Fox has been the slowest of our signings to impress, but don't think there's anything wrong with him. As he plays more, I'm sure he'll turn out to be a very good signing. Poll needed to be a little more open ended..I couldn't vote and I like polls.
We didn't need him. I made this point on the day he signed and I stand by it. Harding and Dickson are excellent left-backs, and we have several exciting young prospects in that position as well. None of you can argue that when we were debating which positions needed strengthening in the transfer window, no one would have said left-back.
I think the boy's done good, but then i also love harding. I agree with the above that we didn't particularly need him, but in Adkins we trust, and I'm sure we'll see the signing prove its worth when we get promoted...
I still maintain that NA knew that Harding was going to need some remedial work, so Foxie was brought in to take his place until Dan is fit enough to resume, as far as I am concerned he has been a creditable replacement.
You don't spend £1.8 million on a temporary replacement. That's what loans are for. And what's wrong with Dickson?
Oh my Lord, a saints fand who has been watching what goes on when the ball is somewhere else. Fox has played 3 or 4 starts? He has done okay. Against Forest he was left so exposed, it was frightening. Lallana (who is brilliant) has not done his usual tracking back and quite often drifted inside in the last few games. I said this several weeks back. Fox looks like he has a quality delivery with his left peg. I wonder what our fans will say when he drills a free kick into the top corner.
I didn't say temporary, Hardings treatment may not have worked, so I would say it was insurance rather than temporary. Now we have the additional benefit of competition for the place in the first team, Dickson didn't look to great pre season, don't know what the problem is but perhaps NA doesn't think he is good enough for the Championship, who knows?
From what I've seen of him so far, he's got a brilliant cross on him, and provides more threat down the wings than Harding does. But I think his positional play could be better and he lacks concentration so at the moment if Harding was fit, I'd play him instead of Fox. Saying that, he needs to have the chance to develop a partnership with Lallana and as I imagine Watford will play for a point tommorrow, I'd play Fox as he can always create a goal from nothing and I don't think our full backs should have to much defending to do hopefully. Overall, he's started off okay and looks like he could be a real good player for us, although he's yet to convince me he's worth £1.8m.
Just on the point of Lallana tracking back, he rarely ever does this it doesn't matter which left back he's playing with which raises the point how come Harding has copped with the lack of a helper in left sided defence this year and fox hasn't? (as many of you know I'm VERY opinionated about the subject of left back!)
Watch the Leeds game again and you'll see how much Lallana tracked back. Fox has been judged after 3/4 games - crazy' When Cristiano Ronaldo joined utd, everyone said he was just actrick pony who ran down blind alleys. Turned out ok! If the fans get behind fox and give him real support instead of criticising every five minutes, they'll see he can play.
I can't comment on the away games, but Millwall's threat came largely down our right (although I personally felt he dealt with it alright, I know a lot of people on here criticised Richardson after that performance) whilst Leeds seemed to offer almost no threat at all. Fox comes in, and he's immediately presented with the very real, and difficult, threat of Gunter bombing down the flank from RB, and Majeski constantly coming inside and linking up with the strikers. Unfortunately too many posters only look at one side of the story (ie our players) and thus don't give credit to the opposition players. (Take the Richardson situation again as an example, I said that Bouazza played well, rather than Richardson played poorly).
What would nigel say ay? Together as one! He will get that abraham lincon quote out again! Be positive!!
Fox has done ok, thought he had his best game for us today so far. Think we're not as fluent going forward down left hand side as Lallana/Harding who combine really well especially at home games. Not a criticism of Fox who is better technically and defensively than Harding. Fox is still finding his feet and to be honest will probably be our LB for quite few years.
