all you Hammond knockers

[Turkish]

what do you have to say about today? Superb performance, absolutely dominated midfield along with Chaplow, an all action performance. Chaplow and Hammond are a much better pair than Schneiderlin +1. Both CM'ders absolutely superb today, dominated midfield from kick off and the reason we won so well. Maybe some of you clowns saying Hammond doesn't do this that and the other and is not as good as Steven Gerrard will have a rethink today, divs.

 

On another note, Fonte, superb. Why was Barnard taken off? Again! Played really well.

[Saint_clark]

Barnard ran into the post for the second goal didn't he?

R.E. Hammond, he has pretty much been putting those kind of performances in all season, some people just didn't notice it when we weren't winning. In all honesty i've only seen a handful of people criticise him - and all of them on here.

[Turkish]

Barnard ran into the post for the second goal didn't he?

R.E. Hammond, he has pretty much been putting those kind of performances in all season, some people just didn't notice it when we weren't winning. In all honesty i've only seen a handful of people criticise him - and all of them on here.

 

I agree mate, but it seems he has his critics on here, unwarranted IMO. He was superb today, just want to see what the clueless majority have to say,

[NickG]

Barnard was injured at end of first half, they decided to try him in 2nd - was still feeling it and we were quickly 3-0 - saving him to score on Tuesday.

[georgeweahscousin]

I am a Hammond knocker without doubt, but not irrationally. I just don't think he is beyond criticism like some seem to.

 

He was brilliant today, no doubt, but he is very much at his level, I stand by that. I certainly don't agree that he often has games like that. I think most games pass him by.

 

Chaplow is a massive improvement to our midfield that is for certain.

[Turkish]

I am a Hammond knocker without doubt, but not irrationally. I just don't think he is beyond criticism like some seem to.

 

He was brilliant today, no doubt, but he is very much at his level, I stand by that. I certainly don't agree that he often has games like that. I think most games pass him by.

 

Chaplow is a massive improvement to our midfield that is for certain.

 

I thought he was MOM today although Caplow also deserved it. Those two in midfield together are so much better than MS. Football wise MS is probably a better player but with Hammond and Chaplow there is so much drive and energy. Breaking play up and giving it to players that can play, thought they were both superb today.

 

ON another note, Holmes looked useful when he came on, maybe Pucheon is not the massive loss many predicted.

[aintforever]

Much much better without Scheiderlin. Its refreshing having two central midfielder who actually get stuck in and make forward runs.

[Kingsland Red]

People never notice the 'water carriers'.

I sit in the Kingsland near the gantry and you would have thought from that view, people would appreciate his work rate and ability to nick the ball back - no chance !

[jimmysaint7]

I rate Hammond highly I think the midfield is weakend alot when he out the team. Good tackler with good engine.yeah his passing can let him down but that's why we have others to do that.on the subject of Morgan I really am a knocker of his and really believe he will never amount to the player we need,rumours of him and arsenal really are just that as he won't reach that level

[Thedelldays]

I rate Hammond highly I think the midfield is weakend alot when he out the team. Good tackler with good engine.yeah his passing can let him down but that's why we have others to do that.on the subject of Morgan I really am a knocker of his and really believe he will never amount to the player we need,rumours of him and arsenal really are just that as he won't reach that level

 

I bet he does...I bet he plays and does well in the top league in france....I bet he plays for france one day...

 

just he is not a league 1 player...

[Guan 2.0]

I guess I've been Labelled as ' Hammond Knocker' even though 40 minutes before the game, I wrote on the the build up thread

 

I think it's a game which will be incredibly tight, with whichever side willing to do the most WGS style physical pressing coming out as victor. And even though I've been critical of him recently, I think it's a game where Hammond can really step up and show his Mettle.

 

Or I could be massively wrong, and we might smash them 7-0 in display of Dutch/Brazilian total pass-move and score football, with Hammond having a stinker. I don't care either way, as long as we win.

 

and a few minutes after the match...

 

Wish I could have gone today, Sounded an excellent match, with Chaplow and Hammond running the midfield. Shame that Barnard and Lambert had to come off, would have Loved for Rl to grab a goal, or Guly to grab a few more! Holmes sounded class, let's hope for more of the same on Tuesday night.

