saintant

We have been poor but that was a blatant handball in the penalty area. If you have your arms stretched out and the ball hits them you have spread them to deliberately stop the ball so should have been a pen.

Both recently back from injury but how sharp did they look today! Morgan bossed the game and was rightly named Man of the Match for a cultured display. He oozed class and stroked the ball around effortlessly while also breaking up many Walsall moves. Chambo was electric and could have added to the stunning goal he scored. The fact that we put together such a fantasic run of games without these two to clinch promotion bodes well for next season. Add to that Connolly getting back to fitness late in the season and proving what a class act he is with his clever link-up play, great darting runs and cool finishing!

What a fantastic run-in we put together to stave off a very strong challenge from Huddersfield. Last 15 games we took an incredible 40 points from 45 and in the process scored 32 and let in just 9! Just think, had we beaten Brighton at home when their spoiling tactics gained them a point we'd have been champions on goal difference. Well done Saints, absolutely brilliant period of results when the pressure was right on us. Hats off to Nigel Adkins and the coaching staff for masterminding this key run of results.

To put last night into perspective - we lost two key players through injury and some on here are claiming it's the end of the world while at the same time they are bemoaning the fact that we didn't win! Appears we had a perfectly good goal disallowed and everyone knows D'urso never gives us much - it's almost as though he blames us for the fact that he dished out three yellows to the same player at St Marys without appreciating that he should have sent him off. Last night was a point gained because had this game gone ahead on Boxing Day when Charlton were in far better form I think we'd have struggled to come away with anything.

Anyone who thinks we will need to win all our remaining games to secure a top two spot is living in cloud cuckoo land. Peterboro and Huddersfield play each other and also both will have other set backs along the way. For either of these two teams to win all their remaining fixtures would be a miracle - it's not going to happen. We need to keep our heads and take one game at a time. I'm sure Adkins is sensible enough to realise this and that he'll be impressing this on the players. Start to heap unnecessary pressure on ourselves and it will go pear-shaped so a bit of perspective is what's required.

Great game to watch and a good advert for League 1 football. A point at Peterboro is no disaster even though we led by two goals twice - they are reknowned for comebacks this season and have some very good players. Disappointed with Seaborne - either he is very slow or CSM is lightening quick because he looked to be treading water for their first goal. That is a worry because you can't expect to keep things tight if one of your centre backs is dead slow. Thought Fonte was brilliant and needs a decent partner alongside him - not sure why Martin hasn't been given another go as he played well early in the season. My other concern is that we got caught once again when a player in an offside position left the ball to allow a runner to come from deep. We did this at Exeter and it cost us a goal - the same happened yesterday but this time Kelvin saved us. Perhaps we should try that tactic - let Lambert or Barnard take up an offside position with Chamberlain lurking just a bit deeper then play the through ball, offside player leaves it and Chamberlain uses his pace to come from an onside position. It's a difficult one to defend against because you anticipate getting the offside but with today's rule if the ball is left someone can come from deep quite legitimately.

Schneiderlin will often be slagged off after League 1 matches. Yesterday epitomised the fact that he is far too good for this division and his brilliance is often lost in the hurly burly style of football. Put him in a match like yesterday against gifted opponents who want to play football and he will shine every time. No surprise that he was our best player against United and it is likely that others representing clubs in the Premier League would not have missed the class he showed and a few might come knocking.

Can't believe there is a fair amount of criticism aimed at Guly on this thread. His touch and awareness was sublime and he was involved in most of the good things we did. Ok, he gave the ball away a few times but overall the guy was superb. Speaks volumes that someone spoke to a bunch of their fans who thought he was our biggest threat. He wasn't our man of the match because that honour can only go to Morgan but he oozed class.

I reckon Craig Westcarr of Notts County is worth a look. Check out the goal he scored yesterday - great skill and awareness plus a cool finish. Seems to have pace to burn, strength, skill and an eye for a goal.

