Chaplow

[shurlock]

Talisman. Dynamo. Missing Link....

 

People had very high expectations about Chappers return but he hasn't been at the races for a while. V.surprised he started today and can't see him starting against Hull.

 

Where does that leave us?

 

RM is a position we've had problems filling and probably Adkins biggest headache at the moment. If Lee is injured, Sharp hit and miss, Guly will stay up top. Who goes into midfield? Thought SDR looked good in flashes today, at least at the start of the 2nd half. Puncheon is an option -and I would like to see him given a go. Or will it be back to the 3CMs that we deployed before Xmas?

[Dig Dig]

Wonder why puncheon hasn't featured since Leeds? I know he was **** but most the midfield were.

[Dalek2003]

Talisman. Dynamo. Missing Link....

 

People had very high expectations about Chappers return but he hasn't been at the races for a while. V.surprised he started today and can't see him starting against Hull.

 

Where does that leave us?

 

RM is a position we've had problems filling and probably Adkins biggest headache at the moment. If Lee is injured, Sharp hit and miss, Guly will stay up top. Who goes into midfield? Thought SDR looked good in flashes today, at least at the start of the 2nd half. Puncheon is an option -and I would like to see him given a go. Or will it be back to the 3CMs that we deployed before Xmas?

 

How serious is Tadanari's injury ?

[Dig Dig]

And Chaplow is a limited footballer. His energy is great but is a little technically lacking. If he isn't in the condition he was in at the start of the season then he'll struggle to make the same impact. Would prefer SDR or Puncheon to be there.

 

Guly will be back there though when Lee is back

[shurlock]

Wonder why puncheon hasn't featured since Leeds? I know he was **** but most the midfield were.

 

Agree. Nobody covered themselves in glory. If he anything he looked a bit brighter when he swapped sides with Chappers and moved to the right.

Guess NA believes that there isn't room on the bench for both Punch and SDR, that they're too similar players.

[Horley CTFC Saint]

Agree. Nobody covered themselves in glory. If he anything he looked a bit brighter when he swapped sides with Chappers and moved to the right.

Guess NA believes that there isn't room on the bench for both Punch and SDR, that they're too similar players.

...or indeed Bart

[View From The Top]

He really was poor today. A pity as on his day is energy drives us forward.

[sfc4prem]

He was diabolical today. Absolutely f*cking god awful. May aswell have had no-one on the right wing.

[Lighthouse]

It's hard for a player to get fit again after an injury. Even harder to get 'Saints fit' and harder still to get 'Richard Chaplow fit'. Sprinting and chasing with the intensity we used to see from Chaplow takes incredibly high fitness levels and they will take time to come back. Patience is needed here, I'd try swapping him for De Ridder and bringing Chaplow off the bench second half if needed.

[Plonko]

Is it a coincidence that our overall dip in form over Dec and Jan was at exactly the time Chaplow was out injured? I certainly think there's a link.

[scotty]

Is it a coincidence that our overall dip in form over Dec and Jan was at exactly the time Chaplow was out injured? I certainly think there's a link.

 

+1.

 

Several posters have mentioned that, and I have to say I agree.

 

He's been out a while tho. Give him time.

[Window Cleaner]

Is it a coincidence that our overall dip in form over Dec and Jan was at exactly the time Chaplow was out injured? I certainly think there's a link.

 

There are a few factors, Chaplow,changes in the CB partnership, Rickie scoring a bit less often.

[up and away]

Talisman. Dynamo. Missing Link....

 

People had very high expectations about Chappers return but he hasn't been at the races for a while. V.surprised he started today and can't see him starting against Hull.

 

Where does that leave us?

 

RM is a position we've had problems filling and probably Adkins biggest headache at the moment. If Lee is injured, Sharp hit and miss, Guly will stay up top. Who goes into midfield? Thought SDR looked good in flashes today, at least at the start of the 2nd half. Puncheon is an option -and I would like to see him given a go. Or will it be back to the 3CMs that we deployed before Xmas?

 

 

Prior to Chaplow being the answer to the right hand side, there were far more games where he was not sure of a starting place. Fans seem to be fixating on the handful of games where he did the business, whereas he was off the pace for a regular start for most of the season. Just go back to bringing him on as sub as we did before until he makes himself indispensable to the team once again.

 

A couple of weeks ago we looked in perfect position to finish off the season strongly with new signings and players coming back from injury. That appears to be around our ears now and it's going to be how best to come out of this spell, even if we have to settle for draws. Puncheon would be the answer if he is up for it, fitness and form wise. Starting with De Ridder just seems to be putting all our eggs in one basket because if we lose the midfield the forwards won't get the supply anyway and the defence is just under more pressure.

