10 game milestone

[The Kraken]

It must get quite boring to keep banging out the same negative stuff again and again. We are all Saints fans here we know that we aren't doing well but hey I'm sure the majority of us remember the bad old good old days of great escapes. We have started poorly that can't be changed now lets just hope we buck our ideas up in the next few games and start to feel a bit more "part of" the premier league rather than a bit part player.

 

As boring as talking about our form at the start of last season; when we were top and beating teams for fun? Why does being in poor form mean it shouldn't be discussed, but it was ok then? I don't remember too many people then asking if it was boring to speculate on how high in the league we could finish, how long our run might last, whether we were good enough for promotion.

 

And if people find it repetitive, why join in? Its pretty easy to work out what this thread it about. Strange.

[alpine_saint]

what are you on about...sad little cowards...talk about getting your knickers in a twist that some of us really think the team should be doing a lot better......especially for the money spent.

 

10 games, is universally thought of as an acceptable amount to give an honest opinion of the team so far..and you notice how the league has taken shape...it always does, always will..

 

quite why you made a rant like that is beyond me...

 

Good post. 100% agree

[Turkish]

Good post. 100% agree

 

Pipe down you sad little coward with no spine!

[Colinjb]

Good post. 100% agree

 

Alpine please. Stick to your own parody.... don't steal someone else's....

[S-Clarke]

The problem we had was our first 5 fixtures, that pretty much killed any momentum we had from the last year and that's what a lot of promoted sides use to get a head of steam. We've never been able to get a head of steam, and we've got progressively worse, and worse as the season has gone on. A lot of it is confidence you'd have to say, but certain players have been completely shown up which has disappointed me. I didn't think certain individuals were as bad as they are showing this year.

 

Our defence gets 0/10 - embarrassing from all aspects. Defending from the front is non-existent, midfield protection is non-existent, and don't let me start on what happens when the ball actually does get into our box. Calamity central.

 

Our attack is quality though, and more akin with what I expected us to produce. Lallana has settled in ok, although his defensive work leaves alot to be desired (and I don't think he's a captain for a team in a relegation scrap). Lambert is a presence and causes problems at this level, and even Puncheon who is somewhat limited, is still providing a little bit of spark here and there. So the attack gets 6.5/10 for me.

 

Overall though it's been poor, I expected more points and I expected us to be higher in the league, but based on our defensive displays we are exactly where we deserve to be. I keep looking forward to the next game hoping that it will all be magically fixed, but then you realise...it's the same defenders and will probably be the same tactical setup, nothing is really going to change until we change things in January. But it'll probably be way too late by then.

Edited 4 November, 2012 by S-Clarke

[Whitey Grandad]

2/10. Nice effort. Must try harder. I shall reserve further comments until after tomorrow evening, if I may.

[Stu Man Do]

As boring as talking about our form at the start of last season; when we were top and beating teams for fun? Why does being in poor form mean it shouldn't be discussed, but it was ok then? I don't remember too many people then asking if it was boring to speculate on how high in the league we could finish, how long our run might last, whether we were good enough for promotion.

 

And if people find it repetitive, why join in? Its pretty easy to work out what this thread it about. Strange.

 

I will clarify because your point is fair enough. It is just a bit dull for several well known posters to point out how well in the know they are regards how rubbish we currently are. By all means discuss why or how you think we're doing so badly but to just keep saying "we will be relegated blah blah blah" yep we all get that ;-) As for the strange comment ... IYO obviously? ;-)

[Amesbury Saint]

The 10 game milestone we were told at the start of the season we should judge the team against. Bottom of the league, record goals conceded. And the weaknesses some of us warned against and told we were wrong evident to see. Pretty poor really.

 

This

[Saint_clark]

here we are...well, tomorrow night will be..

 

what are your thoughts after 10 games..which is pretty much a very reasonable amount on how good this team is....we have played teams from all over the league...

 

so..thoughts..?

 

marks out of 10..?

 

Well, we haven't. But when it's pointed out that we've played 8 of the top 10 already it gets dismissed.

