Blackpool 3-0 Saints Reaction

[Dig Dig]

How long does that take then? Difficult to understand the 'not wanting him sitting around on a coach" comment.

 

Not sure but I think they coached on the way back so maybe in reference to that.

[Stubby]

Players are not daft. We miss a penalty, two minutes later they score one. We miss a chance, two minutes later they bury one... it's now 2-0 and yet we haven't really done a great deal wrong, other than two schoolboy errors.

The players can try to remain confident but the opposition now have their tails up and are a yard quicker and at us... We try to get back in the game after half time and we look positive and hungry. A few minutes later the opposition has a third from another schoolboy error we would not normally make.

 

That's sport. Some days you walk off the pitch wondering how things unfolded they way they did.

 

Yes. But THEVMAN (one of the best posters on here) said "this team is a confidence team" which suggests to me that we play well when we're feeling confident and badly when we're not. If he's right (and he usually is) then the question remains why, bearing in mind that the table says we're the best team in the league, is the team's confidence level not higher and more resilient than it is - even when things go against us.

[Whitey Grandad]

Just seen the All Angles Covered on Saints Player.. Seems to me that both penalties came from cheating. First Guly, then Taylor-Fletcher.

 

Guly wasn't cheating. His standing right leg was caught from the side and you could clearly see it buckle in the shot from downfield. I'm surprised he wasn't seriously injured from it. Theirs wasn't a penalty though. A definite foul outside the box and their player was stumbling as he kept going although what Morgan was thinking when he waved his foot at him is anybody's guess.

[Smirking_Saint]

If Morgan is "the playmaker" why has he been playing so deep - at the base of the diamond or just in front of the back four? How can we hope to attack with speed, as we did before the end of November, if he has to come from there in order to initiate attacks?

 

And I'd venture to suggest that Schneiderlin has made as many tackles as Corky ("apparantly the ball winner") in recent games, which - again - takes him away from the playmaking role. And when Hammond plays with those two, which he has - especially during our bad run, we've got a hell of a lot of ball-winning and not much creating going on.

 

My problem is that I'm not sure who our playmaker is, because we're taking an age to get the ball forward and a lot of the attack options are closed-off by then. We get caught in a sideways-and-back blob in the middle of the park - almost waiting for Morgan to get forward in support. It happened against Barnsley and Donny, two weaker sides, and we still won. But it happened again against Blackpool, a much better side, and we got stuffed. It needs sorting before Reading arrive.

 

Thats just not the way we play, stop thinking tactics in a conventional sense of a four man midfield with 2 wide men and a ball winner and a more advanced midfielder, we dont play that way.

 

Morgan tried to play his game, lallana and chaplow his, unfortunately a lack of movement or the strikers being able to hold up a pass just didnt happen.

 

We play with two deep midfielders, both whos job it is to control the area (ball winning, dominate space, play it around) Morgan plays more adventurous balls then cork, lallana and chappers are our advanced midfielders supporting the strikers.

 

You cant attack with pace etc if the ball is never effectively controlled by a front man. UNLESS you play the long ball..... That didnt work either

[Legod Third Coming]

Yes. But THEVMAN (one of the best posters on here) said "this team is a confidence team" which suggests to me that we play well when we're feeling confident and badly when we're not. If he's right (and he usually is) then the question remains why, bearing in mind that the table says we're the best team in the league, is the team's confidence level not higher and more resilient than it is - even when things go against us.

 

I think it is high, but that doesn't stop us thinking halfway through a game that it's just not going to be our day. We're not playing with the swagger we were earlier in the season, but then maybe we were finding things easier then?

It's certainly not unknown for even the best teams to have an off day...

[Legod Third Coming]

If Morgan is "the playmaker" why has he been playing so deep - at the base of the diamond or just in front of the back four? How can we hope to attack with speed, as we did before the end of November, if he has to come from there in order to initiate attacks?

 

And I'd venture to suggest that Schneiderlin has made as many tackles as Corky ("apparantly the ball winner") in recent games, which - again - takes him away from the playmaking role. And when Hammond plays with those two, which he has - especially during our bad run, we've got a hell of a lot of ball-winning and not much creating going on.

