S-Clarke

Yep, which has also been compounded with the loss of a key player in that system - Chaplow. We don't have anyone else who is similar to him, so the system we have setup in doesn't quite work - especially with 3 midfielders that are the same. The sooner he is back the better. We started the season without him yes, but he turned into a major cog in our team and we'll get away with it against lesser teams....but we are shown up against the better sides.

I'm suprised at peoples views on him, after probably his best 2 performances in a saints shirt to date (over christmas). He was frustrating before that and done my head in, but since those games over Xmas i've seen a player there and am willing to give him a chance if the manager trusts him. It would have been fair to critisise him before the christmas games as he'd been pretty non-eventful up until then, but at least we all saw something which gave us a bit of a spark.

The 3 of them, Cork, Hammond and Morgan are way too similar to play in the same team IMO. We seem to be trying to accomodate all 3, which in a way I think is hindering us. I thought Cork looked decent on the right against forest and I thought we had the answer....but he was poor today and gave us no energy down the right, which is exactly what we need. I think Chaplow will come back soon, but will take some time to get back to the level he was playing at. The midfield were simply not at the races yesterdays, lost all the 50/50's, gave the ball away and were pushed off it far too often. When the midfield is as disjointed as that, the front 2 aren't keeping hold of the ball, then you're on a one way trip to a nasty defeat.

Fair point! Although I think Chambo was worth every penny of what arsenal paid.

You're assuming we can invest heavily. That looks like it's probably not the case. For all we know that Alex money was used to cover the losses and it's nowhere to be seen anymore. People need to forget that we're owned by billionaires, because they're not bankrolling us. We're living and surviving by being self sustainable, not emga spenders - I'm sure of it. That's why I think the 7/6m bids for players are wide from the mark. I can't ever see us spending that much in this league.

It was confirmed that it'll start in March, if it doesn't then I think questions will start to be raised about our financial position. The delay is apparently that we don't want it affecting our first team preparation, but they're already living out of the temporary huts so I'm not sure how true that is.

I don't think a thread like this is fair, but he does have his faults. He's brought us more success than not and I think you need to judge him on the bigger picture rather than a couple of secanrios in transfer windows. At the end of the day I don't think we have bucket loads to spend, that's not his problem. And he's being careful protecting what we have got by not splashing more than we feel a player is worth. We'll struggle to get who we ever want that way, unless the club is forced to sell, but maybe that's how we have to act.

What a horrible post

People always conveniently miss out those...

If our plan is to really have 50% of our team from the youth team, then we need to stop selling them! But financially I don't think we're as rich as some of us would like to believe. We're stable and secure I'm sure of that, but I don't think we have an endless put of billions.

It was the worst I've seen us since those days, for sure. We've been pretty spoilt for the last 3 years.

Can't really disagree with that. We had a couple of chances, but it would have been harsh on Lecister if we'd have got anything. But again, that's what will happen when the spine is ripped out of any team. Fonte, Lallana, Chaplow, Lambert.... Rip out Giggs, Vidic and Rooney out of the Man Utd team.......they will struggle. TBH though I'd not have been too bothered if we'd have shown a bit more effort, but we were dead out there.

He's fine as a squad player at this level. The better players are required up front and out wide. That's where we need to focus our attention.

Hammonds chance was massive....and you forgot Connolly too... through on goal and passed it to the keeper. A bit of conviction there and it was 1-0 and a totally different game.

He's had more good games this season than bad. He was out of position tonight and against weaker teams you could probably just get away with it, but tonight he was shown up as being out of position. But he's done a job this season when called upon IMO - have no worries when he's on the team sheet and I think he's much better than L1.

Starting to doubt anything that's on there these days!

He'd be perfect, exactly what we need up top. I'm just intrigued into what another poster said in another thread (i.e Sharp was in the stands)

phew...I'd rest him for Milwall either way though.

Really? come on.

Bit harsh, it was his first appearance for us. It didn't help that the team shape around him was poor, and he wasn't provided with anything to work with - other than long balls up field. What is he supposed to do with those? He did look a little lost at times though, but that's because we seemed to lack drive and any shape today. I don't think he should have been thrown straight in like that, but I'm sure we'll see better moments from him.

Nope. Was he in the stands then?

Interesting. Thought it was a £3m release fee? Not sure he'll move though. If he turned down Leicester then we haven't got a chance. (and he's already turned us down once..)

I think people are being harsh on De Ridder, he hasn't been given a real run in this team - and he always has a bit of spark and energy about him when he's on the pitch. I thought he was our best player over Christmas, when he played 2 games back to back... The team setup and ''feel'' didn't hep him a single bit today though, any half decent player would have struggled to look good.

I did feel that as well. Certainly didn't sound like he'd given up according to some people on here. I think it's typical Nigel, keeping his cards close to his chest and playing up the positives he can play up - i.e the players we have coming back. That doesn't mean we won't see more. let's wait and see.

Kingsland? There was a guy near me that blamed Guly for everything.