Hesitant To Post This, But Me I'm Out Of Patience

[The Kraken]

And if we were playing badly and not creating chances i would agree with you. But we are creating chances and i still believe that the team we have is good enough to beat anyone in this division. We would all like one or two more players but even without them we are still good enough (also just to be pedantic, we also signed Dickson, Richardson & Butterfield)

 

Agree we have been very slow in transfer market but then we spent bloody big in January. Would also agree that pre-season seemed to be a bit of a waste but lallana, puncheon and lambert were not able to take much part and they are 3 of our main players.

 

That's the problem; we ARE good enough to beat anyone in the division, but haven't done it yet. AP was cut a lot of slack on not signing all the players we needed before August 7 because the team should have been strong enough to come roaring out of the blocks; the extra players will be to improve a squad which already should be good enough to roll over the likes of Plymouth and Leyton Orient. That hasn't happened, so it's justifiable to criticise. We can't blame the lack of signings as the main excuse why we've started slowly, we already had a very good squad.

 

It's early days, but we all put a lot of importance into a flying start; that hasn't happened yet and with a tricky looking away trip looming we absolutely need a positive, goal-scoring, winning performance otherwise AP is going to find himself in a very sticky position.

[MarkSFC]

Plymouth

Bournemouth

Orient

Bolton

 

Looks like 4 games to me. And AP sees it that way with his "winning mentality" mantra too.

 

ok, four games but if we win the league cup and fail to get promoted would you have been happy?

[exit2]

Have to say I'm also a little concerned, in the league we have dropped in my opinion 5 points already, the nice tight gelled team we had last year is no more ie we lost 2 key players in MA and PW which have not been replaced. I know we have no right to have won the last 2 league games but, the money we have spent, the team we have, we now should be sat with more than 1 point

[NickG]

He could use his substitutions properly

He could change his tactics

He could change the team for the next game

 

So what was wrong with the subs last night?

what did you think of the different formations he tried last night and Saturday?

[NickG]

Have to say I'm also a little concerned, in the league we have dropped in my opinion 5 points already, the nice tight gelled team we had last year is no more ie we lost 2 key players in MA and PW which have not been replaced. I know we have no right to have won the last 2 league games but, the money we have spent, the team we have, we now should be sat with more than 1 point

 

Agree, sure most of us hoped that we would be off to storming start. Pressure will increase if we don't go on a winning run.

 

However Saturday was not a "must win" game despite the crap put on here and the season is far from over.

[martel]

So you post, rant and mock I am gonna say it anyway.

 

Growing up as a Saints fan watching the attacking stars Painer, Big Ron, Chivers and then Channon yeah there were frustrating Saturday afternoons sometimes, but any given day we could beat anyone. We were underdogs punching above our weight. It was somehow acceptable being relegated years later, I mean who were we to be beating the Mancs and Scousers anyway (I say this tongue in cheek).

 

Then a few old journeymen pros joined our good players like Holmes, Channon etc and with the leadership of Lawrie Mac we somehow won the cup. Building on that first promotion and then a 10 year spell, when let's face it, we expected to be the best and beat the best.

 

With the restrictions of the Dell and the departure of Mac we came back to the acceptance that to survive in the top flight we would have to (generally speaking) accept losing more than winning. Then relegation - money problems and mismanagement. We had to grit our teeth and endure being a poor Div II outfit until inevitable relegation again.

 

About 1993 I decided to enjoy the fun, the event, the camaraderie of fellow fans and just being a Saint. At the same time wanting Southampton to win, yet not setting myself up for disappointment by expecting wins...if we got a result it was a bonus - one for the good guys, even the underdog to a certain extent.

 

However, and here's the punch line, after the true Saint that is ML arrived combined with his trust, faith and financial muscle and the FACT that we were in a weak Div III I do not find it acceptable to be patient, to accept disappointment, to be second-best any more. This time last year maybe, just maybe, but now hell no. Call me crazy, call me premature it makes no difference I still feel grossly let down that in four home games in front of a total of about 70,000 paying fans we have squeaked one cakey win against a penniless and poor Bournemouth. Is this a worse start than the last couple of seasons or what?

 

Was it that long ago with and less muscle we started the season above the likes of Everton, Villa or Man Citeh...and I'm gonna say it again, right now we're below Rochdale. Early in the season or not, this life long Saint finds that statement 100% unacceptable. Not with what ML has done for us and not with us being in Div III.

