Thoughts of the season so far?

[Wes Tender]

considering what the hell happened pre season and that the players were clearly not fit what so ever for the season......throw in pardew going..

 

I give the season so far 7/10...that is based on the up turn in results in the last two months...

 

I would like to think come easter we will be top 2 and pushing for the top....

 

plenty of time yet

 

This

[Phil the Saint]

Under Pardew 3/10

 

Under Adkins 7.5/10 (just need to pick-up points away from home)

 

Quality of football much improved.

[Saint Fan CaM]

Entertaining. I am finally thinking I'm getting value for money from my season ticket. At the end of the day, that is all that matters to me. Promotion is a bonus really.

 

This. Although I would like to see a good striker who can challenge Lambert for his place alongside Lee B.

Edited 26 November, 2010 by Saint Fan CaM
typo

[hughieslastminutegoal]

My thoughts ??? AP managed 83 points with the team we had despite an awful start.This team is no better because NA has been tinkering with it when unnecessary and ****ing players off.He needed to get what he had available playing for him as did AP.

Not sure that I really rate NA at all. We shall see.

 

I don't agree at all. The side failed at critical times last year. We were poor at the start of the season under Pardew, we were dreadful under Wilkins, we've been nursing injuries all season. The style of play prior to Adkins this season was often lump it foward and hope. Thinks had to change and Adkins has been trying to find the missing keys to a somewhat fragile temprament in the side and under-performance. To do that you have to change things around and if players don't deliver what is asked for, change again.

 

That isn't unnecessary tinkering, its just what a new manager in this situation HAD to do. If players don't like it, tough. If players always win the day that's a recipe for complacency and worse. Most people on here want to see some transfer activity in January, but will you see that as more unnecesary tinkering of an already perfect side?

Edited 26 November, 2010 by hughieslastminutegoal

[ghq]

I'm sure it will be a lot clearer by January. One thing has been confirmed this year, that is that it is not as straight forward as hoped as to getting out of this league. Just look at other results in this division. Brighton are at the moment going through a lean spell, so to come here and grab a point must be seen as a good result for them, as

opposed to us squandering two.

So, taking everything that has gone before us this season, I think we are progressing, if a little slower than could be expected. Hopefully we will improve and get out of this division. 7/10 for me.

[doddisalegend]

Under Pardew 3/10

 

Under Adkins 7.5/10 (just need to pick-up points away from home)

 

Quality of football much improved.

 

Really? I don't see a lot of difference if anything I'd say we're not as good as we were last season. Last year I didn't have an ST so I cherry picked games a bit I only saw us lose twice last season (swindon at home and the pompey match) saw us in plenty of good 3-1s though this season seeing every home match we haven't looked as good (granted that might just be I was lucky last year and missed most of the c rap performaces) . Even when the team is winning this year they don't look as comfortable to me as the did last season. A lot of people said Nigel was bring fast flowing passing football but I really can't see any difference (tranmere game aside) between how we play now and how we played last season under Pardew.

[Give it to Ron]

Even when the team is winning this year they don't look as comfortable to me as the did last season. A lot of people said Nigel was bring fast flowing passing football but I really can't see any difference (tranmere game aside) between how we play now and how we played last season under Pardew.

 

I can...3 reasons why...1.this is not Adkins team yet so he can only play the type of football with the players available. 2. We have lost our two main pace threats from last season - Waigo and Antonio havent been replaced. 3. We don't have a main goal threat this season compared to last where we had one scoring for fun.

 

Its funny how we all forget some of the performances and results under Pardew( I was livid when he went) but remember Oldham at home for one??

[derry]

Really? I don't see a lot of difference if anything I'd say we're not as good as we were last season. Last year I didn't have an ST so I cherry picked games a bit I only saw us lose twice last season (swindon at home and the pompey match) saw us in plenty of good 3-1s though this season seeing every home match we haven't looked as good (granted that might just be I was lucky last year and missed most of the c rap performaces) . Even when the team is winning this year they don't look as comfortable to me as the did last season. A lot of people said Nigel was bring fast flowing passing football but I really can't see any difference (tranmere game aside) between how we play now and how we played last season under Pardew.

 

Lambert performed last season. This season we are performing despite his poor form.

