Are we really better under pochettino?

[Window Cleaner]

We are head & shoulders better than we were under Adkins but to many wan.kers want him to fail as they are still bitter over NA getting the bullet.

 

Hey Adkins had his chance to save a team from relegation and didn't manage it. It's results like grinding out draws away at Sunderland and Swansea that get you the points you need, people need to realise that.

[Nolan]

Would we have had Rodriguez playing so much better in the 2nd half of the season under Adkins? Without his improved form we would have been truly f^*ed.

[CanadaSaint]

Our style is being praised almost universally, it's great to watch, it's admired by the fans of other teams, and we've secured some excellent results against top teams. We could and should have won at Spurs last week.

 

All of this without even one player whom Pochettino signed. He's taken Pardew's and Adkins' players and made them more effective by gathering commitment for his own style. That is actually one hell of a feat of man management.

 

I'd say we're well ahead of where we were, and I can't wait to see Pochettino make some signings that address our weaknesses and build further on his style.

 

Shocked that the question is even being asked TBH.

[ottery st mary]

Our style is being praised almost universally, it's great to watch, it's admired by the fans of other teams, and we've secured some excellent results against top teams. We could and should have won at Spurs last week.

 

All of this without even one player whom Pochettino signed. He's taken Pardew's and Adkins' players and made them more effective by gathering commitment for his own style. That is actually one hell of a feat of man management.

 

I'd say we're well ahead of where we were, and I can't wait to see Pochettino make some signings that address our weaknesses and build further on his style.

 

Shocked that the question is even being asked TBH.

 

Absolutely true......:):)

[Puddings and Monkeys]

Our style is being praised almost universally, it's great to watch, it's admired by the fans of other teams, and we've secured some excellent results against top teams. We could and should have won at Spurs last week.

 

All of this without even one player whom Pochettino signed. He's taken Pardew's and Adkins' players and made them more effective by gathering commitment for his own style. That is actually one hell of a feat of man management.

 

I'd say we're well ahead of where we were, and I can't wait to see Pochettino make some signings that address our weaknesses and build further on his style.

 

Shocked that the question is even being asked TBH.

 

Great post.

[Turkish]

An average team doesn't become a great one overnight. MPs honeymoon period deceived a lot of people into thinking that we were a force to be reckoned with. The reality is we are where we belong to be. There were lots of brash claims a few weeks back that we were all set for a top half finish. Hopefully these last few weeks have been a wake up call to some that this team and squad is still 4-5 players away from being anywhere near as good as some think it is.

[Katalinic]

Our style is being praised almost universally, it's great to watch, it's admired by the fans of other teams, and we've secured some excellent results against top teams. We could and should have won at Spurs last week.

 

All of this without even one player whom Pochettino signed. He's taken Pardew's and Adkins' players and made them more effective by gathering commitment for his own style. That is actually one hell of a feat of man management.

 

I'd say we're well ahead of where we were, and I can't wait to see Pochettino make some signings that address our weaknesses and build further on his style.

 

Shocked that the question is even being asked TBH.

 

Great post and spot on.

[CB Fry]

An average team doesn't become a great one overnight. MPs honeymoon period deceived a lot of people into thinking that we were a force to be reckoned with. The reality is we are where we belong to be. There were lots of brash claims a few weeks back that we were all set for a top half finish. Hopefully these last few weeks have been a wake up call to some that this team and squad is still 4-5 players away from being anywhere near as good as some think it is.

 

We'll beat Stoke next week and come in twelfth, which will be taken by the m-boarders as "proof" of us finishing tenth, and we will conclude that we are the most exciting, revolutionary, youngest, most dynamic football glory machine in Europe managed by world football's most outstanding managerial talent and we will be top six next season easy easy easy. Please expand the stadium.

[Wiggles31]

I see a brighter future under MP. Who knows if Adkins would have kept us up.

 

The big test is the transfer window. I think MP needs a chance to bed some of his own players. It is becoming apparent how thread bare our squad is recently.

 

We can still finish decently with a win next week.