 

Pull yourselves together Saints team - immediately if not sooner!!

 

Whilst I agree with the sentiment, we have to put things in perspective, even when we were in the premiership especially with G.S. the writing in many ways was on the wall in terms of the club's direction. We had a board that either did not see or care as to the direction of the premier league, by that I mean the purchasing of silver ware, this after all was and is what Chelsea are doing and now they have been over taken by Man City. The Lowe board should have seeked alternative investment for the long term while Saint Mary's was being built, for what ever reason they chose not to pursue that route. Q.E.D. we got relegated not just because of the lack of finance and quality of players, but a whole list of managers who did not fit the grade as well, Lowe is then turfed out and the subsequent board invested heavily, too heavily, hoping to bounce back into the premiership, which as we all know did not work. So when analysed we probably had around five years of bad management with no real investment, to turn that around even with Markus coming in with his finance in one to two seasons is frankly asking a lot of any manager and a new team. If it was that easy then Chelsea should have won the Premiership the season after Abramovich took over, the same could be said of course about Man City, bottom line we do need to sit back sometimes and put things in perspective, I remember too well that everyone expected L.M. to get us promoted after we won the F.A. cup in 76, but it did not happen, so like every body I want us to get promoted this season and frankly if we do it will be a fantastic achievement, we just need to put it in perspective and perhaps look at Leeds who took three years.

 

 

WIFM

[SnailOB]

That's the problem; we ARE good enough to beat anyone in the division, but haven't done it yet. AP was cut a lot of slack on not signing all the players we needed before August 7 because the team should have been strong enough to come roaring out of the blocks; the extra players will be to improve a squad which already should be good enough to roll over the likes of Plymouth and Leyton Orient. That hasn't happened, so it's justifiable to criticise. We can't blame the lack of signings as the main excuse why we've started slowly, we already had a very good squad.

 

It's early days, but we all put a lot of importance into a flying start; that hasn't happened yet and with a tricky looking away trip looming we absolutely need a positive, goal-scoring, winning performance otherwise AP is going to find himself in a very sticky position.

 

I'm not disagreeing with you. OP stated lack of patience at that is what i was originally questioning in some of my earlier posts. I assume you have seen the games, did you think we played bad and looked like a bad team ? Ididn't, obviously we could have done better but we have created plenty of chances and Barnard in particular has been unlucky not have a couple of goals to his name already.

 

As i've stated on a number of threads, i'm frustrated but not ready to condemn the manager and team

[tonibell]

Yeah right 2 leauge games in and a bit frustrating but after lastnight loss we can now concentrate on the league abit more now. I will be at Bristol Rovers Saturday giving my afternoon up and double time to watch Southampton win their first leauge game.

Edited 25 August, 2010 by tonibell

[SaintRichmond]

This thread wouldnt exist if Barnard hadn't hit the woodwork twice on staurday, we've played well and been unlucky, big deal. Cant see anyone has done anything wrong. ITS AUGUST. F*CK.

 

So What !!!! It's AUGUST for the Teams at the TOP OF THE LEAGUE as well. THEY have done better than us. WHY ?? Excuse time over IMHO

[cambsaint]

If I were A P I'd be very worried. I suspect a certain N Cortese has probably less patience than most of the fans, wants value for money and a good return on a vast investment and will 'Whack' AP very shortly if no improvement.

I'll leave it to him.

[The9]

I thought it was an almost unanimous opinion at the end of last season that this season there would be NO excuses whatsoever.

 

Lo and behold, people falling over backwards to make excuses and condemn the impatience of others....

 

For some reason I now have a lot less patience with the side STILL doing exactly what they did to drop points last season, despite us adding a few new faces. Last season it was impatience in the face of a significant improvement over August and September.

 

THIS season it's bewilderment that we don't appear to have improved on last season, even though for most of last season (Oct-May) we had Play-Off form.

 

Underpinning all that is the knowledge that we've probably been the better side in each game so far, yet have only won one of them.

[Big Bad Bob]

So What !!!! It's AUGUST for the Teams at the TOP OF THE LEAGUE as well. THEY have done better than us. WHY ?? Excuse time over IMHO

 

I remember one year when Millwall were at the top of their Division at Christmas, and then ended up getting relegated.....marathon not sprint cliche comes to mind.

