Saints 0-1 Plymouth - Reaction

[Turkish]

Why do I get the feeling that some posters were hovering over their keyboards this afternoon just so they could type "told you so"? Losing to day must have been like mana for heaven for some on here.

 

yep, i agree, a few probably quite enjoyed that.

[mcjwills]

Pardew has not done enough in the market.

 

Our bench was weak a part from Lallana.

 

We missed Lambert, what happened to the back up for Rickie he talked about after Gillingham?

 

Barnard and Connolly cannot play together, every game they do we will lose/draw.

 

As of the 2010–11 season, the Premier League introduced new rules mandating that each club must register a maximum 25-man squad of players aged over 21, This means as of September 1st there are going to be a lot of players being loaned out by the bigger clubs. I think that Pardew is waiting for this time to pick up what he needs on loan hence the reason he has not been in the market enough, unfortunately so are all the other teams!!!

 

Cheer up we are 9 points better off than this time last year

Edited 7 August, 2010 by mcjwills

[sfc4prem]

Pardew doesn't really inspire me at all. Never really been convinced by his tactics and team selection. Wouldn't really mind if Nicola was to fire him tomorrow...

[rick1976.4.38]

i think we always have one good half and one poor one,that second half was pretty poor.if we had rickie instead of hammond on a couple of those crosses in the first half i think we would have been ok.i find the second half display unreal.poor distibution by kelvin,no pace and lumping the ball up front to two smallish strikers is never going to work.lallana coming on changed things slightly.we need another big striker who can hold the ball up for when lambert doesnt play.its only the first game,the booing was abit ott but onwards and upwards.

[dune]

Pardew doesn't really inspire me at all. Never really been convinced by his tactics and team selection. Wouldn't really mind if Nicola was to fire him tomorrow...

 

I agree. It did norwich no harm and i'm sick of hearing his excuses about us still learning.

[alpine_saint]

Why do I get the feeling that some posters were hovering over their keyboards this afternoon just so they could type "told you so"? Losing to day must have been like mana for heaven for some on here.

 

Why do I get the feeling that some posters were sat in the traffic jam on the way home, planning to come straight on here and try to divert attention from the fact that a few fellow posters gave ample warning this might happen and cannot handle the fact that they were right.

 

I couldnt give a sh*t about being right. I wanted to be wrong. But I watched pre-season progress from a distance and knew from the way we played, against who we played, who we sent out in those teams, and our lack of reinforcement in critical areas, that this would happen.

 

Why is that so hard to acknowledge for some ?

[sfc4prem]

I agree. It did norwich no harm and i'm sick of hearing his excuses about us still learning.

 

Yeh, I hate hearing his excuses. There are no excuses for not being able to score against Plymouth. If you're worried Barnard and Connolly won't do the business, you should have bought a Rickie Lambert double earlier. His tactics are non existant. The reason we did so well last year is because of our players' talent, definately not his tactics.

 

If Cortese wanted to sack him last year, which is well documented, then he should have done it there and then. I don't see us going all the way with Pardew. He'll be off sooner or later.

[sfc4prem]

Alpine speaks sense. Dunno why so many automatically jump down his throat. There are very few positives about today, and as Alpine said, many saw this slow start coming.

 

It could have been prevented.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

Disappointing result.

 

We started bright, the pace of the game was good and we created chances from wide. Unfortunately they fell to the head of Hammond who realy should know how to head a goal but always seems to mess it up. A couple of free kick positions would have also been ideal for Lambert and it does worry me that we are going to have to rely on him so much.

 

Apart from Lallana on the bench (and he had not kicked a ball in anger since Southend game last season) there was nothing there that could change the game for us like last season. Another worrying factor.

 

We were better than Plymouth over the whole 90 minutes but conceded a silly goal. More worrying, we did not look like we would score, again unlike last season.

 

We are only one match in and the transfer window is still open but at the moment I cannot see us being more than a top 8 side, not top 2 as we all hoped.

