shurlock

Defensively??? obviously you werent there yesterday. I think Antonio is a more direct and powerful player than Papa which perhaps work better in this league. But Papa is a more skillful team player who can make the step up -both in terms of league and working with better team mates around him.

You must be kiddling - only works at certain places under certain circumstances.

From what I've seen, Fish Mills is a better prospect than James.

I dont particularly rate James - he's not decisive enough in the tackle, lacks positional awareness and cannot pass and move. His one saving grace is that he can whip in some unplayable balls provided they do not become get-outs from all areas of the pitch - hence why he was decent at RM against Walsall. However, he also played RM against Hartlepool which I don't think worked as well. I would only consider him at RM away from home if we're looking to stay compact and if we have a RB who is willing to bomb on and go beyond him. Such a ploy might have worked yesterday but on balance I think Pards was right to be more adventurous- there's no way we could have set up shop and kept them out for 90 mins. We really needed to get at them as we did excellently for the first ten mins. Pity after that.

Apart from whether we deserved to win (a draw tops and even then their keeper didn't have a save to make) I agree that game was lost in midfield. And i dont think its the first time our midfield has let us down. Christ I miss Safri!

Back from the match - thought today some of our growing pains were exposed. Put simply, you can't go to places like Leeds if you can't retain possession -you just invite teams to set up camp in your half. And retaining possession has been a real problem of late. Yes we sorely missed Schneiderlin but even with him in the team I don't think the midfield would have linked up with the forwards - Schneiderlin has a tendency to sit too far back James tried to step in but he had neither the vision nor failing that the defensive nous to make a difference. The result is that Lambert (whom Kisnorbo dealt with comfortably) and Connolly (who shouldn't be asked to win arial duels) were horribly isolated while the widemen had little service (Lallana asked a few questions without really threatening while Papa in his endeavour to get involved doubled up as a makeshift RB). Long ball and static play have been features of recent games and Schneiderlin has mainstay of those teams. So no, Schneiderlin is no silver bullet. Perhaps, 4-4-2 is the problem and Pards has tough decisions to make whether we accomodate both Connolly and Lambert. The plus side is that it has taken two-half seasons for Leeds to reach their current position and they are largely a committed if pedestrian side - Snodgrass apart, we were rarely overrun and Bart had a pretty quiet afternoon. Contrary to what others say, I thought Beckford had a decent game -****e in front of goal- but always a handful when he dropped deep and linked up the play. Bearing in mind that its only twenty games when we last came to Yorkshire and got mauled by Huddersfield, progress has been pretty remarkable. The defence showed that it can be versatile - the problem is our midfield. Hammond and Schneiderlin need support, somebody who is good on the ball and will keep play ticking along. That's where I would strengthen in January no doubt. A few judicious signings in the January and the playoffs are still a shout. For a team at the top, its incredible that Leeds were so ordinary - mediocrity i guess is relative. We are not far behind them and we won't facing top teams every week. Still we should aspire to be as good as we can.

Depends what happens with Saga and only AP knows about Connolly - if Saga goes and Connolly is likely to be in and out of the team, a striker would be my no.1 priority. If not, I think we need an attacking central midfielder especially in a 4-5-1. Notwithstanding all the goals, the triad of Schneiderlin, Hammond and Wotton hardly exudes attacking intent while Mellis is likely to return to Chelsea. At times, there's been too much space between our midfield and forwards which has forced the long ball. Rather than a CB, I would go for a DM who could play at the back if necessary while lesseingn the reliance on Wotton, a pacy, younger Christian Dailly. But pace is important. If Gillett goes to Donnie, then a DM becomes more important. A photocopy of Dan Harding at RB would be useful -its singularly our weakest spot in the team though I don't think it has much impact on our overall balance. Finally cover for Lallana at LM wouldnt go amiss as Holmes or Mills have hardly figured in Pards plans. Been impressed with Jeff Hughes of Bristol Rover who seems capable of covering the whole left-hand side. Doing so would free Lallana go to a more central AM position (see above) which in my view is his natural position.

Saw them crooked vultures@the hammersmith apollo last night - excellent gig but only starters ahead of today's main course. Getting the 11.10 from Kings X - no problems as far as I can see if you're travelling via London. safe trip up everyone.