 

Against Orient I thought we played as badly as we had at points during last season. The difference being last season we scored loads and won games 3-1

 

This season the keepers seem to be in fine form and the goals seem to be smaller!!

[Torres]

the season is far from over.

 

How are we going to close the gap to the top in only 44 games, ffs? We might as well give up now.

[Big Bad Bob]

How are we going to close the gap to the top in only 44 games, ffs? We might as well give up now.

 

Would you like to borrow my Dovo of Solingen?

 

[The Kraken]

I'm not disagreeing with you. OP stated lack of patience at that is what i was originally questioning in some of my earlier posts. I assume you have seen the games, did you think we played bad and looked like a bad team ? Ididn't, obviously we could have done better but we have created plenty of chances and Barnard in particular has been unlucky not have a couple of goals to his name already.

 

As i've stated on a number of threads, i'm frustrated but not ready to condemn the manager and team

 

I've not seen the games (been away and on holidays until this week), which is why I've refrained from commenting specifically on individual things. From what I've heard, the signs are positive in terms of balance of play etc., but as the The9 has said, I'm just a little less patient for the good times to roll than last season. The form we had with pretty much the same starting 11 as last season has simply not been good enough so far; in two home games where we should have scored a minimum of 4 points and arguably 6, we've gained 1. Whatever the reasons are, whether its bad luck, the manager's fault, players off the pace, injuries, whatever, I don't know. And I won't comment, guess or make aspersions on that until I've been down to St. Mary's and watched. All I know is that our start is well below what we were hoping for and expecting.

 

I thnk from what you say that we're on the same page; I'm frustrated, critical of our start but I'm not going to slate the manager or team, and I still have faith we can hit our true form very soon; our squad (and manager) are too good not to. But it really needs to happen immediately, there really are no excuses this term. We all know Cortese has a ruthless side and, right or wrong, I think if we haven't seen a serious upturn in form in the next 3 games then we'll see a change at the helm, and then God knows what will happen.

[derry]

So What !!!! It's AUGUST for the Teams at the TOP OF THE LEAGUE as well. THEY have done better than us. WHY ?? Excuse time over IMHO

 

Excuse after excuse from all and sundry. No luck, we are feeling the pressure of being favourites, we hit the woodwork, the goalkeepers were brilliant etc. We have had chances but it's not pressure and chances that win matches it's goals. The chances we have made have in the main been pressurised by the defenders blocking most of them, or causing us to miss. We are not overloading defences because we have neither the pace or consistent width to drag defenders out of position. Plymouth overloaded us with the cross nodded back across and one defender outnumbered. Leyton Orient overloaded us with the movement of Tyrrel Forbes who ran across the box, lost his marker and flicked a cross in unchallenged, again last night we were overloaded at the near post so that when the ball was headed back to the near post we couldn't block it.

 

The delivery of corners and free kicks were in the main pretty poor. The movement at set pieces pretty much non existent with all the attackers already in the box just static. Nobody running from outside the box, available outside the back post or dummy running to move the defenders around and create some space.

 

Davis apart from a brilliant save late in the second half was poor. His attempts at short balls were causing us more problems than the opposition and his kicking caused no problems to the opposition, his lack of communication and staying on his line at corners/free kicks is inviting the opposition to knock balls in close to the goal something we can't do because the opposition's goalkeeper catches most of them. The two full backs tried hard whilst Martin bearing in mind it was only his third or fourth appearance was good, Fonte solid as usual. Lallana was just about the best player on the pitch in terms of effort and skill, Puncheon was much better but provided little in the way of penetration as he was far too narrow or filled the space he needed too early which invited the defence to close him down and drive him across the field. Hammond and Schneiderlin together don't provide a decent midfielder, they just don't blend and the comfort zone play of Schneiderlin doesn't open up defences without the pace needed out on the touchlines and available to pass to immediately. Barnard lacks pace but is a decent footballer and works hard. Lambert was way off the pace and was ambling around and on occasions we broke hardly got into a trot, and was never bursting into the box looking for rebounds.

 

We were better than Saturday, just, but for twenty minutes in the middle of the first half we lost our shape which was always on the narrow side, in the second half we pressed hard, created pressure, worked the goalkeeper hard but hardly created a clear overload.

