studentsaint

Given Clyne Fonte Kjaar Tierney/shotton/naughton Cork Schneiderlin Puncheon Ramirez Lallana Lambert Gazza Shaw (left backs interchangeable) Yoshida Davis Phillips Rodriguez Mayuka Would perhaps be a good idea to get someone that can play left back and holding midfield two areas we have quality but not depth. Like a good perch or a fit Ryan Taylor HCDAJFU.

Jos as quick as yoshida? Don't think that's true. Tackles and bullies...yes giving away penalties with clumsy challenges. He scores own goals and did you see him at arsenal for 20 minutes...that defence had no organisation. I agree yoshida has not been convincing and is inconsistent with a centre back the priority in January but jos was found out very early in this league.

Has mayuka killed someone?

Last time I saw them they had Henderson and downing at full back to replace wisdom and Johnson. Think Clyne and Shaw have the edge.

I think goalkeepers need to learn and gazza will improve. Boric and Davis both looked poor and are as good as they will ever be. If we persist with gazza so that he progresses as a goalkeeper we could be talking about one of the bargain buys in a few years with a settled, accomplished premier league goalie. If we swap to Davis, after two game the call will be for boric, then after another few games we will be back with gazza, confidence stricken and not as experienced. Because we have accumulated points against the teams we should, I'd like to see changes to the team, perhaps Mayuka in for Puncheon and Rodriguez getting a portion of the game (but Lambert must start at Mansfield). We can afford to lose this one and the team may be very tired and there for the taking.

Think this thread would have gotten a very different reaction if posted before the Swansea game, where we 'bought terribly' and 'January couldn't comequick enough as we need defenders'. Now we have a bit of form and style nobody can dismiss these players. Michu is a goal scoring midfielder. For 2m I think we missed out. Also passing is working well but his attitude could have been a problem. I wouldn't swap Mayuka for kone due to age and that I've not seen enough of him. I think Collins is strengthening whu in defence and jaaskelainen (spelling?) We could have done with.

Don't understand the negative defensive post after our first clean sheet of the season. Having watched him against Qpr he won every aerial battle he needed too and was outstanding. He adds pace and good reading of the game so can cover quickly. I like him, gives 100% and will become more of a leader as he settles into life in England. Cisse and ba, after the showings they have put on in this league were kept unusually quiet and yoshi played a big part in that.

Norwich will be our biggest test since WBA. Our last three opponents offered little and Norwich defensively are up there with the best in the league. Fonte and yoshi will have to concentrate and not let Holt bully them. I would have fox on the bench with shaw likely to be even more tired. Norwich are poorer away from home though and our front four will be too much for them. 2-1 Saints.

Watching him today I can't help buy think we missed a trick here. Instead of apparently thinking of him as a last resort should have signed him as first choice left back. Great feet, pace, passing range on his left foot and defending well which was always the main worry with him. Not relying on Shaw so early as he's only young, although I do think he will be a top player.

Now just for Ba to pull up 5 minutes in...

If we ever had a chance of signing Dawson, that could well be gone now. Think he will sign Dawson, possibly asso-ekotto and Livermore.

With some of the views on this forum no opinion can be dismissed as sarcasm...no idea.

Could be a similar thing to Clyne...big clubs reportedly interested and we were written off then suddenly we've signed him as they dithered for too long.

Wow

Don't think cup games contribute to league position #cough #six

Talking of thick...pompey are in the relegation zone after a sixth consecutive loss.

Watching Chelsea I think Clyne plays a lot like Cole. What a steal if he ends up anywhere as good.

Don't understand how people aren't rating his performance yesterday. He out-powered, out-thought and out-classed their entire defence yesterday. For the first 5 minutes he did not challenge aerially which was a worry, but after that he toyed with them and controlled that back two without getting out of second gear. I mean he chested balls they wanted to head and didn't leave the ground for flick ons. That was what was great about him yesterday his target man play.

Everyone saying unchanged, but I wonder if Adkins will toy with the idea of fox coming in for Shaw. This isn't because I think fox is better, infact the opposite. Shaw won't be able to play Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday as he cannot even finish 90 minutes. Usually he could miss the midweek game but with it against Norwich this is where we should play our strongest team. We may find that the squad is utilised for these 3 games. Could see gazza, Clyne, fonte, yoshi, fox, Schneiderlin, cork, Davis, Puncheon, Lallana, Lambert.

I think it's hard to compare the most likely side to get promoted from league one and a favourite for relegation from the premier league. Pardew assembled a top half championship side in league one and did it very well. But Adkins added necessary grit to the class, with chaplow, cork, Hooidveld etc. What I do look at is the side that Pardew assembled at Newcastle and what Adkins has done at saints and there is no comparison. Yet how much of that is down to Newcastle exceptional scouting network? All I do know is that I would rather watch a Nigel Adkins side than a pardew side.

Great result and the contrast in backing in their managers from both sets of fans was clear from the start. For whoever asked Gazzas high fives to the crowd came after the first goal. Everyone was superb today apart from Ramirez and gazza at times. Inspired sub Davis for Ramirez as he offers nothing when out of possession and was sloppy with it today. Davis changed it for us second half. Gazza tries to catch a lot when he should parry but noticed his kicking was good today learning from his error. Puncheon was awesome and should have scored more, but a special mention to yoshida who read the game and defended excellently today. Shaw is the real deal and Lambert won so many headers with the defence on his back without even jumping. Great performance and result. Keep it up.

I would like to see Mayuka come into the team from the start but not this weekend. The Loftus road pitch is narrow with the crowd right on top of you. I think this is why Wright-Phillips never showed his Man City form at QPR. Secondly, Traore is likely to play at left back and he cannot be exploited for pace. I like the idea of mayuka feeding off of ramirez's through balls, but does he have the intelligence to make the runs of lallana/lambert/puncheon. Lambert may not have scored recently but he is one of the few players that can make something out of nothing and in a game as tight as this saturday's he could make a massive difference. Mayuka off of the bench troubling a tiring and slow Nelsen or if Fabio is back after 2 months out Mayuka could well exploit a lack of match fitness. Mayuka is the perfect player to exploit weaknesses towards the end of a game.