 

Come one though, what a decent season for a newly promoted team that was joint favourites to go down. A fact everyone must agree on.

[ALWAYS_SFC]

We'll beat Stoke next week and come in twelfth, which will be taken by the m-boarders as "proof" of us finishing tenth, and we will conclude that we are the most exciting, revolutionary, youngest, most dynamic football glory machine in Europe managed by world football's most outstanding managerial talent and we will be top six next season easy easy easy. Please expand the stadium.

 

You are really are a boring t wat...

[Wes Tender]

I'm rather ambivalent about Poch and remain unconvinced that our current position is higher than Adkins would have got us. Despite the incredible feat of beating the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City fairly comprehensively, we have failed to beat a handful of lesser sides and hadn't scored in the last three matches before today and that goal came from Puncheon who hadn't featured much under Pochettino, but was favoured by Adkins. We are unlikely to go down because of the quirk that Wigan play Villa on the last day and therefore barring a freak loss of mega proportions against Stoke, we will survive. We could rise in the table if we win and others just above us lose that last match, but it's all ifs and buts and we should not have been relying on others to fail, in order that we secure a higher place that our style of play ought to have justified.

 

We have the basis of a very good team, but lacked the depth to raise ourselves higher at the moment. I do believe that with a few additions in the Summer, we are capable of a finish within the top eight next season. My verdict with one match remaining is that we might as well have stuck with Adkins and parted ways with him at the end of the season for all the difference it would have made.

[saint lard]

We are head & shoulders better than we were under Adkins but to many wan.kers want him to fail as they are still bitter over NA getting the bullet.

 

Exactly right.

give him time to build with his own players brought in and the comparison will be even more glaringly obvious.

[Dig Dig]

I'm rather ambivalent about Poch and remain unconvinced that our current position is higher than Adkins would have got us. Despite the incredible feat of beating the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City fairly comprehensively, we have failed to beat a handful of lesser sides and hadn't scored in the last three matches before today and that goal came from Puncheon who hadn't featured much under Pochettino, but was favoured by Adkins. We are unlikely to go down because of the quirk that Wigan play Villa on the last day and therefore barring a freak loss of mega proportions against Stoke, we will survive. We could rise in the table if we win and others just above us lose that last match, but it's all ifs and buts and we should not have been relying on others to fail, in order that we secure a higher place that our style of play ought to have justified.

 

We have the basis of a very good team, but lacked the depth to raise ourselves higher at the moment. I do believe that with a few additions in the Summer, we are capable of a finish within the top eight next season. My verdict with one match remaining is that we might as well have stuck with Adkins and parted ways with him at the end of the season for all the difference it would have made.

 

I don't understand why people compare our results against City, Chelsea and Liverpool with "easier" games we failed to win....did anyone expect us to win them all? If we did, we would be top half by some distance. It's clear that our inconsistency is due to lack of squad depth. Both Adkins and Pochettino have had to deal with that but Adkins had the advantage of pre-season and sent the players out to afraid to win games in the PL. I don't think Pochettino would allow that mentality to become so prevalent.

[Wes Tender]

I don't understand why people compare our results against City, Chelsea and Liverpool with "easier" games we failed to win....did anyone expect us to win them all? If we did, we would be top half by some distance. It's clear that our inconsistency is due to lack of squad depth. Both Adkins and Pochettino have had to deal with that but Adkins had the advantage of pre-season and sent the players out to afraid to win games in the PL. I don't think Pochettino would allow that mentality to become so prevalent.

 

Were Adkins' players too afraid to win games in the Premiership? Is that why we were ahead of both Manchester clubs was it, 2-1 at one stage, when we had only just come up and had our baptism of fire with arguably the hardest opening fixture list in Premiership history? At the time of Adkins' sacking we had a decent run unbeaten, which Poch inherited. We had steadied the ship and the players were scoring freely and had established themselves in the division.

 

Personally my opinion is that Adkins is the better motivator of players and perhaps Poch's team play slightly the more attacking football.

