up and away

When Ricky first came to the club, he would successfully smash free kicks. I have not seen him successfully take this approach for a long while. Now he wraps his foot more round the ball to get the spin, whereas previously he would also use a Ronaldo type technique of a straight blast that could get up and down over the wall. When Lambert lost his form, he also lost his ability of getting the ball up and down with that straight smash. I have never been able to figure out why and put this down to physical problems or injuries that has resulted in this not being possible anymore. When Ricky regained his form, he has not been able to successfully use that straight smash again. You are not imagining this as others are trying to imply, there has been a definite change from his first season for what ever reason. I don't believe you can suddenly forget how, so I would guess it's deliberate to protect or reaction from some part of his body.

We have played Chaplow on the left and right depending upon the need. If he had been on the pitch it would surprise me if he was not switched to the left when the need became evident? I don't know of anyone in the team better suited to that job? We are in such a great position that normally I would just take this defeat and move on, even grudgingly accepting that now. It's the surprise factor that is a question at the moment, for what I thought was our best team, tactics, formation and coupled with the best preparedness that Adkins had seen in the team. Normally you see these things coming or are half prepared when players are not at their best fitness levels. Just recently I thought we had found the best positions for Guly and Chaplow, combined with the added strength of Hooiveld to virtually gaurantee something from this game if we had enough in the tank. The result came as a shock on that basis. Going to be interesting in the next few games if we actually get an answer to this blip. Adkins seemed equally mystified which is also unusual.

We gifted a poor Cardiff side two goals and could not create ourselves. Hardly a tough game. We were slightly unlucky against Bristol, because if Chaplow had remained on the pitch I am sure he would have been on the left side helping Fox out with Adomah. Our problem was that we never had anyone who could then perform that role on the bench and let Adomah have his head. Bearing in mind how good Maynard and Adomah were against Millwall, I believe it would have been worth considering. I was shocked with our performance at Bristol, where I thought we had put out the best team, formation and tactics we have ever had under Adkins. Added to an easy routine for the last few weks to be in top condition. Our home form has been good, so it's not improbable we should return to winning ways. But Adkins seems stumped for the moment as to how that performance came about and in Fryatt, Hull can cause us damage. My main concerns were Adkins comments "This week's training has probably been the best I've had since I've been at the club. Seriously, the lads have been flying this week. It just didn't happen." Let's just hope it's a blip and we can start again!

Whistling Dave has to be about the worst commentator out there, with only his affection for Saints keeping him in there. Going back to a time when we had a choice, Flash was like night and day in comparison. Dave has this soft spot for Kelvin which regularly produces dividends when he goes into praise mode. I remember one evening game last season (?) where he was praising Kelvin for coming off his line so quickly 5 minutes earlier, acting as another defender for balls played over the top. Before he could finish the sentence he was interrupted by the commentary "they've played a ball over the top, Kelvin hesitated and it's in the back of the net." We then lose Dave for 5 minutes as he takes in everything going on around him. You get to like anyone that keeps bringing you good news as we have had of late, but Dave is a poor man's Sid Waddell, without the charisma.

We have seen this several times now, give our midfield an edge and we create, give our midfield more than that and we dominate. When we don't have an edge or are playing catch up it all just stagnates because we don't have the option of pace in the right place to get something out of the game. After watching the Bristol Millwall game last week, Adomah was the one tearing holes in the opposition and for that reason I feel we should have given him special attention, lining up Chaplow on that side for support and having the option of Harding (was he fit) on the bench as cover for that job. Ricky just does not work in these conditions and Lallana becomes limited (especially when not 100%), Guly never got going. Put pace in there and we can have options. Hammond has tendeccies for going off the boil for periods and I would just rest him until he is fully charged, then he does dominate. When Hammond is off the pace, I would far prefer him on the bench and Morgan into the middle, using one of the back up full backs in midfield if Chaplow is not available. Seems hard on De Ridder, but if we don't have control of midfield he will not see hardly anything of the ball anyway, best to leave him for impact. In this sort of game and with that form, I don't believe there is much we can do to influence matters. Best to keep things tight and rely upon a set peice to break the dead lock. Take the good when it's there and just accept these things will happen occasionally. One thing that intrigued were Adkins comments about how exceptionally well things had gone in training during the week. I don't expect we left the performance on the training ground but it was a major puzzle to Adkins.

