david in sweden

several of the current threads on here are highlighting ; Possession (or the lack of it)... and Goals v. shots (or the lack of). I keep stats. (and most nerds do)... and have checked back through the last 9 games. (after the QPR (H) fiasco). The results are; as follows... Possession wise - in all 9 games (5A 4H) ...we have averaged 54% v. 46%. In same 9 games; we've had 119 shots v. 68 from opponents. (more or less even home and away). However...we have scored.... ONLY 9 goals ...but conceded only 8. No surprises ?....we have most possesssion, and twice as many shots, but ** still don't score more than opponents do,... (and they score most often in the period 30-45 mins.....interesting ?) SOLUTION ; more shooting practice for everyone, as we clearly get enough of the ball, but spend too much time passing and not enough " shooting " at goal. No.... I'm not touting for a Nobel Prize ! (**Although throughout the season we have had 10 different players s score League goals + 3 OG's that helped the tally.)

well said . Agree 100%.

Agree with that bit Zurich. Despite being " Saints-fit " we had a lot of possession in early season games (the Adkins part)... but always seemed to want to make the " extra pass" instead of shooting on sight . Pochettino upped the tempo of our game, but even that has taken a toll on some players in recent games after a long season. I know some critics may say some " haven't played games " , but when the squad trains hard all week, they aren't sitting on the bench then.. some other players might be " super-fit " yet still not get into the game.

I've always been in favour of " horses for courses " (I know-wrong sport).... but I'd change out players according to the opposition / home -away). Cork, Ramirez and Lallana always seem to look better in home games, whereas JP has that extra bit of aggression necessary in away fixtures. Three of his goals were a key factor in away games. The first at QPR, the equaliser at Chelsea.. and of course v.Sunderland. He also earned us all 3 points in the home game v.Reading. If there were an award the the most under-rated player of the season ...he'd get my vote.

.or looking at it another way....it's the typical " gopal-drought syndrome " from our two main strikers..... NEITHER Lambert or Jay Rod have scored in the last 5 games Hope they get on the scoresheet next weekend otherwise they'll be goinmg into next season with everyone counting their goalless games... I like Adam, Morgan, Jack Cork, Steven Davis... (oh, and that Uruguayan fellow ..they're good in midfield - in the right combination..but they've only managed about a dozen goals between them all season. we need more goals from them. Only Puncheon has been a point-saver several times....

....and then giving him a 5 year contract........surely that goes down as some sort of record....... Which Saints player was given a 5 year contract .and never played a single League game for the club ?......OUCH

sounds like good odds to me, but if it pays out ..I wouldn't brag about it too much. You might win the bet, but won't win many friends on here:(

well said Charlie, thank you and goodnight !

..that bit's right ; only 5 League starts and 8 sub. apps.........NA didn't use him regularly after those first " massacre matches " and it looks like MP is of a similar opinion .....

of course you're right there Turkish, but don't get people thinking that you are comparing our CB's with those two.............

we can hope we'll see a better side of Gaston next season, but his first season in the red-and-white (sorry red with tiny white-stripes) has been a highly forgettable one. There has been a few " flashes of magic " in some games, but he has rarely played a full 90 mins. and has often been subbed whenever he has started. If we were expecting a lot for the club's money, it hasn't emerged - so far ...and he hasn't won too many Man-of-the-Match awards, either. Let's hope for greater things next season.

thinking back..... I think the answer to that is, they had the mother of all overdraft and were fast closing in on a bankruptcy ..........

On that day, I was working.... in Southsea .....NO ! - not Portsmiff'.....Southsea....and surrounded by Man.U " fans ". As I couldn't get the day off.....or a ticket for the game, I put my fiver on Saints... at 4-1.....not the biggest win I've ever had, but the most satisfying.....

the BBC site is carrying a story that CB Alex Pearce OOC at Reading this season ...has refused a new contract ....and may move to Liverpool ? ......didn't he come as a loan-player for us a while back ..what was he like then ? ..Anyone...

best 5 performances ......? Mmmmmmmmm, let me think .......have there been that many?

most of that look OK ....Turkish....(.but Chaplow had an injury - hence return before seasons end)...but would you really leave out Rodriguez?

