Saints 1 V 0 Bristol Rovers,post match sighs of relief..

[jam]

on the slide..

we created 23 fuking chances..?

 

 

posh created 13 and hudders created 9.....maybe we are all on the slide

 

Don't feed the troll.

[SaintBobby]

I'd even disagree with the not playing very well comment. We are playing some good, interesting football. Not champagne stuff, no real verve but our style of play is really coming together despite losing a bunch of important players to injury.

 

Well, if some asked me how we'd played over the last three games, I don't think my reply would be "very well".

 

So, I stick to saying we aren't playing very well.

 

But I agree we have some real strengths to our game. And I think we might be able to bulldoze our way through the last few games.

 

Our 2nd half performance today wasn't bad at all. If our central midfield could up their game a bit, I think we might just start to click.

 

Getting Lallana back would be a boost too. I'm sure we would have won today with some ease if he'd been on the pitch.

[dellboypete]

is this our very own Pete Conway?

 

If I'd known you were in town we could have met up!

 

dellboypete aka on the beach!!

[jam]

Thing is if Barney hadn't got injured we may have subbed Guly, good job Nigel had read the script.

Sounds like the sort of game only a piece of individual flair will win for you.

 

Guly was never going off. Forte was injured, did his hamstring when he had a chance in the box. I think he only stayed on so long because of Lambert doing similar then the Barnard situation.

[View From The Top]

Forte deffo signaled to the bench and held his hamstring after stretching to toe poke the ball just wide.

[Charlie Wayman]

Truth is guys Guly is an out-and-out striker not a winger or midfielder. He will always look poor playing a position he doesn't understand. Put him up front with Lambo and get him running into the channels and he'll score a hat-full of goals. On the wing / midfield he's wasted and it affects the balance of the team.

 

Only an idiot would play Rooney at centre-back where he'd look like a grade 1 plonker.

[jam]

Well, if some asked me how we'd played over the last three games, I don't think my reply would be "very well".

 

So, I stick to saying we aren't playing very well.

 

But I agree we have some real strengths to our game. And I think we might be able to bulldoze our way through the last few games.

 

Our 2nd half performance today wasn't bad at all. If our central midfield could up their game a bit, I think we might just start to click.

 

Getting Lallana back would be a boost too. I'm sure we would have won today with some ease if he'd been on the pitch.

 

Risking getting into semantics here but when I read 'not playing very well', I read that as playing poorly or getting through games rather than being unable to say 'they're playing very well'.

 

Anyway - and I'm not trying to pick you personally up on anything here - I think we are actually playing well ( from what I've seen in he last few home games). I think it's really coming together, although not quite coming off.

 

I've got a really good feeling about next season.

 

 

Providing we're in the right division...

Edited 16 April, 2011 by jam
Random text

[PhilippineSaint]

is this our very own Pete Conway?

 

If I'd known you were in town we could have met up!

 

dellboypete aka on the beach!!

 

I've been outed cheers Mr Williams

 

Send us an email and i'll get you a beer.

[brmbrm]

I thought fighting to stay in the league was torture enough, but I have forgotten how fighting to go the other way is just as nerve racking. There was a lot of frustration in Guly's strike he knew that he wasn't having his best game so putting that away seemed to have quite a lot behind it.

 

The lack of common sense award goes to the booking Forte picked up for catching the ball as it was about to go out over his head, yes it's the letter of the law but come on. A word in his ear was all that was needed.

 

I don't think it IS the letter of the law - if you are right then EVERY handball is either (a) a straight booking (yellow, or red if a goal scroing opportunity) or (b) accidental, in which case the law says it is not a free kick.

 

So watch MOTD and see if there are any handballs that don't get booked - of course there will be, same as there are fouls that don't get the yellopw card.

 

I am OK with referees making mistakes - we all do, including me. especilly me, some would say. But sheer inconsistnecy is a gross failing, and thats what todays "referee" showed.

[dellboypete]

I've been outed cheers Mr Williams

 

Send us an email and i'll get you a beer.

 

great to hear you are stiill around!! Made it out of west africa then!!!

[gammon cheeks]

We seem to be on the slide, Adkins post match interview was lunatic, he must have been at a different match to the one the rest of us saw. A man under very serious pressure from his boss it seems which would explain why he's becoming erratic.

 

Without Schneiderlin , Lallana & Chamberlain and now Barnard & Jaidi we are just a makeshift side, many players out of position and not knowing their roles; what scares me is it looks like it will be this way until the end of the season.

