NickG Posted 10 October, 2010 Share Posted 10 October, 2010 When Adkins arrived he said if this team didn't let goals in like we had been we would win this league. Since he has been setting team up we have let in one goal, from a penalty, in five games. Looks like he has addressed it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWD Posted 10 October, 2010 Share Posted 10 October, 2010 Too true. And Seaborne deserves a mention, has been a completely different player under NA. Calm and composed, a great partner for Fonte Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint_lambden Posted 10 October, 2010 Share Posted 10 October, 2010 How to win this league : Get more points than the other 23 teams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 10 October, 2010 Share Posted 10 October, 2010 Too true. And Seaborne deserves a mention, has been a completely different player under NA. Calm and composed, a great partner for Fonte He has, looks like the player we hoped he'd be. Been superb since Adkins took over. With Martin and Jaidi and our 4 full backs we have got a back 4 as good as a lot in the NPC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doddisalegend Posted 10 October, 2010 Share Posted 10 October, 2010 When Adkins arrived he said if this team didn't let goals in like we had been we would win this league. Since he has been setting team up we have let in one goal, from a penalty, in five games. Looks like he has addressed it! Hardly rocket science though is it don't let in any goals and you won't lose games. Our defence was strong at the end of last season (bar a dodgy RB postion), lost it's way somewhere in the early part of the season and is now back on track. Really though any team in league one that can put out a back four of Fonte, Butterfield, Harding and Jahidi with back up from Seabourne, Mills (who played well last season at LB), Martin and with hopefully Richardson to come back should be pretty hard to score against. Its got to be one of if not the strongest defensive units in league one. Of course having super Kelvin Davis and almost as super Bartman between the sticks helps to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Didcot Saint Posted 10 October, 2010 Share Posted 10 October, 2010 The way we played yesterday we are better than most teams in the NPC! We still have to battle our way out of this league as well as playing good football. If we converted more of our chances I would confidently predict us winning the league by some margin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickG Posted 10 October, 2010 Author Share Posted 10 October, 2010 Hardly rocket science though is it don't let in any goals and you won't lose games. Our defence was strong at the end of last season (bar a dodgy RB postion), lost it's way somewhere in the early part of the season and is now back on track. Really though any team in league one that can put out a back four of Fonte, Butterfield, Harding and Jahidi with back up from Seabourne, Mills (who played well last season at LB), Martin and with hopefully Richardson to come back should be pretty hard to score against. Its got to be one of if not the strongest defensive units in league one. Of course having super Kelvin Davis and almost as super Bartman between the sticks helps to. I would say 1st choice - KD, Richardson, Fonte, Seaborne, Harding 2nd choice Bart, Burtterfield, Msrtin, Jaidi, Dickson Although not much between full backs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_saints Posted 10 October, 2010 Share Posted 10 October, 2010 With either the first or second choice shown above, we could get promoted with either! Shame we don't have such quality replacements in midfield and up front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFC Forever Posted 10 October, 2010 Share Posted 10 October, 2010 Come January I wouldn't mind betting that those positions will get sorted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickG Posted 10 October, 2010 Author Share Posted 10 October, 2010 it appears at moment Lambert / Barnard Lallana Morgan Hammond Puncheon or Bignall?? / Guly Holmes (or Dickson) chaplow Wooton Ox-C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smirking_Saint Posted 10 October, 2010 Share Posted 10 October, 2010 The opposition can't score if they can't get the ball. Yesterday we looked phenominal, Tranmere were pretty poor but honestly we would have blown most NPC teams away with that performance, definately one of the best i have seen us in a very very long time, in fact i really can't remember seeing a saints team play with such verve, slick passing and confidence. I think Adkins is exactly the sort of manager we need, he is an up and coming and more importantly current manager who understands the world of football at the moment, studious and probably quite scientific if needs be aswell. Yesterday could have been a rout, but we have also looked so solid in the last few games Adkins has come in, Seaborne is a new player, Puncheon is playing better, Lambert finding his feet and Barnard has been a beast. We are playing with width, playing to our strengths and hopefully he also understands the importance of a plan B (though yet to be tested). I am thankful to Pard's for the day out last year, but our future has begun now and hopefully we will be seeing some attractive (winning) football on the south coast for some time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlagdonSaint Posted 11 October, 2010 Share Posted 11 October, 2010 the opposition can't score if they can't get the ball. Yesterday we looked phenominal, tranmere were pretty poor but honestly we would have blown most npc teams away with that performance, definately one of the best i have seen us in a very very long time, in fact i really can't remember seeing a saints team play with such verve, slick passing and confidence. I think adkins is exactly the sort of manager we need, he is an up and coming and more importantly current manager who understands the world of football at the moment, studious and probably quite scientific if needs be aswell. Yesterday could have been a rout, but we have also looked so solid in the last few games adkins has come in, seaborne is a new player, puncheon is playing better, lambert finding his feet and barnard has been a beast. We are playing with width, playing to our strengths and hopefully he also understands the importance of a plan b (though yet to be tested). I am thankful to pard's for the day out last year, but our future has begun now and hopefully we will be seeing some attractive (winning) football on the south coast for some time. this !