Saints v Mk Dons,post match dissection...

[Upton72]

Cracking game, MKD, 2 attempts, 2 goals; the first, our marker, possibly Lambert ended up on his backside, the second, Butterfield lost him for pace, might have been a slight deflection but I don't think KD ever expected the lad to get through. Butterfield is a very good tackler and no one can fault his application this season but those with speed exploit his lack of pace. I thought Richardson did a fine job when he came on and it'll be a tough call for NA on Tuesday for RB.

The changes made by NA, coupled with the enforced departure of Baldock, put MKD on the back foot. To be fair their sub up front looked sharp and gave us some trouble.

Lambert did what so many on this forum don't appreciated, he had a major part in all three goals. Centre across to Forte; pinpoint pass to Lallana who controlled it as perhaps only he can and sent Harding through on the overlap that the goalie spilled, slipped the ball through to Barnard for the third.

All credit to Forte for being in the right place.

If you think team spirit will have a lot to do with it, just look on the OS while Barnard is running to celebrate, there's Lambert, fists clenched giving a "we've done it".

Very nervous last 5 minutes and that free kick that hit the bar makes you think of a "defining moment"

Some of the earlier comments are worth repeating, particularly about the impact coming from 2-0 down to win 3-2 does, not only for the team's confidence but a result like that frightens other promotion contenders and does anyone think NA will have a job motivating them for Tuesday night. They'd have played today if they could!

There's still a job to do and, I suspect we'll lose again; but never doubt their will to win.

[Thedelldays]

And I wonder when you don't go, how you have the neck to make a comment. I expect a bloody sight better than the abysmal display of the first hour yesterday. We got out of jail but that doesn't mean we are going to be able to continue doing it. We are scraping by and unless we improve we could come a cropper.

so, what about all those who have come back and posted here saying we were not bad and at times opened them up in the first period....?

 

scraping by....5 wins a row at home...yeah, that will do me

[Professor]

As one of those not at the game yesterday, thanks to everyone for the info posted on this thread. A real insight into a game I missed and genuinely appreciated.

 

I was actually on a 12 mile walk along the Wylye Valley and when I checked the score about 4.30 Brighton were 2-1 up and we were 2-1 down. Got to the end of the walk in Warminster at 5pm and checked again to confirm the sad news - AND COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! Well done Saints, Adkins, Fans, just brilliant.

[Whitey Grandad]

I wouldn't call Adkins changes inspired, as even I could see that Chaplow and Butterfield were clear weak links. But either way, the changes did swing the game decisively our way.

 

Does Jaidi ever miss a ball?! His success rate is ridiculous.

 

Also... time to drop Lambert.

 

Having seen the highlights, I suspect he was at fault for their first goal, but otherwise superb.

[Appy]

I wouldn't call Adkins changes inspired, as even I could see that Chaplow and Butterfield were clear weak links. But either way, the changes did swing the game decisively our way.

 

Does Jaidi ever miss a ball?! His success rate is ridiculous.

 

Also... time to drop Lambert.

 

2 assists suggests otherwise.

 

Rickie is here to stay.

 

Deal with it.

[Give it to Ron]

And I wonder when you don't go, how you have the neck to make a comment. I expect a bloody sight better than the abysmal display of the first hour yesterday. We got out of jail but that doesn't mean we are going to be able to continue doing it. We are scraping by and unless we improve we could come a cropper.

 

Sorry Dave thats rubbish, I normally agree with a lot you say but for the first 15-20 minutes yesterday we played some good stuff.

I have been concerened for ages about our 2 wide men leaving us out battled in the middle but yesterday we started really well.

The only thing missing was the final ball(Harding being the main culprit...why doesn't he ever look up and pick someone out?).

No way were we abysmal for an hour.

[NickG]

it is rubbish. I posted from the game at half time that its funny, some posters been moaning that we have not been playing pretty just winning - first half (certainly first half hour) we played some lovely football - some of the best of the season - but were losing!!

