Shroppie

The problem is that the best we can do at the moment is play the least bad keeper. They all have weaknesses. Kelvin doesn't command his area, particularly with crosses, pushes too many shots straight back out and is looking dodgy on his near post. But he anticipates well when he does come off his line. Boric to me looks unfit, slow both in decision-making and reactions. The couple of times I've seen him he inspires no confidence at all. Although he might have stopped the goal yesterday, I doubt he would have made the saves Gazza made, including the fingertip push onto the post. KD might well have stopped the goal, but could equally well have been beaten on his near post. Gazzajiga's positioning is poor but for some reason the defence seem to play better in front of him. I'd probably persevere with him in the hope that he will learn and improve quickly, as unfortunately the other two are going nowhere but downhill and living on past glories. But if I had to choose between KD and Boruc, KD every time.

Two Saints shirts in the crowd!

Worth a try.

I can recall how bad he was

Poll?

His slow reactions and indecision worry me.

I would put Gazzaniga just in first place with Kelvin second and Boruc well behind.

Agreed. Disappointing, but progress. Also unlucky. Sacking NA after that would be ridiculous. Bring on QPR. The recovery starts here.

Like the look of the team. Now just need to deliver.

I'll be in Hull for my daughter's 30th wishing I were at St Mary's supporting the team and NA. They desperately need confidence, not criticism and booing.

Anything you like. Just decided I've had it with the main board until we win. Positivity is a hanging offence.

Mellifluousness

And you're entitled to yours too, which I will respect but disagree with wholeheartedly.

I don't apologise for copying this from another thread, where I posted, probably in error, yesterday. This is a vital week coming up and I'm relieved NA is still here and talking a very positive talk about breaking the habit of losing. I still believe in him. Let's hope he can walk the walk too. Two wins, and all the gloom will go away.

Can't accept that's a bigger risk than putting in an unknown quantity for critical games.

This forum seems to be going headlong into meltdown. Every day we get at least two new threads on "Do we sack NA, is he out of his depth, who do we want in his place, how many mistakes can he make", plus another couple on the formation we should/shouldn't be playing and then half a dozen on individual players, generally criticising. I've resisted the temptation to start yet another thread although it was difficult to choose which of about 40 very simlar repetitive rambles to choose. Fair enough, it's obvious that most of this comes from frustration and a lot of it from posters who may have come lately to Saints and are, for those with longer memories, in the strange position of expecting and being used to us winning everything. What's pretty clear from the widespread ranting (and, before I get shouted at, interspersed by the occasional thoughtful piece), is that there are nearly as many views on our current state and its causes as there are posters. So it's either the manager's fault, the fault of whover didn't buy whoverin the summer, Cortese's fault (maybe because he's power mad and making all the decisions), or Player X's fault (insert absolutely any name you like - if you look back I'm pretty sure every current first choice player has been blamed). And this has happened so quickly in a club that has set the leagues on fire for three seasons with a policy of "Together as one", "All on the bus" etc etc. So, to try to bring a little perspective, what has gone wrong? Firstly, just as fans have got used to being positive, usually winning and when we didn't, not getting too low, drawing a line, moving on with the belief still there, I'm sure that everyone in the club from Chairman and Coach has shared the same feelings, riding high on the crest of the wave. How many times has NA warned us not to get too high when the going is good? But that has happened, and for a few glorious moments when we led against MU and City, we (fans and i suspect players alike) dared to think we could keep on doing it in the Premier League. But we haven't and the critical thing has been the slow draining of confidence and belief. I don't accept that players who were outstanding in the Championship have become poor players in this league. Yes, they have to go on a learning curve and realise that everything is that much harder. In particular, mistakes will be punished. But the players we have now are talented and did perform against MU and City, although ultimately without success. We'll never know, but say we'd hung on for a draw and a win in those games - where would we be now? At this level it's a game of fine margins, and with four more points life would seem very different. To take the WBA game (and yes, I was there), I can't believe the negative posters who saw the whole game as a disaster. We lost to a deflected shot and a good breakaway goal. We hit the bar and could have had a penalty. If either of those had gone our way, we could have had a draw at one of the most solid home teams in the league. And please can we stop slagging off the players, both collectively and individually? Do we really think they are uninterested? Most have had great success in the last three years and it can't feel good at the moment. I don't accept that a single player isn't giving everything they can for Saints. Yes, I agree that we do need to strengthen in some areas, but for now, get behind what we have rather than demoralising them. And so to NA. He still has my complete backing, but this is the challenge that will make or break him. He's not out of his depth, but has learning to do. He needs to keep his nerve and I would challenge anyone to name a better option in terms of dealing with the psychology of lifting the team and keeping all the players happy. I have doubted some of his decisions, but all decisions are to some degree or other gambles, and some haven't paid off. I still have faith in him. Confidence and belief and everything, and I still believe that a couple of wins will make all the difference. Changing the manager might or might not make a difference, but it would be the end of the relationship betwen NA and many players who have worked so well for him, and I don't believe it's worth the risk.

Onomatopoeia. Or something that sounds a bit like that.

I see the mighty p*mpey losing at home to Brentford.

The fear factor is coming into play. Last season we were confident, positive and, to quote WGS, brave with the ball which is critical if you've going to put teams under pressure. Because we're defending breakaways so badly, there's a fear of losing the ball, no pace, no movement. Everything's in slow motion and mainly sideways. Even the long ball to Ricky option wasn't an option tonight. He won very little, and when he did there was no movement off him or anticipation. Yes it's team with weaknesses but the sapping confidence is a bigger worry. IF they could put a couple of wins together, I believe they would climb the table. But it's where those couple of wins are going to come from.

An hour ago I would have said that was wildly optimistic. But now a few pints later at The Wellington in Brum, I think you could be right.

Yes, it meant "as good as" rather than mathematically certain.

Think it was April 2008. We got a 1 1 draw with a late goal that was Adam's first for Saints. It stopped them being promoted on the night and gave us hope of staying up. (like what Itchen said before me)

It's not disinterest over Saints' league position. I'm as concerned as anyone but can't see why we need another thread on a topic already under discussion.

Yawn.

Not at all. It's good we're out. Home to Chelsea we'd probbably feel obliged to play a strongish team who would pick up injuries and yellow cards, be less fresh for the next league game and would lose anyway. So sound tactics last night. (Waits for abuse)