A bad night at the office for Saints

Strangely enough perhaps the first thing to say is that in the main Saints didnt play badly, but like in several games away from home last season they were undone by individual errors at crucial times.

The match stats showed that we had 555 possession, 6 shots on target compared to their 5 and 7 off against their 4, so why did we lose it ?

The answer is two fold, firstly Cardiff did their homework and made sure that we couldnt get our game together, they pushed on as we played it around at the back, they kept a tight reign on Lallana and they made sure that the supply route to our two forwards was cut off, thats not to say we didnt make chances, we just failed to take them whilst they took theirs.

The second answer can be defined a little more clinically, i know some will say Im banging on about the same things, but why am I banging on about them ? the answer is because they keep happening and keep costing us points, both last season and now this.

1. The goalkeeper is stuggling, again last night he was uncomfortable in distributing the ball and too often played his defenders into trouble and this is about the 4th game running, his dominance of the area was suspect and as cardiff curled balls into our six yard box, he failed to collect them, the defence, particularly Fonte seem to have little confidence in him, on their first goal, he made the wrong decision, came dashing out and didnt get the ball. The Cardiff crowd sensed blood and gave him a hard time everyytime he went to throw the ball out.

2. Options, we have too many players of quality in certain positions, yet in others only one choice, up front with Lambert & Connolly not only not getting much of the ball, but also wasting it when they did, we had no real options to change it, hence a winger in De Ridder was thrown up front to add some pace, although he scored and ran around a lot, the truth was it wasnt the sort of tactical change that a top of the table side should be making, yes we chased every forward on offer, but in the four months of the transfer window, failed to land one, it is starting to cost us.

3 Centre of defence, Hooiveld made some great tackles at times last night, but it was his attrocious attempted pass that gifted possesion to Cardiff and a simple pass through for the second goal, Fonte & Hooiveld dont seem to be able to gel and Im afraid the start reality is that in football quite often you get what you pay for and as in last night you pay for what you get ! The reason that you pay a million for a central defender is that he makes less mistakes than one on a free transfer and conversely slightly more than a 2 million pound player, thats reality and our failure to sign a quality partner for Fonte is now starting to cost us, Hooiveld isnt bad, but he isnt as good as we need.

4. Tactics. We are one dimensional, last night Cardiff had it completely sussed, we cannot change the way we play, our substitutions are predictable in the main and we dont have any real like for like changes if the forwards are being snuffed out, we rely heavily on Lambert, if he is not in the game or misfiring, we have no one to replace him, the nearest option is bringing on Guly, but that means reshuffling half the side to push him up front rather than a straight swap, this could be in the same section as options, as clearly after chasing central defenders and forwards and not getting them, Nigel Adkins can see these same weaknesses and tried to address them, but it is a little bit more than that, clearly at times the side are scared to actually hoof the ball when the occasion merits it, the biggest example being Kelvin who appears to be playing as if the manager will fine him if he doesnt pass it to a teamate but kicks it upfield.

This is a strong condemnaation of last night and there will be many who will say Im being negative and that we arestill top of the league, yes we are still top, but we are top because of the failure of others, if we want to stay top then we have to address these issues.

The fact is that in the last three away games we have only taken one solitary point and conceded six goals, thats not promotion form, yes im sure that some will say we have still only lost two games, however both of these have come against the only two sides we have played in the top half of the table, we have been flat track bullies so far, especially on our home turf, last season I always said that results shouldnt be taken in isolation, that we should look at the last six and the benchmark was an average of two points a game to track whether our form was promotion or not, of our last six games we have played three each home and away and gained ten points, make no mistake last night was not an isolated bad result, but part of a pattern that at the moment is on a downward slope, we can arrest this and get back on track, but lets not pretend that everything is completely rosy.                  