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acetripper Posted 11 October, 2010 Share Posted 11 October, 2010 I agree with Nigel Adkins on this one! For example, although Leeds Utd went up last season they struggled with some woeful defending at times and it was nearly their undoing. Not that your team should turn into a dour 'don't lose at all costs' outfit but defending 'as a unit' when you don't have the ball is essential in this League and the ones above. At Huddersfield Town we've struggled with precisely that. Lee Clark wants us to play at a high tempo with intensity and when we do that, we do well. If we allow the opposition time and too much space then we don't. I wasn't at Colchester Utd on Saturday but apparently after a shaky start we made a few adjustments and totally buried them in every aspect of play. Mainly because we played very well 'without the ball', as well as with it. To play that way you have to have very fit and physically strong players, that's why in the close season we signed some older and more experienced players. Our young lads did okay last season but when we came up against more seasoned professionals we were found wanting. Another issue is the quality of your squad. It's all very much a level playing field in at the start of the season when everyone has a fit squad and no suspensions. But as soon as they kick in, squad depth becomes a seriously important factor. It's not the size of the squad it's the quality of it that counts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hughieslastminutegoal Posted 11 October, 2010 Share Posted 11 October, 2010 The opposition can't score if they can't get the ball. Yesterday we looked phenominal, Tranmere were pretty poor but honestly we would have blown most NPC teams away with that performance, definately one of the best i have seen us in a very very long time, in fact i really can't remember seeing a saints team play with such verve, slick passing and confidence. I think Adkins is exactly the sort of manager we need, he is an up and coming and more importantly current manager who understands the world of football at the moment, studious and probably quite scientific if needs be aswell. Yesterday could have been a rout, but we have also looked so solid in the last few games Adkins has come in, Seaborne is a new player, Puncheon is playing better, Lambert finding his feet and Barnard has been a beast. We are playing with width, playing to our strengths and hopefully he also understands the importance of a plan B (though yet to be tested). I am thankful to Pard's for the day out last year, but our future has begun now and hopefully we will be seeing some attractive (winning) football on the south coast for some time. Thank you Simon Cowell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hughieslastminutegoal Posted 11 October, 2010 Share Posted 11 October, 2010 Hardly rocket science though is it don't let in any goals and you won't lose games. Our defence was strong at the end of last season (bar a dodgy RB postion), lost it's way somewhere in the early part of the season and is now back on track. Really though any team in league one that can put out a back four of Fonte, Butterfield, Harding and Jahidi with back up from Seabourne, Mills (who played well last season at LB), Martin and with hopefully Richardson to come back should be pretty hard to score against. Its got to be one of if not the strongest defensive units in league one. Of course having super Kelvin Davis and almost as super Bartman between the sticks helps to. Adkins is walking the walk, then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Tender Posted 11 October, 2010 Share Posted 11 October, 2010 The opposition can't score if they can't get the ball. Yesterday we looked phenominal, Tranmere were pretty poor but honestly we would have blown most NPC teams away with that performance, definately one of the best i have seen us in a very very long time, in fact i really can't remember seeing a saints team play with such verve, slick passing and confidence. I think Adkins is exactly the sort of manager we need, he is an up and coming and more importantly current manager who understands the world of football at the moment, studious and probably quite scientific if needs be aswell. Yesterday could have been a rout, but we have also looked so solid in the last few games Adkins has come in, Seaborne is a new player, Puncheon is playing better, Lambert finding his feet and Barnard has been a beast. We are playing with width, playing to our strengths and hopefully he also understands the importance of a plan B (though yet to be tested). I am thankful to Pard's for the day out last year, but our future has begun now and hopefully we will be seeing some attractive (winning) football on the south coast for some time. Totally agree. On the face of it, we are undergoing a renaissance. Only a short while ago, when we were being battered in the fizzy pop league under the double Dutch, we sometimes played pretty passing football, but were bullied by the teams of hefty journeymen in that division. Many said that in order to get ourselves out of this division, we ought to build a team like that. Now, in the third division, where that sort of player ought to be even more prevalent, we have built a team of players who are big enough not to be bullied, but also skillful enough to run rings around them, playing attractive passing football. Pardew had built up a decent squad of players, but did not always get the best out of them. It is starting to look as if Adkins is better at getting players to respond to how he wants them to play, better at motivating them and getting them to play as a team. One heard snippets from the training ground from time to time about Pardew's methods, how he would stop play and analyse the players' positioning, what they should do next, where their movement should be, etc. As yet, we have not heard much about Adkins methods, yet in a relatively short time, he appears to have assessed the strengths and weaknesses in the squad, rejuvenated some players, encouraged them to play entertaining possession passing football, building from the back and playing with more width than I have seen for as long as I can remember. Adkins is obviously a manager who prefers to do his talking on the pitch, through results. To all those fans who fell out of love with Saints these past few years because they felt disappointed with the match day experience and the way we played, come back and witness the transformation. Watch once more a Saints team that excites and entertains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smirking_Saint Posted 11 October, 2010 Share Posted 11 October, 2010 Thank you Simon Cowell. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRM Posted 11 October, 2010 Share Posted 11 October, 2010 To all those fans who fell out of love with Saints these past few years because they felt disappointed with the match day experience and the way we played, come back and witness the transformation. Watch once more a Saints team that excites and entertains. Are you a season ticket holder? Do your bit and get some £7.50 tickets for the next 2 home games and invite along family/mates, plenty of advance notice, I got extra tickets on Saturday for the Oldham game for mates who haven't been all season (but used to go regularly), if other season ticket holders do the same we should get a big crowd for that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david in sweden Posted 11 October, 2010 Share Posted 11 October, 2010 How to win this league : Get more points than the other 23 teams fantastic observation ..why didn't w figure that out, to WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW 35 more wins x 3 points would give us 120 points ! that would give us some leeway - wouldn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now