For goal kicks I believe you have just about nailed that, but there has to be some onus on Kelvin when kicking short. He has to have safety as paramount in the equation, something he has not done. The major problem is that Saints do not carry much of a threat for scoring from goal kicks. We make it far too easy for the opposition forwards / midfield to press high without any real punishment for doing so. To change that around we need pace and a marginally different set up. Something that crops up again when the opposition defence pushes up and condense us into our own half. Kelvin is not the best kicker, but for any goalie the odds are not that great when kicking long unless you have a monster covered in pine resin. Going long occasionally just improves the overall possession figures because it makes things less predictable. Goal kicks are just one aspect of Kelvins delivery, I have more concern over the other aspects.

There are a couple of aspects to how the goalie delivers the ball back into open play with the object to score or keep possession. I am struggling to remember when we have scored from the goalie without the opposition having some contact in the intervening period. We just do not play like that so the punt up to Ricky is just part of the variation between possession without giving the ball away in a dangerous area. With punting up to Ricky giving the lowest return of all for possession, where being able to control and have possession of the ball after 1st to 3rd phase is low. It's only the first step in winning the header, but means little until you have the ball fully under control and in possession. I would put most of our distributional problems from Kelvin down to his own inadequacies. One in particular, being able to throw the ball out under pressure. Most of the time in a congested penalty area you cannot kick the ball out immediately and retain possession, all the top goalies throw it out in those circumstances. Additionally most of the space to deliver and retain possession diminishes rapidly with time, giving you no where but the punt after a period. If allowed to we would regularly pass the ball short from kelvin and develop our attacks from the back, but the opposition do not allow us to do this. So the hoof to Ricky is just to mix it up, get better value from our short passing and don't feed the opposition easy chances from our delivery. The hoof up to Ricky puts a dent into our possession figures, but overall by mixing it up we gain as teams have demonstrated how easily it is to put us under massive pressure when we play it short all the time. When you consider West Ham for example it is completely different, where I would estimate that 1/4 of their goals come from the goalies hoof. I can't believe their fans accept this after some of the football ****** they have previously spouted and something that won't help them should they return to the Premier. The Saints forwards have this bad habit of turning their back on the opposition goalie, allowing the immediate punt up field with often most of the defence up for the attack. Unlike West Ham, Saints play football and the hoof is just part of the delivery from the goal keeper to keep our retention figures high without giving up silly goals when the short pass is blocked. We do not score enough from the hoof to justify it as a sound tactic, just a method of mixing it up so we don't become too predictable. Give Kelvin the skill to throw the ball out under pressure and our possession stats would increase significantly.

Maynard for me looks the perfect striker. He would give us additional options that could make the team even better. I don't view Jutkieiwcz in the same light, but would view his signing as an absolute no brainer. If he never got to play that would indicate Ricky just keeps hitting the net and we have the luxury of that cover. If we are playing him it would mean a definite need, just an absolute win win for our current position. This has all the hallmarks of a very shrewd signing that's all about under pinning promotion.

The lasting memory I have of that game is the disappointment in West Ham, I felt cheated of a game with their hoofball. Middlesbrough has to be the best performance where a great away record was made to look irrelevant by a side and tactics that left them completely stunned. The trouble is when you play so well and shut the opposition out to that degree it tends to lose some of the excitement. That was provided by Ipswich away and Birmingham at home.

