The Pre Season 2017 Thread

[Wimborne_saint]

Players who weren't on international duty will return to staplewood for their fitness tests today and will meet MoPe.

 

VVD expected to be there today too..

 

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/15377670.Pellegrino_starts_work_as_players_return/?ref=rss

[CWD]

Perhaps we'll get some proper interviews with MP as well today then

[for_heaven's_Saint]

Perhaps we'll get some proper interviews with MP as well today then

 

Hopefully! Would be nice to know who his assistants are too.

[John B]

For the first time in years I am not looking forward to this season just think we are going to struggle especially if we lose one or two of our defensive players just hope I am wrong

[niceandfriendly]

For the first time in years I am not looking forward to this season just think we are going to struggle especially if we lose one or two of our defensive players just hope I am wrong

 

Don't know about anyone else but even if I think we're going to do ****e I can't wait for every single season. I want footbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall back.

[S-Clarke]

For the first time in years I am not looking forward to this season just think we are going to struggle especially if we lose one or two of our defensive players just hope I am wrong

 

Don't feel that at all. I feel quite excited about the season ahead. I'm of the view of most at the club in that we have a decent squad, some really good players. We need a tiny bit of fine tuning which I'm sure we'll do and a decent coaching plan put together. There's a lot of potential in this squad and I think we may have appointed the manager with the ability to extract that out of them.

 

I don't envisage a struggle at all. I was a little apprehensive last season, but my mood is totally opposite this year. Bring it on.

[Beckenham Saint]

Don't feel that at all. I feel quite excited about the season ahead. I'm of the view of most at the club in that we have a decent squad, some really good players. We need a tiny bit of fine tuning which I'm sure we'll do and a decent coaching plan put together. There's a lot of potential in this squad and I think we may have appointed the manager with the ability to extract that out of them.

 

I don't envisage a struggle at all. I was a little apprehensive last season, but my mood is totally opposite this year. Bring it on.

 

I'm feeling much the same as John B.

 

Do not get why everyone is saying they have a good gut feeling about the new manager. Obviously, as a Saints fan I want him to succeed and will support us through thick and thin no matter what, but this is the most disengaged and unexcited I have ever felt going into a new season.

 

I have done a lot of reading on the new manager, and nothing I have read has got me anywhere near excited. In fact, everything I have read has turned me off a bit more. I think the squad has good potential in the first XI, but outside of that we have left ourselves very shallow and unbalanced. JWP, Yoshida, Romeu, Cedric, Redmond, McQueen, Stephens and Sims all had good years under Puel last year but I feel that was down to good man management and coaching so the new manager will do well to get them to replicate their form whilst simultaneously getting Tadic, Boufal, Long, Forster and Davis (maybe even Bertrand...solid but not spectacular last year) back to their best. As well as getting our fans back on board (who were absolutely dreadful last year, and probably the biggest reason I am feeling so disillusioned with Saints. When did our fans get so deluded / entitled?) it's going to be a big ask of him.

 

Like I say, I really hope he's up to it, but nothing I've seen so far has got me feeling like we're going to have anything other than an average year. I think we'll finish in the Top 10 again (between 7th and 10th), but we would have had that under Puel anyway.

[ericofarabia]

I'm feeling much the same as John B.

 

Do not get why everyone is saying they have a good gut feeling about the new manager. Obviously, as a Saints fan I want him to succeed and will support us through thick and thin no matter what, but this is the most disengaged and unexcited I have ever felt going into a new season.

 

I have done a lot of reading on the new manager, and nothing I have read has got me anywhere near excited. In fact, everything I have read has turned me off a bit more. I think the squad has good potential in the first XI, but outside of that we have left ourselves very shallow and unbalanced. JWP, Yoshida, Romeu, Cedric, Redmond, McQueen, Stephens and Sims all had good years under Puel last year but I feel that was down to good man management and coaching so the new manager will do well to get them to replicate their form whilst simultaneously getting Tadic, Boufal, Long, Forster and Davis (maybe even Bertrand...solid but not spectacular last year) back to their best. As well as getting our fans back on board (who were absolutely dreadful last year, and probably the biggest reason I am feeling so disillusioned with Saints. When did our fans get so deluded / entitled?) it's going to be a big ask of him.

