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Pre-Season 2019 Thread

SuperSAINT

By SuperSAINT,
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mcbendy

mcbendy

Posted
Posted

Here's my take on that squad, with Armstrong, Boufal and Djenepo added:

 

* = Prem quality

p = potential

? = unknown quantity

X = proven to be not up to it - get rid if possible...

 

GK

• Angus Gunn *

• Alex McCarthy *

• Fraser Forster X

• Harry Lewis ?

 

WB/FB

• Yan Valery *

• Cédric *

• Ryan Bertrand *

• Jake Vokins p

 

CB

• Maya Yoshida *

• Jannik Vestergaard * (in a three...)

• Jack Stephens X

• Jan Bednarek *

• Wesley Hoedt X

• Christoph Klarer ?

 

DM

• Pierre-Emile Højbjerg *

• Oriol Romeu *

 

AM

• Stuart Armstrong ? (I want to see him after a RH pre-season...)

• James Ward-Prowse *

• Will Smallbone ?

• Mohamed Elyounoussi X

• Josh Sims p

• Nathan Redmond *

• Moussa Djenepo ?

• Sofiane Boufal X

 

CF

• Shane Long X

• Danny Ings *

• Che Adams p

• Michael Obafemi p

• Dan N’Lundulu p

 

So to summarise:

GK - more than adequate at the moment but I assume McCarthy will probably go leaving FF and HL to fight it out for number 2 (or will we sign someone once Alex leaves?).

WB/FB - a lot depend on how good Vokins is (anyone know?) and whether Cedric leaves. If he does, I assume we will sign a new RB as understudy/competition.

CB - our weakest area. If RH wants to play four at the back we need (at least) one new first-choice CB to play alongside Bednarek.

DM - has RH decided that neither Reed nor Slattery are good enough? Smallbone? If we're playing 4222 then only having two players for two starting places is obviously high risk (assuming Lemina leaves). Unless RH thinks that JWP is adequate cover?

AM - an area of considerable uncertainty... Assuming 4222, I assume that Redmond and Djenepo are first choice, though Djenepo is an unknown quantity at the moment... Then who? Assuming Boufal leaves, then Armstrong, JWP, Sims?

CF - Ings and Adams as starters in a 4222 with Obafemi and N'Lundulu behind them in the pecking order? Will Long be retained as less-than-ideal cover?

 

Where would we finish in the league with this team?:

 

Gunn

Valery Bednarek Yoshida Bertrand

PEH Romeo

Djenepo Redmond

Ings Adams

 

Subs:

Forster

Vestergaard

Vokins

JWP

Armstrong

Obafemi

Long

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verlaine1979

verlaine1979

Posted
Posted

 

Where would we finish in the league with this team?:

 

Gunn

Valery Bednarek Yoshida Bertrand

PEH Romeo

Djenepo Redmond

Ings Adams

 

Subs:

Forster

Vestergaard

Vokins

JWP

Armstrong

Obafemi

Long

 

Honestly, unless Djenepo and Adams suddenly tear up the league, I feel we'd be roughly in the same place we were last season, albeit with perhaps a marginally less squeaky last week or two. It's a team with almost no spine, crying out for more strength at CB and DM.

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saint1977

saint1977

Posted
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Interesting to see Wesley Hoedt on the plane. If Ralph can turn Hoedt into the CB we really need' date=' he's more football miracle worker than football manager.[/quote']

 

He has got to better than he has shown so far, and RH doesn’t have a lot of other option. Player needs to knuckle down, get fit, drop the alleged attitude and he might have an opportunity to revive his career, be that SFC or somewhere else. If we can’t gwt another CB in though, it would leave us well short of pace at the back bar Maya.

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qwertyell

qwertyell

Posted
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Nice to see Klarer get some time with the first team - unless he's just there to act as a tour guide...

