Professor

The squad of 1959/60 cemented my support for Saints. I'd been an interested schoolboy, following them in Div 3 but more interested in some of the Div 1 teams until that season but the team Ted Bates put together was electric! He'd put 14 players on the transfer list and brought in nine new ones. The team included Derek Reeves, George O'Brien, Cliff Huxford, John Sydenham and Terry Paine but it took more than just a few star players to be top of Div 3 by Christmas and Champions at the end of the season. OK, so it was the old 3rd Division, but this team was top quality as they proved against first division Man City in the 3rd round of the FA cup, drawn away from home at Maine Road where they annihilated City 5-1. Derek Reeves scored 39 goals that season, so even Rickie Lambert has a way to go....... That was a memorable squad for those of us old enough to have seen them play and in Payne and Sydenham it had two wingers who played for England u-23 (as it was in those days) and Payne of course went on to play in the England World Cup squad, by which time Saints had just been promoted to Div One.

Sorry to disagree with the assumption that we don't need any additions to the squad. To miss out on promotion now, after having topped the table for most of the season, would be a huge mistake. Anything that can be done to make the promotion more certain should be done. We have an injured CB which is clearly justification to bring in an emergency loan. We have two first choice CBs who have both been out of the side due to injury. If we lose them both, even for a couple of games, it could be struggle just when clean sheets are being seen as so important for the run in. Matt Mills has fallen out with Nigel Pearson at Leicester and there are major doubts over his future there. Matt’s Saints pedigree and his prem potential would make him an ideal loan signing with a view to transfer in the close season. Come on Nigel. You know it makes sense.

A win at Leeds is a perfectly reasonable expectation. Despite the change of manager Leeds still has a squad that is not good enough for the top six and Warnock is only there because he was sacked from his previous job for not being good enough to take QPR forward. On top of that Leeds have limited incentive. A play-off place is unlikely, they've played a game more than most of the clubs above them and the results have been sufficiently poor that the new manager is looking around for new players, so he doesn't rate them either. By comparison, Saints are on a roll of 6 games unbeaten, home and away, and the major incentive of automatic promotion gets closer with every match. We are moving into the phase of the season when the top teams such as Saints will tend to win more regularly as they play teams like Leeds that have less motivation. To me, this looks like away win number 6.

The squad managed by Alan Pardew in L1 is still the backbone of the present team - Davis, Richardson, Fonte, Schneiderlin, Lallana, Guly, Lambert - together with a few who are now more like second, rather than first choice, but still important to the squad, such as Harding, Butterfield, Hammond, Connolly. For a L1 team, with a few additions, to be knocking on the door of the Prem is remarkable But we are still a second tier club, so to compare this team with teams of the past is comparing Apples and Pears. The past squads include the experienced team that won the cup in 1976 with Osgood, Rodrigues, Steel, Channon and McCalliog; or the team that won promotion to the old Div One in 1978 under the captaincy of Alan Ball; or the League Cup Final team of 1979 that included Ball, Golac, Steve Williams, Chris Nichol and Phil Boyer; and then there was the Divsion One side of the early 1980s with Keegan, Channon, Ted MacDougal and Charlie George; and all of that before a certain Matt Le Tiss featured in the first team. So, lets enjoy what we have, but not build them up into a super-team yet, not until we are in the top six in the top tier league, where we have been before. But Runaway can be forgiven because anyone who didn't see Saints playing their fast close passing football in Div One games at The Dell doesn't have the experience to make the judgement. How sad it is to be young.....

Nigel Adkins makes a strong point about teamwork being key to the club's success. He plays his own part in that team with some astute tactical decisions but also from the way he has built on Alan Pardew's squad that he inherited. An analysis of the current first team squad shows how teamwork stretches back, even to before the sale of the club in 2009 and that continuity, linked to gradual adaptation is key, as opposed to the slash and burn strategy adopted by some clubs. Pardew's part in building a team to get out of League 1 and compete in the Championship is apparent in the present squad although some of those are now second, rather than first choice players. Perhaps the only disapointment is that the list only includes one player from the Academy, but partly due to forced sales of Chamberlain, Walcott and Bale who arguably became top quality when the club could only offer lower league football. The following analysis of the current team might be of interest, but please excuse any errors or inaccurate assumptions: Squad at Feb 2012 – Championship Davis Signed by Burley (£1m+) debut 2006 (Played Prem Sunderland) Richardson Signed by Pardew (£450K) debut 2010 (Played Prem Leeds) Fonte Signed by Pardew (£1.2m) debut 2010 (International at u-21) Hooiveld Signed by Adkins (up to 2m) debut 2011 (loan 2011) Fox Signed by Adkins (£1.8m) debut 2011 (International Scotland) Chaplow Signed by Adkins (£50K) debut 2011 (loan 2006) Schneiderlin Signed by Poortviet (£1.2m) debut 2008 (international u-21) Cork Signed by Adkins (£750K) debut 2011 (loan 2008) (International u-21) Lallana Saints Academy debut 2008 (International u-21) Lambert Signed by Pardew (£1m+) debut 2009 Lee Signed by Adkins (Free transfer) debut 2012 (International Japan) Butterfield Signed by Pardew (Free transfer) debut 2010 Harding Signed by Pardew (Free transfer) debut 2009 Martin Signed by Pardew (Free transfer) debut 2010 Hammond Signed by Pardew (£400K) debut 2009 Puncheon Signed by Pardew (£200K) debut 2010 Guly Signed by Pardew (£500K) debut 2010 Connolly Signed by Pardew (Free) debut 2009 (Former International & Prem) Sharp Signed by Adkins (£1.8m) debut 2012

