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What did Norwich and Swansea do that we aren't?


PaulSaint

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Get three of the top sides in the country in the opening four games?

Actually Swansea had 2 of the top teams in the first 4 (started against Citeh like us) and had Chelsea in 6th game, so their start was none too shabby either. Note that Norwich are yet to win this season. Interesting to look at the PL table, there are still 8 teams including us yet to win this season (OK, I know Stoke have yet to lose either) but that is a very high proportion of teams without a win after 4 rounds of matches.

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Great first seasons, more than holding their own, why aren't we doing it?

 

Norwich first games against : Man Utd : Lost 2-0 / Man City Lost 5-1 / Arsenal Lost 2-1

Swnasea first games against : Man Utd : Lost 1-0 / Man City 4-0 / Arsenal Lost 1-0

 

As you stated, they had great seasons - we haven't finished ours yet either

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Swansea were better with 6 points and only 1 four nil thumping.

 

Yep 1 four nil and 1 four one

 

City Away L 4-0

Wigan Home D 0-0

Sunderland Home D 0-0

Arsenal Away L 1-0

WBA Home W 3-0

Chelsea Away L 4-1

 

They had a similar start to us just sunderland instead of utd, also they didnt score in first 4 games

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Swansea had to wait, 5 games I believe, before scoring their first goal in the PL.

 

I'm not sure what people realistically expected from our opening 4 games which included Arsenal, Man Utd and Man City. We were always going to end that run near the bottom, or at the bottom.

 

Most realistic fans accepted that. It's the unrealistic fans that are now jumping up and down.

 

On the whole though, we have given it a good go. Yesterday was the worst we've been, but we'll get games like that at this level - it's unforgiving.

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We are trying to play like Swansea and retain possession -and pick a team around this principle. But its much harder to implement away from home, even after taking into account the quality of the opposition to date. Lets not forget that Swansea had a pretty poor away record (16/20) compared with their home record (9/20).

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The quality of the league was far worse last season than this year. This will be our biggest issue I believe.

 

Dunno about far worse but definitely worse than this year. Lots of clubs in turmoil but few this year, barring possibly Liverpool. Whatever you think about the amount of players QPR have bought, once they start to gel they'll do much better this season. Arsenal are a much better team this year. No panic buys, quality players bought early and a new defensive coach. No way they'd have thumped us 6-1 last season.

 

We definitely have a more shaky rearguard but also I believe a more potent attack than the teams mentioned.

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Great first seasons, more than holding their own, why aren't we doing it?

 

Because we did not beat Wigan. That is the only reason we are where we are, if we had won that then we would be 14th or 15th and these type of threads would not be appearing.

 

Nobody would have expected to get points from Citeh, manure or Arsenal so we are bottom and pointless because of one game in 4. People need to lighten up, NA has NOT become a bad manager in the last 4 months since we gained back to back promotions. The players have not become bad players in the same time frame. What has changed is that we are now playing against world class players who given a chance will take it. That is why SAF paid £25m for RVP, he and Paul Scholes were the reason we lost to manure the other week. FFS, 6 of the starting XI against manure had played in the 2-0 home defeat to Rochdale only 2 years ago, that is how far we have come with these players. Looking at the performance that day who would have thought it eh? Yesterday seemed to be (I was not there but reading/listening to reports) a case of our worst performance of the season combined with Arsenal's best so it was one of those days. The doom mongers are out but need to get a grip on reality. We are a Premier League side, probably a season too early but we have to deal with it. We are SOUTHAMPTON the pride of the South. COYRs

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In the premier league with the difference in quality in the attacking players to those in the championship, first thing you need to sort out is the defensive part of your team/game. We seemed more intent on In my opinion of course wasting 7m pounds on players like Rodriguez, who I do not believe adds anything to our squad.

Adkins should of started by sorting out a premier league class keeper and concentrated on doing what everyone can see is our weakness the centre backs and left back positions.

We are struggling because we play attacking football but have not got enough quality at the back to cope with the difference in pace and quality that players in the premiership have.

Teams in this league move the ball with so much pace that our defence is being found wanting.

Any manager worth their salt ail start with the defence and build from there.

That as good a manager as wenger is has been his downfall up until now his team score plenty and are immense going forward but they used to concede far too many goals.

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Swansea had a PL team already and Norwich strengthened the areas they need too. Saints bought in the areas that were good enough but not well enough in the 3 weakest positions.

 

Saints also wasted money on 2 big money signings when theyd have been better off signing 6 to 8 players for lower fees or even on frees/loan. Whoever is making the transfer decisions has cocked it up big time.

