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Saints vs Borussia Mönchengladbach - Match Thread

wessex saint

By wessex saint,
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OldNick

OldNick

Posted
Posted
It's a shame Les Reed has been marginalised and not involved in first team matters anymore because otherwise I'd have said that this shambles is his fault.
ah but there is the momentum curve.

Reed and Wilson are the people who assembled this squad, so the finger can be pointed in their direction.

If you filter the quality continuously out of the squad, you get a lesser product year on year. We are slowly eroding the squads quality with nearly players.

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striker

striker

Posted
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Hughes needs to find the right formation for this group, and I'm not sure our mids are up to what has to happen with the 3CB's, 2 Strikers setup. With our midfield group I'm beginning to think Puel had it right all along with the "diamond" -LOL. One striker, but more players covering the midfield. Boring football, but at least we won't have the other team driving uncontested through the middle of the pitch playing through ball after through ball. This puts the CB's under pressure and backpedaling all the time. It also means the strikers are just getting touches at midfield with their backs to the goal, not many scoring opportunities there.

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Crab Lungs

Crab Lungs

Posted
Posted

We are blatantly in for long season.

 

We’ve still got deadwood to shift or somehow realise they’re useless and drop them (Forster, Hoedt etc)

 

Our most recognised centre half was our 4th choice not too long ago.

 

Too many average, gap filling players (Hojberg, Long etc)

 

This isn’t just a reflection of the past year, it’s a reflection on the recruitment for the past few seasons. It’s literally been a basket case of a club for a couple of years now. Hashtag ‘we march on’ all you want, it really does need a overhaul from top to bottom... this might take some time though.

 

Can’t see us going down, but the actual preseason displays have been woeful.

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SaintRobbie

SaintRobbie

Posted
Posted
Could genuinely take years to fix the mess that Les has left us in.

 

Thanks Les.

 

Yep. Team full of Championship players. Our mediocre players last season are now our best.

100% going down - unless there are 3 more worse teams, and one won’t be Fulham if Targett goes.

 

Very very disappointed. Worst preseason set of business we have done in recent memory. We need a clear out top to bottom.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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doddisalegend

doddisalegend

Posted
Posted
This system is a disaster, goal after goal coming from the space between the wing-backs and the CB - and a midfield that's static in attack and bypassed in defence.

 

Hughes is clearly set on the system. That being the case, and bearing in mind we played it and the end of last season to, you'd assume they have spent all pre-season practicing it on the training field and getting at least competent at playing the system by now...doesn't seem to be case though.

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redkeith

redkeith

Posted
Posted

3 at the back gives us no space for creative players, plus Hoedt and the giant Dane look too sloe to play in a back 3.

 

We don't have a right back, with only a week left to find one.

 

Romeo seems to be the only player capable of staying in positions to sheild the central defence.

 

Long got into some good positions thatwould have led to goals, if he was a profeesional footballer, and Austin was the complete oppossite.

 

We should only play 3 at the back against a 2 man attack as it robbs us of a creative player.

 

If we are to create anything Armstrong , Gabbi and Ely need to start.

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Heisenberg

Heisenberg

Posted
Posted (edited)
For it to be a mess it needs to be compared to previous success... something Reed was partly responsible for. So if you blame him now... why refuse to praise him for previous good work?

 

#momentum #curve

 

Mod edit: we can live without the ‘funny’ gifs on every post, thank you.

Edited by Lighthouse
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SaintRobbie

SaintRobbie

Posted
Posted
One thing is for sure, the whinge brigade have had a stellar pre-season and will be on tip top form in the Burnley match thread.

 

True. To be fair I’m not sure what I just witnessed. Was it a random kick about? Was there any tactics? Was there any commitment? Lots of booing at the end around me.

 

Oh dear.

 

 

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whelk

whelk

Posted
Posted
Let's judge the team after 10 games of premiership football.... Bunch of moist tarts on here..

 

On holiday and just grabbed a bit of WiFi. Made me smile thinking what a 3-0 defeat must have done to our resident wrist slitters.

 

One thing are Mo or Armstrong worth putting in my fantasy team?

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Heisenberg

Heisenberg

Posted
Posted
I'd rather this than lose next weekend. We've got a whole week to work hard on the training ground and prepare well for Burnley.

 

Wouldn't it have been better to have learnt from the derby hammering and going into the Burnley game with confidence?

