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We paid the price for fielding a strong team twice in a week when we didn't need to?


trousers
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Just a bad day at the office - nothing more - nothing less. We're gonna lose now & again and today was one such day. We looked lethargic which is strange...

 

2nded.

 

I think it's all very well considering the JPT as a minor competition, but there is still a trophy and potential day out at the end of it.

 

Today was a big wake up call, it taught the players that they're not invincible, which is key.

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Just a bad day at the office - nothing more - nothing less. We're gonna lose now & again and today was one such day. We looked lethargic which is strange...

 

Agreed.

 

Weirdly, Trotts has had a little time out of the side...so should have been fresher, but he was the worst of them all. Looked totally off the pace of the game.

 

As you said though, we weren't going to go through he rest of the season unbeaten and we would always loose again. Let's hope we can respond in the right way.

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Too many players had a bad game today - Trotman, Jaidi particularly. Plus Lallana and Harding also started badly!

 

We should have started with 4-5-1 and then switched to 4-4-2 as before - it works well with us

 

plus Brighton would have got frustrated and given up against a solid 4-5-1

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I saw lots of similarities with the Bristol Rovers game - really quick opposition forwards exposing our rather lumbering defenders.

 

Is it a coincidence that both games were under lights?

 

OK, I know that Saints played really well on Wednesday under lights, but they nearly slipped up against Torquay earlier this season, so maybe its a factor.

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We paid the price for fielding a strong team twice in a week when we didn't need to?

 

Discuss

 

I can see why you ask the question. We have a large and supposedly strong squad so why not use it? I disagree that the selection cost us the game. Burnley last season. Small squad. Very few changes. Got promoted.

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Too many players had a bad game today - Trotman, Jaidi particularly. Plus Lallana and Harding also started badly!

 

We should have started with 4-5-1 and then switched to 4-4-2 as before - it works well with us

 

plus Brighton would have got frustrated and given up against a solid 4-5-1

 

fair summary,

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We were just sussed - 2 slow centre halves totally exposed by pace. 2 down could have been 4. Like the man said above should have started with 4-5-1 then we wouldn't have been so ope down the middle, we are not quite good enough to support a 4-4-2

 

agree with all of that

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Just a bad day at the office - nothing more - nothing less. We're gonna lose now & again and today was one such day. We looked lethargic which is strange...

 

Have to say that was my take but a few players were worse than the rest. James is no right back and his set pieces and crosses from deep are generally awful. We need to buy a RB. No bad day at the office more like typiocal day.

 

Trotman and Jaidi were all over the place and Thomas showed them up second half do perhaps supporting Trousers' theory.

 

Our midfield were very complacent with their passing and both their goals first half came from absolute needless wastes of possession.

 

I thought Lallana's performance today was inexcusable. He tucked in so far to the midfield we had no options on the left other than Harding and then Mills. All our decent crosses came from the right because whenever Lallana received it he always drifts in instead of taking it forward up the wing and getting a cross in. The good news is he didn't put himself in the shop window for any CCC manager watching the bad news is if he plays like that again we are back to the Lallana the enigma.

 

Our service to Lambert and Connolly was dreadful not helped by the complacency in midfield and Adam Lallana's no show.

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Am I still wrong for wanting to put an entire reserve team out against Northampton

 

Ermm, yes and no. I think some players must be rested, Jaidi clearly needs a rest, and I would suggest Harding, James, Hammond and Ricky need a rest too.

 

However there is some benefit to going some way in the FA Cup, notably a money spinning tie against one of the big teams. Every little helps. Some money in the pot to buy a new player maybe. I would suggest as rich as ML is, if he can buy a player without spending his own money then he'd prefer to.

 

 

Regarding other posters saying we were lazy and complacent.....possibly, but I don't think so. Everybody has an off day in their life. if you have a **** day at work, and everything just goes wrong, which does happen, you'd hardly find it fair if your peers came and called you a ****, and essentially you're calling them ****s because that's what they have been if they've been complacent and lazy.

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Saints are good enough to beat teams like Brighton when one or two players are not playing to full potential but when three or four decide to stay at home then anyone can beat us.

 

In fact I would say there are few teams in English football that can win in their respective divisions when it happens to them. We just had an off day. It happens, it is how we recover from it that will show the characterof our team.

