Cabrone

Well we lost at home, was going to happen some day and yesterday was the day. It's been an amazing 2011 and one that every Saints fan needs to lock away in the memory as it's unlikely that we'll have as good a year as this for a long time. We are now at the half way mark with an amazing opportunity to get out of this league at the first time of asking, if we don't grasp it now who knows when the chance will come again? However the fact that teams are starting to suss us out now means we face a pivotal moment in the season. We need to up our game - our creative players like AL, RL, SDR, Guly and DC need to find a new dimension to overcome the closing pack and the whole team has to go into every game like its a cup final. We need some new pace up front and a good GK (no disrespect to Kelvin but he isn't getting any younger). We also need Chaplow back ASAP, he's a real beating heart in the centre of the park and has been sorely missed. Despite the knee jerk doom mongers on here it's all very much still to play for, top 2 is realistically up for grabs but I think we need to step up now. I hope that Brizzle last night was the shock to the system, the kick in the nether regions that we needed to push on. Come on Saints - it's still in your hands but you need to react fast if you want that top 2.

Simeon Jackson and Wayne Bridge + a decent keeper.

He's the dominant part of the best defensive partnership we've had since Killer\Claus. Jos plays the Killer role whilst Jose is more Claus like IMO. If we get to the prem I'd like to see them kept together, I think they could be good enough. Plenty of loud mouths on here must have swallowed a humble pie or two over this particular signing .

I like Guly, he's the type of player that can win you a match with a second of skill BUT you have to know when and when not to play him. Today's game was one that he should not have played in IMO - we needed a more determined player, Guly was never going to get the space he needs This was more of a game for Barnard or SDR.

Just watched the highlights and that looked as bad a performance from a GK as I've seen, the defence must have been quite stressed playing infront of someone having a mare on that scale. The thing is I've seen Bart play much much better than that so I can't put it down to him being a poor keeper as my own experience tells me otherwise. Looks like Nige needs to get to work on his psychology ASAP because that performance was worse than rustiness.

Can't help but think that Donny, like Brizzle are a better team than their position would suggest as both have some decent players despite having dodgy starts to the season. Not excusing the results and not saying that I'm not disappointed but both teams won't be the roll-overs that the table would suggest from now on in. However I'd like to see us being a bit braver on the road by not just packing our midfield with defensive players and putting 1 up front. Guly was always going to be up against it on his own with little support. Had we rocked up at Donny with a more attacking line up then I think we would have got at least a draw so come on Saints!!

Using 3 defensive CMs and Guly up front on his own is always going to be seriously deficient in firepower. Not surprised we didn't look close to scoring. Guly is not an effective lone striker even with decent support let alone with an all defensive midfield. Not saying he's bad, far from it but he needs another CF to play off. If available Chaplow and Lambert would always be in my first 11 but being as they were out maybe a better formation than yesterday would have been a 4 man midfield(2 from Cork\Hammond\Scneiderlin) with Barnard up front and Guly sitting in the MLT position just behind. Need to beef up our scoring prowess for the next away game.

I actually think having WHU breathing down our necks is a positive as it should spur both teams on and hopefully keep the chasing pack at bay. Anyone who says they aren't bothered about winning the league is kidding themselves, I'd absolutely love to win the league but of course top 2 is the priority.

Great win against a decent team. Especially pleasing as we had to come back from behind, shows a bit of grit and character. Come the start of December we'll still be top of the table with a healthy cushion and a fantastic chance of an auto place. Wow - still can't quite believe it!

Ah well, shame as I think he would have been a great backup for Rikky. Best of luck at the Blades.

I think BCs league position is a bit false and Maynard is coming back on form so it was always going to be a tough one. My preseason hope was an outside shot at play offs and we are currently exceeding that by a country mile so I'm just putting it down as one of those days. Be interesting on Tuesday as Hull are a decent side and will punish us if we don't show 100%.

Gut feeling is that this one is going to be a tear up. I'll go with 4-3 to us but could go either way TBH. Whatever the score I fancy a few goals (probably going to be a 0-0 now!)

If you want a direct cover for Rikky till the end of the season that won't cost much I'd invite BT in for a trial. If we were to end up getting promoted then I'd start looking at prem standard players.

Yes. Partner him with some pace and he can be a very effective old school centre forward in the prem. He's got the strength, heading ability, finishing quality plus he's lethal from a penalty spot and takes great free kicks.

2-2, reckon it's going to be a good game this one. Jos and Chaplow.

This is not the best team and it's unfair to even try and compare them with teams of the past when they haven't ever played in the top division. They can only beat what is put infront of them and at the moment they are doing this whilst also playing great football.

If we need short term direct cover for Rickie - and I believe we do - then BT could do a good job and he wouldn't break the bank. If we then ended up getting promoted we'd have to look for a more permanent replacement. Other than that I'd try and get Jos on board + take a serious look at a prem quality keeper. Kelv isn't getting any younger + a good GK is worth his weight in gold - just look at Green's performance for W.Ham yesterday.

Feel a bit sorry for the Cov fans, for 44 years now they have had literally nothing to get excited about - just a slow and painful decline. They spent 34 years in the top flight and apart from a cup win in 87 and a semi revival for a year or two after did diddly squat. Then they got relegated and instead of mounting a promotion push the have just spent 10 years more on their downward trajectory. I think if I was a Cov fan I'd quietly be hoping for relegation and admin just to shake my comatose club up. We've been to hell and back but at least it wasn't boring. Tedium is a club killer.

Come on Saints, just Putin an offer and let's get this deal done.

It may well be that if Lennon goes Celtic will be Stalin on making a deal......

I reckon a tub thumping, end to end, dodgy defending, thrills and spills 5-3 to Saints and a smile on the face of all who turn up.

That was liquid football.

Quietly confident about this one, Mowbray's teams like to play a bit which should suit us nicely. I think 2-0 or 2-1 ; Lambert + a midfielder to score our goals.

Superb point away to a very decent team IMO. I think I enjoy gutsy performances like that more than home canters against minnows as it really shows what the team are made of. Just over a week short of November and we're top by 3 points, would someone please pinch me.