[Thedelldays]

quite sad that we are now not only dismissing the top 4....then the top 6...now it is the top 10...one of which includes a team we got 4 points from last season

 

the list of teams to write off is getting bigger by the week

[Turkish]

quite sad that we are now not only dismissing the top 4....then the top 6...now it is the top 10...one of which includes a team we got 4 points from last season

 

the list of teams to write off is getting bigger by the week

 

Another of which when we played them, their own fans were mocking us with the chant 'how sh*t must you be, we're winning away' but no, its another one we should write off.

[CB Fry]

Well, we haven't. But when it's pointed out that we've played 8 of the top 10 already it gets dismissed.

 

Mainly because you're including Fulham and West Ham in your list of Megateams.

[hypochondriac]

Mainly because you're including Fulham and West Ham in your list of Megateams.

 

Wigan Aston villa Fulham and West Ham are just average or lower prem teams.

[Norm]

I would dearly love a win tomorrow night, if only to shut one or two (or 6 or 7) up. On second thoughts, it possibly wouldn't.

[alpine_saint]

I would dearly love a win tomorrow night, if only to shut one or two (or 6 or 7) up. On second thoughts, it possibly wouldn't.

 

Purely academic exercise anyway, Norm. We wont win.

[hypochondriac]

I would dearly love a win tomorrow night, if only to shut one or two (or 6 or 7) up. On second thoughts, it possibly wouldn't.

 

Shock horror. If we win tomorrow there will be less comments expressing dissatisfaction. Amazing how that happens.

[Saint_clark]

Mainly because you're including Fulham and West Ham in your list of Megateams.

 

Did I say anything about "megateams"? People seem to have forgotten just how difficult this league actually is.

[Norm]

Here goes, WBrom 1-Saints 2

[Thedelldays]

Did I say anything about "megateams"? People seem to have forgotten just how difficult this league actually is.

please dont insult anyone over the age of 15 on here with that comment...in the last 10 years...teams have gone up and stayed up with worse squads, no where near the money spent and managers that would be laughed at if suggested they come to saints....

[S-Clarke]

Here goes, WBrom 1-Saints 2

 

Let's hope so. Would give everyone a huge shot in the arm ahead of a huge, potentially, deciding month.

[Doctoroncall]

quite sad that we are now not only dismissing the top 4....then the top 6...now it is the top 10...one of which includes a team we got 4 points from last season

 

the list of teams to write off is getting bigger by the week

 

Who's this we?

 

There are are 38 games in the the prem last time I looked, some harder than others but all potentially up for a win as Norwich and Swansea showed last season. You made an error in saying Saints have played teams all over the league when clearly we've played many more from the top than the bottom (8 to 2).

 

If Saints win tomorrow then it's encouraging but still only worthy of 5 out of 10. Mainly due to the schoolboy errors, but recruitment hasn't helped when the defence should have been strengthen more than it has and the lack of flexibility in setting team tactics to the opposition.

[Glasgow_Saint]

We will NOT win tomorrow hth

[S-Clarke]

please dont insult anyone over the age of 15 on here with that comment...in the last 10 years...teams have gone up and stayed up with worse squads, no where near the money spent and managers that would be laughed at if suggested they come to saints....

 

A recentish example, Stoke City stayed in the league pretty comfortably in 2008. The likes of Tom Soares, Vincent Pericard (Yes, actually him..!), Leon Cort, Andy Griffin, Dave Kitson, Richard Cresswell all featured for them that season. I believe Griffin was actually their captain.

 

I'd like to think we have better players than that available at our disposal this season, although that may just be a bit of blind faith on my part.

[saint1977]

A recentish example, Stoke City stayed in the league pretty comfortably in 2008. The likes of Tom Soares, Vincent Pericard (Yes, actually him..!), Leon Cort, Andy Griffin, Dave Kitson, Richard Cresswell all featured for them that season. I believe Griffin was actually their captain.

 

I'd like to think we have better players than that available at our disposal this season, although that may just be a bit of blind faith on my part.

 

Too right we should be doing better with the squad we have, stupidly and unprofessionally lopsided that it is, Adkins is very lucky to still be in the job, we are so far adrift assuming that we get another beating tomorrow night that it almost makes sense to have his nose rubbed in it for the rest of the season and to have to clean up his mess. Defeat tomorrow night effectively ends the season unless we win 5 on the bounce, Norwich are keeping clean sheets through sheer committment and wanting to do it for Hughton. 26 goals conceded in 9 goals, almost all of them soft goals that we'd have conceded 2 years ago, tells you the reverse is probably the case at SMS.

