Navyred

This is the last time that I will ever post on this messageboard. This thread is a disgrace, and the continued moronic harranging in thread after thread of the kids shows what a low level supporters base we now have. You should all hang your heads in shame. You are not supporters of SFC, but a disgrace to the club. I for one am delighted with what I am seeing from this Southampton team. With such a low average age to be in the position we are now, with no finances, is nothing short of miraculous. Taking your frustrations out on a 18/19 year old kid is diabolical. Yes, I worked with Patersons dad when I was in the Navy, but that does not cloud my own personal judgement. I think young Paterson is going to be a quality striker, indeed yesterday, if he hadn't gone for goal you would have been slaughtering him for not having a go - they just can't win. For what it's worth, JP was telling Paterson when to close down and when to shore up the midfield. I hope that Paterson gets a start soon, because we need his speed and mobility up front, and his desire to score goals for Southampton FC. To me, my love affair of writing about the team I have followed for over 50 years is over, thanks for all the pm's I've received over the time, the true supporters of this club will always have the best interests of SFC in their hearts, the rest of you can all **** off. For the last ever time on here COYR

Chez, an interesting and positive thread. It is good we are talking about our youngsters instead of the bl**dy politics of this club!! Paterson in my very humble and honest opinion has the potential to go on and be a fantastic striker for this club. Saints have done a great job with him as he has been 'kept under the radar' and is now cementing his place in the first team squad. He keeps his head down and I have been told he is one of the hardest working players on the training ground. At this moment in time I believe that JP is handling him perfectly. Bring him on give him 20/25 minutes towards the end of every game and let him show his talents off. I think that either McG or Lallana in the hole behind him would be perfect. Soon to be the best striker at this club - IMHO of course! Love it, COYR

Chez, got to agree with a lot of what you have written. It was a pretty torrid first half but JP made the changes second and that's what got us point (and nearly all three). Lloyd James, although not a right back has really got stuck in the last two or three games and I feel that he is a contributory factor that we have only lost one goal in three games, so although he looks uncomfortable at times, he has done a good job. Our midfield in the second half was outstanding. Cork is a natural and really outshone everyone else, he really was tremendous. Adam as always gave 110% and Morgan (who seems to breeze through games) looked more comfortable. Up front Brad had a pretty off day, McG put in a ton of work for no reward and Robertsons first half performance was pretty low key. Young Paterson looks very eager and a very good prospect, needs longer than 5/10 minutes to really show us what he's got. Finally, the introduction of Pearce really cemented it for us. He looks a very, very reliable defender. Roll on Saturday and Sheff Wed, enjoying my football at the moment and as you say watching Saints right now is very good fun! COYR

A magnificent performance, and one that we were definitely due. Was impressed by the effort and determination from every one of the players. I cannot remember a more professional display by a Saints team. Defensively, outstanding performances from Cork and my MOTM Chris Perry, Skacel and James both very solid. In the middle of the park i thought that Schneiderlen showed exactly why Arsenal are tracking him. His close control and spreading of the play was magnificent. McGoldrick fought for everything as did Surman and Lallana. BWP took both his goal expertly and Robertson held the ball up brilliantly, even substitute Paterson looked superb with some great tackling and running. All in all a fantastic day out for the travelling, very vocal Sains support. Credit where credit is due JP gets a 10/10 from me today. Tactically he got it absolutely spot on with the squad he chose and formation of the team. It allowed players to play in their proper positions and show us what they really can do. Loved it! COYR

Would love to see 4-4-2 but just don't think JP can change it now. Would expect that Robertson will be the 'centre forward' with Lallana in the hole and BWP and MCG either side. That's a pretty good front line. Gasmi could come in but he did not look match fit at all on Monday with the Reserves. Young Paterson is a good bet for the last 15 mins. Heard we have loads and loads of injuries and our team on Saturday could be a real surprise! Really looking forward to a day out at Reading - it's been a while! COYR

Got to agree to agree with most of Arizona's comments. This was a very good team performance against a good Swansea side (with Martinez watching). Bart I'm afraid seems to have lost a bit of his confidence and sparkle, his distribution was poor. Mills is an exceptionally talented player who needs more first team football. Great to see Killer back, but his replacement Jeff Imeldua was outstanding! Winning every ball with some crunching tackles, if he was about two foot taller, Jeff would be playing first team football now! Gasmi and Pulis were both pretty subdued they need lots of Reserve football before they are anywhere near ready for the first team. Jake Thomson made some great runs, especially the one which won the penalty, he just needs to get more involved and do it more often! James, once switched to midfield, showed exactly what he is all about, crunching tackles and getting stuck in, brilliant second half. Up front I wish that they played the two strikers together, Robertson holding the ball up with Paterson using his speed I am sure would have been very profitable. Both the strikers put in a very good shift. I just don't know about Wotton - he has obviously been a very capable player in his day, but there were times in the second half when he was by-passed and looked a yard or two slow. But his 'old head' definitely helps out the younger players. Still wishing for 4-4-2. I am sure the players we have got would respond more to it. COYR And it was Hatch who came on at right back.

Out and out striker, but think he will play 'in the hole' tonight - to accommodate Robertson and mirror the first team tactics. And if it doesn't work, just swap them about!

