Nicola wants better League Results

[derry]

Thats not true we've beaten Charlton, Bristol Rovers and Norwhich this season in the cups. So we have the ability to beat top half sides. Why we play better in the cups than the league is a mystrey though.

 

I talked purely about results in the league, it is an exact precis results wise where we are now. I've just told you why we were better in the one offs, we gave it a go.

 

It's the league that is the issue and Pardew is being assessed on that. The cups are a side issue and probably a distraction we didn't need despite enjoying the run.

[shurlock]

I talked purely about results in the league, it is an exact precis results wise where we are now. I've just told you why we were better in the one offs, we gave it a go.

 

It's the league that is the issue and Pardew is being assessed on that. The cups are a side issue and probably a distraction we didn't need despite enjoying the run.

 

Dont think its about giving it a go as such - most of those results have been at home where we've also been getting results in the league.

[SFC Forever]

Inconstistancy, that is what happens. It happens to lots of teams who are good but just not good enough. sadly it is all about the people who play and how they perform. Pardew can only do so much but no doubt he will end up getting the chop because he wasn't an overnight success.

 

How the hell is it over night.

He has had 8 months and for the last two we have gone backwards. He has replaced Jaidi and Thomas with two players of less experience and at the moment anyway prowess. He has brought in a Lambert clone.

I believe these were unneccessary in so far as they did not improve our team.

I would accept fonte as a bloody good signing. Why not leave it there. We had perry and Thomas as back up.

The LB position we all wanted sorted but at the moment it looks like we still need it to be sorted. JO does not look like a good enough option. I pray he will prove me wrong.

Puncheon may be skillful but we really needed some muscle to back up the skillfull players already here.

Christ have we forgotten how our weak lightweight team performed last season. It looks to me as though we are heading the same way with some of our purchases.

I may be harsh but I can see unwanted players coming here and showing us why they weren't wanted. That cannot be good for the club.

[derry]

Dont think its about giving it a go as such - most of those results have been at home where we've also been getting results in the league.

 

Bristol Rovers, Northampton and MKD were good examples. We matched Norwich and got a draw at full time. As you say home advantage and poorer opponents sure helps.

[Thedelldays]

well...colchester wil ZERO money..hoofball manager in boothrooyd who has had ZERO pre season are winning again tonight...we will probably not finish within 10 points of that utter shower of shyt

Edited 8 February, 2010 by Thedelldays

[SFC Forever]

we are now playing different teams which shows what we had against what we now have. I know which I prefer.

Everyone goes on about changing the manager being a bad thing if done too often. I happen to believe that changing your team too much will hurt even more. AP has brought in too many players and for that I believe we are suffering.

[SFC Forever]

TDD Colchester know how to play on a crap pitch. We don't as the others will stress.

[doggface]

Wow what a pitch ! On comes pato

[sadoldgit]

well...colchester wil ZERO money..hoofball manager in boothrooyd who has had ZERO pre season are winning again tonight...we will probably not finish within 10 points of that utter shower of shyt

 

Which proves the point that it is not what you spend that counts!!!

[Thedelldays]

Which proves the point that it is not what you spend that counts!!!

great...lets get promoted..wont have to spend a penny

[sadoldgit]

How the hell is it over night.

He has had 8 months and for the last two we have gone backwards. He has replaced Jaidi and Thomas with two players of less experience and at the moment anyway prowess. He has brought in a Lambert clone.

I believe these were unneccessary in so far as they did not improve our team.

I would accept fonte as a bloody good signing. Why not leave it there. We had perry and Thomas as back up.

The LB position we all wanted sorted but at the moment it looks like we still need it to be sorted. JO does not look like a good enough option. I pray he will prove me wrong.

Puncheon may be skillful but we really needed some muscle to back up the skillfull players already here.

Christ have we forgotten how our weak lightweight team performed last season. It looks to me as though we are heading the same way with some of our purchases.

I may be harsh but I can see unwanted players coming here and showing us why they weren't wanted. That cannot be good for the club.

