Pre Season Friendlies 2024/25

[Guided Missile]

All 30 of them

[Sunglasses Ron]

4 minutes ago, Dark Munster said:

Good job it's only a friendly.

Can you still get a suspension for a friendly red? I seem to recall Tim Flowers once missed a season opener for one?

[Hopper]

2 minutes ago, gammon cheeks said:

Pitch looks absolutely gash ..

Kit too...

[trousers]

Wholesale changes ahoy

[bugenhagen]

3 minutes ago, gammon cheeks said:

Pitch looks absolutely gash ..

... as does Mara.

[trousers]

Charles has played well tonight 

[Hopper]

Dibbling getting close to earning a starting position surely. He's been so consistently good this pre-season. 

[Saint_clark]

@Master Batesany chance of some footage of the fight? 😂

[Sheaf Saint]

1 minute ago, trousers said:

Wholesale changes ahoy

I don't think I woukd risk putting any of our first teamers out into this cauldron tonight. 

[obelisk]

Saints might do better if they actually try shooting from time to time.

[trousers]

2 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

I don't think I woukd risk putting any of our first teamers out into this cauldron tonight. 

Might be why Russ has only put two on now. (Commentator said wholesale changes were imminent about 10 minutes ago)

Edited 7 August, 2024 by trousers
Talking bollocks

[Turkish]

2 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

@Master Batesany chance of some footage of the fight? 😂

 

[Saint86]

3 minutes ago, trousers said:

Charles has played well tonight 

Yeah agreed, he's been looking good in the last few appearances. Stepped on from last year, much more confident in possession and carrying the ball.

[Hopper]

Edwards has impressed. He already looks miles ahead of Wood.

[John Boy Saint]

13 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

Starting to think Alcaraz might have a slightly suspect temperament 

He was at the centre of Windmills and Handbags away at Stoke last season 

[madge]

1 minute ago, Hopper said:

Edwards has impressed. He already looks miles ahead of Wood.

But here lies the issue.. whilst it’s obvious to everyone else, Martin doesn’t see it. Hence Mara… looked average in the championship.

[Harry_SFC]

What a horrible side Lazio are. Just gone around kicking us to pieces all night. No need.

[egg]

4 minutes ago, madge said:

But here lies the issue.. whilst it’s obvious to everyone else, Martin doesn’t see it. Hence Mara… looked average in the championship.

I'm not sure RM would play Mara if he had a better option. 

[Saint Billy]

Any chance of seeing highlights of saints endlessly passing the ball about and then losing possession.

[bugenhagen]

Is it just me, or has Mara been invisible the last 5-10 mins? Like playing with 10 men 😉

[beatlesaint]

Just now, Saint Billy said:

Any chance of seeing highlights of saints endlessly passing the ball about and then losing possession.

Oh there will be at least 38 full matches in the next 9 months, don’t worry you’ll see plenty of it !

[beatlesaint]

Just now, bugenhagen said:

Is it just me, or has Mara been invisible the last 5-10 mins? Like playing with 10 men 😉

Only 5-10 mins? Must be having a good game by his standards then !!

[Dellyears]

Just now, beatlesaint said:

Oh there will be at least 38 full matches in the next 9 months, don’t worry you’ll see plenty of it !

Has Diaz been in the game, goal apart?

[Disco Stu]

2 minutes ago, bugenhagen said:

Is it just me, or has Mara been invisible the last 5-10 mins? Like playing with 10 men 😉

It's just you. He's been invisible for the last 2 years.

[Saint Matty 76]

Ronnie Edwards the winner of the night probably. Good on the ball and plenty of driving runs forward.

I'd imagine Stephens starts the season but can only hope/assume Edwards gets in the LCB spot before too long.

[Harry_SFC]

Just now, Saint Matty 76 said:

Ronnie Edwards the winner of the night probably. Good on the ball and plenty of driving runs forward.

I'd imagine Stephens starts the season but can only hope/assume Edwards gets in the LCB spot before too long.

Yep, he does look very impressive. Much more so than Nathan Wood anyway. Edozie has been decent since coming on too.

[Midfield_General]

3 minutes ago, Dellyears said:

Has Diaz been in the game, goal apart?

Subbed off at HT

[CSA96]

FT: Saints 1-1 Lazio

[Midfield_General]

Good from Edozie, very good save. 

FT. Drew the game but won the punch up. Happy with that. 

Edited 7 August, 2024 by Midfield_General

[Disco Stu]

Not sure we learnt much from that match.

Highlight: Alcaraz trying to fight 15 men at once.

Lowlight: The state of the pitch.

[Bad Wolf]

I sincerely hope Lazio are never invited back to St Mary's (or England for that matter) after this. Absolute disgrace.

[obelisk]

Lazio certainly living up to their reputation. Good test for Saints but I can already see Saints' opponents hatching plans for the season ahead. Nothing much to worry about in defence because Saints are shot shy and blunt as an attacking force. At the other end just apply a press and wait for Saints to present you with the ball - then break fast and score. All far too predictable.

[Master Bates]

25 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

@Master Batesany chance of some footage of the fight? 😂

 

[Midfield_General]

Positives: 

Proper striker's goal from BBD; some lovely flashes from Sam Amo; Charles and Dibling did well; Charly Drago's sweet right hand combo

Less positive:

Macca; Not good enough to play out against proper opposition; Mara... no surprises really. 

If nothing else I hope that we will now pull out all the stops to get a starting keeper in before Newcastle. The rest of what we need can go to the wire on deadline day if it has to, but that absolutely can't. 

