RobM

A little too much confidence in the case of Ramirez, perhaps.

We seem to have found some confidence!

Lallana needs somebody in a sensible place to pass to, but some of our movement isn't quick or intelligent enough so he is left playing desperate passes into areas that aren't likely to achieve anything. Watch his passing to somebody like Ramirez or Lambert and it's better than to others.

We seem able to make a challenge today, we're not just standing off their attacking players as we normally do. A much more confident defensive display.

That's pretty much how I feel. I don't 'want' to see Adkins go, I do want to see our form improve and Adkins lead us to greater days, but at the same time if he goes I won't be too upset and I'll always remember what he did for us. The only time I'll be angry is if Adkins is sacked and we don't replace him with somebody better. If it's anything other than a proven manager with Premiership experience I just don't see the point. Why replace Adkins with somebody else who needs to learn this league and gain experience?

I think you'd struggle to find more than a couple of comments 'bigging Fox up' last season. He had some very good games, but did not end the season being labelled 'fantastic'. In reality (where most of us live) he was considered an acceptable but less than ideal LB, with a decent cross, decent at set pieces, but limited defending ability. We all agreed come the end of the season that our entire defensive lineup had to be looked at as it wasn't good enough for the Prem. Have a read first, then shout at people, it might work for you.

As realistic as that article sounds, there isn't one quote in it and we know NC isn't doing interviews on this subject, so it can be put in the same fairytale category as the more sensational 'bring back Harry' articles.

Bad business decisions can spell the end for a club. It was business that nearly destroyed this club and could have left us without a club to support, moan about and argue over. It was business that salvaged it and brought it back to where it is today. As much as I hate the balance of football being in favour of business, it is what it is and we have to care about it.

Pace is important, but equally important is having players elsewhere in the team who can make the most of the pace, with intelligent and well-timed passing. It's no good having pace up front if they have to suffer rubbish service into them, they'll just be offside every time or will have to drop back so far their pace is wasted.

Over the course of an entire season, yes. Is our manager going to get the chance to do that?

Shouldn't be allowed to play again though, IMO. Answering my own question, he throw his bottle into the crowd, got rightly boo'd for it, then swore at our fans for booing. Tosser. He hasn't even been any good for us, so drop him, let him rot.

Anybody see what happened with Boruc swearing at our fans? And throwing a bottle at them, I'm told.

Could be a sign he isn't 100% fit, rather than being injured in the warm up. Fingers crossed he is OK, as even though I don't rate him, he is at least a LB.

I think we're going to need width today, to count Spurs and to make the most of the fact Friedel doesn't like claiming crosses. Back post here we come...

That's how I've read it.

Probably the sort of meeting that had been invented to ensure Adkins doesn't have to answer questions from inconvenient fans who want to know if he will remain our manager for much longer. One wrong answer could be a media and PR nightmare, so it's safest to keep him away. Or perhaps I'm a cynical sod.

I loved L1 (the last season) and the Championship, it was a fantastic period to be a Saints fan. I think that was because we were playing good football and winning though, not because of the league we were in. If things turn around in the Premiership I'm sure we will enjoy it just as much.

There just haven't been that many / any Prem jobs since he left Spurs though, which was what I meant with my comment... he made comments before about wanting a 'top flight' management job, but there hasn't been any available, so he couldn't have been offered one. Us, QPR and Reading could well provide that first opportunity and he will be the No.1 candidate for all of them.

To be fair, there has to be a job available before you can be offered it... But no to Redknapp, just no.

I do agree, I think there is a definite quality problem, but if we're asking players to play at a level they can't quite match (yet?) as well as play a different style to their and our (as a teams) previous style that everyone was used to, it could be contributing and could be a quick-win.

Quote snipped so not to drown the thread in quotes... Just thinking aloud really, but a lot of these seem to be positional - so could zonal marking be our problem?

Lallana is captain because we want the entire team to play as he does. We want a mobile, fluid, creative and attacking team so we choose somebody to lead us who matches that description. If we had a more defensive, solid and consistent captain we may, as a team, follow that lead. The captain does need to be consistent though IMO, so I'd give it to Morgan who seems a mainstay of our starting 11.

Who?

You've quoted that slightly out of context though, let's be honest. The actual quote, in part of a larger answer about his role at the club and the people he manages, was "The Manager is able to focus on coaching the team and only the three first team coaches report directly to him." This in the context of the actual answer suggests Les Reed is there to take the pressure off of things that may distract from pure-footballing matters, such as managing people away from the first team or coaches, but identifying targets are 100% footballing matters that do have NA's involvement.

Agree entirely, as a CB he has been very assured and added some much needed confidence to the back-four. It's only being player well out of position, in a position that suits none of his strong points, that has made him look bad.