James

Martin looks bad (both tonight and against Bristol imo) because we play it out from the back at home and he doesn't have the confidence or skill on the ball to do this. He put us under so much pressure with a poor touch tonight. He's not got the class or the skill of a Fonte who basically plays as an extra man in the midfield when we've got the ball.

He made some mistakes tonight sure. Harding at RB and Falque over De Ridder were the two which stood out for me. It's the team that have run out of gas, not Adkins. He hasn't really got the chance to change it because the squad is so thin. I also wish he'd be a tad more decisive in the transfer market and his record of picking players isn't exactly great. However, he is the best manager I've seen in charge of Saints since Strachan and to say that he benefited from Pardew's work is madness - we had a dreadful start to last season under him and the style of play implemented this season is all Nige's own doing. Short term criticism - perhaps, he made a few bad calls tonight. Long term? No chance. In Adkins we trust.

Really really poor tonight. Some mistakes made by Nige tonight: 1) Playing Harding at RB - just terrible for the whole game I thought - Frazer should have started if fit enough (which it appeared he was when he came on and did a good job) 2) Throwing Falque straight in there - have been surprised by the positive comments on here about him after that, looked like a fish out of water I thought and was glad to see De Ridder come on. Hoping there's more to come but wasn't particularly encouraged by tonight's showing. Other than that, I don't think he could have done much else and it shows how dreadfully thin the squad is. I'm all for keeping a close knit group, but its plainly obvious that we can't make that impact change from the bench when things aren't going our way. Players like Holmes (hate to pick on him but feel the need to after tonight) weren't good enough for us in League 1 and he definitely isn't a player worthy even of a place on the bench for a team supposedly challenging at the top of the Champ. There's no doubt that teams like boro and WHU would struggle if they were missing as many key players as we are but they have got a much better quality of replacement. What worries me is that its all well and good saying we've got key men to come back, but they won't just step in and immediately be performing to the level they were prior to their absence and that is what we need to make sure we get back on track. Tonight is the night I really started to doubt we could go up automatically - Cardiff are closing in on us fast and will take the **** out of us next Tuesday if we play like we did tonight. What is so annoying about the current situation is that the league this year is very very poor, and we are (on our day) better than any team in the division but I really think we might have run out of gas this season. Nige seems to have run out of ideas when plan A doesn't work, the worry on his face after the game was clear for all to see. Finally, why oh why haven't we been more decisive in the transfer market? Its been clear for weeks we've needed new blood but none has materialised (bar Falque and Lee, although not here yet). Its a dangerous gamble to sign players like Lee who may not settle and have taken almost the entire January window to arrive! As for bidding for players like Hooper, its great to show ambition but doesn't matter a jot if they don't sign and therefore can't make an impact. We need some new faces now, but I doubt we'll get them and fear we'll blow a very good chance of promotion this season.

I hope Nige doesn't think we don't need any new blood as tonight was as clear an indication that we do that we've had all season. This January has got me really worried about our financial situation. I know we don't want to blow the budget but its been clear for absolutely WEEKS that we've needed new players yet none (bar Falque who I thought was very average tonight) have materialised. We are playing a very dangerous game signing players like Lee who are not only unproven, but have pretty much taken the entire January window to arrive. It's all well and good making the right noises about bidding for players like Hooper but that's no good if they don't actually sign. I hope to god we've got a back up plan as we might not have as good a chance to get promoted next season, or indeed the next few seasons. Tonight was the night I began to see it slipping away/actually thinking we weren't ready as if we play that team, or with those rotation options in the Prem we will get absolutely murdered. I hope this is clear to Nige and Nicola and I'd be worried if it wasn't.

As much as I like Steve, he isn't good enough - nor are any of our supposed first team replacements.

Guly just ****ing shocking

We need some other forward options, we clearly needed them when we had a gap in proceedings but we didn't get them. We won't score tonight, we havent got a clue going forward

Just dross so far we don't deserve to go back top

Not impressed with falque at all so far

Harding is poor - Richardson should have started

A lot of people worried about Brum which I find strange as they were possibly the worst team to visit SMS this season - just dreadful. They're on a good run at the moment but don't think they'll maintain it. WHU and Cardiff are the main threats but its about being in the top 2 not necessarily winning the league. I think the next two games will tell us a lot about where our season is headed. Two wins and we're well on the way, slip ups and we could be looking at playoffs.

We won't sign anyone other than Falque and Lee IMO - think it leaves us a striker short but just my view.

I've had Delap and Skacel

Sky might be wrong, they have been before - he could easily be here. I'd like to think the two clubs have ways and means of operating without media finding it all out. That said, I do find it difficult to believe he is in Southampton when all we have to go on is one supposed sighting. All the evidence points to you being correct.

Do you know that for certain?

This. He makes at least one bad mistake a game.

I think he's referring to his exemplary work in the Community which shouldn't be underestimated - there's more to being a saints player than the number of minutes you are on the pitch.

Ben Marshall from Stoke perhaps = highly rated whilst on loan at Stoke, can't agree a new contract and rumoured to be off to a Championship side. A wide player with rave reviews from my Wednesday supporting friend.

There is a distinct lack of goals in that side. That's the real worry. I have a hunch that SDR and/or Connolly will be available though - Adkins didn't give much away regarding injuries so its all guesswork though.

Would be great to get him in the squad for Forest - might be pushing it but you never know!

He really wasn't that bad in midfield - can remember some pretty decent performances from him when played there. He was however, one of the worst CBs we've had since the Jakobssen/Davenport days.

Agreed, start like that and we will get murdered.

Don't think anyone thinks we're bigger - just perhaps more attractive owing to quality of football and perhaps salary (yet to be convinced of this though)

A tweet from the Solent twitter account from an anonymous inside source is hardly an official statement is it? It's hardly surprising sharp is being debated given our interest in the summer. If you don't want to discuss it no one is forcing you to read the thread.

Davis Richardson Fonte Jos Fox Cork Hammond Morgan Lallana Guly Connolly. Anyone know how long before SDR/Chaplow come back?