Photo: Action Images

allsaint added 11:03 - Sep 29 Thats it then. Only relegation to look forwrad to.
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stmichael added 11:07 - Sep 29 Not a bad assesment but at the moment we have no other options. KD is the best keeper at the club and we are also limited at the back. I think we will lose alot of away games this season almost certainly too many for automatic promotion.
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SaintNick added 11:20 - Sep 29 If Adkins doesnt rate bart then he needs to be looking at another option in goal from elsewhere
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geezershoong added 11:20 - Sep 29 I just hope the players don't read these articles, when they lose they are picked apart & when they win it's a begrudging 'yeh, well done I suppose'...
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SaintNick added 11:24 - Sep 29 Would you prefer something like the official site then, where they conveniently never mention errors and every player has played brilliantly, I try to tell it how it is, and look for how things can be improved and put right. When these mistakes arent constantly made then I wont be able to criticise, if you were at the game last night then you will see that everything i said happened, I didnt make up Hooiveld's poor pass it happened, although the official site dont mention it

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StSaint added 11:30 - Sep 29 Having just returned from a holiday on Mars I read your article with interest. I assume we must be bottom of the league with the club in turmoil. What's that - we are top? We have done better so far than every other team? That must be down to everyone else being so rubbish. It's a shame we aren't top of a different league where you have to do well to be above the others. Get a grip Nick. It's a tough league which we are top on from merit. We were in league one last year. I'm genuinely enjoying supporting Saints more than any time in the last 30 years and find it flabbergasting that you can be so miserable. Stop writing such negative rubbish.

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StEtienne added 11:31 - Sep 29 Interesting to compare to the BBC report that suggested Saints really should have won the game. Poor finishing let us down more than poor defending?
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simmo400 added 11:38 - Sep 29 I only listened on the radio but like the Burnley game we werent in the game until they scored. I didnt hear Lambert or Llana or Guly for most of the game. Was Cork playing ?????? Cardiff did do there homework and shut us down. The game did seem even though and no keeper had to make a save. But due to an error we let them in for the first goal and error number 2 cost us the game. De ~Ridder came on and things started to happen, but as usual too late. More chances missed as per Burnley. Not sure of the answers to all this but we do need to cut out stupid goals and obviously take our chances at the other end. COYR

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yateleysaint added 11:48 - Sep 29 It's time to enter the loan market. Lambert and Connolly in particular can't keep playing two games a week. If we're there or thereabouts come January then money will probably be made available but the good start is showing signs of slipping. We haven't had a striking option off the bench for ages FFS! Connolly was injured for much of last season and Barnard's not available. Guly and De Riddler aren't strikers. It might seem a bit of a knee jerk reaction but Saints have been dropping points after a cracking start and won't stay top for long at this rate. Moan, moan, moan...

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schatfield added 12:48 - Sep 29 I am a fan of your writing and your site nick, but this does seem very down and negative. I never read the official site for match reports because, as you said, they always can do no wrong, but saying that, the others have a point - we are still top of the league and if a couple of the shots last night were just a metre to the left/right, we would have won. The BBC match reports give a more realisitic report and dont seem to be biased and they said pretty much the same, so I am not sure why this report is so doom and gloom.

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richardmdcooper added 12:54 - Sep 29 So negative Nick, it's unbelievable. I almost feel sometimes you want us to lose so you can be proved right. "a downward slope" - give us a break! Also, I don't blame Adkins for not getting another striker in - I think once Barnard comes back, we will have some options off the bench although Beattie may not be a bad option to bring in as cover for Rickie. That being said, a couple of things I do agree with you on - Davis and a centre half. Is it worth trying Cork alongside Fonte - not sure Cork would like that, but in my mind, that would give us our strongest team.

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bstokesaint added 13:05 - Sep 29 I think I must be about the only person who doesn't feel that this report is that damning. I wouldn't criticise individuals too heavily, but it's true the last 3 away results haven't been good regardless of the stats. This is a tough league, but we need to grind out points against some of the top teams away, like Cardiff and beat others near the bottom, like Burnely. We've been quite lucky to stay at the top given our last two results and maybe it is time to dip into the loan market to strengthen a couple of our weaker positions if we want to stay top. I don't think playing a certain style is necessarily a problem. Everyone knows what Barca will do before every game, but the difference is everyone adapts to that style and doesn't look uncomfortable doing it. We won't ever be in that league, but everyone needs to adapt to a passing style. 9 games in now and I'm still well chuffed with our position. Let's learn from these last 2 results and get back to winning ways.

