PRE-SEASON: Southampton vs Real Sociedad - (15:00 kick-off @ St Mary's Stadium)

[SuperMikey]

Check my Twitter yo.

[Bearsy]

googles says https://twitter.com/supermikeyu

 

which one is my shout out?

 

Infatuation is not love, looks like it, feels like it, but it isn't love. Love is when you look at someone and say "I know all your faults--

 

I don't have faults ffs!

[SuperMikey]

Damn, I just realised how good I look in my Twitter picture. Do you think Tokes will try and come onto me now that he knows i'm a hot asian dude?

[shurlock]

Damn, I just realised how good I look in my Twitter picture. Do you think Tokes will try and come onto me now that he knows i'm a hot asian dude?

 

Only if he can rape you *

Edited 11 August, 2013 by shurlock
* Hollyoaks style

[SaintRichmond]

no mention of Ramirez's contribution?

 

 

 

Perhaps when he actually makes a contribution, then people will comment on it

 

ATM, he is a £12M luxury we cannot afford.

[Toon Saint]

Not sure if posted before and sorry to honest Saints player subscribers but highlights from yesterday...

 

http://youtu.be/_rTqKokbkuI

 

Posting this from mobile so hope link works.

[saintbob40]

So we shipped 3 goals at home in an entertaining game where our defensive midfielders were "outstanding" but the defence were crap. Sound a bit like the start of last season to me. Perhaps the opposing team shouldn't be getting to our defence. Or we just call them midfielders............

[trousers]

So we shipped 3 goals at home in an entertaining game where our defensive midfielders were "outstanding" but the defence were crap. Sound a bit like the start of last season to me. Perhaps the opposing team shouldn't be getting to our defence. Or we just call them midfielders............

 

The 'problem' starts when teams realise they need to bypass our 'outstanding' defensive midfielders by resorting to the longer ball delivery...

[JoeShmoe]

So it sounds as if gaston has had this full pre season everyone wanted him to have and he is still a lightweight luxury player who won't last 60 mins and doesn't actually deliver much

 

I would take 12m for from abroad and spend it on Banega

[Bewildered]

So we shipped 3 goals at home in an entertaining game where our defensive midfielders were "outstanding" but the defence were crap. Sound a bit like the start of last season to me. Perhaps the opposing team shouldn't be getting to our defence. Or we just call them midfielders............

 

At the start of last season our defensive midfield was far from outstanding as Cork's injury meant we had to play Davis or JWP in the role and teams just played right through us because Cork's backup was not suited to playing there and often would not close down. Once we had the Cork (A proper DM) in there with Morgan in there we conceded far fewer goals.

[Olallana]

So it sounds as if gaston has had this full pre season everyone wanted him to have and he is still a lightweight luxury player who won't last 60 mins and doesn't actually deliver much

 

I would take 12m for from abroad and spend it on Banega

 

Very hard to last 60 mins when you are subbed on at halftime, needsalot of injury time for that one....

[miserableoldgit]

So it sounds as if gaston has had this full pre season everyone wanted him to have and he is still a lightweight luxury player who won't last 60 mins and doesn't actually deliver much

 

I would take 12m for from abroad and spend it on Banega

JoeShmoe[h=2][/h]

He simply does not want to come here as Banega and Damiao didn't, isn't happening

 

[NickG]

So we shipped 3 goals at home in an entertaining game where our defensive midfielders were "outstanding" but the defence were crap. Sound a bit like the start of last season to me. Perhaps the opposing team shouldn't be getting to our defence. Or we just call them midfielders............

 

Real Sociedad scored 3 against Real Madrid both home and away, and 3 against Barcelona at home - no mugs.

 

Last time Real Sociedad lost 4-3 away? Real Madrid in January. Guess we are now caught up with Real Madrid.

 

(All tongue in cheek before this raises Turkish's blood pressure and 100 posts saying fans are deluded )

[Mr X]

Perhaps when he actually makes a contribution, then people will comment on it

 

ATM, he is a £12M luxury we cannot afford.