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stknowle

stknowle

Posted
Posted

No doubt the reason was our opponents sat back assured of a win in an ultimately meaningless game but the 20 minutes I watched (the last 20) we were all over them and could/should have scored 3. Not going to comment on the first 70 but it was obviously **** poor given the score and judging by the general thrust of opinion on here. What have we learnt from today though? F'all new in my opinion. We are going to struggle this season and this was clear before today. It's all about whether we struggle a bit less than 3 other teams. I think we will. Just.

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wild-saint

wild-saint

Posted
Posted
Sideways passing again.

People seem to like Hoj, but frankly I've seen nothing from him since he arrived.

He's honest and hard working but no quality with the ball. He can't shoot or pick a forward pass. To me he's symptomatic of many of the squad. Good players, but not quite Premier League.

 

absolutely agree with this assessment of PEH.

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striker

striker

Posted
Posted
No doubt the reason was our opponents sat back assured of a win in an ultimately meaningless game but the 20 minutes I watched (the last 20) we were all over them and could/should have scored 3. Not going to comment on the first 70 but it was obviously **** poor given the score and judging by the general thrust of opinion on here. What have we learnt from today though? F'all new in my opinion. We are going to struggle this season and this was clear before today. It's all about whether we struggle a bit less than 3 other teams. I think we will. Just.

 

Borussia also subbed out their whole line-up. The last 15 minutes were just an after thought. What I hope Hughes took away was that he needs to do something different scheme-wise in midfield. You can't just let the opposition run uncontested right down the middle of pitch. The CB's are exposed time and time again, and of course we never get to switch into an attack without the ball.

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Mr Dad

Mr Dad

Posted
Posted
No doubt the reason was our opponents sat back assured of a win in an ultimately meaningless game but the 20 minutes I watched (the last 20) we were all over them and could/should have scored 3. Not going to comment on the first 70 but it was obviously **** poor given the score and judging by the general thrust of opinion on here. What have we learnt from today though? F'all new in my opinion. We are going to struggle this season and this was clear before today. It's all about whether we struggle a bit less than 3 other teams. I think we will. Just.

 

I agree with your analysis. I was expecting BMG to score more but once they were 3 up, there seemed little point in them going for more and they subbed a few players to give them match time but they looked like they couldn't be bothered and sat back. That gave us a chance to attack but yet again, Yoshida looked like the only player capable of scoring but he did miss a good chance. But hey, he's a defender remember?

 

Anyway, I'll be watching in the hope that the 'exciting play' we are promised from MH comes off.

 

I don't want to lose the faith based on this FRIENDLY game.

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Edmonton Saint

Edmonton Saint

Posted
Posted
Serious question for heisenberg, alpine all others that are grouped with them. It is obvious you don’t get enjoyment out of supporting saints so why bother?!?!?!

 

I get enjoyment from watching Saints, It's alarming though that we seem to be repeating the same mistakes year on year and don't seem to be improving. We have somehow ended up with a very expensive squad which is massively below average , we squandered millions on Carillo and Boufal, gave Forster a new improved contract when his form didn't warrant it and seem hell bent on throwing money away rather than having a plan or a system to start to improve us. I find it frustrating as hell and am currently in a negative mindset towards the club, But by god l I still support the team. Everyone here is a Saints fan, however we have different opinions and different expectations, thats why he have a forum so we can discuss as adults the events that occur watching Saints. A lot of people are too quick to judge others and resort to name calling because they have an opinion which is not consistent with their own.

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Heisenberg

Heisenberg

Posted
Posted
Serious question for heisenberg, alpine all others that are grouped with them. It is obvious you don’t get enjoyment out of supporting saints so why bother?!?!?!

 

I get enjoyment from watching Saints, It's alarming though that we seem to be repeating the same mistakes year on year and don't seem to be improving. We have somehow ended up with a very expensive squad which is massively below average , we squandered millions on Carillo and Boufal, gave Forster a new improved contract when his form didn't warrant it and seem hell bent on throwing money away rather than having a plan or a system to start to improve us. I find it frustrating as hell and am currently in a negative mindset towards the club, But by god l I still support the team. Everyone here is a Saints fan, however we have different opinions and different expectations, thats why he have a forum so we can discuss as adults the events that occur watching Saints. A lot of people are too quick to judge others and resort to name calling because they have an opinion which is not consistent with their own.

 

Good post Darren.

 

This place would be boring if we all agreed all the time.

 

I think it's got harder to defend the club recently so some will look to vent at other saints fans.