 

My problem is that I'm not sure who our playmaker is, because we're taking an age to get the ball forward and a lot of the attack options are closed-off by then. We get caught in a sideways-and-back blob in the middle of the park - almost waiting for Morgan to get forward in support. It happened against Barnsley and Donny, two weaker sides, and we still won. But it happened again against Blackpool, a much better side, and we got stuffed. It needs sorting before Reading arrive.

 

This is the modern way. Teams 'probe' and look for an opening. It's a Spanish style that has become the accepted norm and which for the vast majority of the season has WORKED for us.

Even on Saturday we missed THREE chances that would have levelled the score. The fact that Chaplow and Lallana rarely went wide is a failing of them. The fact our full backs could not push on was because they appeared to have their hands full with a couple of wingers at the top of their game!

 

I have to say that as someone who was totally ante Pardew's sacking, I cannot comprehend fans who think they are more tactically aware than Adkins??!!

 

The bloke has taken us from 22nd (TWENTY SECOND) in League One to TOP of the Championship in 18 months.

[alpine_saint]

Yes. But THEVMAN (one of the best posters on here) said "this team is a confidence team" which suggests to me that we play well when we're feeling confident and badly when we're not. If he's right (and he usually is) then the question remains why, bearing in mind that the table says we're the best team in the league, is the team's confidence level not higher and more resilient than it is - even when things go against us.

 

You've left me very worried for the run in. We must bounce back this weekend, or we are probably f**ked.

[Legod Third Coming]

You've left me very worried for the run in. We must bounce back this weekend, or we are probably f**ked.

 

What??!!! We have one bad day after a 10 game unbeaten run and you think the bubble has burst? Calm down man. I fear for your health (genuinely).

Last ten results:

WDWWWDWWWWL

 

http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/league-championship/2011-2012/form-table/full

 

Have a look at the FORM table (above link). We have 13 points from the last six games (the same as Reading). West Ham have 7.

[captainchris]

Thats just not the way we play, stop thinking tactics in a conventional sense of a four man midfield with 2 wide men and a ball winner and a more advanced midfielder, we dont play that way.

 

Morgan tried to play his game, lallana and chaplow his, unfortunately a lack of movement or the strikers being able to hold up a pass just didnt happen.

 

We play with two deep midfielders, both whos job it is to control the area (ball winning, dominate space, play it around) Morgan plays more adventurous balls then cork, lallana and chappers are our advanced midfielders supporting the strikers.

 

You cant attack with pace etc if the ball is never effectively controlled by a front man. UNLESS you play the long ball..... That didnt work either

 

You can't decent balls to the front men if you don't control the midfield and too often away from home we don't..........Two up front doesn't work for us away from home, this is further made worse when the opposition have pace...

[Smirking_Saint]

You can't decent balls to the front men if you don't control the midfield and too often away from home we don't..........Two up front doesn't work for us away from home, this is further made worse when the opposition have pace...

 

Very true, we never ever got a hold of the midfield, they battled us, ran at us, pressed us and went wide, attacking our full backs so effectively was a wonder as that is where we get a lot of our width from, it stretched us.

 

But we had plenty of possession, we just didnt have any effective out balls, Sharp was a poor choice as he just hangs on the last man, Guly is never brilliant away from home, he isnt a target man and Bpool banged him about with no help from the ref.

 

Lets not panic though, it was one game, away after WHU had lost, Lambert is back soon and we look infinately more comfortable when he plays

[SNSUN]

I was on my stag do this weekend, and had my phone hidden by my mates, so I didn't have much to do with this fixture. Which, from the sounds of it, and the few minutes I watched on Sky+, is just as well. I said earlier last week that Blackpool were a good team, and so it was proved. If they finish in the play-offs, they'd be my bet to go up - and that's with or without us in them.

 

...and to Pompey. They'll be hoping they can ruin it for us. We have better players - we just have to overcome this confidence knock. We've blown 1 good lead at the top of the league this season, I hope we've learned from that.

 

I don't care about winning the league, just promotion. West Ham need to better our results by 7. So if we only get 8 more points, West Ham need 15. I'm still confident.

[Charlie Wayman]

love it...you think reading will win the league as jason roberts is a good chap on telly

 

yet, we will blow it because we dare lose a game.....did you think reading would blow it when they lost to lowly peterbro'...?

 

what an idiot you are

 

You offensive berk! Whatever happened to reasoned debate and courtesy? Are you completely lacking intelligence or do you have insufficient articulation to be able to string more than four words together?