 

With regards to the JPT being a tin pot trophy - I think it is arrogant of us to think we are bigger than it. It was designed to give small clubs (and I include us in this) from the lower divisions a chance to win something. Reaching the finals would be a huge boost for the clubs morale. I would be first in line to buy a ticket to Wembley along with most posters on here.

 

How about this for an idea - seeing as we haven't got a realistic chance of winning the FA cup how about fielding a reserve side in this competition and saving the first team for the league...

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Come on after all it is Southampton FC we are talking about, for since I can remember Saints will always lose the ones you would put your house on?

We are likely to get to the JPT Final and lose to Acrington Stanley. (Acrington Stanley who are they)

I bet more people than ever yesterday had Saints to win 3-1 and what do we do lose 1-3!!!

Bloody Saints for you but keep the faith.

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Am I still wrong for wanting to put an entire reserve team out against Northampton

 

I would argue that you are not wrong and in fact you are 100% right. What is the best prize relative safety by January in the league or a 3rd round tie against a big Premiership club we have no prospect of winning and have no immediate need for the money.

 

So ou choice appears to be another potential January game against Man U or a protracted relegation battle into the new year and with the increased risk of doing so without a Hammond or a Lambert.

 

As for Norwich lets give them a bye its a worthless competition.

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Ermm, yes and no. I think some players must be rested, Jaidi clearly needs a rest, and I would suggest Harding, James, Hammond and Ricky need a rest too.

 

However there is some benefit to going some way in the FA Cup, notably a money spinning tie against one of the big teams. Every little helps. Some money in the pot to buy a new player maybe. I would suggest as rich as ML is, if he can buy a player without spending his own money then he'd prefer to.

 

 

Regarding other posters saying we were lazy and complacent.....possibly, but I don't think so. Everybody has an off day in their life. if you have a **** day at work, and everything just goes wrong, which does happen, you'd hardly find it fair if your peers came and called you a ****, and essentially you're calling them ****s because that's what they have been if they've been complacent and lazy.

 

I agree everyone has an off day at work but is there not something in it when at least 3 players and in some cases without a direct playing relationship in their respective position have such a poor game. Jaidi, James and Lallana for instance.

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I would argue that you are not wrong and in fact you are 100% right. What is the best prize relative safety by January in the league or a 3rd round tie against a big Premiership club we have no prospect of winning and have no immediate need for the money.

 

So ou choice appears to be another potential January game against Man U or a protracted relegation battle into the new year and with the increased risk of doing so without a Hammond or a Lambert.

 

As for Norwich lets give them a bye its a worthless competition.

 

in that's case, do we have it in writing that if we get to Wembley you will 100% not be attending?

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Saints are good enough to beat teams like Brighton when one or two players are not playing to full potential but when three or four decide to stay at home then anyone can beat us.

 

In fact I would say there are few teams in English football that can win in their respective divisions when it happens to them. We just had an off day. It happens, it is how we recover from it that will show the characterof our team.

 

With regards to the JPT being a tin pot trophy - I think it is arrogant of us to think we are bigger than it. It was designed to give small clubs (and I include us in this) from the lower divisions a chance to win something. Reaching the finals would be a huge boost for the clubs morale. I would be first in line to buy a ticket to Wembley along with most posters on here.

 

How about this for an idea - seeing as we haven't got a realistic chance of winning the FA cup how about fielding a reserve side in this competition and saving the first team for the league...

 

Last year did you give the JPT any recognition? It is not arrogant to suggest we are above it (which I am not) it's just as a competition it holds no interest for about 40% of our regular match day attendees and I suspect that fugure is widely mirrored across the board. Therefore, if the trophy holds only a small majority of interest for those club's involved and barely 1% of interest in the wider football community in this country seriously what is the point.

 

Is Murray arrogant not to take part in the Davis Cup to ensure he remains fit for more important games?

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So if in March we are in solid mid-table and we are playing Leeds at Wembley then I take it the knockers above won't be wanting cup-final tickets?

 

AP has to balance short-term success (creating a winning side/winning mentality/squad building/ bums on seats) against a long-shot at the play-offs. He would have got slaughtered if he had played the reserves v Charlton and we had been turned over. For me, he's doing a pretty good job so far and I'm sure he's as aware as any of us of the obvious limitations of the squad and will strengthen decisively at Xmas and again in the summer. Clearly keeping our profile high and our gates over 20k can only help in attracting the quality of player we all want to see at SMS.