 

The manager doesn't seem to be up for it any more. The alleged pressure felt may in fact be the pressure he is feeling. Could it be that some of the team isn't buying into these excuses or the way we are playing or the obvious weaknesses regarding lack of attacking pace. Lambert's body language was poor last night and what was the huddle in the centre of the pitch before they went in at halftime on Saturday all about.

 

I don't want to hear excuses, this team has had time to gel, proper replacements for W/A signed and a bit of strengthening. If they can't quickly get it together and start winning some matches then whatever it takes needs doing or this season will be wasted. A win at BR would be a start but an unbeaten run with more wins than draws is now needed to get back on track

Edited 25 August, 2010 by derry

[Whitey Grandad]

What do we want? - Instant gratification!

 

When do we want it?

 

NOW!

[tartanowl]

Some over-reactions in here. The table will start to look a lot more realistic and defined after 10-12 games. If you're still behind Rochdale after that then it's time to panic. You'll still make the top 3.

[madruss]

So What !!!! It's AUGUST for the Teams at the TOP OF THE LEAGUE as well. THEY have done better than us. WHY ?? Excuse time over IMHO

 

Hahaha. Blackpool are higher in the league than Liverpool and Everton...using your logic Blackpool are a better team than Liverpool and Everton....BONKERS!!!

[solentstars]

Some over-reactions in here. The table will start to look a lot more realistic and defined after 10-12 games. If you're still behind Rochdale after that then it's time to panic. You'll still make the top 3.

 

i agree i think after 10 to 12 games we will know how we will do this season and cannot understand why we are so negative after only 2 games,and i expect us to be in the top 2 after 46 games.

[Saints foreva]

i agree i think after 10 to 12 games we will know how we will do this season and cannot understand why we are so negative after only 2 games,and i expect us to be in the top 2 after 46 games.

 

Two home games, against two sides who looked pretty poor but knew how to contain the 'title favourites'.

[Redondo Saint]

I'm not looking to start a debate about overseas fans V local fans etc.. so please don't misunderstand my post.

 

I have seen the games this season first hand and although frustrated by lack of goals and good results, I am seeing a team that is creating chances - much more than the teams we are playing (including Bolton) and am hopeful that we will start scoring quite freely and will go on a run. I am certainly seeing players and a team that ARE good enough to beat anyone in this division

 

This is something that i feel the overseas fan does not get to see and appreciate (not a dig !).

 

So, i'm frustrated also but i am seeing enough to make me feel that this team is capable of winning games / league etc.. Im probably a little put more patient (not happy-clappy) than others after what i've seen so far.

 

Good point.

 

It can be more frustrating seeing the result and not the game, which probably is where TT is coming from...

I am prepared to wait a little longer before I take that long walk on the pier!

[Whitey Grandad]

The team will look a different in a few weeks time. And nobody wants to be way out in front at Christmas, those teams always drop back and are lucky to make the playoffs.

Chill folks, the party has only just begun!

[washsaint]

LOL at all the heads in the sand...last year it was "we had no pre-season and took time for the team to gel so terrible results are OK", this season it's "pre-season doesn't matter and we're always slow starters">

 

AP has no Plan B, no tactical nouse and has shipped out players who could do a job for us (like Gillett who is playing at CCC level - way above us!) and kept his favorites in place (Hammond for one).

 

Make no mistake, it will be a long, hard season and we will be VERY fortunate to be in the top 6 with this clown in charge.

 

Oh, for an Eddie Howe in charge (Bournemouth are many places ahead fo us in this League ffs!)

[The Kraken]

The team will look a different in a few weeks time. And nobody wants to be way out in front at Christmas, those teams always drop back and are lucky to make the playoffs.

Chill folks, the party has only just begun!

 

It doesn't make any difference how the team will look in a few weeks time; the team now is good enough to be putting together better results than we've seen in the 2 league games so far. And it's good enough to take all 3 points at the weekend, Guly or not. They've just got to start getting the results together.

 

And I'd love to be way out front at Christmas; it's where I expected us to be based on the current capabilities of the squad plus the additions we will add to it.