From the start I viewed Adkins as a good appointment, what I never imagined is how he, the club and the team would grow under his management. Last season there were several times where I felt Adkins had got things wrong only to see hole after hole blocked up, resulting in that amazing run that gained automatic promotion. When we started this season we had stepped up to a new level of attractive , passing football that was difficult to contain. If we couldn't get down the flanks the attack would come inside passing through the defence or a bluff with the delayed ball going out to the flanks. Very few teams found an answer to this football, even those like Leicester that did were hanging on desperately. Things have not been totally rosy, with what I saw as lack lustre performances against Cardiff, Burnley and Reading. Mainly down to a lack of stamina from the midfield which happens to most teams eventually. This leads us to our current form which I believe has resulted in us stepping up to a new level, such that I now find it difficult to see a weakness in the team. I can understand why several were a bit non plussed at the first half against Brighton, but overall I thought that was a very professional performance. Adkins got the quick feet of Fonte forward to provide that extra dimension and the full backs adding to our attacking options that soon broke Brightons defences. Poyet can claim what he likes, they were opened up like a can and could no longer surround their goal. I don't even believe we hit our boot straps against Brighton, with Chaplow and Lallana not at their effective best, but we had added strength all over the pitch. This team at the moment is the strongest we have had with no obvious weakness as yet, brought about by the emergence of Hooiveld, Chaplows effective energy on the wing and moving Guly up front. Guly really beefs up that midfield when we don't have the ball and his midfield errors are no longer so critical, throw Chaplows terrier performances in there as well and you now have a midfield that can take control of a match from anyone in this league. That midfield protects a defence bolstered by Hooiveld to another level, enabling Fonte to find his good form. To cap this, Ricky is just getting better and better with each game, such anything is possible. All the above added to already good performances from the rest of the team. We now come to Bristol City on Saturday who have everything needed at first glance to take something away from Saints. An attacking side where I expect plenty of balls over the top and down the channels, enough to take on the top sides in this league with their attack. I think Saints have stepped up to a new level and hope they prove so against Bristol City. Brighton may have looked a disappointment after Middlesbrough, but the same conclusion was reached even with parking the bus.

You don't win the game in the first 45, it's a 90 minute game. Saints played controlled football without opening ourselves up to giving Brighton chances. Give Brighton their due, they defended very well but left themselves toothless up front. We could have forced things more but it would not have surprised me in doing so that we let one in or would have far less for the second half. Both sides just nullified each other for most of the first half and it restricted chances, but to me we have really grown up with these type of performances where we have stumbled previously. This was a professional performance where Fonte and the full backs tried and did make that little bit of difference to get a goal. I won't comment on the penalties until I have seen the replays but the ref was not that bad, the linesman gave the first penalty. This is exactly the type of performances that get you promotion, even if we only scored the odd goal. But Brighton would have had to open up and I doubt they would have kept it to one. Give away a first half goal and it's a completely different kettle of fish. Lallana did not do it for us today, Guly was checked but really showed his worth in that position with the work he did. Ricky just gets better and better and stepped up when others could not produce. Ricky gets MOM, but it's very close for me with Fonte, who stepped up to ensure things never ended 0-0. I was concerned prior to this game because Brighton came and did what they are capable of in the first half. But this is a different Saints over the last handful of games and a game I feel we could have easily been in trouble previously, turned out to be a walk in the park.

The reason the Echo are now banned is due to something quite different from the original spat. All reporters and photographers (including the Echo) with accredited passes were allowed into the ground following the U turn by Cortese on how the press was managed with regards to image rights. The Echo was subsequently reported by Data-co after the Tranmere game for allowing unrestricted access to match photo's on their website. Data-co look after the image rights for the Football league, reported the Echo, resulting in their accredited passes being removed. The Echo had match photo's from the Coventry game on their website, HD with no restrictions allowing them to be down loaded in original condition. I just can't believe so many are ignorant of this fact or choose to ignore it. Anyone who has viewed photo's from private photographers will tell you that you just can't down load a pristine copy of a photo, they are marked or restricted in some manner to stop this happening. So it's relatively easy and cheap to stop this happening! I just can't believe so many are ignorant of this fact or choose to ignore it.