 

I had already stated that lack of depth in the squad was a fundamental reason for us not being placed higher.

[Dig Dig]

Were Adkins' players too afraid to win games in the Premiership? Is that why we were ahead of both Manchester clubs was it, 2-1 at one stage, when we had only just come up and had our baptism of fire with arguably the hardest opening fixture list in Premiership history? At the time of Adkins' sacking we had a decent run unbeaten, which Poch inherited. We had steadied the ship and the players were scoring freely and had established themselves in the division.

 

Personally my opinion is that Adkins is the better motivator of players and perhaps Poch's team play slightly the more attacking football.

 

I had already stated that lack of depth in the squad was a fundamental reason for us not being placed higher.

 

Several players have commented on how hard the first 10 games were and how taken back they were about what would be required at this level. The ability was always there so that mentality wasn't necessary. You claim Adkins is a better motivator and cite narrow defeats as examples as to why. We have ways looked more in control and more confident under Pochettino and actually have beaten top sides instead of threatening to do so.

 

The improvement is there to see if you want to. Looking forward to next season to see what we can do with some of his players and after a full pre-season

[Suomi Saint]

We dominate teams much more but create less chances over 90 minutes. The football is pretty to watch but we don't do a lot with it; primarily because we compress the opposition into their final third and there is little room to play in. That is why you need a player to pick the lock - someone like Punch who, unfortunately, has been sitting on the bench. The team has definitely run out of steam, and it seems MP has run out of ideas. However, let's see what he does with 3 or 4 new players of his own choosing. Presumably, "Mr Invisible" Forren wasn't his first foray in the transfer market? If he was then the U21's will have a good team next year!

[The Kraken]

I don't understand why people compare our results against City, Chelsea and Liverpool with "easier" games we failed to win....did anyone expect us to win them all? If we did, we would be top half by some distance. It's clear that our inconsistency is due to lack of squad depth. Both Adkins and Pochettino have had to deal with that but Adkins had the advantage of pre-season and sent the players out to afraid to win games in the PL. I don't think Pochettino would allow that mentality to become so prevalent.

 

There are other games we could compare, I suppose.

 

Such as QPR. Adkins beat them away, MP lost to them at home.

Such as Newcastle, who Adkins comfortably beat at home but MP lost to away.

Wins against Reading which both managers achieved; draws against Norwich and Swansea, and defeats to WBA for both.

 

What does it tell us? Not a lot. And its all conjecture whether Adkins would have been worse, the same, or better than MP at this stage. There's no right or wrong answer, as its a purely hypothetical question.

 

My personal view is that, now that we've made a switch of manager, it probably for the best. I wasn't particularly best pleased at the time, and I'm with Wes that I think Adkins would have fared as well as Pochettino for the rest of the season, and I'd have liked for him to be given that chance. But that misses the crux of it really; which is are we better set up for future seasons? With MP as opposed to NA I think we are; and we also have a squad who aren't anywhere near as naive as they were to PL football in the first few games of this season, they have a very valuable commodity of a year's worth of top flight experience to call upon.

 

You're aboslutely right though, in that we do lack depth. We have no pacy wide option to call upon (well, we have de Ridder but you get what I mean). And Lambert and JRod looked a bit isolated and out of sorts today, as they have in the past 3 or 4 games. i wouldn't be surprised if a new striker is at the top of the wish list for the committee this summer.

 

Whatever; it sounds as if we're due to be splashing out again so it should be an interesting few months.

[Window Cleaner]

There are other games we could compare, I suppose.

 

Such as QPR. Adkins beat them away, MP lost to them at home.

Such as Newcastle, who Adkins comfortably beat at home but MP lost to away.

Wins against Reading which both managers achieved; draws against Norwich and Swansea, and defeats to WBA for both.

 

What does it tell us? Not a lot. And its all conjecture whether Adkins would have been worse, the same, or better than MP at this stage. There's no right or wrong answer, as its a purely hypothetical question.