 

He has managed SFC for less than a full season. Are you telling me that that is a reasonable amount of time? Of course it isn't.

[sadoldgit]

great...lets get promoted..wont have to spend a penny

 

Now you are just being obtuse.

[sadoldgit]

Some of you will never be satisfied. If we all had Alpine's crystal ball this time last year we would be delighted at the way things have turned around, looking forward maybe to a trip to Wembley and dumping the Blue Few out of the F A Cup. Jeez, anyone would think that nothing had changed and we were still battling relegation. Yes things could be better, they could also be a lot worse (like no club). Hasn't the penny dropped yet, no club has a divine right to success and that includes us.

[Thedelldays]

Some of you will never be satisfied. If we all had Alpine's crystal ball this time last year we would be delighted at the way things have turned around, looking forward maybe to a trip to Wembley and dumping the Blue Few out of the F A Cup. Jeez, anyone would think that nothing had changed and we were still battling relegation. Yes things could be better, they could also be a lot worse (like no club). Hasn't the penny dropped yet, no club has a divine right to success and that includes us.

tell that to the owners mate...please do..

 

they want success sooner than you it seems

they are putting serious money where their mouths are

they have now gone public with the fact they are let down with recent results...im sure that has been said alot over the last few months

to them, there has been no manager merry go round..this is a fresh start

they are businessmen first

they are NOT saints fans

they are pure winners

SFC is THEIR toy now

Edited 8 February, 2010 by Thedelldays

[sotonjoe]

What people don't realise is that we've had just one game since the transfer window shut and that's just one game with our 'new' team in place. Add that to continued injuries (Hammond for instance) and it's clear that we haven't had time to gel.

 

We have two cup games now where various players will be unavailable due to cup ties and that will further prevent us from settling on a first eleven which includes our new players. It won't be till the end of Feb and the point at which we will have played Norwich, Wycombe and Walsall in the league that we should have a good idea of how the new recruits have settled. Less than two wins there and then we'll have reason to start moaning.

 

Until then we have to be patient and sensible in our reactions to results.

[SFC Forever]

Some of these new players have had 3/4 games already and at least two look no better than what we already had.

Why just because we have new players do we have to play them all anyway? Is it in their contract? The easiest way to blood players is in a winning team in ones and twos. Not 4 or 5 at a time.

Plain common sense in my mind.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

To put a bit of perspective on this, yes we have won 11 games but 10 were against teams in the bottom half of the table. We have beaten only one team in the top half. In fact we have picked up only 10 points against teams in the top half whilst 34 points have been achieved against the bottom half, that really says it all.

 

On Boxing day we were 7 points off the playoffs, 5 games later we are 15 points off the playoffs. If the playoffs weren't deemed achievable on Boxing day only 7 points behind and half the season to go then there was no ambition.

 

I can see exactly where Cortese is coming from, he is absolutely right, from an ideal position we have just about blown it despite unbelievable spending and support.

 

If we had been playing good football there would be some defence for Pardew, but it has been unadulterated rubbish and Cortese and Leibherr can see this as well as anybody. They are not prepared to spend millions on a project and have it ruined by a manager who is a self confessed middle of the road pragmatist.

 

This statement is a wake up call, either get it sorted or I will. Pardew has been negative instead of going for it. In the cups we have had to give it a go and except for Ipswich and Torquay we have upped the tempo and got results.

 

We need to up the tempo now and give it a go if we don't get there at least we will have seen what we can do. What we are playing at the moment won't do it next season either.

 

Plain speaking and no doubt you will attract flak but I think you are spot on.

[alpine_saint]

Plain speaking and no doubt you will attract flak but I think you are spot on.

 

Hadnt noticed that post from derry. I agree though, its spot-on.

[Charlie Wayman]

Have not heard the full statement, however it does appear to be piling the pressure on AP directly - a public warning shot if you will.

