Sutton Utd

[John B]

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?

 

I dont think Pardew was expecting todays result

 

 

Just accept we were poor and have to improve if we are to get promoted.

 

 

 

I am not saying it wont happen but at the moment there must be a concern that things are not going as well as they should be.

 

 

 

Including injuries to key players

[alpine_saint]

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

 

Of course, but the excuses and time are running thin. Really thin.

 

We are not getting the flying start we were all hoping for. I reckon AP doesnt completely know his first XI yet, or how to play them.

[Matthew Le God]

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.

 

You are jumping to a negative already that Saints will have a bad start to the season.

 

Why have you done that? At the moment you have no idea how they will perform against Plymouth and in other upcoming competitive games. No-one does until they start playing them!

[alpine_saint]

You are jumping to a negative already that Saints will have a bad start to the season.

 

Why have you done that? At the moment you have no idea how they will perform against Plymouth and in other upcoming competitive games. No-one does until they start playing them!

 

I understand what you are trying to say. But in the way England looked unconvincing in the friendlies going into our worst WC finals ever, you have to say we look unconvincing now.

[Saint Billy]

You are jumping to a negative already that Saints will have a bad start to the season.

 

Why have you done that? At the moment you have no idea how they will perform against Plymouth and in other upcoming competitive games. No-one does until they start playing them!

 

Strange then that many realised that England would struggle in the world cup with their friendly displays against Mexico and Japan.

[Saint Billy]

I understand what you are trying to say. But in the way England looked unconvincing in the friendlies going into our worst WC finals ever, you have to say we look unconvincing now.

 

Spooky!

[Katalinic]

Of course, but the excuses and time are running thin. Really thin.

 

We are not getting the flying start we were all hoping for. I reckon AP doesnt completely know his first XI yet, or how to play them.

 

Alpine, it is pre-season for goodness sake and already the "End of the World is Nigh". In this day and age there is unlikely to be a first XI - it will be horses for courses (and yes including those games at mud heaps that you are always so fond of bringing up!). Have a little more faith in AP - you never know he may actually know a little more than you about the players and football management generally.

[Johnny Shearer]

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.

 

You really think we will have as bad as a start this season as we did last season?

[Matthew Le God]

I understand what you are trying to say. But in the way England looked unconvincing in the friendlies going into our worst WC finals ever, you have to say we look unconvincing now.

 

Strange then that many realised that England would struggle in the world cup with their friendly displays against Mexico and Japan.

 

Do Saints have any of the playing staff or backroom staff that England do?

[John B]

You really think we will have as bad as a start this season as we did last season?

 

I doubt it but the expectation was that we would be unstoppable this season but as yet that does not seem to be the case

 

I still think we will do well overall but we need to start playing well now

[The Kraken]

Just to put today's result in a bit of perspective, all of today's other friendly matches in bold didn't go as league status would suggest.

 

Aldershot 3-0 Bristol City

Barnet 1-0 Charlton

Barnsley 3-1 Huddersfield

Bohemians 2-1 Aston Villa

Braintree Town 0-0 Colchester

Bristol Rovers 0-1 West Brom

Burton Albion 4-2 West Ham

Chesterfield 4-5 Derby

FC Kaiserslautern 1-0 Liverpool

Hartlepool 0-5 Leeds United

Hayes & Yeading 1-1 QPR

Liaoning 0-2 Birmingham

Lincoln City 1-4 Celtic XI

Macclesfield 2-1 Man City XI

Mansfield 1-1 Tranmere

Marine 2-3 Wigan XI

Nantwich Town 0-5 Crewe

Newcastle Town 0-6 Stoke

Northampton 3-3 Watford

Northwich 0-3 Accrington Stanley

Norwich 2-1 Newcastle

Notts County 2-1 Cardiff

Oxford Utd 1-1 Leicester

Peterborough 1-0 Nottm Forest

Preston 0-3 Everton

Rochdale 1-1 Bolton

Rotherham 0-2 Sheff Utd

Staines Town 0-1 Dag & Red

Stevenage 2-1 Millwall

Sutton Utd 1-1 Southampton

Walsall 0-2 Coventry

Welling 4-1 Arsenal XI

Wolviston 0-1 Darlington RA

Wycombe 1-2 Reading

[Matthew Le God]

Squad on the opening day last season vs Millwall 8th August 2009...

