Saint Fan CaM

This. Although I would like to see a good striker who can challenge Lambert for his place alongside Lee B.

+100%

Now that would be an awesome signing, but with CCC clubs interested, we won't get a look in.

Are you certain about how much he's drawn in wages...perhaps he's been on a PAYP deal? Please enlighten us with your knowledge. There is a significant difference between Pulis and Holmes I would suggest - Holmes can play football and is worthy of a deal.

Would much prefer Holmes based on Puncheons frankly inept performances. Even as a supposed left-footer, Holmes did a magnificant job on the right and got to the byline more times in one game than Puncheon had done almost all season. Lets face it, Holmes has shown incredible devotion to the squad by sticking around waiting for his chance and now it looks like his fitness has returned and NA is giving him the opportunities to excel. Well done Lee Holmes.

Hammond did seem to have a better game, however we would be saying the same about Schneiderlin had he played. The reason? Chaplow. He has transformed the CM partnership by having a great motor to get box to box. His passing is excellent and he plays like he wants the ball all the time...no respite for the opposition. I have said for sometime that the Hammond/Morgan partnership does not work largely because they are too similar in pace and style. Chaplow changes everything and we need him to stay in January - I cannot believe NA/NC will let him go now he's featuring so strongly in the team make-up.

Touchė

You do Guly a disservice - he had to get into a position that provided the opportunity for the through-ball to be played. That in itself was an example of a 1st class move from a player that knows how to execute such a run. If that high quality type of off-ball movement and forward passing skill was displayed consistently week in week out, more goals would be scored (by all our strikers) and we would be knocking on the door of the Prem very quickly indeed. Guly is one of the players already equipped for the NPC and Prem IMO. While Barnard has his own qualities, I am not certain that he (yet) has that instinctive ability (but it might come).

If we play with high tempo and belief we will win. If Brighton park the bus we might not have such a great evening. Based on how Poyet expects them to play, we should go with the same team as it worked well against Posh. Expecting a draw to be honest, but if it's true some of their better players are out we might get that win which will really open things up at the top. Exciting match whatever the outcome I suspect.

Sound management decision from NA. Weed out the pretenders and bring players that have some substance and desire - not just a name. We might see more movement outwards of some of AP's 'wonder boys' - the ones that NA finds out as wanting. Just hope that NC now backs NA and gets proper replacements without hesitation.

He must be dropped - play Barnard and Gully up front - job done.

Agree with this. Frankly he needs to start accepting some blame otherwise the more astute players will see these sort of comments and start thinking "WTF - this guy is a complete fruitcake - I'm not listening to that nonsense another moment". If you condense down about 80% of his interviews you might find something worthy of note. That's not to say what he states has any truth though - for example you cannot say on one hand that it's "all about a team performance" and then the next say "one player screwed up"! Adkins is not impressing consistently enough just yet - the next three games could be crucial to his survival at the club beyond Xmas - and they're not easy games by any stretch. Either that or IF he has Cortese's utmost trust then he will point at certain players (ex-AP players like Lambert and Hammond) to blame. Reading between the lines, I think he is readying NC to spend big in January to get players in that he knows will play for him - possibly from Scunny.

Team picks itself for this. Will be listening to the game at 11.00pm in Malaysia so I hope Saintsplayer is up to the task - if it's not then they can stick the subscription where the sun don't shine - I'll not be trusting them again. I reckon it will a tough call and we might stutter on this one, but not lose... therefore at worst 1-1 draw.

I kinda agree with this, but I think I will need to change my shirt at the end of the season - it's starting to smell a bit now and we're not half-way through the fixture list.

I think the striker situation is a real dilemna for NA. Clearly Lambert and Barnie are the top two and then there's Bignall and Connolly. Plus there's Guly (who I think we'll sign in January) who can go up front too. I think NA will let Connolly move on and Bignall will go back unless he's surplus at his parent club and we buy him. To bring in another striker means letting 1-2 of the current lot go. Trouble is, with Lambert and Barnie as 1st choice what quality striker is going to come here to sit on the bench? It's going to be another Bignall type of player - unproven and looking to get more playing time under his belt. Maybe we buy Bignall, but I don't think he's the answer.

Great job - look forward to seeing him here permenantly.

Those last two sentences are what counts in my book. And these are two key points of improvement that Adkins has sorted out - perhaps not completely yet, but I'd say we're 75% there with Chambo in the side. The big question is whether Puncheon wants to (and can) rise to the challenge and keep his place in the team - my feeling is he may have been exposed as not being good enough for this side.

And there's the nub of it. Why would I spend an extra £35+vat when I have spent a decent amount of money on my ST? If the club allowed ST owners to trade in their ST seat for the curry club (let's say £15 off the price making it £20+VAT) I would definately consider it. Win-win because they can then sell my ST seat also.

The top two spots will be contested by Saints, Brighton, Huddersfield and Charlton. Saints will be promoted. You heard it here first.

Not worth even half that amount IMO. £1m would be a huge amount to pay for this player - £750k absolute tops I would suggest.

Agree. Either that or sell more Itchen North - the gap between fans there tonight was stupidly large.

Tonight was a magnificent win, but let's not forget who we were playing (with a 2nd string goalie). I understand why Adkins was keen not to overhype the win. Nevertheless, to finally get into the top 6 is a great achievement and now it's about consistency to provide Brighton with a proper challenge. Our best players tonight were Fonte, Chaplow, Lallana, Chambo and Barnie - all receiving 9 IMO. The rest of the team come in with a 7 except Lambert and Hammond who come in with 6.

We really need to win this to cement our newly acquired ascendency in the top 6. Should really not be a big ask, but agree with NA - it would be criminal to underestimate them - they have a decent side and their position in the league is somewhat a false one I would suggest.

One thing about Puncheon that most seem not to recognise is that Lallana (and others) plays better with him in the team - there is more balance to the team. As for Harding, I fail to see how he has performed any worse than many other players in the team, so removing him now for no good reason would be daft. Consistency in defence gives us the opportunity to win games of football - (where have I heard that before?!?).

Big game for us - win and we're starting to look likely contenders. Lose and it's a significant set-back especially if 6 of the teams above us win. Think it will be 1-1 or we'll lose 2-1 to a last minute goal on the break as we're going for the winner. Everyone will be saying we played them off the park with lovely passing though.