[CanadaSaint]

Thats just not the way we play, stop thinking tactics in a conventional sense of a four man midfield with 2 wide men and a ball winner and a more advanced midfielder, we dont play that way.

 

Morgan tried to play his game, lallana and chaplow his, unfortunately a lack of movement or the strikers being able to hold up a pass just didnt happen.

 

We play with two deep midfielders, both whos job it is to control the area (ball winning, dominate space, play it around) Morgan plays more adventurous balls then cork, lallana and chappers are our advanced midfielders supporting the strikers.

 

You cant attack with pace etc if the ball is never effectively controlled by a front man. UNLESS you play the long ball..... That didnt work either

 

You were the one who originally used the terms "play maker" and "ball winner" when you lectured someone else for having a different opinion to yours, so please don't tell me how to think as well. I've offered my opinion that we don't get the ball forward quickly enough - that's neither a conventional nor an unconventional concept. I said right after the Barnsley game that we got away with it against a weaker team but that it could prove costly against a stronger team, and on Saturday it did; it could prove just as costly against Reading. It's not about "a lack of movement or the strikers being (un)able to hold up a pass." Against Barnsley, Lee made all kinds of intelligent runs and never got the ball until he couldn't avoid being offside. Against Donny we had De Ridder and we didn't capitalize on it because we didn't get him the ball where and when he needed it - he certainly made himself available. In both games Ricky got the pass he was looking for about 10% of the time, at best.

 

This is the modern way. Teams 'probe' and look for an opening. It's a Spanish style that has become the accepted norm and which for the vast majority of the season has WORKED for us.

Even on Saturday we missed THREE chances that would have levelled the score. The fact that Chaplow and Lallana rarely went wide is a failing of them. The fact our full backs could not push on was because they appeared to have their hands full with a couple of wingers at the top of their game!

 

I have to say that as someone who was totally ante Pardew's sacking, I cannot comprehend fans who think they are more tactically aware than Adkins??!!

 

The bloke has taken us from 22nd (TWENTY SECOND) in League One to TOP of the Championship in 18 months.

 

The best (but not only) way to find an opening is to start early, while the openings are there, and it helps a lot to look forwards rather than sideways and back. Again, that's neither a modern nor an old-fashioned concept. And I've said that there's plenty of scope for sideways and back as long as we don't do it to excess. In my view we do. Yes, the Blackpool wide men were very threatening but some of that was due to the fact that we didn't do anything quickly enough to make our wide men threatening. Besides, Schneiderlin, Cork, Chaplow and Lallana are hardly Spanish-style players, are they, so how can we expect them to play like they are?

 

As for your "fans who think they are more tactically aware than Adkins" comment, you seem to lose sight of A) the fact that this is a forum for sharing opinions - informed and otherwise, and B) the fact that you offer your opinions as often as most - and not always with the high level of expertise you seem to expect from others. That was a disappointing comment, coming from you.

 

Adkins has done a great job and I still think we're going up, hopefully as champions - but we probably need to at least draw with Reading for that to happen, which IMO is a big ask considering how we're playing right now. But I can still like and admire Adkins and yet reserve the right to say that if we are promoted, it will IMO be despite our midfield rather than because of it. I don't think anyone at Reading has scored over 7 or 8, and things aren't much different at WHU. They both seem to get far more offensive contributions - and certainly far more goals - from their midfield than we do. Thank God we've got Ricky.

[Thedelldays]

promoted despite our midfield

 

are you having a laugh...?

[CanadaSaint]

promoted despite our midfield

 

are you having a laugh...?

 

You really don't have an intelligent opinion on very much, do you?

 

Laughing and sneering is your limit.

[Thedelldays]

You really don't have an intelligent opinion on very much, do you?

 

Laughing and sneering is your limit.

why are you being personal...

play the ball not the man...I was making a light hearted comment about your opinion...not about you

 

how sad

[CanadaSaint]

why are you being personal...

play the ball not the man...I was making a light hearted comment about your opinion...not about you

 

how sad

 

Hypocrisy, my friend, coming from a poster who just called someone an "idiot."

 

It's under "H" in the dictionary.

 

If you want to discuss/debate, I'm up for it.

 

If not, or if you just want to LOL or sneer as you so often do (now that's "sad"), I've got better ways to spend my time.