 

Couldn't care if we don't improve at all - if we carry on like we are we will walk promotion

[doddisalegend]

Sorry Dave thats rubbish, I normally agree with a lot you say but for the first 15-20 minutes yesterday we played some good stuff.

I have been concerened for ages about our 2 wide men leaving us out battled in the middle but yesterday we started really well.

The only thing missing was the final ball(Harding being the main culprit...why doesn't he ever look up and pick someone out?).

No way were we abysmal for an hour.

 

More like 5-6 minutes I don't think I've every agreed with Derry about anything but we really were not that good until we scored. We won and the final 30 was really good but the idea we were playing well and were un lucky to go behind is false IMO. Also I can't agree about Harding maybe if our players were actually getting into the oppositions box his crosses would be more effective they were a good deal more dangerous that Butterfield's aimless cross field passes to no one in particular.

 

At the end of the day we turnned it around and won and left SMS hoarse and very happy, 3pts move on hope we give the diamond a rest.

[beatlesaint]

Goal keeper in "Beaten by a Deflection Shocker"

 

Quite a few more respected posters had a dig on here at KD about his being beaten. Yet NA and the press reports tell us it came off Butters foot.

 

TBH the day that a Goalkeeper starts to check his angles so that he can cover a shot AND a deflection......

 

Just shows that in football what you see or what you hear isn't always what happened.

 

More worryingly, why did all our at the match reporters and Solent crew forget to tell us who was at fault for their first goal. NA clearly blames ONE player for not doing his marking job, yet no attempt to find who that player was and then criticise him and dig at him in the way that many have (WRONGLY in this case)had digs at KD

 

Oh and it's all on the OS in NA's reaction if you need a link to find that WTF are you doing on this forum?

 

yeah of course, sorry, your view in Dubai on a computer screen was a lot better than mine, sat in line with the shot. The deflection, if there was one, was slight to say the least and the gap left was not slight. I did go on to say he had a better more assured game than recently so wind your neck in and what the hell you are talking about with NA's comments on the OS is beyond me.

 

Sorry if expressing the opinion that our goalkeeper has a weakness when it comes to near post shots from an angle upsets you but its only my opinion...and that of a fair few others who dont come anywhere near this website. And if you read it properly you will see I am not only referring to yesterdays game.

 

Seems the real experts are those that dont go to games and live in bloody Austria or Dubai.........

Edited 3 April, 2011 by beatlesaint

[um pahars]

More like 5-6 minutes I don't think I've every agreed with Derry about anything but we really were not that good until we scored. We won and the final 30 was really good but the idea we were playing well and were un lucky to go behind is false IMO.

 

Would certainly say "not very good" as opposed to "abysmal" (a tad harsh), but I would also take exception with NickG's view that we were playing lovely football.

 

The formation in the first part of the game was wrong, too many players couldn't play in it, we didn't have enough width and the midfield was overcrowded. Guly and others were trying one sexy pass too many and too many were making the wrong choices in the final third. We never had a clear chance in the first half and can't remember their keeper making a save in anger. MK Dons didn't threaten either, but then again they were happy with a point until they went ahead.

[Charlie Wayman]

Excellent fightback, well done Forte & Barnard

[doddisalegend]

Would certainly say "not very good" as opposed to "abysmal" (a tad harsh), but I would also take exception with NickG's view that we were playing lovely football.

 

The formation in the first part of the game was wrong, too many players couldn't play in it, we didn't have enough width and the midfield was overcrowded. Guly and others were trying one sexy pass too many and too many were making the wrong choices in the final third. We never had a clear chance in the first half and can't remember their keeper making a save in anger. MK Dons didn't threaten either, but then again they were happy with a point until they went ahead.

 

Yep I think thats a fair summary

[ringwood]

quite right, not a clear cut opportunity on the keeper in that first part of the game, too many players didn't fit the plan Guly looked lost only AL getting thru the running and DH in midfield held it together.

