sandwichsaint

I do think you make a good point about the differences between say, long passing, a 'direct' style, and more general 'hoofing'. Considering as our best 'long passer' went off in the first 3 minutes maybe that game plan went out of the window a bit? I did see some accurate 'long passes' from Harding, Hammond and sometimes Chaplow. I also saw a lot of 'hoofing' from Davis, Jaidi, Fonte, Butterfield (especially, but he often had very little on in front of him), and Chaplow. In the first half we tried to play a long-pass, counter-attacking game, often trying to hit RL early in the air and him flicking on first time for runners to get onto, this was fairly effective and produced several shots on goal. When this tactic wasn't on we often by-passed midfield with a more general 'hoof' to no one in particular. The only players that really had the ball on the ground in the first half were N'Guessen and AL and they were often double-teamed and pressed high up the pitch to limit their effectiveness (again we have no fast forward to run in behind and recieve a ball down the line). Second half Saints went very 'direct', trying to get the ball into the box as often as possible, usually for RL but also for LB and Chaplow who also got fd well. Very congested in the Walsall box with often 4 defenders in the CB area and them keeping bodies behind the ball and in front of the goal at all times. Our best chances of scoring always looked like a set play and corners looked much better than they usually do: Fonte had at least 4 attempts on target, one stunningly saved and one cleared off the line (know that cos my nipper had 2 quid on him at 40-1! everytime Fonte was denied we were the ones shouting '80-effing-quid'!). Jaidi also had 3 headed attempts and his spectacular volley that flew wide. Saints did try and play through on the ground as well (LB, AL, Chaplow, AOC) but often the penalty area was just too congested to find the final pass - Walsall showed what can be done defensively if every person puts everything they've got on the line - not pretty to watch but they won't care about that and you have to give them credit for playing with that spirit in their circumstances. In answer to your original point - yes there was an awful lot of 'hoofing' (a bad thing) but there was also plenty of legitimate and deliberate 'long ball' and 'direct play' which on another day would have resulted in a comfortable victory.

On another night we would probably have had at least three goals, we had at least 8 genuine goal bound efforts, their keeper pulled off one wonder stop, and several very smart saves, and two blocked on the line, and a flying horizonal block from a defender about 8 yards out. No comparison with the 7 shots at Hartlepool ... I was surprised after the game to see 11 shots on target as the number given ... we had at least 5 on target in the first half ... and it felt like 15 in the second!

I quite enjoyed it in a 'standing-under-a-cold-shower-tearing-up-ten-pound-notes' sort of a way. New ground, decent turn-out from Saints, typically rumbustuous lower-league game, lots of grunt and graft from both sides, thrills and spills all the way in the second half, a fat keeper that had a Tomaczeski of a game, and a dodgy ref too - what more could you want from a game of football in league one? I'm not sure that NA can do much more with the hand he's been dealt? He picked the team most people on here would have gone for (Jaidi for the physical away game, Harding over Dickson, he started Schneiderlin and kept Chaplow in too, he started Barnard over Gully, he has Lallana coming back to fitness; the early change was forced by injury and N'Guess did 'OK' ie no better or no worse than most other Saints players, AOC no great impact when he came on). Adkin's was also hampered in the January window, it looks like he identified players but it's fairly clear Saints either a) haven't got any money or b) won't pay the prices being asked - I think we have to very quickly (ie this summer) get our collective heads around the fact that we will 'always' be asked to pay more for our players, and if AOC does go for silly money then that situation will only get worse rather than better. We are also playing under the weight of ridiculous expectation (manager/players/fans) - how does NC's mooted plans for a 40k-50k stadium and talk of the Champions League help the current situation? Let's be quietly ambitious, but let's make sure we deal with the reality of finding a way of picking up 90 points in a Division 3 season first. I constantly hear and read that 'Saints have the best squad in this league', 'Saints would come top 6 in the league above' etc etc ... all that counts for diddly squat when the Walsall goal lives the sort of charmed life it did last night. Too many fans seem to completely over-look that the other side has something to play for too, and shock! horror! they also have decent players who put in a shift; in the last 2 and a half weeks I've seen Saints twice, Harlepool, Walsall, Charlton twice, Peterborough, and Exeter and across those 4 games I think it's fair to conclude that there is very little difference between the teams in the league and on their day 'all can beat all'. Saints have lacked 'consistency' for years and that's probably the key thing you need for promtion and it appears it may be the one thing that money can't buy. Not sure where we go from here - we could still finish almost anywwhere from 2nd to 10th(!) - the club motto? 'Never easy, never dull'.