[Saint_clark]

31 minutes ago, Turkish said:

 

Must be some history from last season when he was at Juventus surely. 

 

16 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

Yep, he does look very impressive. Much more so than Nathan Wood anyway. Edozie has been decent since coming on too.

I forgot Nathan wood existed I must admit.

[SuperSAINT]

Remarkable Mara is anywhere close to playing.

[Bad Wolf]

I remember many years ago where Darren Powell was sent off in a friendly against Bournemouth. He missed the Palace game on the opening day of the season which caused Alan Bennett (no not that one) to have the worst debut I've ever seen in a Saints shirt. I assume Alceraz will be suspended for the opener?

[derry]

Charlie needs some coaching, that round house hook should have been preceded by two ior three left jabs he might have connected then. Otherwiswe Lazio were just a niggly dirty bunch of fairly decent footballers. The ball rotation was rediculous and on an unluckier day seen us buried out of sight.

 

[egg]

1 minute ago, SuperSAINT said:

Remarkable Mara is anywhere close to playing.

Yep, he's not good enough, but until the manager has  another option, I'm not sure what people expect. 

[VectisSaint]

3 minutes ago, Bad Wolf said:

I remember many years ago where Darren Powell was sent off in a friendly against Bournemouth. He missed the Palace game on the opening day of the season which caused Alan Bennett (no not that one) to have the worst debut I've ever seen in a Saints shirt. I assume Alceraz will be suspended for the opener?

Maybe he will be suspended for the next "friendly"

[Bad Wolf]

2 minutes ago, VectisSaint said:

Maybe he will be suspended for the next "friendly"

Ooooo that's a good point!

[Patches O Houlihan]

I'm loving the fact that one of the dirtiest games played at St Mary's in the last few years was contested by teams wearing bright yellow and hot pink 😁

That early first half tackle on Ronnie Edwards down in the RB position was a nasty one. There had already been a bit of a midfield tussle, and from then on it seemed likely that it would kick off at some point; particularly bearing in mind the minimal consequences.

I seem to remember Russell Martin in an interview being pleased after the team were standing up for each other, so Alcaraz wouldn't normally have got into too much bother, but on this occasion he definitely saw red in more ways than one. 

Mara was trying harder than usual but just always seems to be second to every ball.

There were some lovely forward balls cut through the midfield from central defence in the second half and a couple of nice breaks too.

I suspect Dibling will get 15-20 mins vs Newcastle. He's earned it.

I thought Shea Charles had a good evening.

McCarthy was hopeless at times, and we could have let in 3 or 4 in the second half had it been a contested PL game. In fairness though there are definitely times when he gets passed the ball unnecessarily, by a defender who really ought to be taking more responsibility for playing the only fractionally harder ball to a local outfield player (Like we saw in the playoffs and at Wembley)

BBD's goal was lovely, and great for him to score early at St Mary's so hopefully he doesn't get the first season goal drought that Che had. 

If BBD had been in some of the positions Edozie had the ball second half I feel sure he would have scored a 2nd.

We really need a target man up front. Things might be so different if Ross Stewart had been able to play the second half of the Championship...

Edited 7 August, 2024 by Patches O Houlihan
extras

[RedArmy]

37 minutes ago, bugenhagen said:

Is it just me, or has Mara been invisible the last 5-10 mins? Like playing with 10 men 😉

Months* 

[bugenhagen]

12 minutes ago, egg said:

Yep, he's not good enough, but until the manager has  another option, I'm not sure what people expect. 

[Patches O Houlihan]

2 minutes ago, bugenhagen said:

Stephens as a false nine. He'd probably do better than Mara is at present, and with Arma and BBD either side of him he'd just need to lay it off to them... 🤔🤣

[bugenhagen]

5 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

Stephens as a false nine. He'd probably do better than Mara is at present, and with Arma and BBD either side of him he'd just need to lay it off to them... 🤔🤣

Yeah, I'd rather watch that 😄

[Farmer Saint]

46 minutes ago, Saint Matty 76 said:

Ronnie Edwards the winner of the night probably. Good on the ball and plenty of driving runs forward.

I'd imagine Stephens starts the season but can only hope/assume Edwards gets in the LCB spot before too long.

Seriously, Edwards is class and will be a proper player in a couple of years. 

[Wade Garrett]

17 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

Stephens as a false nine. He'd probably do better than Mara is at present, and with Arma and BBD either side of him he'd just need to lay it off to them... 🤔🤣

Better than a false 5.

[Lighthouse]

37 minutes ago, Bad Wolf said:

I remember many years ago where Darren Powell was sent off in a friendly against Bournemouth. He missed the Palace game on the opening day of the season which caused Alan Bennett (no not that one) to have the worst debut I've ever seen in a Saints shirt. I assume Alceraz will be suspended for the opener?

I’ll see you Bennett and raise you Holgate.

[suewhistle]

Unfortunately Lazio fans were the other side of the pitch as I had a bit of fun shouting things at them. Foreign language fluency always improves after a couple of pints! Dirty bastards.. 

As to us, Mara was trying more than in the last few games, it seemed. As Patches above said Mccarthy received some balls he really shouldn't but occasionally it's valid to put it long, although when we do there is nobody to compete and hold it up and illustrates why we want to pass it out.

Manning worries me , Edwards looks promising with a bit of useful pace too. I thought Bree had a good game, surprisingly. Charles looks to have improved and playing with a bit more confidence. Dibling and SAA look like they could embarrass a few defenders and it will be fun seeing their development.

It has already been noted that Alcaraz was up for it!