Some seem to believe that the fans forums had a magical quality, but I really cannot say either side got much out of them. Most of the time you could not get a definitive answer and the more complex questions could never be addressed in such a forum. I had a long running dispute by email regarding the share buy backs and no limit placed upon such. At the end I still never got the definitive as with any other company and we just had to take it as it was. The only real value I see in the forums and dinners is to give the fans some in depth back ground information from the club about what is / has happened. Apart from the last dinner, I believe the dinners have been far more informative. Allowing Cortese to give unattributable quotes to gain such inside information. I am not averse if they bring back the fans forums, but far prefer the feed back from the dinners. When you look at some of the questions put to Cortese previously, no one was dodging any issue and Cortese could and did answer more informatively, than he would have been able to in public.

Looking back at previous players with that Champions League club gives little comfort but that does not matter a jot. It's what he adds to Saints that is of value and from what I have judged, massive. I don't know if he's good enough for the Premier but my guess would be No, otherwise it would have already happened and he would not be available on loan from Celtic. But it's an absolute no brainer to sign him, even at the top end of Celtic's range when he is performing better than what we may have expected from all our defensive targets. I can't think of any I would swap for in the Championship and take the risk from the known performances we have.

I was going to mention that I enjoyed Reed's references to an era that pre dates Lowe and where we were already recognised and established as a production line of talent. I thought it made a refreshing change to acknowledge what had happened in the past, unlike some revisionists of later years. We had plenty of succes prior to Lowe and I expect even greater to come post, But what a total shambles the youth set up was in when he arrived. What many others fail to realise is that when Lowe arrived, Souness as manager and Lawrie as DOF, the youth set up was at its lowest ebb within Saints. Mainly because it was starved of funds and priority. Lowe built that whole Academy from scratch by putting the right people in the right places and I can't remember another such turn around for a club in that respect. It was truly exceptional. I don't know how Lowe did it or who he took advice from, but he listened very well and acted equally well. Prost was the key footballing wise, someone recommended by Wenger. Others like Elias and Jennings were part of that great set up.

This is the key, but you are ploughing in hell of a lot without seeing anything for maybe a decade. Even then if your recruitment has not been first class, there's no guarantee of value coming from this route. For the type of owners Pompey have had, it makes sense what they have done. As a fan it would really concern though. Looking at the cost of the upgrades at Staplewood and the infrastructure already there, that would be about £25M for Pompey, with running costs of £2.5/year. You don't have to go so big, but success will be far more regular from that size of pool than smaller. You can never be 100% sure about Cortese, his long term plans and goals but the forward thinking put into all aspects at the club are reassuring. The Academy epitomises that spirit and it is ridiculous the amount of money being spent in this area by a Championship club. We are sacrificing a couple of super stars in the Championship by going this way, with our only chance of recovery being in the long term. I can't believe any other Championship club would spend so much on the youth set up when you realise what could be bought into the first team to near guarantee promotion. With Adkins instructed to blood youth into the first team I don't know of any other club sacrificing so much of it's now for it's tomorrow, with the possible exception of Arsenal. Personally it would not surprise me if we have this investment tilted beyond the practical, but as a fan it's very reassuring that it's all for the long term, even if someone else comes in.

This is a great article on the Academy, it goes on to say the work on the permanent buildings start in days. Very strange feeling, everyone being so complimentary.

Most that I have come across are locals who are only going because it's ManU, not even Saints fans. Normally a family thing with not much clue about football but I don't really have any issue with them. Practically I am the thwat who trundles along on a wet, cold November night to watch some of the dross put before us. I would certainly have enjoyed my football far more if I had their attitude. As for those who have come onboard the bus of late, great to see them because it only means one thing, we are on the up. If you are desperate for tickets it's usually no problem if you are prepared to put in the effort and there are always ways if you can afford it. If you can't, get Saints player, the best value for supporting Saints.