[tartanowl]

I think both Wednesday and Southampton have been disappointing so far this season.

 

However, you have a very winnable 3 games coming up. We also on paper have a comfortable December. You are 4 points outside the automatics, we are 2. Looking at the upcoming fixtures for the teams at the top I fancy us both to be in the top 3 by Christmas.

[Neil]

Happy and relieved to be four points off second, after such an indifferent start and the Pardew shenanigans. Adkins has improved the quality of football from Pardew but still a work in progress.

 

That said, there is room for improvement. We must toughen up away from home, and not take long to get going. We gave Huddersfield, Notts County and Carlisle a head start and only got away with it at Notts County.

Lambert must improve or a new striker in January.

Would expect to be in the top 2 in January. Then start to put some daylight between us and 3rd.

[Wes Tender]

There were some on here who stated categorically that the departure of Pardew and the resultant repercussions, had jeopardised our chances of promotion this season. I sincerely hope that they are at least starting to feel that their predictions are beginning to look a bit silly and premature. We are very much in the hunt. The hiccup we suffered can also happen to other team above us. We can take points off those teams, as can they take points away from each other. Other top teams can lose players through injuries, suspensions or in the January transfer window and we can bring in players who could propel us forward.

 

But at the very least we are playing far more attractive and entertaining football under Adkins than we were under Pardew and for that I am grateful.

[Appy]

Meh, no team i've seen are that good. We should be walking it with our squad, the Wilkins era has harmed us alot.

[Legod Third Coming]

So far just too bloody inconsistent.

 

Really, we should be dominating this league. Our inability to put away teams with a fraction of our resources could come back to bite us. And we need to be winning all our home games - especially those against the top sides as this is our one major opportunity to close the gap on them or create one.

 

We don't look to me like a team who could go the remainder of the season unbeaten or who will win a long run of games. I hope I'm wrong on both counts but at present we look like an upper mid-table side. Contrast this with Brighton who haven't won for the past three games but are still topping the table and in truth should have beaten us courtesy of that penalty...

 

I expect us to get better as the season progresses and would be bitterly disappointed if we don't win the league.

[Legod Third Coming]

Really? I don't see a lot of difference if anything I'd say we're not as good as we were last season. Last year I didn't have an ST so I cherry picked games a bit I only saw us lose twice last season (swindon at home and the pompey match) saw us in plenty of good 3-1s though this season seeing every home match we haven't looked as good (granted that might just be I was lucky last year and missed most of the c rap performaces) . Even when the team is winning this year they don't look as comfortable to me as the did last season. A lot of people said Nigel was bring fast flowing passing football but I really can't see any difference (tranmere game aside) between how we play now and how we played last season under Pardew.

 

I'm afraid I agree. We were ok against Brighton but there was no difference in how that team played to how Pardew's team played against Plymouth or Orient in my view.

[Thedelldays]

So far just too bloody inconsistent.

 

.

 

how many wins in the last 10 games or so...?

 

in the last 10 games..we have won 7, drawn 1 and lost 2....

 

 

ffs

Edited 27 November, 2010 by Thedelldays

[Legod Third Coming]

how many wins in the last 10 games or so...?

 

in the last 10 games..we have won 7, drawn 1 and lost 2....

 

 

ffs

 

That's true but I was asked about the SEASON - have we only been playing for ten games?

[Thedelldays]

That's true but I was asked about the SEASON - have we only been playing for ten games?

 

no..but last season we were allowed to write off 10 games for pardew....hows about giving some adkins some slack this season...infact, he has made an immidiate impact and had no influence on the stupidness before that..

 

I do laugh at those (loons) who claimed we had no chance of going up when pardew left..

[Legod Third Coming]

no..but last season we were allowed to write off 10 games for pardew....hows about giving some adkins some slack this season...infact, he has made an immidiate impact and had no influence on the stupidness before that..

 

I do laugh at those (loons) who claimed we had no chance of going up when pardew left..

 

Er, have I criticised Adkins or just said that WE as a team should be dominating this league? We should be dominating this league if YOU were managing it ffs!

[70's Mike]

my feelings are from old school reports i had in the 60's

Could do better in areas I do not like, IE AWAY from SMS

[Wes Tender]

So far just too bloody inconsistent.