 

There have been a few rumours around but no public statements to date, however on the basis of this statement I am starting to believe it is a real possibility that we may have a new manager before next season. The jury is still out on AP imo however I wanted him to be given next year, time will tell I guess.

 

 

Once the play-offs are out of reach (defeat at Norwich will end our misery) and we get beaten by Pompey, there will be no reason on earth for Cortese to persist with Pardew. Cortese will want to be ready to hit the ground running for next season and that means a new manager will need time - you've guessed it - to assess his players and do a SWOT analysis before bringing in his own players.

 

Yep! I have been a moaning Minnie but unlike 20 year olds I don't have 50 years at my disposal to wait for more Glory days.

[doggface]

Yep I too join the Derry love in.

 

As much as cortese is banging on about league form, we are not going to get there now. Therefore the next best senario is a win tomorrow & win vs skates & a finish with a good run in the league, I hope we achieve this as I really don't want another change.

However If we go out of both competitions our season is effectivly over & it may possibly be the end for pards.

2 wins & I will be happy with the season personally, but we must put in place solid foundations for next year ready for a title challenge.

[Professor]

I can't agree with people criticising the recent signings. Choosing players seems to be one of Pardew's strengths. Fonte is the replacement for Jaidi as first choice CB, needed because Jaidi is getting too slow on the ground. Seaborne replaces Thomas/Perry and provides a left-sided CB balance and is playing a solid role. Otsemobor is a natural RB, probably second choice to Murty, but releases James who was playing out of position. Barnard is a 17-goal striker and cover for Connolly. Puncheon is to boost the midfield and replaces Mellis.

Pardew's weaknesses are in selecting his team, tending to be too defensive (4-5-1) and being slow to change things around if things are not going well during games. Subs in the last 10 minutes are failry pointless except to waste time. You then have to wonder if the negative, defensive attitude fails to fire the team.

[CB Fry]

To put a bit of perspective on this, yes we have won 11 games but 10 were against teams in the bottom half of the table. We have beaten only one team in the top half. In fact we have picked up only 10 points against teams in the top half whilst 34 points have been achieved against the bottom half, that really says it all.

 

On Boxing day we were 7 points off the playoffs, 5 games later we are 15 points off the playoffs. If the playoffs weren't deemed achievable on Boxing day only 7 points behind and half the season to go then there was no ambition.

 

I can see exactly where Cortese is coming from, he is absolutely right, from an ideal position we have just about blown it despite unbelievable spending and support.

 

If we had been playing good football there would be some defence for Pardew, but it has been unadulterated rubbish and Cortese and Leibherr can see this as well as anybody. They are not prepared to spend millions on a project and have it ruined by a manager who is a self confessed middle of the road pragmatist.

 

This statement is a wake up call, either get it sorted or I will. Pardew has been negative instead of going for it. In the cups we have had to give it a go and except for Ipswich and Torquay we have upped the tempo and got results.

 

We need to up the tempo now and give it a go if we don't get there at least we will have seen what we can do. What we are playing at the moment won't do it next season either.

 

Spot on. Great stuff. The excuses have just ended.

 

The notion "we were nearly out of business last year" is as irrelevent to SFC today as what I had for dinner three Wednesdays ago.

 

The manager has had everything any manager could ever want on a silver platter. Everything. Let's see some results on the back of that now, please.

 

Some of you will never be satisfied. If we all had Alpine's crystal ball this time last year we would be delighted at the way things have turned around, looking forward maybe to a trip to Wembley and dumping the Blue Few out of the F A Cup. Jeez, anyone would think that nothing had changed and we were still battling relegation. Yes things could be better, they could also be a lot worse (like no club). Hasn't the penny dropped yet, no club has a divine right to success and that includes us.

 

Yawn.

 

Play offs were always the plan this season. Always, hence the eye-wateringly extravagent outlay on players, coaches and wages.

 

Play offs were the plan. You give a manager everything they could ever need on a silver platter. Asking them to be at least as successful as Colchester United and Millwall is hardly unreasonable. Get over it.

