saint1977

Spot on and that's why we need that pace in the window. Saying December is Rickie's last chance is a bit much IMO - he may find form in February and still be an asset. He also played an awful lot of games last season and I did think at the time with his frame that it might rebound on us and Rickie this year. We've only really had Rickie as a fit striker this year as Barnard has been injured a lot and Connolly sadly is a 20 min sub at best. Guly doesn't cut it so clearly the forward line is the key area to reinforce.

I agree with many of these points Adrian but it's about timing. NC has made clear that the strategy must include promotion this season and given this team's unpredictability and tendency to fold under pressure we don't want to be in the play offs so it's top 2 only in effect for NA. The other teams probably aren't as technically gifted as us - Lallana IMO is the best player in this league, Morgan is gifted but isn't effective alongside Hammond and vice versa, Lambert has a good touch for a big striker etc but in order to release some of those qualities which won us a lot of games last season, you need the space that an Antonio and/or Waigo provides. AOC has provided it sporadicially but it is too big a burden for his stage of development. Retaining Connolly was a big mistake and I just don't think Guly cuts it so that leaves us 2 down in the striker department even without Barnard's injury problems this campaign. On to your question of why the current side are so off form, I agree that 4 pacy signings won't fix everything but an injection of goals and attacking threat might overpower sides at this level and get us to objective A for the season and then re-group in the summer and tackle any cultural issues. After all, Chaplow has a good engine and in my view we look a far better side when is playing. It's very hard to know what's going on inside the club but we don't seem to develop players that we sign as well as the youngsters we bring through. We know the youth coaching up is much heralded and rightly so based on its outputs but we seem to ruin players that we bring in - Colchester fans were amazed at how Hammond has gone backwards, Lambert progressed last season and has nosedived this year. Is it the first team coaches or is it a culture at the club where we are prepared to accept failure too readily? I can't believe with NA in charge that fitness is an issue. Kasper Schmichael kicked a door off its hinges when they lost at Boscombe last season. Now I don't condone vandalism and it cost him dearly in fines but it shows a hatred of defeat that I've seen with successful sides that I don't see with this squad. What I'm saying is I agree with you on the whole but as you say, we have to be going for 2nd at least. How long would it take to resolve whatever internal issues are holding the squad/club back? If it's cultural, that's no quick fix. We might just need to sign the goals and firepower to get us up this season (maybe a loan for Fryatt with an option to buy and if Lambert finds form by April, maybe we don't need to buy him?) and then solve the bigger issues in the summer.

It's not about having the perfect League One team, some of the posters are missing the point. I've been to plenty of games this season and the side lacks pace, penetration, hunger, leadership and above all it has looked toothless bar coming up against one or two dreadful defences like Posh and Rovers. Not sure we need 6 players but the 3-4 I've suggested - Le Fondre, Austin (or a taller striker like him), Weston (pace!) and Harley - would inject some of the missing qualities. Don't forget, some of Pardew's players that have flopped - Puncheon and Morgan S (OK, that was Lowe), are hopefully on their way and that will help the wage bill. We are also getting the biggest gates at this level so we can outgun the likes of Brighton and Boscombe and Wednesday and Hudds will be adding to their squads, in my view our main two rivals for automatic promotion. We've also lost Holmes for the season.

Let me explain this nice and slowly for you. Lambert has scored ONE goal from open play this season, ONE. Barnard, whilst working hard and having some injury problems, has been far from prolific yet other clubs' strikers who cost less are firing well. NC has said promotion must come this season so we have to go for it. Why our strikers are lacking so much sharpness only people inside the club could tell you but we are at the stage where automatic promotion is still salvagable. Should we be in the top 2 with our current forward line? Yes, without a doubt but they are not performing at anywhere near an acceptable standard although Barnard will make an admirable back-up as he has at least occasionally looked like scoring. If we are going to give our new forwards a chance of scoring, our poor performing midfield needs a bloody good overhaul and a serious injection of pace, energy and threat. Harley from Exeter, Chaplow on a perm deal and Weston from Brentford (pace!) would provide that and we should get a decent fee for Morgan S who really must be sold on as he doesn't want to be here and I'm sure we want him to be here any longer either. Hammond and Gobern would be decent back-up. If we need to bring money in, I'd rather Arsenal took AOC than Lallana leaving as Lallana will have more impact. I also think Adam is more likely to stay and give promotion a chance. I'd hate seeing AOC leave but we MUST get out of League One this season, even you understand that surely?

