View From The Top Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 I know Corky Morris will be all over this thread in a bit but Harding offered us so, so, so much more today than Fox has in the last few games I've seen. Harding seems so much more willing to get beyond the midfielders and his crossing from higher up the pitch is better. IMHO he should start against the skate bast ards.
Saint_clark Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Disagree wholeheartedly. Fox offered just as much as Harding today, if not more.
Lighthouse Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Harding is better IMO and always fully comitted. I'd play him at Pompey.
dune Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 VFTT is right Saint Clark. Did you watch the game?
corky morris Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Disagree wholeheartedly. Fox offered just as much as Harding today, if not more. Tell me your joking!!! Fox never ever runs with the ball. He stops & then crosses. His dead ball ability is why we bought him & he aint allowed to take free kicks!! Defensively shocking & IMHO he is Adkins worst signing! £1.8m is way way too much!!! Harding needs to start at the blue few Sunday!! And if we had another fit striker I would drop Guly too!!
Saint_clark Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Tell me your joking!!! Fox never ever runs with the ball. He stops & then crosses. His dead ball ability is why we bought him & he aint allowed to take free kicks!! Defensively shocking & IMHO he is Adkins worst signing! £1.8m is way way too much!!! Harding needs to start at the blue few Sunday!! And if we had another fit striker I would drop Guly too!! I was taking you seriously until your last sentence.
derry Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Neither of them look behind them and are regularly guilty of ball watching.
Glasgow_Saint Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Both are awesome imo a choice not a compromise
dune Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 And if we had another fit striker I would drop Guly too!! Í kind of agree but then I think maybe I notice Gulys errors more than most because he gets so much of the ball and if he gets a lot of the ball he's doing something right. That said he's at the limit of his potential at this level and therefore if we go up he's gonna be way out of his depth.
Saint Stimp Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Tell me your joking!!! Fox never ever runs with the ball. He stops & then crosses. His dead ball ability is why we bought him & he aint allowed to take free kicks!! Defensively shocking & IMHO he is Adkins worst signing! £1.8m is way way too much!!! Harding needs to start at the blue few Sunday!! And if we had another fit striker I would drop Guly too!! Mug.
70's Mike Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Was thinking of starting a thread about these 2 i have seen nothing from Fox which convinces me he is better than Harding, Harding appears to bring out the best in Lallana
View From The Top Posted 10 December, 2011 Author Posted 10 December, 2011 I was taking you seriously until your last sentence. Guly is his pet hate this year. Every year for the 20odd years we've been going together, he's had a pet hate Saints player. This season it's Guly's turn. That said, Fox is getting close to overtaking Guly.
View From The Top Posted 10 December, 2011 Author Posted 10 December, 2011 Was thinking of starting a thread about these 2 i have seen nothing from Fox which convinces me he is better than Harding, Harding appears to bring out the best in Lallana This does indeed seem to be the case.
Smirking_Saint Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Didn't really understand changing Fox for Harding today ? Both similar players and TBH thought Fox was doing a decent job, its very good that we have those two as an option.
S-Clarke Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Fox has the better technique and agility, but apart from that there isn't a great deal between them. A good tussle between those 2.
krissyboy31 Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Didn't really understand changing Fox for Harding today ? Both similar players and TBH thought Fox was doing a decent job, its very good that we have those two as an option. Exactly how I saw it.
doddisalegend Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 I don't get the Fox love. I'm not saying Harding is the best LB ever and he makes mistakes but he still looks better than Fox to me. I think Fox crossed the halfway line with purpose once today other than didn't offer much going forward, defensively he sit off players far to much for me and when he is out of postion I'd like to see him sprinting back to help out the CBs not ambling back like he doesn't have a care in the world... Harding isn't perfect but he offers more than Fox IMO.
View From The Top Posted 10 December, 2011 Author Posted 10 December, 2011 Didn't really understand changing Fox for Harding today ? Both similar players and TBH thought Fox was doing a decent job, its very good that we have those two as an option. Strange as I reckon would look far more penetrating down the left as soon as he came on as he seems far more willing to get beyond the midfielder before hitting a cross. Still, it's a game of opinions.
CHAPEL END CHARLIE Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Was thinking of starting a thread about these 2 i have seen nothing from Fox which convinces me he is better than Harding, Harding appears to bring out the best in Lallana A very astute observation.
70's Mike Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 A very astute observation. comes with age
beatlesaint Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Disagree wholeheartedly. Fox offered just as much as Harding today, if not more. Seriously ? Fox was awful today, as someone said in another thread there were too many Hollywood passes to the other side of the pitch, he wont pass to Lallana etc etc. If Fox must play then please dont play him when the opposition have a decent winger cos he never gets anywhere near them defensively. I have seen very little from him to suggest he is that much better than Harding. And all this talk about Lallana carrying his injury....i think the bottom line is the two players he plays with the best, Connolly and Harding are not playing for different reasons and I think its affecting Adam's performance.
Um Bongo Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 I would start Harding. Ballboy's would get a right earful.
Chez Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Fox plays it long too much and often unsuccessfully. I'm amazed Adkins has not chewed his arse off as his distribution goes totally against our short passing game. He has great feet, is much more comfortable on the ball than Harding (and with a better touch) and gets out of tight spaces better, but he is also a little casual and doesn't bully his opponent like Harding does. My biggest gripe is that he does not pass to Lallana, carry the ball quick and enough, get to the byline or deliver from set pieces. His corners last week were the worst I've ever seen. Harding never lets us down and really clicks with Lallana. The big drawback is his lack of pace which ha s been exposed a few times, but saying that he makes it bloody tough for wingers to beat him. The biggest difference between the two is Harding commits when going forward. He will get his head down and drive to the byline. Sometimes it doesn't work, but he makes things happen. Fox on the other hand makes sure its not him that makes the error so is more conservative, preferring to cross from deep or pass backwards.