 

 

What people don't realise is that we've had just one game since the transfer window shut and that's just one game with our 'new' team in place. Add that to continued injuries (Hammond for instance) and it's clear that we haven't had time to gel.

 

Yawn, the "gelling" argument. If Pardew was so bothered about gelling then there is no way he would have played all three of our new defenders in the very first available game, merely days after the three of them would have met each other for the first time. He's parachuted every other player he's signed straight into the team - he didn't have to, he just did.

 

You can't have a manager do that and then wheel out the gelling cliche. Too much having it both ways.

 

 

The excuses are over. The delivery must begin.

Edited 8 February, 2010 by CB Fry

[scotty]

People have been too pre-occupied with moaning about the moaners to Re-assess that Cortese may well have been taking a harder and more ambitious line since making the '5 year plan' statement at the beginning of the season. It has been quite obvious to some that he has progressively become more overtly aggresive and ambitious in his goals over the last few months.

 

I wonder what the 'ruthless' mr cortese will do next?

 

P.s. And I wonder why Coppell has never taken up another post at another club since being linked with Saints earlier in the season...

 

ffs, dont open that can of worms again!!

[INFLUENCED.COM]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2009/09/back_from_the_brink_southampto.html

 

it was written back at the start of the season.

 

I think some of the statements within this article confirm it was clear what NC expected, with AP equally aware of the pressure to deliver, AP, therefore, will not be suprised at the latest statement by NC and as this article is in the public domain neither should we.

[sotonjoe]

If Pardew was so bothered about gelling then there is no way he would have played all three of our new defenders in the very first available game, merely days after the three of them would have met each other for the first time. He's parachuted every other player he's signed straight into the team - he didn't have to, he just did.

 

You can't have a manager do that and then wheel out the gelling cliche. Too much having it both ways.

 

 

The excuses are over. The delivery must begin.

 

 

I've no idea about Pardew's argument, in fact I don't think he's been directly questioned on the subject.

 

However, I stand by the fact that you can't bring five players into a team and expect to stumble upon a winning combination straight away. Now, whether Pardew was right to expect to do that is another matter; indeed you may wonder what was so broke in the first place and whether he would have been better just to tinker. However, we've gone for wholesale change and have made many team changes over the past few league and cup games, and that has disrupted the momentum.

[doddisalegend]

Yawn.

 

Play offs were always the plan this season. Always, hence the eye-wateringly extravagent outlay on players, coaches and wages.

 

Play offs were the plan. You give a manager everything they could ever need on a silver platter. Asking them to be at least as successful as Colchester United and Millwall is hardly unreasonable. Get over it.

 

Not according to this interview with NC early on in the season

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2009/09/back_from_the_brink_southampto.html

 

Cortese's plan is for the club to win promotion from League One in two seasons and reach the Premier League in five years. He does not expect Liebherr to enjoy a return on his investment until the club returns to the top flight but reckons Saints can break even in the Championship. In the meantime, there are funds available for Pardew to mould his squad.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

Yawn.

 

Play offs were always the plan this season. Always, hence the eye-wateringly extravagent outlay on players, coaches and wages.

 

Play offs were the plan. You give a manager everything they could ever need on a silver platter. Asking them to be at least as successful as Colchester United and Millwall is hardly unreasonable. Get over it.

 

Not according to this interview with NC early on in the season

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2009/09/back_from_the_brink_southampto.html

 

Cortese's plan is for the club to win promotion from League One in two seasons and reach the Premier League in five years. He does not expect Liebherr to enjoy a return on his investment until the club returns to the top flight but reckons Saints can break even in the Championship. In the meantime, there are funds available for Pardew to mould his squad.

 

Things move

[CB Fry]

Not according to this interview with NC early on in the season

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2009/09/back_from_the_brink_southampto.html

 

Cortese's plan is for the club to win promotion from League One in two seasons and reach the Premier League in five years. He does not expect Liebherr to enjoy a return on his investment until the club returns to the top flight but reckons Saints can break even in the Championship. In the meantime, there are funds available for Pardew to mould his squad.

