It amazes me the number of threads I read on here that saints fans base opinions and selections on one game's performance. Two recent examples are Guly and De Ridder. Guly was battered after the Pompey game and now I see De Ridder getting in alot of people's best midfield. He hasn't shown enough over. Period games to dislodge one of the others. We need to remain looking at the bigger picture and not base our seasons hopes on one or two games. The squad is performing really well and with an addition or two in January could pug on and see us through. Come on you Reds.
Fully agree FLT Fortunately NA has this "bigger picture" in his mind and that's all that actually counts, he seems to stick to his guns and not bow to external pressures - keep it up Nigel
Nigel knows exactly what he is doing. He watches them and measures their ability day in and day out. Most fans only see them for 90 minutses once a fortnight. Some of our fans are fickle and have favourite players they think are better than they are and players they dislike who are far better than they believe them to be. Harding and De Ridder are examples of the former and Guly and Hammond examples of the latter.
Nah...he's rubbish and we're keeping him out of the kindness of our hearts. The same reason that Rovers can't have Lambert.
Cheers for that, and hope you are right! I totally agree with original poster. I learnt my lesson criticising Fox and Hooiveld after the Forest game when they were still settling in. As for Guly, I think he is excellent. Works hard and has real skill. Doesn't always come off for him, but we need that type of player against tight defences. And 10 goals by Christmas is pretty decent.
Maybe because they are influenced by modern media which will claim England are on the up and could become world beaters after a 1-0 friendly win against Spain. It has gone the way over the past 2 decade where more and more we see a team is 'on the march' after a single win and 'on the slide' after a single loss (or draw for the biggies. Man Utd were described as a team on the slide only last month. Errrm they are equal top of the Prem. lol Every team has a bad spell.
I also fully agree. However, with Chaplow out, the waters get a little muddled as to which player is best for a particular purpose and setup. I think it's also worth pointing out though, that Nigel does not have to stick to his guns and not bow to external pressures, because I very much doubt if there is any external pressure. Nigel's his own man and Saints are a united bus. Where's the pressure..?
Good post, it is a fact guly is the championships 3rd highest goalscorer!!! Yet over half the st marys faithful wouldnt pick him in the team, amazing how they cheered and sung his name once he scored a couple of goals!! As for De Ridder, I am not his biggest fan, yet can see there is potential that we have to nurture, the same we did with Guly. End of the day STEEEEEVE did a couple of woeful crosses, then stuck a beauty on Gulys head to put us 1 up. He will get better,
Spot on FLT - how De Ridder is in "best midfields" over Chaplow I don't know. I don't think Guly is so much of a one game thing, he has been absent in the majority of away games, but people calling for him to be dropped for good after the Portsmouth game was absurd considering how brilliant he is at home.
im not sure about other posters, but as Chaplow won't be fit for a while I decided not to include him
Agreed - I did think about Guly as it may have been over a couple of games or so, but the message was there. Saintsfan4life - fair shout about Chaplow being injured. I was thinking more about an overall situation. I just we weren't so negative when there is a blip. Looking forward to tomorrow night as I was away on Boxing Day.
Guly scores at such vital times, obviously he made a defensive mistake against Pompey but that was awful defending all round IMO. I reckon he is one of the first players on Nigels team sheet these days.
Football fans are such a fickle bunch and there are people who sit near me who judge players on how good they are by the minute let alone over one game. We have a great squad with players with various skills and qualities and Guly and De Ridder just happen to have that air of unpredictability about them great one second poor the next but both players have produced when needed at different times this term both have some flair and i suggest if they were not in our squad we would be more predictable as a team
I am sorry but that wasn't a mistake, it was a total lack of bottle in the air. He even turned his back before the ball was headed home. Don't get me wrong, I like him and my 6 year old loves him after we met him in the stadium shop and he was extra kind and patient with her. The man has some class but he didn't want to be there at that moment and I for one wouldn't have put him on the post and will be very surprised if he is put there again. Both of his headers against Palace were uncontested by the Palace rearguard because he was able make to some room. Something he couldn't do when minding the post.
IMO, he should never have been put in the position where he needed to go for the ball. The defensive header should have already been won. Guly was in two minds whether to guard the post or challenge. In the end he made a belated decision to challenge for the ball. Too late to make a proper one. I don't apportion any more blame to him than anyone else in the defence, who were involved, for that goal.
One lapse does not make him a bad player for us. We may differ in our interpretation of how he reacted to the event as it happened but I will still pick him above most of the players in our league that play in his position. His unpredictability can be a boon just as easily as a hindrance.