[hypochondriac]

I see canadasaint is at it again. How sad.

[CanadaSaint]

I see canadasaint is at it again. How sad.

 

Ah, a cameo appearance from the attention-seeking little boy who has had barneys with just about everyone on the forum. As usual, he has nothing worthwhile to say.

 

Shouldn't you be working on growing up?

[Legod Third Coming]

You were the one who originally used the terms "play maker" and "ball winner" when you lectured someone else for having a different opinion to yours, so please don't tell me how to think as well. I've offered my opinion that we don't get the ball forward quickly enough - that's neither a conventional nor an unconventional concept. I said right after the Barnsley game that we got away with it against a weaker team but that it could prove costly against a stronger team, and on Saturday it did; it could prove just as costly against Reading. It's not about "a lack of movement or the strikers being (un)able to hold up a pass." Against Barnsley, Lee made all kinds of intelligent runs and never got the ball until he couldn't avoid being offside. Against Donny we had De Ridder and we didn't capitalize on it because we didn't get him the ball where and when he needed it - he certainly made himself available. In both games Ricky got the pass he was looking for about 10% of the time, at best.

 

 

 

The best (but not only) way to find an opening is to start early, while the openings are there, and it helps a lot to look forwards rather than sideways and back. Again, that's neither a modern nor an old-fashioned concept. And I've said that there's plenty of scope for sideways and back as long as we don't do it to excess. In my view we do. Yes, the Blackpool wide men were very threatening but some of that was due to the fact that we didn't do anything quickly enough to make our wide men threatening. Besides, Schneiderlin, Cork, Chaplow and Lallana are hardly Spanish-style players, are they, so how can we expect them to play like they are?

 

As for your "fans who think they are more tactically aware than Adkins" comment, you seem to lose sight of A) the fact that this is a forum for sharing opinions - informed and otherwise, and B) the fact that you offer your opinions as often as most - and not always with the high level of expertise you seem to expect from others. That was a disappointing comment, coming from you.

 

Adkins has done a great job and I still think we're going up, hopefully as champions - but we probably need to at least draw with Reading for that to happen, which IMO is a big ask considering how we're playing right now. But I can still like and admire Adkins and yet reserve the right to say that if we are promoted, it will IMO be despite our midfield rather than because of it. I don't think anyone at Reading has scored over 7 or 8, and things aren't much different at WHU. They both seem to get far more offensive contributions - and certainly far more goals - from their midfield than we do. Thank God we've got Ricky.

 

Accepted that was a low blow and I apologise - pure frustration, no excuse.

 

Now let me express my opinion better.

 

Even early in the season, the prolonged sideways and backwards passing was part of our game. You might remember one goal we scored at the end of 36 passes! Only three of which were forward more than eight to ten yards. Our midfield has performed well enough that we are the top scoring team - 72 goals (Blackpool closest on 69) and possess the third best defence (38 goals, Reading and Hull 36).

 

Why is it relevant where the goals are scored from and by whom if we have scored 72 of them? Rickie Lambert is not playing on his own. I presume someone is passing to him and even perhaps winning the penalties?

 

And to reprise my note to Alpine we are second in the current form table on the last six games - level with Reading (13 points) - West Ham 7 - and our game form is WDWWWDWWWWL.

 

On Saturday we failed to score for only the 6th time in all competitions all season - that's pretty remarkable.

 

So we are top of the league playing a style that has worked, is working and on Saturday might still have worked had we not missed three easy chances, one of which (the penalty) would almost certainly have changed the game on its head.

 

Now can you see why it becomes frustrating (if not close to bewildering) to comprehend the constant berating of our midfield style and in particulalr Morgan, who is one of the few players in the league with a pass accuracy % as high as players at the top of the Premiership?

 

If players like Chaplow and Lallana (playing unnaturally on the wing, granted) do not create the right opportunities by either staying wide or moving into space ahead of markers, our midfield are stuffed, frankly. I, like you reserve the right to express my opinion about players and formations and tactics, but there is a small clique of which you are one who have complained all season about ineffectual midfield tactics (mainly aimed at Morgan) and I invite you again to review the statistics above.

