The worrying thingwasnt just the result but the manner in which we played and the fact that in the main those that played were in the main experienced players.

The first excuse trotted out after the loss to Millwall was that we shouldnt worry too much this wasnt our first side, to a degree that is true, however most of those who played if they arent first choice at present, have been or hope to be, surely this should have been a game to cement their claims for a place in the team, but sadly most didn take it.

Pwerhaps most worring of all though was the back four, this was the exact same back four that started the opening day fixture against Leeds, indeed at least three of them from last night will have to play on Saturday, so why were they so poor last night >

Of the other six outfield players, three started the game against Leeds and another two came on as sub in the game, add Lambert to that equation and of the 13 outfield players who featured in that opening day win, 10 of them played a part last night, so why has their form etc detiorated so much.

Im afraid we were a shambles from start to finish, apart from a brief spell in the second half just before the Millwall equaliser, the players just didnt seem motivated to win the game and that probably starts to lead us to a few questions to which we probably wont like the answers.

Tactically we are one dimensional and we dont have a plan B, our plan A is simple we look to pass it out from the goalkeeper to either a centre back or a midfielder driopping deep, he will in turn look to play it out wide for a winger to run at the full backs and get a cross into the box, apart from that we rarely do anything different, we dont play into channels and we certainly dont shoot from distance unless we really have to and to be blunt the players seem too scared to deviate from the system.

Hence we have the situation when the keeper loses confidence in kicking and passing the ball out as Bart did last night and Kelvin has struggled with for much of the season, we have midfielders who are always trying to pass the ball instead of taking people on and we have forwards scared to shoot, we always want one more touch, one more pass and usually it ends up as one too many.

But it isnt just that, certain players just arent good enough, Steve De Ridder is in danger of becoming a joke figure to the crowd, the cries of Steeeeve etc whilst once complimentary are becoming more ironic by the game, here is a player who last night was made for, a rare start and the chance to really show Nigel Adkins he has what it takes, initially he did well, in fairness he usually does, however a couple of decent runs were ruined by firstly a ball that blazed so far and wide over the bar it nearly laid out one of the guys shouting Steeeve at the back of the Northam and that was fiollowed by a series of crosses that went nowhere and before long even these had virtually stopped, if Steve De Ridder was going to prove his worth then last night was the time to do it.

Harding at least did try and keep trying, but to be blunt he isnt really good enough for this level either and again showed just why Fox is a quality player, well at least compared to Harding himself.

Guly of course got the most stick of the evening, how frustrated must he feel, he has had to play out of position for most of the season, he has hit 10 league goals, joint fourth highest in the League, he has a number of assists, yet he is ridiculed whilst the likes of De Ridder and Harding are hero worshipped, he is villified for the pompey game, yet it wasnt him who gave the corner away under pressure and it wasnt him who let the goalscorer have a free header six yards out, perhaps this tells you a few things.

But I think the most contibutory factor to our poor showing was that the competitive element has gone out of our game, too many positions are not up for grabs, take right back for instance, where is Danny Butterfield ? last year butterfield was solid and he has been this year when called upon, yet he has barely had a look in, how must he feel watching from the stands as Richardson puts in a sub standard performance, but knows the manager will put in a left back in tha position before him, I would say the same for a few other places as well including in goal and right midfield, where putting Puncheon back in is a sign of desperation and must deflate a number of players who could play there and probably wonder why they remain loyal when Puncheon returns and steps back in, Im not passing judgement here, but people like De Ridder, Holmes, Butterfield & Guly to name but four must feel a little bewildered.

Our signings havent been great either, in the summer we expected a solid centre half, some will say Hooiveld is that man, our goals against column disagrees with them, we failed to address a problem area properly, indeed since the January transfer window last season I would suggest that we have barely signed a player who has improved the squad zand is a cast iron first name on the team sheet, hopefully Billy Sharp will be the exception to this rule, but of our other business, Falque was clearly not up to it and Im afraid whilst I am still prepared to give Tadanari Lee time, I feel that he is no better than Lee Barnard, both are full of running but Barnard is stronger and wont need the time to adapt that Lee does, time that we can ill afford.

Perhaps this is a bit of a doom and gloom bit, but last nights performance was dire and not of an acceptable standard from what was in the main a team made up of players who could well expect to be in the starting line up or very near too it in the coming weeks, I dont feel im being too quick of the mark in this criticism, nor being over critical, after all I have watched the very same game in the main since November

Photo: Action Images

stmichael added 15:12 - Feb 8 Nick I think you need to here some truths about your favourites ; * BART is understudy to DAVIS and always will be * FOX is no better than Harding but cost us nearly 2million for the privelidge * LEE although no great shakes is quicker , more mobile and more effective than BARNARD who is a 2nd division player at best and looks so unfit and has such a bad touch that I wonder if he is a professional footballer at all. * GULY might have scored 10 goals but how much longer must we tolerate this man who has little stomach for away games and judging by last night cold nights at home as well. Has anyone seen a Brazilian with such a bad touch or a 6ft 3" player so bad in the air? He has been awful for weeks and the only consolation is that he probably wont get in the side now. I agree with you about Steve Get Rid Of though! Rant over.