 

Yesterday was a bad day at the office and a real wake up call for those that think this team would be challenging in the CCC!

The GK and back four all have individual merit but collectiviley they are not adding up to the sum of their parts, no clean sheet in 12 is pathetic at this level!

I said after Southend (and got slaughtered for it) that you can't accomodate Lallana wide left in a 4-4-2 and keep a strong defensive shape, point proved yesterday?

MS and Hammond both poor yesterday, neither seemed to know what the other was doing, neither of them effectivelty shielded the back four (I would imagine Wotton will play the first 60 mins next Sat) and neither had any quality to unlock BHA's massed defence.

Lallana needs to go back in the free role in a 4-5-1 where he was unplayable for a run of about 5 or 6 games.

Antonio's bull-in-a-china-shop style is better suited to the bench than starting games, Papa showed when he came on he's still keen to be here and I'm not sure we will keep him interested long term if we continue to bench him.

Connolley has looked class so far but yesterday was a game too far for him (particualrly given the scraps he fed on), if he can score a goal in 20 mins do we need to play him for 90 mins? I'd be wrapping him in cotton wool and trying to get 2 years out of him.

 

I think most people at the start of the season would have given AP 2 years to get out of this league, and considering he started from somewhere well behind zero and has had only a part of one transfer window most people would probably still say we are on track to achieve that.

 

If we see good attacking football and plenty of goals (not the long ball rubbish served up yesterday!), we continue to strengthen the squad, we continue to play to 20k-plus home crowds, we go to Wembley and win the paint pot, and we finish somewhere between 8th-13th it will have been an excellent season, a few on here last night want to get over themselves, and quickly!

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For a team that supposed to be playing 4-4-2 last night there seemed to be an awfully big distance between both full backs and the supposed midfielder in front of them.

 

Lallana wanders, how many times did James/Antonio work an overlap? At least Papa seems to understand the need to cover back when the FB goes rampaging up the pitch.

 

For an opposition manager to spot that weakness - the space in front of (and then behind) the FB's isn't rocket science. Make sure your wide players know about it, watch for the space then play a long quick ball into the space and bingo - you have the reactions you see on here - FB's were useless etc etc etc.

 

Tactically we've been sussed out. We cannot play Lallana in a wandering role in a 4-4-2 as it leaves the gaps. And as for overlaps, heck how can you work an overlap when the RM is 40 or 50 yards away from you and the LM is on the right of the penalty box pushing Hammond out of the way for a header at goal?

 

On the OP, Hammond seemed to take a knock a few games back and hasn't been as effective since. Maybe time for a rest? But can understand the reluctance to do so.

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I saw lots of similarities with the Bristol Rovers game - really quick opposition forwards exposing our rather lumbering defenders.

 

Is it a coincidence that both games were under lights?

 

OK, I know that Saints played really well on Wednesday under lights, but they nearly slipped up against Torquay earlier this season, so maybe its a factor.

 

Basically We are still to fragile we should not be conceding 2 at Orient 2 to Torquay and 3 to Brighton and drawing with the likes of Stockport and carlisle these are teams that Leeds charlton and Norwich will put away safely!

 

We are just not solid enough or consistent enough to ba a contender for the play offs!

 

All great teams are built from the back!

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not really just the team have got too big headed and expected the result to take care of itself!

 

Spot on IMO - we looked very complacent against a team who were bang up for it.

 

Also, we were tactically outclassed yesterday. Brighton were time wasting and sitting very deep from the first minute and then hit us with quick counter atacking play whenever possible and that is exactly the way to play Saints. BHA also snuffed out the threat of Lambert very well - doubled up and sandwiched him every chance they got and doubled up on Antonio too.

 

We were second to the ball in midfield most of the time - they wanted it more. I'm sure they were keen to impress Poyet and I reckon they did just that.

 

Must try harder Saints - outside of the top six in Div 1 there are plenty of teams that will play us the way BHA did and we have to have a plan B to break these teams down - the 45 degree balls into the front men from James don't work every game.

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I agree everyone has an off day at work but is there not something in it when at least 3 players and in some cases without a direct playing relationship in their respective position have such a poor game. Jaidi, James and Lallana for instance.

 

I dont think Lallana had a poor game at all. I thought he played well in the first half - just in front of where I was sat in the Kigsland for this game - and together with Antonio looked our most likely players to create something.