 

And then re-evaluate your statement about our midfield (as DD has done a bit quicker than me, below)

Edited 3 April, 2012 by Legod Third Coming

[CanadaSaint]

LTC, I won't quote you because that takes up cyberspace, although I do agree with much of what you say. Isn't it possible for both of us to be right? I like our midfield more than some but less than a number of others, and criticizing it doesn't mean that I think we're a bad team or that they are bad players or that Nigel is a bad manager.

 

My sole and simple premise is that we don't get the ball forward quickly enough, often enough. It doesn't cost us all the time and it seldom costs us against the weaker teams. However, as I said after the Barnsley game, it can - and on Saturday did - cost us against a better team; I fear it will do so again against Reading. It has also IMO caused us to struggle a bit for that second goal that would effectively kill teams off - even weaker teams. I happily accept that "sideways and back" is very much part of the modern game and I'm quite okay with it because I understand the premise behind it. However, for us it often involves "Kelvin rolls it out, we play it around, we roll it back to Kelvin, Kelvin whacks it", and - even if it doesn't end with that pass back to Kelvin and whack, our opponents have dropped off and taken solid defensive positions. Through this (IMO) failing, we tend to under-exploit the potential of players like De Ridder and Lee, as well as the offence-capable full backs.

 

All of that happens because we don't set ourselves up, or don't have the right skill-set/positional combination, to head forward quicker. Morgan is playing from in front of the back four (farther back than earlier in the season, IIRC), and I think that this inhibits his ability to initiate attacks rather than just get us out of our own half. We're a "front foot" team and the sooner we get the ball up there the better we're likely to do - without hoofing, of course. Yes, we have scored after prolonged passing spells, including quite a few "sideways and back", and that's always great to see; you quoted one involving 36 passes but I can't recall that - only one of (I think) 24 passes which was against (I think) 'Boro. Still, your valid point remains.

 

The "despite our midfield rather than because of it" point (which DD countered only with a sneer, not any kind of alternative viewpoint) was a specific reference to the fact that we don't get many goals from our midfielders at all, compared with our main rivals. Hence the "Thank God we've got Ricky" comment. Without that tremendous talent and his ability to control any kind of ball, we would not be anywhere near as well-placed as we are right now.

 

Anyway LTC, as Alps said somewhere else, opinions are like arseholes - everyone's got one. That's mine. Opinion, that is.

[Window Cleaner]

(IMO)

 

The "despite our midfield rather than because of it" point (which DD countered only with a sneer, not any kind of alternative viewpoint) was a specific reference to the fact that we don't get many goals from our midfielders at all,

 

 

What like the 20+ that we've got from Lallana and Guly you mean?

These are midfielders in fact I think I might say that Guly scored more goals when we had Lambert and Connolly in attack and he was in midfield than he has since he's been partnering Lambert more often than not.

[CanadaSaint]

What like the 20+ that we've got from Lallana and Guly you mean?

These are midfielders in fact I think I might say that Guly scored more goals when we had Lambert and Connolly in attack and he was in midfield than he has since he's been partnering Lambert more often than not.

 

Fair comment, although I'll await your confirmation of the underlined bit.

 

I was thinking more of Schneiderlin 2, Hammond 1 and Cork 0.

 

And it's a relative thing - Reading don't have any players in double figures. That's more central to my point.

 

Still, I'll back off now because I have too many wise minds taking issue with my viewpoint. But I'm an obstinate barsteward and I'll stick to my view. Hopefully Ricky will play against Reading and this non-weakness won't be exposed again.

[Dalek2003]

You've left me very worried for the run in. We must bounce back this weekend, or we are probably f**ked.

 

Can still go up via the play offs. Anyway, if we are not ready for the Premier League another year in the Championship may do us good !

[Window Cleaner]

Can still go up via the play offs. Anyway, if we are not ready for the Premier League another year in the Championship may do us good !

 

If we don't go up this season SMS will be one of the most miserable places on earth to be this summer.

[Thedelldays]

this time last year we were about level on points with huddersfield and 3 or 4 ahead of the posh........huddersfield had to go on a record breaking run and we still did it with a game to spare...

 

we are in a better position than then.....however, a win saturday is a must to take the pressure off the next two very tricky games...slightly

[Dalek2003]

If we don't go up this season SMS will be one of the most miserable places on earth to be this summer.