[Jonnyboy]

I wouldn't call Adkins changes inspired, as even I could see that Chaplow and Butterfield were clear weak links. But either way, the changes did swing the game decisively our way.

 

Does Jaidi ever miss a ball?! His success rate is ridiculous.

 

Also... time to drop Lambert.

 

Butterfield played very well.

[SaintBobby]

Sorry to dissent. I thought we were pretty good for the first 60 minutes.

 

Not great. Not inspiring. But if you'd shown me the first 60 minutes on video and then said "we've deleted the footage of any goals", I would have reasonably guessed we were a goal or two ahead.

 

I simply can't get my head around some poster(s) saying the first half display was amongst the worst he's ever seen us play. It's not even the worst I've seen us play in the last 14 days.

 

I guess there's always a tendency to hyperbolise amongst fans. I'm prone to it too.

 

I've probably watched about 400 Saints games in person and maybe another 50+ on TV. But I still find myself saying "that was the dullest game ever" or "that was the unluckiest defeat ever" or "that was the most pitiful surrender ever" or "that was the most amazing comeback ever".

 

The truth is that we exaggerate in the moment (this is captured better on SWF than at a live game because there's an audit trail).

 

The game on Saturday was probably in the top 10% of Saints games I've seen for entertainment. But it wasn't even the best comeback I've seen.

[John Boy Saint]

Butterfield played very well.

 

+1

 

Some folks must be watching another game Butterfields crossfield balls consistently find a Saints player, invariably bringing the crowds favourite, Lallana into play in space created by the sudden switch of play. Fonte (who many accuse of hoofing aimlessly) try's the same ball and normally over plays it, that's why knowing this Fonte passes the ball to Butterfield to execute the pass instead of him.

 

Butterfield might not be the most glamourous of players, but it always comes back to Lawrie Mac's team analogy: "A good team is made up of roadsweepers and Violinists".

[chrisobee]

Just skimmed a few posts....

 

Are people having a go at KD again?.... **** me, some fans are stupid.

 

Yep, he had little chance with either goal. I doubt Peter Shilton would have saved the 2nd !

[West End Saint]

Great fight back thought we played well first 20 mins but not for the first time if we dont score when on top we lose momentum we didnt deserve to be 2 down but at that score with 28 mins to go I couldnt see us winning.

 

Fair play to NA he got the subs right Forte took his 1st goal well then there seemed to be a spark we knew we could get something from the game & the Dons started to panic the crowd got right behind the team Forte right place to tap in & a very good finish from Barny.

 

I thought Lambo did well an assist for two of our goals great come back great game cant wait for Tuesday

[Norm]

Sorry to dissent. I thought we were pretty good for the first 60 minutes.

 

Not great. Not inspiring. But if you'd shown me the first 60 minutes on video and then said "we've deleted the footage of any goals", I would have reasonably guessed we were a goal or two ahead.

 

I simply can't get my head around some poster(s) saying the first half display was amongst the worst he's ever seen us play. It's not even the worst I've seen us play in the last 14 days.

 

I guess there's always a tendency to hyperbolise amongst fans. I'm prone to it too.

 

I've probably watched about 400 Saints games in person and maybe another 50+ on TV. But I still find myself saying "that was the dullest game ever" or "that was the unluckiest defeat ever" or "that was the most pitiful surrender ever" or "that was the most amazing comeback ever".

 

The truth is that we exaggerate in the moment (this is captured better on SWF than at a live game because there's an audit trail).

 

The game on Saturday was probably in the top 10% of Saints games I've seen for entertainment. But it wasn't even the best comeback I've seen.

 

 

 

Sorry but this too sensible a post for many on here! I often wonder if I'm going senile with my thoughts on a game, when I come home and read some posters view of the same game I just witnessed!

 

I sat with my grandson and we both thought it was a great game of football (for excitement). Sat next to us was a family on a first visit to SMS and England (from Reno USA) and they were thrilled with the game and result. More of the same will do for me on Tues, please.