 

My personal view is that, now that we've made a switch of manager, it probably for the best. I wasn't particularly best pleased at the time, and I'm with Wes that I think Adkins would have fared as well as Pochettino for the rest of the season. But that misses the crux of it really; which is are we better set up for future seasons? With MP as opposed to NA I think we are; and we also have a squad who aren't anywhere near as naive as they were to PL football in the first few games of this season, they have a very valuable commodity of a year's worth of top flight experience to call upon.

 

You're aboslutely right though, in that we do lack depth. We have no pacy wide option to call upon (well, we have de Ridder but you get what I mean). And Lambert and JRod looked a bit isolated and out of sorts today, as they have in the past 3 or 4 games. i wouldn't be surprised if a new striker is at the top of the wish list for the committee this summer.

 

Whatever; it sounds as if we're due to be splashing out again so it should be an interesting few months.

 

 

I put up the match for match comparison the other day. With today and from the same 15 opponents MP 18 points,NA 12.

[Dr Who?]

We WILL be better, give it time.

[The Kraken]

I put up the match for match comparison the other day. With today and from the same 15 opponents MP 18 points,NA 12.

 

Which is all very well in analysing a full season; but gives no credence at all to the fact that the first ten games were a clusterf*ck for the manager and players, and there were clear signs of improvement from then onwards.

 

As I say, there's no right answer either way, just opinions. Mine is that Adkins would probably have fared about as well as MP. Your's I know is completely different. And as its hypothetical, we'll never know.

[ART]

I seriously can't trust Pochettino to be capable of bringing in new players and building a better team that Adkins left behind. Very worrying situation he's led us into.

[Roger]

I seriously can't trust Pochettino to be capable of bringing in new players and building a better team that Adkins left behind. Very worrying situation he's led us into.

 

Dont overdo it mate. How can you not trsut him when he hasnt had chance to sign anyone yet? Im not sure we have kicked on but dont overdo it.

[The Kraken]

Dont overdo it mate. How can you not trsut him when he hasnt had chance to sign anyone yet? Im not sure we have kicked on but dont overdo it.

I'm just surprised that Art has realised we actually changed managers in the first place.

[Saint Without a Halo]

Were Adkins' players too afraid to win games in the Premiership? Is that why we were ahead of both Manchester clubs was it, 2-1 at one stage, when we had only just come up and had our baptism of fire with arguably the hardest opening fixture list in Premiership history? At the time of Adkins' sacking we had a decent run unbeaten, which Poch inherited. We had steadied the ship and the players were scoring freely and had established themselves in the division.

 

Personally my opinion is that Adkins is the better motivator of players and perhaps Poch's team play slightly the more attacking football.

 

I had already stated that lack of depth in the squad was a fundamental reason for us not being placed higher.

 

I think the change was made not so much based on who could get more out of the exisiting players but who is more likely to attract and secure better players in the traqnsfer market! We shall see this summer if this assumption is proved correct!

[badgerx16]

Our style is being praised almost universally, it's great to watch, it's admired by the fans of other teams, and we've secured some excellent results against top teams. We could and should have won at Spurs last week.

 

All of this without even one player whom Pochettino signed. He's taken Pardew's and Adkins' players and made them more effective by gathering commitment for his own style. That is actually one hell of a feat of man management.

 

I'd say we're well ahead of where we were, and I can't wait to see Pochettino make some signings that address our weaknesses and build further on his style.

 

Shocked that the question is even being asked TBH.

 

This.

 

As has been said by several others, we seem to have become 'shot shy' in the last few weeks, ( possibly a lack of top level experience leading to some 'jitters' ), but other than the WBA game, we havn't been playing badly. Also, the improvement in players such as J-Rod and Steve Davis is very encouraging.

[mulletsaint]

I seriously can't trust Pochettino to be capable of bringing in new players and building a better team that Adkins left behind. Very worrying situation he's led us into.

 

Are you Alpine, are you Alpine, are you Alpine in disguise, are you Alpine in disguise?