 

As for Jaidi - he did not look very solid yesterday. However he has shown weaknesses and frailties in every game he has played so far - BHA just exploited them. Likewise James - he has quite a lot of weaknesses (pace and acceleration being the two most obvious) and BHA exploited them.

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Agreed.

 

Weirdly, Trotts has had a little time out of the side...so should have been fresher, but he was the worst of them all. Looked totally off the pace of the game.

 

As you said though, we weren't going to go through he rest of the season unbeaten and we would always loose again. Let's hope we can respond in the right way.

 

Very interesting point. IMO Trottman was the man of the match the last home game before last weekends FA Cup game, then PNE refuse to let him play in the FA Cup and he looks out of sorts against Chartlton last week and then again yesterday. Perhaps he's been told he will be going back to PNE in January when he doesnt want to - he certainly looks like a man whose head has been messed up. Shame if I'm right because he was looking like he could have been the real deal.

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What a hypocrite.

 

Ok I and 1000s of others will leave you and the other 10,000 JPT hardy followers to rattle around Wembley against the might of a 40,000 strong contingent from Leeds. Incidentally of which, probably less than 50% watched a preceeding tie. Nature of the beast and I am no more a hypocrite than those who will no doubt flood back and sell out the stadium if we get back in the Premiership. It's why we buy season tickets isn't it? Guarantee your seat, supports your club when they need the money most and gives rise to certain privileges.

 

Hopefully Will, I'll end up sitting next to you. No need to wear a name tag as I'll recognise you by your trousers.

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Very interesting point. IMO Trottman was the man of the match the last home game before last weekends FA Cup game, then PNE refuse to let him play in the FA Cup and he looks out of sorts against Chartlton last week and then again yesterday. Perhaps he's been told he will be going back to PNE in January when he doesnt want to - he certainly looks like a man whose head has been messed up. Shame if I'm right because he was looking like he could have been the real deal.

 

I was thinking the same actually.

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So if in March we are in solid mid-table and we are playing Leeds at Wembley then I take it the knockers above won't be wanting cup-final tickets?

 

AP has to balance short-term success (creating a winning side/winning mentality/squad building/ bums on seats) against a long-shot at the play-offs. He would have got slaughtered if he had played the reserves v Charlton and we had been turned over. For me, he's doing a pretty good job so far and I'm sure he's as aware as any of us of the obvious limitations of the squad and will strengthen decisively at Xmas and again in the summer. Clearly keeping our profile high and our gates over 20k can only help in attracting the quality of player we all want to see at SMS.

 

Yesterday was a bad day at the office and a real wake up call for those that think this team would be challenging in the CCC!

The GK and back four all have individual merit but collectiviley they are not adding up to the sum of their parts, no clean sheet in 12 is pathetic at this level!

I said after Southend (and got slaughtered for it) that you can't accomodate Lallana wide left in a 4-4-2 and keep a strong defensive shape, point proved yesterday?

MS and Hammond both poor yesterday, neither seemed to know what the other was doing, neither of them effectivelty shielded the back four (I would imagine Wotton will play the first 60 mins next Sat) and neither had any quality to unlock BHA's massed defence.

Lallana needs to go back in the free role in a 4-5-1 where he was unplayable for a run of about 5 or 6 games.

Antonio's bull-in-a-china-shop style is better suited to the bench than starting games, Papa showed when he came on he's still keen to be here and I'm not sure we will keep him interested long term if we continue to bench him.

Connolley has looked class so far but yesterday was a game too far for him (particualrly given the scraps he fed on), if he can score a goal in 20 mins do we need to play him for 90 mins? I'd be wrapping him in cotton wool and trying to get 2 years out of him.

 

I think most people at the start of the season would have given AP 2 years to get out of this league, and considering he started from somewhere well behind zero and has had only a part of one transfer window most people would probably still say we are on track to achieve that.

 

If we see good attacking football and plenty of goals (not the long ball rubbish served up yesterday!), we continue to strengthen the squad, we continue to play to 20k-plus home crowds, we go to Wembley and win the paint pot, and we finish somewhere between 8th-13th it will have been an excellent season, a few on here last night want to get over themselves, and quickly!

 

Agree with most of this. I think Schneiderlin and Lallana are problems when we play 4-4-2. When we play 4-1-4-1 both add a lot to the team.

