doddisalegend

Amazing Goal my favorite of the season. Although Thomas's goal against Ipswich was special. Probably for most dramatic effect though it has to be Papa's equalizer in injury time VS Norwich in the JPT OK not the best goal in the world but what an ending to a match.

While I agree with you about pitches (which is a poor excuse) I'm not sure you can plan for poor reffing desicions. You couldn't plan for that clown at Tranmere (which to be fair is the only game this season I think really was lost to poor reffing).

I have to say I hold no hate for them (I really couldn't give a **** about Wimbeldon, never liked them), well maybe I hate that tosser Ince. My in-laws come from MK, last year we used to go and watch the Dons when we where up that way (at the time we where in different divisions so I didn't feel to dis-loyal). They're starting from scratch with their fans, loads of them are just kids so its hardly a suprise they don't make much noise. The stadium isn't that bad although the roof is crap and it's to big. In twenty years they'll have some history and grown up fans and they'll be ok. Glad I'm a saints fan though.

LOL I saw that. I kind of thought Merrington would have been driven around in a Bently for away matches:D

I'd be suprised if we can catch Charlton. What I think Charlton shows though is how a really good start to the season can set you up. Charlton where flying early in the season and even though they are wobbling badly they're still in with a shout of promotion. Personally I can't what for them to come to st Mary's. My sons first ever match was last years 2-3 defeat to Charlton at the end of last season so I want us to destroy them this year. All so Charlton fans are so ****ing gobby it'd be nice to wipe the smile of their faces (although as you point out they're not smiling much at the moment).

Yes I saw that to. I think that helps justify my opinion (yeah I know its only the NOTW but still)

Exactly It wasn't a great display of football by the team but Morgan seemed to be doing the work of two blokes as Hammond was anonymous yesterday. As such Morgans tidy football was worthy of a good score. It wasn't flashy but it was a good working mans display I don't remember him giving the ball away like some and he looked very comfortable on the ball and used it well, Just IMO of course.

No Morgan was class yesterday held our midifield together own his own. fought hard for the ball in the middle of the pitch, some nice runs kept the ball well and good passing. Hammond was at another match I think, as I don't remember seeing him on the pitch. I have to say between your player ratings and Chez's I think Chez was watching the same game as me. Apart from the penalty that is which looked dead right to me Fonte was a little theatrical but is was a sure fire foul. More to the point is what was a cente back doing running into the box from wide left while beating two players with a skillful touch? Puncheon didn't impress much again that twice in a week now, looks like he tries to beat his man too often and gets caught in possession.

Reading the match programme at half time I was shocked to find they beat Swindown the other day. How they managed that is beyond me.

Apart from spending lots of money and not bringing instant succes, not going to be the right manager for us then is he?

Ok The dutch wizards had Morgan and Lallana, we sold Surman and Mcgoldrick (both regulars) for what 2.5mil? so that covers Fonte and Lambert in the money stakes. Ap has picked up several good frees and loans this season, how many good frees did the dutch duo pick up? (one maybe in that Dutch centre back). Both Morgan and Lallana look far better players this year than last becuase of better coaching from AP. AP has brought our young players on be leaps and bounds this season, something the supposedly youth orientated dutch clowns couldn't do. Lets turn your question around how would the dutch duo do with APs resources in league one ...............most likely no different. They where out of thier depth and did not understand English football just look at the amazing jobs they went onto after leaving us to judge their quaility as coaches /managers. While some of APs game tactics might be puzzling at times he gets far more out of our players (including thier respect) than those two clowns from last year ever could.

Well Harding looked ok yesterday despite playing on the wrong side, Mills looked very good as well so I'd go with that. As a system it is probably a little less soild defensievely but offers a lot more attacking play than Thomas (or James) gave us. Shame about Wayne I like him bit of a thug but sometimes you need a palyer like that, and that goal against Ipswich was probably the best one I've seen all season (and that includes Lambert's wonder strike yesterday).

I enjoyed it. Things that struck me was the guy who took five minutes to find the ball after Mills had thumped it into an empty stand. MK Dons drum which was really crap. The awful pre-match music, I really don't think playing stuff by the cast of glee really helps to build atmosphere at a football match. On the football front we struggled to get going in the first half but always looked comfortable and I never really felt like the Dons threatened us. Second half we looked much better and Lamberts third was brillant (I thought it was going over). Mills looked bright, Seabourne looked very solid and Connolly looked streaks a head of Barnard when he came on. That was my nippers first away match and he loved it (winning helped) although being a ginger he was a bit upset by the wotsit chant;)

Not what I'm saying at all. People need to be honest giving it all this crap about not accepting second best, when what they mean is I'm happy with second best as long as its in the EPL. If thats the case fine but be honest. Trying to make out our years in the top flight were some kind of embarrsment of riches and we were succsessful is wearing glasses of a very rose tinted hue. Oh and Chris Mardsden = ****ing legend

Sorry again when were we a successful EPL club? unless by success you mean avoiding relegation year after year, being knocked out of all the cup compitions and finishing eigth once. This is what it comes down to its fine to be mediocre and poor as long as we're doing it in the EPL. people on here talking about wanting succsess and not excepting second best really seem to mean "second best is ok as long as I'm watching Liverpool beat us"

Wierd the match I saw Puncheon spent a lot of time glued to the line but he spent to much time trying to dribble past the Swindon players and losing it rather than passing it quicker. He only moved in to the midfield late on after the formation changes brought on by the subs. Funny how we also the same game differently.