 

Agreed personally I would cut our losses and accept any offer of 10 million (although finding somone to pay that would be difficult) and buy either another defender at lovrens level or a striker as like others have said looks disinterested and has done for some time his heart is back home

[alehouseboys]

only just over 8,000 attendance. Think they overpriced this game for adults who had thought about turning up on the day, £20 a bit steep for a friendly, when cup games against lower opposition are generally cheaper than this in the early rounds.

£10 would have been closer to what they should have charged. Prior commitments stopped me going, so I suppose even at that price I wouldn't have been able to add to this total.

 

It seems attitudes to friendlies has changed a fair bit in Southampton over the last few years. They were usually well attended in the past, particularly the early years at SMS (as were reserve fixtures) but now I think they're just seen as overpriced training sessions.

 

£20 on the day for this was crazy (although Spurs charged that and got a full house against Espanyol and that was live on TV), Norwich charged £15 and pulled in over 14k against RS during the week. Any more than a tenner is taking the p*ss out of fans for these type of games imo...not that I can remember the last friendly I attended tbh.

[VectisSaint]

So it sounds as if gaston has had this full pre season everyone wanted him to have and he is still a lightweight luxury player who won't last 60 mins and doesn't actually deliver much

But he hasn't had a full pre-season, he's had the shortest pre-season of any of our players. Bloody Confed Cup.

[shurlock]

Come on - when hasn't a preseason game petered out after a ton of substitutions, especially of squad players. Not Ramirez's biggest fan but hardly meaningful to judge him on the basis of a disrupted, low-key match.

[ottery st mary]

Come on - when hasn't a preseason game petered out after a ton of substitutions, especially of squad players. Not Ramirez's biggest fan but hardly meaningful to judge him on the basis of a disrupted, low-key match.

 

Even then...He worked hard and never stopped trying to unlock their defence..

 

I was at the game and he ooooozes class.......

 

Great player and will be an integral part in our side.

[The Kraken]

I don't think Ramirez's performance yesterday can be put down to a lack of fitness. Perhaps a lack of sharpness, though. He did some good things but was let down by making far too many basic errors. Poor control and playing wayward passes (passes that should have been pretty simple for anyone in the team, let alone one who supposedly has a touch of genius in his locker); he was quite obviously some distance off the levels of the other players. Getting mugged off by the RS player who then burst past him to set up the third goal kind of summed his whole performance up from yesterday; just never really at it. Puncheon on the other hand was most impressive when he came on.

[Sour Mash]

It seems attitudes to friendlies has changed a fair bit in Southampton over the last few years. They were usually well attended in the past, particularly the early years at SMS (as were reserve fixtures) but now I think they're just seen as overpriced training sessions.

 

£20 on the day for this was crazy (although Spurs charged that and got a full house against Espanyol and that was live on TV), Norwich charged £15 and pulled in over 14k against RS during the week. Any more than a tenner is taking the p*ss out of fans for these type of games imo...not that I can remember the last friendly I attended tbh.

The club need to realise and remember we don't have a huge amount of people desperate to see us play, unlike teams like Spurs with a huge season ticket waiting list and 36k turning up for their game with Espanyol yesterday.

[Sour Mash]

I don't think Ramirez's performance yesterday can be put down to a lack of fitness. Perhaps a lack of sharpness, though. He did some good things but was let down by making far too many basic errors. Poor control and playing wayward passes (passes that should have been pretty simple for anyone in the team, let alone one who supposedly has a touch of genius in his locker); he was quite obviously some distance off the levels of the other players. Getting mugged off by the RS player who then burst past him to set up the third goal kind of summed his whole performance up from yesterday; just never really at it. Puncheon on the other hand was most impressive when he came on.

I'd liked to have seen Puncheon involved a lot more than he was - was more of a threat than either Lallana or Ramirez.

[The Kraken]

I'd liked to have seen Puncheon involved a lot more than he was - was more of a threat than either Lallana or Ramirez.

Agreed; I thought he looked dangerous every time he got the ball and looked like he could beat his man or do something with it. To be fair I thought Lallana was pretty good first half, quieter in the second before he inevitably gave way.

