Pre Season Friendlies 2023/24

[Convict Colony]

McCarthy near post, it's like an old friend I'd forgotten about

[Saint Fan CaM]

McCarthy gets beaten at his nearpost. Standard.

[Disco Stu]

I can't watch because the forgot password feature on the website isn't working 🤬

[St. Neil]

Just now, Disco Stu said:

I can't watch because the forgot password feature on the website isn't working 🤬

Same but it's also on facebook if that helps.

[Disco Stu]

Just now, St. Neil said:

Same but it's also on facebook if that helps.

Thanks 👍

[SuperSAINT]

5 minutes ago, Convict Colony said:

McCarthy near post, it's like an old friend I'd forgotten about

Like an (un)comfy pair of slippers.

[Convict Colony]

Stephens looks like he's taken up the role of making all his passes short or late and putting someone else in trouble

[Sussex_saint]

Lyanco looks awful! Constantly fucking up passes left right and centre

[SotonianWill]

Our centre backs are so poor

[sandwichsaint]

Nice kit,is that the second or third kit.

There is a small mini stadium,shame we couldn't have gone.

[Bad Wolf]

7 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

I can't watch because the forgot password feature on the website isn't working 🤬

Ah thought that was just me!

[sandwichsaint]

Just now, Bad Wolf said:

Ah thought that was just me!

Me too

[OttawaSaint]

With all the risky passing at the back I think I'm going to need a defibrillator this season...

[kjurwi]

Lyanco and Bree hasn't impressed so far.

[OttawaSaint]

12 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

I can't watch because the forgot password feature on the website isn't working 🤬

Me too so I went to FB.

[niceandfriendly]

Us fucking around with it at the back and giving it away in our own penalty area is going to be a feature of this season, isn’t it? 

[OttawaSaint]

Playing ourselves into trouble again. Is this a smart tactic with our players, we're bad enough at the back when we don't have the ball. 

Seems odd and unnecessary.

[Ken Tone]

17 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

I can't watch because the forgot password feature on the website isn't working 🤬

Snap. Thanks for the facebook nudge St Neil

[SotonianWill]

It’s like a grenade going off when the balls in our penalty area… and that’s with us in possession!

[Saint Fan CaM]

Nothings changed…still no attacking intent. Boring.

[OttawaSaint]

3 minutes ago, SotonianWill said:

It’s like a grenade going off when the balls in our penalty area… and that’s with us in possession!

Hoping this isn't another one of these situations where we're all seeing how it won't work but the manager just keeps preaching it and then months later we get a JWP style, "it doesn't seem to be working in the Championship" type lament.

Early days though.

Edited 12 July, 2023 by OttawaSaint

[sandwichsaint]

A game of one half, we've hardly been over the halfway line.

Just as we have a better spell!

[St. Ciervo]

Most exciting part of this half was trying to figure out my log in for the Saint's website. Since then, I have been lulled into an intermittent coma broken only by heart murmurs every time Stephens passes the ball. 

[SotonianWill]

4 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

Nothings changed…still no attacking intent. Boring.

would help if we played with a striker

[OttawaSaint]

So what is the actual benefit of this high risk passing around in our penalty box? 

Any tactical experts out there?

[Bad Wolf]

Mara isn't very good is he...

[OttawaSaint]

Carved open there, should be 2-0.

[wild-saint]

1 minute ago, OttawaSaint said:

So what is the actual benefit of this high risk passing around in our penalty box? 

Any tactical experts out there?

entertainment value for season ticket holders i presume 😉

[sydenhamssocks]

Commentator reckons we’ve been dominant. And that early pre season poor passing will be ironed out once the players get Russell Martins style. 
😂😂. Guess he’s paid to feign positivity 

[niceandfriendly]

Not going to start panicking over a preseason game, but this fannying around at the back (and losing it almost every time) is something of a concern. 

[Bad Wolf]

2-0 great goal

[OttawaSaint]

2-0

[sandwichsaint]

Jeepers, Bree and McCarthy showing their class there.

[OttawaSaint]

Hope the second half team is better. Been pretty dire really.

[SotonianWill]

JWP and that winger who has a weird name have been the stand outs for me. Doyle has been alright, Dibling if he was more interested may be decent, Charlie looks like he always does. Other than that it’s not great.

In need of a few more swansea additions in defence perhaps or downes in midfield to lower our shitting yourself on the ball stats 

[igsey]

Let's maybe remember a little bit of context before we all wet ourselves over one half of a pre-season friendly - we finished bottom of the Premier League while Benfica won their league and topped their CL group ahead of PSG and Juventus, losing to eventual finalists Inter Milan in the quarter finals.