 

On today's showing absolutely no chance against Brighton and even the other four matches will be a struggle. I'm dreading the thought too of two play-off games against Rochdale.

 

Not the happiest of days despite the 3 points.

 

Its all about winning games at this stage of the season .......so we won today enjoy it and move on to the next bus.

[dellboypete]

I've been outed cheers Mr Williams

 

Send us an email and i'll get you a beer.

 

you still around for the h'pool match?

 

I'll drop you an email when I get time!!

 

Cheers for now

[SuperSAINT]

I'll take the win any way we can get it at this stage of the season. Rovers have been quite handy lately, and since we are without Lallana, Chambo & even Morgan, I think it was a brilliant win.

 

Real shame about Barney - I'm guessing this will mean Guly going back up top, with a Forte or N'guessan more game time. Connolly will no-way be able to play for long periods without getting injured.

 

We've got 7 days to get ready for the best team in the league. No reason why we can't get something from them.

[Rut]

The games are running out (for the other teams - not Saints!).

 

A desperate 'n' dirty 3 points was all that was required today. Mission accomplished.

 

Whether we are playing Brighton (title winners) or Plymouth (praps relegated) it ain't gonna be easy - but there's no reason at all why Saints can't win all their remaining 5 games.

 

Here's to going up! up! up!

[dellboypete]

apert from the excitement of phillipine saint (aka uaepete) being in town (we are old mates from the UAE).....

 

For me any win is a great win - especially at this time of the season.

 

But I was really concerned with our midfield. Nobody dominated. Too many balls given away.

 

I hope we can get Lallana back asap and morgan would be immense even for the last couple of games. These two are the most comfortable players on the ball I have seen in this division.

 

Dickson - I thought he had a poor game today - that's what I love about football, everyone sees things differenly.

 

Guly - you just never know what he is going to do next - amazing player - good or bad.

 

Connelly was my man of the match today. As soon as he came on he put a spark into saints play.

 

Can somebody xplain to me how rochdale beat us on tuesday and then lose at home to Brentford today?? football is so bizarre and unpredictable - I love it

[PhilippineSaint]

you still around for the h'pool match?

 

I'll drop you an email when I get time!!

 

Cheers for now

 

 

Will be attending this as well before departing back to darkest Africa see you there

[dellboypete]

Will be attending this as well before departing back to darkest Africa see you there

 

 

see you then - I'll email during the week

[Under Weststand]

End of the day the result is all that matters, but we seem to be staggering towards promotion rather than storming towards it. But if we stagger over the line we will all be happy.

Stagger on you Saints.

[dellboypete]

Will be attending this as well before departing back to darkest Africa see you there

 

 

see you then - I'll email during the week

[Thedelldays]

its not just saints who are staggering...

 

just been looking around various message board and huddersfield were apparently awful today...hoofball and created 9 chances..half not on target yet stole a win...

 

we created 23 chances, playing bad in parts (i guess) and that is it.....for some..?

[The Kraken]

Truth is guys Guly is an out-and-out striker not a winger or midfielder. He will always look poor playing a position he doesn't understand. Put him up front with Lambo and get him running into the channels and he'll score a hat-full of goals. On the wing / midfield he's wasted and it affects the balance of the team.

 

Only an idiot would play Rooney at centre-back where he'd look like a grade 1 plonker.

 

You may think so, but I very much disagree. Guly is (and has always seemed to me to be) a "number 10". And the problem with that is, in that position, you pretty much have to build a team around that type of player. MLT played in very much a similar position, but then he was such an incredible player that he justified having a team built around him. Guly doesn't have that presence and, for me, struggles to fit into a fixed position.

 

I certainly don't see him as a centre forward. He is at his best when running onto the ball in central areas. As a centre forward his back is facing the opposition goal much more and I don't think this plays to his strengths. His goal today I think typified the strenghth in his play, where he can burst through the defence from a slightly deeper position with his pace and skill. Ricky Lambert wouldn't have scpred that goal today, which highlights the difference between a centre forward and the number 10 role.

 

I'm still not sure whether we can bring the best out of Guly; he's obviously got a lot about him but unless he can be given freedom to operate in that position between the midfield and the strikers I don't think we'll ever see the best of him.

[Badger]

Guly is ok provided that he acts instinctively and doesn't have time to think about what to do.

 

Does he have to think about not falling over ?

 

Yes great goal but for much of the game he is a passenger.

[jam]

I don't think it IS the letter of the law - if you are right then EVERY handball is either (a) a straight booking (yellow, or red if a goal scroing opportunity) or (b) accidental, in which case the law says it is not a free kick.