 

Also sounds like Bompey have had a few injuries, most importantly to their GK. Their new keeper sounds like a bumbaclart so hopefully this will put paid to their ambitions. We can even really screw them up by lending them forecast.

 

Like GeorgeWeahscousin, my opinion of Hammond this season has not been an irrational personal issue, it's been his lack of form. Whereas last season his game was built around the simple things, short passes, making himself available, visibly encouraging others, before today, for me, he had cut an unwilling and isolated figure in midfield.If this form had continued through to January, I think he would have been a candidate for replacement.

 

But happily, as others who where at the match have said on here (and text into Solent), he was noticeably much better, and put in a captains performance for the first time this season. I don't think any true Saints fan would have a problem with one of our players playing well!

[S-Clarke]

I like Hammond, we're often weaker in the middle when he's not playing.

 

He gives us a bite and is the sort of MF you need at this level to achieve anything.

[jimmysaint7]

I bet he does...I bet he plays and does well in the top league in france....I bet he plays for france one day...

 

just he is not a league 1 player...

Iagree he is not a league one player.I also think if he does play in the top flight in France it won't be a big team and it will also be a letdown as that league is not that strong.we will have to agree to disagree because I really don't rate him

[Thedelldays]

Iagree he is not a league one player.I also think if he does play in the top flight in France it won't be a big team and it will also be a letdown as that league is not that strong.we will have to agree to disagree because I really don't rate him

 

that league resularly produces world class players

[SNSUN]

Both our central midfielders were the best players on the pitch today, and the decision to leave Morgan on the bench was justified. Dean (as you'll see on other threads) was my MOTM, the best performance I've seen from him. He looked like he had a battery up his butt that was shocking him every five seconds, didn't stop running, looked knackered in the second half but I think Holmes coming on helped him keep going.

 

This is how it should be, every Saints player fighting for every ball - it was a real captain's performance today - leading by example.

[corky morris]

Hammond was very good today. What did you think of his performance last week Rich? dont agree about Fonte either. I thought he could have defendedd a lot better for their goal! Also could have been very different after his slip which could have lead to them scoring before we did. IMHO Morgan is a lot better player then either of Hammond or Chaplow. His range of passing is much much better, but as you say he wont chase lost causes or run round like a headless chicken. Morgan will play in the top flight of football, maybe even Champions League? Hammond & Chaplow wont. For me, I thought Dickson played very well & all of them played well. Lets enjoy an excellent win & look forward to Tuesday.

[Saint_clark]

Hammond was very good today. What did you think of his performance last week Rich? dont agree about Fonte either. I thought he could have defendedd a lot better for their goal! Also could have been very different after his slip which could have lead to them scoring before we did. IMHO Morgan is a lot better player then either of Hammond or Chaplow. His range of passing is much much better, but as you say he wont chase lost causes or run round like a headless chicken. Morgan will play in the top flight of football, maybe even Champions League? Hammond & Chaplow wont. For me, I thought Dickson played very well & all of them played well. Lets enjoy an excellent win & look forward to Tuesday.

 

I might be mistaken (it'd be a very big mistake to make) but wasn't it Jaidi who was trying to get the ball of McLean for their goal?

[corsacar saint]

Give credit where credit is due,Hammond has been a lot better since Chaplow has been alongside him. I think as Corky Morris alludes to Schneiderlin will be a top player at a much higher level than at present,but for whatever reason,he does very rarely step outside his comfort zone for Saints.

[View From The Top]

Corky, Hasper57 and I were discussing MS on the way down to the game and the concensus seemed to be that he's the best passer in our team by far but he isn't a L1 player and we need L1 midfielders such as the pair we had today if we want to get out of this league.

[Gemmel]

Lallana different class, Hammond great, full backs outstanding, Lambert very poor and needs to be dropped. Holmes and Guly did well when they came on.

[John Boy Saint]

Perhaps he read my comments the other day on here and decided to prove me wrong, which he did today.

 

In reality I expect NA had a word because he did play much better today than he has in more recent games.

[Smirking_Saint]

Wasn't there today but heard he had a good game, i still don't think he will make the step up very well though. For all his industry i just don't think he offers much to us from a technical side. He never seems to show for other players, can't pass and has a terrible first touch. I even remember Pardew saying he could find himself on the bench unless his technique improves.