Sour Mash Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 They're both s**t. Neither really good enough.
forever a red and white Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 I prefer HArding. Fox is talented on the ball not doubt but whenever I watch Harding play it just seems like we have a better balance about ourselves in defence and helping to go forward. He seems to add a bit more aggression as well. Not the best left-back in the world but in the two seasons he has been with us he barely put a foot wrong i would suggest.
St Chalet Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Must confess I have always rated Harding. He saw off Dickson and will likely do the same to Fox over time. Versus the Skates, and without Chaplow I'd play Harding at LM and move Lallana to RM.
doddisalegend Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Fox every time for me. Yeah but your dislike of Harding is well known.....
corky morris Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 I saw Harding have an absolute shocker at Carlisle last year. Adkins dropped him for a few games & he came back better. Fox needs the same treatment. The big difference for me is that Harding was a free transfer, Fox cost £1.8m. Surely he should be loads better &he simply is not!!
saint cozza Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 I remember the Carlisle game and he was god awful that game, having said that you don't get into the team of the year for being crap! For what I have seen this season Harding would be my first choice, he seems to have a better understanding with Lallana. At Coventry away Fox put a good cross in but he also wasted possession alot.
Ziggy Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 I just don't like Harding. Admittedly I only go to the home games but I always groan when he is in the team. To be honest if we had somebody as good as Richardson on the left then I would be more than happy. Unfortunately we don't. Bring back Bridge. Or Bale.
Pat from Poole Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Totally bemused as to why Dickson has been completely cast aside.
rooney Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Nothing to choose between Fox & Harding but for me, Fox leaves too much space between himself and the opposing wingman.
Huffton Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Tough one, as others have said Harding seems to have a higher workrate, and for me is far better defensively, but Fox is better with the ball at his feet. Would be interesting to see the prozone stats for them both.
James Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Both very good players on an equal footing but I would go with Harding v the Skates - he played really well off the bench today both in an attacking sense and defensively. I was a Fox fan before today but Harding convinced me today.
CWD Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Nothing to choose between Fox & Harding but for me, Fox leaves too much space between himself and the opposing wingman. This. Fox shades it for me however because of his free kick delivery. Other than that I think they're very even.
SNSUN Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Harding far better when he came on. Earned a starting spot next week, although if I were going to mix up the starting XI a bit, perhaps Fox to slot in LM with Lallana switching to the right.
James Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Might be a good option to mix the starting XI at some point - but not against the Skates - too big a game to try new things.
doddisalegend Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 I just don't like Harding. Admittedly I only go to the home games but I always groan when he is in the team. To be honest if we had somebody as good as Richardson on the left then I would be more than happy. Unfortunately we don't. Bring back Bridge. Or Bale. Well if your comparing our current left backs to those two hardly surprising your not happy with Harding....
doddisalegend Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Totally bemused as to why Dickson has been completely cast aside. Gives the ball away to much even when under no pressure the way Nigel want's to play poor passing, like Dickson's, isn't going to be much good.
Ziggy Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Well if your comparing our current left backs to those two hardly surprising your not happy with Harding.... Good point but if we are really thinking of becoming an established Premier team then that is exactly what we need to be aiming for.
FreemantleSaint Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Harding for me definitely. Fox is poor defensively - he's slow and his positional sense is awful. Harding is the much better defender imo and is not too shabby going forwards either. Harding every day of the week.
doddisalegend Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Good point but if we are really thinking of becoming an established Premier team then that is exactly what we need to be aiming for. Cool how much will Bale cost us to buy back?
Alain Perrin Posted 10 December, 2011 Posted 10 December, 2011 Both are better going forward than they are defensively and that results in poor positioning. Danny 'Sorry' Fox attempts the cross field pass too much (and with too little success) for my liking - whilst Harding is more of a sub-20 yd pass player (hence why he works better with Lallana). However, Danny Fox delivers a great cross - far more consistently than Harding - and this is very apparent on corners. Harding's corners are poor, very often failing to clear the first man, or over hit. Ideally I'd like them to be a hybrid.
Verbal Kint Posted 11 December, 2011 Posted 11 December, 2011 Fox has a better cross on him, but never gets himself into a position to utilise it. You NEVER see him getting down on the overlap, and thus defenders are able to mark Lallana closely, knowing full well no one is going to make the run in behind them. Whenever Harding plays, you get the best out of Lallana...
Ewell Posted 11 December, 2011 Posted 11 December, 2011 I am watching the game now as I was out yesterday and we are 18 minutes in and of the 5 times Fox has touched the ball so far 4 have all been long punts up field. Get rid please and put Harding back in his rightful place. Also as said above Harding links up very well with Lallana and they do seem to get the best out of each other.
Chez Posted 11 December, 2011 Posted 11 December, 2011 The last three posts are all spot on. The one thing I'd add is that both fullbacks are fine defensively so long as they are not exposed. Currently they are not getting the cover and support from the man in front of them. I'd stick with Fox myself, and sort out left midfield.
Iowsaintsfan Posted 11 December, 2011 Posted 11 December, 2011 Id play Harding next week, as he is more likley to wind people up
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