We are not taking the press on, that has all been sorted with one notable exception, the Echo. Dataco (who handle image rights for the football league) reported the Echo for giving unrestricted access to match photo's, that resulted in their photographer getting banned from St Mary's. As the Echo felt they were doing nothing wrong in this regard, it's natural this is extended to anyone working for the Echo wanting to attend St Mary's in an official capacity. The fact they see nothing wrong with this even up to last Saturday with Coventry's match photo's, clearly show they do not intend to change their ways. Ian Murray has been trying to make a crusade out of this but is even being shunned within the press. There is really no issue outside of the Echo, apart from the odd twitter. Going back to those twitter remarks there is absolutely nothing there. A journalist wanted to do a nice peice about Saints but was denied access to information he would like to have had. Saints are very free with the information they give out and anyone can copy from OS articles, there are few restrictions. If you want specific inside details you are just not going to get any sort of a scoop until the club releases it to all alike. As shown with the Sun interview, the club is best restricting it's news to the OS or televised interviews that cannot be misinterpreted for any agenda. Nigel Adkins has done several one on one interviews with press, radio and TV. They may get a bit bored with his stock responses, but that is all they are going to get.

I did notice that the Echo had unrestricted access to the Coventry match photo's on their site. They did ask you not to copy them, some barrier! As Dataco act for the football league in these matters and highlighted the Echo's infringement in these areas previously, the Echo does not do itself any favours.

I am struggling to understand exactly what position he was taking. The press has had good access to Adkins in recent times so I can't believe they have just shut up shop on that one. If Adkins feels he has given out enough and wants some me time, I see no problems. If I were to take a guess it would be that he wanted access to Cortese, but after the Sun put words in his mouth starting up the McM and Tiss freebies again, he is well advised to just let the football do the talking. He can still write his piece, get access to St Mary's, Staplewood and staff, so what exactly is his gripe? The way he has thrown this little hissy you can't even be sure it's sarcasim, because there is just no logic here!

I see where you are coming from and would agree that the style of play we have adopted is the best I have seen at Saints consistently. Going back to 84 we had far better players then and some of the football took your breath away. At the moment we are playing like a Championship version of a good Wenger side, but with an end product. So easy on the eye it just makes you purr inside, but done without the need to kick the opposition off the park, truly remarkable to produce this style and get it to function in such a short space of time. So maybe not the best I have seen Saints play, but a style that gives me the greatest satisfaction from all before. From the first game of the season against Leeds you knew we were something special. The biggest difference I noticed were how players received the ball and immediately turned and made forward movement, even with a subsequent lay off. That was putting teams on the back foot straight away and although we have had our off moments, the purpose is still there. Recently with Guly up front I believe we have found a new level. The attacking is still very similar, but it's done in a much more measured way that we don't leave ourselves so open. One of the main reasons this has worked so well is how Ricky adapts to these situations almost seamlessly. This style of football will result in a lot of fans wanting to see Saints play and it's getting difficult finding opposition fans with a bad word to say about us. When I first heard Cortese talk about "playing the Southampton way" I paid scant attention. However this has come about, there is a "Southampton way" now.

I'll take the prawn sandwich any day over the pie and " do I get a discount with my asbo" brigade. I love it in the Championship and would not be unhappy if things continued as they are. But this status quo can never last and it won't be the star players being prised away, they will be asking to go along with anything that proves to be successful.The standard of the football in the Premier can be breath taking and I don't expect many fans of teams that can compete in the Premier wanting to turn their backs upon that. When you have a set of ardent fans who will watch any sheite going because it is their team, over those that go dependent upon the quality of football, is there really a question here?

This is the crux for me, we have been very, very fortunate with fixtures and I definitely would not look this gift horse in the mouth. I don't believe having a repeat of the away form will be good enough (maybe just) for what we have to come and I want someone different that will give us those points, even if it means hard decisions in who to drop. Away from home we have either played well without getting all the points, played poorly and not got the points or whalloped the likes of Coventry or Ipswich. I don't believe Cardiff, Reading, Derby. Leicester or Burnley were anything special, but good enough to take points from us. Away from home we need all our players on form with no knocks or a striker that is going to give us something different and give us those points. If we were just to continue to pick up 2 points a game, that will be good enough but a tough ask when you conesider our away form and what is to come. For Cortese the outlay for that special player has to be a no brainer when you consider our position and the risk reward to follow. Why anyone is concerned about midfield seems strange, especially when you have the option of Harding / Butterfield filling or allowing others to fill those positions. Cb maybe, but that should all be sorted from within by the time we are able to do something about it.

you go, even though De Ridder is Belgian. And no this was not a David Brent voice over!