Ooooh match threads are back….. Saints go marching in… (to S6) (h)

[HoylandOwl]

Devis Vasquez is here. Just been having pics with fans in front of us.

[Winco]

New turnstiles are working well 😑 

[Skamp]

5-0. Put a marker down

 

COYFBAWW

[Skamp]

That took a deflection

[Skamp]

We might be shitting out of a new arse hole tonight at this rate

[Winco]

What did someone say about these not trying!

fuck me there taking the piss.

[MAL]

If they just want to knock it about between themselves, i would let them, just stand off and let them do it.

Change it round at half time at 0 - 1 rather than 0 - a lot.

Don't think a change will make much difference, because these can play good football.

[MAL]

It's funny because the other day, i was going to put abut how they show us in training.

Little triangles and everybody moving for a pass and return, then we get on the pitch and nobody is within 10 or even 20 yards at times.

These have nailed how to play it.

[MAL]

Gregory has just earned one of the most stupid bookings ever.

He's just seen their bloke get one literally seconds before, for the exact same thing.

[MAL]

I wish some body would shut up that bellend commentator.

Moore this, Moore this, Moore this, Moore that.

[Winco]

This ref is on crack. I can handle getting a lesson of a better side but fuck me this ref is diabolical.

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

If that was a 6 minute injury time game then basically you are going to get 15 minutes added on as routine 

No injuries, no blatant time wasting, no huge shithousery

[TheExile]

Not unexpected given most of the new players are on the bench but that was a rough watch 

[Otto_Man]

Well that was a tough watch, it really was a L1 side against a Premier League one. Worst part is they don't actually look that good at the back, if we get at them I think we could score. 

Someone needs to pick up ward prowse though, permanently between our defence and midfield, can't understand why we haven't picked him up. Perhaps it's cos we're too busy giving Tella the freedom of Hillsborough 

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

But the game men v boys.

I would say at 1 - 0 at HT I would fancy us turning it around, but we are so far off the quality required at this level in every position its scary 

DC will hopefully realise a lot more is needed 

[Otto_Man]

3 minutes ago, mkowlthesexynewversion said:

If that was a 6 minute injury time game then basically you are going to get 15 minutes added on as routine 

No injuries, no blatant time wasting, no huge shithousery

And he played 7

[MAL]

Yeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssssssssss

[Beaconowl]

Pick that **** out

[MAL]

Have i just heard the right, the injured player cannot come back on for 30 seconds.

If so, that is so stupid.

It will come a time where a player is not going to go off because of the 30 second rule.

When it turns out he is injured because of it, some club/player will be suing them.

[Andyben]

Musaba is a game changer for us 

[Beaconowl]

Just fuck off 

[Andyben]

Palmer.

[owl4ever1867]

Palmer lost Ward Prowse & he made us pay....

 

It just had to be that twat didnt it

[owl4ever1867]

2 minutes ago, Andyben said:

Palmer.

Stood pointing....

The difference between a top end CM & A division 1 CM right there....

[KrolMong]

They’ve got some very good players. Whether some of them are still there at the end of the window is unlikely.

They’ve got a lot more craft and guile than us, and loads of pace. Nothing to worry about on our side, we’ve got some holes to fill, especially in midfield and pace wise. But our benchmark is not tonight, these will be top 4 at the end of the season.

[MAL]

1 minute ago, KrolMong said:

They’ve got some very good players. Whether some of them are still there at the end of the window is unlikely.

They’ve got a lot more craft and guile than us, and loads of pace. Nothing to worry about on our side, we’ve got some holes to fill, especially in midfield and pace wise. But our benchmark is not tonight, these will be top 4 at the end of the season.

I like how they play, but...

For all their keep a ball tactics, i don't think they use it enough at the sharp end.

I think that other teams in this division will be able to combat it better than we have because we are just starting out.

If they go and loose a couple i think they could struggle a little bit so finish further down.

[owl4ever1867]

8 minutes ago, KrolMong said:

They’ve got some very good players. Whether some of them are still there at the end of the window is unlikely.

They’ve got a lot more craft and guile than us, and loads of pace. Nothing to worry about on our side, we’ve got some holes to fill, especially in midfield and pace wise. But our benchmark is not tonight, these will be top 4 at the end of the season.

Just my opinion KM but you take Ward Prowse out that team & they don't won tonight.

[Andyben]

We'll still go up as long as Palmer never graces our match day squad again 

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

Wrong to criticise but sadly some players are going to be seriously found out at this level. And you simply cannot fill centre mid positions with a player like Palmer.