[S-Clarke]

Too right we should be doing better with the squad we have, stupidly and unprofessionally lopsided that it is, Adkins is very lucky to still be in the job, we are so far adrift assuming that we get another beating tomorrow night that it almost makes sense to have his nose rubbed in it for the rest of the season and to have to clean up his mess. Defeat tomorrow night effectively ends the season unless we win 5 on the bounce, Norwich are keeping clean sheets through sheer committment and wanting to do it for Hughton. 26 goals conceded in 9 goals, almost all of them soft goals that we'd have conceded 2 years ago, tells you the reverse is probably the case at SMS.

 

Let's just keep it slightly calm. It will be a set back, but a defeat tomorrow doesn't end the season.

 

Defeats all throughout august will go a way towards ending it though.

[Glasgow_Saint]

The same posters calling for Nigels' head were the most vocal when Burley was here...... That worked out very well didnt it!!

 

- gormless & dodd

- Poortvliet

- Wotte

- league 1

[Doctoroncall]

A recentish example, Stoke City stayed in the league pretty comfortably in 2008. The likes of Tom Soares, Vincent Pericard (Yes, actually him..!), Leon Cort, Andy Griffin, Dave Kitson, Richard Cresswell all featured for them that season. I believe Griffin was actually their captain.

 

I'd like to think we have better players than that available at our disposal this season, although that may just be a bit of blind faith on my part.

 

A couple of things to think about:

 

1 what were the state of the other teams?

2 I bet they were well drilled in the 4-4-2 and long ball before the start of the new season.

 

i think on the whole there are better teams in the prem now and Saints just haven't got it together with the new formation and system which is bound to hinder getting the points so its a huge gamble by someone.

[CB Fry]

Did I say anything about "megateams"? People seem to have forgotten just how difficult this league actually is.

 

 

 

Indeed they have. Mainly the fu ckwits who spent the summer talking about us finishing mid table this season and then on to Europe next season. Didn't you know man walked on the moon?

 

If you think we can stay up by only taking points from teams from eleventh on down then you are going to end the season dissappointed.

[CB Fry]

A couple of things to think about:

 

1 what were the state of the other teams?

2 I bet they were well drilled in the 4-4-2 and long ball before the start of the new season.

 

i think on the whole there are better teams in the prem now and Saints just haven't got it together with the new formation and system which is bound to hinder getting the points so its a huge gamble by someone.

 

I don't think the Prem is any better than it was when we went down. Arsenal, Chelsea, Man U and Spurs have all had far better teams then they have now. Man City may have their best ever team but are they better than Mourinho's Chelsea? Barely.

 

And the same counts for the rest of the division. Wages have gone up, is all.

 

Seriously, the standard is much the same as it was a decade ago. And If anything has got clearly weaker, it is the bottom third. Plenty of garbage down there in the last few seasons have stayed up.

[captainchris]

Why on earth not? As I said on another thread.....

 

Take a look at the relegated teams from last season. Norwich beat top 6 Newcastle and Tottenham, and took points off Arsenal and Chelsea. Swansea beat Man City and Arsenal whilst also taking points from Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle. QPR had a fairly dismal season but still found time to beat Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and take points off Liverpool, Newcastle and Everton. You may not expect much, but QPR stayed up on the back of those results, Norwich and Swansea finished mid-table because of them.

 

Oh thankyou for the best post to show those that think we should only be expected to be beating bottom half teams - Wigan excepted of course and also Leeds of course and by and large very poor performances too but hey, lets concentrate on the possitives - shouldn't take long......

We are off the pace, the results, performances and league position all tell us the same thing! We have to compete with the top teams too, to be thinking anything else is to bury your head in the sand......

[Dalek2003]

Purely academic exercise anyway, Norm. We wont win.

 

A very defeatist attitude Alpine. I think we might just win tomorrow...we might just !

[max_saints]

3/10 for the flashes of what we can do (leading against city and united, 2nd half against spurs etc) and the good win over villa. other than that, not tight in midfield, wide players not tracking back to help our already helpless full backs, and inexperience plus unfamiliarity at the back.