[saint phil]

LOL at watch a bunch of miserable, ungrateful manic depressives we have as "fans". We have a bunch of people who never even attend games claiming we're not good enough, another bunch bemoaning the fact that we haven't signed anyone (oh apart from best right back in the league, cover for him, best left back, a central midfielder that looks exactly what we've been looking for and the promise of a winger /striker by the end of the week) and then another bunch deciding we should sack the manager based on dropping 5 points and losing to a premiership club (against the balance of play). Yes its a disappointing start and I like everyone else wish we had converted one of the multitude of chances on saturday and last night buts lets get a few things clear:

 

1 You would have to be blind or mad to not see the gulf in class between us and Leyton Orient. Add that to what we saw (if we bothered to attend) last night and I think this team is very very close to being good enough to challenge for the title in the championship let alone here. I suspect Guly and a pacy striker will get us there.

 

2 People get injuries and it can take a while to come back - just look at Torres or Rooney - don't see their fans turning on the players or their managers.

 

3 Maybe just maybe the death of ML might have added a little pressure/distraction to the team.

 

If we are still not in automatic promotion spots in 4-6 weeks maybe I will also join the panickers but in the meantime I will be doing my best to support the players and the manager and play my part in HELPING rather than hindering everything Herr Liebherr tried to acheive. One thing is for sure, I hope to God the family don't read this site and read some of this BS

[NickG]

Barclays Premier League table

 

 

Barclays Premier League : Table

Monday, 23 August 2010 21:57 UK

 

| Home | Away

Team P W D L F A W D L F A GD PTS

1 Chelsea 2 1 0 0 6 0 1 0 0 6 0 12 6

2 Arsenal 2 1 0 0 6 0 0 1 0 1 1 6 4

3 Man Utd 2 1 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 2 2 3 4

4 Man City 2 1 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 4

5 Bolton 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 1 2 4

6 Birmingham 2 1 0 0 2 1 0 1 0 2 2 1 4

7 Wolverhampton 2 1 0 0 2 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 4

8 Tottenham 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 4

9 Newcastle 2 1 0 0 6 0 0 0 1 0 3 3 3

10 Blackburn 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 3

11 Blackpool 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 6 -2 3

12 Aston Villa 2 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 6 -3 3

13 West Brom 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 6 -5 3

14 Fulham 2 0 1 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 2

15 Sunderland 2 0 1 0 2 2 0 0 1 0 1 -1 1

16 Everton 2 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 1

17 Liverpool 2 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 -3 1

18 Stoke 2 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 1 2 -2 0

19 West Ham 2 0 0 1 1 3 0 0 1 0 3 -5 0

20 Wigan 2 0 0 2 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 -10 0

 

 

 

few things come to mind

 

1) we just played well against the team that is 5th best in best league in the world

2) Liverpool's season is over and are in relegation battle

3) Man U have lost the title and can only hope for European place.

[NickG]

http://bettingzone.oddschecker.com/football/english/league-one/promotion

 

these odds just don't make sense??? I appreciate that we started the season as favourites for promotion but cannot understand why one of the bookies, let alone all of them, still - even though we clearly are not now going to get promoted - still have us as favourites?

[The Kraken]

LOL at watch a bunch of miserable, ungrateful manic depressives we have as "fans". We have a bunch of people who never even attend games claiming we're not good enough, another bunch bemoaning the fact that we haven't signed anyone (oh apart from best right back in the league, cover for him, best left back, a central midfielder that looks exactly what we've been looking for and the promise of a winger /striker by the end of the week) and then another bunch deciding we should sack the manager based on dropping 5 points and losing to a premiership club (against the balance of play). Yes its a disappointing start and I like everyone else wish we had converted one of the multitude of chances on saturday and last night buts lets get a few things clear:

 

1 You would have to be blind or mad to not see the gulf in class between us and Leyton Orient. Add that to what we saw (if we bothered to attend) last night and I think this team is very very close to being good enough to challenge for the title in the championship let alone here. I suspect Guly and a pacy striker will get us there.

 

2 People get injuries and it can take a while to come back - just look at Torres or Rooney - don't see their fans turning on the players or their managers.

 

3 Maybe just maybe the death of ML might have added a little pressure/distraction to the team.

 

If we are still not in automatic promotion spots in 4-6 weeks maybe I will also join the panickers but in the meantime I will be doing my best to support the players and the manager and play my part in HELPING rather than hindering everything Herr Liebherr tried to acheive. One thing is for sure, I hope to God the family don't read this site and read some of this BS

 

Over-reacting much Phil? Despite the extreme ramblings of a handful of the usual suspects, the main criticism has simply been that the team are underperforming according to their potential. God forbid that any team should be held to account over their own high standards.