 

I hope I am wrong but we need a good replacement for Hammond (Hammond is only a cover player imo) cover for Lambert, an impact player to bring on to change the game and a pacy wide player.

 

 

This

[Saintswe]

Travelled all the way up from PLYMOUTH with my daughter to watch the match. Well we are not looking forward to going to work on monday now having given the goal to them which was the only way they were going to score. We thought our play lacked any intelligence or direction, it appeared we forgot that Lambert was NOT leading the line and proceeded to attack largely in the air for most of the game. It was just embarrassing seeing our 3 shorties up front trying to get the ball in the air almost universally without success. I am sure Lambert would have made the difference but as has been said by many without him we struggle.

The other problem was that Plymouth denied us space in the middle and we had noone there who could deal with it. We need a good CM asap. Well that is my first post I felt I needed to get some value out of today! However I remain optimistic and will come up again hoping for better.

[NickG]

agree not bad summary (weston saint's)

[corsacar saint]

Puncheon was good first half,not so good second,but why he gets so much stick on here,god only knows. He never tries to hide,and always wants the ball,even when he is not on top of his game.A pretty good player in my book.

If we are going to be critical of players,do not get me started on Hammond.

[Katalinic]

Puncheon was good first half,not so good second,but why he gets so much stick on here,god only knows. He never tries to hide,and always wants the ball,even when he is not on top of his game.A pretty good player in my book.

If we are going to be critical of players,do not get me started on Hammond.

 

I just wish we had a right footed right winger to get to the by-line and cross. Having said that there wasn't much to aim at today.

[Saintswe]

I agree Hammond looked too ineffectual to be what we need in midfield.

Puncheon looked worse than he is by all the balls he received in the air.

I thought Dickson made a good debut and Lallana a good appearance.

[harvey]

I thought we were tepid, the team or management showed me nothing to be inspired about at all.

[Crazy Diamond]

Plymouth Argyle? More like Plymouth Arbysmal. They came for a point and got three thanks to one defensive error. They had no ambition to win that game at all, first half they made us look good! Much improvement required. Hopelessly plugging high balls to Barnard and Connolly who couldn't control it - they're no target men, and it made the fact Lambert is out of action look as if we're a one man team...

Their fans were TERRIBLE today, not even singing when they scored. Quietest set of fans I've heard in years. The worst being Crewe in 05/06 when they brought about three fans and were resigned to having a very bad day.

[itchen_dan]

We definitely need a player to take the place of Hammond. I don't care if he is captain or not, no one automatically gets a place in the side (except Lambert, Fonte, Schneiderlin) and i'm sure that someone much better could come in and do a better holding job. He seemed so slow and dodgy on the ball today. IMO Fonte should be captain anyway.

[Saints foreva]

Plymouth Argyle? More like Plymouth Arbysmal. They came for a point and got three thanks to one defensive error. They had no ambition to win that game at all, first half they made us look good! Much improvement required. Hopelessly plugging high balls to Barnard and Connolly who couldn't control it - they're no target men, and it made the fact Lambert is out of action look as if we're a one man team...

Their fans were TERRIBLE today, not even singing when they scored. Quietest set of fans I've heard in years. The worst being Crewe in 05/06 when they brought about three fans and were resigned to having a very bad day.

 

Still outsung the mighty St. Mary's faithful though....

[doddisalegend]

Why do I get the feeling that some posters were sat in the traffic jam on the way home, planning to come straight on here and try to divert attention from the fact that a few fellow posters gave ample warning this might happen and cannot handle the fact that they were right.

 

I couldnt give a sh*t about being right. I wanted to be wrong. But I watched pre-season progress from a distance and knew from the way we played, against who we played, who we sent out in those teams, and our lack of reinforcement in critical areas, that this would happen.

 

Why is that so hard to acknowledge for some ?

 

Knew what would happen? that we would lose a game? wow thats some insight full credit for knowing that would happen. Have you looked at the match stats? Plymouth had one shot on target all game and scored with it. We weren't out played by some surperior team, we were all over them for most of the match. The way some posters are trying to use this one game to point out their amazing powers of prediction is laughable. Come back at the end of the season if we don't get promoted I'll bow to you superior insight.