Surely the concept of the transfer window was to prevent clubs enhancing their teams outside the two limited periods. Reeves to the Daggers and Holmes to Oxford are two examples of clubs that are competing at the top or bottom of the table strengthening their squads outside of the window. We also hear that Birmingham are doing the same, and contrary to an 'emergency' the press report the Birmingham signings as a 'boost to the club's promotion drive'. If getting promotion counts as an emergency, why aren't we back in the market to bring in two or three strong loan signings. How about the CB we need, not just as cover but prem quality....

This is beginning to look like the end of last season when the top three were winning consistently as mid-table teams had less to play for. You can't rely on staying in the top two on slip-ups. But the draws against WH and Brum now look like good results.

What a goal by Chun today!!! Have just seen it on the FL Show. International quality without a doubt. Can see Billy Sharp struggling to get the shirt off him because surely Nigel will have to give Chun a start next week after that, even if it does hurt Billy's confidence to be dropped to the bench.

As a Fair Weather Supporter, I've just seen the forecast for tomorrow - raining by 3 o'clock, wet afternoon and getting colder. Not fancying the walk to and from the ground so I'll have Dave Merrington to keep me company. I'm hoping Saints will score 3 or 4 tomorrow so that at 5pm I can really regret not having been there to see it.. But then, by 5.15 I'll be enjoying the League Table, and instead of sitting in traffic jam on the Itchen Bridge wondering what it feels like to be warm and dry, I'll be indoors having a warm cup of tea and beginning to read the reports on the web.

Interesting to try to spot the rights and wrongs of the penalty decision. The highlights don't show the Lallana dive, probably as that's a lowlight, but they do show what looks like a handball by Hooiveld just before the penalty was given to West Ham. The fall by Noble for which the penalty was given has all the hallmarks of a dive but so what, its what most players from most clubs do now and is making a mockery of the game. The sending-off did look justified. The WHU players wcan be seen as the more aggresive in responding to Sharp's complaint about the dive and Taylor certainly seems to push or hit Sharp. What does NOT happen, which Allerdyce claimed, is that Sharp did not go down holding his face or make any move to have Taylor sent-off. Allerdyce was actaully far too far away to see anything at all. So it was Allerdyce who came out of that with most discredit, lying to the media about what he'd seen. But ultimately, the fault lies with FIFA failing to stop the penalty kick being far too great a reward for an incident in the area, which is encouraging all this ridiculous play-acting and is ruining games of football by turning in wrong results based on penalty goals that never should have been.

Seems to me there is a place for Falque in the squad. He has replaced Forte and is probably 4th wingman behind Puncheon, de Ridder and Lallana. That the team often a has a MF player playing wide doesn't detract from the need for wing cover.

Another example of how the penalty kick is killing football. After the game, both managers are complaining about penalties that should have been, or should not have been given when football should be about winning the game by goals scored in open play, not by a free shot from 12 yards with no defenders anywhere near the ball. Some penalties area justified, such as a defender using his hand to stop the ball going into the goal, but others are given where the attacker has little, or even no chance, of scoring. So its not surprising that players have turned simulation into an art form. I suspect the coaches are even getting them to practise diving, although maybe Lallana needs more practice. But he's not alone in trying to win by cheating. It is endemic in the game and yet FIFA turn a blind eye to it, as do managers who only see what suits their team and then behave as if winning from a penalty awarded for a faked foul is somehow to their credit.

Not good enough but not the fault of the players. Adkins and Crosby need to work out how to play against 10 men. Maybe the problem is that on match days they are always in the technical area and not listening to Radio Solent to get Dave Merrington's advice!!!

THIS IS A DISASTER! Right at the start of Billy Sharps' Saints career and it will hang over him for years. In 3 or 4 years time when its thought he has scored his 100th goal for Saints no one will know whether its really his 100th goal or just his 99th goal.

