saintsmike25

He'd have taken a draw before the game. These things happen.

It's fair to say that the Playoffs was always a distant dream this season with things into consideration. I'm happy with a draw, just as football fans it's like imagine someone giving you a free tenner and then snatching it back off you. We're all a little frustrated as I bet is Pardew! but if we won it would have been an absolute London mugging of the highest order we had our backs to the wall all game long.

What i fear we're getting into is we're too comfortable with hoofing it forward to Lambert, and not actually playing good passing patterns, and sometimes we over-complicate things. Keep it simple and effective get the ball to the wingers/full backs to cross the ball into Lambert, seems to me that the midfield lost out today meaning we were always under pressure and without an outlet. We sounded better when we had pace going upfront. I don't usually critisise but if you're gonna ease Lee Holmes back in, playing him the full 90? when clearly apparently he's tired is a bit damaging. In hindsight we should have shoved on Waigo/Antonio quicker. But i'd have taken a draw before the game, what we need now is to keep winning the home games it's good to see apart from that one lapse we sounded quality at the back, Pardew likes investing in brick****houses at the back.

Exactly what we have to remember is that Jaidi and Perry are players we're not gonna get anymore seasons out of apart from this one, especially as Jaidi is brilliant for winning headers but his legs have gone and can't handle the amount of games that will be thrown at him. Pardew isn't signing "raw" centre backs he's signing ones that will last the project maybe up until the premiership remember "build from the back" with the best goalscorer in the league we don't NEED another striker as we have goals in our team with Connoly and Lambert needless to say Waigo deserves a place too. What he'll put is another bring the ball out of midfield player to challenge Hammond and Morgan, the problem i'm starting to see is Lloyd James where does he fit? he's clearly a GOOD player but easily replaceable however is very young and adds alot with his crossing and set pieces delivery.

I think Mills will be sold ASAP frankly the fact that Pardew bought him on for one game and subbed him after 15 minutes shows he has no faith whatsoever in Mills. Saga is gonna leave on a free by mutual consent in a week too.

LOL gotta love how people judge this. He's been playing consistently in a side thats moved up the leagues with Tisdale and in the first team squad I think he'll be competition for harding and cover for defensive area's he's 22 which means he can improve he's got age on his side and can step in when required. The Ward deal isn't going to go through I don't think.

What a pointless moan not as if it really matters..

Totally agree I hate this new found arrogance we have to remember how lucky we are to be in this position and that we were the ones who had our talent poached from us from more 'arrogant' and richer clubs. I feel sorry for Doncaster fans losing one of there best players if it goes through to a team in the division below. How would we feel if Andrew Surman had gone to Huddersfield or something last season? Slightly annoyed to say the least. And we shouldn't be shouting from the rooftops that we have money either, we have to let the club get on with it in a proffesional manner and not make teams want to increase the price (aka) Man City everytime we bid for any player, it's better to go about quietly unnoticed lets remember we're mid-table in league one.

On that notion then lets replace the whole team then?

Well who have we got as cover for Harding? I mean James can PLAY right back and his attacking play is enough to get him by and will improve and we have Murty too free-ing James to play on the wing or in the middle.

Well I didn't go but I feel Pardew see's something in Antonio that I don't and won't start Waigo upfront who is a perfect fast foil for Lambert (scored 7 odd goals and has been sub alot!) Glad to get through, Luton are a good side and beat the top league two clubs to get here, and lets remember they won the Johnstons paint Trophy and they're on the up again. Of course they had NOTHING to lose and we did. Whats needed is perhaps another striker but perhaps Patterson can do a job? and another defender and a left back, then we'll be okay I think.

I suppose it's where you realistically want Southampton to be and it's always been a case of "slim outside" hope of the Playoffs we've still got weaknesses against sides who are well organised and can put in a good shift and the sides who have some quality. Colchester/Huddersfield/Leeds/Swindon - Leed - Quality - Huddersfield - Direct and strong - Colchester and Swindon - Work hard as **** for each other really organised, and lastly Bristol was a one off because of a wonder goal in the last minute and Brighton we were just awful that game. What we need is 3 players in January, Cover for Harding as Mills isn't up to it. Someone in the middle who can pass the ball and have a bit of flair we can't always rely on Lallana for that. And a centre back for the departing (I think) Trotman, then after that we will pick up the points against the sides we should beat and probably finish there or there abouts it's a long season and plenty more games left to play.

He didn't post at all when we were winning games soon as we lose it's typical Alpine depressing posts about everything Saints.

This is a game we were never expected to win in reality. Colchester have lost just one game at home and that was against Leeds and have a great great team ethos and spirit which is why they're so high up the table. I'm just a bit aggrieved sometimes away we're a bit too negative with the 4-5-1 which means often we're a bit pegged back inside our own half the biggest mistake i feel was starting with Antonio instead of Waigo who when he came on we became alot more dangerous from the commentary. We're beating the teams we SHOULD beat but we need to start being more positive against the better sides because we CAN match them, Lambert sounded like he might be isolated again, the midfeild needs to help him out a bit more, his last 3 goals have all been from set plays rather than headers or shots. Again glad we showed character and had lots of chances in the second half sometimes we just need to stay focused when the game is 0-0 rather than when we go behind. But plenty to work on for Alan and co, and still a slim chance of the play-offs keep winning the home games! and hope for the best away.

