For the second season running we start our preparations with a trip to near neighbours Eastleigh, it is the start of the Will Still era, but I suspect that this game will not tell us a lot about the make up of Still's side come the end of the transfer window.

It is the start of the Will Still era at the Silverlake Stadium, last year under Russell Martin we didn't learn a lot from that game, we played I think 22 players, of which 9 would play very little part in the Premier League season and we won 7-1, it should have been double figures such was the gulf in class.

So we learned very little and I suspect that this game will be a repeat of a year ago, it will be a run of to dust down the cobwebs and in fairness to Eastleigh the same for them, but the gulf in class will tell.

Again it will be a question of how many of the players that Will Still plays will still be at the club in 7 weeks time ?

Arron Ramsdale, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Jan Bednarek, Sam Edozie, Armel Bella-Kotchap, Joe Aribo, Mateus Fernandes, Tyler Dibling, Ben Brereton Diaz, Adam Armstrong, Ross Stewart & Cameron Archer are 12 players who are still at the club, but who could all be elsewhere at the end of the transfer window.

The likelihood is that not all will leave, but it highlights the issues that Will Still has in the next 7 weeks or so before the transfer window shuts, indeed Russell Martin had the same problems two years ago and it highlights just how bloated the squad is, in that we can still put out a team without this dozen that can compete in the championship.

But for Saturday afternoon it will be a case of get a feeling for the ball and shake off the cobwebs.

So those in attendance can expect a game of two halves in terms of personnel and hopefully for Saints fans a flurry of goals.

But it won't give us any real clues as to the way the season will pan out for us over the next 10 months, the gulf between the Premier League and the Championship is now massive and the difference between the Championship and the National League is just as wide, if not wider.

With respect to Eastleigh and their manager ex Saints goalkeeper Kelvin Davies who was the keeper for our promotion campaigns in 2011 & 2012, unless they go out there and treat it as an FA Cup tie and we go out there with instructions not to tackle or get hurt, then there should be only one result.

Last season saw a game in which we destroyed the Spitfires, the gulf was there for all to see, but we were respectful and it was a good game to watch.

Last season we got to see a few new faces that had just joined the club, Charlie Taylor, Yuri Sugawara, Ronnie Edwards & Nathan Wood.

On Saturday, if we are lucky we will see just two, Damion Downs & Joshua Quarshie being the only two players signed so far this window, however I would not expect Downs to play, his 2024/25 season only ended on Monday with an appearance for the USA International team, given that it started on the 2nd August for FC Koln in Bundesliga 2, taking into account pre season he has not had a break in over a year.

His fitness levels are high, but he needs a rest, I would suspect that he will now be having a holiday and will not start training with Saints for another week or two.

So it looks like being a good day for football, but it will be one to sit back and enjoy the spectacle with little to be gained at this stage of pre season for either side.

All Photos Via Reuters

Bowlercow added 10:17 - Jul 11 I'm looking forward to seeing the first WS formation and how they play it out from the back I've read a lot about how he sets up and I now want to see itm It's not about who plays at all but it may give an early peek at his tactis
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WestSussexSaint added 19:26 - Jul 11 From a fan perspective I expect this to be more about formation and style rather than who plays.
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WestSussexSaint added 19:26 - Jul 11 From a fan perspective I expect this to be more about formation and style rather than who plays.
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