You have to say that's an unbelievably good cross from Obertan. 9 times out of 10 he would have shanked it for a goal kick though.
Reading down the thread just proves to me that a few people on here are under ambitious for Saints. Don't be so bloody reasonable all the time. The Club have told us where their aims are until they are blue in the face. Even Mark Lawrenson, when asked earlier today what Saints would be aiming for, said Top 4, and quite right too. If an aim is high they may well undershoot, but the undershoot will almost always be a higher position than if they aimed lower. Plus, they may well achieve the goal. It's basic team psychology. This club is doing things properly. The ambition is being backed by real resource and smart management. Don't be scared to think as ambitiously like the club you support. You've nothing to lose.
Just watched the game. Happy with a point, but shaky at the back, but overhall a decent performance. For me, I thought Steven Davis was Saints MOM, all over the park.
An amusing side note from yesterday( for me anyway) . Walking around the ground yesterday,was talking to a steward when this guy comes up to us in a very smart suit, in a bit of a panic.he starts talking to us( well the steward)(( couldn't understand either of them really)). The steward said to us that he had to go and rushed this guy in through one of the gates. Thought no more about it until we got home,( just before midnight) and started looking through reports and saw the guy in the black suit standing on the pitch. Turns out it was Mdemba! Great weekend,great people,good game, long way from the pitch and a long way from home!!
Well, we are 1 point up on where we were this time last season! Its difficult to tell at this stage whether that was a chance missed or a good point away from home. You can find an argument for both. I guess it depends on how well Newcastle perform for the rest of the season. That said, it was a tough opening fixture in many ways. A new manager, new players, fired-up crowd etc. I know we won there last year but it was a close call as I remember it so, on balance, I'm going for the "good point".
I agree it was a good point because Newcastle will be better this year. I also think that points to a missed opportunity as Newcastle will get better with time, so now was the time to take all the points as that will be harder to do at St. James' as they settle in with new manager and new players. As you say, easy to view either way.
I don't know that it's lack of ambition TSS - I think people are just setting realistic expectations for this season, whilst also harbouring ambition (I may be wrong though of course). Do I think Saints should be aiming for top four this season? Yes absolutely. Do I think they'll end up in the top four? No. Not this season.
The manager and the club should always aim high, but as LTL says it doesn't mean we can get there. We had a terrific chance last season because we hit our straps and some of the usual suspects faltered. What was hard was maintaining that for the whole season. We can beat anyone on our day, but we also need things to go our way. Could have been the perfect storm last season...let's hope for a repeat. Remember that is doesn't make a ha'aporth of difference to team success what fans on a forum think.
I have always admired your positivity, mainly because I am a positive thinker too, however I think sometimes you get confused with people's "wants/aims" and their "thoughts/expectations"... there is a difference. "you've nothing to lose" is a strange comment to make, because it suggests that we should put no logical thought process into our views and comments, just "believe" and it will happen. Let's just ignore all the other outside factors and say we will get top four... nah, that's irrational thinking. I prefer to think with some logic in that I know the club aspires to greater things and I hope and want that they get there.. I want Saints to be top four, but I think they will take short steps to get there not one giant leap. To try and make this clearer, can you answer this question in one word: Do you think says will finish top 4 this season?
It's funny because I saw the first goal as defended worse than the second. A misplaced pass by young Targett had us stretched and from there I saw it as a very good Newcastle goal. Obertan outpaced Targett and got in an excellent cross where Wijnaldum out jumped the covering defender, not too much blame to be apportioned there IMO. For the first goal, the whole team was back defending a corner but no one challenged Cisse. Poorly defended I feel. On a side note about Targett's performance yesterday. We all like to see youngsters given a chance to come through but it's not without it's risks. I think Targett shows real signs of quality but as with any youngster he will make mistakes and yesterday he had a tough time. This is something I feel that we have to accept from time to time if we want to promote youth through the ranks even if it sometimes means conceding goals or defeat.
Absolutely. You learn more from mistakes after all, at least with the excellent coaches we have Targett will.
Yes, agreed. You can't have a striker walk into the 6 yard box to knock it into an empty net, unmarked.
Just to add that l do think we can get to Top 4, but when we discussed above our expectations for the season some of us don't think we can improve with the current squad that we have and, in my case, am of the opinion that we have not replaced key players in Morgan and Toby. Until we do, there is not likely to improve in the table. Its not a criticism of anyone, just a statement of opinion.
Last season there were several of us positive types who believed Saints would challenge for Top6. Most people suggested mid-table and a few unaccountably said we'd flirt with relegation. The club said they would aim for Europe. My prediction was 6th place, and the Lads very nearly did it. This season the club's stated aim is the same, while they build up the strength in depth and quality of the squad. But make no mistake, Top 4 is where they eventually want to be. So when I predict 6th place again for this season, it's done very much in the knowledge that that is around the minimum of where the club wants to be. And this club (2009 SFC) achieves its aims. **By the way, we're one point better off than we were this time last season. **oops. That point has already been made. Apologies.
Very, very slightly, because I know the club would be. They're an ambitious lot at Staplewood and Saints are getting to the point in their evolution where mid-table would be considered a bad season. 8th would be ok, but only ok.
I think 8th would be a great season if we had a good run in the Europa. It's alright being ambitious but you've got to pair with realism in my opinion otherwise we'll some people wanting Koeman out for being midtable.
