Good point. We lost the odd game and his positivity lifted us, but hard to take in their position. I really really want Nigel to succeed next season. He deserves it.
Reading were easily the best team in the Championship last season and were the only team who made things difficult for us in that league. When they beat us at St. Mary's, they looked hugely impressive and I'm surprised that they never added to the sqaud to make a good fist of things in the Premierhsip. This season I feel no visiting team to St. Marys has been so poor and as much as I rate Adkins, it was always impossible for him to save the club as he never had the tools to do the task. in many ways I feel Reading are like a twin club for Southampton. They haven't established themselves in the top flights until recently unlike us but they have the new stadium and a similar additude where the club is seemingly ambitious. There was a brilliant observation in "When Saturday comes" several months back where they reported on a game between Crawley and Bury (from recollection) and the comment was made as to how Southern teams tended to be on the "up" and progressive whereas the old order of clubs from places like Lancashire were struggling. It suggest thst asmongst the lower league, the Southern clubs were the teams with a brighter future and were in some ways more "modern." Looking at the wider picture at the likes of Crawley, Brighton, Reading and Saints you can see how the clubs have been re-vitalised by new stadia and a glance at the Conference reveals a host of former league teams whose past glories seem a long way behind. The likes of Portsmouth and Aldershot are perhaps exceptions (but Portamouth have always been a traditional working class team in the mould of West Ham, etc) but you can see that even Bournemouth are now promoted with plans to increase the size of their stadium which was only re-developed a few seasons ago. Reading have been a huge disappointment this season and always looked like they would be relegated. I was surprised about QPR but with their plans for a new ground, you could envisage them cemented a place amongst the more "progressive" clubs in the South.
I stopped reading after your first sentence, Ian. They were not. They were easily the team that put the best run together at the right time of the season. They won the league by a point. Did you watch all 46 of their games?
Reading had a great run and well done to them for getting the title, but we let them...we flagged at the wrong moment. Southampton were the best team in the Championship as we were in League One...proven by our recent performances in the PL. The fact that we still have many of those players suggests we were a PL team playing in the lower leagues. Reading are a good team, but needed to spend wisely. I can see NA doing well with them next season.
I do agree that Reading failed to add any real quality to their squad. Much as I can't stand Fat Sam he bought wisely!
Saints had a season of thirds: first and last, great; middle, crap. Reading had a season of halves: first, average; second, amazing. Even in the 'amazing' part, they let teams come at them and wait for them to tire before nicking a late goal, which is the same reason why Brighton won L1. The brilliant defence they had was shown to not be so brilliant as they couldn't defend against better teams. They didn't have a proven and clear goal scorer in their team and despite having a really good shot to goal ratio, a lot of those shots were when the opposition was tired and at its weakest.
As shocking as Newcastle were, I'm still sure this will come down to Wigan or Villa. Obvious statement to say, but that late goal conceded by Wigan today could be massive. WBA next might not be easy for them.
My table has the following: 12) Sunderland | -8 | 43 13) Norwich | -21 | 42 14) Stoke | -12 | 41 15) Wigan | -21 | 41 16) Southampton | -13 | 40 17) Newcastle | -23 | 40 18) Aston Villa | -29 | 38 19) Reading | -33 | 27 20) QPR | -36 | 24 Squeaky-bum time for Pochettino.
Yeah. But it was unlikely that we would get annihilated 3-0 and have two men sent off in today's game. Football's football; unpredictable.
Squeaky-bum? We've done enough it says here! Woohoo I'm going to phone Cortese and get him to order the jelly and ice-cream!
About three weeks ago, I had your team as potential saviours for us as you had Sunderland and Stoke to play. They've now put successive wins together, it's changed the scenario again.
About three weeks ago, I had your team as potential saviours for us as you had Sunderland and Stoke to play. They've now put successive wins together, it's changed the scenario again.