[benjii]

I don't think Ramirez's performance yesterday can be put down to a lack of fitness. Perhaps a lack of sharpness, though. He did some good things but was let down by making far too many basic errors. Poor control and playing wayward passes (passes that should have been pretty simple for anyone in the team, let alone one who supposedly has a touch of genius in his locker); he was quite obviously some distance off the levels of the other players. Getting mugged off by the RS player who then burst past him to set up the third goal kind of summed his whole performance up from yesterday; just never really at it. Puncheon on the other hand was most impressive when he came on.

 

Agree. The problem with Ramirez is not that he doesn't deliver moments of proper class it's that he mixes it with too many fairly simple errors.

 

He needs to work on his concentration and consistency in terms of the simple things. The magic stuff will take care of itself.

 

He will struggle to get in the team though if we sign a top quality striker as Rickie can play the creative role so well even if he isn't the "striker".

 

I also agree about Puncheon. He has been consistently impressive since we made it back to the top flight and deserves plenty of game time.

[buctootim]

Agree. The problem with Ramirez is not that he doesn't deliver moments of proper class it's that he mixes it with too many fairly simple errors.

 

He needs to work on his concentration and consistency in terms of the simple things. The magic stuff will take care of itself.

 

He will struggle to get in the team though if we sign a top quality striker as Rickie can play the creative role so well even if he isn't the "striker".

 

I also agree about Puncheon. He has been consistently impressive since we made it back to the top flight and deserves plenty of game time.

 

When Ramirez signed he said "they're going to build the team around me" or words to that effect. That clearly hasn't happened, probably because he isnt consistent enough, and now he doesnt look very engaged anymore. I think he'll be off if we get an offer vaguely close to the buying price.

 

Puncheon seems to play best in short runs of games. If he is in the team for too long he starts to fade. Leave him out for a while and he comes back very sharp and direct.

[The9]

Perhaps when he actually makes a contribution, then people will comment on it

 

ATM, he is a £12M luxury we cannot afford.

 

I'm starting to come around to this. Having said repeatedly that he needs someone with pace to offer him an outlet for his forward passing, yesterday he had a good 20 minutes with both Isgrove and Mayuka in front or alongside him, yet Puncheon was the one who got involved and scored, whilst Ramirez just glided around midfield just, really, not doing enough. It's not really workrate, he runs and closes down (albeit not with the urgency of some others), and he's clearly got the vision to see passes others don't, but at the same time he frequently injects pace into passes at the wrong times and is loose with simple passes that make him very frustrating to watch.

 

He's not suited to the way we play, and that's why he got dropped for Davis when Pochettino first came in.

 

Oh, and Cork is STILL a bloody awful right back.

[Mowgli]

I love the way people analyse Ramirez performance yesterday so succinctly yet they couldn't even be bothered to leave their key boards and go and watch the match.

[The9]

On a general note, loved the way Rodriguez, Lallana and Lambert switched positions across the front 2+1 in the first half, disappointed with our rank defending when we could have cleared (Schneiderlin pulling out of a hoof away the same way Lovren did against Besiktas(?)), and quite pleased with Chambers with the exception of failing to get a block in for one of their goals when he was isolated. He was significantly better than Cork there, Cork doesn't look happy running with the ball or playing longer passes and his skills are definitely suited to more combative ball protection in tight areas than expansive attacking overlapping or tracking runners.

 

There remains a fear that our set up with the full backs attacking leaves us susceptible to long passes into the channels, but it's hardly like the head coach wouldn't know this, and we did show signs of a different set up late last season (apart from WBA).

 

Thought Wanyama had potential, he and Morgan seemed to dovetail nicely, and he played some decent longer passes over the top. Seems to have a dubious first touch, popping up thigh-height a few too many times, but on a number of occasions he went into tackles or interceptions and diverted the ball safely back to our defenders to keep possession - he obviously knows what's needed an gives us a different option in the middle. Feel a little sorry for Cork getting shoved out to full back though, he's been good in the middle.

