CB Saint

I agree with you re the defence - we have certainly got to stop shipping goals. All successful teams are built on solid defences. It is not practical to expect our strikers to score 3 or 4 every game becasue we fail to keep a clean sheet. I suspect a good deal of work is going on in this department and I am willing to bet that there will be some investment here in January. You have to admit, if we can sort out this bit we are going to have ourselves a very tidy team.

Each situation is unique - there are probably as many examples where time was required to turn it around - I say probobaly cos I am too lazy to root them out. The point I am making is that we are improving and will continue to rise up the table.

You are of course correct when you look at the hard facts, but I would ask you to consider it from another angle. First eight games bedding in for new manager and team - understandably rubbish next Eight games - great overall performance including rolling over some of the division leaders. Now for the next eight - I think we will continue to push on and the bigger picture will look completely different after 24 games. I think we are generally getting better and consequently our league position will improve. Of course if nothing changes and we still remain in the relegation zone at the half way point, then some of the team and tactics will need reviewing.

Ok some perspective.. We are still in business. We have a better manager that we had last year We have a better chairman than we did last year We have a better ownership structure that we did last year We have a better balance sheet than we did last year We have better access to funds than we did last year We have a better attitude that we did last year We have (dare I say it) a better team than we did 3 months ago We are seeing better football than we did last year We are happier than we were last year I'd say that was improvement - we are getting there

Mick you are not the first person on here to consider the JPT a sh1thouse competition, however for a club like ours in the first division it is one of the few opportunities we will get to win some silverware. Granted its not the same as the FA Cup, but seriously once the big boys are entered into the draw our existance in that competition will be short lived. Given all the misery that we have endured over the last few years, I would love to be able to go to wembley in the JPT. If the experience is anything like what it was in 2003 (result aside) it would be worth it. Yes, the league comes first but fielding a team of reserves would not be the right way. On yesterdays performance we would have been done 8 -0 and that would have had an impact on the whole club which ever way you look at it.

Saints are good enough to beat teams like Brighton when one or two players are not playing to full potential but when three or four decide to stay at home then anyone can beat us. In fact I would say there are few teams in English football that can win in their respective divisions when it happens to them. We just had an off day. It happens, it is how we recover from it that will show the characterof our team. With regards to the JPT being a tin pot trophy - I think it is arrogant of us to think we are bigger than it. It was designed to give small clubs (and I include us in this) from the lower divisions a chance to win something. Reaching the finals would be a huge boost for the clubs morale. I would be first in line to buy a ticket to Wembley along with most posters on here. How about this for an idea - seeing as we haven't got a realistic chance of winning the FA cup how about fielding a reserve side in this competition and saving the first team for the league...

Antonio off - hmmm... he has been one of our most dangerous players

Some one needs to get a hold of this game -

Hold you horses - there is still more than twenty minutes left

Nice one KD

Interesting play from Murray

What a cack half of football - the only up side is that we are only one down after playing so badly

Stage two - cue massive Boll0cking

Right then - stage one - goal before half time

I wonder if Connolly can wind up their keeper as much as Phillips did to Lehman

I don't know... a goal now and a massive boll0cking at half time could do it for us

The last 5 minutes have been much better - haven't conceded for starters

Brighton are first to evrything

Well it certainly isn't football

That was almost three - talk about rabbits in the headlights

bollix

Thank god for a blind ref!!!

Brighton are not playing like their league position suggests -I hope teams are not beginning to raise their game when they come to SMS.

Need to add to the squad for better depth but any player sign should in theory be able to walk into the first team. Rather than unsettling players I think that this will keep the existing squad on their toes and make places more competative.

Charlton complained