 

Really, we should be dominating this league. Our inability to put away teams with a fraction of our resources could come back to bite us. And we need to be winning all our home games - especially those against the top sides as this is our one major opportunity to close the gap on them or create one.

 

We don't look to me like a team who could go the remainder of the season unbeaten or who will win a long run of games. I hope I'm wrong on both counts but at present we look like an upper mid-table side. Contrast this with Brighton who haven't won for the past three games but are still topping the table and in truth should have beaten us courtesy of that penalty...

 

I expect us to get better as the season progresses and would be bitterly disappointed if we don't win the league.

 

We have been much more consistent recently and of course allowances have to be made by any reasonably sensible person for the repercussions following the departure of the former manager, as time is required to bed in the new manager.

 

Currently, now those adjustments have taken place, we ARE dominating this league and if we continued in the same vein as the past several matches, we will be comfortably home and dry.

 

And for one who is usually so measured in his comments, I'm surprised that you quote the example of Brighton, who despite not winning the past three games, are still topping the table. But presumably you don't accept that if that current form of theirs from the last three games continued, they might well be relegated at the end of the season. OK for them to have a hiccup, but not us, eh? Yes, they might have beaten us had they scored the penalty, but they didn't. Whether that is because of a briliant save by Kelvin, or an awful shot from Woods, or whether the penalty should have even been awarded, or why we weren't given one for the foul on Lallana, these are all part of the season's ups and downs and what counts is the points won or lost. Other than the penalty, we dominated them for much of the game, so frankly Brighton doesn't hold up as a good example for how they are somehow better than us.

 

But I agree totally with your last line.

[Legod Third Coming]

We have been much more consistent recently and of course allowances have to be made by any reasonably sensible person for the repercussions following the departure of the former manager, as time is required to bed in the new manager.

 

Currently, now those adjustments have taken place, we ARE dominating this league and if we continued in the same vein as the past several matches, we will be comfortably home and dry.

 

And for one who is usually so measured in his comments, I'm surprised that you quote the example of Brighton, who despite not winning the past three games, are still topping the table. But presumably you don't accept that if that current form of theirs from the last three games continued, they might well be relegated at the end of the season. OK for them to have a hiccup, but not us, eh? Yes, they might have beaten us had they scored the penalty, but they didn't. Whether that is because of a briliant save by Kelvin, or an awful shot from Woods, or whether the penalty should have even been awarded, or why we weren't given one for the foul on Lallana, these are all part of the season's ups and downs and what counts is the points won or lost. Other than the penalty, we dominated them for much of the game, so frankly Brighton doesn't hold up as a good example for how they are somehow better than us.

 

But I agree totally with your last line.

 

I think Brighton demonstrate that you can play badly and get a result if you're a decent team and that, because they have won games they SHOULD have won, they can now afford a wobble, whereas we can't.

I'd like to see us put poor teams to the sword that our resources should.

 

The last ten games, while offering good stats, tells only half the story. Look at our last five away games where a team of our stature and resources should really be achieving better results.

 

I don't hold Adkins up as wholly responsible for this (ie it's not a criticism yet) but soon we have to start being a genuinely dominant force. Holding up recent results doesn't really give me the confidence it should because while we hammered a poor Tranmere and Peterborough, we can't win away which we will need to do to win the league.

 

Watching us, I see a team that's doing ok but not as well as I would expect given the resources and players available. It could be the system, the tactics, the approach, I don't know but it's not clicking yet for me. I can't see a player on the park who inidividually wouldn't walk into any other League One team but we're not having the barnstormer I would have predicted regardless of manager.

 

Think about it:

 

Davis - best shot-stopper in the league

Fonte - best centre back?

Jaidi - easily good enough for this league

Richardson - voted Charlton player of the season. arguably best right back in the league

Harding/Dickson - easily two of the best left backs in the league

Morgan - good enough for French U21 (from League One)

Chaplow - championship standard

Chamberlain - we'll see

Lallana - probably the most skillful player in the league

Hammond - leaving my opinion aside, still walks into any other league one side I'm pretty sure

Lambert - best striker in the league last yeat

Barnard - second best...