 

There was too much space in the game yesterday for Brighton. Don't think that came about by being tired but rather coming up against an invigorated Brighton who wanted it more and exploited the frailties we have playing 4-4-2.

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Ok I and 1000s of others will leave you and the other 10,000 JPT hardy followers to rattle around Wembley against the might of a 40,000 strong contingent from Leeds. Incidentally of which, probably less than 50% watched a preceeding tie. Nature of the beast and I am no more a hypocrite than those who will no doubt flood back and sell out the stadium if we get back in the Premiership. It's why we buy season tickets isn't it? Guarantee your seat, supports your club when they need the money most and gives rise to certain privileges.

 

Hopefully Will, I'll end up sitting next to you. No need to wear a name tag as I'll recognise you by your trousers.

 

And I'll recognise you cuz you'll be sat there hitting yourself in the head and twitching.

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I dont think Lallana had a poor game at all. I thought he played well in the first half - just in front of where I was sat in the Kigsland for this game - and together with Antonio looked our most likely players to create something.

 

As for Jaidi - he did not look very solid yesterday. However he has shown weaknesses and frailties in every game he has played so far - BHA just exploited them. Likewise James - he has quite a lot of weaknesses (pace and acceleration being the two most obvious) and BHA exploited them.

 

Crosses from the left vs crosses from the right? What is lallana's position or does he have a free role? If it's the latter we do not have a left midlfield and if he picked it up on the odd occassion he was there he would always cut in and more often than not run into a cul-de-sac or we ended up knocking it about in front of their back 4 before, guess what, working it to our right for a delivery.

 

Even with James at RB we were far more effective down the right and that does not reflect well on Lallana IMO. He was ineffective and absent for a lot of the game and especially second half.

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Why would I do that, I don't play golf?

 

No, you don't do a lot by the sounds of it. Apart from post constant drivel on here. Don't you get bored of writing the same long winded posts time and time again?

 

Oh and BTW, I hope I'm not giving my hard earned money to the government who then in turn give it to you so allowing you all this time to post this cr4p.

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No, you don't do a lot by the sounds of it. Apart from post constant drivel on here. Don't you get bored of writing the same long winded posts time and time again?

 

Oh and BTW, I hope I'm not giving my hard earned money to the government who then in turn give it to you so allowing you all this time to post this cr4p.

 

Professional Golfer = Hard earned money. A better example of a misnomer you will struggle to find. I'm guessing but I suspect throughout my working life I have given more money to the government in deductions than you have earned or ever likely to as a professional golfer or your next chosen profession.

 

Now it seems you are not content with making slanderous comments about my health you now want to move it up a notch and cast derogatory comments on my personal finances. I am 99.9% sure you don't know me and therefore cannot substantiate any of your comments the nearer they get to the knuckle end.

 

I agree though Will there is a lot of problems with this country's benefit system and more of it should be means tested such as child benefit, winter fuel payments, ICB none of which distinguish between a hard up golfer down on his luck and a lottery winner for example. Then again there is alot of good like free prescriptions for those on cancer drugs a new initiative which is well received or those with certain life-long medical conditions. I don't have the full list of those conditions BTW just aware of one. HTH.

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Professional Golfer = Hard earned money. A better example of a misnomer you will struggle to find. I'm guessing but I suspect throughout my working life I have given more money to the government in deductions than you have earned or ever likely to as a professional golfer or your next chosen profession.

 

Now it seems you are not content with making slanderous comments about my health you now want to move it up a notch and cast derogatory comments on my personal finances. I am 99.9% sure you don't know me and therefore cannot substantiate any of your comments the nearer they get to the knuckle end.

 

I agree though Will there is a lot of problems with this country's benefit system and more of it should be means tested such as child benefit, winter fuel payments, ICB none of which distinguish between a hard up golfer down on his luck and a lottery winner for example. Then again there is alot of good like free prescriptions for those on cancer drugs a new initiative which is well received or those with certain life-long medical conditions. I don't have the full list of those conditions BTW just aware of one. HTH.

 

So to break that down into a simple statement....I AM paying my taxes so you can sit on here writing drivel. Good attempt at skating round the issue though.

 

I'm not going to continue this because I'm not going to get infracted over a lunatic like you (I assume calling you lunatic is the slanderous comment I have made about your health....oh well there's another one).

 

I think all everybody wants is for you pipe up about MLT and LM, and it'll create a lot less drama. If you're not attention seeking then you'll be able to do that.

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