 

So watch MOTD and see if there are any handballs that don't get booked - of course there will be, same as there are fouls that don't get the yellopw card.

 

I am OK with referees making mistakes - we all do, including me. especilly me, some would say. But sheer inconsistnecy is a gross failing, and thats what todays "referee" showed.

 

Deliberate handball = yellow card. Today's ref showed consistency with the rules and didn't have a choice as Forte handballed it with obvious intent right in front of Massey. If she hadn't flagged and he hadn't booked Forte then they'd have been in the ****.

 

I'm pretty sure that we won't see anyone on MOTD tonight handball it so blatantly deliberately when it is in play and get away with it.

 

For me, the problem is that managers whine endlessly that they want consistency and common sense, which is contradictory.

Edited 16 April, 2011 by jam

[Nexstar]

I have slated Guly for a few weeks now (still rightly so IMO), but I have never seen him as a winger, he doesn't have the pace or delivery as such. Centre-forward he's a decent player - doesn't need the blistering pace but needs vision and a fairly decent finish, and he can do both. From the wings he seem to struggle with these things. It's just been an unlucky month in terms of losing both our outstanding wingers and Guly being forced out wide.

[jam]

You may think so, but I very much disagree. Guly is (and has always seemed to me to be) a "number 10". And the problem with that is, in that position, you pretty much have to build a team around that type of player. MLT played in very much a similar position, but then he was such an incredible player that he justified having a team built around him. Guly doesn't have that presence and, for me, struggles to fit into a fixed position.

 

I certainly don't see him as a centre forward. He is at his best when running onto the ball in central areas. As a centre forward his back is facing the opposition goal much more and I don't think this plays to his strengths. His goal today I think typified the strenghth in his play, where he can burst through the defence from a slightly deeper position with his pace and skill. Ricky Lambert wouldn't have scpred that goal today, which highlights the difference between a centre forward and the number 10 role.

 

I'm still not sure whether we can bring the best out of Guly; he's obviously got a lot about him but unless he can be given freedom to operate in that position between the midfield and the strikers I don't think we'll ever see the best of him.

 

He's definitely a central player, either just off the striker or in midfield. Problem is it seems that Lambert likes to play just off the striker as well so if it's the two of them up front together then they have to take it in turns.

 

For my money, he (Guly) is most certainly not suited to playing out wide.

[jam]

I have slated Guly for a few weeks now (still rightly so IMO), but I have never seen him as a winger, he doesn't have the pace or delivery as such. Centre-forward he's a decent player - doesn't need the blistering pace but needs vision and a fairly decent finish, and he can do both. From the wings he seem to struggle with these things. It's just been an unlucky month in terms of losing both our outstanding wingers and Guly being forced out wide.

 

Interesting you say that about pace; I think he's got quite a turn of speed on him...

[david in sweden]

I remember a certain commentator remarking that Matt Le Tissier had done nothing all game but score two goals.

Guly, although not in Matt's league, is similar. He frustrates the hell out of you but has the abillity to do some very special things. He just won't please any supporter who rates someone on their ability to 'put in a shift'.

 

 

Almost sounds like one of those old " Lazy Rasiak " threads a few years. He frustrated the h*ll out of everyone, but still ended up with 20 important gaols that season.

If we win automatic promotion by 2 points, we may well be able to point to his (Guly) goal today as the deciding factor in our promotion to CCC.

[david in sweden]

Well, if some asked me how we'd played over the last three games, I don't think my reply would be "very well".

 

So, I stick to saying we aren't playing very well. QUOTE]

 

I don't think you have to play well to win games, just score one goal more than the opposition does.

 

In 50 years of Saints fan-ship I've seen us play the pants off some teams and still lose, but wins come from scoring most goals.

The rest as they say .." is only a statistic."

[Nexstar]

Interesting you say that about pace; I think he's got quite a turn of speed on him...

 

I say that in comparison to Lallana, AOC, Forte and Barnard.

 

He's not slow, but I don't think he utilises his pace. Like today, he'd get the ball and then slow down to walking pace or stop. I can't remember during the game when he really did a surging run forwards.

[SNSUN]

The two players in the centre of midfield are the main reason we are underperforming. Hammond, Stephens, Chaplow and Schneiderlin are just not strong enough. We play an enormous number of meaningless round robin passes that go nowhere and just invite the opposition to close us down because of the negative slowness of our play. Our two central midfielders basically hang around the centre circle, Stephens is neat and tidy, painfully deliberate and totally unambitious, whilst Hammond provides effort but little else and no leadership. We need leaders in central midfield showing the same basic football understanding that Connolly does naturally.