[Scoobysaint]

I think we are a much improved side side MP took over. While I am extremely grateful to NA for all he did for the club over the past few seasons, I did feel that he was a little out of his depth but more importanty I think he knew he was on borrowed time The interview after our promotion where he was talking about a parting of the ways, etc. Anyhow, I feel that the pressing game MP has brought in works well ad has worked well in the majority ofthe games since his arrival. There have been some games that have been very disappointing but every team has bad weeks. We have been creating more chances or opportunities to shoot even if they are not being taken, and all this with a team that he inherited.

I am hopeful that with a full preseason, some astute signings (probably from La Liga) we have the potential to finish in the top eight. For the record I have about twenty £10 bets with mates at the start of the season that Saints would finish 12th or above so I did have faith in Akins too or the players at least!

[modern matron]

I seriously can't trust Pochettino to be capable of bringing in new players and building a better team that Adkins left behind. Very worrying situation he's led us into.

 

Why can't you trust him? He's not bought a one in to date so you post is based on nothing.

 

Frankly the football we are playing is highly encouraging, and enjoyable to watch and I can't wait to see MP spending some cash and improving the squad.

[Dalek2003]

We dominate teams much more but create less chances over 90 minutes. The football is pretty to watch but we don't do a lot with it; primarily because we compress the opposition into their final third and there is little room to play in. That is why you need a player to pick the lock - someone like Punch who, unfortunately, has been sitting on the bench. The team has definitely run out of steam, and it seems MP has run out of ideas. However, let's see what he does with 3 or 4 new players of his own choosing. Presumably, "Mr Invisible" Forren wasn't his first foray in the transfer market? If he was then the U21's will have a good team next year!

 

The 'Forren' signing is intriguing, to say the least.

[OldNick]

Which is all very well in analysing a full season; but gives no credence at all to the fact that the first ten games were a clusterf*ck for the manager and players, and there were clear signs of improvement from then onwards.

 

As I say, there's no right answer either way, just opinions. Mine is that Adkins would probably have fared about as well as MP. Your's I know is completely different. And as its hypothetical, we'll never know.

forget not that NA had nearly marginalised our best player, he was on the bench at Chelsea and only deigned to bring him on when we were 2down. He brought RL who changed the game and save him? Add to that his ridiculous substitutions from winniNg positions against Man U and Fulham. I doubt RL would have started many more games had NA stayed

[Batman]

We're not any better, and not really any worse either. Its striking how similar results and performances under Adkins and Pochettino have been. Good performances against the top teams, lacklustre and sometimes dreadful against the weaker ones. Similar per game points tally, frustratingly inconsistent.

 

So far the manager change hasn't been justified. Pochettino may be 'okay' but 'okay' doesn't justify the stiffing of our most successful manager in recent decades and in the process taking a huge risk mid season.

of course the performnces were similar in the short term, its the exact same players

[The Kraken]

forget not that NA had nearly marginalised our best player, he was on the bench at Chelsea and only deigned to bring him on when we were 2down. He brought RL who changed the game and save him? Add to that his ridiculous substitutions from winniNg positions against Man U and Fulham. I doubt RL would have started many more games had NA stayed

Point taken on the Lambert as sub thing. On the flip side though, I think we're seeing now an argument that Lambert is not up to 90 minutes every week. He's looked even slower than normal in the past few games and his movement today was practically non-existent in trying to get beyond the defence. He looked really tired, and I wonder if Adkins having him on the bench was a tactic around that. He certainly looks like in need of a summer rest.

 

The Adkins subs against Man U and Fulham were poor; quite hard to argue against that. But I put those actions and results in the basket of the first ten games when lessons were being learned by the manager but most importantly the whole team. From November onwards we looked a different team IMO, and I credit the ex manager for a lot of that (plus the arrivals of Cork, Shaw and latterly Boruc).

[Batman]

even our poor performances now are miles better than many games at the start of the season

 

the abject game when Sunderland beat us 1-0 at St Marys spring to mind

[Batman]

Point taken on the Lambert as sub thing. On the flip side though, I think we're seeing now an argument that Lambert is not up to 90 minutes every week. He's looked even slower than normal in the past few games and his movement today was practically non-existent in trying to get beyond the defence. He looked really tired, and I wonder if Adkins having him on the bench was a tactic around that. He certainly looks like in need of a summer rest.

