Just read Nigel's comments on the game last night. What a refreshing change from some managers we may know. No comment on the red card. How could he? Deano got himself suckered and should have known better. No "the-ref-didn't-see" comments. Just plain and simple - we can play better, and maybe he (Nige) got it wrong not resting other players. His additional comments that we did well to get a point surely resonates with all of us. The self belief he has given the team was evident in that last 15 minutes. Most teams would have thrown in the towel, and certainly Saints teams of the past would have done so. He is therefore quite right to finish on this positive. Nigel keeps showing us that he is a good football manager, and the fact that he adds such open honesty to his CV makes him even more impressive. I wonder if he realises the pride he restores in us as fans?
You can read his body language..he was definitely pleased with the point. Compare him with the Reading manager who was totally deflated. Yes, I'm proud of Nigel..good man.
Channon, when watching the after match stuff I was praying for Nigel to say it how it was. I actually cheered when he said two or three times that reading were better and deserved to win. And as he said, extremely happy to come away with a point!
He will be no good in the Premier as most managers up there are whining , moaning , whinging, hypocritical and at times downright dishonest twats they often choose to highlight a decision that may cost their team rather than any of the shortcomings of themselves or their own players. I think Nigel is different in that he seems to be more philisophical when these issues arise and his lets move on to the game mentality kicks in.
In the Premiership he would need to change his glasses for bifocals...glasses which prevent him seeing all controversial sections of the game involving his players but would enable him to see better than the referee when it matters.
Yes, maybe he could borrow some from Wenger? The Arsenal boss has large collection. As I watched the interview with Nigel, my thoughts went back to a Radio Solent "Merringtonism"; different class!
Don't think he had much choice really....he'd just seen his skipper get himself sent off uneccessarily and too many players not quite on it on the day, he looked visibly angry to me Was at the game - a massive performance from Kelvin (he's saved us some points this season), good game from Chaplow I thought and very promising from Martin, onwards and upwards
I like the way that he said that he should have rested more players after Tuesday...took the blame on his own shoulders. Never criticises the team or individual players in public..always behind closed doors and even then he always gives more positives than negatives.
Even Wenger would have had trouble saying he didn't see a sending-off !! I reckon the reason why NA looked visibly angry when interviewed was that he had probably withdrawn Fonte for that very reason, to lessen the chances of a sending-off after his yellow in the 1st half. Agree it was good to see Atkins take some of the blame, even though some players let him down I thought. This is designed to take some pressure off the players and something that he wasn't doing last season NA knows that was a great point under the circumstances and to give due credit to Reading who played really well on the day COYS
