Sheaf Saint

And it just had to be Nathan F***ing Dyer didn't it!

Architects of our own downfall once again. Swansea were there for the taking and we gifted them back into it. Played much better I thought with Cork in CM instead of Davis, and we had two good shouts for a penalty, but that doesn't excuse the fact we should have taken all three points there today. Gutted.

Not exactly a gig - Castle Morton 1992. The biggest free party the UK has ever seen, which convinced the government of the time to introduce the Criminal Justice Bill.

Just because someone isn't especailly good at speaking without a script or an autocue doesn't make them a bad leader, likewise being good at it doesn't guarantee good leadership skills. It's actions, rather than words, that ultimately matters. Adolf Hitler was a very good public speaker.

Why does it not surprise me that Alps bases his judgement of a leader on his/her ability to take to a public stage and talk a load of hot air?

Globule or... Irksome

I really can't believe how childishly posters such as Delldays are calling for his head, as if changing the manager now is going to magically make our squad better. What I saw last night was not pretty, I'll admit. But personally I lay the large chunk of the blame with the players. We were bullied out of the game by a better, more organised and, most importantly, physically stronger team. It didn't matter what formation or tactics Nigel went with, the group of players we have are just too lightweight to compete. Added to that is the fact that certain players are failing in their most basic duties ( for example, Lallana as a LW not bothering to track back and cover the LB when required; and S. Davis in CM not even bothering to put in a single tackle all game). Maybe I'm naive but I fail to see how sacking the manager now is going to resolve that. I'm more than happy to stick with Nigel and build for the future, because I genuinely believe that we can become a very strong team with him at the helm. But the simple fact is we over-achieved last season (not that I'm complaining about that) meaning the step up to the PL has been too much for a large chunk of the squad. Given that NA's long-term plan has always been about stability and team-spirit, replacing most of the first team in the close season would probably have been equally as disastrous as using players that are not (yet) up to it. In Nigel I trust. And I'm getting pretty bored of reading the same old reactionary drivel from the usual suspects every time we concede a goal. It's only a game.

Well their first goal shouldn't have stood because there was a definite handball in the lead-up to it, and we definitely should have had a penalty towards the end. HOWEVER... that really just papers over the cracks. Our defensive set-up was shocking, our midfield was way too accommodating and our forward play was far too predictable and easily dealt with. Nobody came out of that with any credit IMO, but I'm gonna stick my neck out here and say what I've been feeling for a while... Lallana really ain't all that I'm afraid. I fail to see exactly what he brings to the attack to make him so highly rated, and his defensive covering is disgraceful. Poor old Danny Fox gets slaughtered on here for allowing too much to come down our left side, but the amount of times he had two men on him because AL was just trotting back from losing the ball up front (again) was inexcusable. I really don't want to see Adkins sacked, but I'm fearful that is precisely what is going to happen... and soon.

Oh great. Just what we need when we're up against it and chasing a game - Guly.

Madness. For the second league game in a row, it's like a completely different team has come out for the second half.

Definite handball in the lead-up to that, but still no excuses for leaving him so much space to shoot - as per normal. It's getting depressingly predictable now.

I've just caught up on the whole series and I agree about the acting in that scene - absolutely brilliant, but I personally don't believe that's the best the show has offered so far. Claire Danes was simply outstanding in the final couple of episodes of series one. The way she depicted the mania and subsequent depression of bi-polar disorder was probably the best bit of TV acting I have ever seen.

Well if you enjoyed this one Phil then you should definitely get hold of the rest when they become available. I thought it was by far the weakest episode of the new series so far and very short on laughs compared to a couple of the previous ones.

That isn't exactly exclusive to Adkins though is it? When was the last time you heard a manager do a post-match interview and say "Yeah it was all my fault we lost. I got the tactics and the substitutes all wrong."? Can't really criticise him for behaving in exactly the same way as all other managers can you?

I don't really know what people expect from his post-match interviews. It's not like any football managers, or players, ever have anything insightful or constructive to say in these situations. They just rattle off a load of tired old cliches (kept plugging away, all credit to them etc...) just to pay lip service to the TV broadcasters. It's sometimes funny watching a manager losing it after a perceived injustice from the officials, but that's about it. I don't even pay attention to them any more - I get more interesting and stimulating conversation from my cat.

Oh dear lord - we are looking so sloppy and careless in possession today.

Total lack of concentration from Clyne there - yet another completely avoidable goal conceded. Getting pretty depressing now :-(

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20074051 So an MP's report states that the goals of the military mission in Afghanistan 'may never be achievable'. Amazing it's taken them this long to work that out, given that most people with an ounce of intelligence have been saying it for 12 years. All those service personnel deaths for nothing.

Is that the actual truth, or is it just what you are allowed to tell everyone? I seem to recall reports of British ships and subs being involved in the 'shock and awe' tactic - firing missiles from vast distances away - but I accept my memory could well be wrong in that respect.

Yep, me too. The man is just a born loser.

No no no no no and no. The day that corrupt, saggy-faced pr1ck ever sets foot in St Marys again is the day I finally turn my back on Saints and on football in general. I honestly can't believe some of our fans actually want him back after last time.

No, we shouldn;t have stuck with Wotte because he was clearly the crap, cheap option in the first place. Adkins is a talented, young (ish) manager who I have no doubt will go on to bigger and better things, and I would rather he did it with us.

How do you know that? How do you know he didn't identify one or two decent defenders in the window but for whatever reason NC couldn't or wouldn't do the deal?

Honestly, you lot are f***ing unbelievable. Have you really learnt nothing from our last 20 years of managerial musical chairs? Are you really so ready to give up on a talented manager who actually wants to be here just because of one single bad run of results? Did anybody really expect we would be setting the PL alight this season? I'm f***ing ashamed to support the same team as you pathetic bunch of whingers. So what if Cortese does pull the trigger and sack him? What then? Anybody else coming in will still have the same squad of players to work with until January, and the disruption of changing managers, changing systems/tactics etc... will only result in us being in a worse position by then. We've all been saying for years that what we need is consistency. We need a manager who will commit to the long term to stabilise the team and move us forward. Managers learn from their mistakes and Nigel has earned the right to prove he can learn from his this season. Sacking him would not only make us more likely to get relegated, it would take us back to the dark days of Lowe et al when managers were shown the door after the first run of bad results and the cycle repeated itself. I really, really, hope we don't go down that route.

I expect that penalty was all Adkins' fault as well then, yeah?