 

Really, this is like taking the old Liverpool team of the 70s and dropping them into the Championship. If they didn't win that league at a canter you'd wonder what was going on. I'm wondering if we're really struggling as a club to adopt a winning/dominating mentality...

[doddisalegend]

There were some on here who stated categorically that the departure of Pardew and the resultant repercussions, had jeopardised our chances of promotion this season. I sincerely hope that they are at least starting to feel that their predictions are beginning to look a bit silly and premature. We are very much in the hunt. The hiccup we suffered can also happen to other team above us. We can take points off those teams, as can they take points away from each other. Other top teams can lose players through injuries, suspensions or in the January transfer window and we can bring in players who could propel us forward.

 

But at the very least we are playing far more attractive and entertaining football under Adkins than we were under Pardew and for that I am grateful.

 

Having been at the game today I can't say I agree two or three injuiries (plus a suspension) today haven't help our squad one bit. Also there was nothing attractive or etertaining about the football we played at todays match at all (apart from the classy Lallana). The football we're playing under Adkins is no different to the football we were playing under Pardew not matter how much some wish it was.

[John B]

I expected that we would be in a higher position other fans are happy where we are because they think we are playing better football which is fair enough but only time will tell if we get promoted.

 

I just dont think at the moment we have a squad which is going to get us into the top two but as I only watch a game a month I maybe wrong.

 

However if we get at least 10 points from the next four games I will extremely happy and will then think that we may indeed get into the top 2 by the end of the season

[NickG]

no, I think fans are happy because we, yet again, shot ourselves in the foot with a bad start with Pardew and terrible input under Wilkins.

 

Since then nearly all fans are happy with how it is going - and based on results - rightly so.

[John B]

I was hoping for Saints to have been higher in the League as I dont think the teams are as strong as last season

 

Sheff Wed lost to Swindon today so if we play as we have in recent weeks we will finish in the top six and hopefully in the top two

[The Majestic Channon]

no..but last season we were allowed to write off 10 games for pardew....hows about giving some adkins some slack this season...infact, he has made an immidiate impact and had no influence on the stupidness before that..

 

I do laugh at those (loons) who claimed we had no chance of going up when pardew left..

 

Which is pretty much what you said here http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?25290-Time-to-accept-that-it-is-unlikely-we-will-go-up&highlight=adkins loon

[Saint Fan CaM]

I think Brighton demonstrate that you can play badly and get a result if you're a decent team and that, because they have won games they SHOULD have won, they can now afford a wobble, whereas we can't.

I'd like to see us put poor teams to the sword that our resources should.

 

The last ten games, while offering good stats, tells only half the story. Look at our last five away games where a team of our stature and resources should really be achieving better results.

 

I don't hold Adkins up as wholly responsible for this (ie it's not a criticism yet) but soon we have to start being a genuinely dominant force. Holding up recent results doesn't really give me the confidence it should because while we hammered a poor Tranmere and Peterborough, we can't win away which we will need to do to win the league.

 

Watching us, I see a team that's doing ok but not as well as I would expect given the resources and players available. It could be the system, the tactics, the approach, I don't know but it's not clicking yet for me. I can't see a player on the park who inidividually wouldn't walk into any other League One team but we're not having the barnstormer I would have predicted regardless of manager.

 

Think about it:

 

Davis - best shot-stopper in the league

Fonte - best centre back?

Jaidi - easily good enough for this league

Richardson - voted Charlton player of the season. arguably best right back in the league

Harding/Dickson - easily two of the best left backs in the league

Morgan - good enough for French U21 (from League One)

Chaplow - championship standard

Chamberlain - we'll see

Lallana - probably the most skillful player in the league

Hammond - leaving my opinion aside, still walks into any other league one side I'm pretty sure

Lambert - best striker in the league last yeat

Barnard - second best...

 

Really, this is like taking the old Liverpool team of the 70s and dropping them into the Championship. If they didn't win that league at a canter you'd wonder what was going on. I'm wondering if we're really struggling as a club to adopt a winning/dominating mentality...

 

A good summary, but you've missed a couple of essential attributes that some teams in this division seem to acquire better than others for some reason...(a) grunt factor, and (b) cohesiveness. Let me explain...