 

Still, nice to see Chaplow is hitting the form he had with us in the Championship.

 

And TBF, whatever works and aslong as we keep winning.

[Turkish]

Hammond was very good today. What did you think of his performance last week Rich? dont agree about Fonte either. I thought he could have defendedd a lot better for their goal! Also could have been very different after his slip which could have lead to them scoring before we did. IMHO Morgan is a lot better player then either of Hammond or Chaplow. His range of passing is much much better, but as you say he wont chase lost causes or run round like a headless chicken. Morgan will play in the top flight of football, maybe even Champions League? Hammond & Chaplow wont. For me, I thought Dickson played very well & all of them played well. Lets enjoy an excellent win & look forward to Tuesday.

 

I didn't got last week mate so cant comment on his performance. He's not been as bad as most make out on here, okay, not been as good as last season but then none of them have. Morgan is undoubtedly a better technical player than both Caplow and Hammond and probably a classic for one of those that would be better off playing at a higher level, but not cut out for league one. As a pair Chaplow and Hammond were much better, taking it in turns to hold or break and both full of running, breaking their play up well.

[niceandfriendly]

Hammond has always been a player I've rated, and although he was very close but didn't win my MOTM, he's been showing the sort of form we saw when we first bought him.

[The Kraken]

I bet he does...I bet he plays and does well in the top league in france....I bet he plays for france one day...

 

just he is not a league 1 player...

 

We look such a better side without Morgan. He was good for this level last year but hasn't progressed; the notion that he's too good for this standard is laughable. He may well go on and play for his country, he's young so anything could happen, but having watched France last week he is a million miles away from the movement and class their midfield players displayed.

 

His career here needs to give him a kick up the arse to remind him that basic talent plus minimal effort will get you nowhere. Hammond and Chaplow have probably less talent than him, but they look much the better option to him for us right now. And if you can't stand out in lower league football it is an indictment on the player, and not the level of football.

[Appy]

I might be mistaken (it'd be a very big mistake to make) but wasn't it Jaidi who was trying to get the ball of McLean for their goal?

 

Just saw the goals on BBC and it was Fonte.

[aintforever]

If anyone thinks Scheiderlin can just ponce about playing the odd nice pass at a higher level they are deluded.

 

He has talent and potential but he is zero threat going forward, not great defensively or a ball winner.

[Chez]

Christ, Hammond plays really well and suddenly Schneiderlin is the worst player we have. ********. Both are decent footballers. The difference between the two for me is that Schneiderlin covers the ground much quicker than Hammond. At the moment though Schneiderlin has just lost his way a little, which he does so often after going out on French duty. Great to have some class in reserve.

 

Yje question is, will Furguson get the sack before we buy Chaplow?

[Turkish]

Christ, Hammond plays really well and suddenly Schneiderlin is the worst player we have. ********. Both are decent footballers. The difference between the two for me is that Schneiderlin covers the ground much quicker than Hammond. At the moment though Schneiderlin has just lost his way a little, which he does so often after going out on French duty. Great to have some class in reserve.

 

Yje question is, will Furguson get the sack before we buy Chaplow?

 

Lets bloody well hope not!

 

Not saying MS is a bad player, he is a very good player, but as a pair in central midfield Chaplow and Hammond looked much better. Both holding and breaking forward and seemed to have a good understanding. Do you think MS would have gone down the right wing like Hammond did and put in that cross or would have been on the edge of the six yard box to stick it in the net? I cant ever remember him doing anything like that. I suppose its that case of the best players dont always make the best teams. And the other thing is MS is still only 21 i think, very rare for a CM player to be at his best at such a young age.

[Chez]

We haven't really seen a lot of the Chaplow Schneiderlin partnertship, and possibly won't, but the amount of running Chaplow does he can make the other CM player look good.

 

I liked the balance of Hamond and Chaplow yesterday, but there were still odd occsasions when both get caught going forward leaving a big gap/space down the middle to attack on the break. That problem occured a lot with Hammond/Schneiderlin partnership. I guess this is always going to be the price of have both willing to attack. Personally I prefer having two box to box CM rather than one holding and one pushing on (which can become easy to mark). I wonder if this will ensure we get the goals we need to win against defensive sides, or will it lave us vunerable against the better teams?

