Most Saints fans will tell you that it will be like the games against Brstol and Leicester and Blackpool. They will play high up the pitch, they will close down every player quickly, they will pass the ball forward and attack us with pace, they will pas the ball to a player who has the space to turn and run at us, they will run with the ball and will take on and beat our players, they will be strong and bully us and they will want to win. The way we are being played means that we need to rethink how we played as to just to go on playing as we have done recently will mean further defeats. It is at times like this that managers prove their worth if they have to the potential to be great managers. Will we carry on passing the ball back more than we pass it forward, pass the ball behind instead of in front of a player, pass the ball to a plyer who is more tightly marked than the player making the pass, give the ball to a player with his back to their goal. Will we give their players all the time and space they need to play in front of us, will we continue to shirk from tackling will we get a bit of steel and a backbone and start fighting for our right to play football.
Couldn't agree more. All this ballyhoo aboput signing "names" is utter folly. I've mentioned about getting in a "bully", someone a bit rough & tough to get stuck in...hard. Our football is a delight to watch...when we are allowed to play. So in the end, it may not be about new faces but a change of attitude on the pitch and those that direct them on it. It's the morning after the night before, so hopefully there will be a return to a bit more though/sanity to posting today. If, and I take it is hardly likely, any Saints player sees some posts on here I wonder how they would react? Some take criticism, digest it, thrash the wheat from the chuff and may take it on board. Others, like most of flesh and blood, could easily get down hearted. As we have seen, many players/teams play well on confidence. We will lose more games. We were taken apart last night as we were against Reading and Bristol (and this is where I think Mr Godders is right above...for me me its a case we dont do "ugly" and we should when needed). It is now we should just remember where we were hoping to be at this stage of the season when it was the start of the season. I was hoping top ten and top six I'd be "well happy". I'd be disappointed now if we dont go up in an auto place. Having said that our poor form coincided with West Ham's and Boro's...so how we stayed top for the last 6 weeks is anybodies guess! Yes it was utter cr4p last night, but lets be positive for the team. Crucial games coming up, ones that could put a bit of space between us and third spot. If we dont buy any other players, dont moan, but get behind the players we do have...they're the ones who got us to the top of this division in the first place!! OT: This writing posts is far better experience from the laptop I'm using now than my usual iPhone ap - for those who havent used the phone ap please be nice to people who do as thay cannot edit posts and do a few other things from it - not least the perils of phone spell checkers/correctors!)
lest we forget how different things will be when rickie, adam, chappers and fonte return - thats 4 vital players missing and likely to have an effect on any team!
Lambert returns on Saturday and hopefully this one will be his last game out this season. The best teams around have stregth in depth. If not like for like replacements, at least someone who can come in and do a good job. Apart from Lambert (and possibly Lee) none of our strikers are capable of winning challenges in the air. It's not easy when the ball doesn't stick up the pitch.
When I first moved up north United were winning the League for the last time for a very long time. In Charlton, Best and Law they had 3 of the most talented players of their generation (in the case of Best arguably of all time). Watching them was a joy - but guess what, when they lost the ball they had Stiles and Crerand who immediately got it back. Fans of other teams thought the Leeds team that then dominated for a few years was just dirty. They weren't. They had skilful players who could win matches on their own, but when the opposition had the ball they didn't keep it long. Ditto the great Liverpool teams of the late 70's and early 80's. In players like Morgan and Guly we have players of great touch (not last night agreed!) but THEY NEED THE FOOTBALL! Someone needs to be in the team who gets it when we lose it and the call for a ball winner is spot on. Lambert bullies opposing defences, we need to be in charge of midfield as well.
teams know how to stop us playing, thats whats stopped our form - not injuries, not suspensions (although they havent helped admittedely)
Don't think that we need to drastically change our style, we just need to be more decisive in the way we play it. Teams aren't going to give us the time to make ten or twelve passes around the midfield while we look for an opportunity anymore...we need to pass the ball much faster, we need players to make more runs off of it, and we have to try to get the ball forward to dangerous positions when they do. Right now, we're just not moving things quick enough; there's no risk for opposing sides in over-pursuing the ball or jumping into passing lanes to intercept, because we're allowing them enough time to get back into position. Less five-foot passes between two bottled-up players along the touchline, more played forward with real conviction.
