Looking at the League Table (as you do!) when I noticed that we have let in 9 goals in 7games. You would have to go down to Peterborough in 10th before you find a team that's let in more than us. May be nit-picking when you consider where we are and what exciting football we play, but it shows how vulnerable we are. If we let in a couple of goals early in a game, a team with a good defence could see the match out. Finding the correct balance is the challenge for Adkins and the team.
Fran, do you need directions to Falmer? That's where they play that type of football. I'm loving watching us at the moment; great attacking stuff. I do know what you mean about the goals against column, but it is also nice to think that a team that plays like Dagenham and Redbridge can produce such exciting games to watch.
Love our football..wouldn't want 1.0 games all the time (though that would get us promoted) but I bet it's something Nigel has his eye on. (Wink, wink..sometimes you put things up for discussion that aren't necessarily something you are particularly worried about).
You are right though Fran. Was it 1984 when we won about 10 games in a row 1 nil? By the end of that season, we were beating Coventry 8-2
I am not worried currently as we are outscoring the opposition - "exciting, isn't it!" However, we've all got to be honest and say that it is a problem that is sugar coated due to our attacking prowess. My ambitions and dare I said it expectations have altered, if we shore up at the back there is ABSOLUTELY no reason why we can't (with a Jan signing or two) sustain this and go up top 2 this season! But simply our defence over the course of the season is not good enough to do so. I'm not suggesting a change of personnel, that has actually been our downfall, but a "chosen" need to gel and quick.
Watched my 1st game stood on a lemonade box at Archers road end in 1952, can't remember opposition but was dead envious of lad next to me, his box was painted red and white. My sister gave me sixpence to take her as at 13 she was scared to go on her own. Anyway, sorry about the ramble on but my point is that for some reason Saints have always played you score 3 and we will score 4. We even played this way when we had two international centre halves. We will never change. I LOVE IT. COYS.
This does worry me Fran, I'm sure you'll find the Champions of any league will have 1 of the best 5 defences in the league. If Lallana gets injured like last season and our creativity dries up we will have to learn to win games 1-0 if we want to win this league. Edit: I'm still delighted with everything!! but just something to think about...
Ok the defence looks a bit iffy at times but i remember times when we would of loved to of only conceded 9 goals in 7 games! think that if over the season you conceded 1 goal per game then that's a good season,only 2 beyond that now so no need to worry.
We've got the best goal difference at the moment so leaking doesn't matter considering we're scoring by the bucketload.
How true is that through out the sixties and 70's we would challenge any one to come and out score us no matter how big they were. A couple of games you will possibly remember.......Man utd.......2-0 up at half time in the cup losing to a "hand ball" third goal second half. Nottingforest in their hey day........They were winning 3-0 with 10 minutes to go, again in the cup we hit three in the last 10 minutes. We went to White hart lane and beat them only to be knocked out again in the next round by Man united again...(Semi final) at Aston villa. A great era of football.....Nobody liked coming to the Dell.
My eyes are always drawn the 'goals scored' column. 19! F*cking nineteen!! In seven games! That's four more than the second-highest scoring team.
The way we play, we're always going to concede goals. I love Lallana to pieces, but playing him wide left will always result in goals - or at the very least, chances - being created down that flank by the opposition. I'm perfectly happy to accept that though. Moreover, the defence isnt't completely settled yet - only Fonte has played in every game - so that too is likely to lead to the odd goal conceded.
Yeah this. I'm proud of our style of football, and whenever I see us go a goal down at the moment, I'm barely even concerned because I know how many we are capable of scoring.
We score goals and will continue to do so all season, of that I have little doubt. Jos has already solidified defence by looking so comfortable so we don't have a problem. It's natural for us to concede more goals this season. The 2 goals against Forest were avoidable, as was the free-kick for Birmingham. However, 2 of the goals conceded against Leicester were unfortunate (Fonte slip, Lambert pushed) but we have to expect it. We're playing brilliant at the moment.
We like to play from the back, Adkins has said it himself. We play to invite the opposition to press us and exploit the space that it leaves behind. The defenders need the capacity to be comfortable on the ball and have the intelligence and creativity to pick the right pass under pressure. It's a dangerous game however well you do it, but it certainly reaps rewards when we have some great attacking talent at our disposal. We've done this all the time uuunder Adkins, but it's only this season that teams have been confident enough to come to St Mary's and seriously press.