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Charlie Wayman

Charlie Wayman

Posted
Posted

I woz there, maybe wish now I had not been! This was an appalling display of ineptitude by Saints in the face of a quite brilliant Borussia side who played us off the park with slick, fast one touch football that we simply could not cope with or match. We were right royally thrashed and deserved to be. Team selection was hopeless, we were tactically juvenile and we had nothing in the midfield to even challenge them let alone stop them. How lucky we were to get away with a 3-0 drubbing.

 

Hughes cannot spin this shambolic display and if this is in any way indicative of where we are going to be this season, we are in big trouble. It looks like Hughe s& Co have no idea of our best starting XI eve after a full pre-season.

 

It would be futile to single out individual players as every one of them made errors and lacked vision but Austin was particularly dire and didn't get a single first touch under control and not once held the ball up.

 

A long season ahead indeed and on this showing we are nowhere near PL class.

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spyinthesky

spyinthesky

Posted
Posted

Derby, a decent enough Championship team walloped us 3-0 (we can possibly put this down to them being a week ahead of us in preparation)

 

Vigo, a mid ranking La Liga team, looked a class above us first half before their line up changed.

 

BMG, a top 6 German League team, made us look like a struggling Championship side and they won with incredible ease.

 

In the process we have scored 3 goals and conceded 8 and today Borussia missed at least 3 golden opportunities

 

It would be interesting to learn how much it cost each side to assemble their squads and what the size of their wage bill.

 

It seems to be that Les and Co have assembled a large and very mediocre squad who are paid well beyond their ability.

 

I also think that Mark Hughes and his coaching staff need to look at the current system of play as it doesnt seem to be working

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Pilchards

Pilchards

Posted
Posted
Serious question for heisenberg, alpine all others that are grouped with them. It is obvious you don’t get enjoyment out of supporting saints so why bother?!?!?!

 

I get enjoyment from watching Saints, It's alarming though that we seem to be repeating the same mistakes year on year and don't seem to be improving. We have somehow ended up with a very expensive squad which is massively below average , we squandered millions on Carillo and Boufal, gave Forster a new improved contract when his form didn't warrant it and seem hell bent on throwing money away rather than having a plan or a system to start to improve us. I find it frustrating as hell and am currently in a negative mindset towards the club, But by god l I still support the team. Everyone here is a Saints fan, however we have different opinions and different expectations, thats why he have a forum so we can discuss as adults the events that occur watching Saints. A lot of people are too quick to judge others and resort to name calling because they have an opinion which is not consistent with their own.

 

Spot on.

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Pilchards

Pilchards

Posted
Posted
Derby, a decent enough Championship team walloped us 3-0 (we can possibly put this down to them being a week ahead of us in preparation)

 

Vigo, a mid ranking La Liga team, looked a class above us first half before their line up changed.

 

BMG, a top 6 German League team, made us look like a struggling Championship side and they won with incredible ease.

 

In the process we have scored 3 goals and conceded 8 and today Borussia missed at least 3 golden opportunities

 

It would be interesting to learn how much it cost each side to assemble their squads and what the size of their wage bill.

 

It seems to be that Les and Co have assembled a large and very mediocre squad who are paid well beyond their ability.

 

I also think that Mark Hughes and his coaching staff need to look at the current system of play as it doesnt seem to be working

 

And this is spot on.

 

A massive squad of average players which are stopping the likes of Simms and Hesketh from getting games.

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Charlie Wayman

Charlie Wayman

Posted
Posted
Do people know this is a pre-season friendly? A game where you can build fitness, work on different ideas, get match ready and test out fringe players, rather than doing it in a league game. I suggest people go look at all the other premiership sides preseason results and you will see some good, some bad and some terrible. Will this reflect league positions, i highly doubt it.

 

HTH

 

Don't be ridiculous or you're making a fool of yourself.

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Saint-Fred

Saint-Fred

Posted
Posted
I'd rather this than lose next weekend.

 

The battle cry of the permanant loser.

 

It is possible to win both and losing today does not guarantee winning next week?

 

Not sure how we will do this season. We have a real lack of quality but then again I can name 6 or 7 teams who also lack quality.

I think we may be in for a few hammerings against the top 6 though.

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St.JonB

St.JonB

Posted
Posted
McCarthy

Targett

Stephens

Hoedt

Bednarek

Hojbjerg

Romeu

Long

Austin

Redmond

 

None of them would look out of place in a Championship team. And that's why we will struggle.