[John Boy Saint]

Sat next to us was a family on a first visit to SMS and England (from Reno USA) and they were thrilled with the game and result. More of the same will do for me on Tues, please.

 

I could settle for a tad less!

Forte's loopy 2 minutes whipped up the crowd for the remainder of the game capped with Barney slotting the winner..................... I was buzzing for ages on Saturday evening: Not the best for a work night!!

[Liquidshokk]

Just watched the highlights for a third time and got over excited like a child yet again :-D not great when at work!

[Teddy Nutkins]

I have just sifted my way through this thread and have to say , i have never ever seen such a diverse set of opinions about a football match.I came away from the ground elated at the comeback and being part of such an exciting 2nd half.

Saints are not firing on all cylinders, at all times, at the moment and to be honest not many teams do at this late stage in the season, with so much at stake.But boy what a fightback.

 

FWIW, i thought we did ok at times during the game and it took a lot of character to come back from being 2-0 down. Strangely when we were 2-0 down the game was crying out for us to strengthen our right side, so i guess it worked with jono coming on to score the two goals, although if i were him i would choose some lottery numbers for the next draw, pdq.

 

I also thought at times Gully and Lambert were trying to play in similar spaces, which confused matters at times so when we did revert back to "norm", we looked a little more balanced.Special mention for a special player Adam Lallana, fantastic 2nd half display which lifted everyone to believe we could rescue the game, the lad never stopped running and fighting for the cause.

 

I want to touch briefly on MK's goals, all through my playing days i was told that your 6 yard box was there for the goalkeeper to command and on that basis never complained when our keeper punched me in the back of the head trying to get the ball, harsh on Kelvin Davis, jury's out, the ball came in with pace, but it would have been good to see him compete.

The other thing i was told, was that a good keeper will always cover his near post, deflection, unlucky, i don't know but it didn't happen and it caused a long hard fight to get back in the game.

All in all enjoyed the game and look forward to Charlton and Orient games, it's good being a Saints fan at the moment all be it, tense.

[The9]

Kelv's positioning was poor for that second. He gave the guy a yard to aim at near-side and just didn't come out far enough to narrow the angle - he got it all wrong. Even more annoyingly I actually called the goal as the ball was played into the box because I could see (from a not particularly great angle in the Northam) that the near post was open. On the tv the gap looked much bigger than I was expecting too.

 

If there was a deflection it was minimal, he should have at least got something on it even if he was expecting it to go across his body and it didn't.

 

Can't blame him for the first, the corner came in so fast he wouldn't have had time to judge it.

[The9]

I wouldn't call Adkins changes inspired, as even I could see that Chaplow and Butterfield were clear weak links. But either way, the changes did swing the game decisively our way.

 

Does Jaidi ever miss a ball?! His success rate is ridiculous.

 

Also... time to drop Lambert.

 

Chaplow, yes - poor, though a bit out of position. The lack of pace to exploit Lewington, yes, obvious - and it was even more glaringly obvious to us based on what Antonio had done to Lewington last season when we beat them 4 times, but Adkins wasn't the manager then.

 

Butterfield played pretty well though. You can't expect full backs to be able to catch strikers when the ball's played inside them, most of the time the CB should be responsible as he SHOULD be between the ball and the goal even after the through ball.

 

Having been critical of Lambert over the last few weeks for his performances in the last few months, I think his touch was pretty good on Saturday and unlike a lot of our players his passes weren't going awry. But he really does need to stop being the bloke crossing it, and when he IS in the middle, he needs to attack the box much more instead of hanging around in positions outside the area where the ball isn't going to come to him. I can only assume that's lack of fitness.

[The9]

Goal keeper in "Beaten by a Deflection Shocker"

 

Quite a few more respected posters had a dig on here at KD about his being beaten. Yet NA and the press reports tell us it came off Butters foot.