 

Err - in that interview he recounts telling the Charlton chairman he wants to win the league this season. He was only half joking.

 

Play offs were always the plan this season. Play offs this season, ie the lottery for promotion. If that resulted in a failure, automatic promotion the following season.

 

There were plenty of interviews saying we were aiming for the play offs early on in the season.

 

Why do you and others get so upset when someone wants a little more than mediocrity?

[WealdSaint]

The next few weeks will be very important for AP's time at Southampton.

 

Whilst we are in the two cups (sadly I think the play offs are gone) its unlikely NC will change the manager.

 

Once we are out of FA cup, out/won JP Cup NC has a hard decsion.

 

Will AP give him guaranteed promotion from this league next season?

 

If he has any doubts, on what we know of him to date, he will act pretty quickly.

 

We all want stable management, but we want to get out of this s**thole of a league a whole lot more

[aintforever]

I think it would be harsh and a bit dumb to sack Pardew just because we wont go up this year, we started on -10 and the squad was a basket case at the start of the season.

 

Cortese is right to put pressure on him though, Pardew does have the tools to work with now, there should be an improvement before the end of the season.

[sotonjoe]

A question for those saying results aren't good enough ... what's the solution?

 

At what point do you advocate sacking Pardew and what sort of manager do you think we could attract as a replacement?

 

It's one thing being narked about the fact we're not in the playoffs, but what alternative do you see?

[hypochondriac]

IMO our team should be:

 

Davis

Thomas Fonte Jaidi Harding

Antonio Hammond Schneiderlin Puncheon

Waigo Lambert

 

I don't think there is a place for Lallana.

[doddisalegend]

Err - in that interview he recounts telling the Charlton chairman he wants to win the league this season. He was only half joking.

 

Play offs were always the plan this season. Play offs this season, ie the lottery for promotion. If that resulted in a failure, automatic promotion the following season.

 

There were plenty of interviews saying we were aiming for the play offs early on in the season.

 

Why do you and others get so upset when someone wants a little more than mediocrity?

 

Why do you and others get upset when someone suggests that not being promoted this season is resonable? Whats the massive rush? I love saints been my team all my life but in truth when have they been anything but mediocre. Why does the fact that I like the fans of many teams accept that it's unlikely (though not impossible) that my team will ever win the EPL or compete in the champions league in a regular basis bother you? Ask yourself this who are enjoying being saints fans more those of us that think this season is better than the last few seasons and enjoying the moment (yes even the pointless cup competitions) or those fans who are demending promotion this season, moaning about the manager and complaining about what a waste of time the JPT is? I know which type of fan I'd rather be.

[sadoldgit]

Spot on. Great stuff. The excuses have just ended.

 

The notion "we were nearly out of business last year" is as irrelevent to SFC today as what I had for dinner three Wednesdays ago.

 

The manager has had everything any manager could ever want on a silver platter. Everything. Let's see some results on the back of that now, please.

 

 

 

Yawn.

 

Play offs were always the plan this season. Always, hence the eye-wateringly extravagent outlay on players, coaches and wages.

 

Play offs were the plan. You give a manager everything they could ever need on a silver platter. Asking them to be at least as successful as Colchester United and Millwall is hardly unreasonable. Get over it.

 

 

 

 

Yawn, the "gelling" argument. If Pardew was so bothered about gelling then there is no way he would have played all three of our new defenders in the very first available game, merely days after the three of them would have met each other for the first time. He's parachuted every other player he's signed straight into the team - he didn't have to, he just did.

 

You can't have a manager do that and then wheel out the gelling cliche. Too much having it both ways.

 

 

The excuses are over. The delivery must begin.

 

Yawn.....lets sack another manager and get another one in that you like eh? One that will win every game because as we all know, if you buy a few new players you have to win every game. Afterall, it has worked so well for us before.

 

Redknapp, here for 5 minutes, spent £6m trying to keep us up. That worked well.