 

Like I say, I really hope he's up to it, but nothing I've seen so far has got me feeling like we're going to have anything other than an average year. I think we'll finish in the Top 10 again (between 7th and 10th), but we would have had that under Puel anyway.

 

I am feeling a lot more positive about the new season now, than I would have been had Puel been given another year.

 

Hopefully Les's Nobody is for Sale message will slow down the usual drivel from the gutter press and make for a more relaxed squad,

with less distractions in the build up to the new season, with hopefully an injection of fresh players as well.

 

Well I can dream can't I? :-)

[DT]

I'm feeling positive about the new season given the new manager. I hope he convinces VVD to stay, but would think he will go. Anyone but Liverpool, though. We need a good replacement, and a keeper who can command his area (and make saves). Could all still fall flat if the Bertrand and Soares exits come about, in which case we will struggle big time.

[Matthew Le God]

I'm feeling positive about the new season given the new manager. I hope he convinces VVD to stay, but would think he will go. Anyone but Liverpool, though. We need a good replacement, and a keeper who can command his area (and make saves).

 

He doesn't need to convince him to stay, with a contract until 2022 the club is in a strong position. Schneiderlin & Wanyama asked to leave, kicked up a fuss and were told that wouldn't be sold. They both were superb in an extra season for the club.

 

We need a good replacement, and a keeper who can command his area (and make saves).

 

How about we sign the keeper who had the joint 3rd clean sheet record last season? Oh wait, we have him...

 

1st Courtois 16

2nd Lloris 15

3rd Forster 14

= de Gea 14

 

I know it isn't entirely down to the keeper, but he isn't remotely as bad as many Saints fans like to make out. To say those clean sheets are down to van Dijk, Bertrand, Romeu protecting Forster does him a disservice, he was a key part of a defensive unit that did well last season and in previous seasons when he also had a good record.

 

Could all still fall flat if the Bertrand and Soares exits come about, in which case we will struggle big time.

 

Why have you already decided they wouldn't be replaced well? Did you think we'd "struggle big time" when their predecessors Clyne and Shaw left?

[Beckenham Saint]

 

How about we sign the keeper who had the joint 3rd clean sheet record last season? Oh wait, we have him...

 

1st Courtois 16

2nd Lloris 15

3rd Forster 14

= de Gea 14

 

I know it isn't entirely down to the keeper, but he isn't remotely as bad as many Saints fans like to make out. To say those clean sheets are down to van Dijk, Bertrand, Romeu protecting Forster does him a disservice, he was a key part of a defensive unit that did well last season and in previous seasons when he also had a good record.

 

 

 

He had a good clean sheet record, mainly in games where we were tightest defensively.

 

Do you have the stats for "saves expected vs saves made" / shots on target / goals conceded? He was vying with Bravo for the worst in the league in that department at one point and while he seemed to pick up his form towards the end of the year, he had his worst season by a country mile in a saints shirt last season from shot stopping to his woeful distribution to not commanding his box nearly enough.

[Whitey Grandad]

He had a good clean sheet record, mainly in games where we were tightest defensively.

 

Do you have the stats for "saves expected vs saves made" / shots on target / goals conceded? He was vying with Bravo for the worst in the league in that department at one point and while he seemed to pick up his form towards the end of the year, he had his worst season by a country mile in a saints shirt last season from shot stopping to his woeful distribution to not commanding his box nearly enough.

 

Those statistics are meaningless. as we have discussed before, unless the shots are graded by 'degree of difficulty'. They can vary from a screamer into the bottom corner to a scuffed dolly drop into the keeper's arms.

[Stevie61163]

Having now appointed Pellegrino and listened to all the experts say that his usual tactics are the high press and full energetic displays along the same line as MP mk1 and Koeman.

I am a lot happier that we will return to this style of play rather than the turgid rubbish we watched under Puel.