 

I wasn't really focusing on the formation much after a few beers, so aside from us appearing to have a front 3, do we think Wanyama/Schneiderlin were a 2 in a 4-2-3-1, or do we think we were nearer a 4-1-2-3, or even a 4-1-3-2 ? We certainly had a wide front two with "number 10" in the hole behind, but the three of them rotated.

Difficult to pin it down as we were so fluid, and the full backs are basically part of the midfield most of the time.

[The Kraken]

I love the way people analyse Ramirez performance yesterday so succinctly yet they couldn't even be bothered to leave their key boards and go and watch the match.

I think you'll find a lot of people were actually there, son. In an 8k+ crowd its inevitable, you see. Just because you may not like the reviews it doesn't make them inaccurate.

[The9]

I love the way people analyse Ramirez performance yesterday so succinctly yet they couldn't even be bothered to leave their key boards and go and watch the match.

 

I went, in the main they were mostly right. He was ineffective and frustrating - his time is running out to make an impact, Confederations Cup etc. or not. I'd love it if something just clicked with him, but it hasn't happened yet. Guly was much more effective yesterday, and Puncheon more impactful too.

 

One of the things I thought was weird was that we switched the two central midfielders and the match tempo stayed low and nothing much happened, but we brought Isgrove and Mayuka on, and suddenly there was a ton of movement and activity everywhere for 10 minutes. Was very counterintuitive.

[The Kraken]

Oh, and Cork is STILL a bloody awful right back.

He really looked like a fish out of water there! Feel a bit sorry for Cork really; he was superb last season but will likely move aside for a new signing. I just hope it doesn't knock his confidence too much, he'll still have plenty of a part to play.

[The9]

Another thing I noticed yesterday, loads of kids and families there, the lower cost was going some way to getting kids invested in the club who otherwise might be wearing Arsenal or Man U shirts - and much as I hate the kit, there were LOADS of little kids wearing new Saints shirts which was good to see (other than the actual kit itself). A mate of mine who's a very occasional Saints fan went with two of his brothers and they had about 5 kids with them, all kitted up and buying into the club's future.

 

Meanwhile the PA is playing 70s rock classics for a generation that's still just about going.

[The9]

He really looked like a fish out of water there! Feel a bit sorry for Cork really; he was superb last season but will likely move aside for a new signing. I just hope it doesn't knock his confidence too much, he'll still have plenty of a part to play.

 

I've been saying it for months, whoever told him he could play right back was just... wrong. His efforts covering for Clyne at Newcastle away for their first goal were awful. He is, nevertheless, a very good defensive midfielder, and I'm hopeful we'll continue to use him there in rotation.

[The Kraken]

Another thing I noticed yesterday, loads of kids and families there, the lower cost was going some way to getting kids invested in the club who otherwise might be wearing Arsenal or Man U shirts - and much as I hate the kit, there were LOADS of little kids wearing new Saints shirts which was good to see (other than the actual kit itself). A mate of mine who's a very occasional Saints fan went with two of his brothers and they had about 5 kids with them, all kitted up and buying into the club's future.

 

Meanwhile the PA is playing 70s rock classics for a generation that's still just about going.

There were certainly a lot of kits being worn yesterday. And while it only looks pretty sh*t on the players (the white in the shorts and the socks break up the red a bit) it looks utterly atrocious when being modelled by fat middle aged men with beer guts and a pair of jeans.

[Convict Colony]

Dubai Phil getting in on the shout out game

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[The9]

There were certainly a lot of kits being worn yesterday. And while it only looks pretty sh*t on the players (the white in the shorts and the socks break up the red a bit) it looks utterly atrocious when being modelled by fat middle aged men with beer guts and a pair of jeans.

 

I actually thought the proportion of new home kits on show was significantly lower amongst adults than in previous seasons, and that there were relatively few on show - but there were loads of people whose kids were wearing them. The nag effect, as it were.

Edited 12 August, 2013 by The9
Clarification, kids in shirts, adults less so.