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Swansea had a PL team already and Norwich strengthened the areas they need too. Saints bought in the areas that were good enough but not well enough in the 3 weakest positions.

 

Saints also wasted money on 2 big money signings when theyd have been better off signing 6 to 8 players for lower fees or even on frees/loan. Whoever is making the transfer decisions has cocked it up big time.

are you saying...signing ramirez is a cock up..?

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Swansea had a PL team already and Norwich strengthened the areas they need too. Saints bought in the areas that were good enough but not well enough in the 3 weakest positions.

 

Saints also wasted money on 2 big money signings when theyd have been better off signing 6 to 8 players for lower fees or even on frees/loan. Whoever is making the transfer decisions has cocked it up big time.

 

We should go with the QPR method of spunking untold millions on 25 players. Great transfer policy to get a keeper in the Summer and then buy another one after a few games to replace him.

 

People in glass houses.......

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Swansea had a PL team already and Norwich strengthened the areas they need too. Saints bought in the areas that were good enough but not well enough in the 3 weakest positions.

 

Saints also wasted money on 2 big money signings when theyd have been better off signing 6 to 8 players for lower fees or even on frees/loan. Whoever is making the transfer decisions has cocked it up big time.

 

Excuse me but whether Ramirez is a waste of money or not remains to be seen. Im sure it's reasonable to see what impact he has on our results over the season before deciding he was a waste of investment after one second half substitutes appearance.

 

Il have the lottery numbers too please.

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Swansea had a PL team already and Norwich strengthened the areas they need too. Saints bought in the areas that were good enough but not well enough in the 3 weakest positions.

 

Saints also wasted money on 2 big money signings when theyd have been better off signing 6 to 8 players for lower fees or even on frees/loan. Whoever is making the transfer decisions has cocked it up big time.

 

Get off our main board you hypocritical hoopy c*nt.

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are you saying...signing ramirez is a cock up..?

 

 

I think what he's saying is that although Ramirez might be a decent signing we haven't got our priorities quite right. There he would not be wrong, it was evident to those who study football that straight out of the blocks last May we needed a whole new back 5, but we spunked 6 or 7 million on a striker anyway.

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I think what he's saying is that although Ramirez might be a decent signing we haven't got our priorities quite right. There he would not be wrong, it was evident to those who study football that straight out of the blocks last May we needed a whole new back 5, but we spunked 6 or 7 million on a striker anyway.

the mayuka signing seems rather odd...I can see j-rod as I think he will sooner or later be the number 1 striker....rickies movement against arsenal was terrible and it was evident rodriguez has that when he came on and finally played up front....

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the mayuka signing seems rather odd...I can see j-rod as I think he will sooner or later be the number 1 striker....rickies movement against arsenal was terrible and it was evident rodriguez has that when he came on and finally played up front....

 

But who could say that Sharp wouldn't have been equally efficient at least in the short term? No, someone at SFC was obsessed with signing JRod, we had more urgent needs in May and June. Whilst I'm on the subject whoever wouldn't dob the dobbings to

the third party involved in the Buttner affair needs hanging.

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But who could say that Sharp wouldn't have been equally efficient at least in the short term? No, someone at SFC was obsessed with signing JRod, we had more urgent needs in May and June. Whilst I'm on the subject whoever wouldn't dob the dobbings to

the third party involved in the Buttner affair needs hanging.

 

Have to admit, seems like a player who would have slotted in effortlessly in terms of what we are missing right now.

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But who could say that Sharp wouldn't have been equally efficient at least in the short term? No, someone at SFC was obsessed with signing JRod, we had more urgent needs in May and June. Whilst I'm on the subject whoever wouldn't dob the dobbings to

the third party involved in the Buttner affair needs hanging.

With Connolly leaving we were always going to buy a new striker so the purchase of J-Rod makes sense. Sharp's departure was more down to him being a victim of the change in formation to 4-3-3. Difficult to see him playing as the central striker in that formation with relatively little pace and no aerial threat.

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We should go with the QPR method of spunking untold millions on 25 players. Great transfer policy to get a keeper in the Summer and then buy another one after a few games to replace him.

 

People in glass houses.......

 

QPR got 11 players including some world class ones in Granero and Cesar for less than the cost of Ramirez and Rodriguez. Diakite (3m), Cesar(0), Mbia (3m), Nelsen (0), Fabio(L), Granero(5m), Boswinga(0), Hoillett(~4m) and Park(2m) would all have gone straight into the Saints 1st 11, only Johnson(0) would have not. I left out Green because obviously you cant play 2 goalies and having 2 capable goalies is never a bad idea. Saints would have been much stronger going that way by replacing your worst 5 players with better ones.

 

are you saying...signing ramirez is a cock up..?

