OK thats fair enough i'm thinking a win and a draw although i'm not to sure which result will come from where as i can see us beating everton if we can be a bit more solid at the back (i know thats a big if). How will you react on sunday if we lose to villa as i'm assuming this will only be the second time you've predicted us to get a result this season.
Evertons home record is nearly always one of the best in the premiership , that's a tough tough game . Villa will be saying this is a great time to play us as well .
Having watched Saints since the 1960's, I hope for a positive result out of every game. I know we will not win every time and if I was a betting man I would have lost more than I won. My head says a win for every game, sometimes in my heart I am not too surprised when the result is not to our liking. The next game against villa is an important one only because it is the next on the fixture list, hoping for three points but deep down would not be too surprised if it ended differently. I am not saying I expect a defeat, just realistic and long suffering enough to know that Saints often don't do the expected and could easily go to Goodison the week after and pull off a shock.
That is the exact reason we are southampton fans cause our team doesn't do the expected. And the same reason i am positive about our games although not surprised when we lose just disapointed
I'll be disappointed, but will stay calm. I'll carry on supporting my team no matter what. I won't be screaming for the manager's head, that's for sure. For me, ten games is a good number to take stock.
Can I just say, the standard of debate on this thread is great. On Jenny's point, I always expect Saints to win, whoever we are playing. This feeling lasts until there is simply not enough time left to turn a game around from certain defeat. Conversely, if we are winning, I nearly always expect us to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory (I have been a fan since the early 60's, i.e. not used to the new spirit at the club quite yet). So we will most definitely win both the next 2 games, as indeed we will the remaining 32, plus however many League & FA Cup matches we end up playing. Unless we don't of course.
I think it's called being a supporter. We've all nbeen there. Even at h/t on Saturady I was believing in a second half come-back!
The problem isn't so much about the lack of points (if you lose the next two games, or just get a point) as even at this early stage, you won't be that far adrift, the issue is more about the confidence as how will the players respond? there is only so much they can take! You remember in past seasons teams like Norwich had a great 1st half to the season and got relegated, its happened a few times. Maybe you just need a run of luck, or a lucky result to kick start your season and remember....you was 5 minutes away from beating man utd 2-1 and nearly drew away to man city so I hope your players don't feel too negative.
I Second that ! .....to say four games into a season that a game is "must win" is perhaps a little rash , yes we need points on the board but the team and Nigel know that just as much as we do so lets calm down , in my opinion calling for nigels head after four games shows lack of understanding for football ! yes Wigan and Arsenal lessons need to be learnt and quickly but you can take the Manchester games out as we did very well , and almost got something out of both games when we were predicted nothing ! ...Yes we know not all of our players are up to it but unfortunately 45 new threads about how crap our defenders our every day isnt going to make vidic turn up at st marys and things have been worse ! lets wait another 5 games before we start too much judgement what do you say .....
The games just can't come quick enough! Really can't wait to grab some points, find some form and start shutting the doubters up. I firmly believe it's only a matter of time. The manner of the defeat is what has caused all of the nonsense on here. If we had lost 2-1 instead of 6-1 there would be much less negativity. But at the end of the day the points difference is still the same, and Arsenal truely did play like title-challengers. Adkins will not let the players heads drop, that is one thing that I am certain of. After watching most of the football this weekend, there are a lot of teams that are beatable (although in my opinion this is still the strongest that the premier league has ever been.) Everyone just needs to calm down.
I did not think the Saints played particularly well against Wigan, perhaps that is why I am not quite as positive as others. I can understand the argument that Saints have played 3 tough opponents out of 4 and that the squad is getting a makeover and the season starts tomorrow. I do not understand how "the season starts tomorrow" seems to translate into some people's minds into "Saints will stay up." Nor do I understand how a 6-1 defeat against Arsenal should be written off because "the points count the same" but a 3-2 defeat against Man City shows Saints are good. Or a 2-0 loss against Wigan doesn't count because the keeper played a blinder. Either a loss is a loss or it isn't. Can't have it both ways.
Do you guys remember the old dell days when I know we had a more experienced squad and the dell was very intimidating but we used to beat the big guns quite regular and not only beat them but actually win easily. Do you think that was more the team we had or the fact that we played at the dell. Our premier league record at st Mary's isn't great but our league record there is phenomenal. So I don't think it's wrong to be disappointed in losing to big teams at home and I think every single saints fan should be confident of getting a result at home notated the opposition.
What about the next two? Fulham at home and West Ham away. I'd fancy us to cause problems for them both. 4 points maybe?