As the Reserves mirror the first team tactically, think the line up will look more like Bart James Killer Davies Mills Pulis Wotton Thomson Gasmi Paterson Robertson Defensivley very strong. Still do not know what Pulis or Gasmi bring to the table. Thomson is very good on the right wing and Paterson will want to continue his goal a game record. Also, young McLaggan is playing well for u18s hope he gets a run out. COYR

Our problem tomorrow defensively will be dealing with Chris Iwelumo! I think JP will seriously consider putting Paul Wotton on to man mark him. I think he would probably bully Pearce, Lancashire and Perry! Midfield is fine with Schneiderlein coming back and young Lallana playing in the hole. Up front I would love to see two strikers, but think Mcg will be played wide right and Robertson as the striker. On the bench Thomson and Paterson before Gobern and Pekhart. Should be an interesting game tomorrow, David and Goliath springs to mind!! COYR

Ron, Agree if Jeff was only taller!! Whitey will get all the plaudits for his hat-trick (and rightly so), but my mate Chris said this was almost a 'complete performance' by Saints. He was very, very complimentary about the whole team, mainly because this was almost an Argyll first team! Also agree about Pato, I too think he will be leading the line for Saints in seasons to come. He is getting bigger, stronger and faster and gives 110% every time he puts on a Saints shirt. MW constantly comments that he 'runs his socks off'. With Whitey playing in the hole behind him, we might just have have a striking partnership that will give us the goals we need in the future. Pato I think has scored 5 in 5 and Whitey 8 in 5 - awesome at whatever level you play. You must have been one of the three Saints fans at the match! Were you the one making all the noise?

Didn't manage to get to the game yesterday (I know poor effort!) but spoke to a good friend, Chris Daykin a Plymouth Argyll fanatic who was at the game. Said he only saw about three Saints fans at the match but they were heard applauding their team all afternoon! Chris's exact words were 'brilliant from back to front'. Argyll put out a very strong squad and with Mpenza and Mackie on form, expected to win easily. Saints simply passed them off the park. Defensively he was very impressed with Kyle Davis and Jeff Imeldua in the middle and especially Jamie Hatch at right back. In the middle he thought that Gasmi looked a pretty good player but was obviously trying too hard and Saints got even better when he went off and White was put in the 'hole'. Up front he thought White and Paterson were a tremendous partnership - they gave the Plymouth defence a torrid time! Both continually closing down and harrassing, and setting each other up for some very well taken goals. A tremendous 'team' performance and we were to be congratulated with showing Argyll how to play the game!! (He did say that Argyll were the better team for the first ten minutes of the second half!). He was very generous in defeat, and is not always this complimentary I can assure you - so we must have played well!!! COYR

I am a huge believer in the 4-4-2 formation. Fact is really I don't care what formation we play as long as we play at the very least TWO STRIKERS! Playing DMCG up front on his own is just not good enough. We need two front men chasing down everything - defend from the front! MCG had a few good touches last night, headers on, flick ons, but there was nobody there to pick them up.

Lallana is the most gifted and best player at this club. Playing him wide left last night stifled his play and in my opinion was a complete waste of his talents - he should be played in the 'hole' not just now and then but EVERY match. We are making too many changes and do not have a settled squad. I feel the worse that if offers are made for Adam in Dec/Jan and we have not played him in his right position/constantly changed his position then he will simply leave. It is imperative to the success of this team that Adam Lallana stays at this club - that means playing him week in and week out in his proper position. Rant over! COYR

PokingFun I completely understand where you are coming from. We have huge concerns all over the pitch, but at the end of the day we have what we have. Today JP got it wrong, after Tuesday's battle at Sheffield our back four should have been Cork, Wotton, Perry, Skacel - if we get it right at the back, it is half the battle. I have seen enough of the kids over the last two years to yet again say the likes of White, James, Paterson, Mills, Thomson, Hatch (still being over looked), Lanashire, Lallana and even McG to believe that we have some real quality. JP must use these players to the best of their abilities - that is not stifling how they play as individuals to allow them to contribute to the 'team effort'. I will say it again and again we must go back to a 4-4-2 formation. This will allow these kids to play how they have played over the last couple of years very successfully. We had nothing in the attacking third of the field yesterday, because BWP was played as a left, then right winger and McG was floating somewhere inbetween with Gillet in the hole. As soon as we made the substituions and had a natural winger in Mills going past players and whipping balls into the box, with a striker in the middle in Paterson, we looked more aggressive and more likely to get a goal (even though it was 2 then 3 nil within five minutes of the substitutions!) - this just did not happen for the first hour, it really was simply awful football. I am huge believer in two forwards - they get the goals. These kids want to be professional footballers as a career, this is the start for them. Give them time and patience, play them in their natural positions and watch them flourish, who knows one of them could be a Rooney or Theo of the future. There is still enough in this squad to save us from relegation this year - I firmly believe this. To the fans I spoke to in the 'cage' at Swansea, the majority believe this as well - just get the tactics and team selection right JP and let them show you how well the really can play. Total football can come after we have have won a few games and made sure this club continue in the CCC and has a future COYR ps You now have the opportunity to write you 1000th comment PF congratulations!!

Exactly what I thought. The two youngsters came on, Mills actually went past players and got some crosses into the box and Paterson did what all good strikers do, closed down defenders/keeper, ran into space and WAIT FOR IT.............................. ACTUALLY GOT A SHOT ON TARGET!!!!!!!!!!!!! (our only one I think!) Well done nippers. Thought Perry, Cork and Lallana made the effort today and apart from the two subs I was very disappointed with the effort and desire from he rest of the squad. However, we really do have some kids with natural ability, but playing this silly Xmas tree positional football is a laugh, it is stifling the players. I disagree that we will be relegated - but only if JP starts playing 4-4-2 and allow the players to play their natural game. Forever red and white