Nigel Adkins learnt from the FA Cup match with Chelsea, adapted and came away from Stamford Bridge with a shock result that could have been better with a little better defending.

Many comments have been made post match about Rickie Lamberts impact as Substitute at Styamford Bridge and how much better it could have been if he had started, Im not so sure about that, Nigel Adkins stated on TV that he had a game plan and that it worked and I tend to agree with him, yes Saints were much better in the second half after SRL came on, but before we could step up the pace we had to do a lot of grafting to put us in that position.

First half Saints didnt create a lot of chances, but that was nothing to do with Rickie Lambert being on the pitch or not being on the pitch, it was to do with the fact that we were penned back, if Rickie had been on the pitch there is nothing to suggest we would have attacked more, the game plan was simple, keep it tight and then in the second half step up the pace.

The game plan didn go strictly to plan though, Saints once again conceded two sloppy goals which owed  as much to our defences inability to clear the ball as to Chelsea's attacking prowess and even in the second half Demba Ba was left completely unmarked six yards out and inexplicably but the ball over, but one thig we did have to do second half was take the game too them and we did this well, the question is would we have done it so well if Rickie had already run his socks off for the previous 55 minutes, I would suggest no, Adkins got his tactics and his substitutions spot on his only problem was a lack of quality in key areas.

But overall this was a great point, I have been saying for a while that the difference between relegation and being safe before the end of the season will be whether we take points off the top sides or not, so far we have won only against teams now below us and whilst this is crucial in a relegation fight, you also have to beat the sides further up, this means now stepping up a gear and beating the like sof Stoke and West brom at home when they visit but nicking the odd point or two off the top five or six, in recent weeks we have done just that with the home draw with Arsenal and this one at the Bridge and a quick look at the League table confirms my earlier point, those two points are difference between hovering just above the bottom three or being well clear.

Now we can go into the weekend knowing that whatever happens we wont be in the bottom three after Saturday but more to the point we could kick off against Everton knowing that a win could send us well clear of the drop zone.

In conclusion a great point, but some people have to realise that football is about playing the right players for the right situation, Nigel Adkins has to make some changes sometimes, Rickie Lambert is nearly 31, he cannot play every minute of every game, if he is shattered from doing so he wont be fit and fresh to be able to come on and change the game as he did last night, football is a squad game now its not just about putting out your best players every time, if Rickie had started it would have been probable that we would still have been 2-0 down at half time, after all we created no real chances first half so how would he have scored, but with the right tactics and changes he came on fresh and with renewed impetus we were able to take the game to Chelsea, I have criticised Nigel Adkins for getting tactics and substitutions wrong and quite rightly so, but last night he got it spot on.

Photo: Action Images

tiptop added 10:25 - Jan 17 Agreed. Didn't NA employ the same tactics in the cup game? Except Chelsea have shown they are vulnerable at home and this time players produced from wide and up front ...so it worked. Both our goals were quality!! (Added bonus - Boruc is looking less shakey too)
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TreeHugger added 10:29 - Jan 17 I have already seen a few comments floating about that Adkins threw the game away by not starting with GR and RL. I have to agree with you nick. I think it worked a treat and apart from the two goals, they offered very little. We should have gone in at 0-0 or at worse 1-0. By having RL and GR to come on we could completely change our play and up the pace a lot more than Chelsea could. They were completely stuck in the same gear and had no change in tempo. If RL and GR had started, you couldn’t pick anyone off the bench to really change the game or make an impact…….which has highlighted the lack of game changers we have on the bench. Great to see chappers back. Does a lot of work that goes unnoticed, still feel he has a role to play this club. I thought Guly had a bad game but that’s all it was. He has played well in eth last two games so this isn’t Guly bashing. Just an off day. will need to improve if he is to stay part of the squad next year. Shaw is getting better all the time. JRod looked a bit upset at coming off. I feel he knows he is capable of more and is getting frustrated at either his lack of game time or position/role He is a work in progress though. What a goal by punch!!….he has been one of our best players this season….completely proved me wrong. chelsea fans were so quiet by the way

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Whatsforpud added 10:36 - Jan 17 At 1-0 it seemed we had a chance, but thought that the second one moments before halftime, like in the cup tie, was going to kill us off. But credit to the team in the second half. Apart from two superb goals, the defending in that second half, including that from Cork and Schneiderlin meant that Boruc had little to do. Wonder what the odds were of getting 4 points from our two away games.

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stmichael added 11:19 - Jan 17 Yep Ricky cannot play every minute of every game and last night was an ideal chance to give him a rest and lets face it JROD needs to play some part in this campaign and he is making a good contribution. Having said that Ricky is the main man without question and the heart beat of our team . We seem to be a real TEAM at the moment and that is going to be key to our final league position.

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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 11:31 - Jan 17 What a superb 2nd half! I thought Saints played well in the 1st half but made a few mistakes at the back and got punished twice. Both goals were easily avoidable. With some better basic defending we could've gone in 0-0 at halftime. What an impact from Rickie! Clyne, Shaw, Cork and Schneiderlin were all superb and what a goal from Puncheon!! We need to get Puncheon's contract sorted because there will be clubs sniffing around for his signature now and he could leave on a free in the summer. I agree that Adkins was right to drop Lambert and Ramirez. Adkins had Saints set up just right with Davis and Guly deployed to help Cork and Schneiderlin with the leg work. Adkins deserves a lot of plaudits for this. 3 points against Everton on Monday is a real possibility now. The players and staff can take great heart from that performance last night. We're starting to show that we can cut it in the Premiership and that we deserve to be there.