The sort of player who could do very well with the right 'nurturing'. Def not 20k a week better than what we have but if the price was right I wouldn't say no.

I wouldn't disagree with that at all, in fact if you turn it round and say 'we are average and no louder than them' then that would probably be right. 'The Northam' are nowhere near as loud/'passionate' as they were 4 or 5 years ago, and the other three sides of the ground have never been particularly vocal. I'm pretty sure if you polled 'all football fans' and asked them 'Which are the 5 best-supported non-Prem teams?' Saints would be pretty comfortably off that radar; I'd suggest they would go for Leeds/Cardiff/Po***y/Sheff Weds/Derby/Norwich/Millwall as being the 'best supported'... with Saints somewhere in the next tier along with Palace/Charlton/Ipswich/Bristol City/Burnley.... not saying that's what I think or that I agree with it, just what I think a neutral's perception might be. Agree English grounds are a lot quieter than they were 20 or 30 years ago, but not sure it's got worse in the last 10 years; it's been a long time coming and all seater stadium and dearer tkt prices have been a factor in this for a long time. As others have said, the atmos at SMS would be greatly improved if the away fans were pushed into 48-1-2 and the Northam was extended right across past the goal. Not sure about a kop in the Chapel, I don't think a lot of the current Northam / Itchen corner would move away from the away fans? But what would be even more effective in the short term would be to S-L-O-W T-H-E B-L-O-O-D-Y S-O-N-G-S D-O-W-N !!!!!!

Not getting into a 'who is the loudest' arguement but you will see/hear decent support at: Bristol City, Cardiff, Leeds, Burnley, Po***y, Sheff Utd, Forest. Bit more of a 'family' type atmosphere but Derby, Ipswich, Norwich usually have something going on. Decent crowds that don't make much atmospere: Sheff Weds, Palace, Charlton, Notts County, and Millwall.

Hopefully there will be a Plan B as well then ....

Let's have none of this 'hindsight' stuff after 5pm this evening, your Adkins, wot's your team this afternoon? Davis Butter-Fonte-Jaidi-Harding Morgan N-guess-Hammond-Chaplow-Lallana RL A sort of 4-1-4-1 with AOC and Gully (and Barnard) to come from the bench once we have control of the game (and hopefully an early goal ... RL penalty on 16 minutes after N'Guessen pulled down). That's what I would do.

Shocking news if true(?), top top player for us and without his illness he would have been at the very top for years.

Are there tickets available? I have 3 in the extrabet stand from the original Saturday game but could do with two more if poss. Original Saturday game was 'all ticket' but did we sell our original allocation? Will there be cash admission into the extrabet stand on the night ? Thanks for anyone that can shed any light.

Agree with Venus and Tugay at SMS (the 3-3 v Ipswich was Strachan's first game and also the game where Delgado was paraded and videos shown on the big screen). Another good goal at SMS was Forest a couple of years ago, v drab 0-0 at the time, midway through the second half the ball broke to their centre-mid and without breaking stride he just clipped it fully 35 yards over the top of our CBs, over the keeper who wasn't that far off his line, and hit it so well it bounced on the line on the way in - perfect strike and totally pre-meditated - can't remember who it was though!

Stewards were outstanding last night; absolute credit to their club. Friendly and commonsense interpretation of their role. I'd like to nominate them for 'stewards of the year' if there is such a thing!

Much better than Lambert last night. Reckon hcdajfu as a number 9. Harsh to say he doesn't try, he certainly put in a decent shift yesterday.

I'm not sure there was a lack of effort more a lack of quality and imagination. I called it 1-0 or 0-1 after 10 minutes, and a goal either way in the first half might have made a better game of it overall. Positives the back 4 and keeper all played well a hard Earned clean sheet. Problems started in midfield where none of those 4 had very good games. Chaplow had a shocker and barely completed a pass all game, Adam is coming back to match play, some good bits but not really enough. OX? If he plays wide right surely we have to feed him regularly? Hardly saw the ball at all first half and little impact in the second, would be better used coming from the bench especially in away games. Hammond was the pick but it's all huff and puff and little quality. Gully and lambert never linked once all game. Gully worked hard in defence and looked lively up front in the first half but disappeared se nod half, I don't understand the sub where he goes to the wing? Lambert was pretty meh throughout. Barnard was also rubbish when he came on just running round kicking people and conceding needless fouls. We absolutely didn't have seven shots on target, possibly 4 but their keeper didn't make a save all game. 0-0 a decent result up there, especially with other results going our way!