 

             Davis

Murty  Thomas   Perry  Harding

James  Wotton  Schneiderlin  Lallana

     Paterson  Saganowski 

Subs: 

Bialkowski
Gillett
Holmes
Lancashire
Pulis
Thomson
Gobern

 

The squad above only won one of its first 10 games and it did evolve in personal over the course of the season and ended up earning only 3 fewer points than 2nd place Leeds.

 

Compare that to a potential squad for the opening day this season vs Plymouth 7th August 2010...

 

                 Davis

Richardson   Jaidi   Fonte   Harding

Puncheon  Schneiderlin Hammond  Lallana

          Lambert    Barnard

Subs:

Bialkowski
Dickson
Seaborne
Butterfield
Wotton
Oxlade-Chamberlain
Connolly

And have these still in reserve...

Mills
Martin
McNish
Gobern
Holmes

[John B]

Do Saints have any of the playing staff or backroom staff that England do?

 

 

 

No but our form Pre Season has been worse than Englands in their warm up games

[Johnny Shearer]

I doubt it but the expectation was that we would be unstoppable this season but as yet that does not seem to be the case

 

I still think we will do well overall but we need to start playing well now

 

Thats fair enough. I wouldn't say that Saints are unstoppable at all but over the course of the season we will do well (hopefully). A few teams caught us out last season lets hope AP has ideas on what to do in those situations.

[aintforever]

Pre-season matches have traditionally meant nothing, but many on here and indeed Pardew have continually banged on about a "winning mentality". If losing pre-season doesn't matter then that mentality stuff is all nonsense too.

[Matthew Le God]

Pre-season matches have traditionally meant nothing, but many on here and indeed Pardew have continually banged on about a "winning mentality". If losing pre-season doesn't matter then that mentality stuff is all ****** too.

 

I really can't follow the logic in that.

 

Winning a competitive League game is a lot more important compared with winning a friendly in terms of the squads mentality.

[Mr Saints]

Played better in the second half, looked a different team when Barnard came on.

 

I'll judge how our season will is shaping up after 5 league games, not after 4 pre season friendlies where fitness is the aim of the game.

 

Some of our fans are such mongs.

[Johnny Shearer]

Pre-season matches have traditionally meant nothing, but many on here and indeed Pardew have continually banged on about a "winning mentality". If losing pre-season doesn't matter then that mentality stuff is all nonsense too.

 

I think its all a massive bluff. We're getting rubbish results, making other L1 teams think we're rubbish but come the start of the season, CRASH, BANG, WALLOP! Show our real hand!

[70's Mike]

Squad on the opening day last season vs Millwall 8th August 2009...

 

             Davis

Murty  Thomas   Perry  Harding

James  Wotton  Schneiderlin  Lallana

     Paterson  Saganowski 

Subs: 

Bialkowski
Gillett
Holmes
Lancashire
Pulis
Thomson
Gobern

 

The squad above only won one of its first 10 games and it did evolve in personal over the course of the season and ended up earning only 3 fewer points than 2nd place Leeds.

 

Compare that to a potential squad for the opening day this season vs Plymouth 7th August 2010...

 

                 Davis

Richardson   Jaidi   Fonte   Harding

Puncheon  Schneiderlin Hammond  Lallana

          Lambert    Barnard

Subs:

Bialkowski
Dickson
Seaborne
Butterfield
Wotton
Oxlade-Chamberlain
Connolly

And have these still in reserve...

Mills
Martin
McNish
Gobern
Holmes

 

And it is the bench that worries me, who is coming on to offer something differnt up front or from midfield

NO PACE

[eurosaint]

FFS

Doom, gloom and despair, yet again after a pre-season draw in a friendly match !!

Happens every year, the same old prats come out with the same old claptrap !

46 matches in a season from August till next May actually means something, today's run out is nothing more than a fitness routine in front of an audience !

Hopefully nobody will start to feel sorry for the 850 souls (total crowd, not just Saints fans!) who turned up to witness the spectacle ??