 

TBH the day that a Goalkeeper starts to check his angles so that he can cover a shot AND a deflection......

 

I've now seen that goal 6 times as well as live from right in front of me (when I didn't see any deflection either), Butterfield was absolutely at full stretch with his studs barely getting near enough to affect the ball at all, and with the pace of the strike it's impossible to see if there was even a deflection - if there was one it barely changed the path of the ball and it certainly wasn't a factor in Kelvin leaving a yard gap at the near post to begin with.

 

But it is a handy way for Butterfield to say "I closed him down tightly enough" and Davis and Adkins to both insinuate that the keeper did his job, when actually it was a complete non-factor in the goal.

[DrZuess1979 the 2nd]

Can`t fault Kelv for the 2nd, Baldock was not coming at him from and angle, he was head on. If kelv had covered his near post he`d have left himself wide open !

 

And anyway it was deflected

[saint1977]

My version of events is that for 60 minutes we were far too narrow against a decent and well-organised MK unit with Baldock always a threat. Kelvin will be disappointed with both the goals and would probably put his hand up, should have competed at least for the first one and didn't get a clear view of the second one from where I sit having now seen it on TV his positioning was not sound. I like Chaplow but Stephens should be getting a full debut tomorrow night as Chaplow is an energy player and the petrol light is flashing. Guly needs more practice games to get sharp, he could do a job from the bench but the injury really disrupted the run of form he was on.

 

What a comeback though and great spirit from the boys who went mental when it was back to 2-2 and then 3-2. This will be a huge asset in the weeks ahead. I nearly burst blood vessels celebrating Barnard's winner. Forte did what impact players should do - he stretched a tired back 4 and exposed Lewington as Antonio did last year. The goals from Forte were a huge bonus and Barnard's finish was superb under that pressure but credit to MK, they kept at us and Leven's superb free kick stayed out thankfully! I think we have to say that's a good 3 points, MK beat Posh and Hudds still have to go there yet.

[Pat from Poole]

Chaplow, yes - poor, though a bit out of position. The lack of pace to exploit Lewington, yes, obvious - and it was even more glaringly obvious to us based on what Antonio had done to Lewington last season when we beat them 4 times, but Adkins wasn't the manager then.

 

Butterfield played pretty well though. You can't expect full backs to be able to catch strikers when the ball's played inside them, most of the time the CB should be responsible as he SHOULD be between the ball and the goal even after the through ball.

 

Having been critical of Lambert over the last few weeks for his performances in the last few months, I think his touch was pretty good on Saturday and unlike a lot of our players his passes weren't going awry. But he really does need to stop being the bloke crossing it, and when he IS in the middle, he needs to attack the box much more instead of hanging around in positions outside the area where the ball isn't going to come to him. I can only assume that's lack of fitness.

 

 

Adkins wasn't the manager then, but Wilkins was at the club, so if Wilkins didn't pass on that info to Adkins he's a plank. If he did and Adkins chose not to take notice of it, Adkins is the plank. Albeit a lucky plank.

[OldNick]

Having been critical of Lambert over the last few weeks for his performances in the last few months, I think his touch was pretty good on Saturday and unlike a lot of our players his passes weren't going awry. But he really does need to stop being the bloke crossing it, and when he IS in the middle, he needs to attack the box much more instead of hanging around in positions outside the area where the ball isn't going to come to him. I can only assume that's lack of fitness.

it seemed to me that Lambert was playing as a wide man , not as a centre forward. i do agree he should be bursting inot the box to help or at least be a threat. What astounds me is the amount of times the ball goes to the back post and all our forwards are at the front post. Surely it is not impossible to get one of the players to make the back post a priority while the other is at the front post.

LB whilst working hard does not have the fire or pace to cause problems. Only when the game is stretched at the end if the opposition are taking risks does he seem to be in the game. I may be being unfair, as I dont dislike him, but i thought the sub they brought on was a constent niggle to us and looked sharp and dangerous. Grass is always greener i suppose