Hoping for a leeds win, but tough opening game for us. Saints are a good footballing side with plenty of talent and a great home record, whatever league they were in last year. On paper we have a less gung-ho look about us in midfield, so we ought to be tighter than last year but that probably means less potent too. Whichever, I expect plenty of saints pressure, with Leeds looking to counter. You'd have to expect goals in this one so it 's a nailed on 0-0 sky borefest!
Norwich bid £3.5m for him at the beginning of the window, we want £8m. The problem for opposition defences is that if you concentrate too much on Gradel on one side then Snodgrass will tear you apart down the other, and if you concentrate too much on the wings Howson will just run through the middle. Aswell as that Snoddy and Gradel have also started swapping wings and even moving into the middle, meaning defences have Snoddy, Max and Jonny coming at them from all directions not really knowing who's coming from where! When those three are on top form it's very rare that we don't score at least 3.
Agreed. As much as I clearly think it's one we should be winning, I looked at the fixture when it first came out and thought "that's a toughie".
As long as the Leeds fans don't get on to the teams back. And the team don't wait until they're 1-0 down to start playing. And they hold the ball up in midfield. And there isn't a 'Gradel/Snoddy/whoever said X to newspaper Y' about contracts the day before. Time to lie down and stop chewing my nails.
this is key away from home for us. For all we had a good away record on paper, there were days when a) we couldnt string two passes together and b) we were completely over-run in midfield. Hopefully brown and clayton over johnson and kilkenny will see an improvement.
Thankfully it's seeming like Brown is a Kilkenny who can tackle and Clayton is a Johnson who can pass. Fingers crossed.
If anything I think you're underestimating the Saints defence. We kept 20 clean sheets last year and we have two quality defenders at Championship level in Fonte and Harding. Jaidi and Butterfield aren't as good, but they're both vastly experienced performers who many times have played against players as good if not better than the likes of Snodgrass. And if you do breach our back line, we have an absolutely fantastic goalkeeper in Kelvin Davis who not only is a brilliant shot stopper but also a good organiser from the back. And this is without the new centre back we supposedly are bringing in.
Harding has never been quality at this level. You're clearly underestimating our attack. I think there were less than 5 occasions last season where we failed to score. If you think Harding's a quality left back you're in for a big shock when Snodgrass gets at him.
I'm not underestimating your attack though. I never said it wasn't impressive and I will admit that it is a very, very tough test for our defence and I think you will score as well, as I said in my prediction it will be 2-2. However, I've watched Harding for the last two seasons and he is very underrated, he is quick and a tigerish tackler and he always seems to rise to the big occasions, and he has improved a hell of a lot since he was at Leeds.
Harding wasn't quality at league 1 level so im not sure how he is quality at championship level. Maybe decent would be a better word to use.
Well I admit that I am wrong to put him in the same bracket as Fonte but nevertheless he is a good defender at this level. That's your opinion Saint-Harry but I can't agree with it, in my eyes he is a good Championship player, for sure.
Harding was quality in League 1 last year, he really uppped his game and it showed - oh yeah he was best LB in the League last year, Team of the Year and all
All our defence was quality. 38 goals conceded was only beaten by QPR in the Footy League. If Harding wasn't good enough then Adkins would be replacing him.
No I don't think we are underestimating anyone Simon. you have to accept.......just as we do.......that we have not played each other for over a year. You have to admit our games were always tight affairs. You say your players have improved but so have ours, and we have added a few useful players as well. Can't deny you have a slight edge in that you have played in this league and have the experience under your belt. There is at least one leveller, we are at home. You are going to have to be at your very best away form to get a result here. In the first game of the season somehow that will be a very big ask. In conclusion then the reality is at least in my book, there are too many ifs and maybes for either side to get a full result. So a draw is the most likely. Unless of course one of us gets that little bit of extra luck you sometimes get when playing football, a balloon drifts down the ball hits it and goes into the goal. Stranger things have happened though..........Here's to a good game
last time they were at st marys, they were absolutely exhausted. We had severe fixture pileup and the game at your end was right in the worst patch of it.
Don't think you can use that as an excuse at all. We played 8 games in one month in April but we didn't look tired, although I'm not denying that they're good players.
Oh come on Marko........We all could use that excuse at some time!! All teams have to get through periods like that don't they. That is why you have a squad of players. Now if we had said that when we were beaten up at your ground you would have slated us for being poor sports....now come on admit it.........
You're underestimating our attack. Even the best defenses struggle. We put 4 past QPR who had the best defensive record in the league last season, keeping 25 clean sheets over the whole season. Just be glad we haven't got Becchio fit, or else it would definitely be an uphill battle.
How am I underestimating your attack? I was just making the point that we have a very good defence. I am very aware of your attack and I'll admit that it is extremely dangerous and that's why I think the game will finish 2-2.