 

Lambert Guly

Lallana Schneiderlin Cork Puncheon

 

Looks capable, with Guly helping out the midfield and hopefully adding the odd goal like he used to. If Puncheon is not up to the job I would happily add Harding or Butterfield to the midfield just to get some sort of base to work from. Not perfect but we don't have perfect available at this point. I would like to have a better option than Guly up front or right, but that does not seem on at present. Guly is far from perfect form but as Adkins pointed out in his post match comments, he has other uses and why he still gets picked.

 

Disappointed with Sharp, brings nothing different to the team and with him and Connolly just gives us one fit forward to use out of the remaining games. Billy is a good forward but not a good fit with Ricky. Most of the time Billy has operated in front of Ricky and that may be the problem where the reverse is better. Would love to see Billy go on just a half decent run.

[Window Cleaner]

 

A couple of weeks ago we looked in perfect position to finish off the season strongly with new signings and players coming back from injury. That appears to be around our ears now and it's going to be how best to come out of this spell, even if we have to settle for draws. Puncheon would be the answer if he is up for it, fitness and form wise. Starting with De Ridder just seems to be putting all our eggs in one basket because if we lose the midfield the forwards won't get the supply anyway and the defence is just under more pressure.

 

 

Well I'd have thought that 21 points from our last 9 games could be classed as a decent run.

 

On Sharp, couldn't see why we signed him, still can't. We could have done better but that's just my opinion.

[S-Clarke]

A couple of weeks ago we looked in perfect position to finish off the season strongly with new signings and players coming back from injury. That appears to be around our ears now and it's going to be how best to come out of this spell, even if we have to settle for draws.

 

 

Very, very, very strange view.

 

We're quite clearly on a very strong run, and we're finishing the season exactly how we needed to. Not sure what you're on about there.

 

If you're juding performances, then don't. They mean zilch at this stage, absoloutley zilch. It's all about the points on the board.

 

If we play well and loose, I'd be more ****ed off than playing badly and winning.....

 

So ignore the performances, if we're winning then there's no problem. We were never going to play all season as we did in the opening few months, it's just not possible. We've adapted our game now and have a few more strings to our bow.

 

We're a very driven and strong group, with a lot of character and a lot of belief. We're finishing very strongly.

[up and away]

Very, very, very strange view.

 

We're quite clearly on a very strong run, and we're finishing the season exactly how we needed to. Not sure what you're on about there.

 

If you're juding performances, then don't. They mean zilch at this stage, absoloutley zilch. It's all about the points on the board.

 

If we play well and loose, I'd be more ****ed off than playing badly and winning.....

 

So ignore the performances, if we're winning then there's no problem. We were never going to play all season as we did in the opening few months, it's just not possible. We've adapted our game now and have a few more strings to our bow.

 

We're a very driven and strong group, with a lot of character and a lot of belief. We're finishing very strongly.

 

We have had a very good run of results and I am truly thankful for that. Not looking at that aspect at all but the games to come and what we have to put out there to compete for those games. With such a heavy schedule to come we need decent players we can change in and out, but that has quickly disappeared over the last couple of weeks. We can put out one decent team, not at the top of it's form and that's about it. When we need to rotate we will be weakening the team and can see some players being over used because of this. The results have been great but only a blind saints fan can see the writing on the wall with the performances at Leeds and Millwall. We have been lucky away from home recently and there is no divine right for that to continue. It would only take one additional player to step up to the plate to make the difference, but things look bare on the ground in that respect at present.

 

It's all about what we will have available for the remaining 9 games and our form, both no where near at our best.

[Dig Dig]

We have had a very good run of results and I am truly thankful for that. Not looking at that aspect at all but the games to come and what we have to put out there to compete for those games. With such a heavy schedule to come we need decent players we can change in and out, but that has quickly disappeared over the last couple of weeks. We can put out one decent team, not at the top of it's form and that's about it. When we need to rotate we will be weakening the team and can see some players being over used because of this. The results have been great but only a blind saints fan can see the writing on the wall with the performances at Leeds and Millwall. We have been lucky away from home recently and there is no divine right for that to continue. It would only take one additional player to step up to the plate to make the difference, but things look bare on the ground in that respect at present.

 

It's all about what we will have available for the remaining 9 games and our form, both no where near at our best.

