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District Line said:
Adkins comes across as a great guy and I don't know enough about him to pass judgement but first impressions are that he is tactically inept.

His tactics in the United, Fulham and West Ham games were just... bizarre.

Firstly you'd have beaten United had he not taken off all 3 of Lallana, Lambert and Puncheon. They were tearing United a new one and you could almost see Rio and Evra breathe a sigh of relief when they came off. Lambert going off meant you had no attacking outlet and just couldn't push out leading to attack after attack. You were on top up until that point as well and looked more likely to go 3-1 up than United did to go 2-2 level.

Secondly the Fulham game, again a game that was easily winnable and Lambert goes off.. 5 minutes later Fulham equalise and to be frank could and should have won.

The West Ham game was also made for Lambert to start. The Spammer CB's IMO are poor. Seeing the way Arsenal exposed them proved that.

However you can't legislate for some of the mistakes Southampton have made. If you can't keep clean sheets in this league, it's very tough.

If you can't beat Wigan OR Fulham at home then I think the warning signs are there. I still think you'll give Spurs a great game and won't write you off yet but Reading I think are gone.
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What cost us the United game was the introduction of Scholes. Lambert and Puncheon were knackered and I think we were unlucky. Defensibve injuries have cost us as have some of NA's decisions but I accept your point about clean sheets!

Very confident we can score against you on Saturday! We just have to score more than you! Looks like you will be without Dembele whicjh is a plus for us. A bit of jet lag would also help!


What do you think your line up will look like?
 
PleaseNotPoll said:
See how we go in the European game first.
I'd like to see a few changes for that and Villas-Boas should use it as an opportunity for some players to make a point.
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Fair comments PNP, to me the Maribor game is massive, and we need to concentrate on that first.
 
PleaseNotPoll said:
That depends upon who plays and how well they do.
I'd suggest that places in the side are probably up for grabs after a loss, so you might see a slightly rejuvenated line up.
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Yep PNP, our team v Soton may well be better overall than the team v Chelsea. I definitely expect the team v Maribor to be better than the one V Chelsea.
 
Lets see if we can play 75 minutes + with the same shape and at least a good standard of performance, rather then the usual "crap 45 minutes" "great 45 minutes" or "crap 45 minutes" then "great 15 minutes".

We should name ourselves Jekyll & Hyde FC as right now I fully expect us to play crap one half, great the next half, especially at home and was reading some comments from verts, in which he saying the players are aware they struggle to perform over 90 minutes, especially at home, with each half showing two different sides to the team.
 
Boss said:
Lets see if we can play 75 minutes + with the same shape and at least a good standard of performance, rather then the usual "crap 45 minutes" "great 45 minutes" or "crap 45 minutes" then "great 15 minutes".

We should name ourselves Jekyll & Hyde FC as right now I fully expect us to play crap one half, great the next half, especially at home and was reading some comments from verts, in which he saying the players are aware they struggle to perform over 90 minutes, especially at home, with each half showing two different sides to the team.
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This is why someone was calling us Tottenham Hot and cold Spurs recently !!
 
"At home we seem to play better in the second half than the first," said Vertonghen, who signed from Ajax this summer. "We need to think about how to put two strong halves together.

"We need to work out how to put a bit more pressure on teams from the start.
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..
 
lamballana said:
What cost us the United game was the introduction of Scholes. Lambert and Puncheon were knackered and I think we were unlucky. Defensibve injuries have cost us as have some of NA's decisions but I accept your point about clean sheets!

Very confident we can score against you on Saturday! We just have to score more than you! Looks like you will be without Dembele whicjh is a plus for us. A bit of jet lag would also help!


What do you think your line up will look like?
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I'm not a Spurs fan <yikes>

I want you to win <laugh> I'm in Southampton this weekend and considered going but Super Sunday is on and I don't really fancy travelling 200 miles in 2 days
 
Boss said:
ha ha ...something isn't right and avb doesn't strike me as someone that gives them a kick up the backside like arry would have down at half time!
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you say this but we have had better second halves than first ones..and i suspect AVb's half time 'kick up the backside' has done the trick.
 
Spurlock said:
you say this but we have had better second halves than first ones..and i suspect AVb's half time 'kick up the backside' has done the trick.
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cant say i'm convinced as with the quality in the team, and the players we have, if we have a crap 1st half then the players themselves will know they need to up their game second half.

AVB's job is to get the team playing as a proper unit for 90 minutes, or at least keep their shape but so far he hasn't managed that.
 
Boss said:
cant say i'm convinced as with the quality in the team, and the players we have, if we have a crap 1st half then the players themselves will know they need to up their game second half.

AVB's job is to get the team playing as a proper unit for 90 minutes, or at least keep their shape but so far he hasn't managed that.
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Under AVB we never started games well and conceded lots of late goals as Spurs have done

Whether its fitness related I'm not sure.
 
Boss said:
cant say i'm convinced as with the quality in the team, and the players we have, if we have a crap 1st half then the players themselves will know they need to up their game second half.

AVB's job is to get the team playing as a proper unit for 90 minutes, or at least keep their shape but so far he hasn't managed that.
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AVB sends the team out with specific instructions.....i believe some of the players dont react and are getting that kick up the arse thus reacting.

i have seen AVB change tactics to counter act a situation, so once again i think he is aware of what is going on.

however i think the players are not doing the team justice because alot of errors are individual ones.

if i am to criticise AVB thus far,then i would do it for his persistence to stick with people like Walker..however there are many practical reasons for this. Maybe he does not believe the reserves are up to doing any better. All in all analysing our season 8 games in i would have to say it is well satisfactory considering our injuries,new manager, finances etc.

at the very least we are best of the rest and we should be happy with that considering what the 'big teams' (Chelsea,City,United,Arsenal) have at their disposal finance wise. Out of them 4 Arsenal are the ones closest to us with regards the way it is run and currently we are matching them at the very least on the pitch.

So for me i see progress in the long run...therefore little blips have to be taken on the chin..come May we will be there or thereabouts with regards top 4.
 
Spurlock, fair comments but ask yourself this, if like you say
"AVB sends the team out with specific instructions.....i believe some of the players dont react and are getting that kick up the arse thus reacting." ......
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.why does the team constantly under perform in one half? mostly the first half? early days so I guess we can show patience as we're in a decent league position, but if we're constantly starting games poorly, then AVB has to take the blame.

And DL,

Under AVB we never started games well and conceded lots of late goals as Spurs have done

Whether its fitness related I'm not sure.
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I remember the chelsea games last season against the goons and man utd, which you both lost but played some attacking football, yet exposed with ease at the back.

This is how I view AVB, has great attacking ideas, but his teams are exposed at the back, especially on the counter, and losing goals on the counter is the most frustrating part of football, as it knocks the stuffing out the opposition.
 
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