Chaplow, Harley, Le Fondre and Austin are bare minimum signings ie we have no chance whatosever of finishing top 6 without them. If we want top 2, we need to go further - Myles Weston, and some quality loans. A decent CB would help also. We can fund some of these by getting rid of Morgan S, Puncheon and co. Might be worth cashing in on AOC if it gets the above in and Arsenal can provide quality loans as well. Would hate to sell AOC but we must get into the top 2 so needs must!

3/10 so far. Ponderous, one dimensional squad, manager full of cliches and from the sounds of it performances that are deteriorating towards 08/09 levels and I'd never thought I'd see that again. Perhaps being unable to travel to games at the moment has its advantages and hopefully by the time my bones have healed, we'll have got a load of new players with blistering pace and great attitude (Le Fondre, Weston, Harley) and the likes of Morgan S and chums will be long gone. When you consider that our idiots are by far the best paid in the league and have the best facilities, the league position is a disgrace. Cortese cannot be happy with what is seeing and major surgery is needed urgently. As for our coaches and manager, why are the same mistakes being made again, and again, and again? Morgan S and Hammond cannot play together, we know that from last season yet Gobern sits on the bench unused? We are left with one fit striker, well in Rickie's case that's a contradiction in terms! We have 3 good left backs and no wingers save for a promising yet overburdened 17 year old? Every fan in the f ucking stadium can see the side lacks pace but do we get some pace in the loan window? No, that would be logical!

Massive changes and massive funds needed in the window. Couldn't go today as broken arm and in plaster still so can't drive until Xmas but plan to be at Hudds and Exeter games. Out: Morgan S - 250k, Puncheon 250k Millwall, Jaidi - free, Connolly - free, Lambert if we can but who will take him on those wages? Guly back to Italy. In: Chaplow, Ryan Harley, Le Fondre (all essential if any chance of getting in top 6, let alone top 2), Austin/Madine/Glenn Murray/Vokes - pick any 2 and CB to replace Jaidi. Get Lambert out of the squad, I'd rather have Jaidi as a target man until Jan and he's played up front for Brum and Bolton when needed. Or give Butterfield a go? Why was Barnard missing?

Their players want it more than ours. Get Connolly on and go 433, might as well lose 4-3 than lose 1-0 which we will if we don't change it. Our strikers just aren't up to it - Le Fondre would give us a boost in Jan + another striker and Harley to give Lallana some help. 2-0! Sorry Nicola, need to get some major funds from the family in Jan. Get rid of Puncheon, Guly and Morgan which will make space on the wage bill.

Good stuff, thanks to Spudgun and Ladysaint. I think people now need to chill out and enjoy the strong position that the club is in. The only slight worry I've got is over strengthening in January - I think we are at least one striker, pacy wide player and another CM short. If Puncheon goes to Millwall as I think he might, that would free up some wages. Ryan Harley from Exeter, Chaplow on a perm deal and someone like Le Fondre or Madine from Carlisle (don't mess with him and Barnard if they were in the same line up!) would definately take us top 2 and be good players in the NPC as well.

Looks like Jol then. Disgusting sacking and very unfair in my view, not sure what more Hughton could have done, particularly after walloping Sunderland 5-1 and Villa 6-0. The players seemed to respect him but as we know in football, if Jol gets funds to spend and they make a bright start, the anger over this sacking will evaporate. I still think it is wrong though.

Whilst I'm a normal fan and not associated with the club in any way other than as a fan who goes to games, that is a dangerous statement to make without back-up and you have not provided any whatsoever. We also don't have any proof that NC has contacted staff telling them this is untrue and the club has been in dispute with this "newspaper". I don't want to get involved in the whole pro/anti NC thing as I'm a Saints fan, not any individual, but can you provide any example of where he has lied? I didn't agree with some of his actions including the ST installment removal and lack of notice but generally he has proved to be fairly savvy. The club may well be up for sale but my friendly advice to you as a fellow fan would be to take care in your use of language so that you protect yourself and the forum.

I could live with Russia getting 2018 - although Blatter is a brainless moron for not seeing how Euro 2012 goes first as a test run in neighbouring Ukraine and Poland. Qatar in 2022 has to be pure corruption though. None of the major nations are going to want to play in Qatar in June and I can see it being a Qatar vs North Korea final or something which would serve FIFA right. UEFA could clean up here and invite Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay into the Euros, plus Aus/NZ and S Korea/Japan/China. FIFA would struggle to enforce any sanctions if that happened - although they'd try through the courts. 2010 in South Africa was great for Africa and the right thing to do but Qatar? At least Russia have some football heritage. All the other nations, including Japan in relation to 2022, are so fed up with Blatter and FIFA that after 2014 in Brazil I can see the WC being finished as a major tournament.