 

(a) Grunt factor is the part of a players game that makes him think he is a superman such that he works his nuts off all game, closing opposition players down and generally making an absolute menace of himself.

(b) Cohesiveness is partly to do with the balance of player attributes in a team and partly to do with the manner in which the gaffer can make the team believe they are all better players as a result of being in HIS team as a team - i.e. regardless of ability individuals will not win games of football, but a cohesive team will.

 

IMO these are the components missing from some of our players right now and the reason why we're not achieving to a level that the stats tell us we should be. Incidentally, the Liverpool team you mention (or any other Prem team) would likely suffer humiliations in the CCC and that's largely due to other teams having a better team spirit, morale, work ethic etc. etc.

[Cabrone]

For me it was 2/10 pre NA and 8/10 post NA. Overall I'd say 6/10.

 

Biggest disappointment? Apart from our **** poor start it has to be RL's relative lack of goals. He was, is and will be the key to this season. If he can get back to last season's form we go up, if not then it's in the balance. Come on Ricky - we need you to start banging them in!

 

Biggest pluses? There are 2 for me.....

i) NA as manager. I like the guy and his football vision. Really liked it when he declined Saints till he got some compo for Scunny, shows he has some integrity.

ii) AOC, looks to be a real find. I hope we can keep hold of him for a few seasons yet as the lad looks like he could be very good indeed.

[John B]

I expected that we would be in a higher position other fans are happy where we are because they think we are playing better football which is fair enough but only time will tell if we get promoted.

 

I just dont think at the moment we have a squad which is going to get us into the top two but as I only watch a game a month I maybe wrong.

 

However if we get at least 10 points from the next four games I will extremely happy and will then think that we may indeed get into the top 2 by the end of the season

 

Well I am not happy now two home games no goals no points

 

I just think we are under performing big time

[saint lard]

We continue to underachieve and flatter to decieve.

 

Adkins is not the man to take us forward.

I remain steadfast in this view.

[Scudamore]

We continue to underachieve and flatter to decieve.

 

Adkins is not the man to take us forward.

I remain steadfast in this view.

 

So what exactly do you propose?

[Window Cleaner]

We continue to underachieve and flatter to decieve.

 

Adkins is not the man to take us forward.

I remain steadfast in this view.

 

 

 

You could be right, I am not certain that his jovial crap spouted every week about hard working honest players and talent pathways

are any more than just pointless soundbites. His sides do not seem to be able to beat good sides. His persistence with AOC who is far far from the finished product at the expense of Puncheon is questionable,we have too many injuries and the continued selection of Lambert just leaves me confused beyond reason.

[Dalek2003]

So what exactly do you propose?

 

Glenn Hoddle...surely.

[Scudamore]

Glenn Hoddle...surely.

 

He'd never get in ahead of Morgan Schneiderlin...

[saint lard]

So what exactly do you propose?

 

Unfortunately the damage was done when he was appointed.

 

He may still take us up one league,but any further than that no chance.

He was a very short sighted appointment.

Chopping and changing managers does no one any favours so we will have to stick with him and hope he manages to get something out of this squad.

I don't trust him with any available funds in the January transfer window either.

You would have to be very poor not to get this side out of this division.

[doddisalegend]

He'd never get in ahead of Morgan Schneiderlin...

 

I don't know even an old, out of shape Hoddle would still have offered more than Morgan did today............

[Scudamore]

I don't know even an old, out of shape Hoddle would still have offered more than Morgan did today............

 

Well that's because Schneiderlin should be playing for a Premier League team. Players that good don't look good in League One. He'd look a world beater in Arsenal's team apparently...not massively out of his depth at all...

[doddisalegend]

Well that's because Schneiderlin should be playing for a Premier League team. Players that good don't look good in League One. He'd look a world beater in Arsenal's team apparently...not massively out of his depth at all...

 

Last season I thought he was great the boy has some talent, but it appears he no longer wants to be here he just looks like he doesnt give a ****.

[sadoldgit]

After last year I as hoping to build on the momentum. However, without the fresh blood (read investment in the promotion push) we seem to be treading water. Last year I beleived that the people running the club were going for promotion big time. I don't get that feeling this year.