However this does highlight one or two issues that the current squad cannot play this type of high tempo closing down high pressing game.

when you look at it logically can you answer the following doubts.

Tadic not energetic enough to play this way

JWP not energetic enough or fit enough

Boufal luxury player

Super Stevie Davis has played this style before albeit a couple of seasons ago age might be a factor

Classie cant last 90 minutes of a turgid Puel game

PEH the same as Classie

Redmond not fit enough

now a couple of these might be redeemable but in reality we really only have Romeu capable of playing this way in midfield

so if we are going to go down the MP mk2 route then we really need to invest in high tempo energetic midfielders.

 

I have now donned my fireproof jacket and await response.

[Convict Colony]

He doesn't need to convince him to stay, with a contract until 2022 the club is in a strong position. Schneiderlin & Wanyama asked to leave, kicked up a fuss and were told that wouldn't be sold. They both were superb in an extra season for the club.

 

 

 

How about we sign the keeper who had the joint 3rd clean sheet record last season? Oh wait, we have him...

 

1st Courtois 16

2nd Lloris 15

3rd Forster 14

= de Gea 14

 

I know it isn't entirely down to the keeper, but he isn't remotely as bad as many Saints fans like to make out. To say those clean sheets are down to van Dijk, Bertrand, Romeu protecting Forster does him a disservice, he was a key part of a defensive unit that did well last season and in previous seasons when he also had a good record.

 

 

 

Why have you already decided they wouldn't be replaced well? Did you think we'd "struggle big time" when their predecessors Clyne and Shaw left?

Come on dude as the stats man you know you should be looking at his % saves of shots on target, he has terrible stats, he was the human sieve last season as everything went through him.

 

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk

[SKD]

Having now appointed Pellegrino and listened to all the experts say that his usual tactics are the high press and full energetic displays along the same line as MP mk1 and Koeman.

I am a lot happier that we will return to this style of play rather than the turgid rubbish we watched under Puel.

However this does highlight one or two issues that the current squad cannot play this type of high tempo closing down high pressing game.

when you look at it logically can you answer the following doubts.

Tadic not energetic enough to play this way

JWP not energetic enough or fit enough

Boufal luxury player

Super Stevie Davis has played this style before albeit a couple of seasons ago age might be a factor

Classie cant last 90 minutes of a turgid Puel game

PEH the same as Classie

Redmond not fit enough

now a couple of these might be redeemable but in reality we really only have Romeu capable of playing this way in midfield

so if we are going to go down the MP mk2 route then we really need to invest in high tempo energetic midfielders.

 

I have now donned my fireproof jacket and await response.

 

I always see people say we played a high pressing game under Koeman, when this just clearly wasn't the case. I do wonder if those that say it, ever went or actually watch us play under him.

 

Koeman's tactics were and are to be defensively solid and hit teams with pace on the counter. Often using a target man, such as Pelle, to play off.

 

I would say Koeman's style was closer to Puel's than Poch's.

[Mowgli]

He had a good clean sheet record, mainly in games where we were tightest defensively.

Do you have the stats for "saves expected vs saves made" / shots on target / goals conceded? He was vying with Bravo for the worst in the league in that department at one point and while he seemed to pick up his form towards the end of the year, he had his worst season by a country mile in a saints shirt last season from shot stopping to his woeful distribution to not commanding his box nearly enough.

 

Quality!!

[mrfahaji]

I always see people say we played a high pressing game under Koeman, when this just clearly wasn't the case. I do wonder if those that say it, ever went or actually watch us play under him.

 

Koeman's tactics were and are to be defensively solid and hit teams with pace on the counter. Often using a target man, such as Pelle, to play off.

 

I would say Koeman's style was closer to Puel's than Poch's.

 

Ha, was just about to comment on the same thing. I would say that without the ball Puel was more similar to Koeman, but with the ball more similar to Pochettino.

[Matthew Le God]

Come on dude as the stats man you know you should be looking at his % saves of shots on target, he has terrible stats, he was the human sieve last season as everything went through him.

