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Pre Season Friendlies 2023/24

Master Bates

By Master Bates
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hypochondriac

hypochondriac

Posted
Posted

Brilliant idea to get one of our toughest pre season games in first. Really gives us an idea of what is required against an opposition that will be better than virtually every team we face this year. If we can play this possession based stuff with even a small measure of success against these guys then it should stand us in good stead for the rest of preseason. 

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OttawaSaint

OttawaSaint

Posted
Posted
13 minutes ago, santolijador said:

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

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...
 

I'm not preaching doom and gloom. Just commenting on a pre season friendly fully aware of fitness, newness of coaches etc.

I just want clarification on what the benefit of short passing in our own penalty area is.

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Ken Tone

Ken Tone

Posted
Posted
Just now, OttawaSaint said:

I'm not preaching doom and gloom. Just commenting on a pre season friendly fully aware of fitness, newness of coaches etc.

I just want clarification on what the benefit of short passing in our own penalty area is.

It's a plot by the good clubs who can play the tactic well, to make it fashionable for all clubs, so they get a few easy goals when we cock it up.

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OttawaSaint

OttawaSaint

Posted
Posted

A few of you are very touchy and defensive. 

Many are well aware who the oppo is and the nature of the game.

I'm not worried at all, just commenting on things that are going on.

Would be the same if we were winning, just trying to get a feel for the team and tactics.

It's not attack on Saints or RM etc.

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santolijador

santolijador

Posted
Posted
Just now, OttawaSaint said:

I'm not preaching doom and gloom. Just commenting on a pre season friendly fully aware of fitness, newness of coaches etc.

I just want clarification on what the benefit of short passing in our own penalty area is.

I think they general idea (I may be mistaken here) is to encourage the opposition to lose their shape by pushing up. This, in theory, allows the team in possession to play around the defensive press and catch them out of position and hopefully creating more space in the final and middle thirds. City and Brighton obviously do this very well, it is of course dependent on the ability of the players in the system. 

This may all be wrong as well, just my understanding/making sense of it. 

Not saying I'm for or against the style, though after last season I am open to pretty much anything, especially if it does look pretty, has us dominating games and actually yields results. That is all yet to be seen though. 

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OttawaSaint

OttawaSaint

Posted
Posted

I'm sure RM will be using the video of this game to show the players where they went wrong in losing possession in defensive areas gifting them chances. Will need to be sorted out for the real games for sure.

Smirking_Saint

Smirking_Saint

Posted
Posted

Benfica are doing an exceptional job pressing us and hemming us in, a lot is due to the fact we don’t really have enough options moving the ball forward

So we have nowhere to go with it

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hypochondriac

hypochondriac

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Smirking_Saint said:

Benfica are doing an exceptional job pressing us and hemming us in, a lot is due to the fact we don’t really have enough options moving the ball forward

So we have nowhere to go with it

Great. That is exactly the type of thing we will be encountering this season. Learning how to counter it will be very important. It seems like this could be a really useful preseason fixture. 

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macca155

macca155

Posted
Posted

Certainly a good test of Martin's tactics. Benfica are a class side.

Smallbone connecting well. Having Lavia play is a bit cruel. Head and shoulders above the rest.

saintwbu

saintwbu

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, miserableoldgit said:

What was Salisu doing just just standing there for about 30 seconds (it seemed like it!) with his foot on the ball?

I wasn’t watching, but what you describe is something Brighton are known to do a lot, to invite pressure from the opposition - eventually they play round/through the pressure and create chances. So maybe it was that. 

goodymatt

goodymatt

Posted
Posted
Just now, hypochondriac said:

Seems like this is a really educational experience for the coaches and team for who can play this style. Maybe we will see players leave simply because they can't do it. 

Stephens, Lyanco and McCarthy were really struggling to play out from the back in that first half.

Tino is a class act.

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Smirking_Saint

Smirking_Saint

Posted
Posted
17 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Great. That is exactly the type of thing we will be encountering this season. Learning how to counter it will be very important. It seems like this could be a really useful preseason fixture. 

Yeah IM not getting hung up on the quality of opposition and how we get on, it’s important to see how these players perform under pressure 

For instance, as suspected Stephens is an awful player but Smallbone looks good on the ball… Tino doesn’t look too comfortable but this is match 1

OttawaSaint

OttawaSaint

Posted
Posted (edited)

This style isn't for the faint hearted. Going to need some adult diapers for these crossfield passes back into our own box.

Edited by OttawaSaint
malcolm waldron

malcolm waldron

Posted
Posted

I've not seen anything of Manning yet.  Don't want to write him off too early but he's not impressed me and I fear we've been mugged off by Swansea here who saw us coming.  That money could have been better spent with proven CL or top level Prem experience.  Don't get me started on the young lad we've just this minute signed from Man City as he's been equally non-existent.  

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hypochondriac

hypochondriac

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, goodymatt said:

Stephens, Lyanco and McCarthy were really struggling to play out from the back in that first half.

Tino is a class act.

Good to hear. Seems like Smallbone has done quite well with it to. I hope people like Alcaraz could adapt to it as well. Sounds like Bree might struggle but maybe not too bad if he's just backup anyway? 

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Lee On Solent Saint

Lee On Solent Saint

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, malcolm waldron said:

I've not seen anything of Manning yet.  Don't want to write him off too early but he's not impressed me and I fear we've been mugged off by Swansea here who saw us coming.  That money could have been better spent with proven CL or top level Prem experience.  Don't get me started on the young lad we've just this minute signed from Man City as he's been equally non-existent.  

He was free, not sure how Swansea mugged us off? 

Stripey McStripe Shirt

Stripey McStripe Shirt

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, malcolm waldron said:

I've not seen anything of Manning yet.  Don't want to write him off too early but he's not impressed me and I fear we've been mugged off by Swansea here who saw us coming.  That money could have been better spent with proven CL or top level Prem experience.  Don't get me started on the young lad we've just this minute signed from Man City as he's been equally non-existent.  

That's the level-headed and patient Saints fan attitude that we all love. 

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Smirking_Saint

Smirking_Saint

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, hypochondriac said:

Good to hear. Seems like Smallbone has done quite well with it to. I hope people like Alcaraz could adapt to it as well. Sounds like Bree might struggle but maybe not too bad if he's just backup anyway? 

Yeah I think Smallbone could look v good in a 3 man possession based midfield 

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Turkish

Turkish

Posted
Posted
34 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Brilliant idea to get one of our toughest pre season games in first. Really gives us an idea of what is required against an opposition that will be better than virtually every team we face this year. If we can play this possession based stuff with even a small measure of success against these guys then it should stand us in good stead for the rest of preseason. 

Championship is the 6th best league in Europe after the premier league, La Liga, Serie A, Bundeliga, Ligue 1, Benfica are about as good as Sunderland. If we cant beat them we are bang in trouble this year.

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ElTrinidad

ElTrinidad

Posted
Posted

Some of the youngsters looking good.
 

Most of our possession is ending back with the CB’s who are then coming under pressure and conceding the ball. Benfica are a very good CL team but we are MILES away. 

Just the beginning but much work to do! 

Saint_clark

Saint_clark

Posted
Posted
24 minutes ago, miserableoldgit said:

What was Salisu doing just just standing there for about 30 seconds (it seemed like it!) with his foot on the ball?

Sounds like what Brighton used to do under Poyet. Wound Adkins up a treat.

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