Sutton Utd

[Viking Warrior]

So if you were manager Mr Happy Chappy Alpine, who would you arrange frendlies with, what tactics would you play, and which players would yoo go and buy

Im so interested in your views, You seem to be Mr Perfect and know it all. Come on give us some sensible answers

[Um Bongo]

Watch us beat Reading and our mong fans go into overdrive on how good we are.

 

It's a friendly FFS. Player's don't give their all. Didn't we beat West Ham a few seasons ago, only to go down? Whats the big deal if we win or not?

[John B]

So if you were manager Mr Happy Chappy Alpine, who would you arrange frendlies with, what tactics would you play, and which players would yoo go and buy

Im so interested in your views, You seem to be Mr Perfect and know it all. Come on give us some sensible answers

 

What he maybe saying is that the team most Saints Fans think is the best in the League is not as good as they think.

 

On present form he has a point I would have thought.

 

1 1 against Sutton Utd is really an awful result but hopefully things will improve

[Johnny Shearer]

Yep. This team is maintaining a fine tradition....

 

Really done a good job of setting our stall out early.

 

Winning the league or getting promoted will happen over 46 games. So not duly concerned.

[The Kraken]

Can anyone throw any light at all on why we didn't buy Antonio ?/?????? I thought AP said he liked him at end of last season and he did look mone our better players on many occasions last year and the one most likely to open up defences. This team will be so predictable and will struggle like hell with AP's long ball game........

 

Presumably because he is under contract to Reading and, as of now, they don't want to sell him.

 

Best case scenario is they have a look at him in pre-season and decide they don't want to keep him, then we step in and sign him up. Whether that will actually happen is anyone's guess though.

[benjii]

Oh **** off you silly twonks.

[Katalinic]

Pre season results are irrelevant.

[Viking Warrior]

Thanks John B

 

Im aware what he is saying but I want to hear from him how he would manage the team if he were the manager. He is quick to have ago at our players and managers. Just trawl though his threads

of recent years. Jus because we need a particular type of player dosent mean they will fit in to the team or understand the team tactics and understanding of players.

 

Rooney , Gerrard Terry Lampard wright Philips do not gel in the England team but with in their respective clubs they are outstanding players. Its no good having a team of gifted violinists you need the support musicians to make them sound good

 

The same goes for Saints.

[The Kraken]

Pre season results are irrelevant.

 

They're not massively important I'll admit, but they aren't irrelevant. You can be sure that, had we won, we would be hearing good things about "gaining a winning mentality, nice to get a win under our belts" etc. I'd certainly much rather we were winning these games, and winning convincingly, rather than the stuttering draws we have ploughed out against our non-league opponents.

 

Plenty of time yet, but I think we really need to hit some form pre-season if we are to expect a flying start to the season.

 

I'm also a little worried that we seem to be favouring a 451 formation yet don't really have the central midfield personnel to make it work. If we're going with this formaton for the season I'd suggest we need two new CMs; even going with 442 I think we need one extra.

[John B]

Thanks John B

 

Im aware what he is saying but I want to hear from him how he would manage the team if he were the manager. He is quick to have ago at our players and managers. Just trawl though his threads

of recent years. Jus because we need a particular type of player dosent mean they will fit in to the team or understand the team tactics and understanding of players.

 

Rooney , Gerrard Terry Lampard wright Philips do not gel in the England team but with in their respective clubs they are outstanding players. Its no good having a team of gifted violinists you need the support musicians to make them sound good

 

The same goes for Saints.

 

I dont think he understands football but the point he is making today I have to agree with.

 

I cannot see if we do not start playing well in Preseason how we will suddenly click in the League.

 

Hopefully it will happen but as I was not that impressed with the Performance against Farnborough I was hoping for better against a less strong team with our major players involved

[Katalinic]

25th July 2009 Leyton Orient 6 Newcastle United 1

 

I could trawl through and pick out 100's of similar results from decades gone by. That is why pre-season results are irrelevant as an indicator of how the season will go.

[John B]

25th July 2009 Leyton Orient 6 Newcastle United 1

 

I could trawl through and pick out 100's of similar results from decades gone by. That is why pre-season results are irrelevant as an indicator of how the season will go.

 

What were Newcastle's other results pre season

[Wes Tender]

Pre season results are irrelevant.

 

Yes they are in the scheme of leagues and points. And it could be that we treated it as a stroll in the park, whereas Sutton thought that we'd be a nice scalp to take and lifted their game. The match might have been disjointed because of the changes in personnel for purposes of experimentation.

 

On the other hand, we are the favourites to win this division and yet we couldn't score more than one goal against a team in the Ryman Premier League. No doubt our confidence will have received a massive boost.