 

This is absolute nonsense. We have more strength and depth than both west ham and reading. Having a settled side who can grind out a result whilst not playing well is the key to getting promoted. We did it last year in games against MK Dons and Bristol Rovers. Not great performances but picking up the 3 points regardless.

 

Not sure what your expectations are but if you want us to be blowing teams away home and away I suggest you pick a new team or a new sport.

[Cosmic]

We have had a very good run of results and I am truly thankful for that. Not looking at that aspect at all but the games to come and what we have to put out there to compete for those games. With such a heavy schedule to come we need decent players we can change in and out, but that has quickly disappeared over the last couple of weeks. We can put out one decent team, not at the top of it's form and that's about it. When we need to rotate we will be weakening the team and can see some players being over used because of this. The results have been great but only a blind saints fan can see the writing on the wall with the performances at Leeds and Millwall. We have been lucky away from home recently and there is no divine right for that to continue. It would only take one additional player to step up to the plate to make the difference, but things look bare on the ground in that respect at present.

 

It's all about what we will have available for the remaining 9 games and our form, both no where near at our best.

 

Put the bottle down... you've had enough.

[James]

We have had a very good run of results and I am truly thankful for that. Not looking at that aspect at all but the games to come and what we have to put out there to compete for those games. With such a heavy schedule to come we need decent players we can change in and out, but that has quickly disappeared over the last couple of weeks. We can put out one decent team, not at the top of it's form and that's about it. When we need to rotate we will be weakening the team and can see some players being over used because of this. The results have been great but only a blind saints fan can see the writing on the wall with the performances at Leeds and Millwall. We have been lucky away from home recently and there is no divine right for that to continue. It would only take one additional player to step up to the plate to make the difference, but things look bare on the ground in that respect at present.

 

It's all about what we will have available for the remaining 9 games and our form, both no where near at our best.

 

 

What a load of nonsense. At this stage of the season it's about points not performances. And we are doing the business at the moment. As for the squad...if your not happy with the depth or quality of ours then your expectations of a squad for a team in this league are totally unrealistic!

[saintbob40]

Last 10 league games, 7 wins and 3 draws either without Chaplow or with a non functioning Chaplow. Our best run of the season (I think?).....although we were dire against Leeds, Ipswich, Barnsley and Millwall to be fair (but somehow managed to get 10 points out of these 4 games).

 

IMHO-Saints 4 Doncaster 0 tomorrow if we have Cork and Morgan in the middle, Guly on the right and Sharp up top with Lambert (if Lee isnt fit)

[david in sweden]

I think all this comment / criticism on here needs to be put into proportion. We may be top of the League, but we can still only use 11 players at a time.

 

Billy wasn't " Saints-fit " when he came, but he is the sort of "physical threat " we need at the top, and he will improve. If Donnie had the type of good pre-season that we had maybe they wouldn't be at the bottom end of the table now. He needs time to get upto speed. His time will come.

 

Tadanari Lee took off like a rocket and was an obvious choice to start up front, if he hadn't taken that knock a few weeks back, then IMO he'd still be keeping Billy on the bench and out of the start eleven...

 

Chaplow had an unbelieveable spell in the Autumn when he practically ran games single-handed - until he was injured. He's back, but he will need time to get back upto the 110% we expect from Saints 'players nowadays. Maybe the same goes for De Ridder too.

 

I'm glad for everyone's sake then Puncheon is back in the fold, but he didn't have a pre-season to speak of, and rarely got on the bench in that long, wasted period at QPR ..one asks "why did Warnock take him in the first place - and then not use him ?"

I think he will be a real asset, when he "re-settles " and gets properly " Saints-fit " .

 

..... the best explanation sits with a famous comment from Alan Shearer, who went on record as saying ;

" there's a lot of difference between being " match-fit " , and being " fit enough to play ".

 

Fortunately NA has enough options to be able to rest players and not rush them back.

Edited 23 March, 2012 by david in sweden

[Sour Mash]

What a load of nonsense. At this stage of the season it's about points not performances. And we are doing the business at the moment. As for the squad...if your not happy with the depth or quality of ours then your expectations of a squad for a team in this league are totally unrealistic!

At ALL stages of the season it's about points not performances.

[once_bitterne]

He was been shocking since returning from injury. Truely awful. I remember that after getting injured initially he was on the verge of playing again but broke down in training with trouble with the same knee. He has been so far off of the pace since getting back on the pitch I can't helping thinking that he may actually need an op on the knee and he is just trying to play through it at present.