Burley, here for one full season and a bit. £7m spent, no promotion.

 

Perhaps we should stick with someone for a while, support them (and that doesn't mean shouting off to the press about how much pressure you have out them under to perform - isn't that a given when you give them the job?).

 

Both Bates and McMenemy built their success over a long period of time. Maybe we should try stability again as the other options have done nothing but waste money.

 

 

 

Yawn.

[ottery st mary]

Yawn.....lets sack another manager and get another one in that you like eh? One that will win every game because as we all know, if you buy a few new players you have to win every game. Afterall, it has worked so well for us before.

 

Redknapp, here for 5 minutes, spent £6m trying to keep us up. That worked well.

Burley, here for one full season and a bit. £7m spent, no promotion.

 

Perhaps we should stick with someone for a while, support them (and that doesn't mean shouting off to the press about how much pressure you have out them under to perform - isn't that a given when you give them the job?).

 

Both Bates and McMenemy built their success over a long period of time. Maybe we should try stability again as the other options have done nothing but waste money.

 

 

 

Yawn.

 

 

sog

 

You are my idol.....I hang on your every word....Make them see sense or charge the buggggers...I right with you on this one:smt052

 

What has got into some of our fans:rolleyes:

 

 

COYRs...Big win against MKD..Pleeeeaaase:)

[NickG]

Murty just said on TV those were clever comments by Cortesse as has taken the pressure of players for next two games.

[sadoldgit]

tell that to the owners mate...please do..

 

they want success sooner than you it seems

they are putting serious money where their mouths are

they have now gone public with the fact they are let down with recent results...im sure that has been said alot over the last few months

to them, there has been no manager merry go round..this is a fresh start

they are businessmen first

they are NOT saints fans

they are pure winners

SFC is THEIR toy now

 

It is their toy. Maybe they are winners. If they don't win though you won't be blaming them though will you, even though they put this management team in place.

 

Be honest, if they were so desparte for success don't you think they would have paid the wages to bring the better players here like Ward and Danns. They want success, but they want it on a budget. This means they probably won't get it as soon as they and some you you want it. It also means that Pardew will probably lose his job sooner rather than later, but again, that is what a lot of you seem to want.

[boxosponge]

Murty on TV reckons Cortese has just taken all the pressure off the players as far as this weeks Cup games are concerned

[doddisalegend]

Yawn.....lets sack another manager and get another one in that you like eh? One that will win every game because as we all know, if you buy a few new players you have to win every game. Afterall, it has worked so well for us before.

 

Redknapp, here for 5 minutes, spent £6m trying to keep us up. That worked well.

Burley, here for one full season and a bit. £7m spent, no promotion.

 

Perhaps we should stick with someone for a while, support them (and that doesn't mean shouting off to the press about how much pressure you have out them under to perform - isn't that a given when you give them the job?).

 

Both Bates and McMenemy built their success over a long period of time. Maybe we should try stability again as the other options have done nothing but waste money.

 

 

 

Yawn.

 

Sadly I think niether Bates or Mcmenemy would have lasted in todays modern football. Everything has to be now. Thats not just Saints though thats pretty much all football. Still probably the most successful team of modern times is Man utd and how many managers have they had recently.

[sotonjoe]

and fergie didn't bring immediate success

[captainchris]

What people don't realise is that we've had just one game since the transfer window shut and that's just one game with our 'new' team in place. Add that to continued injuries (Hammond for instance) and it's clear that we haven't had time to gel.

 

We have two cup games now where various players will be unavailable due to cup ties and that will further prevent us from settling on a first eleven which includes our new players. It won't be till the end of Feb and the point at which we will have played Norwich, Wycombe and Walsall in the league that we should have a good idea of how the new recruits have settled. Less than two wins there and then we'll have reason to start moaning.

 

Until then we have to be patient and sensible in our reactions to results.

 

'Injuries' We've got the biggest squad in the blinking league for Christ sake - next excuse!!!!!!!!