[Thedelldays]

I will feel more confident when we sign another centre midfielder

[Saint Billy]

Pre season results are irrelevant.

 

The problem is, we more often than not seem to have sh*te pre season results followed by sh*te early season results. If true to form then we are once again playing catch up when it counts, and then we blame our early season results for us underperforming.

[LGTL]

I was unaware there was even a game today. Football starts for me again on the 7th August, any result before then I couldn't care less about. I hate pre-season.

[Thedelldays]

just a point...how is it now that pre season is a non event...but the lack of pre season last year was everything...???

[Katalinic]

Beat Shamrock Rovers, Huddersfield, Darlington. Drew with Leeds & Dundee United. Walked the Championship.

[Saint Billy]

just a point...how is it now that pre season is a non event...but the lack of pre season last year was everything...???

 

Good point!

[John B]

just a point...how is it now that pre season is a non event...but the lack of pre season last year was everything...???

 

And we need to hit the ground running was a common theme a few weeks ago

[Thedelldays]

And we need to hit the ground running was a common theme a few weeks ago

 

yes...the lack of pre season meant a winless first ten games etc...now, it matters not..???

 

how on earth has the importance of pre season gone full circle in 12 months...?????

[Katalinic]

Because we hardly had any of players we needed last season until August as opposed to the one or two we need now. Last season at this stage we had no coaches and no scouting network. You are confusing "lack of pre season" with "lack of pre-season wins".

[John B]

yes...the lack of pre season meant a winless first ten games etc...now, it matters not..???

 

how on earth has the importance of pre season gone full circle in 12 months...?????

 

No idea but I do expect us to start winning soon

 

The second half team was missing Dickson Puncheon Harding Lallana and Dickson

[benjii]

I think people were talking about the lack of preseason for the manager. Clearly the players had a preseason. But they weren't being managed properly. It doesn't follow that the corrollary of that is that it would have been important to win more games last preseason.

 

So not really a good point at all IMO.

[Thedelldays]

Because we hardly had any of players we needed last season until August as opposed to the one or two we need now. Last season at this stage we had no coaches and no scouting network. You are confusing "lack of pre season" with "lack of pre-season wins".

 

im not confusing anything...I know what I was told time and time again all season.

[benjii]

No idea but I do expect us to start winning soon

 

The second half team was missing Dickson Puncheon Harding Lallana and Dickson

 

And Dickson.

[benjii]

im not confusing anything...I know what I was told time and time again all season.

 

No, you are. Katalinic and I have both spotted it.

[Thedelldays]

I think people were talking about the lack of preseason for the manager. Clearly the players had a preseason. But they weren't being managed properly. It doesn't follow that the corrollary of that is that it would have been important to win more games last preseason.

 

So not really a good point at all IMO.

 

 

fair enough..in that case I expect us to maintain our form from the end of the season.....at least 5 wins from the first 10 games with a defeat and 4 draws....

[benjii]

fair enough..in that case I expect us to maintain our form from the end of the season.....at least 5 wins from the first 10 games with a defeat and 4 draws....

 

I would take that start. 1.9 points a game - great platform to push on from.

[Thedelldays]

No, you are. Katalinic and I have both spotted it.

it was also pointed out all season that the likes of lambert at norwich did not have a pre season....anyway, raking over old ground

[benjii]

it was also pointed out all season that the likes of lambert at norwich did not have a pre season....anyway, raking over old ground

 

Yep!

 

Result is obvioulsy a bit disappointing today but I just don't care. I'm confident that we will still win a lot of games when the season starts. The key will be to string back-to-back wins together as soon as possible.

[Katalinic]

Seriously, do you think we are going to have a crap season because we haven't won a few pre-season games the majority of which are played like training matches? Using any pre-season results as a barometer of likely success usually either raises false hopes or unnecessary doom and gloom. Lets see what happens when the real football starts.

[Matthew Le God]

How many League games next season will Saints make 5 subs in?

 

How many League games next season will both Saints and their opposition be playing for 0 points?

 

It was a non competitive friendly ffs!

 

Players don't go in for tackles etc like they would in a League/Cup game. They are played at a much slower pace and are used to build up fitness. Pretty much every team in the country has already drawn or lost a few games this pre season that if it were a League game you would expect to win.

[Saint Billy]

Ok guys, pre season form means f*ck all then. Great, lets start the new season with no win, no confidence and no guns blazing. Lets start as we mean to go on, living up to our status as favourites to win this league but not being able to beat teams from leagues way below us. Yes ofcourse, I get it now!