 

% of shots saved is a deeply flawed stat as it doesn't taken into account the difficulty of the shot.

 

Which shots "went through him"? Can you name a lot of examples?

[mrfahaji]

Those statistics are meaningless. as we have discussed before, unless the shots are graded by 'degree of difficulty'. They can vary from a screamer into the bottom corner to a scuffed dolly drop into the keeper's arms.

 

True, to an extent. Not sure statistics are reliable when looking at small samples or marginal differences (e.g. if one keeper has saved 24/31 shots, doesn't imply he's done better than a keeper has saved 21/29), but when the stats are for the entire season and they also support what people were seeing - a lot of people were complaining that Forster never saves anything before the statistics started cropping up - then I don't think they should be dismissed as meaningless.

 

For me, Forster conceded quite a lot of goals that in isolation were not obviously his fault. Yes, he could have done better on them, but they weren't howlers. The problem was that there were so many of those, that eventually fans started thinking "isn't our goalkeeper actually meant to save these once in a while?" and then as a result people (including me) started honing in on every time he failed to do so, even if in isolation it seemed harsh.

 

It doesn't seem like there's been any moves to seek a replacement and therefore we're sticking with him for another season, so I hope he turns his form around. Currently he is one of the weak links in the team and it's quite concerning if that doesn't change. His reported wages are also something of a problem, and a possible reason why no-one is looking to take him off our hands!

[mrfahaji]

% of shots saved is a deeply flawed stat as it doesn't taken into account the difficulty of the shot.

 

Which shots "went through him"? Can you name a lot of examples?

 

Seems odd that you're quoting that as a flawed stat yet claiming number of clean sheets is reliable evidence...

[saint-ross]

There were MANY examples, but I'm not a stato who writes these down, nor has time to go back and look.

 

Anyone who watched all/most of the games last season will know that Fraser had a horrific campaign by comparison to previous seasons. To try and suggest otherwise is wrong.

[ALWAYS_SFC]

There were MANY examples, but I'm not a stato who writes these down, nor has time to go back and look.

 

Anyone who watched all/most of the games last season will know that Fraser had a horrific campaign by comparison to previous seasons. To try and suggest otherwise is wrong.

 

Horrific is wrong

 

Clean sheets 2016/17 season

Thibaut Courtois CHE 16

2 Hugo Lloris TOT 15

3 David De Gea MUN 14

3 Fraser Forster SOU 14

5 Petr Cech ARS 12

[Convict Colony]

% of shots saved is a deeply flawed stat as it doesn't taken into account the difficulty of the shot.

 

Which shots "went through him"? Can you name a lot of examples?

 

Seemed a good of enough stat for a national newspaper to use and whoscored rated him the 273rd player in the premier league last season out of 284 and only Claudio Bravo is near him in terms of games down there (he played 22 to Frasers 38 ) everyone else after are bit part players.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/football/who-scored-blog/2017/jan/17/claudio-bravo-worst-goalkeeper-premier-league-manchester-city

 

https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/2/Seasons/6335/Stages/13796/PlayerStatistics/England-Premier-League-2016-2017

Edited 29 June, 2017 by Convict Colony

[Stevie61163]

I always see people say we played a high pressing game under Koeman, when this just clearly wasn't the case. I do wonder if those that say it, ever went or actually watch us play under him.

 

Koeman's tactics were and are to be defensively solid and hit teams with pace on the counter. Often using a target man, such as Pelle, to play off.

 

I would say Koeman's style was closer to Puel's than Poch's.

 

Talking of people never watching games or actually going to matches if you think that we did not play a more high tempo game under Koeman than we did Puel than it is you that is deluded.

That rubbish that I had to endure last year was slow and turgid and not like either MP Mk1 or Koemans.

When Koeman 1st arrived he did play the same as MP MK1 and it took him a season to stamp his own style on the team as well as losing 1or 2 key players and replacing them with his own.

