Yeah, it needs a bit of time. After the disappointment subsides, the point will still be on the table. Trust me, I was gutted when we conceded the third, but that will teach me to listen to Solent! Had I just checked at 5pm on my phone, I wouldn't feel at all bad.
Adkins just said Clyne hyper-extended his knee at Craven Cottage. Was touch and go for today, but had to sit out. Same again for Arsenal, touch and go.
The game isn't played on paper. However, the league table is written on it, therefore a point is the same whether it's a boring 0-0 or a last minute 3-3 comeback.
Luckily I didn't know the score until after it had finished, because I dreamt that we lost 4.3 with Stoke scoring late. I would have had a heart attack if I'd known what was going on. Awful not to hold on to a win, but in truth we had another 7 min after they scored...a point is valuable. We have got a point away from home against a team that have hardly let in a goal at home and we outplayed them in the first half. Even Adkins admits they should have had a penalty when Fonte touched the ball with his arm...we are owed that luck after not getting penalties ourselves. We are playing well and learning all the time, so we can get points in most games. Only one point behind the two teams above us and one is Aston Villa who are in freefall. We have to turn some of these draws into wins to secure safety, but I am still confident we will be fine.
There were obviously lots of positives today but obviously disappointed, as we probably all are we were not able to hang on for all 3 points. We do seem to lack a leader on the pitch though, we seemed to panic in the latter stages and lost the great shape we had in the 1st half. We need an experienced head at this level for games such as this . Brede Hangeland is a 31yo experienced CB who is captain of Fulham and is out of contract this summer after failing to sign a contract. Maybe not the sort of player on NC and NA's radar but personally I would be delighted if he is and we get him. A player with leadership qualities, presence and a quality CB who would enhance the quality of our squad.
I suppose its a matter of expectations. You are right that decent sides don't lose leads like Saints have done. But Saints are not a decent side. That's why we are where we are in the table. We know the defense and goalkeeping are shaky, its been a problem all year. But we only need to finish 17th here. A dead cert relegation side gets blown out by Stoke at Britannia. A shaky side with some talent that may or may not stay up gets a draw, which is what Saints did. And it take a fantastic strike from Jerome that probably would have beaten any team in the League to do it. IMO, that was a better-than-expected effort from the defense today and it still wasn't good enough. We need some help in the transfer window, but we've known that for some time. It's disappointing that Saints aren't better but it is what it is. First year in Premier League having unexpectedly been promoted that's what happens. So you're not wrong when you point out the problems with the side, but I don't think in this case it was Adkins' fault. He has to manage the team he's got and I will take a draw away at Stoke. Bottom line is we are hanging in there, and we look like we can stay up if we bring in a couple of good players in the next month. I think the most negative thing from this game is that it proves we really need a GK which I was hoping we could do without. It's frustrating, but its no reason to lose the faith.
@solentsport: #saintsfc boss Nigel Adkins after 3-3 draw at Stoke: "It's an excellent point away from home, players were top draw, 1st half outstanding"
Some lad just texted in to Solent saying that Guly shouldn't have been out there today, and that he shouldn't even be a pro!! Breath = taken.
It's rife everywhere to be fair. People put up with foreigners until they do something the slightest bit wrong, or get a job ahead of an English person, and then suddenly it's because they're foreign and they should **** off back home. We're tolerant on the surface but incredibly fickle underneath.
What a cracking game. Any1 blaming Guly for the draw are bloody idiots, he was class all game. He covered Shaw very well, got a few decent defensive headers in and oh yeah set up a goal. Its funny that no1 mentions kelvin davis, he was shocking today, distribution was woeful, commanding his area was not good enough and stokes 2nd goal he should have easily saved. Before the game would have taken a point so not bad without lallana and clyne. Some ppl need to get a grip, stoke arent unbeaten at home for no reason. COYR!
And if that league table on the 20th of May has us 1 point short of safety, will we think 'Ah well, those points against Stoke, Norwich and Swansea were good on paper going in beforehand so I don't mind' or will we think '****, we had really fantastic opportunities to win those games and didn't take them'?
