madruss

Just back from the game. Most fun I've had at St. Mary's for a long time. Mk Dons were such a negative spoiling team and we didn't need 3 cm's in the first half-but Ap changed it around brilliantly with the early subs and change of gameplan. We absolutely tore them apart second half, they had one shot on target the whole match and that was from a dodgy free-kick. If they're the 3rd best team in the league, the playoffs are definitely a possibility. Trotman my MOTM

Yeeeeessssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Deano you beauty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is this the first time we've fielded an unchanged 11 in consecutive games this season?

Our Polish international is a bit overweight and has been playing shi*e when he has come on. It's no surprise no-one wanted to buy him during the transfer window

+1 This is some quality debatin' a happenin' on this thread! I could only hope to produce such an eloquent summation of religion and the human condition! Top notch Sir!

Have to agree with that, we've got a real chance to build some serious momentum now. There are signs that a winning mentality is being instilled in this team, the real test will be maintaining that over time. The signs are very positive so far though

The reigning champions of this 'trophy' are a non-league side! Maybe the best players in this competition have trouble mustering the motivation...just a thought

Top betting that! Nice one

Wasn't it the 4-0 against Hull? Oh how the two teams' fortunes diverged since after that match

3 goals??? At home????? Before half-time?????? I think I need a lie down :rolleyes:

Rickieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Exactly. Yesterday's team was unrecognisable from the one humbled at Huddersfield. It's all coming together, but probably less quickly than some would like. footy's an inexact science, so I'm not too concerned by that rate of progress

Go find a tape of the first 20 minutes of the second half yesterday. Watch it. Watch how we tore Bristol Rovers apart solidly throughout that whole period. They couldn't live with us at all, a team 3rd in the league were completely under the cosh. For me, that period of the game convinced me that it IS working under Pardew and that the team has made some excellent progress. Of course points matter, but there are so many points still to be had that it's no time to panic at the lack of points we have. If we fail to play like we did again yesterday and it proves to be a one off, then I'll accept that something is wrong. Until then, I know what I saw and it was better than anything seen in the last couple of seasons

Best performance I've seen from a Saints side in a long long time. Power, urgency, passion and passing. Yeah we lost, but if that's all you're focusing on you're completely missing the point. There are a lot of games left, and we will win a lot of those games if we play like that. End of

You've got to admit though, it's much better to become a solid hard to beat side first and then work on the attacking side of things. Last season so many times we'd be 2 or 3 goals down in the first half, and the game would effectively be over. I'd much rather have it this way round then watching 'beautiful football' leading up to the 2nd or 3rd consolation goal each match.

Haha. Clean sheets and converting penalties, yeah we excelled in those areas last season!!

If we beat Bristol Rovers on Tuesday, today becomes a good result. If we don't, today was definitely bad points dropped

Some good chances and pressure, but it's goals what we need. I feel a striker off the bench may end up being the solution

Lots of crosses going into the box. Sounds good so far

Saga, Holmes, Perry, Papa, Pato, Wotton

Papa's fit enough for the bench, as is Holmes. Good to have options if things aren't going well

He surely can't play worse than he did against Colchester, although he did have a better game as a sub vs Charlton. Here's hoping

We had two penalties against Watford last season and scored neither. Yet some are paying it's a bad thing that we scored two penalties today?unbelievable

At the end of September last season we were 3 points off the playoffs having played 9 games. Yet we all know how that season ended. However the performances were not that great, there was very little sign of improvement on a game-to-game basis and the signings we had made (Jack Cork aside) did not improve the side at all. Also, our defence was shaky, uncertain and lightweight and could not defend a set piece to save their lives. The opposite is true this season, a poor start but with genuine signs of improvement throughout the side and, most importantly, a defence as solid as I have seen for a very long time. Once the goals and wins come (which they will) even the most hardened pessimist will struggle to not look to the future with a bit of optimism.