CWD Posted 12 March, 2011 Share Posted 12 March, 2011 I haven't been to a game since January when we were on fire, and I watched us brush aside teams who are regarded as tough opposition. Since then, there's been a sea of comments after every game about how we are playing poorly but grinding out results. Are we actually playing poorly? Surely we are just playing effectively? I think that is what Adkins has brought to the team. We seem to be more effective in this league than we were at times last season. Interested to hear views of people who have attended regularly recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint_clark Posted 12 March, 2011 Share Posted 12 March, 2011 We're certainly much more solid. For all the possession that opposition players sometimes have, they rarely actually create something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derry Posted 12 March, 2011 Share Posted 12 March, 2011 We definitely are not playing well. We are grinding out wins. Worryingly from one point we are not producing much from play however on the plus side we are scoring regularly from set pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Fan CaM Posted 12 March, 2011 Share Posted 12 March, 2011 It's an interesting point. I don't think we've been as creative, but I do think we've become more effective in relation to what's needed to get out of this league. We can turn on the skill a bit more in the NPC perhaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperMikey Posted 12 March, 2011 Share Posted 12 March, 2011 We've scored lots from set-pieces recently. While our link-up play has been a lot better since Lallana has been back from injury, we've not really scored that many from open-play. Whether that's regarded as 'playing poorly', i'm not sure, but it's affected how people have viewed our performances imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry the Badger Posted 12 March, 2011 Share Posted 12 March, 2011 I never really understand that argument though. Surely if we can't turn on the skill in this league we won't be able to in the championship. Fwiw I don't think we're playing badly, we aren't just brushing teams aside but I don't think we have for any extended period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
View From The Top Posted 12 March, 2011 Share Posted 12 March, 2011 It's the business end of the season so I don't give a fat rat's @rse how we play. ATM we are scoring and not conceding at if that gets us up then I'm more than happy with not playing like Barca Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doddisalegend Posted 12 March, 2011 Share Posted 12 March, 2011 After I watched a couple of Nigel's first games I said we would score less goals and let less in. I'm not sure about the first but I think I'm right about the second. I have to say for all Nigel's talk about playing the game the right way ,for me, we are far less entertaining to watch than we were last season. It doesn't matter though becuase we will play nice football next season (except by then getting to the PL will be more important than the performance, so we will play good foootball in the PL except by then staying in the PL will be more important than the performance) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
um pahars Posted 12 March, 2011 Share Posted 12 March, 2011 I would certainly say that since the Carlisle thumping we haven't been firing on all cylinders. A part of that coincided with Lallana's injury (and there have been other injuries as well), but nonetheless the performances haven't been overly good. I'm not saying we need to be playing champagne football every game, but there have been a number of performances where we haven't even got the basics right, surrenedered possession too easily, made basic errors and not looked overly convincing (I think we have been fortunate in that some of the teams we have played have been dire e.g. Swindon & Yeovil). That said, we've ground out some results (but also lost a couple of stupid games) and I'm not overly fussed about how we go up, as long as we do. I'll take any three points and promotion however it is earned, but my caveat would be that as long as we are "underperfoirming" there is another chance of a silly slip up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70's Mike Posted 12 March, 2011 Share Posted 12 March, 2011 Not sure it is not playing well but playing differently, not quite as creative but frankly grinding out results is better in the long run when we got promoted in 78 we ground out results at places like Luton and Fulham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simo Posted 12 March, 2011 Share Posted 12 March, 2011 We've conceded the least home goals and scored the most away we can't be playing that bad ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70's Mike Posted 12 March, 2011 Share Posted 12 March, 2011 We've conceded the least home goals and scored the most away we can't be playing that bad ! Exactly to many purists on here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrek Posted 12 March, 2011 Share Posted 12 March, 2011 Today it was very difficult to play decent football...the pitch was appalling and the officials shameful! It's no wonder Bompey lump it so much, even Adam Lallana was struggling to run with the ball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doddisalegend Posted 12 March, 2011 Share Posted 12 March, 2011 Today it was very difficult to play decent football...the pitch was appalling and the officials shameful! It's no wonder Bompey lump it so much, even Adam Lallana was struggling to run with the ball. Bompey have a reputation as a team that like to play it on the ground............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acersaint Posted 12 March, 2011 Share Posted 12 March, 2011 Surely ( sorry didn't mean to call you Shirley) successful teams win games? How you define whether or not a team played well or not doesn't really come into it if you are winning. I really believe in football that success breeds success and if you can take the inevitable knocks ( Walsall etc ) you become a winning team. I feel so much more confident with this side and we will most certainly lose some more games we are expected to win. I do think we will finish in an automatic promotion spot. Today was a big win and with a bit of luck Tues night could be a big night for us as well even though we are not playing. Remember we are the team with games in hand. A nice position to be in. Championship here we come!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
up and away Posted 12 March, 2011 Share Posted 12 March, 2011 I can't really complain as I have said previously that in these type of games if the midfield put up some form of fight and the strikers did their business, we would win games like this. When we have been on top form, I don't care who in this league we are against home or away, I would back us to win. But we have not been on that form for a while but we are getting results apart from that Walsall game. This is the first run of form Lee has had and that was the first decent goal Ricky has scored from a free kick all season. Previously we had the goal chalked up before he even got near to take the kick, that's not been the case this season. The forwards must keep doing the business otherwise we will be back where we started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S-Clarke Posted 12 March, 2011 Share Posted 12 March, 2011 I think if you look at most challenging teams at the ends of seasons, across most divisions, they don't usually produce the most amazing form. Titles and promotions are often won by the teams that can grind out a result whilst not playing well and that's what it's all about at this stage. With the games piling up and the squads stretched It's hard to play with the freshness and quality that you play with early season. TBH what we're doing at the moment is something that i've not associated with Saints in my supporting life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrek Posted 12 March, 2011 Share Posted 12 March, 2011 Bompey have a reputation as a team that like to play it on the ground............ Once they've lumped it over the entire midfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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