Morgan has decent ability but in my opinion - and lots of people will disagree with this - he only controls games for small cameos whereas Chaplow has already bossed a number of games since arriving. Hammond looks a far better player alongside Chaplow as well. I've moved to Devon recently and caught a couple of Exeter games and Ryan Harley is the player we want. Contract is up in May so we'll have competition but with him and Lallana in he same team, we'd rip opponents to shreds, particularly with a couple of decent strikers up top as well. He also outplayed Morgan comprehensively at SMS last Boxing Day and that was with 10 men as well. Morgan is a reasonable player and could thrive elsewhere but we have to focus on automatic promotion and players like Ryan Harley will serve us better in that regard. Ditto with Rickie, if he doesn't pick up form over Dec it's better to bring in Fryatt and maybe Le Fondre to ensure promotion because we over-rely on Barnard.

Grant Holt showed how the number 9 role should be played today. Adkins should make Rickie watch the DVD of the East Anglian derby after training to remind him of what he should be contributing. Rickie in my opinion has more ability than Holt but needs a much bigger dose of Holt's attitude. Yes, Holt irritated our fans last year but good, that's his role as an opponent and there are far too many soft players mentally in our squad, not just Rickie, so I hope they were watching. The playing squad needs to mirror the toughness and competiveness that NC has brought to the club off the pitch. After the referee's shocking award of a Brighton penalty on Tuesday, I was yelling at our players to go down under the slightest touch in their penalty area as I was certain the ref would look to even it up. After all, Brighton were happy to do so. Our squad has ability but not enough sides fear us as we are still a bit too much of a nice team. We won't finish in the top 2 without 2 new strikers - preferably Fryatt and Le Fondre. Chaplow on a perm deal and Harley from Exeter would improve the midfield and give Lallana some help and with Gobern's return to form, Morgan can have the move he clearly wants. Lambert can stay if his attitude is right but if not, he'll join Puncheon in exile.

We actually need two strikers - Fryatt would be a good start as we only have an out-of-form Lambert and whilst Barnard is playing well, he may need an op in the near future which only leaves us with sicknote Connolly. We also need at least one wide player as well with some pace. I like Holmes but his fitness record doesn't encourage. Ins for first week of Jan: Chaplow, Ryan Harley of Exeter, Matt Fryatt of Leicester, Le Fondre (will cost us but will be worth a lot more in the future) and Weston from Brentford Outs: Puncheon for about 300k to Millwall if they want to buy, Morgan to Ligue 1 in France, Wotton to Oxford on a free. Get a tasty home draw in the cup and it might cover some of the costs of bringing the new faces in. If we don't bring 2 new strikers, only the most optimistic Saints fans would admit we had any chance of finishing top 2 and we could even miss the play offs if Barnard is out for any length of time.

BBC had loads of fights with Blair and Brown, no more or less than they have had with the Tories. Sky is slightly right-wing but Adam Boulton apart, the coverage is still impartial and of decent quality, ditto ITV. Remember, Nick Robinson is employed as Chief Political Correspondent by BBC and he is ex-YC Head and Daily Mail Political Lead so he'd hardly work for a Marxist organisation. We should be grateful for our TV coverage, we don't have to put up with the nonsense that the Americans do. Fox News and it's ilk aren't journalism, just fifth rate propaganda.

My list is: Redknapp, Kevin Phillips, Kenwyne, David Lee, Paul Rideout, Colin Clarke (ended his career in South Coast derby reserve game breaking his leg on a goalpost), Ricardo Fuller, Calum Davenport, Leon Best, David Speedie, David Hirst (typical of the sort of past-it crocks with a poor attitude we used to sign), Rodney Wallace. Nathan Dyer more than made up for his errors with that FA Cup goal at Farton and then his celebration that caused mayhem. He then dedicated his goal to Saints fans afterwards and said he hoped it helped ease the rough times we were going through. I don't condone what he did in the nightclub which was plain wrong. Jamie Redknapp - I don't rate him as a pundit but I do think he didn't come to us for the money as he could have seen his deal out on Spurs for far more money and was keen to play for Dad (who I don't like) and tried to keep us up. Given the pain he was clearly in I think he shouldn't be judged purely on his Dad. Askham and Wiseman have to top my hate list though.