[dubai_phil]

Why do I get the feeling that some posters were sat in the traffic jam on the way home, planning to come straight on here and try to divert attention from the fact that a few fellow posters gave ample warning this might happen and cannot handle the fact that they were right.

 

I couldnt give a sh*t about being right. I wanted to be wrong. But I watched pre-season progress from a distance and knew from the way we played, against who we played, who we sent out in those teams, and our lack of reinforcement in critical areas, that this would happen.

 

Why is that so hard to acknowledge for some ?

 

Actually Alps...

 

Spot on.

 

We needed cover for Lambert back in January last year. OK I know it is VERY hard to find a player who is good enough to cover for him and who (last season) would have played abouyt 2 games from the start, BUT we needed it. Surely there are some lumpy CF's out there where Connolly or Barnard playing off them could make up for the lack of all round game that Lambert has. We need SOMETHING on the bench and it needs to be a wise old head OR a youngster.

 

We needed cover in CM - Today showed us that the cover we need is a creative player not necessarily a DM - Wotton could do that hoof job but today showed that as much as we missed RL's presence in the box we missed Lallana "making things happen". Puncheon flatters to deceive - he LOOKS like he could create but doesn't yet show the bottle, arrogance & confidence of Lallana. Where would you find a second fiddle to Lallana? A PL youngster on loan - they ain't available just yet

 

We need that option of pace from the bench. Oxy-Chamberlain when he came on against Reading changed the game for around 15 minutes. That he faded away shows he has the potential but isn't there yet. That is where we miss Waigo/Antonio, BUT last season it seemed to be one OR the other making the difference. Would Anotonio alone make it this season? I understand why we haven't (yet) gone that route again a PL Loan springs to mind.

 

Is it REALLY going to be Lee Holmes?

 

So we're between a rock and a hard place. We need COVER for Lambert, no "superstar" is going to sign up for THAT role and is there really anyone out there at our level that would kick Lambert out the team? No So finding someone who'll sit on the bench for 35 games ain't easy.

 

Then I think we need some PL youngsters on loan as the impact players - they aren't going to be available for another 3/4 weeks

[Smirking_Saint]

Knew what would happen? that we would lose a game? wow thats some insight full credit for knowing that would happen. Have you looked at the match stats? Plymouth had one shot on target all game and scored with it. We weren't out played by some surperior team, we were all over them for most of the match. The way some posters are trying to use this one game to point out their amazing powers of prediction is laughable. Come back at the end of the season if we don't get promoted I'll bow to you superior insight.

 

+1

 

What exactly have you proven Alps ??

 

It is a single game ? Or did i miss the memo that said we had one game and one only to be promoted ?

[Crazy Diamond]

Can't really agree with that at all, they did nothing. They celebrated louder in that aforementioned 05/06 season when they genuinely did celebrate their point like it was a win. In the second half (even in the few seconds before the goal) I felt we were quiet but that's the way it usually is, in my own experience.

 

Which reminds me actually, some ape behind me uttered "Get out Pardew", and full marks for the child below the age of ten who had the courage to shout back "Shut up about Pardew".

[SW11_Saint]

Felt he kept making the wrong choice. Was given plenty of ball, but couldn't get outside his man (not strong enough), didn't deliver quickly enough into the box when required (especially to feed Connolly) and wasn't quick or clever enough to turn inside and use his right peg to any great effect. Lallana showed what he should have been doing in the first half when he came on. And i think Harding delivers a much better cross than Dickson. Apart from that he had a blinder.

How ironic. Was reading this post while watching the match highlights on Sky, just as Dickson skinned the right-back and sent a perfect cross over. Funny how selective memory works...

[L1Minus10]

Critics of Hammond need to ask who would have dne any better playing 70 minutes in midfield on his own. Schneiderlin was brilliant for the first 20 minutes and then decided he'd done enough for the afternoon and *****ed off.

