Baird of the land

Gazzaniga is what he is. A talented if unfinished player. On paper Boruc is the more finished article but given his levels of fitness, his recent issue with the fans and the fact gazzaniga has been in the team while results have improved somewhat i'd be surprised if we changed it. I'll trust adkins to make that choice though.

Really frustrating. Committing suicide when you've worked so hard to get in front. Hope this line-up gets a few games together.

Still supporting Adkins and hope he gets at least to Jan to try and turn it round. If he does go definitely don't want Redknapp anywhere near saints. Would love Saints to be able to attract the likes of Bielsa but think it is farfetched that he'd be interested in Saints.

Really can't understand adkins thinking. We've got a 1st X1 back 5 that have barely played together and yet rather than give them a cup game to help them gel he plays a complete reserve team. The whole 1st X1 must be low on confidence and yet they are left at home when we haven't got a game till monday. Really don't get the benefit of reserves being beaten by Leeds.

The idea of playing a fixed formation no matter the opposition seems bizarre. The idea of trying to move over a longer period to 4-3-3 being our default formation does not. The idea of others being responsible for the transfer policy doesn't particularly bother me as long as coach is involved in the discussions as to the type of players needed. The idea of regularly dropping our star player/subbing him repeatedly bothers me immensely. I really don't get how being toothless against W.Ham in the 1st half was a good idea. I'm still supporting Adkins for now, given all the goodwill for masterminding 2 successive promotions.

Think it is a nutty decision but he's manager and it's his call i suppose. Don't have a clue why he seems to suddenly have a problem with Rickie as from what i've seen so far he's been fantastic.

Well our 2 weakest links removed in Davis and Fox and we win 4-1. Very happy saints fan today, though still going to be hard 1st half of the season with a very green keeper in net and either a very green left back(shaw) or a right back playing out of position at left back.

Supported Davis in the past. In League 1 he was a championship keeper playing below his level. Last year in championship level he was solid. However he looks out of his depth in the Prem and the fact we refused to add proper competition to this position in the close season was giving me kittens before the season even kicked off. Last 4 games have left me with a sense of foreboding for the 1st half of the season. The fact that our only alternative is a completely untried youngster scares me. We now have a choice to kill Kelvin's confidence completely by dropping him for a youngster who might perform worse or stick with the extremely limited Kelvin till xmas.

They had good keepers and solid defences, which unfortunetely we don't have. Only hope is that we can score enough goals to still be in mix in january. Then we can buy at least a better keeper and a left back who can defend.

Some delicious play going forward. Sneiderlin looks made to play in prem. Lambert, puncheon, Lallana, Ward-Prowse, S Davis, Clyne all excellent. Unfortunately the 2 cb's don't fill me with confidence, Fox was weak defensively and davis looks well out of his depth in the premier league. Really can't see anything but a long hard relegation battle as in the premier league if you can't defend you are in serious trouble.

My issue is that Davis is a championship standard keeper and our only back up is an inexperienced keeper who's only played in league 2 previously. Personally I'd have been worried about Butland's lack of 1st team experience too. Swansea and Norwich both stayed up last season(both had excellent keepers in Ruddy and Vorm). Was still hoping we might pick up Gordon from free agents to give more competition in that area when we didn't address in the transfer window.

Can't believe Davis and Gazzaniga are our keeping options for half a season. So weak it is unbelievable.

Glad to see holmes is doing so well at Oxford. Interesting to see if he can stay fit for a prolonged period of time as i personally think he is a very talented player. He'll probably move on in the summer but i'd be all for keeping him at the Saints.

Very happy with an away point at Brum. Sounded a decent performance from Saints too in difficult conditions. Just a pity we didn't beat Cardiff in midweek & millwall couldn't get anything against 10 men W HAm.

Yes Bartosz looked very weak in goal. My bigger worry was how different we looked against the way we were playing early in the season. Our passing was extremely sloppy and we seemed determined to sling aimless crosses into the box, probably because there wasn't much movement. Guly and Lambert were excellent but we surely need another option up top. I personally don't feel the balance of the midfield is at all right at the moment either. Playing a CM out of position doesnt seem to be working and Lallana seems very much off the boil too. Wouldn't mind giving Holmes a start.

Disappointing result but once i heard there was no Lambert i figured we'd struggle to get anything from the game. Loan attacker needed.

Anyone with half a brain knows what the Premier League's next step will be. A few years down the line they will demand that they be able to field reserves sides in the football league. Amazing how one story can make me this depressed about football despite Saints being 5 points clear at the top of the league.

Just back from the game. Terribly sloppy for the first 20 minutes and they were deservedly up by 2. Got one back and then there was one of the worst refereeing decisions i'veever seen. From a corner their player tried to mount Lambert and rather than usgetting a freekick the ball cannoned off Lambert into the net as he fell to the ground. Second half we were immense. Only a couple of good saves from their keeper stopped us getting at least a deserved draw. Mom the match for me was cork. Brilliant in midfield and then once moved to right back was equally amazing.

Hmm interesting. Saints do seem to have a left back buying fetish.

My issue currently is that i'm not convinced when things aren't going our way that Adkins has the ability to change things tactically. Both Hartlepool and Walsall seemed very similar in terms of Soton running out of ideas and adkins sitting back far too long and letting it happen. I'd worry about us in the play offs if we don't get automatic. I've never really had any doubt we'd make a minimum of the play offs, given the quality of players we have.

Feel sorry for young Gobern. Came on saturday and look lively. Then midweek when we're huffing and puffing and getting nowhere at nil nil, he's left sitting on the bench. I really thought adkins might have learned his lesson on saturday when he made changes and we scored 2 goals in a minute.

Appalling management by adkins. Should have made changes when it was still nil nil ten minutes into 2nd half. When he finally makes a change he takes off his first sub. Pathetic.

Agree i would like to see Barnard get a run of starts. Nice to see Adkins making some effective substitutions today. Had mixed emotions regarding L.Orient late equaliser. Good for Saints, bad for my bank balance as i bet on Huddesfield to win. Interesting to see how Brighton respond to that loss too.

Making substitutions shouldn't just be done when you are playing badly though. When it was still nil nil at the hour mark Atkins should have been more pro-active in using the alternatives at his disposal imo(Sneiderlin, Gobern, Barnard, N'guessan) Great managers don't let the game get away from them before they make changes. Barnard was one of the top scorers in the league last season and i find it odd he wasn't given more time.

It was particularly the team selection that got me. It was the fact with a strong bench we waited until 76 mins to make a change and then only made one.