[Matthew Le God]

And it is the bench that worries me, who is coming on to offer something differnt up front or from midfield

NO PACE

 

1) It is still a much better squad than this time last year. Do you not agree?

 

2) Are you telling me Mills, Dickson, Puncheon and Oxlade-Chamberlain are slow?

 

3) Are you telling me Connolly doesn't offer a good option off the bench?

 

4) Are you telling me no media sources have reported Saints have made a bid for speed merchant Nathan Tyson?

 

5) Are you telling me Pardew hasn't said he wants to sign alternatives to Lallana and Puncheon?

 

"In all honesty in the first half we lacked a little bit of attitude for the game and we were lacking a little bit of quality as we had no Puncheon and no Lallana, that was a big hole for us. It looks obvious that we are going to need some cover in those areas for when those two are not involved.

 

"We don't say anything about players that we are interested in, and I don't want to comment on players that other people have mentioned because that is nothing to do with us. The only thing Southampton fans need to know is that when we come out with a message you can be sure it is a true message.

 

"We've been watching the market, there's not been much movement and we are trying not to pitch in too early as a better player may come available and we miss him. It's about timing, the fans shouldn't get too concerned, I know they are waiting for us to pitch in, but hopefully we will do that in the next few weeks when a lot of managers will be doing the same thing."

Edited 24 July, 2010 by Matthew Le God

[saint_bert]

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

 

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

 

Bit like Newcastle did last season when they were hammered 6-1 at Leyton Orient.

[hackedoff]

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.

 

Got it in one.

[Saint_clark]

Of course, but the excuses and time are running thin. Really thin.

 

We are not getting the flying start we were all hoping for. I reckon AP doesnt completely know his first XI yet, or how to play them.

 

What the hell are you on about???? We haven't started yet!

F*cking beggars belief...

[aintforever]

I really can't follow the logic in that.

 

Winning a competitive League game is a lot more important compared with winning a friendly in terms of the squads mentality.

 

Of course League games are more important but the end of last season will be a distant memory come the Plymouth game, surely if a "winning mentality" is so important then the results of ALL games matter. A professional competitor should want to win all the time, wether it's jumpers for goal posts or a cup final.

[ericofarabia]

Can't see what the panic is .... 2 away fixtures, 4 out of 6 hypothetical points. Keep that up for the rest of the season and we will have no probs !!

[aintforever]

And it is the bench that worries me, who is coming on to offer something differnt up front or from midfield

NO PACE

 

I agree, we were dog **** last season until we added Papa Waigo and Antonio.

 

Pace up front is vital.

[Stepgar]

Not sure if it has been mentioned already but there is a write up on the OS. Seems stil strange to me that Lallana was not in the strating or finishing 11. Any one care to share any details (too amny threads to work through)? He WAS named in the squad in the preview on the OS.

 

Should we be concerned?

[S-Clarke]

What a surprise, the normal culprits going OTT over a result that means sod all.

 

Remember our pre-season under Jan and co 2 seasons ago and that fantastic performance v West Ham? That really set the tone for the season I'm sure you'll all agree.

 

What about that huge 12-0 win over Svarstad, in the buildup to the 2008/2009 season? Again, we really showed Crystal Palace what we were made of that opening day.

 

Draw, Lose, Win - these games do not matter.

 

We will get promoted this year, i'm sure of it and all these stupid OTT posts will be highlighted for how idiotic they are.

[The Kraken]

Not sure if it has been mentioned already but there is a write up on the OS. Seems stil strange to me that Lallana was not in the strating or finishing 11. Any one care to share any details (too amny threads to work through)? He WAS named in the squad in the preview on the OS.

 

Should we be concerned?

 

From Saints Twitter

 

Nearly at Sutton. Early team news is that Puncheon hasn't travelled (ankle) and Lallana is still recovering from knee injury

[aintforever]

Not sure if it has been mentioned already but there is a write up on the OS. Seems stil strange to me that Lallana was not in the strating or finishing 11. Any one care to share any details (too amny threads to work through)? He WAS named in the squad in the preview on the OS.

 

Should we be concerned?

 

No, we've got a billionaire. If we sell Lallana we just buy a better one, that's how it works now.