 

I've not yet seen 1 person suggest that AP should be sacked, so I'm not sure where you're getting that from. If anyone has said it, they're wrong, it's too premature for that (though whether Cortese will see it that way is a different matter altogether).

 

As last season proved, if we continue to stumble along for 7 or 8 games until we notch a league win, we will be playing catch up for the rest of the season. Impossible from then? Clearly not, there's still 44 games left from now, so plenty of time to turn it round. But this season is our top chance to avoid stagnation and get back up the leagues, and we need to start realising our potential, fast.

[Whitey Grandad]

http://bettingzone.oddschecker.com/football/english/league-one/promotion

 

these odds just don't make sense??? I appreciate that we started the season as favourites for promotion but cannot understand why one of the bookies, let alone all of them, still - even though we clearly are not now going to get promoted - still have us as favourites?

 

The odds do not represent the probability of that event happening, they show the amount of money that has been placed on such an event, hence they reflect the expectations of the punters.

[NickG]

and are correct more often than not

[Cabrone]

Alpine gives a team talk.......

 

 

LOL.

[hackedoff]

Getting fed up of the played well but didnt win syndrome. If we played crap but won occasionally to make up for it then fine but we dont.

The goals per chance ratio is pathetic where as the opposition seem to net from about half of their chances, if people are happy with the start then thats fine but dont moan when another seasons slips by and we stay a div 3 team.

[saint phil]

Over-reacting much Phil? Despite the extreme ramblings of a handful of the usual suspects, the main criticism has simply been that the team are underperforming according to their potential. God forbid that any team should be held to account over their own high standards.

 

I've not yet seen 1 person suggest that AP should be sacked, so I'm not sure where you're getting that from. If anyone has said it, they're wrong, it's too premature for that (though whether Cortese will see it that way is a different matter altogether).

 

As last season proved, if we continue to stumble along for 7 or 8 games until we notch a league win, we will be playing catch up for the rest of the season. Impossible from then? Clearly not, there's still 44 games left from now, so plenty of time to turn it round. But this season is our top chance to avoid stagnation and get back up the leagues, and we need to start realising our potential, fast.

 

 

Try looking 2 posts above my one to find 1 who thinks AP shouldn't be there - not obvious that its me that's over-reacting here....frankly hearing boos at the end of the match on saturday was far more depressing than any of the play I saw

[Micky]

Perspective people, perspective. FFS!

[kpturner]

Getting fed up of the played well but didnt win syndrome. If we played crap but won occasionally to make up for it then fine but we dont.The goals per chance ratio is pathetic where as the opposition seem to net from about half of their chances, if people are happy with the start then thats fine but dont moan when another seasons slips by and we stay a div 3 team.

Bournemouth in the Cup perhaps? Get real. Moan at Christmas if we are still outside the shake-up for promotion.

[The Kraken]

Try looking 2 posts above my one to find 1 who thinks AP shouldn't be there - not obvious that its me that's over-reacting here....frankly hearing boos at the end of the match on saturday was far more depressing than any of the play I saw

 

If you've read any of his posts before you'll realise he's a complete crackpot. As I said, apart from the usual extremists of doom and gloom, depsite the criticism there is still a huge amount of optimism for the season ahead. Expectation levels are so high (higher than ever before, certainly in my lifetime and I'm no whipper snapper) that our poor start will be over-analysed and, quite rightly, criticised. It doesn't mean most posters have become harbingers of doom as your post suggested; simply that we all want to see the team start to fulfill their potential and turn the dominace we're clearly seeing in games into meaningful points.

[jamesfp1]

So What !!!! It's AUGUST for the Teams at the TOP OF THE LEAGUE as well. THEY have done better than us. WHY ?? Excuse time over IMHO

 

LOL. Thats awful.

[hackedoff]

Bournemouth in the Cup perhaps? Get real. Moan at Christmas if we are still outside the shake-up for promotion.

 

Will do. Along will probably everyone else.

[doddisalegend]

So What !!!! It's AUGUST for the Teams at the TOP OF THE LEAGUE as well. THEY have done better than us. WHY ?? Excuse time over IMHO

 

No your right Carlisle have it all sown up already, best to concentrate on the FA cup and the JPT the leagues as good as over this season.

[scotty]

Like when Pardew said 'he absolutely raped him there' on MOTD. He didn't actually mean he'd pulled his shorts down, held him on the floor and battered him from behind in front of 40,000 bystanders.