If Clayton is half-fit that's a big blow to us as Carlisle fans gave him rave reviews when on loan from Man City last season. We just need to focus on winning and getting stuck into Peterborough and that goes for the players and fans. Drop Morgan who isn't cutting it and we need to move him on in January, Chaplow and a recently-improved Hammond in the middle (ok, he's still not great but at least he tracks runners and can be bothered), Ox-C and Lallana wide. If Seaborne is fit, he must play and if he isn't Martin must start, no Jaidi please Nigel. Rickie might be out of form but let's at least give the bloke some decent crosses to knock down and either Chaplow or Hammond have to get their backside in the box to give Barnard a hand on attacking the second balls and making Joe Lewis work hard. No more tactical errors like Carlisle please Nigel, keep it simple and we'll win plenty of games. If Lambert is out of form, let's at least use him as a Steve Howard-type battering ram and get him to bully their nervous back four a bit and let the creative players like Lallana and Ox-C make hay out of the space he creates in dangerous areas.

Clearly the timing is a surprise and puts more pressure on AOC than any of us would like but I felt JP was on his way in January. He simply hasn't come close to reproducing the type of scintillating performances that destroyed Leeds and Huddersfield last season and has looked very short of confidence this term. He also seems to have lost a good couple of yards of pace which is astonishing for a player the right side of 25. I know he was injured at the start of the season but should have got his mojo back by now. Someone isn't right, whether it's JP's attitude or our first team coaching set up. Lee Holmes is going to need to play through a bit of pain if need be. The Lambert allegation that Left Back made is a more pressing issue for me. It could explain why Lambert has looked so disinterested but then he is still one of the highest, maybe the highest paid player at this level. Don't forget that Lambert was very laboured in some games last season and still scored goals so hopefully a desperately weak Peterborough backline will get Rickie firing on Saturday. If we can't score 3 or 4 on Saturday, God help us but Pboro will be equally our biggest test at the back so hopefully our back four play a million times better than the shambles at Carlisle. Playing Martin rather than Jaidi would help.

I'd go 3-5-2, get Dickson, Barnard and Seaborne on, Harding, Chamberlain and Morgan off. Don't know if Richardson is fit enough yet to play wing-back but let's gamble. Dean, Chappers and Lallana in middle. Seaborne should cancel Madine out a bit as Jaidi and Fonte sound awful today. Still, push both of them forward at set pieces and see if Jaidi can repeat last year's late equaliser.

The coaching team only had to watch last year's game at Carlisle to work that out - I was there and Pidgeley's howler got us out of jail as we'd created naff all bar a chance for Mellis who hit the side netting when he should have scored. Mind you, Carlisle's goal was helped by a huge deflection.

I agree with Window Cleaner, we need to get some decent crosses in for Lambert to nod down and then attack the second ball like mad. No-one better in the squad than Barnard for that.

Yep, need to update my profile and get full membership. Living just outside Exeter.

I think Chaplow has resolved the CM issue, there is no question Hammond has upped his game significantly since Chaplow arrived so it's like having 2 new signings as Hammond gets nearer to the player we first signed. We are still short of a pacy winger/forward leaving a reliance on Ox-C so if Bignall hasn't cut it for Adkins then we need to get another in before Jan. The main area though is a back-up striker - Connolly I think will be paid up soon as I can't ever see him being fit and there have been rumours from his previous clubs that he's not the easiest to manage when he's not in the side. I'd love to see Le Fondre from Rotherham if the family were happy to invest as I think with Adkins track record of developing strikers they'd get a great return on their investment. Still, Adkins likes a forward player so I'm sure he's got a shortlist in mind.

Ince will fire them up but if Hughes (wonder if he'd have got stick from our fans?) and Westcarr are missing it gives us a boost although Karl Hawley is a very useful player at this level so no excuses for our defence. If we apply ourselves and pick a pragmatic line up (rest Guly for this one and swap him for Bignall as County's back 4 struggle with pace plus Bignall will offer more of a physical presence to help Lambert out) we should have a good chance of winning and we really need to if we're going to home in on 2nd place. I'd pick: Davis, Butterfield, Harding, Seaborne, Fonte, Morgan, Chaplow, Lallana, Puncheon, Lambert, Bignall - Subs: Bart, Frazer, Chambo, Barney, Martin, Guly, Dickson That's a squad that should go to Meadow Lane if set up correctly and win.