday.

Shame.

10 hours ago, James said:

Good signing for them. Wouldn’t have minded us going for him. 

Agree. Proven at this level - although still not a direct Stewart replacement. But it seems we’d rather pursue a bloke who doesn’t want to be here, and it wouldn’t be summer without an extended youth opportunities programme for a Man City player. 

[Saint_lambden]

Peretz

Bree THB Wood Manning

Downes Bragg 

Fellows Azaz Scienza

Larin

 

2-1 Saints, winner in stoppage time

Edited 16 hours ago by Saint_lambden

[swedish dave]

13 hours ago, Matthew Le God said:

His dad scored 9 goals for us...

and was a good, old-fashioned CF of the best sort...back in the day.

Got the weirdest pre-season injury, when  running in the forest he stepped into ...a rabbit-hole 

and injured his foot badly. Never made a proper recovery and lost the pace and aggression

he had shown in the previous season. Move on some time later. 

[CSA96]

 

[so22saint]

2 hours ago, swedish dave said:

and was a good, old-fashioned CF of the best sort...back in the day.

Got the weirdest pre-season injury, when  running in the forest he stepped into ...a rabbit-hole 

and injured his foot badly. Never made a proper recovery and lost the pace and aggression

he had shown in the previous season. Move on some time later. 

I've a vague memory of driving in to Geneva and tuning medium wave to 909 to hope for a skip, getting Radio 5 and hearing "and now off to Anfield for an amazing result", my heart sinking at another 7-1 Everton style thrashing and hearing "and David Hirst has won this for Southampton" - is my old memory correct? 😉

 

[Football Special]

11 minutes ago, so22saint said:

I've a vague memory of driving in to Geneva and tuning medium wave to 909 to hope for a skip, getting Radio 5 and hearing "and now off to Anfield for an amazing result", my heart sinking at another 7-1 Everton style thrashing and hearing "and David Hirst has won this for Southampton" - is my old memory correct? 😉

 

3-2 away win late 90s I think, white sanderson away kit? 

[Football Special]

25 minutes ago, CSA96 said:

 

Assume their two new signings have had no training sessions yet,  with Stoke set to travel down on Friday perhaps they wont feature yet 

[Midfield_General]

17 hours ago, CB Fry said:

Our fans are incapable of coming up with anything better than that, it's a shame.

There are other songs right there - something based on "Every Breath You Take" for example would really help us "own" spygate but our fanbase is incapable of coming up with actual new songs. 

If next week Man City come up with a chant based on Every Breath You Take wed be all over it. Our singers can only copy.

Ideally sung way too fast, ignoring the rhythm of the actual song, with a few words changed so it doesn't rhyme and at least three pointless references to Pompey crowbarred in 

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, so22saint said:

I've a vague memory of driving in to Geneva and tuning medium wave to 909 to hope for a skip, getting Radio 5 and hearing "and now off to Anfield for an amazing result", my heart sinking at another 7-1 Everton style thrashing and hearing "and David Hirst has won this for Southampton" - is my old memory correct? 😉

 

2-3 to us, David James nearly decapitating an onrushing Matt Oakley for a penalty first up. Hirsty scored the spot kick and then got a very late third with Owen getting a consolation. Was 1-1 on 85 mins then Egil put us 1-2 up. Forgot how good that goal was. Great flick from Hirst. Build up to the penalty was very good, slick football too despite being clogged twice. Good advantage by the referee played.

 

Edited 12 hours ago by Gloucester Saint

[so22saint]

15 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

2-3 to us, David James nearly decapitating an onrushing Matt Oakley for a penalty first up. Hirsty scored the spot kick and then got a very late third with Owen getting a consolation. Was 1-1 on 85 mins then Egil put us 1-2 up. Forgot how good that goal was. Great flick from Hirst. Build up to the penalty was very good, slick football too despite being clogged twice. Good advantage by the referee played.