 

possible solutions: sacrificing an attacking player and playing with a tighter midfield 3, drilling into the heads of the wide players to track back, decide on a back 5 and stick with it! only then will the back 5 become more familiar with each other, learn how the other plays and cover for each other if necessary.

 

also, think a lot of people might be placing too much hope on us getting decent reinforcements in come January. don't get me wrong, I would be happy to get in a decent LB and CB but it's not going to be easy and I fear this forum is going to go into a bigger meltdown than it already is with every day that passes with no one coming in. we are going to have to pay above fair value and there are no guarantees the players that come in will make immediate impact.

[Colinjb]

also, think a lot of people might be placing too much hope on us getting decent reinforcements in come January. don't get me wrong, I would be happy to get in a decent LB and CB but it's not going to be easy and I fear this forum is going to go into a bigger meltdown than it already is with every day that passes with no one coming in. we are going to have to pay above fair value and there are no guarantees the players that come in will make immediate impact.

 

The only players I can see us getting are those that are in a lower league or where even championship football would be a step up. (e.g...... Yoshida from VVV Venlo...)

 

Bargains can be found, there are some diamonds in the rough..... straws to clutch at, etc....

[Glasgow_Saint]

3/10

 

Just because you can run corner store, doesn’t mean you can run a supermarket

[Dr Who?]

I will wait until the end of November for my mark or even the half way point.

 

We just might have a great November from next week.

 

Home to Swansea, Newcastle and Norwich, and away to QPR. There has to be wins in here, and if not, I think a change may well be made.

[Crazy Diamond]

I agree, you judge after ten games, so 4/10 if I'm being kind, we're going down.

 

Opening day against Man City was fantastic entertainment and I thought if we played with that spirit and enthusiasm, we would be okay.

 

First home game against Wigan was three points and nothing else for me. Gutted we didn't get anything, but again I thought we would be alright.

 

United was quite similar to City. I wasn't disappointed when we blew it for 2 - 2 or 2 - 3, I just thought we had something about us and we'd be okay.

 

I never thought we'd get anything but a hiding at Arsenal and detached myself from it - put it down to Arsenal knowing how to deal with the likes of us combined with a bad day for our defence.

 

Villa, I was so ****ed off to go a goal down that I didn't celebrate our equaliser. 4 - 1 and my immediate thought was yes, we're going to be okay, and there are quite obviously worse sides than us out there. We'll be okay as long as we build on it.

 

Going a goal up early doors against Everton, I pretty much knew we'd blow it. We did, I start to think this is going to be a long season. But it's Everton at Goodison - like Arsenal, it's always going to be a long afternoon unless you're a very good team.

 

A goal up against Fulham early doors and I think okay, it's Fulham at home. We SHOULD be winning this. As soon as they equalised I'm expecting them to go a goal up and they do. We equalise and we've got a point, we needed all three from a fixture like that. I'm thinking this season will be a long relegation scrap.

 

West Ham was just unacceptable. We're in the **** now.

 

Spurs, I never imagined we'd win, we didn't. It's all very well to play nice stuff and look the part but you need to do it from the first whistle. Not after 60 minutes when you're 2 - 0 down.

 

Game ten? Well. I'm thinking we need to win tomorrow or we are already down.

 

No team can get away with shipping the goals we have, and our worst fears in pre-season are coming true. We have not got good enough defenders, as Jos Hooiveld in particular has become a bad player overnight, and we also don't have enough defenders. We've missed that bit of flair and technique in midfield that we obviously need - Ramirez - and up front Lambert can't hack 90 minutes, Rodriguez is learning but not quickly enough.

 

Sacking Adkins is not the answer. I would keep him even if we go down - if he hasn't got us challenging for the Championship title at Christmas 2013, we get rid. If we get rid now, we take massive steps backwards. Someone comes in and rips up what has already been started, pushing us back months, and we have a repeat of the January 2005 window where we bought crap at ridiculous prices and still go down.

 

November is a huge month. As is on paper April.

Edited 4 November, 2012 by Crazy Diamond

[Colinjb]

learning but not quickly enough.

 

To be frank that could apply to every level of the club.

[Micky]

I would be amazed, and frankly quite pleased too, if we amassed over 25 points this season.