 

lmao

[Professor]

How are we going to close the gap to the top in only 44 games, ffs? We might as well give up now.

 

This attitude that everything is absolutely OK until its mathematically impossible to catch the teams at the top has shades of Ostriches and Sand about it. Of course its early days, but these 5 lost points could already make all the diference next April.

I do share some concerns about the long ball tactics and the timing of substitutions but the failure to strengthen enough is the big concern. I'm not ready to criticise AP over that since learning of Marcus's ilness and death as I don't know whether the inactivity was down to AP or whether ML's illness played a part in it, or NC's control of the finances.

But none of that makes the present situation acceptable. We do have the Guly signing, and we have to wait and see how good he will prove to be and we have the indicatoons from AP that there is one, or possibly 2 more signings to come. This is later than it should have been, but as I say, what the cause of that is, I don't think any of us really know.

[doddisalegend]

Guess where Norwich were after two matches last season?

 

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/LeagueTable/0,,10280~20090815,00.html

 

Look at the top two in that table neither got promoted (one in fact finished behind us in the table) really two whole league matches tells you **** all about the table in may.

[sadoldgit]

Disappointing start yes, but two league games in...hardly dummy throwing time. We have just signed a new midfielder with more to come hopefully. We are making chances. As has been said, we have a decent squad and a decent manager, to be fair I don't think we are looking at the end of the world just yet. As Pardew says, we need to get rid of the negativity, trouble is some thrive on it!

[TijuanaTim]

Thanks everyone for your quality and thought evokative responses, some really heatfelt and thoughtful replies, for and against. A few things...maybe, only maybe, I have seen Saints this season already, also we cannot compare situations to the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s as we have never in that time been in such a poor quality, low standard Div with so many dominant factors and resources, not only over the opponents, but also over everyone (bar none) in the division above us.

 

Let's get our fingers out, you fans are first class and deserve better, the club's ownership deserves better. No more excuses, the players have to take long hard looks in the mirror and start delivering...and as much as I respect AP, he makes the same mistakes over and over...he picks the team and therefore is ultimately responsible. If you combine the finances and resources of all the nineteen clubs above us it possibly does not add up to what we have.

 

We should been on a par with West Ham, Sunderland and Birmingham (I realise we have some bridges to cross to get there) - not Yeovil, Dagenham & Redbridge and Rochdale FACT

[doddisalegend]

Thanks everyone for your quality and thought evokative responses, some really heatfelt and thoughtful replies, for and against. A few things...maybe, only maybe, I have seen Saints this season already, also we cannot compare situations to the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s as we have never in that time been in such a poor quality, low standard Div with so many dominant factors and resources, not only over the opponents, but also over everyone (bar none) in the division above us.

 

Let's get our fingers out, you fans are first class and deserve better, the club's ownership deserves better. No more excuses, the players have to take long hard looks in the mirror and start delivering...and as much as I respect AP, he makes the same mistakes over and over...he picks the team and therefore is ultimately responsible. If you combine the finances and resources of all the nineteen clubs above us it possibly does not add up to what we have.

 

We should been on a par with West Ham, Sunderland and Birmingham (I realise we have some bridges to cross to get there) - not Yeovil, Dagenham & Redbridge and Rochdale FACT

 

Tim with the greatest of respect I think you may be over estimating the clubs wealth /resources.

[sadoldgit]

TT, we are where we are. We don't have a divine right to be anywhere and you only have to look at all of the other teams who have fallen on hard times to see that SFC is not immune to the outrageous fortunes of the football league. The beauty of sport is that there are no givens. If there were, what would be the point. Pardew has his work cut out, as do the players. They need support but many here have already decided that Pardew is useless and the squad poor. I am looking forward to things turning round but if they don't, life goes on.

[Clifford Nelson]

When AP arrived I appreciated the 'no excuses' atmosphere he brought. We weren't good enough; we had lost our winning habit; etc. I had grown tired of many years of excuses. Last season ended with an acceptance that with -10 points, no pre-season and a demoralised team to start the season with, it wasn't bad going to finish the way we did. And the club endorsed the idea, that next season there was to be no excuses because nothing which gave us a bad start and a difficult season was no longer there.

 

I always felt that the pre-season was wrong in virtually every way, and didn't seem to build towards our readiness for Plymouth. The "you just wait for the next game" came and went without any real changes. Every game collected an excuse of one sort or another.