 

Maybe for a short time, but whatever happens from now, we will have had a great season and at the very least consolidated our place in the Championship. I am sure that was the original aim in July last season and accounts for our cautious approach in the transfer market.

[Dig Dig]

Maybe for a short time, but whatever happens from now, we will have had a great season and at the very least consolidated our place in the Championship. I am sure that was the original aim in July last season and accounts for our cautious approach in the transfer market.

 

[up and away]

Now can you see why it becomes frustrating (if not close to bewildering) to comprehend the constant berating of our midfield style and in particulalr Morgan, who is one of the few players in the league with a pass accuracy % as high as players at the top of the Premiership?

 

If players like Chaplow and Lallana (playing unnaturally on the wing, granted) do not create the right opportunities by either staying wide or moving into space ahead of markers, our midfield are stuffed, frankly. I, like you reserve the right to express my opinion about players and formations and tactics, but there is a small clique of which you are one who have complained all season about ineffectual midfield tactics (mainly aimed at Morgan) and I invite you again to review the statistics above.

 

When our midfield dominates, they win us games. When they don't and put in performances like Saturday, they lose us games. Thankfully we have been rewarded most of the times.

 

I am careful not to have a pop at our two central midfielders (two from JC, MS and DH) because they can all put in match winning performances then disappear after a couple of games. Schneiderlin was the only player close to doing his job against Blackpool, but I would still have been tempted to change him out for Hammond and retain Cork. As his value was far less because the rest of the team were not doing their job. Morgans pass stats are a misnomer, a bit like our possession figures against Blackpool, requiring an additional factor to be of any true value.

 

Tactically we got the midfield so right against Watford I was left scratching my head at just how easy the game was, especially considering the teams they turned over prior / post our encounter. Against Blackpool we got things so wrong and on each occasion they were following Adkins instructions. Adkins is still the best thing since sliced bread, just not immortal yet!

[Window Cleaner]

At the end of the day Saints are at their best on Saturdays at 3 pm, don't know why but there it is.

[Whitey Grandad]

At the end of the day Saints are at their best on Saturdays at 3 pm, don't know why but there it is.

 

It's a shame that there aren't any more of those this season, then.

[Window Cleaner]

It's a shame that there aren't any more of those this season, then.

 

next Monday with nigh on 7000 of ours in the stands !!!!!!!!!

Monday is the new Saturday.

[Legod Third Coming]

My sole and simple premise is that we don't get the ball forward quickly enough, often enough.

 

I concur that too often the defenders forget the way we play and go back to Kelvin not always because there are no other options but because they take a high % safety option rather than a slightly riskier longer ball. I don't necessarily blame them for it, they're clearly playing to instructions and also to their confidence level. There is often a choice - a speculative (40%) ball to the wing or player in a small amount of space or a safe (100%) option to give it back to Kelvin.

 

When the players are high on confidence they will go for those 40% balls and most often they will come off.

 

Early in the game against Blackpool, for the first ten minutes, we played ok - not Barcelona - but ok. We then conceded two sloppy goals (having had the opportunity to go 1 up AND to level). After that we became ragged, chasing a game and playing poor football.

 

To my eyes it wouldn't have mattered what system or style we played, too many individuals played well below what we have come to expect. I can't put that down to the tactics or approach - although we lacked the nous to deal with two pacy wingers - even the commentator said in the 80th(?) minute that Fox's smash on Ince was 80 minutes too late!!

 

As to your point about Lambert scoring, this I take massive issue with. He is paid to score goals and does it. I don't hear many Barcelona fans moaning that Messi has scored 56 goals in 48 games? And wishing that Fabregas chipped in with a few more...

 

When we had Le Tiss, Alan Ball stood him in the centre circle and said to the remainder of the team "When you get the ball, give it to him..."

 

We are not lucky to have Lambert, he was scouted and paid for. He is our asset who does his job. That's how successful football teams have been operating since I started following football. Be grateful that we're now run as a club should be, not thanking lady luck!!!

[Legod Third Coming]

When our midfield dominates, they win us games. When they don't and put in performances like Saturday, they lose us games. Thankfully we have been rewarded most of the times.

 

I am careful not to have a pop at our two central midfielders (two from JC, MS and DH) because they can all put in match winning performances then disappear after a couple of games. Schneiderlin was the only player close to doing his job against Blackpool, but I would still have been tempted to change him out for Hammond and retain Cork. As his value was far less because the rest of the team were not doing their job. Morgans pass stats are a misnomer, a bit like our possession figures against Blackpool, requiring an additional factor to be of any true value.