[Katalinic]

Ok guys, pre season form means f*ck all then. Great, lets start the new season with no win, no confidence and no guns blazing. Lets start as we mean to go on, living up to our status as favourites to win this league but not being able to beat teams from leagues way below us. Yes ofcourse, I get it now!

 

Do you think we will get promoted this season?

[alpine_saint]

just a point...how is it now that pre season is a non event...but the lack of pre season last year was everything...???

 

Checkmate.....

[Katalinic]

Checkmate.....

 

Only if you have misunderstood the rules of chess - Benjii has filled you in his posts above

[Kelly Smunt]

Checkmate.....

 

Not if you read some of the replies to that comment.....

[derry]

Something I have noticed over the years, we seem to play a load of meaningless friendlies pre-season with mixed up meaningless teams whilst the top sides play pre-season tournaments against other top sides fielding regular sides. We are playing two foreign sides, three conference south standard teams and Reading and are still experimenting. Over the years we have been amongst the poorest starters whilst those sides that test themselves seem to start well. A week from now we play our only match against a competitive team and apart from Eastleigh are then straight into Plymouth, on Sky, with a 1215 kick off which is our usual scenario for a disapointing result. There is nothing that has happened this season that leads me to believe that our start will be anything but the usual slow start, I hope I am wrong.

[John B]

How many League games next season will Saints make 5 subs in?

 

How many League games next season will both Saints and their opposition be playing for 0 points?

 

It was a non competitive friendly ffs!

 

Players don't go in for tackles etc like they would in a League/Cup game. They are played at a much slower pace and are used to build up fitness. Pretty much every team in the country has already drawn or lost a few games this pre season that if it were a League game you would expect to win.

 

How many League Games will the Opposition be better than Sutton United

[Matthew Le God]

Checkmate.....

 

How is it checkmate?

 

Who said pre season last year was everything?

 

Pardew in summer 2009 had from 17th July until 7th August to prepare for the first game. By the time the first game came only a handful of the current first XI had been signed.

 

Pardew in summer 2010 has had the whole summer to work with the squad, before they broke up he also with Nick Harvey would have done they fitness program whilst they were away. Results during pre season matter not, it is the results over the course of the season that matter.

Edited 24 July, 2010 by Matthew Le God

[Katalinic]

John B - All of them will be better than Sutton Utd, that goes without saying, but as MLG pointed out you can't compare pre-season games with "real" games so not sure what point you are making?

[alpine_saint]

Not if you read some of the replies to that comment.....

 

Benji's ? Do me a favour. More excuse-making hand-wringing limp-wristed b*ll*cks...

[Griffo]

Quite a good day, a nice old school little stadium and a fair few saints fans there.

[John B]

Only if you have misunderstood the rules of chess - Benjii has filled you in his posts above

 

Benji four points are of little relevance

[Matthew Le God]

How many League Games will the Opposition be better than Sutton United

 

That is irrelevant.

 

How many League games will Saints be trying to get 3 points in by playing the best possible XI to achieve a result?

 

How many friendlies will Saints be trying to get 3 points in by playing the best possible XI to achieve a result?

[alpine_saint]

How is it checkmate?

 

Who said pre season last year was everything?

 

Pardew in summer 2009 had from 17th July until 7th August to prepare for the first game. By the time the first game game only a handful of the current first XI had been signed.

 

Pardew in summer 2010 has had the whole summer to work with the squad, before they broke up he also with Nick Harvey would have done they fitness program whilst they were away. Results during pre season matter not, it is the results over the course of the season that matter.

 

So, what will you identify as the problem when we start the 2010-11 season as badly as the 2009-10 season ?

 

You wont even be able to blame -10points.

[Katalinic]

How is it checkmate?

 

Who said pre season last year was everything?

 

Pardew in summer 2009 had from 17th July until 7th August to prepare for the first game. By the time the first game game only a handful of the current first XI had been signed.

 

Pardew in summer 2010 has had the whole summer to work with the squad, before they broke up he also with Nick Harvey would have done they fitness program whilst they were away. Results during pre season matter not, it is the results over the course of the season that matter.

 

Exactly - pre-season friendlies are only a minor element of what pre-season actually entails.

[Nexstar]

So, what will you identify as the problem when we start the 2010-11 season as badly as the 2009-10 season ?

 

You wont even be able to blame -10points.

 

There would be no excuse, but seeing as the season is still 2 weeks away maybe not write us off just yet, eh?

[Saint Billy]

Do you think we will get promoted this season?

 

What I want and what I think are two different things altogether. I am not taken in with this talk that we are going to walk this league.

 

The best possible start would have been to have had a good pre season, that would have given me much more confidence but as of now my confidence is draining.