BTW mods, suggested alteration to the title is as follows... 'PRE-SEASON - RESULT: Schalke 04 2-0 Southampton'
There it is, the first moan about moaning (henceforth known as metamoans) of the new season. Congrats!
Because doom and gloom is a more familiar state. I prefer to look at the first half, where we were the better side, despite it being a side mixed of youth and first teamers. We changed it all around and it went tits up. Under normal circumstances we would never have changed that first half side which had looked promising, but this is pre season and the squad needs minutes on the pitch. We will be fine.
So you compare those aspirations to a position you think we'll be finishing around based on a pre-season result against Champions League Schalke? Nice.
I haven't seen the game but it's a pre-season friendly against a CL team so I'm not going to let the result or the reported performances bother me too much. What happens in the last friendly before the season might have a small amount of significance but the rest aren't worth thinking about too much. I agree almost entirely with Jake's assessment of our squad. I think we need another striker and someone to play in the 3 behind him. Someone like Naughton as back up (or competition) at full back would be nice but I'd say it's not essential.
Yeah the fullback backup entirely depends on the ability of Chambers to step up. If he's not ready, I would love a bit of Kyle Naughton on the side.
I remember that we got smashed 4-0 and dominated by Udinese at St. Mary's about a week before the season last time out. That was fun. We've improved and like I said, the first half was very encouraging.
Anyway, I've not seen the game, so no more moaning (or metamoaning) from me. How were Big Vic and Lovren? I gather Lovren was at fault for the second.
Me too. When I say fine, I mean mid table. People expecting us to get into Europe next season or break the top 4/5 are drinking the Kool-Aid.
Big Vic was very good, in my opinion. Always seemed to be available for a pass. Likes turning on the ball, even if under pressure. Plays a lot of nice, short, sharp and simple passes. A couple of times he hit some reasonable cross-field balls too. His strength really is quite something, the Schalke players were hesitating on challenging him, he was shrugging them off quite regularly. Chambers had a few early wobbles and Wanyama and Puncheon were both there to assist and break it up before moving us up the pitch. Oh, and he's not afraid to smack one - even if he is 30 + yards out. I like what I see!
Vic was pretty dominant and displayed all the strength we were hoping for, and more. They couldn't budge him. Lovren was at fault for the second, but otherwise seemed solid and decent with the ball at his feet.
Wanyama was excellent even though he seemed like he was running at 75%, good on the ball, held off challenges with ease, was efficient with his passing and put in a couple of good tackles. Didn't see him get forward much however. Lovren looked comfortable for most of the game and good with the ball but had a couple of mistimed headers which went straight up and behind him and then was deceived by the flight of the ball for their second and ended up just letting it bounce straight past him to Matip who hammered it in at the near post.
Nope, it doesn't. As I said, hopefully it's just rustiness. I was just informing people of what happened, not trying to spread doom and gloom! I agree about Wanyama, he looked very good for long spells! Overall I'm very positive. The overall pattern of play was very balanced, against a good schalke team.
In Lovren's defence it would have taken some exceptional acrobatics to clear the ball for the 2nd goal, it bounced a little too far ahead of him for a simple clearance and it came from behind him.
Yeah thought he should have done better but he seemed to be going to the wrong side so got nowhere near it. Think you could make a reasonable case that we wouldn't have conceded either of the goals we did with Boruc between the sticks. Also thought it certainly wasn't a routine clearance for Lovren but he should have done better, the more worrying thing was that though he clearly was deceived by the flight he was just so inactive and passive about it, just watched it float past him.
It's very easy to single out mistakes from defenders though, I'd say overall he showed more positive than he did negative. Especially considering he was with an ever changing set of players around him.