I do however agree that Koeman developed his side into a good counter attacking set up but they still had more energy off the ball than Puels lot did last season

It just goes to show that football is a game of opinions and we could all watch exactly the same game but could come up with our own individual analysis of the match

if ever you get to St Marys you will find me in my ST seat in Itchen North come and say hello

[shurlock]

Seems odd that you're quoting that as a flawed stat yet claiming number of clean sheets is reliable evidence...

 

[saint-ross]

Sorry, I wasn't referring to clean sheets over the season, but purely Fraser's overall performance over the season. A clean sheet can be accomplished by the opposition not having a shot on target, we all know this. There was a string of games where teams were getting a single shot on target and it was resulting in a goal each time, it became a running joke on here....

[Pamplemousse]

I always see people say we played a high pressing game under Koeman, when this just clearly wasn't the case. I do wonder if those that say it, ever went or actually watch us play under him.

 

Koeman's tactics were and are to be defensively solid and hit teams with pace on the counter. Often using a target man, such as Pelle, to play off.

 

I would say Koeman's style was closer to Puel's than Poch's.

 

We played some turgid stuff under Pochettino too. The loss at home to QPR (Redknapp's first visit back to SMS) and the defeat at home to an already relegated Cardiff spring to mind.

 

And I don't think Puel went on a run of not winning as Koeman did at the end of 2015.

[S-Clarke]

We played some turgid stuff under Pochettino too. The loss at home to QPR (Redknapp's first visit back to SMS) and the defeat at home to an already relegated Cardiff spring to mind.

 

And I don't think Puel went on a run of not winning as Koeman did at the end of 2015.

 

Our most consistent run of the season was between September > November, after that it was a turgid affair. Wins followed by defeats, heavy ones away to Palace etc.

 

We actually started the season pretty well, but it's the alarming rate we tailed off from November on wards which made his position pretty difficult. Injuries were a pretty big part of the tail off you'd have to say, as Austin started the season in blazing form - but Puel didn't really remedy it. We just had a period of Jay and Long rotating, if one scored, he was dropped for the next week etc.

 

He didn't do himself any favors, but you can also say he was unlucky at what was presented to him during periods of the season. He didn't seem to have the personality to galvanize the squad when morale had dipped, and that's where you often see a manager make his mark...

[benjii]

I always see people say we played a high pressing game under Koeman, when this just clearly wasn't the case. I do wonder if those that say it, ever went or actually watch us play under him.

 

Koeman's tactics were and are to be defensively solid and hit teams with pace on the counter. Often using a target man, such as Pelle, to play off.

 

I would say Koeman's style was closer to Puel's than Poch's.

 

Yeah, I agree completely, it's bizarre.

[mrfahaji]

Our most consistent run of the season was between September > November, after that it was a turgid affair. Wins followed by defeats, heavy ones away to Palace etc.

 

We actually started the season pretty well, but it's the alarming rate we tailed off from November on wards which made his position pretty difficult. Injuries were a pretty big part of the tail off you'd have to say, as Austin started the season in blazing form - but Puel didn't really remedy it. We just had a period of Jay and Long rotating, if one scored, he was dropped for the next week etc.

 

He didn't do himself any favors, but you can also say he was unlucky at what was presented to him during periods of the season. He didn't seem to have the personality to galvanize the squad when morale had dipped, and that's where you often see a manager make his mark...

 

I think our most exciting period was around the cup final, when we beat Sunderland and Watford, scoring 10 (11) times in three matches. It felt like Gabbiadini was the piece we had been missing and I genuinely thought we were set for a great campaign this year as a result. Unfortunately when Gabbiadini got injured, whether causal or coincidental, the season went back to being a damp squib, and even when he returned it felt we were going backwards, or at best sideways.

[trousers]

@SouthamptonFC

It's all go at Staplewood! ��

#SaintsFC's youngsters have reported back to the training ground for pre-season testing today.

 

 

 

 

[Mowgli]

Yeah, I agree completely, it's bizarre.