 

We were a different team late in the second half after Connolly came on. Connolly has a proper football brain and his movement and passing ability brought the best in football terms out of Guly and Lambert, which then involved other players like Dickson, Butterfield and N'Guessan. It is a crying shame that we had in Forte the quickest player on the field yet nobody played him in down the line. Invariably he was taking the ball square with the fullback trying to get outside him, instead of playing him down the line and getting up in support. If Connolly can stay fit we will be a better team. In footballing terms we still need two strong leaders in midfield.

 

Just floating this out there for comments, but could Connolly play in centre midfield? Quite a few strikers in the twilight of their careers adopt a deeper role, could he do a job there? Mark Hughes springs to mind. That'd be killing two birds with one stone. Too risky a time in the season perhaps, but an option?

[Pat from Poole]

he was a bloody idiot for trying to catch it, why? what was the point to let bristol take the throw in quickly? it was completely foolish and stupid of him.

 

I'm not convinced that Johnno Quick is the brightest of sparks.

[LGTL]

I say that in comparison to Lallana, AOC, Forte and Barnard.

 

He's not slow, but I don't think he utilises his pace. Like today, he'd get the ball and then slow down to walking pace or stop. I can't remember during the game when he really did a surging run forwards.

 

When he scored perhaps

 

I know what you mean though, he isn't an out and out winger but he does do a job. He's very good technically with the ball at his feet and would be effective through the middle.

[Pat from Poole]

The two players in the centre of midfield are the main reason we are underperforming. Hammond, Stephens, Chaplow and Schneiderlin are just not strong enough. We play an enormous number of meaningless round robin passes that go nowhere and just invite the opposition to close us down because of the negative slowness of our play. Our two central midfielders basically hang around the centre circle, Stephens is neat and tidy, painfully deliberate and totally unambitious, whilst Hammond provides effort but little else and no leadership. We need leaders in central midfield showing the same basic football understanding that Connolly does naturally.

 

We were a different team late in the second half after Connolly came on. Connolly has a proper football brain and his movement and passing ability brought the best in football terms out of Guly and Lambert, which then involved other players like Dickson, Butterfield and N'Guessan. It is a crying shame that we had in Forte the quickest player on the field yet nobody played him in down the line. Invariably he was taking the ball square with the fullback trying to get outside him, instead of playing him down the line and getting up in support. If Connolly can stay fit we will be a better team. In footballing terms we still need two strong leaders in midfield.

 

I agree with much of this. Dale Stephens is an odd one, and I wonder how he managed to score so many goals for Oldham this season. He doesn't look like a player who can really impose himself on a game. So many times today we were looking for a midfielder to make runs to support the front two, we are having to rely entirely on Hammond for this.

[suewhistle]

Will be attending this as well before departing back to darkest Africa see you there

 

Oi, stop confusing us, or change your name!;-)

[NickG]

Truth is guys Guly is an out-and-out striker not a winger or midfielder. He will always look poor playing a position he doesn't understand. Put him up front with Lambo and get him running into the channels and he'll score a hat-full of goals. On the wing / midfield he's wasted and it affects the balance of the team.

 

Only an idiot would play Rooney at centre-back where he'd look like a grade 1 plonker.

 

but put Rooney behind striker or wider (as Fergie does) and he does ok!

 

Agree Guly did best upfront with Rickie

[Appy]

Worst ref of the season.

 

ABYSMAL.

 

Very big win though.

[um pahars]

I agree with much of this. Dale Stephens is an odd one, and I wonder how he managed to score so many goals for Oldham this season. He doesn't look like a player who can really impose himself on a game. So many times today we were looking for a midfielder to make runs to support the front two, we are having to rely entirely on Hammond for this.

 

I quite agree. I kept an eye out for our new signing and most of the first half found myself wincing!!!!!

 

Picked up in the second half, so hopefully he's still finding his feet (otherwise I think I might struggle to see where he gets those goals and rave reviews from).

[um pahars]

on the slide..

we created 23 fuking chances..?

 

And what did you think of those chances???

 

Don't want to get too lairy, but if you weren't at the match then looking at stats (or even listening in) means fook all.

[Pat from Poole]

Worst ref of the season.

 

ABYSMAL.

 

Very big win though.