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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 11:42 - Jan 17 On another note, last night highlighted how bad we can be in the centre of defence. For the majority Yoshida and Hooiveld did well but both made mistakes and in this league you need to do the basics well for 90 minutes or you get punished. At times in the 1st half they failed to do that. As hard as they try, we do need better players in this area and hopefully Cortese can complete the Forren deal and sign another good defender in the next couple of weeks. In the long run it will make such a difference as the centre of defence is clearly our weak point.

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bstokesaint added 12:45 - Jan 17 Fair play Nick for putting your hands up to give Adkins the praise. He said we wanted to show "courage" with his team selection last night and would have got panned if things hadn't gone to plan. He got it right though and this is further testament to the fact that both he and the team are maturing in this division. On the positive side I genuinely believe we have the next two England full backs in our team and Jack Cork, Morgan and Punch just get better and better. I agree J Rod is a player in the making. It's also good to see Adkins has selected his no.1. To be honest I am prepared to throw my support behind any of ours keepers when they put on the shirt, and whoever gets selected will only get better with game time. No more chopping and changing please. On a slightly different note who are these people that text/ tweet into Radio Solent? Do any of them ever get to games? The Adkins/ Guly/ Boruc bashing is incredible. I honestly think this is a team going places. The only issue I can see when I look to the future is keeping some of these players together. Ferguson did it with his kids, but Man U isn't a club that's used to selling its players.

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stmichael added 12:55 - Jan 17 Lambert and Gaston were not dropped FFS. Its a squad game and nobody can play every minute of every game.
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slynch added 13:14 - Jan 17 The second goal was let in because of a recurrent flaw that everyone piles into the 6 yard box and noone marks at the edge of the box. I think it's Davis, Sneiderlin or Cork's job to do that, I have always blamed Sneiderlin as he was, I thought, the holding MF player, But it seems to me this has changed. All second half he played "in-the-hole"! Has anyone else noticed this? This seemed to be the final set up Boruc Yosh Hooi Clyne Shaw Chap Cork Spider Punch Lamb Ram

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StSaint added 13:15 - Jan 17 The team area really coming together nicely. So proud of them - from their unwavering belief in the passing game despite a baptism of fire in the league, to their resilience and disciplinary record. If we can sign a couple of new centre backs then the sky will be the limit. Bloody love that Nigel Adkins.
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scummerlou added 17:45 - Jan 17 Agree with StMichael.....SRL & GR were not rested as the media seemed desperate to imply...good tactical choice for the first half to ensure we were still in the match in the second half, JRod gives us more movement up top when playing a lone striker, although was a wee bit worried when the second goal went in, avoidable with better defending. Another good showing frm LS, who seems to have made huge strides during the last few games, and also AB, who now seems to be getting match fit and could possibly solve our GK snag (good vision NA??) One thing about the FORREN deal, radio solent said that he was in the stands watching last night, but when NA was questioned about him, we got the standard "no comment".......bit strange if he was sat watching us, was hoping to see some positive news today on that transfer...quite a good read on him... http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/scouting-report-how-will-norwegian-s

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scummerlou added 17:47 - Jan 17 meant SRL & GR were not dropped....it was good use of our squad to suit the game plan...
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Del_Bianco added 18:19 - Jan 17 Excellent report Nick, exactly how I saw it. Quite how people can claim Adkins got it wrong when we've just come backed from 2-0 down to get a point away at The European champions is beyond me.
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davepid added 19:45 - Jan 17 I agree with stmichael about it being a team effort. That was true last year when the performance was there even though no one player stood out as having played a blinder.The team spirit is evident and NA can take the credit for that. Perhaps most encouringly: we took 4 points from 6 without Llanna and Fonte. Good to see Chaplow play a part :he has been a good servant to the club.

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thingummy added 19:55 - Jan 17 great night - we rode our luck and in 1st half worked hard but were poor on the ball. we showed Chelsea too much respect. our defending for 2nd goal esp was a comedy (as at man city) and it could have been more than 2, but .... what a 2nd half JRod unlucky to come off but SRL gave a masterclass in how to hold up the ball and disrupt them. After scoring, Chelsea defence dropped off and when we won the ball we had more space ..... plus the addition of chappers and gaston saw a step up in workrate and our ability to pass the ball ...... The side that finished the game is prob my 1st eleven ...... Great feeling when the equalizer went in and what a finish.... but Morgan was my MoM for the way he broke up play in the 2nd half and then passed the ball. I thought Davis and Guly were poor, and even Punch did not have a good game for much of the eve ... We showed a togetherness as a club that Chelsea don't have right now ... we know what that feels like ..... 2 years ago I couldn't have imagined we would be taking a point away against European champions (even if the are already out!)

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ExiledSupporter added 23:52 - Jan 17 I also saw NA's post match comments about the possible signing of Forren. Although his comments amounted to 'no comment' what he actually said was to the effect that he knew nothing about it! Now a) was that just a means to deflect the question and avoid a supplementary question or b) a suggestion that he was not up to date with the process because of his focus on the preparation for the match or c) that the negotiations were not something he was involved in (understandably) or d) more worryingly, that he had had no say in the selection of this player as a target. Given the rather odd acquisitions made over the summer (both in terms of the prioritisation of which parts of the team needed strengthening and the odd selection of several players in particular) this fills me with concern that interpretation (d) maybe closest to the truth...and that's bad news if it is true.

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