[AlfredKo]

Critics of Hammond need to ask who would have dne any better playing 70 minutes in midfield on his own. Schneiderlin was brilliant for the first 20 minutes and then decided he'd done enough for the afternoon and *****ed off.

 

At the end of the day he is only a league one player. Who can do better? Viafara, Safari, Pele all can do better. Can we stop just satisfy with signing league one players?

[SW11_Saint]

Knew what would happen? that we would lose a game? wow thats some insight full credit for knowing that would happen. Have you looked at the match stats? Plymouth had one shot on target all game and scored with it. We weren't out played by some surperior team, we were all over them for most of the match. The way some posters. are trying to use this one game to point out their amazing powers of prediction is laughable. Come back at the end of the season if we don't get promoted I'll bow to you superior insight.

Hey don't come on here spouting facts and figures and things! This wasn't a scruffy defeat to Plymouth's one shot (which itself came from defensive error), we were totally and utterly played off the park by a Brazilian-like Plymouth performance. Never seen anything like it before - it was stunning. Couldn't you see that?! are you blind? and it's all Pardew's fault - he needs to be sacked, and sacked immediately, before the rot sets in. Christ what would happen if we draw with Bournemouth? the sky will collapse, the world will implode. Luckily though Alpine & co will be around to say "told you so - we should have replaced Papa Waigo".

 

Today pretty much spells the end of the club. There's no way back from this defeat. If only we had time to turn things around, but sadly that's a luxury we just do not have. We may as well pack it in and resign from the league. I'm off to get my shot-gun and am going to shoot my face off, I just can't face it...

[saintpat]

Real mixed bag today. Thought Dickson and Butterfield looked good buys. Harding had a truly awful 2nd half. Kelvins distribution was shocking- the worst I've seen. Puncheon looked way off the pace, needs a severe kick up the arse. Jaidi is slow but he generally reads the game well. Good to see Lallanas cameo and he showed what a class act he is. The front two worked hard and either are a good partner for Lambert but are not good enough together.

With Antonio or Papa it would have been a different result, even without Lambert and Lallana.

Plenty for Pardew to work on, but we were by far the better team particularly in the first half and we should still finish in the top 2.

[Kingsbridge Saint]

Slept on it and been right through this thread. Read Pardews assessment.

 

My conclusion - this Saints squad is not as good as last season and we are sliding. We need some pace in the midfield and cover for Lambert quickly.

 

Pardew gone before the end of September is a real possibility.

[doddisalegend]

Slept on it and been right through this thread. Read Pardews assessment.

 

My conclusion - this Saints squad is not as good as last season and we are sliding. We need some pace in the midfield and cover for Lambert quickly.

 

Pardew gone before the end of September is a real possibility.

 

You've come to that conclusion after one whole match? yes the team could be improved but to suggest we are sliding and not as good as last season after one game smacks off knee jerk. We've lost three players who played any major role in last season (Antonio, Papa and James) both Butterfield and Dickson looked good additions to the squad other than that it's the same squad who finished last season minus two injuries today. Bearing in mind those two injuries (lambert and lallanna)were two of our best players last year the team may have looked a little weaker today. Yet despite this we outplayed Plymouth for 90% of the match one mistake cost us today, we weren't thrashed by a Barcelona like display of football by Plymouth .

[Jez]

There are no excuses for not being able to score against Plymouth. If you're worried Barnard and Connolly won't do the business, you should have bought a Rickie Lambert double earlier

 

Such as? Which Rickie Lambert double is available and willing to play as a reserve player all season, especially considering how many games Lambert missed (or didn't miss) last season? Don't remember either of Barnard or Connolly having a chance that they missed that Lambert (or his doppleganger) would have scored?

 

Plymouth Argyle? They came for a point and got three thanks to one defensive error.

 

This wasn't a scruffy defeat to Plymouth's one shot (which itself came from defensive error)

 

Realise SW11_Saint's comment's aren't serious, but otherwise, where was the "defensive error"? It's not like it was a bad backpass, or someone miskicked something, a forward outjumped out backtracking defenders, and another of our defenders got wrong-footed by a flick on - it's football, attackers are running onto the ball and this will happen often, no "error's" there though!! Our problem was the fact we couldn't create good enough chances to lead to shots on target, only long range shots and headers.