It is hard to judge v Southampton because they have the players to and indeed did run rings us in midfield 

But that is where games are dictated in the Championship and we can't give up that level of possession as a regular occurrence 

I think the next 2 league games will be that barometer and whether some serious investment is required

Not disheartened, but some serious work is needed 

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

3 minutes ago, Andyben said:

We'll still go up as long as Palmer never graces our match day squad again 

We are a very long way from being close to promotion. Easy scapegoat this evening in Palmer but that midfield was way short in quality long before he got on the pitch

 

[KrolMong]

So. Getting the obvious out of the way. They were a lot better than we were. Both with and without the ball. They kept it easily, and they got it back quickly. Our only way of combatting it was the big diagonal onto Pato’s head, but let’s be frank, in possession we were awful.

But, there were some decent performances. The two centre halves played well, I thought Pato played well, Dawson did well. I also thought Will Vaulks played well. But, none of the forward players offered anything, and that includes the subs.

That second goal was a poor goal to concede. Both Palmer and Bakinson ball watching.

It’s only highlighted what we know. We are not going to football our way up the league without bringing in the players to do it, and we need more pace and goal threat. I hope we address that by the end of the window.

[Chelters]

Not too disheartened by that, certainly after the first 20 minutes when it looked like it was going to be embarrassing.

Thought Famewo looked really solid, Delgado had a bit of guile about him. We have work to do but I don’t think we’re that far off being competitive.

Musaba looked a bit raw but could be a real threat when he gets used to it. 

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

6 minutes ago, owl4ever1867 said:

Just my opinion KM but you take Ward Prowse out that team & they don't won tonight.

He is a former England International so it showed against our 3 in there. But the others complemented him.

No one can argue we deserved to win that game. We need a huge step up in quality in centre mid pretty quickly.

The defence itself played well enough, it had to, so was the paucity of the midfield play.

Gregory took his goal well but he ain't going to trouble too many defences

[MAL]

My plus for the night...

Fletcher, i know he wasn't on long and i know he didn't see that much of the ball, but he put himself about and when he was involved i thought he showed a bit of a good touch and ability.

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

2 minutes ago, Chelters said:

Not too disheartened by that, certainly after the first 20 minutes when it looked like it was going to be embarrassing.

Thought Famewo looked really solid, Delgado had a bit of guile about him. We have work to do but I don’t think we’re that far off being competitive.

Musaba looked a bit raw but could be a real threat when he gets used to it. 

We all appreciate it is hard to judge based on this evening.

I just think it shows you cannot have a single weak link in your side as it will be exploited. You can throw Palmer into midfield in League 1 but not this. 

The massive issue I have is that we got promoted last year without ever developing a particular style of football. But we had that bit of quality at times and benefitted from oppositions lack of quality.

[TheExile]

Gutted after that. Felt we’d hang on and that we had frustrated them. Typically the man who created the equaliser won’t be there in a few weeks. 
 

Got to be realistic as to where we are at and our objectives this season, but was difficult to see us really muster much of an attack bar that one spell after HT. if this is the game plan to soak up and hit on the counter (surely not against all sides at home?) like palace, then we will need a bit more individual quality up front given how isolated everyone is. Musaba is an individual who likes to get the ball and do something himself and you could see that was what was needed. Whether he’s as good as someone like Antonio was we will see.

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

1 minute ago, MAL said:

My plus for the night...

Fletcher, i know he wasn't on long and i know he didn't see that much of the ball, but he put himself about and when he was involved i thought he showed a bit of a good touch and ability.

It was not really possible to judge our attacking play. We looked like we could be dangerous if we actually had the ball in the attacking 3rd

But you have to get control of the midfield the higher you go in football and without it its going to be tough

[Winco]

Let’s be reyt it was a premier league side v a league 1 side in the first half.

Tella, Ewosie and Armstrong was just too good for us but I thought the second half when the subs started coming on we looked more settled and I honestly thought we’d scrape a draw! Had to be that **** that scored but totally palmers fault I lapse in concentration and it was over.

better side than us but I honestly think we will be playing a totally different side when we play them at there place.

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

8 minutes ago, Winco said:

Let’s be reyt it was a premier league side v a league 1 side in the first half.

Tella, Ewosie and Armstrong was just too good for us but I thought the second half when the subs started coming on we looked more settled and I honestly thought we’d scrape a draw! Had to be that **** that scored but totally palmers fault I lapse in concentration and it was over.

better side than us but I honestly think we will be playing a totally different side when we play them at there place.

