Professor

The Brighton result is still inexplicable, because they didn't play particularly well, which is what you'd expect from New Manager Syndrome, but we played poorly. Was it simply over-confidence? Can't see that being repeated and feeling confident of a respectable win by at least 2 clear goals, if not more. With Rickie and David Connolly both in the side the goals just have to be there, and Connolly just gets better week by week.

Praise for Pards is well-deserved, but so is his privacy when he's not at work.

Very sad, that any fan should think that a football club manager would want complete strangers coming up to him when he's not at work. And even sadder that anyone should think he has any status to issue 'thanks' on behalf of others. The manager and the players do a job of entertaining us but we don't own them.

Used Saints Player on Saturday and had great shock - it worked first time. Thats first time for about 2 weeks. I'll be asking them to extend my contract by two weeks to compensate for the lack of service.

I do remember some miserable times in the 90s, even when Le Tiss was in the side, firstly because every season I thought we had a great squad with some world class players but there were just too many years when we struggled to avoid relegation. But it was only football, and although I love the Saints dearly, there are other things in life as well!!!!

No manager is perfect. Even Pearson has just been on the wrong end of 5-1 thrashing, and all that "In George we trust" stuff looked a bit sick as the Burley time went on. People should not take criticism the wrong way, as it can be very useful sometimes to have a "Critical Friend" which is the role some people adopt occasionally. Is there a manager in Div1 that we'd rather have? I think not, but it doesn't mean fans can't question or criticise.

This was a massive game. If we had lost to Walsall it wouldn't have been a disgrace given their great home record, and we would have been back in the bottom 4. Instead we outclassed them and have begun the climb. Its too early to get excited about a playoff place as it gets harder as you get higher up the table, where the teams win more of their own games.

Not too likely. A win will be hard - given our current form (last league 5 games) is W2 D2 L1 - but if we do, not all of the teams above us will lose, so a move up of 2 or 3 places would be more realistic.

Seeing some of the ultra euphoric reactions brings to mind words such as 'ground' 'feet' and 'keeping on'. Its great that we are up one more place, and its great that we are now in touch with the teams above us, but talk of win after win after win, is not the way Pardew is looking at it. Saint's current form on the last 5 league games is W2; D2, L1. That is mid-table form, and from where we are now, mid-table is a real prospect, but getting carried away about shooting up the table is just not realistic with too many weaknesses in the team. This is not a team for the future, but if it can do a job this year by ensuring safety, that should be enough. To be the Leeds of next year will definitely need more quality and less reliance on old pros who may be fading or are injury prone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mohctf9qLKg

Dear Windmill Arm 2 (re prevous post), maybe you should check the forum rules before posting. Back to the thread, Pardew is saying on the OS that loan players can be a bit of a problem, and by implication this may be factor in poor defending recently. It seems unlikely that he will add to the problem but the defence does need attention. Pardew has also made it clear that Murty is first choice RB, so that will help but a permanent signing at CB in January to replace the Trotman loan would make more sense than another loanee. Someone to compliment Jaidi by compensating for his weaknesses would create a stronger partnership than either Trotman or Thomas who are too similar to RJ.

Almost needs a separate thread on the defence. Lots of comments here pointing to the weaknesses. Murty should solve one. CB a problem, as Jaidi needs someone more reliable alongside, which is probably not Thomas as he and J are too similar. Unless Lancs comes back from loan improved, or Martin is making the grade, it may need a buy in Jan.

Usually I like Nick's steady thoughful observations but this one looks like heart having too much influence over head. Outcome from these two home games is not play-off form, and whilst they are just two games it does show that there is a defensive weakness in the side that Pardew has acknowledged. It may be in the back four, or maybe the midfield aren't protecting them enough, but ultimately it seems that to many other teams have players of equal or better quality than some of ours. We have got four league games coming up against run-of-the-mill League 1 sides. Pardew is saying that this team are worthy of playing in the CCC with the 11 he is putting out. If we don't get at least 9 points from these next four games you would have to question that, so lets hope he is right. Like Nick, I think he will need to strengthen in Jan.

People are people, regardless of whether they live in Waterford, Grangemouth, Colwyn Bay or La Planque. Of these four places, three are British, but should we care less if someone cheats on their football team? Maybe Delldays hasn't travelled must because cheating should matter to football fans, wherever they happen to live. By the way, people in La Planque would idolise Matt le Tiss as much as we do, whilst of the other three, the Irish City is closer to Southampton than the two 'British' places.