[sotonjoe]

'Injuries' We've got the biggest squad in the blinking league for Christ sake - next excuse!!!!!!!!

 

errr ... tangent?

 

The post was about trying to blood five new recruits into a winning eleven. Injuries are a compounding factor; who would argue that Hammond isn't a key player in central midfield so to get a winning midfield, we need to ensure hammond has played with that four / five players?

 

Hammond hasn't been a key player, is that what you're saying?

[captainchris]

Sadly I think niether Bates or Mcmenemy would have lasted in todays modern football. Everything has to be now. Thats not just Saints though thats pretty much all football. Still probably the most successful team of modern times is Man utd and how many managers have they had recently.

 

Just a little gentle reminder - Furguson was about one game away from the sack before he clawed his way out of a huge hole so MAN U were not that patient at the time. Results had to change and they did or he was out of work!

[bigchrisy]

At least give pardew until the end of the season. A managerial change halfway through the season isn't going to help IMO.

[captainchris]

errr ... tangent?

 

The post was about trying to blood five new recruits into a winning eleven. Injuries are a compounding factor; who would argue that Hammond isn't a key player in central midfield so to get a winning midfield, we need to ensure hammond has played with that four / five players?

 

Hammond hasn't been a key player, is that what you're saying?

 

You're falling into the trap of 'if only we had such and such a player'. It's splitting hairs. AP has had all the opportunity in the world to bring in a backup and hasn't so he must have made that decision anyway.

 

The he has now largely built himself is his making as is the choice to dump Gillett, leave Thomas on the bench, play Waigo in midfield instead of up front in position and change the complete back four every other game....

[saint1977]

What has concerned me is the slide since Boxing Day in league performances but particularly results. We have only been at best a 45 minute team all season but were regularly winning games 3-1 pre-XMAS and looking more threatening. A sloppiness has crept in amongst the players - yes, Millwall, Brentford and Exeter are tough places to go but look at the pathetic goals we conceded each time to drop points. These teams also showed much more energy than us in the second half which makes me wonder if our players are fit enough. At Brentford, we would have lost heavily but for a wonder display by Kelvin and them hitting the woodwork twice.

 

Pards has brought these lads in and should have time to sort them out but I don't think we'd go to Hartlepool now and win 3-1 and we have gone backwards despite spending £2m last month and I think this is part of Cortese's point. He's not saying I'm thinking of sacking him but doesn't want lazy habits to continue to creep in on Markus's cash which is fair enough. A few of the players seem to think it is ok to vanish for large chunks of games (Stockport home first half is another example) but as some of the best paid players at this level and more than many CCC players, they are expected to play for the full 90 minutes.

[Thedelldays]

Sadly I think niether Bates or Mcmenemy would have lasted in todays modern football. Everything has to be now. Thats not just Saints though thats pretty much all football. Still probably the most successful team of modern times is Man utd and how many managers have they had recently.

You are right

 

we should hve stood by wotte

[trousers]

What has concerned me is the slide since Boxing Day in league performances but particularly results./QUOTE]

 

I'd say it goes back further than that - to St Stephen's Day

[Kingsbridge Saint]

If we want to make the play offs this season we need to win all our home matches and dramatically improve our away league form. No wins from the last 5 league road trips, including Exeter who were a Conference side not so long ago. **** results like that have to stop, or at least not become routine and accepted.

[Saint Fan CaM]

Does no one find it a little too coincidental that when we revert to our 'old' defense in cup games we win and concede fewer late goals? Bring in Fonte and co and we're fragile again. I think this is connected with Davis - he was thought awful at Sunderland but with time to work his defence he got better. Now once again he's with a bunch of strangers across the whole back 4. We need to see Jaidi and Harding back and then results might improve.

 

However, AP needs to be given time into next season. Why? Because many of the current 1st team are cup tied so he has to swap the side around. This is less of a problem in higher leagues but in L1 the players are less adaptable. Next season I feel will be a completely different affair.

Edited 9 February, 2010 by Saint Fan CaM