Recurring theme

[Verbal Kint]

Simon Grayson after the Leeds game:

 

"It was a shock to the system considering how well we played six days before against Newcastle, when we had energy, passion, desire. We had none of that. Too many players went out to do their own thing and not what we told them and that’s where we’ve come unstuck"

 

Keith Hill after the Barnsley game:

 

"It was not very good, it was not a reflection of Keith Hill or a Keith Hill team. I'm not angry, just very disappointed. Southampton are a good side but we did not perform, individually or collectively."

 

Paul Jewell last night:

 

"I'm lost for words. We looked frightened to death and I don't know where some of our defending came from. We gave them too much space and defended desperately."

 

Have we been that impressive or have we been lucky to come up against three sides who simply didn't turn up?

[sussexsaint]

Please tell me Keith Hill didn't refer to himself as 'Keith Hill'

[thorpie the sinner]

prob bit of both!

[Dig Dig]

Please tell me Keith Hill didn't refer to himself as 'Keith Hill'

 

I think he said the same thing or something very similar last night as well!

[stevegrant]

I always think it's difficult to outplay your opposition while only putting in an average performance.

 

Leeds were crap from start to finish, in mitigation they had nothing up front and their defence was crap last season as well, but we played well.

Barnsley picked the wrong system, I think, as shown by the improvement they showed when they brought Noble-Lazarus and Vaz Te off the bench, but they've still not actually scored a goal of their own yet in 4 games (their opener against Boro last night was an own goal), so they'll probably struggle.

I actually thought Ipswich played quite well for most of the game, created plenty of chances and on another day might have had 4 goals themselves, but we were clinical when we needed to be and attacking them on the break caused them no end of problems at the back.

[stevegrant]

Please tell me Keith Hill didn't refer to himself as 'Keith Hill'

He did. Nothing more than a manager who refers to himself in the third person.

[Saint Garrett]

Yes the teams havent played well...but does anyone else think thast because we've come out the blocks fast and completely surprised the opposition and they just havent had an answer to our movement etc.

[shurlock]

Not sure what else they can say -would you expect Nige saying anything different if we had been tonked? Every manager focuses on what his team's done or what it could have done differently - control the controllables and all that.

Edited 17 August, 2011 by shurlock

[niceandfriendly]

Have we been that impressive or have we been lucky to come up against three sides who simply didn't turn up?

 

With each quote I read in the OP my grin got slightly larger, knowing (thinking) that the reason these managers are saying these things about their sides is because we made them look bad.

 

Plus, I've managed to watch the full 90 minutes of both the Leeds and the Barnsley games online and yes, we have been that impressive.

[dronskisaint]

I think they all played as well as we let them...quality-wise I think Ipswich have been the better of the three but they were carved open with such ease that they spent all but about 20 minutes of the game cr*pping themselves.

 

I didn't see the Barnsley game so only going by the comments of those who did and Solent's commentary but until Chaplow went off I don't think they had a shot...that smacks of not being allowed to?

 

I certainly think Leeds were surprised..not sure how well they'd done their homework but we looked fitter, hungrier, cohesive and inventive...they simply couldn't cope and the Revie gene kicked in and they became dirty f*cking Leeds again.

 

We should acceppt the credit given to us...not getting too carried away at this early stage but loving it nevertheless...last night we were virtually unstoppable at times-with the bounce of the ball and a couple of inches the other way and Ipswich would have been sporting a third orifice!!

[Liquidshokk]

He did. Nothing more than a manager who refers to himself in the third person.

 

So glad Adkins stopped that once he was confirmed as manager.

 

"At this moment in time Nigel Adkins is s****horpes manager"

[Saint Garrett]

To be fair, I've heard Saints fans say we weren't AMAZING that day, just every single thing we touched turned to gold.

[stevegrant]

Remember when Wolves fans and McCarthy thought they'd played well and could have got something out the game, but we won 6-0? That was funny.

They were right as well

[Mister Neil]

To be fair, I've heard Saints fans say we weren't AMAZING that day, just every single thing we touched turned to gold.

 

Too True. It was the most even 6-0 drubbing I've ever had the pleasure to watch.

[Draino76]

This is a very 'Draino76' type of thread. Very well written with some interesting comments.

[Ian the Red]

This season we have simply not allowed the opposition to play; when we have had the ball we have been able to threaten. We do not give the ball away that often, and made the other teams chase us. Its the lame mangers excuss for being outplayed for a large amount of the game. 56% posession against Ipswich says it all. We could have had 7 or 8 last night and it would not have flattered us. We should have had many more than the one against Barnsley. Ipswich has been the only team to continually threaten us and to be fair, they deserved their 3 goals. I do believe we have created our luck by playing as a team, a unit, creating numerous chances and taking those opportunites at crucial points in the game. The test now is consistancy. If we continue to play like this then, well, who knows were we will finish....... but there will only be the likes of West Ham and Leicester that will be able to live with us....