[sandwichsaint]

I agree, you judge after ten games, so 4/10 if I'm being kind, we're going down.

 

Opening day against Man City was fantastic entertainment and I thought if we played with that spirit and enthusiasm, we would be okay.

 

First home game against Wigan was three points and nothing else for me. Gutted we didn't get anything, but again I thought we would be alright.

 

United was quite similar to City. I wasn't disappointed when we blew it for 2 - 2 or 2 - 3, I just thought we had something about us and we'd be okay.

 

I never thought we'd get anything but a hiding at Arsenal and detached myself from it - put it down to Arsenal knowing how to deal with the likes of us combined with a bad day for our defence.

 

Villa, I was so ****ed off to go a goal down that I didn't celebrate our equaliser. 4 - 1 and my immediate thought was yes, we're going to be okay, and there are quite obviously worse sides than us out there. We'll be okay as long as we build on it.

 

Going a goal up early doors against Everton, I pretty much knew we'd blow it. We did, I start to think this is going to be a long season. But it's Everton at Goodison - like Arsenal, it's always going to be a long afternoon unless you're a very good team.

 

A goal up against Fulham early doors and I think okay, it's Fulham at home. We SHOULD be winning this. As soon as they equalised I'm expecting them to go a goal up and they do. We equalise and we've got a point, we needed all three from a fixture like that. I'm thinking this season will be a long relegation scrap.

 

West Ham was just unacceptable. We're in the **** now.

 

Spurs, I never imagined we'd win, we didn't. It's all very well to play nice stuff and look the part but you need to do it from the first whistle. Not after 60 minutes when you're 2 - 0 down.

 

Game ten? Well. I'm thinking we need to win tomorrow or we are already down.

 

No team can get away with shipping the goals we have, and our worst fears in pre-season are coming true. We have not got good enough defenders, as Jos Hooiveld in particular has become a bad player overnight, and we also don't have enough defenders. We've missed that bit of flair and technique in midfield that we obviously need - Ramirez - and up front Lambert can't hack 90 minutes, Rodriguez is learning but not quickly enough.

 

Sacking Adkins is not the answer. I would keep him even if we go down - if he hasn't got us challenging for the Championship title at Christmas 2013, we get rid. If we get rid now, we take massive steps backwards. Someone comes in and rips up what has already been started, pushing us back months, and we have a repeat of the January 2005 window where we bought crap at ridiculous prices and still go down.

 

November is a huge month. As is on paper April.

 

Sensible without being hysterical.

 

We need to win three of our November games to get back on track ... a massive ask from where we are.

 

Looking fd to seeing Lambert and Ramirez back together tomorrow, Villa stylee, 3-1 Saints, see you there?

[PhilippineSaint]

We will NOT win tomorrow hth

 

And you know this how??

 

Even if we were the worst team ever it is always possible to fluke a win. It may not look pretty and we may have the ref on our side but it could happen.

[Pilchards]

So many people are saying we have played 8 of the top 10 and that it's too early to judge, I understand all that but it's the manner on how we have been turd in most of those games with a defence that has more holes than a Swiss cheese.

 

Im going 2/10 because we lack an away formation that can stop the goals.

[Glasgow_Saint]

And you know this how??

 

Even if we were the worst team ever it is always possible to fluke a win. It may not look pretty and we may have the ref on our side but it could happen.

 

So if we win tonight some on here will call it a "fluke"

 

Ffs guys keep the faith! In Nigel we trust COYR

[Saint Charlie]

Big shame Ramirez has only played two games so far.

[rooney]

We have played some good football at times but the defensive mistakes have disappointed me. I thought we needed a left back, Centre Back and goalkeeper at least. NA cannot make up our mind about the goalkeeper and the jury is out for Yoshida. We strove to find a left back but this fell out and there has been some strange tactics sometimes from NA. I thought we would be higher up the league by now, not resting on the bottom. We must not have a change of Manager but at least a good Left Back and Centre Half in January.

[Saint Charlie]

We have played some good football at times but the defensive mistakes have disappointed me. I thought we needed a left back, Centre Back and goalkeeper at least. NA cannot make up our mind about the goalkeeper and the jury is out for Yoshida. We strove to find a left back but this fell out and there has been some strange tactics sometimes from NA. I thought we would be higher up the league by now, not resting on the bottom. We must not have a change of Manager but at least a good Left Back and Centre Half in January.