 

We know what our results have been since the start, now. We have also heard the excuses, which denies the 'no excuses' promises. From all that I think I understand how TT feels. I actually expected better this time around and I am surprised if that wasn't the case for all of us.

 

End of the world? No. Sackcloth and ashes? No. But unless things turn around very quickly it can become remarkably similar to last year.

[hackedoff]

Excuse after excuse from all and sundry. No luck, we are feeling the pressure of being favourites, we hit the woodwork, the goalkeepers were brilliant etc. We have had chances but it's not pressure and chances that win matches it's goals. The chances we have made have in the main been pressurised by the defenders blocking most of them, or causing us to miss. We are not overloading defences because we have neither the pace or consistent width to drag defenders out of position. Plymouth overloaded us with the cross nodded back across and one defender outnumbered. Leyton Orient overloaded us with the movement of Tyrrel Forbes who ran across the box, lost his marker and flicked a cross in unchallenged, again last night we were overloaded at the near post so that when the ball was headed back to the near post we couldn't block it.

 

The delivery of corners and free kicks were in the main pretty poor. The movement at set pieces pretty much non existent with all the attackers already in the box just static. Nobody running from outside the box, available outside the back post or dummy running to move the defenders around and create some space.

 

Davis apart from a brilliant save late in the second half was poor. His attempts at short balls were causing us more problems than the opposition and his kicking caused no problems to the opposition, his lack of communication and staying on his line at corners/free kicks is inviting the opposition to knock balls in close to the goal something we can't do because the opposition's goalkeeper catches most of them. The two full backs tried hard whilst Martin bearing in mind it was only his third or fourth appearance was good, Fonte solid as usual. Lallana was just about the best player on the pitch in terms of effort and skill, Puncheon was much better but provided little in the way of penetration as he was far too narrow or filled the space he needed too early which invited the defence to close him down and drive him across the field. Hammond and Schneiderlin together don't provide a decent midfielder, they just don't blend and the comfort zone play of Schneiderlin doesn't open up defences without the pace needed out on the touchlines and available to pass to immediately. Barnard lacks pace but is a decent footballer and works hard. Lambert was way off the pace and was ambling around and on occasions we broke hardly got into a trot, and was never bursting into the box looking for rebounds.

 

We were better than Saturday, just, but for twenty minutes in the middle of the first half we lost our shape which was always on the narrow side, in the second half we pressed hard, created pressure, worked the goalkeeper hard but hardly created a clear overload.

 

The manager doesn't seem to be up for it any more. The alleged pressure felt may in fact be the pressure he is feeling. Could it be that some of the team isn't buying into these excuses or the way we are playing or the obvious weaknesses regarding lack of attacking pace. Lambert's body language was poor last night and what was the huddle in the centre of the pitch before they went in at halftime on Saturday all about.

 

I don't want to hear excuses, this team has had time to gel, proper replacements for W/A signed and a bit of strengthening. If they can't quickly get it together and start winning some matches then whatever it takes needs doing or this season will be wasted. A win at BR would be a start but an unbeaten run with more wins than draws is now needed to get back on track

 

Thank god someone else sees all this as well as me !

[doddisalegend]

When AP arrived I appreciated the 'no excuses' atmosphere he brought. We weren't good enough; we had lost our winning habit; etc. I had grown tired of many years of excuses. Last season ended with an acceptance that with -10 points, no pre-season and a demoralised team to start the season with, it wasn't bad going to finish the way we did. And the club endorsed the idea, that next season there was to be no excuses because nothing which gave us a bad start and a difficult season was no longer there.

 

I always felt that the pre-season was wrong in virtually every way, and didn't seem to build towards our readiness for Plymouth. The "you just wait for the next game" came and went without any real changes. Every game collected an excuse of one sort or another.

 

We know what our results have been since the start, now. We have also heard the excuses, which denies the 'no excuses' promises. From all that I think I understand how TT feels. I actually expected better this time around and I am surprised if that wasn't the case for all of us.

 

End of the world? No. Sackcloth and ashes? No. But unless things turn around very quickly it can become remarkably similar to last year.

 

Let me see win a cup and finish 5th without the 10pt penalty or with one more win the last year finish second. Frankly Clifford if thats what we're being offered I'll take it thanks.