 

Not really. The Poch style was a pretty constant high press which RK thought tired the players out too much. He said there were times to press and times when you backed off and hit them on the counter. I think he called it an intelligent high press. On the whole I thought it was less predictable and we were harder to beat as a result. That said, I've seen some dire games under both, as well as Puel. I think Poch has progressed since leaving us and is now clearly the best of the three. Hopefully Pellegrino will be better still. High press, good counter, entertaining football and actually coaching the best out of the players rather than ****ing any off.

 

Can't believe people are not excited about the new season!

[The9]

For the first time in years I am not looking forward to this season just think we are going to struggle especially if we lose one or two of our defensive players just hope I am wrong

 

No helping you then. This is the most positive I've been pre-season for years (already was at the end of last season anyway), obviously we haven't sold anyone yet, but who knows, we might only offload a bit of dead weight.

[mrfahaji]

There were MANY examples, but I'm not a stato who writes these down, nor has time to go back and look.

 

Anyone who watched all/most of the games last season will know that Fraser had a horrific campaign by comparison to previous seasons. To try and suggest otherwise is wrong.

 

Here you go:

 

Chelsea (H) – Hazard, through his legs (and not in the way that, say, Sane's was through his legs)

Palace (A) – Benteke, miskick. Tomkins, slow to throw himself at ball.

West Brom (H) – Phillips, slow to get down.

Burnley (A) – Barton free kick, slow to react.

Swansea (A) – Sigurdsson, slow to get down.

West Ham (H) – Obiang, slow to get down. Noble, slow to react (admittedly was difficult but he's still a statue even when the ball is in the net).

Man Utd (LC) – Ibrahimovic, slow to get down. Lingard, slow to get down. Ibrahimovic, ball straight at him.

Man City (H) – Kompany, straight at him.

 

After watching virtually every goal we conceded, it is true that Forster (and Saints in general) did seem to get a fair bit of bad luck in that a lot of the shots we faced seem to be well placed or unstoppable. E.g. although technically it would have been possible to keep out Robson-Kanu's or Lukaku's strike, I think it would be harsh to include them. Equally I chalked off Giroud's header, as although I felt Forster could have made a better attempt at a block, it probably would have been a goal no matter who was keeper.

 

A lot of the ones above are arguable, but there is a common theme that Forster's reactions don't seem to be very good, particularly when the ball is placed low. A natural problem for being such a giant I guess, but on the flip side maybe he should be better at keeping out shots in the top corners, like Kane's header (which I haven't included). I haven't included every placed shot either, just ones that I felt at the time AND watching again, that he was slow for. Son scored a couple of placed shots in the corner at St Mary's but on reflection they were taken with aplomb and only a couple of keepers may have had the spring and anticipation to turn them away.

[Crab Lungs]

Here you go:

 

Chelsea (H) – Hazard, through his legs (and not in the way that, say, Sane's was through his legs)

Palace (A) – Benteke, miskick. Tomkins, slow to throw himself at ball.

West Brom (H) – Phillips, slow to get down.

Burnley (A) – Barton free kick, slow to react.

Swansea (A) – Sigurdsson, slow to get down.

West Ham (H) – Obiang, slow to get down. Noble, slow to react (admittedly was difficult but he's still a statue even when the ball is in the net).

Man Utd (LC) – Ibrahimovic, slow to get down. Lingard, slow to get down. Ibrahimovic, ball straight at him.

Man City (H) – Kompany, straight at him.

 

After watching virtually every goal we conceded, it is true that Forster (and Saints in general) did seem to get a fair bit of bad luck in that a lot of the shots we faced seem to be well placed or unstoppable. E.g. although technically it would have been possible to keep out Robson-Kanu's or Lukaku's strike, I think it would be harsh to include them. Equally I chalked off Giroud's header, as although I felt Forster could have made a better attempt at a block, it probably would have been a goal no matter who was keeper.

 

A lot of the ones above are arguable, but there is a common theme that Forster's reactions don't seem to be very good, particularly when the ball is placed low. A natural problem for being such a giant I guess, but on the flip side maybe he should be better at keeping out shots in the top corners, like Kane's header (which I haven't included). I haven't included every placed shot either, just ones that I felt at the time AND watching again, that he was slow for. Son scored a couple of placed shots in the corner at St Mary's but on reflection they were taken with aplomb and only a couple of keepers may have had the spring and anticipation to turn them away.