[Red]

I think we will still be ok, and an opening day defeat is nothing new for us - no need to panic just yet.

 

What concerns me most is that we once again failed tactically - ok so RL was injured, but we still had a very good team out there, and by the 1st half domination it showed. The real problem was that we played as though RL was still playing; the amount of crosses particularly from the left was awesome, but aimed at RL who wasn’t there?? Why did we not adapt the play to suit two other equally great forwards – and they are equally as great, but just play differently. The obsession for finding a RL back up seems to indicate we can only play one tactical way, and if so we will never be a great side – a great side can adapt to its strengths not the other way round.

 

Also, why on earth did we not have a player on the far post for corners etc? For most of the first half we over cooked the corner / pass and there was no one to cover – I spotted it within 5 mins – what the feck was our coaching staff doing??

If we fail this year, it will be due to poor tactics and management (not having a dig or calling for a cull), not due to lack of signing more players. Let’s face it 90% of the teams we play will adopt exactly the same game plan – can we out wit them?????

[skintsaint]

think we just been relegated after reading all that. farking 1 game!! we was unlucky and missed Lambert. If we still not doing the business after 4 or 5 games then start laying into the team and critisising a bit more.

[Crazy Diamond]

Such as? Which Rickie Lambert double is available and willing to play as a reserve player all season, especially considering how many games Lambert missed (or didn't miss) last season? Don't remember either of Barnard or Connolly having a chance that they missed that Lambert (or his doppleganger) would have scored?

 

Realise SW11_Saint's comment's aren't serious, but otherwise, where was the "defensive error"? It's not like it was a bad backpass, or someone miskicked something, a forward outjumped out backtracking defenders, and another of our defenders got wrong-footed by a flick on - it's football, attackers are running onto the ball and this will happen often, no "error's" there though!! Our problem was the fact we couldn't create good enough chances to lead to shots on target, only long range shots and headers.

 

As I saw it, Fonté was actually pushing a fellow player out of his way, there was definitely a mix up, and Fonté promptly ended up on his knees. I do concede however I had a restricted view, I was actually (no word of a lie) stood/sat behind someone with an afro, which didn't smell particularly pleasant and caused me a lot of neck ache as I had to keep peering around the sides of him. I can't imagine that Fonté would be pushing another player out of his way unless there was some sort of mix up, hence my mentioning of a defensive error.

[Saint_clark]

Butterfield got in Fontes way for the build up to the goal, had he not been there then Fonte would have beaten Fallon in the air easily as he had been all game long.

[CanadaSaint]

What concerns me most is that we once again failed tactically - ok so RL was injured, but we still had a very good team out there, and by the 1st half domination it showed. The real problem was that we played as though RL was still playing; the amount of crosses particularly from the left was awesome, but aimed at RL who wasn’t there?? Why did we not adapt the play to suit two other equally great forwards – and they are equally as great, but just play differently.

 

Couldn't agree more.

 

People keep saying that the delivery was great but IMO it wasn't. Delivery has to be geared to the recipient, and many of our final balls - especially the high crosses - may have been crisp but they weren't geared to the two who were playing up front today.

 

That could and should have been sorted out tactically but I think AP may well have been out-coached at half time.

[skintsaint]

Hammond should have had two from the crosses so to class them as not great is a bit silly. They caused allsorts of problems for their defence.

[Saint in Paradise]

In the days between Saints losing on Saturday and the next game someone will probably have

 

1 Lost someone near to them due to serious illness or accident

 

2 Lost their job

 

3 Lost their house

 

4 Lost all hope for a decent future

 

5 Gone bankrupt

 

And all some big girls can do is moan about one loss in a football match in a season with 45 games still to play.

 

So unless Saints loss caused you any of the above, GET A GRIP for goodness sake :x.

 

What a bunch of girls some posters are.

 

 

 

 

.