[S-Clarke]

And it is the bench that worries me, who is coming on to offer something differnt up front or from midfield

NO PACE

 

''we were lacking a little bit of quality as we had no Puncheon and no Lallana, that was a big hole for us. It looks obvious that we are going to need some cover in those areas for when those two are not involved.''

 

"We don't say anything about players that we are interested in, and I don't want to comment on players that other people have mentioned because that is nothing to do with us. The only thing Southampton fans need to know is that when we come out with a message you can be sure it is a true message.

"We've been watching the market, there's not been much movement and we are trying not to pitch in too early as a better player may come available and we miss him. It's about timing, the fans shouldn't get too concerned, I know they are waiting for us to pitch in, but hopefully we will do that in the next few weeks when a lot of managers will be doing the same thing."

 

 

just relax, pard's knows what he's doing and what we need.

[ericofarabia]

From Saints Twitter

 

Nearly at Sutton. Early team news is that Puncheon hasn't travelled (ankle) and Lallana is still recovering from knee injury

 

Tyson is also mysteriuosly missing from the Forest squad ... we are about to do a straight swap.

[S-Clarke]

What the hell are you on about???? We haven't started yet!

F*cking beggars belief...

 

He can't wait to get started, so he's making the most of the pre-season results now.

[Ewell]

I am just back from the game and I have to say that was a brilliant test for our team. Make no mistake Sutton United are no mugs and they will go close to winning the Ryman Premier this season. They are very big and strong and had lots of pace up front and out wide. They finished second last year and lost out in the play offs so they are a decent non league side.

 

In the first half Saints were very poor but the side had 3 central midfielders and it looked like Hammond was told to push on and support Lambert who was up top on his own. We really did not get going and everyone looked off the pace especially the back 4. Harding, Fonte and Jaidi looked very rusty indeed. Ryan Dickson looked awful in central midfield but he seemed to be carrying a knock and was duly substituted. The Sutton goal was a big mix up between Jaidi and Kelvin and in my opinion the latter was in a poor position.

 

In the second half we were much better and looked far more composed on the ball. Morgan was very good in midfield but occasionally tried to do a bit too much. It was good to see RIcky get his goal which was well taken. Joseph Mills and Lee Bernard looked lively when they came on. I also agree with Pardew and Paul Wotten did lift the energy levels in the other players when he was introduced. I heard Pardew clearly give a message to Wotten with about 10 minutes to go to tell the other players to go and win the game. OK we failed but it shows that Pardew has faith in Wotten to lead the team in tight matches. I thought a special mention must go to young Oxlade-Chamberlain who was my Saints MOM. He was full of running and put in one or two decent crosses that no one got on the end of. I like him and think he will have a big season.

[Thedelldays]

''we were lacking a little bit of quality as we had no Puncheon and no Lallana, that was a big hole for us. It looks obvious that we are going to need some cover in those areas for when those two are not involved.''

 

"We don't say anything about players that we are interested in, and I don't want to comment on players that other people have mentioned because that is nothing to do with us. The only thing Southampton fans need to know is that when we come out with a message you can be sure it is a true message.

"We've been watching the market, there's not been much movement and we are trying not to pitch in too early as a better player may come available and we miss him. It's about timing, the fans shouldn't get too concerned, I know they are waiting for us to pitch in, but hopefully we will do that in the next few weeks when a lot of managers will be doing the same thing."

 

 

just relax, pard's knows what he's doing and what we need.

 

quite clearly says more players will come in within the next month or so

and bart about to sign a new contract

Edited 24 July, 2010 by Thedelldays

[theyin]

FFS

Doom, gloom and despair, yet again after a pre-season draw in a friendly match !!

Happens every year, the same old prats come out with the same old claptrap !

46 matches in a season from August till next May actually means something, today's run out is nothing more than a fitness routine in front of an audience !

Hopefully nobody will start to feel sorry for the 850 souls (total crowd, not just Saints fans!) who turned up to witness the spectacle ??

 

I actually thought I'd time warped back to lat season.

 

Glad I never went but I'm not worrying about a pre-season game no matter if AP put out his best 11

[hamster]

Well my two-penneth fwiw, Pards has kept his powder dry to some extent thus far in pre-season and today he could not possibly have risked further injurues so I'd bet they were intructed not to go that extra yard. although tbf I was not there myself.