 

Plus countless Miskicks, fumbles and cock ups that didn't lead to anything. And he was like it the previous two seasons as well - he was just better protected, therefore less opportunity for calamities - but he still did make a few

[mrfahaji]

Plus countless Miskicks, fumbles and cock ups that didn't lead to anything. And he was like it the previous two seasons as well - he was just better protected, therefore less opportunity for calamities - but he still did make a few

 

Quite. When he came back from injury the season before I felt he gave the defence a lift, and they had confidence in him - that he was a good organiser even if he didn't pull off many saves. In that sense he deserved credit for our excellent defensive record.

 

Unfortunately the defence seem to have lost confidence in him now, perhaps due to his mistakes but also because of his uncertainty. For a big lad his hesistancy of coming out for crosses is astounding. There was a game towards the end of the season where you could almost tell someone had told him to be more commanding, which although positive, also led to a few heart-stopping moments!

[Crab Lungs]

Quite. When he came back from injury the season before I felt he gave the defence a lift, and they had confidence in him - that he was a good organiser even if he didn't pull off many saves. In that sense he deserved credit for our excellent defensive record.

 

Unfortunately the defence seem to have lost confidence in him now, perhaps due to his mistakes but also because of his uncertainty. For a big lad his hesistancy of coming out for crosses is astounding. There was a game towards the end of the season where you could almost tell someone had told him to be more commanding, which although positive, also led to a few heart-stopping moments!

 

I remember that... he was coming out for balls that clearly weren't even his and wiping out his own players in the process!

[jawillwill]

@SouthamptonFC

It's all go at Staplewood! ��

#SaintsFC's youngsters have reported back to the training ground for pre-season testing today.

 

 

 

 

 

So when will MP arrive (I'm sure the question has been asked multiple times elsewhere)? Would have thought this would be a good opportunity to meet the youngsters before everyone else arrives.

 

And when are pre-season fixtures likely to be announced (again I'm sure it has been asked multiple times)? Seems odd that going in to July we have only announced 1. Seems late even by Saints standards, although I'm sure someone will soon be along to tell me thay in 2013 we didn't announce any fixtures until 2:46 on the 6th July, or something.

[Wimborne_saint]

First team actually back on monday - Daily Echo article was wrong this morning

[Wimborne_saint]

 

 

 

 

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[Pamplemousse]

[doddisalegend]

 

 

 

 

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Harrison Reed is still there then surely he needs to go out on loan for a season. Even given the poor state of our midfield he doesn't look good enough to step up.

[trousers]

[simo]

 

Who doesnt love the bleep test!

[Dr. Kucho]

Surprised we haven't heard anything about who will assist MoPe this season.

 

And Mods, could this thread be made a sticky?

[SKD]

Still no news of who and when we will be playing pre-season then. A real shame as was looking forward to a trip to Austria and/or France, however it's getting very tight for time now.

 

Pretty poor really as I'd imagine the club know the plans and if they don't, they've left it very very late.

[Toadhall Saint]

Surprised we haven't heard anything about who will assist MoPe this season.

 

And Mods, could this thread be made a sticky?

 

He's bringing 2 of 3 he's had as assistants elsewhere

[trousers]

 

I would have expected the first 'day 1' player interview to have been with the captain rather then Hojbjerg (said Trousers slightly mischievously )

Edited 3 July, 2017 by trousers

[Dr. Kucho]

He's bringing 2 of 3 he's had as assistants elsewhere

 

Cheers for that. Do you know what's happing to Black and the French bloke Planquard or something like that?

[View From The Top]

Still no news of who and when we will be playing pre-season then. A real shame as was looking forward to a trip to Austria and/or France, however it's getting very tight for time now.

 

Pretty poor really as I'd imagine the club know the plans and if they don't, they've left it very very late.

 

It's utterly pathetic. We're wanting to go to Austria ourselves but they're leaving it so late for no discernible reason.