[rooney]

Disappointing for us despite a good first half. I bet Pardew wished he had Papa and Antonio to bring on in the seconed half. We all know we need pacy wingers , a big centre forward to cover Rickie and a hard tackling midfielder. I am sure Pardew does too but he has to be able to persuade them to come and NC to fork out the cash. Get this right and we will be unstoppable.

[wild-saint]

Today showed me two things that I already knew so am not suprised we lost.

 

1) Lambert and Lallana are our best two players by a long way and we absolutely rely on them for our 5 star attacking threat.

2) losing Papa and Antonio leaves us without any pace thus reducing our goal scoring threat even more.

 

yesterday and most of preseason we have failed to create many goalscoring chances of much note. Did anyone really think we would look like the team of last season without these 4 players yesterday?

 

the question for me is has AP got the funds to get players of papa or antonios class or has ML /NC decided that AP has spent enough and should use the loan market?

 

Maybe NC is holding back the big money for Jan when he potentially has a new manager in place. If he has thoughts of replacing AP then he is likely to not let AP spend big this summer.

 

We will be a top 6 side minimum with Lambert and Lallana back in the frame but we are woefully short of options if we get injuries or suspensions.

[alpine_saint]

Today showed me two things that I already knew so am not suprised we lost.

 

1) Lambert and Lallana are our best two players by a long way and we absolutely rely on them for our 5 star attacking threat.

2) losing Papa and Antonio leaves us without any pace thus reducing our goal scoring threat even more.

 

yesterday and most of preseason we have failed to create many goalscoring chances of much note. Did anyone really think we would look like the team of last season without these 4 players yesterday?

 

the question for me is has AP got the funds to get players of papa or antonios class or has ML /NC decided that AP has spent enough and should use the loan market?

 

Maybe NC is holding back the big money for Jan when he potentially has a new manager in place. If he has thoughts of replacing AP then he is likely to not let AP spend big this summer.

 

We will be a top 6 side minimum with Lambert and Lallana back in the frame but we are woefully short of options if we get injuries or suspensions.

 

Good post.

[trousers]

Good post.

 

And eloquent too

[Super_Uwe]

It was a very frustrating game yesterday, and my Argyle supporting in-laws were kind enough not to give me too much grief.

 

It was a real smash-and-grab performance from Plymouth yesterday and to be honest we have got to deal with similar gritty performances from the away teams at St. Mary's. Their goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of us and that simply cannot happen on a regular basis if we are to get promoted this year.

 

The left-wing partnership between Harding and Dickson was very promising for the first 45mins, but unfortunately just like the rest of the team it fell away in the second half.

[Whitey Grandad]

Today showed me two things that I already knew so am not suprised we lost.

 

1) Lambert and Lallana are our best two players by a long way and we absolutely rely on them for our 5 star attacking threat.

2) losing Papa and Antonio leaves us without any pace thus reducing our goal scoring threat even more.

 

yesterday and most of preseason we have failed to create many goalscoring chances of much note. Did anyone really think we would look like the team of last season without these 4 players yesterday?

 

the question for me is has AP got the funds to get players of papa or antonios class or has ML /NC decided that AP has spent enough and should use the loan market?

 

Maybe NC is holding back the big money for Jan when he potentially has a new manager in place. If he has thoughts of replacing AP then he is likely to not let AP spend big this summer.

 

We will be a top 6 side minimum with Lambert and Lallana back in the frame but we are woefully short of options if we get injuries or suspensions.

 

That's how I saw it. We looked a good solid team with a cast-iron defence (apart from Harding's daydream) but up front we were short of pace, power and penetration.

[sadoldgit]

Today showed me two things that I already knew so am not suprised we lost.

 

1) Lambert and Lallana are our best two players by a long way and we absolutely rely on them for our 5 star attacking threat.

2) losing Papa and Antonio leaves us without any pace thus reducing our goal scoring threat even more.

 

yesterday and most of preseason we have failed to create many goalscoring chances of much note. Did anyone really think we would look like the team of last season without these 4 players yesterday?