 

The Adkins subs against Man U and Fulham were poor; quite hard to argue against that. But I put those actions and results in the basket of the first ten games when lessons were being learned by the manager but most importantly the whole team. From November onwards we looked a different team IMO, and I credit the ex manager for a lot of that (plus the arrivals of Cork, Shaw and latterly Boruc).

we are saying that now, you could say that about most of the players. The whole team just looked tired to me

[Frank's cousin]

Are you Alpine, are you Alpine, are you Alpine in disguise, are you Alpine in disguise?

 

...sadly in close season ART and Alps will have some sort of bastard love child as they bemoan the fact we don't sign 47 global stars within week one of the transfer window...

 

 

Adkins v Poch? jeez.... If you are the type that is only ever interested in stats and points, enjoy making a fuss about the minimal difference... If you enjoy football and the way it is played, Poch has BUILT on what Adkins started and I believe that with the right additions will take us further with his style.

 

We are not Dortmund... We simply don't have that quality of player, but its nice to see us TRY and play a more attacking pressing style ... We have just run out of steam with a small squad. Sometimes it's more important to try with what you have - even I it means set backs than accept the 'advice' of some who still see Stoke as the model approach. For some of us it's about football we play, not just survival at any cost, and both Adkins and Poch can take pride in their contribution to how far we have comely those principles.

[The Kraken]

we are saying that now, you could say that about most of the players. The whole team just looked tired to me

 

A fair point. Cork's performances have certainly dropped off, Davis wasn't great today, and don't get me started on Lallana (although I don't think he can blame tiredness).

[Batman]

A fair point. Cork's performances have certainly dropped off, Davis wasn't great today, and don't get me started on Lallana (although I don't think he can blame tiredness).

 

morgan was unplayable 2 months ago and had been for a while, Quiet today (i know he has just come back from a game or so out)

but the likes of Lambert, and co, a small number of players have played most of our games.

 

 

agree with you about lallana

in the 2nd half today, he AGAIN was leaving shaw with 2 men to mark and sunderland were getting the ball out there all the time, their goal came from that side.

 

just seems too much of a free spirit at times.

[OldNick]

...sadly in close season ART and Alps will have some sort of bastard love child as they bemoan the fact we don't sign 47 global stars within week one of the transfer window...

 

 

Adkins v Poch? jeez.... If you are the type that is only ever interested in stats and points, enjoy making a fuss about the minimal difference... If you enjoy football and the way it is played, Poch has BUILT on what Adkins started and I believe that with the right additions will take us further with his style.

 

We are not Dortmund... We simply don't have that quality of player, but its nice to see us TRY and play a more attacking pressing style ... We have just run out of steam with a small squad. Sometimes it's more important to try with what you have - even I it means set backs than accept the 'advice' of some who still see Stoke as the model approach. For some of us it's about football we play, not just survival at any cost, and both Adkins and Poch can take pride in their contribution to how far we have comely those principles.

Perhaps the players are tired as Poch has tried to get them fitter to fit in with the pressing game.next season I expect us to be ready for the extra energy the new style of play requires

Edited 12 May, 2013 by OldNick

[waggy]

Yeah, wtf do Fergie and AVB know about football?

[St_Tel49]

Your argument is a complete non sequitur. NA inherited a Reading team that was already doomed. Sorry that was a

Reply to S-Clarke earlier. Blinking android phones!

Edited 12 May, 2013 by St_Tel49

[Badger]

even our poor performances now are miles better than many games at the start of the season

 

the abject game when Sunderland beat us 1-0 at St Marys spring to mind

 

...to be balanced against the abject display at home to WBA.

[Batman]

...to be balanced against the abject display at home to WBA.

indeed. But MP has shown with the same players that they have a level that any of us had never seen when we beat the best teams.

[LGTL]

Have seen all but 1 under NA and all but 1 under MP. We've been better under MP.

