PokingFun

Sorry buddy but in case you hadn't noticed we have actually had some tonkings this season too! Yes, some are very negative and focus on heavy defeats totally and some focus totally on the winning performances. When you look at things on balance it is absolutely apparent that we are right in a relegation scrap where survival will be a good result. The key to our survival this season is not flogging any more players and making sure that our decent experienced players like John, Skacel, Thomas, Davis, Surman, Wotton etc are blended in with the best of the youngsters. I am optimistic if we keep an experienced spine to the team as there are only a handful of the youngsters that are genuinely good enough right now.

It seems to me that we actually can defend so long as we do not concede that early goal within 20 minutes or so. Our confidence is quite fragile defensively and therefore we struggle when the opposition notch early. Maybe that is this mental toughness thing that only comes when players become battle hardened. It seems that if we can avoid the early goal, we often build in confidence and consequently can see the game out without conceding more than a goal, but as soon as we do actually concede then it's a real floodgates situation. I guess its also a possibility that we keep it tighter when we are level as there is not the need to go gung ho and lose shape trying to chase the game. Good result tonight though and a very unexpected point.

For what its worth whenever I have seen McGoldrick play he always gets into some good positions and either does not have the composure to score or chooses the incorrect option. E.g. against Coventry when he 'passed' it inot the keepers arms rather than the two better choices of A) getting close enough to the keeper to slot it, or B) passing to the unmarked BWP to fire into the empty net. He chose to shoot early which was clearly the wrong choice. He also missed two other clear opportunities as well. If Stern John is available, I would pick him and if hes not, this Robertson looks better at holding up the ball than McG. Thing is, the right side is really killing us and part of it has to be due to the lack of defensive nous down that side of the pitch. We have too many forwards in midfield right now rather than genuine wide midfield players.

He would have a point. They guy is on a complete hiding to nothing and needs to realise quickly that having a team overloaded with young players aint gonna work for us.

You really are a complete idiot. What golden duo are you talking about? There is no Golden Duo at Saints. They are puppets acting under your heros instructions and making a complete royal **** up of things. Time for a reality check Scooby. If you disagree then you really don't have a scooby doo..

Sorry guys but Pearson was not going to cut it either. Look at his record with better players at his disposal. And yes, the players we had last year are better than the ones we now have. Leicester are doing ok, but then they should do in L1.

Nick, this is professional football we are talking about. These boys have been given the opportunity and are not taking it. Football is a harsh world, but a world where they get paid handsomely for their efforts. Non delivery is not an option. Now that is either down to inexperience or simply not having the balls at the moment to gain a killer instinct. I firmly believe that we need a stronger spine in this team. They try hard but when the going really gets tough they have not got it and that is down to having to many of them in the team. They play good football but cannot put a game to bed when they are on top and defensively are too naive. You have to like Jan for his ethics and honesty but I do wonder what he is doing with the constant chopping and changing of personnel - other managers got hammered for it. We need to get back to a more solid formation, play two up (John and Lallana would suit), have two defensive midfielders (probably wotton and spiderman when fit) and then get two proper wide midfielders into play (Skacel/Surman left, not sure right). Most of all, he really needs to address the full back positions before it is too late. we simply give the opposition too much time and space in wide areas and it will kill us eventually. Pretty football is not needed now. Anyone who says they are enjoying the pretty football of these 'boys' and talking how much better things are, well they are wrong. Just look at the attendances...the ones enjoying it are in the minority. (Alpine, for once I owe you an apology as you expected the reduction in support).

Completely agree and he is under the supervision of one of the best managers in the world at developing young talent to become top class. None of our youngsters are anywhere near his class when he was 16 let alone now and we all need to accept that avoidance of relegation would be a success this season in my opinion.

Lallana is not even in the same class as Walcott (or Bale for that matter). Walcott is playing regularly for a top 4 PL team, has scored an international hat trick and is expected to be a rising star. Lallana has skill, creativity and ability but lets not delude ourselves that he is going to be a future England International. Arsenal took Walcott because they knew he was the real deal so long as he stayed fit. When big teams pay that sort of money for 16 / 17 year old kids they know that barring injuries they will deliver on the biggest stages.