Yep never known saints to pay over the odds for bad players. The point is a palyer can not be judged on his price tag alone he has to prove he is worth that money ours prehaps haven't done that that. People screaming look at the money should think, if someone had bought Pulis (or Wotton or Poke) for 2mil in January would he suddenly be a good player .......... Money should allow you to buy better players but it doesn't mean we have it's up t the players to prove it. So far only Lambert has done that (well probably Harding but he was free).

No manager has that much infleunce from the sidelines during the 90mins. He briefs his players he tell them what he wants done. If the players than stray from the plan he is left screaming at them from the sidelines or subbing them. More than likely they will get bollocked latter maybe even dropped but by then the damage is done. Harding was subbed the other day for reasons AP didn't want to go into, but the undercurrent being he wasn't doing what he was told. You know this for a fact do you or are you just speculating

Well yeah but buying Rooney couldn't hurt could it;) All so I thought Danns wasn't interested in playing for us if so it's a moot point really.

Just look closer to home with Lawrie McMenemy arguably one of saints best managers started off with relegation and took fours years to get them back up. That sort of patience just doesn't exsist in football anymore it's all six months, instant succsess or shown the door now. The EPL worse thing to happen to English football ever fact.

Not at all we had better players in the top flights (with the exception of last year) yet we did no better. People where happy to accept far worse results in the higher leagues including it would seem you Mr I don't accept second best (unless it's in the EPL).

I can't agree Leeds and Charlton have both wobbled but they're still up top becuase they had such strong starts, got their noses far enough in front to be able to afford a wobble. Their first year down here leeds got of to a very strong start and that allowed them to keep up with the top teams despite the points deduction. Our slow start got us into a postion where every game since christmas has been a must win game becuase we've always been chasing the pack. As for Gillet you like him fine but he is pants IMO I'd rather we'd play Wotton. The 4-5-1 didn't seem to work very well I went to several matches where we only got going once we went 4-4-2. We played with 4-5-1 and while we might get a lot of the ball we couldn't do anything with it, as soon as we swopped to 4-4-2 we got goals. So I imagine the manager came to the same conclusion as me. I'm not going to blame the manager for Conolloy not staying fit I'd of been more upset if hadn't tried to put a player of Conolly's calibare on the pitch as often as possible. Also can't agree about cups. I hate this modern obbsession with all wanting to get back to the EPL and ignoring the cups. I grew up loving the FA cup, and while the carling and JPT are not quite in the same calibre I still would love to win them. I'd be more than happy if I was offered mid table every year in the coke-a-cola with the guarntee of winning one cup competition every year.

Its the third division , he has the top goalscorer and we are the 11th highest spending club in English football and we are tenth in the league. Thirty odd points off the leader and 17 or so off a playoff place. We have seen some good games but we really let ourselves down on more than one occasion. That doesnt make him brilliant No it doesn't but it does make him better than any of the others we've had. We're are a league one side with league one players. Other managers had better players to do the job with and all underachieved. Burley spent 7 million and won less matches. It's all relative yes we're in the third division but we have third division players. It's the mind set of many fans thats the problem they need to accept that teams like Swindon and Millwall are our level now. We are in league one the teams around us are not massively worse like many fans seem to think. So often I see people on here rubbishing oppostion teams with no actual knowledge of the other team at all they just assume we must be better becuase we used to play with the big boys in the EPL.

If you watched Pardew on tuesday he was doing his nut on the side lines shouting at the players you could see issed he was with them in the second half. I do not believe any manager in any league tells his player to hoof to the opposition (christ even the managers in my sons under nines league give better instuctions than that). The players have to take the wrap for tuesday to often the players get to hide behind the manager, the manager can not be held responsible for professional players not being able to string two passes together. The fact is AP has still won more matches this season (which isn't over yet) than any saints manager has managed in any season in the last 26 years so he must be doing something right.

I'd agree if we had spent all the money in August and started with the team we have now but we didn't. We blew this season in august and september with such a slow start that we were always going to struggle. We tried to paper over the cracks by throwing money at them in january. If we had had the team we have know in august we would have won more games IMO, but building a team is not an overnight job. Norwich, Leeds, Swindon built theirs in the summer and the difference shows our team has changed a lot since August and it shows.