[krissyboy31]

I think the real difference will be next season,with the quality of player we can attract and a full pre-season to mould exactly what MP wants.

[CanadaSaint]

Perhaps the players are tired as Poch has tried to get them fitter to fit in with the pressing game.next season I expect us to be ready for the extra energy the new style of play requires

 

That's a good point. It's very difficult to significantly elevate player fitness levels during the season - at least without triggering a rash of pulls and strains. The time to hit the right fitness levels is pre-season, and it becomes maintenance from then on.

 

I'm amazed that Pochettino achieved as much as he did on this front, but a number of players seem to be running low on gas right now. A lot of things will improve next year.

 

With the certainty of improved fitness and the likely transfer budget (better talent, greater depth), I'm looking forward to next season more than I can ever remember looking forward to the next season.

[shurlock]

We're better under MP, though ultimately a manager is only as good as the players he has at its disposal. Success is defined by the ability to squeeze that bit extra out of players, not to refashion them into world beaters.

 

We're more solid, aggressive and difficult to beat under MP. Our away performances haven't got the points they've deserved - MP hasn't had the equivalent of a Villa away where the team rode its luck. Indeed, cannot think of an away game -perhaps the first half at United and parts of the Swansea game- where we were outplayed. In many, we've controlled possession and the tempo of the game, no mean feat in the prem.

 

MP has shown he can adapt - he's far from a one trick pony. The argument was that our high line press was vulnerable to pace, though we managed to design a gameplan to nullify spurs, one of, if not the quickest team in the league.

 

Am very grateful to NA - and reckon we would have stood a good chance of survival under him. But the upside is greater under MP. We'll soon see if one of his touted benefits, his X-factor in the transfer market, comes as advertised.

[sotonjoe]

Put whatever spin on it you want; we've done about the same under Pinocchio as we did under Atkins. I suspect Clotese will be unimpressed.

[Frank's cousin]

Put whatever spin on it you want; we've done about the same under Pinocchio as we did under Atkins. I suspect Clotese will be unimpressed.

 

 

Real class there ..... That will be the 'Clotese' whose meaner germinal decisions have seen us go from L1 to prem and stay up in 3 seasons ... We really do have some fans whose idiocy is beyond belief.

 

 

Your understanding of the game obviously pretty limited if you can't see beyond stats and points.... Go support the skates, it's about your level

[Dig Dig]

We're better under MP, though ultimately a manager is only as good as the players he has at its disposal. Success is defined by the ability to squeeze that bit extra out of players, not to refashion them into world beaters.

 

We're more solid, aggressive and difficult to beat under MP. Our away performances haven't got the points they've deserved - MP hasn't had the equivalent of a Villa away where the team rode its luck. Indeed, cannot think of an away game -perhaps the first half at United and parts of the Swansea game- where we were outplayed. In many, we've controlled possession and the tempo of the game, no mean feat in the prem.

 

MP has shown he can adapt - he's far from a one trick pony. The argument was that our high line press was vulnerable to pace, though we managed to design a gameplan to nullify spurs, one of, if not the quickest team in the league.

 

Am very grateful to NA - and reckon we would have stood a good chance of survival under him. But the upside is greater under MP. We'll soon see if one of his touted benefits, his X-factor in the transfer market, comes as advertised.

 

Who has advertised his "X-factor" in the transfer market? Certainly not the club and his background has been centred around developing youngsters. As far as I'm aware, we still operate with a transfer committee so it will be a collective effort and responsibility to attract players. Other than former Espanyol players, which players would be attracted by Pochettino alone?

[Saint_clark]

We'll beat Stoke next week and come in twelfth, which will be taken by the m-boarders as "proof" of us finishing tenth, and we will conclude that we are the most exciting, revolutionary, youngest, most dynamic football glory machine in Europe managed by world football's most outstanding managerial talent and we will be top six next season easy easy easy. Please expand the stadium.

 

You're right, rather than looking forward to what the future could hold we should just give up on achieving anything.