NickG

don't think its as black and white as that

Not offended that easily! Sorry, just think you will struggle to sustain both form and progress.

You are top of the league - not by luck. You are a better side. It will be amazing if you don't win this league, although with 1/3 of season to go stranger things have happened. You are a much smaller club who I personally see as one who it not on a long term revival. Its all about Poyet. He will leave and you will be a lower CCC / top league 1 side again - IMHO.

simple stats (don't mean in patronising way) we are getting a better points return than rivals, have better goals difference, win games in hand we will be 3 points clear of 2nd, if we fail to win all games in hand, but continue to get 2 points per games for them (as we have since Adkins arrived) we will still be 2nd. Don't give up!

When we went 2nd we had all played the same amount of games. Since then other teams have played two or three more games. Its hard to push on when they are playing and picking up points and we are not. I hoped that we would start to get daylight between us and 3rd. The biggest factor though is playing less games. We are getting more points per game than the others. The fact that he signed two impact subs - when most on here agreed that was the priority - should make it unsurprising that they are not starting - ahead of Ox-c and Lallana. Opinions, but think Antonio was,and is, a mile behind Ox-C - (not seen much of them but on pedigree etc he is probably behind Forte and Nguessan). You maybe right about top 6, who knows it will change a few times yet. 2nd is still clearly there for the taking. Our games in hand and goal difference give us possible 4 point cushion. Since Adkins has arrived we are gaining points on all of those as well so still conceiveable we will do it with games to spare.

don't know what role he plays but current set up is doing ok

If Adkins carries on exactly as he has so far he will comfortably get us promoted.

not much between us at all since Adkins has been here. Damage was done in the Pardew / Wilkins preparation and start.

shows we need more frequent games, if only we had a fixture build up...

Brighton 2 points per game Saints 1.9 Bournemouth 1.7 Huddersfield 1.6 Oldham played 1.4 Mk played 1.4 Charlton played 1.5 Colchester played 1.5 Peterborough played 1.5

They were 10th, 1 point off play offs when he left them.

promoted sides are 5th, 6th and 11th - only Norwich looked anything special - who knows but quick promotions not impossible

don't panic..more than 1/3 of a season left, not a 1/4

Brighton played 24 points 49 Saints played 24 points 45 Bournemouth played 26 points 44 Huddersfield played 25 points 41 Oldham played 26 points 37 Mk played 28 points 40 Charlton played 22 points 34 Colchester played 24 points 35 Peterborough played 24 points 37

...we will be in higher division in 3 years time

One thing we all should have learnt over last 12 months is that journalists have not got a clue what is going on in our club. You won't go far wrong if you write off every rumour about saints in papers, internet and silent as made up. You would have probably been correct 99%

thinking like that will cut posts on this forum by 90%!

agree with both of these. Hammond has played very well recently though. Think they will all get decent look in.

we are the lowest placed club, albeit best supported.

only quoting myself to save retyping. Ifs and coulds. Teams that are winning like games. We are excellent in midweek. It may well work in our favour. I do get it, just don't agree with you that we have missed out on 2nd.

cheers. Does answer a lot of criticism about Adkins, or questions about form, what more we need to do to get promoted etc - it appears he needs to carrry on as he has! With that period including his bedding in to a team (albeit with quality) in a dip, Lambert out of form/carrying injuries, Lallana out, Guly before we realised he was a forward and without the two pacy wingers on the bench. Have I convinced myself??

think it should help rather than hinder if we are going to be performing as we have been

for my personal interest! After Saturday's games; Brighton played 23 points 46 Saints played 23 points 44 Bournemouth played 25 points 43 Huddersfield played 24 points 40 Oldham played 25 points 36 Mk played 27 points 39 Charlton played 22 points 34 Colchester played 23 points 34 Peterborough played 23 points 36

games in hand are looking better as other teams drop points we seem to play very very well in midweek we seem to play better on Saturday when play in midweek we have strongest squad in division Lallana, Schneiderlin are only just back and hopefully will be fitter and in better form when play re-arranged games

so another comment from LM criticising NC. Not been many in the other direction.