[adrian lord]

We could easily wind up finishing in a worse position come May this season under

Adkins than last season under Pardrew with the 10 points deduction.

[saint1977]

3/10 so far. Ponderous, one dimensional squad, manager full of cliches and from the sounds of it performances that are deteriorating towards 08/09 levels and I'd never thought I'd see that again. Perhaps being unable to travel to games at the moment has its advantages and hopefully by the time my bones have healed, we'll have got a load of new players with blistering pace and great attitude (Le Fondre, Weston, Harley) and the likes of Morgan S and chums will be long gone. When you consider that our idiots are by far the best paid in the league and have the best facilities, the league position is a disgrace. Cortese cannot be happy with what is seeing and major surgery is needed urgently. As for our coaches and manager, why are the same mistakes being made again, and again, and again? Morgan S and Hammond cannot play together, we know that from last season yet Gobern sits on the bench unused? We are left with one fit striker, well in Rickie's case that's a contradiction in terms! We have 3 good left backs and no wingers save for a promising yet overburdened 17 year old? Every fan in the f ucking stadium can see the side lacks pace but do we get some pace in the loan window? No, that would be logical!

[Turkish]

Well that's because Schneiderlin should be playing for a Premier League team. Players that good don't look good in League One. He'd look a world beater in Arsenal's team apparently...not massively out of his depth at all...

 

Absolutely. His 10 yard sideways passes to the oposition giving the ball away time after time wouldn't happen if he was playing against prmier league opposition with premier league players around him.

[Red&White]

Could do better, but we are going in the right direction.

 

 

I thought the same until the Brentford game

[Saint_clark]

Makes me laugh how these threads are always pulled back up after a defeat, but slide down the forum when we're winning.

[John B]

Makes me laugh how these threads are always pulled back up after a defeat, but slide down the forum when we're winning.

 

Well I am glad you think that it is a laughing matter

 

Nearly Christmas and we are only ninth in League 1

[Window Cleaner]

Well I am glad you think that it is a laughing matter

 

Nearly Christmas and we are only ninth in League 1

 

It's not about being 9th, it's the 7 defeats that we've suffered in less than half a season

AP 1 DW 3 NA 3 (being reasonable about MK Dons there) It's a shambles.

[Topcat]

I think that it is unreasonable to expect Adkins to get us automatic promotion. But Cortese's judgment was that getting rid of Pardew, waiting to select a replacement and then having Adkins for the rest of the season was a better bet than sticking with Pardew. Cortese made an irrational decision which has probably cost us more points than the 10 point deduction last season.

[Window Cleaner]

I think that it is unreasonable to expect Adkins to get us automatic promotion. But Cortese's judgment was that getting rid of Pardew, waiting to select a replacement and then having Adkins for the rest of the season was a better bet than sticking with Pardew. Cortese made an irrational decision which has probably cost us more points than the 10 point deduction last season.

 

I think it is unreasonable to expect Adkins to do anything at all. Mr Nice Guy but has no pedigree with competent players.

Harding out, Lambert crap, Morgan obviously just waiting to leave,Fonte blowing hot and cold,Puncheon gone, no place for Martin who was looking pretty handy, it's just a bunch of f*ckwit decisions.

 

We could have done better I think.

[Thedelldays]

lol..people saying adkins is mr nobody..

 

we are league 1 ffs...he dropped down to us..

 

some people really think we have a team full of "big name stars" lol

[Super_Uwe]

lol..people saying adkins is mr nobody..

 

we are league 1 ffs...he dropped down to us..

 

some people really think we have a team full of "big name stars" lol

 

Quite right.

 

Whether you like Nigel Adkins or not, he needs to be given the opportunity at least to buy his own players, sell the ones he doesn't want, and get the side firing on all cylinders ready for the season run-in.

 

I cannot believe for one second that, come Feb 1st, we will not have done anything to strengthen the squad and get rid of players that don't fit in.

 

We need to do well over Christmas to help compensate for that steaming cack of a result at the weekend, and provided we do pick up a few wins, we will no doubt be in the promotion mix. This is all we really need to worry about right now - making sure we are in contention rather than being 20 points clear at the top of the league with a goal difference of +576.