Newbie here, been reading the comments on here for a while but never got round to posting anything. I was just thinking does anyone agree that Nigel has actually given himself a difficult job? Listening to some of the comments made by fans on solent this afternoon it sounded like we are in a relegation fight not top of the league, one guy even said Adkins was a lower league manager! The amazing job which Nigel has done has caused expectations to sky rocket. At the beginning of the season I'm sure most fans would agree that shock results to teams at the bottom are all part of league. If we were going along nicely in mid table perhaps more fans would just accept it but now were doing so well and expectations have risen Adkins is getting more criticism, doesn't seem fair to me. What I worry about is if we fail to get promotion some fans will lose sight of the amazing job Nigel has done and he will get more stick than if we had just built up gradually. Anyway maybe you disagree, what do you think?
We played so well against forest, birmingham and boro, its just so annoying that they can't do it week in week out. its not even as though we tested them today. whenever we are winning by 1 goal at st marys the other team is usually all over us for the last 5-10 mins. where as when ever we are losing it always seems to be near our goal. how can we go from being so good to so bad....
Unfortunately, I have to agree. There are already some people out there (I don't want to call them idiots but...) who are questioning him, and without a doubt that minority will continue to increase as the season goes on should this away form continue and we don't get promoted. Nigel is doing a sensational job with us, but over achievement is often the worst thing a manager can ever do at a club. Unless they jump ship to another club (in which case, for their career any way, over achievement is a good thing), they're generally just setting themselves up for a fall - even though it's generally undeserved.
if fans get on nigels back, i will not be pleased at the start of the season, everyone said what they would like (ie. mid-table etc) - you shouldnt change that in the season, i always stick with what i say and base it on that so at the moment we are dramatically overachieveing
Exactly had nige not done such a good job last year we might still be talking about whether we will get promotion to the championship. I understand the frustation no one likes to see their team lose but perspective can go out of the window very quickly.
I said that we would finish 6th but knew that NC and NA wanted top two this season but if we couldn't do it then there would be no worries because of the 5 year plan(3 years in championship) so that's why we've been doing so well this season because of less pressure really.Let's not forget that this is a very tough league and we will have our ups and downs but let's not get too high when we win or too low when we lose.
NA has said if we don't gain promotion this season we try again the next. If not next year then the year after etc... The job he has done is perfect! Of course expectations have sky rocketed. But if someone said in August Saints would be in the top 2 come mid December then you would have laughed at them! We are over achieving massively and given our good form overall I am sure NA and NC would be willing to make an addition in January to push us for the final assault As NA said, you will have off-days and today was one of them. One thing is certain, we will come back stronger! COYR!
Yep I agree.Just like Man Utd have done for so many years when they get set backs they come back stronger.
We are still top of the table on merit and a couple of losses away from home doesn't change that fact. The good thing about our tremendous start is that we can play under less pressure and afford to lose occasionally away, remember that the difference between a draw and a loss is only 1 point. The most important thing is to keep the home form going which has been superb not only this season, but the previous 2 seasons too, it really has become 'fortress St Marys'. We had setbacks in the past 2 seasons too, (Walsall and Rochdale anyone?) but always continued with the home form. I still can't name 6 squads in this division that are better than us and I still think that we have a good chance of automatic promotion (we only need 11 more wins and 6 draws for 81 points, enough for promotion for the last 4 seasons), but our home form is the key IMO. This is not what I EXPECT from the Nigel and the team, but i'm just trying to keep things in perspective.
At the start of the season the best I hoped for was just short of the playoffs, building up the quality of the squad, so that the season after next would be the big push. I even debated that it might be preferable, rather than doing a Norwich. However, Saints seem determined to do it one year earlier, and inevitably we've all got a little carried away. Obviously, that's fine by me, but when Nigel leaves a key player out, due to injury, it shows that we are doing brilliantly to be where we are - but we have to be practically full strength the do it, or hope the opposition falter. Today, we were lucky in that respect. Inevitably, if Saints don't get promoted, either through autos or playoff, I will be initially disappointed. I'm bound to be. Anyone would be, with the season we've had so far. But in the end, hopefully we all realise that the Lads will have done excellently, and have another 12 months to build the quality level. As Jos Hooiveld said the other day... it's not if, it's when.
Yes - you could say we have over achieved - we have no right being top, coming up from league 1, not spending a great amount -adding fox,de ridder, cork...when there are far more established teams in this league. to be clear of clubs that generally do well in this league - cardiff, forest,reading, to be clear of last years prem teams, west ham,blackpool and birmingham, to be clear of clubs who have spent millions, leicester. we deserve to be there on sheer teamwork and hard work. Can we stay there? why not. Is Adkins the man? you bet - 2 former england managers have already perished this year. a bad day at the office today but when we are good we are very,very good.
I think Nigel is doing ok, I do think he is a bit quick to go to the diamond sometimes, I was always taught go narrow when defending and wide when attacking, in both Bristol City and Donnie games we went to the diamond early in 2nd half thus narrowing the midfield and cramping play, we are better when we can spread it about. The reason I think he does it is because he isn't sure about De Ridder and he is trying to get Lallana more involved, the last few games Adam hasn't been involved as much, We also need to buy at least 1 striker because if Lmbert is injured we are in trouble and we need a right midfielder to push de Ridder.
We lost a game of football, not a whole season, get over it, get positive, we have the visit of Mr Holloway to contend with next week.