Edited 21 November, 2010 by Chez

[hughieslastminutegoal]

Much much better without Scheiderlin. Its refreshing having two central midfielder who actually get stuck in and make forward runs.

 

Oh noooooooooo. We need an unproductive, non-header, poor tackler just in front of the back four to play a holding role.

[doddisalegend]

I bet he does...I bet he plays and does well in the top league in france....I bet he plays for france one day...

 

just he is not a league 1 player...

 

eh so are you saying that PL players would struggle to play league one? I've never got this idea that a player could play really well at a higher level but struggle at a lower level.

[rolosfc]

I know a lot of people who knock Hammond, but like you say I feel that his work goes unnoticed if the team aren't winning. Little things like winning headers and tackles and running box to box get ignored, whereas Morgan can play a brilliant pass and get praised, then do nothing for 30 minutes.

[Turkish]

eh so are you saying that PL players would struggle to play league one? I've never got this idea that a player could play really well at a higher level but struggle at a lower level.

 

Horse for courses. Some players are just not cut out for English football, especially the lower leagues. Why do you think Veron, one of the best midfielders in the world 10 years ago didn't cut it in England? Likewise Hernan Crespo, Shevchenko, Rebrov, Forlan, the list goes on. MS is a very good footballer, but it doesn't automatically make him cut out for the hussle and bussle of L1.

[West End Saint]

Hammond had a great game and fair play to him in some games this season he was well below par but it looks like he is getting his form back Chaplow has made a big difference love his engergy and tackling they make a good pairing hope we sign him in Jan.

 

Shame that Morgans form has dipped and he is rightly being left out of the side hope he buckles down to try and force his way back in he is a very talented player but maybe he was too sure of his place & let standards drop hope NA can keep them all happy we need 3 very good players at centre mid all pushing for places.

 

Great cross by Hammaond for Chaplows goal, it is a long season and a squad game we are going to need all 3 of them over the rest of the season shame it didnt work playing all 3 of them in a 4 3 3 maybe with Barnard getting injured NA will give it another go

[Saint Fan CaM]

Hammond did seem to have a better game, however we would be saying the same about Schneiderlin had he played. The reason? Chaplow. He has transformed the CM partnership by having a great motor to get box to box. His passing is excellent and he plays like he wants the ball all the time...no respite for the opposition. I have said for sometime that the Hammond/Morgan partnership does not work largely because they are too similar in pace and style. Chaplow changes everything and we need him to stay in January - I cannot believe NA/NC will let him go now he's featuring so strongly in the team make-up.

[doddisalegend]

Horse for courses. Some players are just not cut out for English football, especially the lower leagues. Why do you think Veron, one of the best midfielders in the world 10 years ago didn't cut it in England? Likewise Hernan Crespo, Shevchenko, Rebrov, Forlan, the list goes on. MS is a very good footballer, but it doesn't automatically make him cut out for the hussle and bussle of L1.

 

Sorry but you can't claim to be a great player if you can't hack a certain type of game the best could/should be able to play at any level, those players might have been gifted but mostly they were bottlers. Personally I like Morgan last year I thought he was our best midfielder he coped perfectly fine with league one last year didn't mind getting stuck in (something his discplinary record showed). This year it just looks like he wants away.

[Turkish]

Sorry but you can't claim to be a great player if you can't hack a certain type of game the best could/should be able to play at any level, those players might have been gifted but mostly they were bottlers. Personally I like Morgan last year I thought he was our best midfielder he coped perfectly fine with league one last year didn't mind getting stuck in (something his discplinary record showed). This year it just looks like he wants away.