Didn't win many either though did we?

To be honest I felt the same about him. In my mind I wondered why Blackpool did not take him permanently when they clearly had an opportunity to do so after their promotion to the CCC. Obviously their manager, GB and NP did not deem him good enough to be a starter in this division and sadly after his promising start this seems to be bearing truth. Before anyone starts to suggest he is a youngster learning the ropes, the guy is about 23 I believe so not very young at all.

We have to get some players to play at full back and defend properly. Most goals and problems are coming down the sides from what i have seen.

how the **** do you know from austria???

Too many kids and not a balance of experience..

You cant win nothing with kids

He speaks highly of you..

Yes its x-alpine=y HTH

The catalyst for loss of interest was probably seeing god knows how much fighting and changing at board level, having to flog the players he likely wanted to build a team around. When you have to sell three players for big money, it suggests you cannot do anything but replace those players with mediocrity in comparison as improving on them means spending more money than you got in for them. At the end of the day GB is not a GREAT manager, because that is reserved for the likes of Fergie, Mourinho et al, but he is a decent manager given our status in the world of football. I suspect he became disillusioned in the same way some of us people may do in our own jobs when things continually get unsettled. GB is gone, and us fans have to move on bcause we cannot change history and the debate about whether he was good or bad simply depends on how realistic you want to be over our club's status.

Thats because we are pretty skint to be fair

Maybe Alpine Saint brings it on himself Gordon? Just a thought....

No, but I might be Slaven Bilic........after all, Croatia got beaten 2-0 there as well ;-)

Quite unbelievable this thread is really. I mean, Saints are 4th from bottom in the CCC and nearly got relegated last year after he had LEFT US (not got rid of as someone eloquently put it) and a number of people are still trying to say 'I told you so' about Burley. Told us what exactly? That he could keep us from flirting with relegation but was not going to get us promoted. Well done, award yourselves a gold star... Burley went ages ago guys so maybe everyone should move on.... Guess it won't be long though for Alpine et al to start having a pop at Jan and the youngsters to take the place of pantomime villain Burley. Also, I seem to recall England drawing against Macedonia....it's not that easy a place to go and win a game fellas.

It does not matter what the fans want to see in terms of who should be in charge of transfers. In fact there is absolutely NO WAY managers should be in charge of transfers. Look at it this way - would you really want someone that understands football only in charge of constructing and implementing a financial deal worth many millions of pounds. Of course not, you want a financially astute businessman in charge of doing the deal that understands all aspects of business, finance, compliance, legislation etc etc. The football manager should only have a say in identifying the players they require to progress. It is then the job of the finance people to do the deal within any budgetary constraints applicable. That is sound business and like it or not football is now a business...a bloody big one at that and anyone who thinks the manager should do these deals themselves really needs a reality check, as I cannot think of too many football managers with the contracts knowledge needed to construct such deals.

It does not matter what the fans want to see in terms of who should be in charge of transfers. In fact there is absolutely NO WAY managers should be in charge of transfers. Look at it this way - would you really want someone that understands football only in charge of constructing and implementing a financial deal worth many millions of pounds. Of course not, you want a financially astute businessman in charge of doing the deal that understands all aspects of business, finance, compliance, legislation etc etc. The football manager should only have a say in identifying the players they require to progress. It is then the job of the finance people to do the deal within any budgetary constraints applicable. That is sound business and like it or not football is now a business...a bloody big one at that and anyone who thinks the manager should do these deals themselves really needs a reality check, as I cannot think of too many football managers with the contracts knowledge needed to construct such deals.

What you agree with someone posting complete speculation on our finances with absolutely no factual foundation attached to it? Do you think we would buy a couple of players and get in a couple of loans if the terms under which we were doing it were not acceptable to our bankers? Lowe would simply not sanction that at all so maybe, just maybe, he has the ship on an even financial keel for now with the cost cutting that has happened so far. I expect to still see some high earners loaned out during the loan window. My feeling is that we are keeping within some guidelines set by the bank. They have probably told us so long as you stay within a budget / plan of £x then we will continue to offer support. There is probably a short and medium term plan in place which Lowe is working to.