Good fighting talk from Nigel. I'm going fora 3-2 to us on Monday! He told reporters: "I'm loving the challenge, you only know once you're in a situation how you are going to react and face it. [TABLE="width: 300"] [TR] [TD="bgcolor: #eeeeee"] please log in to view this image [/TD] [TD="width: 80%, bgcolor: red, align: center"]TIMELY BOOST[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 20%, bgcolor: #eeeeee"]16/1[/TD] [TD="width: 80%, align: left"]Southampton are 16/1 to beat West Brom 1-0 with Bet365[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] "After the West Ham defeat there was a half-hour period which I didn't like but I'm loving the challenge that we are faced with, it is what you want to be in football for. "We are ambitious, we want to be winners and we are used to being winners - we are now faced with a different challenge but it is one that we embrace, we look forward to it. "Nobody said it was going to be easy, this is what we are in football for, we are pushing ourselves to the limit. "We can go one of two ways - we can either hide behind situations and crumble or we can face everything up, stick our chests out and we can be positive in what we do." Despite leading Saints to back-to-back promotions in the previous two seasons, Adkins' job has been reportedly in the balance in recent weeks due to Saints' poor form. But the former Scunthorpe manager believes he has been touted as an under pressure manager since before the season began, and assured fans that nothing has changed since. He added: "Before we even kicked a football I think I was the favourite to be sacked. "So every week there is a question about that and it doesn't faze me one iota, I'm very, very ambitious and we are very ambitious here at Southampton - what will be in football will be. "[The pressure] is exactly the same as when I joined. I put my comments out straightaway that I wanted to win the league and we got ourselves promoted, then we got ourselves promoted from the Championship."
I've been mulling this over myself. I think we should start with him playing off Lambert in our 4-2-3-1/4-4-1-1 nonsense, then sub him and someone else off and then bring on Mayuka and JRod and go guns blazing. Then maybe Cork on for Davis in the 75th/80th minute for some fresh legs and to give him a run out.
Thought Clyne looked great LB 2nd half against Villa but then so did the rest of the team. Until Dec I think Richardson at RB with Clyne at LB is a better shout. If not, would prefer Reeves or Shaw at LB over Fox.
I think giving Richardson another game or two would be good, but more on the merit of his play than any lack of merit of Fox's. In his game and a half against Villa and Everton he did very well, so deserves to be given another crack at it I think. I think not only is it more suiting defensively but also attacking. If we're playing Puncheon right, Lallana left, Puncheon because of his left-footedness often has to go back to Clyne, who's delivery isn't great and is much better at charging up the inside or round the back than sitting back and waiting to cross, which is what Richardson is perfect for. Then Clyne can combine on the left with Lallana who can cross himself but also go both ways and just allows Clyne to play a more natural and dangerous game, which I think we saw from the Villa game were he grabbed a goal. I'd also be happy to see Reeves or Shaw but only if Nigel believes they are truly talented enough to take over and become our starting left-back in years to come, not just because we desperately need to get rid of Fox so just stick anyone there rather than him. I think he's had a dodgy start to the Prem but I don't think he's been that bad.
Not sure if you are considering this for today's game or the future, but Richardson is injured at the moment.
Haha sorry yes I should really have considered what thread I am posting in, as I was indeed referring to the future rather than for the upcoming game.
I think it'll be a draw actually, 2-2 with goals from Lambert & Puncheon -------Gazzaniga------- Clyne Fonte Yoshida Fox --Schneiderlin S.Davis-- Mayuka----------Lallana --Rodriguez--Lambert--- Subs: K.Davis, Hooiveld, Cork, Ward-Prowse, Reeves, Puncheon, Ramirez I don't think Boruc will play with the internal investigation, so Gazza for me EDIT: Can't go putting 12 in a team
I thought he was awful against Spurs, but then who wasn't in that first half? At least Puncheon tried to do something though, rather than just sink into the background for 45 minutes. I wasn't at the West Ham game, but he sounded alright on the radio. Didn't agree with bringing him off in that. Game, rather than Guly.
Along with Lambert, Fonte and a few others. Puncheon has been one of our best players this season and I can't believe I'm saying that with what's happened in the past.