 

Most obvious thing: holy smokes we're short in midfield. With Lemina headed out and Armstrong a combination of often injured and or crap, we need some more quality there stat. Don't think Slattery is anything special at all. And the only interest in Smallbone is seeing him face off against Longstaff to prove once and for all whether size matters.

 

For me, we're a CB, RB, CM light - at least.

 

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Charlie Wayman

Charlie Wayman

Posted
Posted

Delighted to see Dan N'Lundulu on the plane, he is a real prospect and a mighty handful in the box for any CB. Boufal misses out presumably because of AFCON and his delayed holidays. Likely he isn't scheduled to be back until later in July. Also pleased that Cedric Soares is being given another chance.

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Charlie Wayman

Charlie Wayman

Posted
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Honestly, unless Djenepo and Adams suddenly tear up the league, I feel we'd be roughly in the same place we were last season, albeit with perhaps a marginally less squeaky last week or two. It's a team with almost no spine, crying out for more strength at CB and DM.

 

Yep, we will need to rely on Villa & The Blades to go straight back down and I think they will.

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HarvSFC

HarvSFC

Posted
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Weird to see Hoedt in there, as he's the one that's been rumoured to have the worst attitude of the loaned out bunch, didn't do himself any favours with the social media activity after Newcastle thrashed us and certainly didn't do himself any favours at Celta Vigo, as we all know he's not very good. Hopefully, it isn't an indicator of us fancying going for the cheap option again in trying to improve him, rather than bringing someone else in either.

 

Although, on a similar note it's good to Cedric at least in there, as he still has something to offer in being the backup to Valery. (Just don't let him mark crosses).

 

Sad regarding Lemina, as he's an entertainer when on song (as rare as that is) and one of very few in the team who can pull off something special. But, this team shows the decision regarding his future. Definitley need a new CM though, a Schneiderlin/Wanyama type, just not one of those two as their motivations seem to have gone.

 

Lastly, bloody hell, Guido Carrillo. What a terrible signing.

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mrfahaji

mrfahaji

Posted
Posted

AM

• Stuart Armstrong ? (I want to see him after a RH pre-season...)

• Sofiane Boufal X

 

 

Agree with most of it but surely this is inconsistent? Boufal also hasn't had a RH pre-season. I don't mind Armstrong but there are certainly some big question marks over him in the same way as there are Boufal (though more a question of ability rather than attitude).

 

To claim Boufal (like Lemina) is a player with a poor attitude, or one of a few players that might fetch some much-needed money is a fair assessment, but to write him off as a player who is "clearly not up to it" is clearly just your opinion, as quite a few people on here think that he might (emphasis on 'might') be.

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mrfahaji

mrfahaji

Posted
Posted
Honestly, unless Djenepo and Adams suddenly tear up the league, I feel we'd be roughly in the same place we were last season, albeit with perhaps a marginally less squeaky last week or two. It's a team with almost no spine, crying out for more strength at CB and DM.

 

Yep. The only thing I'd say is that we might have more players suited to Hasenhuttl's preferred style. Hard to see how we're going to transform into a world beating side, but in the same way that some managers fill their sides with cloggers and win via set pieces, perhaps it will make a big difference playing a certain way with a team full of pace (admittedly there is some way to go before this is a team 'full' of pace, ha).

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Shandy_Top_89

Shandy_Top_89

Posted
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Does anyone else think that some of the surprise drop-ees might actually have been left to one side for that Guangzhou Evergrande game, given that its 'Southampton XI' thats playing and not the first team?

 

Im thinking of the likes of Slattery, Reed, Lemina, Clasie, Johnson, Austin, Carillo.

 

It will probably be an U-23's plus First Team Shop Window squad?

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Baird of the land

Baird of the land

Posted
Posted

Final Nail in the coffin of the previous crop of youngsters who’s development had been mucked about with during previous incumbents reign. Hope the likes of reed/hesketh can get decent permanent moves sorted.

 

No clue how the useless hoedt made the cut, hopefully it’s just to get him in the shop window due to his sheer ineptitude leading to no current interest.