What if....... we win. First home win of 2012. 8 points out of the last 6 games is still not great but it could be the turn around. Still in in second, even if Birmingham and Cardiff both win away from home. If one or both of them drop points, all the better and WHU losing at Peterborough would help. Conclusion. As long as we win games, it doesn't matter what the teams around us do and they will all have the occasional slip. A draw at WHU on Tuesday will do and then another win next week against Derby. Things are looking up!!! What if...... we draw. Another home game without a win. Beginning to look serious. No, not just beginning, because 5 points from the last 5 games was already that, so 6 from the last 6 just confirms the slide. Could even be the day we slip out of the promotion places if Birmingham have beaten Barnsley. The whole squad to choose from, except Butterfield and Seaborne, and the new signings all available, but still just a draw. Where is the next win coming from? What if.......we lose. Oh, well, its just a game of football. There are more important things in life.

The manager has said constantly that its not about the eleven its about the squad, in which case different first choice players missing different games is not the issue. Adkins says its his responsibility, and he has publicly blamed the defence, for the first time as far as I'm aware. Which would seem to confirm why he was after a quality CB. Ultimately though, its the chairman who does the buying, so although Adkins has no choice but to say he takes responsibility because he can't publicly blame NC, its not all down to the manager if the squad isn't good enough.

19th in the form league. Five games without a win. Grasping at straws doesn't change the facts. Chaplow is not a saviour; Lee is not a magic addition. A team one place off relegation to L1 can beat us at home. COYS, don't you want to play in the Prem?

When Jose and Jos are in the side the back four looks solid and Martin has done well as cover but after him there is the aging Jaidi who hasn't played all season and Seaborne can't be considered until he returns to fitness. If 2 CBs are out, we play a FB out of position. So despite NA saying he is satisfied with the squad after the Jan window, the effort to sign a CB suggests the club recognises there is a weakness. Adkins says that after 7 Feb he will be asked by fans and the media if he plans to bring in an emergency loan. Its unlikely he's going to say publicly one way or the other, but should he? Does the club need a CB and if so, should it be someone who could genuinely compete with Jos or Jose for a first choice place, or a squad player?

You are absolutely right DG that the interviews have no bearing at all on the team performance. Walking the Walk is what matters as the rest is just for public consumption but as we can see from the forum and how often Adkins' comments are the subject of a discussion thread, there is a lot of interest in what he says, whether it matters or not.

There are some very capable, knowledgeable and experienced managers in this league. Chris Hughton, Ian Holloway, Derek McInnes, Malky Mackay, Paul Jewell, Sam Allardyce, Tony Mowbray, Nigel Pearson.........to name a few. Nigel Adkins is holding his own with the best of them by showing he can recruit good players to the club (Cork, Hooiveld, Sharp, Lee) and he can adapt his side during a game by changing the tactics or moving the players around. For me, he Walks the Walk. What he does not do is Talk the Talk. Very rarely do I feel more confident after an Adkins' interview than before it. At the Lee press conference he was asked about systems the team plays and dismissed the question saying its just called football and we're not interested in systems, and yet he plays intelligent systems all the time and adapting the shape of the side as he did against Cardiff. Immediately after a game., especially if its not been won, is not a time to expect a manager to say much of import anyway, so last night's interview was not one to judge him on, but it would be nice if some of his other interviews could be more incisive, more technical about the game and without the repetition of his favourite cliches, and maybe, just maybe, with less of the smiles and a bit more seriousness. Come on Nigel, You Can Do It!

Did he really say "Should of?" I think not. I would HAVE thought MR Adkins paid more attention in English lessons at school.

The team looks better than it did at New Year with Puncheon a better winger than SDR, and Sharp a better second striker than Connolly, as well as having Lee to call on, but lets not forget that the rest of this team have been producing some poor results for the last 2 months. Will Chaplow instead of Hammond, Cork or Morgan, make that much difference in midfield? Will Jos and Jose back at CB be a big improvement on Martin holding one of the spots? Yes. I think it will. The confidence from a strong threat up front will improve the whole team. I'd like to see Puncheon and Lee in tonight to start the process against Cardiff but if Lee does well, how do we fit Sharp in on Saturday? Who'd be a manager......

Just seen the mini highlights on the OS and disapointing to see how the defence let in the Millwall goal. Would have expected the shot to have been blocked and also that Bart could have done better. Suspect there will be some discussion before the blue line is drawn.

Only heard the game on Solent and it was a fair performance by an obviously scratch team. You only have to look at first choice players missing: Davis, Hooiveld, Fonte, Cork, Scneiderlin, Lallana to see half the regular side weren't there, and of the players on the field, several were playing out of position, so this was no measure of how the league side would do. At the same time, we are anxiously waiting for the emergence of a new star in the Walcott, Bale, Oxo mould, who once in the team plays too well to be dropped. Maybe Lee will soon be a fixture in the team and if one or two of the young players who have been tried out in the cup games does make the leaque side on merit and not just as cover for injury, that would more than compensate for any missed signings. From the commentary, it was hard to tell if any of the young players is quite there yet, but making the first team is quite an achievement and now it will be interesting to see if anyone has impressed Adkins enough for a league place.

Pedantic as always A - where are the O and I on your keyboard..... If you don't like the forum its not compulsory yiu kniw.