 

Brilliant goals from us.  Saw David Hughes DJing at the IoW festival this year weirdly 🤣

[Football Special]

20 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

2-3 to us, David James nearly decapitating an onrushing Matt Oakley for a penalty first up. Hirsty scored the spot kick and then got a very late third with Owen getting a consolation. Was 1-1 on 85 mins then Egil put us 1-2 up. Forgot how good that goal was. Great flick from Hirst. Build up to the penalty was very good, slick football too despite being clogged twice. Good advantage by the referee played.

 

Smashing video that, great era, loved away days during that period as a young lad , magic 

[Give it to Ron]

#SaintsFC’s last five home league meetings with Stoke City:

2015/16: 0-1 ❌
2016/17: 0-1 ❌
2017/18: 0-0 🤝
2023/24: 0-1 ❌
2025/26: 1-2 ❌

[Football Special]

1 hour ago, Give it to Ron said:

#SaintsFC’s last five home league meetings with Stoke City:

2015/16: 0-1 ❌
2016/17: 0-1 ❌
2017/18: 0-0 🤝
2023/24: 0-1 ❌
2025/26: 1-2 ❌

Sets the expectations nicely 

[James]

1 hour ago, Football Special said:

Sets the expectations nicely 

I dread to think of the meltdown if we don’t win this game. 

[Harry_SFC]

4 minutes ago, James said:

I dread to think of the meltdown if we don’t win this game. 

To start with two losses against very average sides would be a bit of a disaster this season. The longer we're stuck on -4 the more catching up we'll have to do. 

[James]

Just now, Harry_SFC said:

To start with two losses against very average sides would be a bit of a disaster this season. The longer we're stuck on -4 the more catching up we'll have to do. 

And, frankly, the more difficult it will make to attract new signings. Use that Anel guy as an example, if we are still on -4 that’s got to influence a decision to sign for us or Burnley.

[vectraman]

3 hours ago, Give it to Ron said:

#SaintsFC’s last five home league meetings with Stoke City:

2015/16: 0-1 ❌
2016/17: 0-1 ❌
2017/18: 0-0 🤝
2023/24: 0-1 ❌
2025/26: 1-2 ❌

We hadn’t lost to Watford for years, we did.

We haven’t beaten Stoke at home for years. We shall 🤞🤞🤞

[vectraman]

7 minutes ago, James said:

And, frankly, the more difficult it will make to attract new signings. Use that Anel guy as an example, if we are still on -4 that’s got to influence a decision to sign for us or Burnley.

Nah. This what influences things. 
 

 

💰

 

Who pays the most. 

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

35 minutes ago, vectraman said:

We hadn’t lost to Watford for years, we did.

We haven’t beaten Stoke at home for years. We shall 🤞🤞🤞

Saw signs in that second half against Watford to say we should trample all over Stoke.

Our biggest danger is ourselves. If we revert to slow methodical build ups, we can do a stray pass (like Watford) and get caught on the counter. Attack and press from the start.

[Football Special]

1 hour ago, Harry_SFC said:

To start with two losses against very average sides would be a bit of a disaster this season. The longer we're stuck on -4 the more catching up we'll have to do. 

How did we do against Watford away and Stoke at home last season? 

1 point from those games and still finished 4th. 

Worry not Harry, time is on our side 

[tdmickey3]

Saints v our future selves 

[Saint Garrett]

2 hours ago, Harry_SFC said:

To start with two losses against very average sides would be a bit of a disaster this season. The longer we're stuck on -4 the more catching up we'll have to do. 

Yup, and especially if THB gets sold too, the messy pricing for the WH cup tie. Feels like we’re surrounded by negativity right now, all changes with a win Saturday though.

[Verbal]

4 hours ago, vectraman said:

We hadn’t lost to Watford for years, we did.

We haven’t beaten Stoke at home for years. We shall 🤞🤞🤞

Bookmarked. For what purpose I'm not saying just yet. 

[saintant]

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

[LGTL]

1 hour ago, saintant said:

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

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