 

If your budget was £20m then it was a right cock up. If your budget was more then not signing a 1st choice goalie and defenders was the cock up.

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QPR got 11 players including some world class ones in Granero and Cesar for less than the cost of Ramirez and Rodriguez. Diakite (3m), Cesar(0), Mbia (3m), Nelsen (0), Fabio(L), Granero(5m), Boswinga(0), Hoillett(~4m) and Park(2m) would all have gone straight into the Saints 1st 11, only Johnson(0) would have not. I left out Green because obviously you cant play 2 goalies and having 2 capable goalies is never a bad idea. Saints would have been much stronger going that way by replacing your worst 5 players with better ones.

 

 

 

If your budget was £20m then it was a right cock up. If your budget was more then not signing a 1st choice goalie and defenders was the cock up.

 

I wonder how much Swiss Tony is coughing up in wages for your squad

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Because we have a team with mostly Championship players

 

So did Swansea and Norwich, in fact none of Swansea's team had PL experience when they started out against Man City. We actually started against Man City with more PL experience under our belts.

 

They grew into it as the season went on.

 

I hope, and believe, we will do the same.

 

I genuinely believe we have so much more quality than Reading. We took them apart last year, imagine what we'll do to them this year?? Their squad is pretty much the same.

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So did Swansea and Norwich, in fact none of Swansea's team had PL experience when they started out against Man City. We actually started against Man City with more PL experience under our belts.

 

They grew into it as the season went on.

 

I hope, and believe, we will do the same.

 

I genuinely believe we have so much more quality than Reading. We took them apart last year, imagine what we'll do to them this year?? Their squad is pretty much the same.

 

Took them apart but only got a massive 1pt out of them last season......

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More interesting than Swansea or Norwich to me is WHU this season, total gash hoofball merchants last season, yet so far doing well and not looking out of place in the PL at all. Ok they've had any easier start than us but they're getting points on the board and looking comfortable against the sort of teams we need to pick up points from.

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Basically, Swansea made sure that they picked up points against sides that were mid-table / lower table at home and nicked the odd result / draw against those sides away from home. They also has the added bonus of winning a couple of home games against the top 4 by the odd goal which we clearly got close to doing versus Man U but were undone with poor defending. Its not beyond the realms of possbility that we could still have a similar season but you can see from their overall season form that winning your home games against those around you is absolutely vital. What you do against the top 6-8 away from home is largely irrelevant because you're simply not going to get much joy as a new team in the PL. The next 6 games will tell us a lot more as we have games against many teams who may end up mid-table / lower.

 

Swansea City league table ranking

 

Home Away

1 Manchester City 1 - 0 4 - 0

2 Manchester Utd 0 - 1 2 - 0

3 Arsenal 3 - 2 1 - 0

4 Tottenham 1 - 1 3 - 1

5 Newcastle Utd 0 - 2 0 - 0

6 Chelsea 1 - 1 4 - 1

7 Everton 0 - 2 1 - 0

8 Liverpool 1 - 0 0 - 0

9 Fulham 2 - 0 0 - 3

10 West Bromwich 3 - 0 1 - 2

11 Swansea City

12 Norwich City 2 - 3 3 - 1

13 Sunderland 0 - 0 2 - 0

14 Stoke City 2 - 0 2 - 0

15 Wigan Athletic 0 - 0 0 - 2

16 Aston Villa 0 - 0 0 - 2

17 QP Rangers 1 - 1 3 - 0

18 Bolton 3 - 1 1 - 1

19 Blackburn 3 - 0 4 - 2

20 Wolverhampton 4 - 4 2 - 2

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QPR got 11 players including some world class ones in Granero and Cesar for less than the cost of Ramirez and Rodriguez. Diakite (3m), Cesar(0), Mbia (3m), Nelsen (0), Fabio(L), Granero(5m), Boswinga(0), Hoillett(~4m) and Park(2m) would all have gone straight into the Saints 1st 11, only Johnson(0) would have not. I left out Green because obviously you cant play 2 goalies and having 2 capable goalies is never a bad idea. Saints would have been much stronger going that way by replacing your worst 5 players with better ones.

 

If your budget was £20m then it was a right cock up. If your budget was more then not signing a 1st choice goalie and defenders was the cock up.

 

I can't say that I'm that impressed with your rag bag collection of mercenaries, most of whom I'd not heard of until you signed them. It's also debateable whether all of that list of players would have gone straight into our first team lie-up. Some of them, maybe.

 

It remains to be seen whether all of these foreign players manage to adapt to English top flight football. Time will tell, but it is far too early to make a sensible judgment on your players, as it is for you to make the same judgment about ours.

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