TBH, i've got mixed feelings. Certainly, I have a more positive general vibe about saints - the quiet smile when I go about my day to day business. Still, match days are sometimes more subdued: when we score, i don't punch the air and go mental as often as I have done in previous seasons, possibly because'many games have been pretty one-sided and scoring doesnt provide the same release or have the same stakes. On the other hand, I still find myself getting as nervous about the closing stages of games, even when we have a comfortable lead. Some habits die hard. I expect alot of the passion to return if/when we get promotion the CCC and every game is a fight again. In fact, the CCC combines the best of all worlds - each game is evenly matched and honours are a realistic ambition. Its certainly less predictable than either the Premiership or FL1.

+1. they were sh*t on Tuesday as they have been of late- by all accounts Accrington should have beaten them...and on their patch. That said, they'll probably turn it on against us and we'll get walloped.

Didnt get to the game but on the radio Merrington said that in the second half we were going with Lallana and Lambert up top with Waigo in the hole. He grumbled that it would be better for Waigo to go up top and Lallana to play in the hole but the assumption was that Pards had told all three to play in more central positions rather than for Lallana or Waigo to hug the touchline. To the extent that this was tactical, its hard to criticise any of our players for neglcting their responsibilities and not getting wide. Not saying that this is always the case but it seems yesterday there were special circumstances.

Away goals applied when it was the LDV Vans trophy (as late as 2006), so yes i guess the rule is still in operation.

Fantastic!

Old enough to have run on the pitch at Upton Park on the last day of the 93/94 season and to know what the end of a belt buckle feels like

Fantastic - more chavvy little runts. The kid's pulling the wool over all your eyes and having a laugh but no you cream your pants and get weepy-eyed like a woman with pmt who's seen one too many andrex adverts. He's a serial offender, no doubt encouaged by other, older chavvy little runts - the game, the result are all secondary - if anything, deserves a whack around the ear or the end of the belt buckle.

your homeboys

First leg to played at the Moo Camp. Sets things up nicely for the return at SMS.

...and even funnier when a steward perfectly nails and takes down a pitch invader.

No but Schneiderlin who's nearing a suspension was taken off. Not tactical but injured- is now a doubt for saturday. That does complicate things since hes been excellent and Wotton once again proved his shadow-chasing credentials.

Wasn't there yesterday but went to Walsall and Northampton and the youngest kid there -and several invaded the pitch- couldn't have been more than 6 or 7 (at Northampton, even went up to a player for a shirt). There were similar stories at Leyton O. Initially found it funny -well more surreal than funny- but its now a regular thing at away games and its totally deliberate not spontaneous and joyous.

As well as Northampton and Walsall, it also happened at Leyton O - might or might not be him. I've got no problem with sponanteous pitch-invasions, especially after releases of emotion, but if its the same kid, that sly little b@stard has everyone in his pocket with the look-at-me-im-so huggably-cute-I'll-have-you-banged-up-for-touching-a-minor immunity. If he wants to go on the pitch, at least have the balls to accept the consequences - if he outpaces the stewards, more benny hill than anything, fair play to the little squire but to rule out the time-honoured take-downs and deckings, that's not right!!!

Was it the same kid who ran on the pitch after the Northampton game? At the time I thought sly little bast&rd - no steward would dare touch you. If it is he's obviously gaming the situation. if so ban him until he has the balls to go on the pitch as a consenting adult and run the risk of a proper decking as faces the rest of us.even better,in the meantime, why doesn't his father teach him the disciplinary wonders of the belt. Literally, he would be unable to move from his seat.

nice one

Especially when it comes from the soton yoof who've never paid any form of tax and no doubt are looking forward to a life of leisure on the public purse in the future

To start talking about playoffs in December is nonsense - how feasible they are will become only clear in February. We should take Norwich seriously not just because its a shot at Wembley but as much because they're big fish (and I rate them above Leeds and Charlton). No doubt our victories against Charlton and Brizzle in cup competitions -teams that had either beaten us or are above us in the league- have contributed to maintaining the good run and everyone's favourite "winning mentality". There's no better way to go into Saturday than doing a job on Tuesday.