[Ohio Saint]

I've taken to listening to the opposition commentators on match day rather than our own. They paint a much better picture of the game than any manager will. The managers have to consider their side's morale when they talk. The commentators don't, and based on their commentaries, we are destroying the other teams for large parts of the games, rather than the other teams not turning up.

[sambosa75]

If our opposition managers want to put it down to a collective bad day at the office, let them. The more managers that come out and say "we were totally outplayed, Southampton are favourites for promotion" the more other sides will sit up, take notice of us and begin parking the team bus a la League 1. I'm happy for other sides to fancy their chances against us because I know we have players capable of picking them off.

[Saint Garrett]

This season we have simply not allowed the opposition to play; when we have had the ball we have been able to threaten. We do not give the ball away that often, and made the other teams chase us. Its the lame mangers excuss for being outplayed for a large amount of the game. 56% posession against Ipswich says it all. We could have had 7 or 8 last night and it would not have flattered us. We should have had many more than the one against Barnsley. Ipswich has been the only team to continually threaten us and to be fair, they deserved their 3 goals. I do believe we have created our luck by playing as a team, a unit, creating numerous chances and taking those opportunites at crucial points in the game. The test now is consistancy. If we continue to play like this then, well, who knows were we will finish....... but there will only be the likes of West Ham and Leicester that will be able to live with us....

 

Atleast we don't play WHU until after the transfer window shuts. Hopefully we shouldn't be playing against Cole/Parker, though they still have some very good other options.

[Frank's cousin]

Think we have been excellent... but before we get carried away, we need tio remember we have several advantages beyond a good squad - 1. They have played together for te most part for 2 years, 2. Nige has done something right in preseason - we look fitter, motivated and together, 3. the momentum of the promotion campaign etc. We still need to work on defensive frailties - on another night we could have missed alot of those chances when luck goes against you.... and as many have pointed out, I suspect that especially when playing at home we will now see more parking of teh bus and 'in your face' tactics employed against us - certianly I suspect Millwall will 'let our creative players know they are there' - exactly what I hate about football as teams play to out muscle the opposition rather than playing to their style... but hopefully we have enough about us to combat that as well having learned from the L1 experience.

 

If we can mix it up as well (as much as I hate that thought when we are playing some lovely passing football) - we could well be there or there abouts come May - This squad probably does need a decent CB, but even without if they can stay fit and patient when against teh parked bus and out think teh oppositio, we could well 'do a Norwich' - will be an interesting season.

 

I still think there are several sides that have 'done a Saints of old' and are just slow out the box and will improve dramatically as teh season progresses, so whilst its great to have the 9 points in the points in the bag - its going to get a lot tougher.... but under NIge and NC I say Bring it on!

[SouthportSaint]

I think the losing managers' post-match comments are always going to be influenced by pre-match expectations. They weren't expecting to be outclassed by Saints (nor where their fans) so their only explanation has to be that their team played poorly. Had they watched exactly the same match and the same performances but the opposition were in red shirts and called Man Utd, then their post match comments might have been more about the quality of the opposition and less about their own failings. Saints 4th goal last night, for example, if scored by Owen running on to a lobbed pass by Rooney, would have been a case of 'you can't defend against that quality'. Because it was Schneiderlin and Lallana, their centre backs get the blame.

[Danbert]

I think the losing managers' post-match comments are always going to be influenced by pre-match expectations. They weren't expecting to be outclassed by Saints (nor where their fans) so their only explanation has to be that their team played poorly. Had they watched exactly the same match and the same performances but the opposition were in red shirts and called Man Utd, then their post match comments might have been more about the quality of the opposition and less about their own failings. Saints 4th goal last night, for example, if scored by Owen running on to a lobbed pass by Rooney, would have been a case of 'you can't defend against that quality'. Because it was Schneiderlin and Lallana, their centre backs get the blame.

 

Much as I thought we played some cracking football Ipswich's defence was truly abysmal.

[dubai_phil]

Let's face it, we should not be surprised. After all only last summer we were advocating Rickie for the England spot (couldn't have been worse than Heskey in hindsight), so these teams have unexpectedly come across an England class CF backed up by half of the future England midfield in Cork & Lallana.

 

Alternatively they have come across as Sir Rickie said - a PROPER team who have been together for a long time and play for each other.

 

The manager's comments in the OP about their players not doing what they were told shows a typical (to Saints) lack of early season "Gelling" as well as preparation.

 

Other teams will have had 3 games to bed in now, new players will know what is expected of them. BUT we still have a bunch of lads who play for fun, whilst seeming to be intelligent enough to learn.

 

I joked about Rickie in the first line, but the fact is that he IS an all-round footballer, and a quality one at that. Add that to the indusrty of Cork, the control & brain of Connolly & Lallana, teams WILL wonder what hit them until they take those players out of the equation.

 

Which means attacking us down the wings at pace in numbers and playing hoofball to put Martin or Seaborne under pressure.

 

But it IS nice to read it!