 

the question for me is has AP got the funds to get players of papa or antonios class or has ML /NC decided that AP has spent enough and should use the loan market?

 

Maybe NC is holding back the big money for Jan when he potentially has a new manager in place. If he has thoughts of replacing AP then he is likely to not let AP spend big this summer.

 

We will be a top 6 side minimum with Lambert and Lallana back in the frame but we are woefully short of options if we get injuries or suspensions.

 

If it is the case that NC is witholding "proper" money to see how things pan out with Pardew then I find that very worrying. You either back your manager or you don't. Given that we have tried to sign Tyson and bring Antonio back it sounds like NC is looking to bring players in but at a price. All very laudable and following in Lowe's footsteps, but it won't help us get promotion.

[CB Fry]

If it is the case that NC is witholding "proper" money to see how things pan out with Pardew then I find that very worrying. You either back your manager or you don't. Given that we have tried to sign Tyson and bring Antonio back it sounds like NC is looking to bring players in but at a price. All very laudable and following in Lowe's footsteps, but it won't help us get promotion.

 

 

You've changed your fu ck ing tune. You can't have it both ways and christ can you bore for England with your pompous arse routine about how money doesn't make any difference blah blah blah.

 

But now you're screaming for Cortese to splash the cash. What a hypocrite you are.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

Today showed me two things that I already knew so am not suprised we lost.

 

1) Lambert and Lallana are our best two players by a long way and we absolutely rely on them for our 5 star attacking threat.

2) losing Papa and Antonio leaves us without any pace thus reducing our goal scoring threat even more.

 

yesterday and most of preseason we have failed to create many goalscoring chances of much note. Did anyone really think we would look like the team of last season without these 4 players yesterday?

 

the question for me is has AP got the funds to get players of papa or antonios class or has ML /NC decided that AP has spent enough and should use the loan market?

 

Maybe NC is holding back the big money for Jan when he potentially has a new manager in place. If he has thoughts of replacing AP then he is likely to not let AP spend big this summer.

 

We will be a top 6 side minimum with Lambert and Lallana back in the frame but we are woefully short of options if we get injuries or suspensions.

 

This really is a very good post , and as close to the heart of the matter as we're likely to get on here anytime soon .

[alpine_saint]

If it is the case that NC is witholding "proper" money to see how things pan out with Pardew then I find that very worrying. You either back your manager or you don't. Given that we have tried to sign Tyson and bring Antonio back it sounds like NC is looking to bring players in but at a price. All very laudable and following in Lowe's footsteps, but it won't help us get promotion.

 

Why cant you post without a dig at NC and reference to Lowe ?

[sadoldgit]

Why cant you post without a dig at NC and reference to Lowe ?

A dig? It was a comment and a valid one at that. Tell me, do you think that Antonio and Tyson would be here if money was no object Alps?

[SnailOB]

A dig? It was a comment and a valid one at that. Tell me, do you think that Antonio and Tyson would be here if money was no object Alps?

 

if money was no object i think we would be after better than tyson & antonio so i would say comment maybe valid but also pretty pointless. Also, no evidence to suggest that NC holding back, A lot of posters seem to think that AP is holding back to see what prem players maybe available. All very confusing - who would want to be a fooball fan !!

[sadoldgit]

You've changed your fu ck ing tune. You can't have it both ways and christ can you bore for England with your pompous arse routine about how money doesn't make any difference blah blah blah.

 

But now you're screaming for Cortese to splash the cash. What a hypocrite you are.

 

LOL, screaming??? New season but same old digs. I an simply pointing out the fact that we are supposed to be super rich nowdays but are still operating on a budget. We used to have no choice, now apparently we do. Or do we? I have never said that money doesn't make a difference, I have said that money doesn't guarantee sucess. If you want to have a go get your facts right. I don't believe that we can buy promotion, but I believe that we can buy the type of players that give us a better chance (as we have done so far with Lambert and Fonte).

 

Tell me Mr Fry, are you happy with the sqaud right now and what would you do exactly?