My thoughts exactly! You notice it when Morgan isn't playing because we don't hold onto the ball and he tracks back superbly he's the key player in the middle he just needs more confidense to have a shot or two I think once he gets his first goal they'll be flying in. Why doesn't he take the odd corner too? he can really ping a ball with pace as shown with his passing.

Meh the game was so so some player ratings. Bart - Did well to make one good save in the first half didn't look shaky however one poor error in the first 10 minutes almost cost us, couldn't do anything about the goal poor kicking at times - 6 James - 7.5 - The goal was completely flukey but hey he had a go! and his delivery was inconsistant but the ball for Trotmans head was superb and his corners are a bit more dangerous especially when he takes them short and whips it in nicely, defended OK, still lacks a bit positionally but a good game. Trottman - 8 - Great goal and battled well at the back no silly mistakes very consistant seemed to be a rock back there and didn't put a foot wrong all game Perry - 7 Would be the same as Trotman but was lucky to stay on the field for an awful two footed challenge from behind in the second half when he didn't even need to make it, was solid and only looked troubled when Fleetwood came on. Harding - 6 - Decent in places but really quiet started off brightly but faded out and end delivery was poor on alot of occasions not good at doing the early cross enough, okay defending but let them have ALOT of space in the second half. Hammond - 5 Didn't control the midfeild at all poor passing at times, and just seemed off the pace Morgan - 6 faired a bit better than Hammond for some good passing but needs to shoot more and we played better when he passed the ball to Lallana and linked up made some good challenges too but again was a bit off key with passes and lost control of the middle in the second half against 10 men not a good display. Antonio - 5.5 - Meh was fairly anoynmous poor crossing most of the time again looks exciting but flatters to decieve at the best of times don't rate him as much as waigo and poor off the ball. Lallana 7 - Played better when he was on the ball, took some really brutal challenges and made some good passes and troubled them alot I know it seems critical sometimes he just needs to do things a bit earlier! then he would be superb but battled in there well when he was clearly targeted. Lambert - 6.5 again when he was on the ball he linked up with the middle causing our first goal but had a tough time against uncompromising Exeter centre halfs, superb effort in the last minute! that would have been even better than his freekick, needed better delivery frustrating that we couldn't give him better balls. Didn't link up with Connoly at all.. Connoly - 4.5 - Hit the bar in the first half but apart from that was really off the pace and probably our worst player just didn't seem in the game in the slightest or dangerous didn't link up with Lambert and just not his usual self at all. Subs - Mills - 5 - tried to run at them but wasn't what we needed and felt sorry when Pardew took him off seemed lightweight just needs to go out on loan again. Waigo - 8 LOOKED SO MUCH BETTER with him on and well taken goal! his pace causes teams huge problems and we controlled the game better with him in the team has to start against Colchester. Wotton 6 - Came on barked out some instructions like the fat guy in the pub team - Ball hit him the face (important block) and then thats about all he did.. well done for blocking the shot with his face however. Otherwise hardly noticable. Ref - 7 - good call for the red card and controlled the game well but should have sent off Perry.

Totally agree the way he links up is like a third striker whilst Connoly and Lambert cause problems, Lamberts physical presence and Connoly's intelligence and movement Waigo goes by unnoticed with his pace, whilst not a natural winger of sorts remember he busts a gut to get in dangerous positions and into the box. While Antonio looks good by beating his man and having pace on the ball off the ball he's really no danger to other teams. Remember Waigo scores with his head and is superb in goalmouth scrambles just remember the two goals against Torquay and Norwich, a rather underatted part of his game.

Would help if you spelled "this" to hammer your point home. Yes I love Dr Who, it's light hearted and much better than the X-Factor/Strictly stuff that comes on in my opinion because it's so unrealistic and the storyline arcs are fun to speculate on. Even the most cynical cynic Charlie Brooker loves Dr Who, it's a huge hit, especually amongst older audiences who watched it when they were little back in the days of Jon Pertrew and Tom Baker.

Lallana.

Got myself a ticket! COYR Can't wait to see the staduim full like it should be. Lets get a really great atmosphere on Saturday and make Markus and Alan proud.

I've always thought Xavi was immense as a player the way he stays out of the media and gets on with it and consistantly performs at the highest level never ceases to amaze me. However he couldn't score the same sort of goals that Le Tissier could. But nothing wrong with at least trying. Great to see Le God get this sort of recognition from top class players who aren't English.

Can see this being a "Brighton" lets not put too much expectation on this being a home banker..

Really really happy about that. I hope Marcus can write us a message too.

You have to be joking saying this is a way to 'tax us'. Frankly it's a shame this recession took place we took our eyes off the ball big time when it comes to Climate Change, and the US is the one that needs to do the most about it as they use up the most energy per person - China is industrialising still and think about it feeding 1 billion people? it takes some doing if China has to cut down we have to help them. India is the country that will really suffer when the rivers dry up because of climate change

Not really surprised was more interested to see how far our defence and team has gone. The defence sounded great today especially Perry and Jaidi both 34 and 36! against Beckford and marked him out of the game culminating in him throwing a strop. Pardew probably missed Morgan in the centre as we didn't sound like we were holding onto the ball enough. Again they just had that bit more quality and it took a great goal to beat us from the sound of the things, perhaps if that goal was scored in the first half we could have equalised as soon as we started to attack them in the second half we were bossing it towards the end. Exeter is a big game for us now i'll be down at SMS. COYR!