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Manuel

Manuel

Posted
Posted
Would be funny if Moi did alright this season, like it took him a season to settle.

 

Highly doubtful, but has happened before.

I kept my eye on him in the last game he played and I actually thought he looked half decent. I was definitely in the minority with that view though. Odd how we see things so differently sometimes.

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Shroppie

Shroppie

Posted
Posted
Looking at surprising inclusions Smallbone, N'Lundulu and Klarer are interesting. Has Klarer come on more than Alfie Jones, perhaps? Hoedt is another surprise but presumably because we haven't signed a new CB yet whereas Carillo isn't as we have new forwards.
I'm not surprised at N'Lundulu. I predicted on the academy thread a few days ago that he could break into the first team. He's strong, big, fast and knows where the goal is.

 

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JRM

JRM

Posted
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I'm not surprised at N'Lundulu. I predicted on the academy thread a few days ago that he could break into the first team. He's strong, big, fast and knows where the goal is.

 

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

 

He was very good for u23s towards the end of the season, just needs to learn when to release the ball, he won't get as much time on the ball in the Premier league

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mcbendy

mcbendy

Posted
Posted
I'm not surprised at N'Lundulu. I predicted on the academy thread a few days ago that he could break into the first team. He's strong, big, fast and knows where the goal is.

 

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

 

He's quite a bit slower than Ings... Watch the day 2 pre-season vid just released. Bednarek and Hoijberg neck and neck. Sims and Redmond both rapid.

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alpine_saint

alpine_saint

Posted
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Will be fascinating to see how Klarer does. I know the Austrian FA think he's one for the future. Would be great if he steps up.

 

Unfortunately I am too busy to get anywhere near the team this time. If it was down the road from me like when the team were in Villach for the Schalke / Besitkas games, I would gladly pass on what I see and find out, but Altach is as far west in Austria as you can get, right at the Swiss border and as such 1000Km round trip. I might as well drive back to Soton....

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nta786

nta786

Posted
Posted
Its strange seeing Hoedt being near the team.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I'm all for it if gives it his all tbh- getting paid to do so anyway.

 

For someone with a 6ft 4 frame he should bulk up I feel

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revolution saint

revolution saint

Posted
Posted
I'm not surprised at N'Lundulu. I predicted on the academy thread a few days ago that he could break into the first team. He's strong, big, fast and knows where the goal is.

 

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

 

Does he also have a goal for an eye, a hammer for a right foot and wand for his left? Sorry, but I hate those cliches which amount to absolutely nothing at all - what professional player doesn't know where the goal is? Blindingly obvious innit? Cue lots of jokes about Shane Long.........

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Give it to Ron

Give it to Ron

Posted
Posted
I'm going to bump this because there are a few rumours floating around that his absence means something is amiss. Could just be player gossip mind and there could be a perfectly good reason.

 

Can’t we have one summer without ITK hint hint sh1te if you know something post it if not save it for the pub.

 

 

 

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wild-saint

wild-saint

Posted
Posted
I'm going to bump this because there are a few rumours floating around that his absence means something is amiss. Could just be player gossip mind and there could be a perfectly good reason.

 

Ok I’ll bite, what rumours are floating about as I’ve not heard any?

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SuperSAINT

SuperSAINT

Posted
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No he got MLG'd on Twitter before deleting it and attempting to save face on here. It's old footage from Staplewood which is quite clear from the surroundings tbf.

 

:D :D tremendous timeline of events.

 

It’s been very quiet on the Reed front, actually.

 

Lots of very early summer talk but was always about him wanting to stay & prove himself (which I’m guessing isn’t happening).

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Dusic

Dusic

Posted
Posted
I'm going to bump this because there are a few rumours floating around that his absence means something is amiss. Could just be player gossip mind and there could be a perfectly good reason.
This is poor, Duncan.

 

Put up or shut up.

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