 

 

He was shocking. As he was up at Walsall. To not book the guy who hacked at Hammond's Achilles but then book Forte was laughable. And to give the ball to Rovers' keeper after the Barnard / Bristol Rovers player joint booking when we were in a really good attacking position FFS.........

[K,Billy's supersound]

And what did you think of those chances???

 

Don't want to get too lairy, but if you weren't at the match then looking at stats (or even listening in) means fook all.

 

tbh we had some were very good chances. barnard, fonte, lambert and forte all had good chances to score with headers. guly on the volley. lambert with a strike from outside the box. forte when through on goal stabbing it wide. forte with another header at far post. on another day we could have won 3/4-0.

[Red and White Army]

And what did you think of those chances???

 

Don't want to get too lairy, but if you weren't at the match then looking at stats (or even listening in) means fook all.

 

To be fair you were at the game yet managed to slate Dickson when everyone else thinks he was great and some even thought he was the MoM. I would be careful about chucking stones when you live in a glass house! dumb pahars has been absent for a while and we don't want to see him return.

[um pahars]

tbh we had some were very good chances. barnard, fonte, lambert and forte all had good chances to score with headers. guly on the volley. lambert with a strike from outside the box. forte when through on goal stabbing it wide. forte with another header at far post. on another day we could have won 3/4-0.

 

Looking back I think there were a few decent chances. As you say Lamberts free header up the Chapel and Forte stabbing wide at the same end. Forte's header up the other end looked as though he scuffed it a bit!!!, but Guly's early effort was well saved. We probably were better than my initial thoughts, but I still felt we were misfiring and given the squad we really should be playing better.

 

But seeing it in the flesh is not the same as listening on the radio, and it does annoy me somewhat how people can be so cutting or opinionated when they didn't even go. There will always be a difference of opinions from those who go, let alone those who just look at the BBC website.

Edited 16 April, 2011 by um pahars

[um pahars]

To be fair you were at the game yet managed to slate Dickson when everyone else thinks he was great and some even thought he was the MoM. I would be careful about chucking stones when you live in a glass house! dumb pahars has been absent for a while and we don't want to see him return.

 

Slate??? And there I was thinking this was football forum where people could share their thoughts and opinions on the game they had just seen.

 

FWIW, I was 100% behind every player at the match today as I am at all the matches I go to. I find nothing controversial in giving my all to the team at the game and then being honest about how I feel afterwards. Football is all about opinions and I'm sure we'll never always agree on how players played.

 

However, your little digs just make you look like a ****.

[Red and White Army]

Well Steve I think we're all capable of reading your posts and seeing your petty little agendas when what you write is so clearly out of sync with what the rest of the world sees. And I didn't question your support at the games, I wonder why you thought I did?

[Andyb1]

We seem to be on the slide, Adkins post match interview was lunatic, he must have been at a different match to the one the rest of us saw. A man under very serious pressure from his boss it seems which would explain why he's becoming erratic.

 

Without Schneiderlin , Lallana & Chamberlain and now Barnard & Jaidi we are just a makeshift side, many players out of position and not knowing their roles; what scares me is it looks like it will be this way until the end of the season.

 

On today's showing absolutely no chance against Brighton and even the other four matches will be a struggle. I'm dreading the thought too of two play-off games against Rochdale.

 

Not the happiest of days despite the 3 points.

 

you´re a ****... I´d be surprised if you have many happy days..

[um pahars]

Well Steve I think we're all capable of reading your posts and seeing your petty little agendas when what you write is so clearly out of sync with what the rest of the world sees. And I didn't question your support at the games, I wonder why you thought I did?

 

Petty Little agendas??? LMFAO. I think Dickson should have been more adventurous in the first half and pushed on a bit and you interpret that as a part of a grand plan to undermine the Club.

 

You're coming acorss as a right **** LMFAO.

[Griffo]

What ****ing idiot just text into the Football League to say it was a great win today and that Adkins should be knighted..

[LGTL]

It was more important then great! Sir Nige does have a ring to it though...

[Crab Lungs]

I didn't go today but the centre of midfield always seems to be a problem. If it is the midfield, it would almost certainly be the "blend" we have.

 

By the looks of things, the nearest thing we have to the correct blend is the Schneiderlin/Hammond partnership with the rest of the pairings almost a much of a muchness. Shame we didn't go for a Graham Kavanagh type player in the window but I'm confident we've got enough to just see us over the line.

[woodsaint]

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/javaImages/ad/5a/0,,10280~9591469,00.jpg

 

Danny butterfield is hard as nails lol!!