#GoingDown #RussellMartinOut #MyNanWouldBeBetterThanAlexMcCarthyAndSheDiedIn1998

[kjurwi]

McCarthy can't really do anything about that. Great finish. Bree could perhaps have done better.

[Saint Fan CaM]

And there we have another repeating issue…concede just before half-time. I know this is just a knock about but the signs are that not much has changed…we’re still shit in the final third and open to a mistake or two at the back.

[macca155]

Never make assumptions from pre season games. Especially not one played at walking pace.

They look rusty and only a few of these will actually start in August.

See what the 2nd half brings.

Cricket is decent, bit of a fightback from Hampshire.

[ally_uk]

Meghoma aside we looked shite...... 

[Chris cooper]

40 minutes ago, CSA96 said:

https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/video/watch-live-benfica-vs-southampton-fc-wednesday-12-july

Cheers 🍻 

[santolijador]

13 minutes ago, OttawaSaint said:

Playing ourselves into trouble again. Is this a smart tactic with our players, we're bad enough at the back when we don't have the ball. 

Seems odd and unnecessary.

Reminder to all those preaching doom and gloom after roughly 45 minutes of this game: 

- Benfica are consistent Portuguese Champions + UCL quarter finalists, they are miles better than a standard Championship team
- It is the first pre-season game of 5, 2 weeks after appointing a new manager
- I suspect that very few of the players on the pitch for this first 45 will be starting against Wednesday
- We are playing like 4 or 5 kids, some 16 years old

1 minute ago, OttawaSaint said:

Hope the second half team is better. Been pretty dire really.

Sure, it's not been that good, but these games are literally just to get fitness up and for RM to figure stuff out

I'm 99% certain he's seen that first half, picked up on mistakes errors and individual things and will go away and learn from that. It's literally the first time he's seen them in a 'competitive' setting. 

Personally, I think its already clear that the 'style of play' has been altered and there have been some nice passing exchanges amongst some not so nice defending etc. 

Please, a bit of perspective when watching this...
 

[saintant]

Lots of passing but with no positive intent. Back four all hopeless - we'll need much better if we are to play that risky keep ball at the back rather than hoofing it. Benfica are streets ahead of us in every department which comes as no surprise. Only highlight was the performance of the 16 year old who outshone the rest by a distance. Too pedestrian from back to front in general. Still, it's our first friendly so we can't expect Pep style moves and transition.

[Saint_clark]

3 minutes ago, igsey said:

Let's maybe remember a little bit of context before we all wet ourselves over one half of a pre-season friendly - we finished bottom of the Premier League while Benfica won their league and topped their CL group ahead of PSG and Juventus, losing to eventual finalists Inter Milan in the quarter finals.

#GoingDown #RussellMartinOut #MyNanWouldBeBetterThanAlexMcCarthyAndSheDiedIn1998

Bit of a weird choice for a friendly then really isn't it. 

[Charlie Wayman]

So far our passing accuracy is way up on last year. Stephens is a liability just get rid. Some of our kids look to be the real deal. JWP looks interested, reckon he's staying. Bree is not first choice RB hopefully. McCarthy is a dead loss, just get rid.

[Charlie Wayman]

6 minutes ago, SotonianWill said:

JWP and that winger who has a weird name have been the stand outs for me. Doyle has been alright, Dibling if he was more interested may be decent, Charlie looks like he always does. Other than that it’s not great.

In need of a few more swansea additions in defence perhaps or downes in midfield to lower our shitting yourself on the ball stats 

Keep up!

[Bad Wolf]

5 minutes ago, ally_uk said:

Meghoma aside we looked shite...... 

Alceraz has done alright IMO

[Sussex_saint]

like someone said, these are the Portuguese champions who lost 4 games in their league and were only beaten by ac millan in the quarters of the Cl. considering we are a championship club, a loss shouldn't be a suprise 

[trousers]

9 minutes ago, igsey said:

Let's maybe remember a little bit of context before we all wet ourselves over one half of a pre-season friendly

The day I'll get worried is when the Saintsweb intelligentsia stop judging our season prospects after 45 minutes of pre-season...

[Saint Fan CaM]

Meghoma looks a good lad…plays keep ball well and passes with intent. Whoever’s in front of him (Dibling I think) is continually passing backwards when receiving the ball…not brave or skilled enough to move forwards.