Saint Fan CaM

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.

We need to keep Chaplow - very useful and won't get much better than him in L1.

This.

If you do that, won't the real people on the 'other side' die or something??? (;

Is it Nick Holmes? Oh.

I agree - it is particularly distastful. Whatever next - a skate's genitalia? In fact I think I'm going to vomit...

You've pretty much hit the nail on the head here. Of course you cannot excuse the corner that does not even beat the first man, but IMO the effectiveness of corners is the positioning and movement in the box to attack the ball once it's launched into the area. The attackers in and around the box do not seem to have an effective strategy to hit the target and as you point out, there are key areas we do not seem to fill - one at the back post and the other is mid-field 6 yards out of the box (if the ball comes out, it will invariably fall to an oppo player who can clear).

Will not be an easy game - a defo banana skin for this squad.

I hate to say this, but Oldham are doing OK at the moment - they'll park the bus and hope for a sloppy defensive moment to hit us on the break, which we have a habit of gifting teams. Having said that, if they play with just one striker we'll be more able to play our game and get a good result. Suppose it comes down to how well their manager has done his homework, how he sets the team out and how well they can deliver a game plan. Difficult to predict - 1-1 I'm thinking, but Saints hopefully will motor now and get a 3-1 win.

There is not really a good enough reason to boo a member of our team while on the pitch. If the player concerned is not putting in a shift in terms of effort then give him some stick perhaps, but not for not having enough skill - they can't help that on matchday.

Would be a good addition on a PAYP deal, but I think he'll go somewhere else as he doesn't fit in with the model NC runs here.

Because they have had more than 6 weeks with their managers, because they both have teams assembled to get out of this league rather than play attractive football, because their collective strength as a team is greater than the sum of the individual players, because their managers have been able to convince them they are better than they are so they play for their managers and pride. I don't know - it may be one of those things, all of those things or indeed none of them. I suspect a combination of those things, but one things is f'sure - it ain't because of the huge sums of money spent.

Absolutely spot b0ll0ck on - it was criminal and so obvious they were targetted to be crocked! And that's the one reason I would NEVER want that twot Davies to ever manage at Saints.

And yet I remember some on here slating him in some matches! lol