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stevie280 added 13:33 - Sep 29 I don't think a majority of readers of this site are so naive as to believe that the way the official site explain the game is gospel. Thats a dead end Nick. I feel a lot of us see the grey area in between, i.e. the positives! Its not a bad shade of grey either as we are doing ok, and a bit more than! I'm sure additions will be made Jan, but its a tough league, we are trying to play a certain way (positively) and still a work in progress. Lets get 3 points against Watford.

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SalisburySaint added 14:14 - Sep 29 Nick I don't know if you were at the Preston Game, but as stated by Stmichael KD, although in your view always at fault for something and probably would even get the stick if we won 1-0, is still better than Bart who was awful against Preston last week and his command of his area and kicking was worse than Kd's last night IMO
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SalisburySaint added 14:44 - Sep 29 Nick I also am bemused how with 555% possession we didn't win, as normally managers are happy with 110% effort from their team but this we must have out in 1100% and still lost !
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SaintNick added 14:59 - Sep 29 I didnt say that Bart should come in against Kelvin, I said that the problem needs to be dealt with and if the manager feels that bart isnt up to it then he should look elsewhere. I would be interested to know if all the people on here who say we are top of the league etc dont be so negative actually have been to any of the last 3 league games away from home, I suspect not. Of course you will get differing opinions from the games, but anyone who went to them will know we have gifted at least four of the six goals conceded in those games, I get no pleasure from saying I told you so as some people seem to think, i just try to call it how i see it and take emotion out of it I can see people getting sick of it, Im getting sick saying it, last night they had four shots on target and scored two we had six and scored one, the ratios were like that last season, is this my fault

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SalisburySaint added 15:08 - Sep 29 Last night Jos made a dreadful mistake for second Kelvin misjudged for the first although Morgan should have done better in keeping with Miller But equally Ricky should have scored from Richardson's fine cross and Morgan had dne the hard part when he failed to score, At Burnley Adam and Ricky should have scrored with headers, but at Leicester they were saved but an inspired and sometimes fortunate Schmechael who was particlarly lucky when Connelly's shot hit post and came back to stop between his legs. There has been great focus on our defence which as you correctly say been making mistakes, but equally our forwards have wasted a lot of chances in the last two games, and Connelly has looked off the pace the last couple of games

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allsaint added 15:15 - Sep 29 I have only been to 2 of the last 3 aways so can't comment on last night except on what I've read/heard. I appreciate your reports and believe your comments are made for the best. My comment is simple. We are currently top of the league - a far better position than most of us imagined at the start of the season. Lets enjoy it. As you say, the ratios are the same as lat season. We finished 2nd! Keep up the good work.

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ugliest added 16:02 - Sep 29 The reason that you pay a million for a central defender is that he makes less mistakes than one on a free transfer and conversely slightly more than a 2 million pound player, thats reality and our failure to sign a quality partner for Fonte is now starting to cost us, Hooiveld isnt bad, but he isnt as good as we need. I have seen defenders making mistakes even when there was payed several millions for him. You cannot judge this guy for his wrong pass yesterday. I have listened to the radio and the reporters where very enthousiastic about Jos his play. That is what i heard, did not see it by myself.

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geezershoong added 16:07 - Sep 29 So you can't have an qualified opinion unless you where there? I personally can't afford away trips but I did catch it all on Solent. No-one's blaming you for Saints losing. So that's 2000 approx who went last night, minus those who use this site, about maybe 5 people who's opinions you consider as mattering then.
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braziliansaint added 16:38 - Sep 29 I have to completely agree with Nick. Unfortunately, living in Brazil, I can't watch the games but if we think about it from a different angle...we are supposedly the fifth richest club in the land, have one of the best youth set-ups, some fantastic players in midfield/attacking positions...but we still lack a couple of key signings to push on and be the best. I don't think we should be sitting back and congratulating ourselves at this stage. If we want to be a top team (which we have the potential to be) then we need to examine and criticise to improve. We are so close to having a team that could dominate the championship, and with our financial backing there should be no reason why we don't sign those two or three players that we really need to seal promotion this season. Maybe we weren't expecting to be in the position at the beginning of the season but now that we are we have to examine how we can maintain this excellent start. As far as I can see, that is all that Nick is doing. And I think he has every right to do so!