 

Could you not do this with the Burnley, Watford, Brighton, Newcastle etc, etc squads? I’m sure somewhere we can find 11 players to keep us out of trouble, and maybe push for top half? I agree we probably should be thinking of only playing 2 cb’s, with more cover from midfield though. That’s not give up yet!

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benjii

benjii

Posted
Posted
Could you not do this with the Burnley, Watford, Brighton, Newcastle etc, etc squads? I’m sure somewhere we can find 11 players to keep us out of trouble, and maybe push for top half? I agree we probably should be thinking of only playing 2 cb’s, with more cover from midfield though. That’s not give up yet!

 

Yeah, you could but it wasn't long ago we had a group of genuine quality players so it's a bit depressing.

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Cabbage_Face

Cabbage_Face

Posted
Posted
Yeah, you could but it wasn't long ago we had a group of genuine quality players so it's a bit depressing.

 

And that is the biggest problem with football in a whole, any smaller side that has players of genuine quality will be snapped up by the massive clubs, who seem to bypass any ffp rules. Football is a mess.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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John Boy Saint

John Boy Saint

Posted
Posted (edited)

Bertrand needs to buck his ideas up, he is wearing the Captains armband but doesn’t look like a Captain. Spent most of the first half hiding in the shadow cast by the Kingsland Stand, and looked like a few folks close to the that side of the pitch we’re giving him a piece of their mind at his lack lustre performance.

 

Charlie Austin looked a bit shabby too, got bullied easily a few times by the defender at his back. After a lung busting trot the ball was recycled out to Targett who went to play it up to him and spotted he was miles offside so had to send the ball into midfield as he was being closed down.

PEH was trying to get something going a few times but no one else was joining in.

Lemina started bright as a button then just went into Calamity Mario mode???!!!???

Gabbi defo looks almost like a new signing after a season in the wilderness.

And we got to see Elyounoussi give us a flavour of what’s in his bag very nice jinking run riding tackles, Tadic would have gone down at first or second contact like he had been taken out by the sniper hiding in the floodlights.

Good to see Yoshi given a spin, the sooner he is up to speed and managing the defence the better.

Still give it a handleful of competitive games and we will have a better idea as to what’s what.

 

Highlight of the afternoon, the new iridescent red “cinder track”, thought the floodlights were assisting the glow midweek, but in the sunshine it’s spectaclier!! :D

Edited by John Boy Saint
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Heisenberg

Heisenberg

Posted
Posted

Has Bertrand ever looked like a captain?

 

He's been given the armband as he's best of a horrible n miserable bunch of players.

 

Doubt Bertrand even wants to be captain, in fact he probably (like all half decent players) wants away from the club asap

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S-Clarke

S-Clarke

Posted
Posted

That was as worrying as the Augsburg game from last pre-season. We just weren't there, didn't offer a threat, couldn't contain them. An absolute waste of my afternoon. I actually feel sad when I see Hoedt try to play football. What on earth did we ever see in him, other than him being a complete clubmsy oaf with legs too long for his brain.

 

Another pointless 'season ticket' benifit ticked off. Now I just have to wait for the exclusive news letter.

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saint michael

saint michael

Posted
Posted

Cb’s playing too far apart and also not as a unit. Hoedt cannot read the game at all.

 

Midfield running around like chickens with their heads cut off, losing the ball far too easily and unable to win it back.

 

Forwards drop back to get ball. When they do attempt to run beh8nd the ball is never delivered.

 

Too many backward passes again. Will the real Matt Targett stand up. Caught between full back and winger. Not going forward or going back. Think he did one good cross.

 

McCarthy looked jumpy and I’m not surprised.

 

I’m not one to get down but I see that none of the issues have been solved....reel battle here we come

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SuperSAINT

SuperSAINT

Posted
Posted
Cb’s playing too far apart and also not as a unit. Hoedt cannot read the game at all.

 

Midfield running around like chickens with their heads cut off, losing the ball far too easily and unable to win it back.

 

Forwards drop back to get ball. When they do attempt to run beh8nd the ball is never delivered.

 

Too many backward passes again. Will the real Matt Targett stand up. Caught between full back and winger. Not going forward or going back. Think he did one good cross.

 

McCarthy looked jumpy and I’m not surprised.

 

I’m not one to get down but I see that none of the issues have been solved....reel battle here we come

 

At least we've sorted out our mis-firing strikers.

 

Oh.

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