 

Tactically we got the midfield so right against Watford I was left scratching my head at just how easy the game was, especially considering the teams they turned over prior / post our encounter. Against Blackpool we got things so wrong and on each occasion they were following Adkins instructions. Adkins is still the best thing since sliced bread, just not immortal yet!

 

I can only quote you something I have just read on Sky Sports. Lionel Messi "Coming to the Barcelona academy helped me a lot... I learned that the game is based on possession..."

 

(You can thank Sky+ for the accuracy of the quote)

[shurlock]

When our midfield dominates, they win us games. When they don't and put in performances like Saturday, they lose us games. Thankfully we have been rewarded most of the times.

 

I am careful not to have a pop at our two central midfielders (two from JC, MS and DH) because they can all put in match winning performances then disappear after a couple of games. Schneiderlin was the only player close to doing his job against Blackpool, but I would still have been tempted to change him out for Hammond and retain Cork. As his value was far less because the rest of the team were not doing their job. Morgans pass stats are a misnomer, a bit like our possession figures against Blackpool, requiring an additional factor to be of any true value.

 

Tactically we got the midfield so right against Watford I was left scratching my head at just how easy the game was, especially considering the teams they turned over prior / post our encounter. Against Blackpool we got things so wrong and on each occasion they were following Adkins instructions. Adkins is still the best thing since sliced bread, just not immortal yet!

 

Schneiderlin makes more forward passes than Hammond and, at least, when they're sideways, they're a lot quicker

Why do you prefer Hammond - the gritty, defensive side of Schneiderlin's game has come on leaps and bounds. He's usually the first of our players to a second ball.

[sotonist]

I can only quote you something I have just read on Sky Sports. Lionel Messi "Coming to the Barcelona academy helped me a lot... I learned that the game is based on possession..."

 

(You can thank Sky+ for the accuracy of the quote)

Blackpool might beg to differ.

[Legod Third Coming]

Blackpool might beg to differ.

 

I think I'll take Pep and Lionel over Holloway if it's all the same

[sotonist]

What, in part exchange for Nige and Adam?

[Legod Third Coming]

What, in part exchange for Nige and Adam?

 

Tough call... if they threw in Xavi and £50m maybe...

[CanadaSaint]

As to your point about Lambert scoring, this I take massive issue with. He is paid to score goals and does it. I don't hear many Barcelona fans moaning that Messi has scored 56 goals in 48 games? And wishing that Fabregas chipped in with a few more...

 

When we had Le Tiss, Alan Ball stood him in the centre circle and said to the remainder of the team "When you get the ball, give it to him..."

 

We are not lucky to have Lambert, he was scouted and paid for. He is our asset who does his job. That's how successful football teams have been operating since I started following football. Be grateful that we're now run as a club should be, not thanking lady luck!!!

 

"Massive issue"? Now you're just being argumentative. We certainly aren't where we are by luck, but we are lucky to have someone who has been as successful at scoring goals and as (relatively) injury-free as Lambert. Many teams have worked just as hard as us to sign successful players but nobody knows for sure how they will turn out. We've signed a few duds but Rickie has been a dream. Unless you're a lot dumber than I thought you were, you knew exactly what I meant with the Lambert reference. And the Barca analogies are growing a bit tiresome.

[hypochondriac]

"Massive issue"? Now you're just being argumentative. We certainly aren't where we are by luck, but we are lucky to have someone who has been as successful at scoring goals and as (relatively) injury-free as Lambert. Many teams have worked just as hard as us to sign successful players but nobody knows for sure how they will turn out. We've signed a few duds but Rickie has been a dream. Unless you're a lot dumber than I thought you were, you knew exactly what I meant with the Lambert reference. And the Barca analogies are growing a bit tiresome.

 

Why are you so aggressive towards posters who hold an opinion that differs from your own? You ask for cogent arguments but then insult someone when they reply. No wonder posters take exception to your posting style.

[Legod Third Coming]

Why are you so aggressive towards posters who hold an opinion that differs from your own? You ask for cogent arguments but then insult someone when they reply. No wonder posters take exception to your posting style.

 

Thank you. I need say nothing, gracefully.