Too good for this team. Would look superb in a pass and move side like Arsenal. Must be frustrating for him.

We are weak and disorganised when facing set pieces - a prime example being Carlisle's third goal when we had eleven defending but still managed to allow a player a completely free header right in front of goal. Until this weakness is rectified we will continue to let in soft goals. The answer IMO is to sign Jay DeMerit who I think is still a free agent. He may demand a biggish wage but would be worth it as he would dominate the penalty area and organise those around him to do their jobs. He would make a brilliant captain and also probably weigh in with a few goals. If he is indeed still a free agent we could sign him now. This team needs a leader with a big personality who is not shy of handing out a few rollickings on the pitch when things go wrong - right now we have nobody to fill that role and Hammond is a waste of time as skipper as he shirks the responsibilty of providing leadership.

It's time for a reality check. Despite what some would say we do not have a squad that is head and shoulders above anyone else in this division or the envy of them. We have some quality players and one of genuine class in Lallana. However, we are littered with mistakes and poor individual performances so are never going to roll over every side we play. If we accept this it will be much easier to overcome the disappointment associated with defeats. Fortunately, nobody is likely to run away with this divison so we need to dig in and stay in touch which is pretty much what we are doing. There will be defeats, especially in away games but provided we do not go into a prolonged slump we have a chance of making the top two spots and a more realistic shot at the play-offs. We are not a class above the rest and need to realise that. It's a fairly even race with many teams in with a shout so, unless we spend big in the next transfer window, we're in a dogfight with the rest.

To be fair I think we should look at it after the Daggers game when Adkins will have been in charge for 5home and 5 away games. If we win on Tuesday his record will be 20 points from ten games which is 2 per game. Over a season that would be 92 points.

Think he is just what we need - a dominant centre half to play alongside Fonte and he'd make a great captain. Accept that he is probably holding out for more money than we'd be prepared to offer but would certainly bolster our defence and be a strong leader on the pitch.

Well, I thought Lambert was one of our better players today and I'd be surprised if Adkins took him off for any other reason than he wasn't fit after last week's head injury. Oxo must start on tuesday - Chaplow looked very poor today. Andy Durso as usual tried to do all he could to get Oldham back in the game - 5 minutes stoppage time when there was nowhere near that and also giving them free kicks but denying blatant fouls on Barnard. Lallana was superb and needs to be given the ball more. Still think we need a couple of signings as too many give less than average performance. Not convinced by Seabourne I'm afraid and would prefer Martin. Great save by Kelvin to make sure we got the three points.

He has only just arrived but I fear Nigel Adkins isn't going to get the luxury of a honeymoon period. He needs to sit the players down and read the riot act to them. This just isn't good enough - they are professional, paid a lot of money and they are currently cheating the fans who's hard earned pays those huge salaries. If that upsets a few eggshell egos then tough - you take the big money and with that goes responsibility. Too many of them are in some sort of comfort zone and need a harsh wake-up call. ML came in and saved this proud club from near extinction but this group of players can't even be bothered to put in a shift once they cross the white let alone in training. They are lazy, unfit and don't appear to give a toss. NA must sort out those who do want to play for the club and replace the rest. He can't afford to be Mr Nice Guy I'm afraid because this lot will just take advantage. Show us you've got a pair Nige and wade into this bunch of under-achievers. Oh and can we get someone on loan with some leadership qualities quick so that Hammond can be relieved of the captaincy cos this guy doesn't lead by example and shouldn't even be in the team on current form. Better still, if Jay DeMerit is still a free agent try getting him to sign, make him skipper and we just might see some passion on the pitch.