Cheating to win the World Cup will happen - the competition will have all the usual simulations that are now common on the football field, seen by the manager of the team against whom the free kick/penalty is given, but the manager of the diver's team will either miss seeing it altogether or be the only person watching to see the contact. Henri's handball is now part of how players try to win matches - by any means, fair or foul. As fans we all know this, yet FIFA the FA and the rest just allow it to go on and on and on. What made this case worse than usual was the outcome, not just a match result, or even a trophy, but participation in the biggest tournament in football, something that affects all football followers in both countries. No wonder the Irish Government have become involved. As others have said it will make no difference, but it does matter because it shows just how sick the game we all love has become and what a throroughly selfish, nasty, greedy streak runs through so many of the players that fans idolise. This is the sort of dishonesty that in many other walks of life would have people sacked from the their job, even in court, but in football, hardly anyone who matters cares.

It will be interesting to see when Martin gets on the bench. An 18 month contract is not a guarantee of 1st team football this year but he hasn't been signed to be a permanent reserve either. Whether Trotman stays or not, he may have lost his place to Thomas. Pardew already has Perry, Martin and Lancashire, as well as Trotman, and Saville in the reserves on a 3-year deal, which looks like more CBs than the club needs.

Club Captain is fairly meaningless and looks like sop to Kelvin to try to avoid demotivating him. An outfield captain is tacticly better as one player then has authority to sort out issues on the pitch and try to get players to carry out instructions from the coaches which is impossible to do from the goal area. Hammond looks like the right choice and the decision is no reflection on Kelvin but it may mean that Hammond has slightly less authority on the field with a 'rival' captain at training and off the pitch. On balance, maybe Pardew should have taken the harder decision.

All very interesting, and I am in the 'anti' 4-5-1 camp but the better team will usually come out on top regardless of the shape on the pitch, simply because they will have control of the game, be first on the ball, and will make and take goal chances. The system might account for the odd goal, but not for a 3-1 defeat at home.

The 'if only' approach doesn't really account for a 3-1 thrashing at home. The defence is suspect as shown by failure to keep a clean sheet since Yeovil in September. Murty coming back might help, but good as Jaidi is in the air, at his age he is slowing down which leaves him vulnerable on the deck. Obviously Preston don't see a place for Trotman in their team, which suggests he just isn't good enough. Up front there were enough chances to score at least one goal from open play, and sometimes the odds don't work out, but the penalty would have been enough if Saints had been more assured at the back. Pardew has brought in some good players but it looks like he needs one or two more.

Down to Earth. This season is about getting out of the relegation zone and holding a place in mid table. Forget about getting near the play-offs. If we are going to make a serious promotion bid next year, the squad strengthening should start in January.

Whether SaintRichmond is right will be clearer after the next two games. One thing that does seem a reasonable conclusion, given that Brighton are a poor, struggling team, is that our squad may well be good, but its not as good as some of us thought. But I don't think Pardew can escape criticism. There is nothing in his post match comments about Brighton being fired up to play for a new manager that should have come as a surprise and the team should have been ready for it. The truth is, we could have been 4 goals down, not just two. He also gifted Brighton the 3rd goal by playing the last 10 minutes without a left back. Pardew is a good manager, but it looks as if Brighton have got a better one!

As Saints climb the table there will be some areas where teams are clustered together. A win against Brighton not only gets us out of the relegation zone, but it brings the teams currently in 15th to 19th places into sight. If we win the next home game, not all five of those teams will fail to gain a point, but after a 2-place step up if we beat Brighton, another 2 or 3 places is feasible if we beat Norwich. Norwich are a strong side, but no more so than MK Dons or Charlton, so a win is not an unreasonable prospect, but it does make the Norwich game possibly the biggest test so far. Still, lets get Brighton out of the way first.

Quite right. And over the last 5 games we have got more points than Leeds, equalled only by Millwall. The table is distorted by the results in August/Sept. Not only for us, because if it wasn't for the early season, Charlton would be down the bottom. What matters is from here on and with two home games coming up, this is a great opportunity to start moving up. It is like watching paint dry even if you get maximum points most games as progress is inevitably slow, but by the time we play Leeds on 19 Dec, the table could look very different from now.

The new manager syndrome is probably caused in part by players trying harder in order to impress the new boss but however hard Albion's players try, technically they are an inferior bunch to the current Saints team. Can't see anything other than a win by several clear goals.

Still worried about Pardew's use of 4-5-1. We are winning games because Pardew has built a great squad with quality players but the team tends to score when playing 4-4-2 and to let in goals when in 4-5-1.