I think both sides will be very different. Sadly there is no room for sentiment and a few of last years squad will see very little game time.

Next week v Hull is the real acid test

[TheExile]

Now I know how L1 sides felt playing Bannan Windass and Byers at Hillsborough 

[Tank_Owl2,0]

Disappointing but I don’t think we should be too down hearted.

The combination of a team with some quality PL players (unlikely to be with them for much longer) and a standard Russell Martin keep ball style of play was always going to need patience on our part. For the most part I thought we did,  but I also thought we weren’t as prepared for it as we could be in the first 10-15mins.

Yes they were better than us in the first half but we grew into it and once we stopped trying to rush our passes.

Second half was pretty even until we made some subs and left ourselves a bit more open in midfield with Palmer.

I don’t think we did enough to win but we could have to sneaked a draw, but woulda, coulda shoulda.

As someone said earlier, the Hull game will give a good indication of where we are. I’d partly agree and add, it will take to the end of September maybe into October before we can get a better feel how we will do, once the team starts to pick itself and they’ve had time to bed in.

Overall 5/10 for effort. I think we have players that can deal with this league given some time.

[Billysboy]

Not going to play a better 11 all season, others will play them when their far weaker, unlucky Wednesday.

[HoylandOwl]

 

[Supercockle]

I’ll not get too disheartened. 
 

It looked liked we’d get mauled in the first 20 but settled and gradually grew into the game. Disappointed that we couldn’t come away with a point. 
 

I think we’ll see less and less of last season’s players as a few of them struggled with the new way of playing. Perhaps that will change over time but imagine we’ll see 6 old and 5 new or thereabouts as the season progresses. 
 

Delagdo looked like a good signing, he found some decent space and carried the ball well. You could tell he understood the system. 
 

Looking forward to seeing how we develop over the coming weeks 

[MAL]

Paterson was complaining good style about Delgado to begin with, because he had to covering both positions.

But Delgado got the message and fitted in okay, hopefully more to come when it is a settled side.

I think a promising outlook.

[owl71]

Rarely have I come away from a home defeat as reasonably happy as tonight. We showed enough second half to suggest we’ll be well clear of a relegation battle.  The little bit I’ve seen of Xisco’s signings, they look an improvement on what we had. The way Southampton played, particularly in the first half, was a million miles away from the kind of shite we were up against most of last season.  We got closer out of possession second half and rattled them a bit.  Really liked what I saw of Delgado, an intelligent, lively player.

[Gleadless Owl]

2 hours ago, KrolMong said:

But, none of the forward players offered anything, and that includes the subs.

Gregory scored with his only real chance and had little support from midfield. Delgado wasn't a threat, but I thought he showed a few glimpses of what he might be capable of once he adapts. Musaba offered nothing? Looks like he's got skill and pace and totally different to anything we've seen for years based on tonight. Fletcher looks more mobile and more physical than Smith.

[EBRA]

Like most of you I’ve come away last night not feeling too down hearted.

We lost to 2 well taken goals and against a team whose likely to lose a few before the window shuts and whose value is light years ahead of ours.

Also consider we lost Byers in middle before kick off and 10 of 11 played a totally different system for 1 whole season if not 2 then yes am fine with the defeat.

One scary factor was the 6 + 9 minutes extra time on the field. Now that serious value for you tickets prices but going to be costly for those 5:30 train back to Sheffield away days lol.

 

Edited August 5, 2023 by EBRA

[HappyOwl]

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/12933926/did-the-pgmol-directives-benefit-the-flow-of-the-opening-efl-match-of-the-season
 

Interesting bit about not trying to use technology to influence a decision.

Will be interesting to see how long all this lasts ref was under pressure last night in my opinion to perform in front of the cameras with the rest of the world watching. Plus the fact he has a bit of controversy attached to himself as well. 😳😳 

https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/37633248/bobby-madley-return-premier-league-referee-four-years

[Winco]

35 minutes ago, EBRA said:

Like most of you I’ve come away last night not feeling too down hearted.

We lost to 2 well taken goals and against a team whose likely to lose a few before the window shuts and whose value is light years ahead of ours.

Also consider we lost Byers in middle before kick off and 10 of 11 played a totally different system for 1 whole season if not 2 then yes am fine with the defeat.

One scary factor was the 6 + 9 minutes extra time on the field. Now that serious value for you tickets prices but going to be costly for those 5:30 train back to Sheffield away days lol.

 

I still couldn’t work out we’re those extra minutes came from.