He has only just arrived but I fear Nigel Adkins needs to sit the players down and read the riot act to them. This just isn't good enough - they are professional paid a lot of money and they are currently cheating the fans who's hard earned pays those huge salaries. Too many of them are in some sort of comfort zone and need a harsh wake-up call. ML came in and saved this proud club from near extinction but this group of players can't even be bothered to put in a shift once they cross the white let alone in training. They are lazy, unfit and don't appear to give a toss. NA must sort out those who do want to play for the club and replace the rest. He can't afford to be Mr Nice Guy I'm afraid because this lot will just take advantage. Show us you've got a pair Nige and wade into this bunch of under-achievers. Oh and can we get someone on loan with some leadership qualities quick so that Hammond can be relieved of the captaincy cos this guy doesn't lead by example and shouldn't even be in the team on current form.

By the way Manji, still on the Mike Osman thread - you ever filled a theatre? No, but I suspect you've emptied a few pubs in your time.

What an odious little man Manji comes across as. He snipes at Mike Osman as though he knows him personally. The guy obviously has a huge chip on his shoulder. Mike is a local lad and a life-long supporter of the Saints. To describe him as a freeloader just demonstrates how little Manji knows about him. The number of unpaid charity jobs he does when he gives up his time to help raise money for good causes is substantial to say the least. Also to question Mike's ability as a comedian and entertainer just proves that this Manji moron hasn't seen him work much if at all. It seems there are people on this site who begrudge seeing a local borne and bred guy getting a slice of the limelight - could it be they are jealous? Cut him some slack Manji, give a little credit instead of criticising when you have no idea about Mike as a person. Why is it every time he is mentioned on this forum you are the first one to post one of your nasty, insulting, illinformed and childish digs. Crawl back under your stone you moron.

But the manager takes the flack if the team don't perform so he must know if some of it is down to fitness. He should know straight away if there is a fitness problem and make sure it is sorted - ultimately it affects team perfomance which is down to the manager. Pardew seems not to have been bothered enough to make this an issue whereas Adkins has gone straight in and identified a problem. It adds up because we seem to start each half strongly but then fade.

So Adkins has taken just one day to establish that the team are not fit enough - makes you wonder what Pardew was being paid for..

0-3 0-2 0-1 Can nobody else see that Wilkins is starting to get it right - he's heading in the right direction. Give him the job :0) Seriously, this again underlines that we don't have a squad that is the envy of anyone and it is certainly not the best in our division. Too many plodders who offer nothing creative. Let's get a new manager in quick and make some loan signings because that is the only way we'll get a squad that can mount a serious promotion challenge. The current bunch with a few exceptions just aint got it I'm afraid.

Is it time to dispel the myth that we have a squad which is the envy of the other teams in our division? Who have we got apart from Lambert (not fit), Lalana (injured) and Fonte? The rest are just a bunch of average players for this league who, in the main, fail to perform. Let's face it, we are no great shakes and by no means odds-on to get promoted whoever the new manager might be. Plymouth, Swindon and now the might of Rochdale have all come to St Marys and not had to work too hard to go away with victories - in each of these games we failed to score. Most teams have one or two decent players and maybe we don't give them the respect they deserve - the guy who scored the second goal today was arguably the best player on the pitch by a long way. We are not head and shoulders above the rest or we would be beating these sides comfortably week in week out not labouring for the odd win. The transfer window has come and gone and we failed to get in the minimum three quality signings needed to galvanise this squad. Now we need a competent manager who is allowed to manage with no interference, some decent loan signings to get us through to the next transfer window and a club where everyone is pulling in the same direction. Without those things I fear dark days lie ahead. By the way, has the pitch at St Marys been narrowed - it looks as though there is never any room on the flanks. It it has I think somebody has made a major ****-up.

Watched first half online. Wilkins makes the same mistake as Pardew against blanket defence by getting us playing too narrow. We need Puncheon to hug the left touchline and OC wide right - they must be told to stay there so that Rochdale fullbacks have no choice but to go out wide to cover them. This will create space for runners and Lambert. Keep huffing and puffing up the middle with nobody wide and we'll get nowhere. It aint rocket science.

Paul Hart now even money on Skybet!