[CitySaint]

I didn't go to the game as went to the Shergar Cup racing at Ascot instead. For £24 (£4 more than the Saints game), you got 6 quality races and a full concert after the racing. Entertainment from midday to 8pm. Not saying the concert was brilliant (Bloody Atomc Kitten were there!) but these kind of initiatives are a great way to get new people going to racing and surely could be something Saints could think about to fill the ground for pre season friendlies? Engage with a whole new set of fans etc? Works for racing. Watched the highlights but looked an entertaining match nonetheless.

[suewhistle]

....Ramirez just glided around midfield just, really, not doing enough. It's not really workrate, he runs and closes down (albeit not with the urgency of some others), and he's clearly got the vision to see passes others don't, but at the same time he frequently injects pace into passes at the wrong times and is loose with simple passes that make him very frustrating to watch.

 

Good observation - I noticed that a number of times too, just wrongly weighted passes. Most odd for a player of his calibre.

[The9]

I didn't go to the game as went to the Shergar Cup racing at Ascot instead. For £24 (£4 more than the Saints game), you got 6 quality races and a full concert after the racing. Entertainment from midday to 8pm. Not saying the concert was brilliant (Bloody Atomc Kitten were there!) but these kind of initiatives are a great way to get new people going to racing and surely could be something Saints could think about to fill the ground for pre season friendlies? Engage with a whole new set of fans etc? Works for racing. Watched the highlights but looked an entertaining match nonetheless.

 

It was a weirdly flat second half which sometimes tailed off due to the subs and sometimes spiked in interest due to the subs.

 

As I mentioned above, there seemed to be a lot of kids there with families, which makes me think that a lot of people decided that basically "half price" was going to be as good as it got for a vaguely competitive looking friendly, and they did seem to have engaged a lot of children who haven't necessarily been before.

 

Of course buying the kit aside, the secret then is to get them coming along regularly, which is no easy task at upwards of £30 a match for the adult that's bringing them plus their costs on top.

[The9]

Good observation - I noticed that a number of times too, just wrongly weighted passes. Most odd for a player of his calibre.

 

There was one off the pitch to the right wing which was just rubbish, but a lot of the time he seems to do the same things over and over, gets the ball, rolls into the challenge moving the ball away (usually) from the defender, then takes one touch, and adding pace to the slowly running ball, plays a high-paced pass into the defensive line which rarely, if ever, gets controlled by the target.

 

If I was being mean-spirited I'd say he reminded me of Guly, who also likes to nudge the rolling ball ahead around defenders he has his back to and then strike a pacy pass with the next touch - but at the moment Guly has more workrate off the ball, more accuracy with his passing, more variety in possession, and doesn't seem on the periphery of the game, and is being rewarded with more appearances than we might have expected.

 

Gaston, for all his quality and potential, is just looking like a kid making his first appearance every time he goes out there, not confident in the basics and never quite seems sure of the right time to do the things he knows he can do. Still hopeful something might click and that his summer and this week's travel won't set him back again, but we're a year on and he's no nearer being the star we thought he could be.

[Village Saint]

So it sounds as if gaston has had this full pre season everyone wanted him to have and he is still a lightweight luxury player who won't last 60 mins and doesn't actually deliver much

 

I would take 12m for from abroad and spend it on Banega

"Sounds as if" - so you weren't there and are able to make this sanp judgement. Now that's the sort of view that should guide any football club's transfer policy and much cheaper than watching players carefully in games; in training; analysing the games on video afterwards and all that other scientific nonsense modern clubs engage in.

[The9]

"Sounds as if" - so you weren't there and are able to make this snap judgement. Now that's the sort of view that should guide any football club's transfer policy and much cheaper than watching players carefully in games; in training; analysing the games on video afterwards and all that other scientific nonsense modern clubs engage in.

 

Pretty sure the people doing all of those things would come to the "sounds as if" conclusion as well though. Everyone's waiting on Gaston's great leap forward - and it won't be happening this week with a round trip to play against Japan, that's for sure.

[Sour Mash]

"Sounds as if" - so you weren't there and are able to make this sanp judgement. Now that's the sort of view that should guide any football club's transfer policy and much cheaper than watching players carefully in games; in training; analysing the games on video afterwards and all that other scientific nonsense modern clubs engage in.

Do you think Ramiriez looked sharp on Saturday?