Saint Fan CaM

Well it's not a disaster, but you have to question a few things. Like why Kelvin Davis manages to speak volumes pre-match on the OS about keeping a clean sheet and a sound defence and then goes on to ignore his own advice and have a mare of a game! Also, surely Adkins should be getting better from his players than the performance they put in?! If it's not true that Lallana makes every difference, then why two poor performances in a row without him? We may be good, but we're not the finished article and I stand by my belief that we need additional depth to certain areas of the park.

Sorry guys - we're not going to be in the playoffs as we're going up auto. And as Champs.

What a completely toss idea! Wouldn't be seen p1ssing on one.

No it's not - the situations are relatively the same...the concept at all levels is the same. If you can't see that then that's OK - it's not your fault.

Individual perofrmance is one thing, but how a player affects team performance is even more important. Rickie has changed this season into a more rounded player and as such he is better equipped to be a championship player than ever.

Thats why Fabregas and Van Persie came on as subs against Leeds eh? Were they unhappy about being on the bench? It's all about changing the teams perception of what it is to be part of a successful squad where you will get to play some of the time if you train well and prove you're worth playing. The days of a bunch of lacklustre reserves that once in a while might get picked to sit on the bench is over. The days of setting a benchmark of high performance over the whole squad are here to stay at Saints thanks to NC/NA.

Oh what a shame - we're still on opposite sides of the fence. I had just come round to your way of thinking that we're completely OK with the players we have at our disposal....promotion from L1 is a dead-on certainty, we'll storm the NPC next season and go up champions and Gobern and Pulis will be voted joint Premiership players of the season 2014! (;

Fantastic news - keeps a successful squad together. NA must be very pleased so far that he's being backed by NC.

Why do some posters keep on saying we've got reserves? We don't. The strategy now is to have a squad of players that can rotate in and out of the 1st team such that there is no adverse effect on performance. Add to this the fact that our two most influential NEW signings - Guly and Chaplow - have improved the 1st team by their presence - i.e. the benchmark for team performance has increased. Now think back to the Notts Co. game and how Chaplow and Lallana were missed so much in terms of creativity and being able to unlock the defence. Now ask yourself the question - did the players rotating in maintain the same level of 1st team quality? The simple answer is no, therefore one has to rightly question the strength in depth to enable CERTAIN promotion and then an ability to compete in the NCP with the same team. IMO we have sorted out one priority by signing Guly permanently, but we still need another creative central/wide midfielder who can replace either Lallana or Chaplow without a corresponding dip in performance. And before Turkish jumps down my throat - YES, I would expect that player to be competing week in week out for a 1st team start.

Possibly not - it's a good point. However, the real question is, can we afford not to get promoted this season? I would suggest not, so given the likelyhood that we will suffer greatly if we lose Lallana, Chaplow, Guly, Barnard, Hammond or Chambo for any appreciable amount of time, there is a strong arguement to say 1-2 astute signings could be starting to look critical.

I've highlighted some simple points, very simply for you above - HTH.

A very significant point indeed. I think some are forgetting that him staying is not a certainty by any stretch until we hear otherwise from the OS.

And this is the key to the debate. You think there are some posters who are suggesting we sign 'X' number of players when this is not the case atall. Look at the performances and results of the games that exclude Lallana and Chaplow. For whatever reason the team does not do as well. Now look at the other casualties - Holmes, Hammond, Connolly. Then consider that Barnard might not be with us for much longer and that wantaway Puncheon might not either. All of a sudden our squad is looking somewhat weaker. You see, it's not about the numbers, it's all about the effects of not having the strength in depth in the squad. Fail to act and suffer the consequences. We don't need much more, but a midfielder with positional flexibility and pace appears to be essential at this point (depends on Lallana's injury) and a strong striker would also be good (but not absolutely necessary, depending on Barnards status).

Why do you think that when the ITK's confirmed the understanding that it was Tuesday?

Yeah, this forum chat business is real serious stuff. Not to be taken lightly. (;

You're talking semantics here. If we buy in someone like Ryan Harley for example who then plays well while Lallana is out, but ultimately drops to the bench because Lallana is the first choice player, does that mean he is "cover" and should never have been signed in the first place? Of course not! Sure we don't want a bloated squad, however we have two problems to contend with - (a) an impatient CEO who expects promotion this year and (b) a squad of players that includes a substantive number that are not good enough or prone to injury. There are players in the squad who need to be moved on and are a legacy from even pre-Pardew days that will never get anywhere near the 1st team now - i.e. Pulis, Forecast, Wotton etc. - are they classed as "cover"?! Can we afford to wait to ship these players out before adding some real quality and depth to the squad?

Why should we not bring in someone who can challenge for a place in the team? It's not about sitting on a bench - it's about being part of a squad that can challenge whatever circumstances prevail. If we were to follow your line perhaps Chaplow would not have joined - is he better than Morgan or Hammond who at the time were pretty much certain to start a game? IF we were to sign Ryan Harley for example that would be a perfect and shrewd move for player that could do a job in the NPC, but would also have the flexibility to cover across midfield if needed.

Doesn't really say anything new. If he was to join us it might indicate that Guly was not going to be retained perhaps? Doble is too young and inexperienced at this time...not ready for the step up clearly.

What you are sarcastically saying is not untrue, however those of us who consider the state of the squad a risk at a crucial time in the campaign are not suggesting a huge increase in numbers - we're talking two players that will be ready for the NPC.

I would argue that he probably is not, meaning he's too old and crocked to be useful to us now. Guly is better.

You're right in the sense it's only one game. But it's not. The drop in form when Lallana is out of the side is blatantly obvious if you care to check the stats. And now we've got both Hammond and Chaplow injured we're having to rely on the likes of Gobern who unfortunately is not up to the standard needed to obtain auto promotion. We need a striker to replace Barnard who will be seeing time soon (perhaps the Hereford French 21 yr old guy) and a CM/wide player who can step in and stake a place in the side while Lallana, Chaplow and Hammond are out (e.g. Ryan Harley is that man IMO).

Oh dear - do they know what they've done?! (; lol

Oh fook - I hate Sky messing with the game times. In fact I hate Sky completely.

Yes - we've lost two key components to that "synergy" (Lallana and Chaplow) so it's not ridiculous. You are being ridiculous if you are suggesting that their absence has not had an effect on the manner in which the team play and compete. It was so blatantly obvious in that 0-0 draw that I can hardly believe anyone not seeing what is so obviously a problem.

Completely agree - now is the time to act and get this guy in. With Wotton and Pulis away hopefully in the near future, our midfield options need to be bolstered and this is the guy to do it if we're only able to pick from this league. He stood out from the rest of his teammates and would do well with us and our style of play.