It wasn't raining and the pitch was OK, HTH

Not sure what game I was watching? PITCH absolutely no factor - checked with my fellow diners in the Indian in HPool and the pitch was dry and flat - absolutely - saw it with my own eyes! Saints very one dimensional, take Lambert out of it and we might have a plan B? So easy to play against.... Do we needLLanna and OX away from home? On tonights evidence maybe not? Neither of them very involved and combined together a waste of one player with our long ball HOoofff it tactics!

Very even first half. Half chances for both teams. Gully looks our danger man, Harding also playing well. Got 1-0 written all over it .. Who will get the one goal? (from H'pool!)

'Never let the facts ....' etc.

We saw Charlton v Exeter in the away end for a fiver. Slow first half but a very good second half, Exeter went 3 up but twas a very poor show from Charlton in front of a decent crowd (c25k?). BWP got totally slated by Exeter fans from start to finish (ex Plymuff and all that). Saints comfortably better than both of these sides, no real stand out players on either side, Docherty was good again for Charlton, Harley had a quiet game for Exeter but some nice touches. Ref very good, for those that say there are no decent refs at this level; unfussy, let the players tackle and kept the cards down to the minimum needed. Don't know who he was but looked like he could go further. Hopefully Charlton's bubble is now shot, I said last week we must expect to get 6 points of them (tho 4 would do) and nothing today to suggest we can't go there and win.

Nuisance but hopefully we will be at full strength, full fitness for Tuesday night. Postponement always looked likely on that weather forecast. Anybody at a loose end in the London area Charlton v Exeter is a fiver a pop all seats, cash on the turnstiles. We are going in the away end, come on you E's (or whatever they call themselves). Fair play to Rochdale/the ref for getting it off at 10-00 and not faffing about till 14-30.....

I'm going with older son, B+B in the town centre, two days biking, lots of beer before the game and a curry afterwards and a bit more beer too - sounds great. Might start in the Hillcarter 5.00-ish?

Great set of results, shows how important our scrappy 1-0 win on Saturday was tho half the posters on here seemed to think at the time that was a 'bad result'. There will be no more 'bad wins' between here and the season's end - only 'wins' (and hopefully plenty of them)!

Charlton were pants on Saturday for 80% of their game, if we can't take 6 (or 4) points off them we prob don't deserve to go up!

Not much there for us; we've got to concentrate on winning our own games; just like Saturday in fact! I'd take another dozen 1-0's right now.

We really need to get over this idea that Charlton are good or are our rivals for second spot! I saw them yesterday and they were really really ordinary, we have absolutely nothing to fear going there and going for the win! Powell won his first three (two with scruffy one-nils, never a bad thing) but yesterday they played P'boro at home, playing for a play-off place they had just 15k home fans and the 'atmosphere' was non-existent till they went 3-1 up. First half they were very slow to settle, looked nervous and Pboro took them to pieces; only some weak finishing and last ditch defending kept it to 1-0 at HT, truth was Pboro should have had 2,3,4 in the first half and been home and hosed by HT. Second half Charlton scored from their first decent attack of the game, obvious long cross from the right went right over the P defence and headed in by completely unmarked striker BWP; PBoro just stopped playing at this point and Charlton scored again inside a minute with the visitors defence again nowhere. Charlton then withstood a long period of Pboro pressure before scoring a breakaway goal that went straight through the P defence and clean through the keeper. CMS addded a tidy finish in overtime to make it 3-2 and one of the most unlikeliest of scorelines. Charlton keeper was a sort of Davis-lite, some tidy stops but tends to stay on his line and didn't really link well with his defence, plus some erratic distribution. Neither full back was very good, we have 4 better full backs than these two. Best two players were Christian Dailly and Docherty at CH, both had good games and kept Charlton in it first half (the only two Charlton players that might get in our first 16). Semeda played holding mid/anchor man but was very inconsistent, looked athletic and mobile but made lots of unforced errors, we have better. Very little joined up forward play or attacking pattern, BWP still very inconsistent, he worked hard for the team but little of it was very productive; several poor touches and often ran in the wrong places, basically did nothing but took his one chance a very straightfd free header. Pboro looked great in the first half but fell away badly in the second. Couldn't really judge GK Lewis as he had so little to do but he might have done more with the third. Boyd and CMS both looked decent (particularly Boyd who was the best player on the pitch), they also bought on a young Antonio-a-like as sub on the right wing and he was excellent, fast and direct, beating the fullback on both sides and putting over some peachy crosses (think this was Mendez-Laing?). We really do need to be targetting 6 points from Charlton, 4 will do; I would be pretty ****ed if we take less than 4 points from those two games!