Pre-season 2018

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My thoughts.

Interesting to see the new 'Red Carpet' around the pitch - it looks nice and clean now...not sure how it will look after a few months.

I thought they had shrunk the pitch too, as I sit in the Itchen and it was obvious the pitch was further away - just seen tweet that it has been moved about a metre towards the Kingsland so I wasn't going mad :)

We may have money worries as although the floodlights were on, there was no ambient seating lights...it was like being in a cinema and I half expected the stewards to start showing people to their seats after half time with torches. Though if they are going the way of the cinema, it will be nice if they can come round with ice creams during the interval and also guarantee a good ending for the 'good guys'.

Onto the players.

McCarthy didn't have much to do, except pick the worldy out of the net and then somehow move out of the way of the point blank shot to concede the second. Gunn looked solid.

The back look a bit ropey still, though IMO 90% of that is Hoedt. He just looks so clumsy...hopefully that it just preseason sharpness. Jan looks good I think, and words I never thought I'd say...we looked a lot better when Jack Stephens came on. Really warming to Targett - great through ball and also great cross for 2 goals.

Midfield was a bit weak in the first half. Armstrong though looks the real deal, great expectations from him. Lovely distribution and seems like a Davis on steroids. Romeu looked out of sorts again. Pierre will be the man this year. Mo ran about a lot but IMO wasn't that effective, except for the goal. I think he will come good though, as sometimes you can just tell.

Long, is long. Gabbi is Gabbi. Austin is Austin: Long runs about and gets into the positions, gets passed to and misses, Gabbi runs about, gets into the positions and no-one passes to him, Austin is always in the right place at the right time. Gallagher looked ok, jury still out with me.

Looking forward to BMG on Saturday, if only for the reason my mate will drive and I can have a drink :)
 
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What I will say is after watching nearly every game in the World Cup, and my last live game being in Atlanta in the MLS in June, I kept expecting the ref to do the TV screen motion and ask for VAR. Seems weird without it :)
 
Always hard to judge from preseason games as no one is going to risk injury by busting a gut and everyone is a bit rusty....also no real sense of urgency...though being 2 goals down may have added spice to it, especially in the subs who see a chance to impress. Bearing all that in mind, it looked promising. Another factor that should be considered is that a lot of things may depend on the starting eleven...player A might look better playing beside Player B or behind Player C. Geniuses always look like geniuses, but we don't have those....our strength will be getting them to play as a good unit (into which other players can slot as required). Moi (I believe that is what he calls himself??) looked uncertain and nervous....as well he might trying to impress in his first game at SMS...so not judging him at all. That goal will do him the world of good.

I'm guessing that the starting eleven for Saturday's game will be an indicator of where Mark's thoughts are. He will want to have tried his best team before the Burnley opener.
 
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So I wasn't able to watch the stream for this, what formation did we play, I heard two up top but how did Ely fit in, was he used as a striker or in midfield?
 
I've just watched the highlights of us putting Celta to the sword in a thoroughly convincing fashion, and I'm more convinced than ever that this year is our year. League, maybe even cup domination awaits. In other news, I have heatstroke.
 
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thereisonlyoneno7 said:
What I will say is after watching nearly every game in the World Cup, and my last live game being in Atlanta in the MLS in June, I kept expecting the ref to do the TV screen motion and ask for VAR. Seems weird without it :)
Click to expand...

Don’t worry this will be the last season without it
 
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