......which is a great pity, Colin. one always likes to see local lads get a go, and TBF he didn't look the world's worst when he filled in for injuries last season..and he got a couple of goals, too. He may well end up a sort of ....Crainie / Williamsson / Monk type player. Looks good as youth team player, but never gets the chance of first team action and makes his way up the Leagues one at a time.

hahaha.. now really Arsene...this is not serious ..right ?

oh you've got some too, have you ?.....It was almost compulsory reading 30 years ago, but the " new generation " sets other standards ....today hiring people is more like computer dating and " personal skills "

agree with 99% of that Duncan, but Mayuka's not been given a full 90 minutes in a game, and it's difficult to make a clear judgment. I can't believe he's never been good enough for a run of games.

For those of us old enough to still be able to quote the Peter Principle.....these 3 remaining games will show just what MP is capable of. With Fox (and Ramirez) out for the rest of the season, how will MP re-organise things? First one's simple....most of us would say bring back Shaw, who did nothing wrong - except get a flu virus. The nagging thought at the back of my mind is ....will he dare to try Forran now? ...and against Spu*s .....and/ or for the later visit to the Stadium of Gloom. If he does play him and the guy plays a blinder... he'll become an accepted member of the squad - if not, he'll degenerate into the permanent "over-age player" in the U21 's for the rest of his career. Ramirez is another proposition. I've tried to remain open-minded all season, and TBF it hasn't been easy for him - but even those who admire his "occasional " flashes of brilliance have to admit that he looks nothing like the record signing that he was cracked up to be. I don't know if there is something in the " Latin temperament " that some causes players to react as they do, but clearly both he and Suarez will be on the early flight back to Montevideo as neither of them will be playing Prem. League again.... until August - at the earliest UNLESS Mr.Cortese can subtily convince him that, perhaps .. his future lays in Italy after all......before the value of his enormous transfer fee diminishes even more. Either way.. the future of both Fox and Ramirez (and one or two others).....looks to be in serious danger for next season. The next 3 weeks will show us what the Pochettino Effect can really achieve. Neither of the next two away games look particularly "winnable" on paper....and I'd hate to see our Prem. future hanging on a thread on the last day...if Wigan decide to stage one of their " late revivals ". SORRY !....The Peter Principle (for those unaware of the name); refers to the title of a book - published 40 odd years ago - by work-study expert Dr. Lawrence Peter who suggested that people in all types of organisations / companies can be promoted (regardless of any previous success) to a position of " incompetence " where they cannot cope or manage effectively. Maybe you work in such an organisation yourself?

it's not often I feel sorry for a referee. He will go down with some sort of record for showing 3 red cards on his Prem. debut, but it doesn't matter how many times you watch the replays - all three were warranted. Sadly, there were a number of other incidents that he missed that won't auger well for his future at this level. Now the FA (?) will have to decide to carry on as normal and use him again next week, or give him a rest for the remainder of the season. If he ends up supervising a game with Villa or Wigan at the end of the season .....and awards a dubious penalty that decides someone's fate ..... all h*ll will be let loose. Either way, he'll get criticised by fans in his (eventual) next match, and accused by losing managers for every card he issues in future.

Difficult to defend Fox on any account. His recent run of games showed that he wasn't quite the liability we saw in early season - except it took NA about 8 games to see that - and one or two early challenges calmed my nerves a little, but sadly his performance deteriorated at a rate of knots, resulting in the inevitable red card. If Pochettino was in any doubt about Fox's " future potential " that must have been made obvious after 70 mins. yesterday. His three game ban will see out the rest of the season and it may well have been his last game for SFC. Hooiveld really does blow hot and cold, in some games he's looked really commanding.in others he resembles a slow-moving tank. His previous 6 game sojourn with Yoshida conceded only 3 goals, who IMHO has been most consistant of the three, but yesterday there was little to compliment anyone on. Many fans admire Fonte's skill on the ground, but he is also painfully slow on the turn and has been at fault on many occasions this season when coming up against a fast-moving striker.

I can remember watching that game, and being so shocked at his behaviour...attacking the ref. was really the last straw. A " highly-competative " player with a very poor disciplinary record - it was coming . Whereas some people want to blame (Crouch's absence) for our eventual relegation, a 10 match suspension to a key player is the sort of factor that does affect overall team performance. Liverpool may now drop a few points they might have got (because Suarez is not there), but they wouldn't have got a Euro place anyway, for Saints at that time.....it was the death knell of our Prem. football.