 

Being a clever chap and is some posters are to be believed, recent results can only strengthen any plea for more signings when he sits down with Nicola.

[View From The Top]

Some of our fans are such mongs.

 

Oh yes.

[itchen]

Just be grateful.....that.....he's....cut down on.......the....random..... dots.

[Block 5]

Good to see the bed-wetters are out in force.

[SuperMikey]

When have we ever had a good pre-season? Lets focus less on the small games against Sutton and Havant and the big ones we have coming up in a couple of weeks like Plymouth. Plus, the game obviously meant a lot for Sutton and their fans, so they were never going to roll over for us were they? If anything, I would've let Sutton win and given some more youngsters a run-out. And on the subject of cover, Pardew actually states in the OS write-up that he feels wide midfield is now the priority. I fully expect us to have a squad that we're completely satisfied with by the first game of the season. We just need to chill out and let Pardew et al. do their job!

[alpine_saint]

''we were lacking a little bit of quality as we had no Puncheon and no Lallana, that was a big hole for us. It looks obvious that we are going to need some cover in those areas for when those two are not involved.''

 

just relax, pard's knows what he's doing and what we need.

 

Feck me, has the penny only just dropped with him ? Better late than never, I suppose. We would still have been able to offer that something if Antonio had signed.

[sfc4prem]

Oh, and by the way, we were playing in our away strip, not the sash.

 

(aimed at some sash-haters earlier in the thread)

[alpine_saint]

"Bed-wetters", "mongs", "prats"....

 

Is this site moderated any more ?

 

Are we allowed to debate the impact of this pre-season on the upcoming League season or not ?

[Saint_clark]

"Bed-wetters", "mongs", "prats"....

 

Is this site moderated any more ?

 

Are we allowed to debate the impact of this pre-season on the upcoming League season or not ?

 

You're not debating anything Alpine, you're telling us as an absolute fact that we will start poorly.

[The Kraken]

Feck me, has the penny only just dropped with him ? Better late than never, I suppose. We would still have been able to offer that something if Antonio had signed.

 

Calm down Tubby. This is from The Evening Standard back in February...

 

"Southampton manager Alan Pardew is lining up a summer move for Barnet winger Albert Adomah".

 

I think even by your harsh standards that's pretty early recognition that the wide areas need strengthening. And AP can hardly be blamed for not signing Antonio if Reading want to keep hold of him, which appears the case right now.

[Clifford Nelson]

The first team has now managed to wangle a draw against a Conference South side and the U21 development squad beefed up with several first team players manage to get one past Farnborough. I am sure they are tired and out of sorts, but so is the teams we've played against. Maybe it technically doesn't matter, but it doesn't contribute towards the habit of winning. With another loss against Reading next Saturday we don't look that well prepared for Plymouth.Through all the spin and excuses I see a pre-season which hasn't gone exactly according to plan.

[saintsmike25]

Alpine abuse towards you is mostly justified because you're an irritating coldsore which spreads constant negativity about Southampton on practically every thread. You call yourself a Southampton fan? You don't do much supporting, you just sit on your fat behind at your PC moaning constantly. "FFS NOT GOOD ENOUGH" thats all you ever seem to say. Most of us enjoy supporting Southampton, win lose or draw, for you where is the pleasure in being a Southampton fan if it brings you no enjoyment whatsoever than to annoy others on a forum with your endless whining and drivvle.

[alpine_saint]

Alpine abuse towards you is mostly justified because you're an irritating coldsore which spreads constant negativity about Southampton on practically every thread. You call yourself a Southampton fan? You don't do much supporting, you just sit on your fat behind at your PC moaning constantly. "FFS NOT GOOD ENOUGH" thats all you ever seem to say. Most of us enjoy supporting Southampton, win lose or draw, for you where is the pleasure in being a Southampton fan if it brings you no enjoyment whatsoever than to annoy others on a forum with your endless whining and drivvle.

 

Pathetic judgemental bullsh*t.

 

Your way of supporting / following the team aint the only way, matey. At least I am capable of seeing the problems compared to the "In AP we trust" and "Get behind the team FFS" brigades.