[CanadaSaint]

Why are you so aggressive towards posters who hold an opinion that differs from your own? You ask for cogent arguments but then insult someone when they reply. No wonder posters take exception to your posting style.

 

I don't see any insults in here unless they're in responses to people who sneer without offering a counter opinion, and even then they're pretty mild. Can you offer an example to the contrary? I know you're still smarting about me pulling up the Walsall post-match thread (containing your typically laughable over-the-top posts) six months after the event, but you really have to move on at some point. You also need to rectify your deep-seated habit of misrepresenting what people post in order to make whatever dubious point you're trying to make, or settle whatever score you're bent on settling; it has happened again and again with a whole array of moderate posters. Until then I'll do what most people do - ignore you.

 

Thank you. I need say nothing, gracefully.

 

You're a different kettle of fish and I'm really disappointed at that response from you. Where, exactly, have I done anything other than argue my case with you, just as you have with me, and where have I insulted you?

 

I have looked back over the thread and I would suggest that your posts are far more "aggressive" than anything I posted. The Adkins comment, for example.

[hypochondriac]

Calling someone dumb is pretty uncalled for tbh. The general tone of your post was very patronising With regards the rest of your post I'm not entering into your pettiness again. Why you feel the need to bring up things again says more about you than me.

[CanadaSaint]

Calling someone dumb is pretty uncalled for tbh. The general tone of your post was very patronising With regards the rest of your post I'm not entering into your pettiness again. Why you feel the need to bring up things again says more about you than me.

 

Why didn't you quote the full post or talk about the entire discussion? Because that would strip you of your main modus operandi - "misrepresenting what people post in order to make whatever dubious point you're trying to make, or settle whatever score you're bent on settling."

 

Anyway, I'm much more interested in LSC's answer. Nighty-night.

[hypochondriac]

Why didn't you quote the full post or talk about the entire discussion? Because that would strip you of your main modus operandi - "misrepresenting what people post in order to make whatever dubious point you're trying to make, or settle whatever score you're bent on settling."

 

Anyway, I'm much more interested in LSC's answer. Nighty-night.

 

Because that has little relevance when discussing you inflammatory tone. Saying someone is dumber than you thought if they didn't understand what you meant is uncalled for and the general tone of your reply was patronising. I can say that I didn't know what you meant and perhaps being clearer on your part rather than dismissive would have been better and definitely more polite. Certainly LSC thought so which is why he thanked me for my reply which pointed it out. As always though, you are quick to point out the flaws in the posts of others whilst remaining blind to the failings in your own

[Saint-Armstrong]

Oh dear...

 

[derry]

Why didn't you quote the full post or talk about the entire discussion? Because that would strip you of your main modus operandi - "misrepresenting what people post in order to make whatever dubious point you're trying to make, or settle whatever score you're bent on settling."

 

Anyway, I'm much more interested in LSC's answer. Nighty-night.

 

Bill. Just ignore the daft twerp.

[SFC Chris]

I'm Adkins' biggest fan but after about 10 mins it was blatantly obvious that our fullbacks were going to be exposed as they were looking to stretch the game with two good wide men. At this point I think you have to go to a flat midfield four. I accept it's easy to say in hindsight and I understand that if a manager believes in a game plan he is often more inclined to stick with it than change it early but I think it was so obviously needed it should have been done.

 

If Rickie is fit (fingers crossed) id go with him and Sharp with Guly on the right of midfield. I'd also have Harding at right back given that Butterfield and Chaplow put in two of the most inept performances I've seen since Steven Whittaker against Spain.

 

3 points are a must this week, I've got Reading down for a draw with Leeds so hopefully we can put a bit of distance between us once again

[up and away]

Schneiderlin makes more forward passes than Hammond and, at least, when they're sideways, they're a lot quicker

Why do you prefer Hammond - the gritty, defensive side of Schneiderlin's game has come on leaps and bounds. He's usually the first of our players to a second ball.

 

I prefer Schneiderlin for all the reasons you have laid out. The thought crossed my mind that Hammond may offer something different and bring about a change in our fortunes. So I can understand others POV when they feel he should have been changed out, even though that may not have been correct.

 

Schneiderlin is THE first pick for the midfield at present and I doubt I would have responded to the post but for the use of his passing stats, which are misleading IMO.