 

Thats nonsense, . They made a good point of Sky yesterday saying how football has evolved in the last 5 years and smaller more skillful midfielders like the kid at Villa are now getting more of a chance to play when 5 years ago you had these 6ft 5 built like brick s*it out midfielders who would kick them up in the air. It doesn't mean 5 years ago they were a s**t player, it just means the game at the moment is better suited to their style of play. "chopper" harris is a legend at Chelsea but these days he'd be sent off every week and wouldn't last 5 minutes at any top club, again not because he is a bad player but because the game is different now to how it was then. Do you think Ian Rush was a great striker? His record at Liverpool suggest he was, but he couldn't cut it at Juventus, not because he became a bad player, as his second spell at Liverpool proved, but that he was either not suited to Italian football or the way Juventus played. Even Anders Svenson, a superb player for Sweden, won over 100 caps at international level but never consistantly any good in premier league and clearly not suited to English football. Okay the very, very, very best players might be able to play in any country and perform, but the ones below that often struggle, look how many English players have been succesful abroad in the last 30 years, not many. MS is far from even being at this level yet and is still learning the game.

Edited 22 November, 2010 by Turkish

[merrimd]

Hammond did seem to have a better game, however we would be saying the same about Schneiderlin had he played. The reason? Chaplow. He has transformed the CM partnership by having a great motor to get box to box. His passing is excellent and he plays like he wants the ball all the time...no respite for the opposition. I have said for sometime that the Hammond/Morgan partnership does not work largely because they are too similar in pace and style. Chaplow changes everything and we need him to stay in January - I cannot believe NA/NC will let him go now he's featuring so strongly in the team make-up.

 

I am hoping that a deal with Chaplow has already been sorted. Otherwise it is a huge gamble in dropping Morgan. He will almost certainly have the hump and will, i reckon, be looking to leave in january. We absolutely cannot afford to lose both.

[Smirking_Saint]

Sorry but you can't claim to be a great player if you can't hack a certain type of game the best could/should be able to play at any level, those players might have been gifted but mostly they were bottlers. Personally I like Morgan last year I thought he was our best midfielder he coped perfectly fine with league one last year didn't mind getting stuck in (something his discplinary record showed). This year it just looks like he wants away.

 

Thats just plain wrong, some players are able to make the step over to a different style of football and others cannot. This is a big big reason why south american imports often cannot and do not make a successful transition, not because they are bad players, not at all but because they are not used to the style of football we play which is completely different then anywhere else on the continent.

 

It also depends very much on the players that are around you, if you are a few levels above your playing partners even the best passes can make you look crap if the players around you cannot and do not move into the correct positions. MS is in my opinion much better than this level, his passing is the best in the team and the way he moves with the ball at times is phenominal, finding space and almost ghosting around players. Then when in a France shirt he is a different player again, he looked fantastic the couple of times i have seen him in the under 21's/23's whatever and a lot of the good moves come from him.

 

But i do agree, he is not the same player this year and i too think he wants out.

[Window Cleaner]

Thats just plain wrong, some players are able to make the step over to a different style of football and others cannot. This is a big big reason why south american imports often cannot and do not make a successful transition, not because they are bad players, not at all but because they are not used to the style of football we play which is completely different then anywhere else on the continent.

 

It also depends very much on the players that are around you, if you are a few levels above your playing partners even the best passes can make you look crap if the players around you cannot and do not move into the correct positions. MS is in my opinion much better than this level, his passing is the best in the team and the way he moves with the ball at times is phenominal, finding space and almost ghosting around players. Then when in a France shirt he is a different player again, he looked fantastic the couple of times i have seen him in the under 21's/23's whatever and a lot of the good moves come from him.

 

But i do agree, he is not the same player this year and i too think he wants out.

 

Of course he does, he knows that he'll get nowhere on the international scene in the near future with us;the elimination of France U21s from the Euro 2011 (not his fault he didn't get a game in the woeful defeat against Belgium) has changed the whole ball game because the 1989 generation have been cast aside. He sees his team-mates in the U21s playing in French League 1 or in certain cases getting run outs in the EPL (like Maguy Guey),this is obviously the way forward for him so he wants to be part of it.

On the international scene SFC is nowhere and this is why we cannot hold on to any player who has a chance of International Honours for a respectable nation.

[Harry Faz]

I am hoping that a deal with Chaplow has already been sorted. Otherwise it is a huge gamble in dropping Morgan. He will almost certainly have the hump and will, i reckon, be looking to leave in january. We absolutely cannot afford to lose both.

 

agree - im hoping the chaplow deal is done and signed .....just waiting to be dated when the window opens ! He is becoming a key member of the team , for me at the moment its chaplow + 1 of MS and DH in the centre. Would be a big loss if he didnt at least finnish the season with us.