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chocolateboxkid added 17:08 - Sep 29 my 2 away games this season have been leicester and last night at cardiff, i have seen the same thing both times ie. lots of possesion, fine control for long periods, but ultimatley with no end product ! too many times we seem to want to walk it into the goal,no one seems to want to take a crack now and then. the other negative is that in both games its our silly defending that has given the other side the advantage, leaving us with too much to do. i am really chuffed about our good start and position in the league, but we do need to tighten and strengthen certain positions. i am fearful that if we dont we will become this years championship equivalent of 'blackpool' still !! i will be there come saturday, gotta keep the faith !

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booksta added 17:10 - Sep 29 I think some of your points are valid Nick, but are tainted by a view that we alomst deserve to be a premiership side. Thats what I read between the lines. The fact we havent got a spare ricky lambert and jose fonte may be to do with living within our means or possibly failures in the transfer market. But we have the team we have and it isnt bad, so please dont expect BCN every week. You speak of individual errors like you can erase them well you cant all the time, just ask SAF about his 3-3. By all means comment on players performance but dont suggest that buying a few more players will solve it magically. As far as taking oppurtunities I would say against Birmingham we pretty much took most of them. It doesnt always happen that way though in every game. I think "expectation" is the biggest downfall of your article and your opinion in general. I understand you should always be striving to improve, but lets face it we must be happy with our position and points total so far. Before the season I was looking at a top 10 finish. But then after 5-6 games maybe people seem to lose focus on what is realistic. We dont have a squad of players experienced at this level hence I think we will be muscled out of many more away games this season like we were on occasions in L1. I am quite sure from reading your articles and the League hearing you had with SFC there is some beef wound up in all many of your articles which makes it far from balanced. Trying to find faults with your own team and making that your priority is wrong. Positivity is in the team and can be affected by the fans positivity. Given we are top of the league this isnt positive as is thus destructive. Lastly can I ask a question Nick. Are you happy with how SFC is being run and has been run over the past two seasons regarding NC and NA?

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saint63 added 17:22 - Sep 29 Same old theme! Blame Kelvin Davis who's been outstanding again this season! Change the tune and encourage! We've had a better start to the season than we dared think possible. How many Championship appearances in goal have you made? I wonder!
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TimSaint added 18:16 - Sep 29 All Everyone who attended last night will be disappointed in some way, shape or form. We really did gift Cardiff their 2 goals and should have scored another 5 ourselves in the process. I am not sure if NA encourages Davies to distribute the ball to the defenders instead of taking proper goal kicks, or punts upfield, but in many cases last night we were immediately put under unnecessary pressure. This combined with poor choices of and under hit passes, regularly handed posession back to Cardiff - often from decent positions. Fox had his worst game and regularly failed to find a team mate. Lallana was not on song and often had 2 men on him whenever he had the ball. Connelly was also poor and again gave the ball away from promising positions far too often - often with a flick or back-heel. That said, many positives can be taken from the game. We restricted Cardiff to only a few chances - most of those were handed to them with our errors. We kept the ball for long periods, where Cardiff didn't even get a touch. Our passing game worked well in places and did enable us to create numerous chances, despite us not playing well over-all. On other days, Lambert, Connelly, Guly, Lallana, Morgan and Chaplow would have all scored. At least we scored at the end and pressured the opposition. Had we not scored, then it may have cast a bit of doubt, but it proves that we can and do score against anyone in any game at this level. A good showing from the Saints fans last night. I particularly like the "Cardiff's a sh1thole, I want to go home" towards the end !! Superb :o) We are not going to win every game, so we must take it on the chin and learn from defeats. We are still top - we cannot dictate what others do, so all we can do is focus on out next game and make sure we get 3 points at home to Watford on Saturday. COYR

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