Our Squad for 2020-21

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
From the defensive coordination point of view ... the keeper almost always has the entire game in front of him. He should be able to see and read everything .... and especially after the first few minutes see and make the adjustments necessary with his back line and defensive mid to tighten things up.

The first 60 yesterday was shambolic ... men versus kids stuff. We are supposed to be aspiring to promotion. WTF has Andy Pandy been doing in training to create such a lack of coherence.
 
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Yankee_Jack

Key Player

Grimes:
“I think that’s one of the main things this season, everyone is a year older, everyone is a year wiser and everyone is in a better position to try and kick on and give it a real go.
And ... based on yesterday ... everyone is a year slower or a year lazier or they don't get the "kick on" bit. If that was "giving it a real go" then we are in some deep shit. I can accept not winning, but being embarrassed to be on the field is just not acceptable.
 

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
The Saints are a good side, and this game was just a warm-up pre-season game. So, I wouldn't put too much on it. I doubt Rushesha, Lewis and two Coopers will be in Steve Cooper's plans for the next season. During pre-season all clubs give their youngsters a chance to show what they can but that doesn't mean these youngsters will become first squad players just because they've got some minutes on the pitch in a couple of pre-season games.
That's what I meant by allow the lads to 'settle in'. We had some new players and we had youngsters in the mix as well. Nevertheless, a 7-1 thumping is never acceptable no matter what the circumstance and won't have done much for confidence. I hope the kids learnt that just being on the pitch isn't enough. They have to compete, make a difference and CONTRIBUTE, otherwise don't bother.
 

CroJack

Key Player
Nevertheless, a 7-1 thumping is never acceptable no matter what the circumstances...
I'm sure we wouldn't have lost 7:1 had we played our best starting XI but I'm also sure we would have lost 3:1 or 4:1 with our best XI on the pitch, because the gap is too big between a good mid-table Premier League side, and a not so good mid-table Championship side.

Two clumsy penalties and three really well-taken shots - two of them just under cross bar, and one of them a curling shot. Yes, we were terrible in defence but that's what you get when you play Rushesha, Lewis and Cooper against Danny Ings & co.

Sometimes you concede from almost every shot just like the Saints conceded 9 goals against Leicester last season in the PL or Barcelona 8 against Bayern in the CL semi-finals.

This was our first pre-season game, and I expect a much better performance against Newport in the League Cup, and especially against Preston in our first Championship game.
 

jasper_T

First Teamer
Neither Cooper played against Danny Ings. Brandon and Oli beat their second string 1-0. Food for thought for Steve? Perhaps a cheeky bid for Liam and Jake?

Conceding 7 in 45 minutes with Woodman, Ayew, Grimes, Smith, Naughton, Bidwell, Cabango and Dhanda on the pitch is harsh to lay at the feet of Rushesha and Lewis.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
We finished the season a month ago, and we start the league again in 2 weeks. We descended from a playoff challenging team to this in 4 weeks. A shambles does not get straightened out in two weeks.

BTW, did Peterson and McKay get a run out yesterday? I didn't notice them.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Today the club posted that players are leaving for the international window - in fact a significant number of them. Swansea City stars answer international call | Swansea

Ben Cabango, Connor Roberts, Bersant Celina, Marc Guehi, Brandon Cooper, Liam Cullen, Oli Cooper, Jack Evans and Joe Lewis.

After our drubbing over the weekend so much for having time to whip the squad into shape. This time last year we were flying high, then Andy Pandy had the squad uninterrupted for two weeks, and we returned to the start of the Shit Streak.
 

jasper_T

First Teamer
With players travelling abroad they've had to take them into their bubbles nice and early for testing. The Wales lads got together on Sunday (think the u21s and seniors are in the same camp), and trained this morning ready to fly out for their games on Weds/Thurs and come straight back afterwards. Bersant may have gone earlier if he wasn't at the friendly.
 

CroJack

Key Player
Conceding 7 in 45 minutes with Woodman, Ayew, Grimes, Smith, Naughton, Bidwell, Cabango and Dhanda on the pitch is harsh to lay at the feet of Rushesha and Lewis.
Not all seven. But Rushesha had a nightmare and was (in)directly involved in five Saints goals. Lewis bad positioning led to the first Saints goal, and later to a big chance for the Saints.
 
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