 

Solid summary.

[yorkiesaint]

I would have been delighted with anything other then a struggle. To be in this position is not a surprise to me, even with our money spent our weak defence has always been a glaring oversight.

 

While going back down at the end of the season would be a hammer-blow to the ambitions of the club as a supporter it wouldn't perturb me. The Championship is the more entertaining and better structured league but the higher profile of the Premier League does at least mean a little more 'credibility' is given onto you by those who know little about football in the grander scheme of things.

 

The next two months are crucial, if we are adrift by then we should start planning for the championship in 13/14. If we can remain within 4 points of safety and boost our defence survival will remain possible. We will keep fighting, of that I have no doubt and we will keep trying to do it in the self proclaimed 'Southampton way,' we may suffer further heartbreak this season but we will take it with dignity, at least we will if everything remains stable off the field. It is not Adkins' sole fault that we are where we are in the table.

 

Out of ten..... 4/10. If we win tomorrow night it'll be 5/10.

 

The problem with this theory that we went up too soon is that we were clearly better than w ham last season, but they have shown that with a more modest outlay it is possible to push on to mid table. Our problems are so obvious that even forum mongs can spot them, and we look like doing a reprise of Billy Davies's Derby or McCarthy's Sunderland.

[Wes Tender]

Well, I guess your mate TDD set this up so that you could repeat the same old stuff ad nauseum. Don't you ever get fed up posting the same old same old? You could have at least waited until tomorrow when I confidently predict we will still be bottom of the league, because West Brom will beat us, then at least you could argue that it was at least a little bit original. Your tedious "I told you" **** is just beyond a joke. It may be true, but you just seem to take great delight in pushing it over and over and over again. People who give up like you and Alps after 10 games are just sad little cowards with no spine. But of course you told everyone this was going to be the case so lets all fall over ourselves in awe at your glorious knowledge of all footballing matters. Things don't look brilliant at the moment, but how about we see if things might improve before the end of the season before giving up and chucking the towel in which would be your way. Bloody cowards, can't deal with a few poor results, don't seem much like Saints fans to me, if you were you would be used to this ****.

 

Couldn't agree more. Yet another thread, tediously raking over the same old coals ad-nauseum, although the OP could easily have added his thoughts to one or other of the threads available. Are we to have additional threads for the 12th match, the 15th, 20th? The mods really ought to sort this out as I can't be the only one to grow tired of the boring repetition by the same old pessimists. Is there any point anyway in trying to debate things sensibly when all you get in return is petty insults and sarcasm more appropriate to a school playground?

[DT]

Odd team selections, appalling recruitment, blind tactics, naivety, lack of bite or heart, paper-thin confidence, moments of nice football. 2/10

[hypochondriac]

Couldn't agree more. Yet another thread, tediously raking over the same old coals ad-nauseum, although the OP could easily have added his thoughts to one or other of the threads available. Are we to have additional threads for the 12th match, the 15th, 20th? The mods really ought to sort this out as I can't be the only one to grow tired of the boring repetition by the same old pessimists. Is there any point anyway in trying to debate things sensibly when all you get in return is petty insults and sarcasm more appropriate to a school playground?

 

Yet you are taking the time to respond to these threads in all their tedium. Ten games were the milestone for many so it is a legitimate topic for discussion. Your silly moans are infinitely more tiresome than any of these threads. Why not show some self control and just ignore them if they are not to your liking?

[Wes Tender]

Yet you are taking the time to respond to these threads in all their tedium. Ten games were the milestone for many so it is a legitimate topic for discussion. Your silly moans are infinitely more tiresome than any of these threads. Why not show some self control and just ignore them if they are not to your liking?

 

The irony of your post must have gone right over your head. Not that such a response was totally unexpected from you.

 

Can I just make one thing clear though? The milestone for any poster with any common sense, balance and judgement is not 10 matches or 20 or 30, but when we have played all other teams home and away.

 

If you want to write off the season after it is a quarter of the way through, then more fool you. Altogether not in any way surprising given your past record, which is incidentally stuck, yet again.