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ExiledSupporter added 15:32 - Feb 8 Nick Not at match but listened to it throughout on 5 Live Extra, Steve Claridge's general comments were pretty similar to yours, without comments about individual players. Though he did comment that we lacked any leadership on the pitch. To summarise your general drift though we don't have confidence in NA's judgement when it comes to transfers, we don't think his selections are fair, consistent and often unwise and he doesn't seem to be turning the team around or motivating them (since many of them can't do it for themselves, with a few honourable exceptions) The 'spine of the team' seems to have turned to jelly and we have no leaders all of a sudden! Yep, this is a gloomy prospect indeed - just hope Billy Sharpe brings some more spirit into the team which seems to largely be the monopoly of RL at the moment The future looks dismal

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geezershoong added 15:34 - Feb 8 A little harsh I feel, for some periods in the game I thought we played well, not a shambles anyway. I'm converted when it comes to Dan Harding - not CCC standard. You should give credit to Millwall. They could have been shrinking violets looking for a 0-1 but came & gave it a go - they simply wanted it more.
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SaintNick added 16:00 - Feb 8 St Michael I have long given up on Bart as a replacement for Kelvin, but that doesnt mean that we shouldnt be looking for someone better Fox may well be worth 20 times his transfer fee if we go upby one point given his crosses have provided several goals that have given us extra points, if we fail to go up by two points then Harding will have cost us £50 million for that panic at fratton. I appreciate your view on Lee, but I dont think he is any better than Barnard so far, Barnard has proved his worth last season and hasnt played for 9 months Lee is unproven in English football, I will reserve my judgement Guly is harangued for that goal at Fratton yet he was the most innocent party of the lot, Harding paniced like a 12 year old and someone let Ward have a completely free header, as had been happening all year, Guly is not a centre forward, he is not a great dribbler, what he has is an eye for goal and a quick eye to create a chance, Im not saing that he is fit to wipe his boots but Mick Channon couldnt head a ball, had a terrible touch sometimes, only worked hard when he had the ball , without Guly's contributions we would be far off the play offs

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Fordy added 16:02 - Feb 8 Nick, although I agree with most of what you are saying, I feel it's a little harsh on Puncheon. Right midfield is a position we have struggled with all season and apart form Chappers and Guly nobody has really shone there. Puncheon came in when both Guly and Chalow were injured so it was hardly as though he was taking a place that anyone could call their own. Once in, he did OK. It will be interesting who we see start there on Saturday with Guly fit. With the full-backs, NA can't win. He gets stick for alternating between Harding and Fox yet also gets stick for keeping with Richardson through a sticky patch. I do agree though that it is strange that Butterfield was kept in January yet seems nowhere near the team. I do agree with you about central defence. Martin is too raw and Jos and Jose is too one-paced. Jaidi is never fit and past it and Seabourne was probably never good enough for this level anyway. I do think we can turn it around though. We need to show a much more positive attacking approach than we are at the moment, but that's easier said than done with confidence quite low at the moment. Hopefully Billy Sharp starting on Saturday will bring some much-needed impetus.

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Olley added 16:05 - Feb 8 Yes the performance in the main was not acceptable, again as I have mentioned before if Saints do not play their best players, we are at best a mid table CCC side. Now it is time to start to support the team & not desert them! At the back we have never for a long time been good, we would score more / attack was the best form of defence, keep the other team pinned back or keep possession. In recent games we have not been playing well & this enables the opposition to gain better opportunities to test our average back line. I definitely know that if at the start of the season you told me we where 2nd with a 2 point advantage I would have taken your hand off, so if we do not start believing in the team & they don't get their confidence, then we may completely loose are way & end up not even in the play offs come the end of the season, COYRS

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Fordy added 16:07 - Feb 8 Also, as soon as we go 2-1 up why bring on a completely out-of-touch forward in Barnard. I know he was ready to come on before RL scored but just tell him to sit down and bring on Ward-Prowse to snap at their ankles. Ridiculous decision from NA.
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SaintNick added 16:10 - Feb 8 Fordy I wasnt being harsh on Puncheon, I agree with you he has done ok since coming in, my point was that it could disrupt team morale, Im sure people like e Ridder, Butterfield, Holmes etc whatever any of us think about them must be slightly miffed and this could upset the squad spirit etc
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Fordy added 16:26 - Feb 8 Yeah it might do, but you've got to pick your best players. De Ridder has had plenty of chances to pin down that position as his own. As for Holmes & Butterfield they were hardly getting a look in before Puncheon returned so I don't think his return should have made much difference to them.
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sholingred added 18:03 - Feb 8 This result sums up the past 2 months imo,we scored two goals at home and still lose,are inability two keep clean sheets will cost us,Birmingham another clean sheet and breathing down our necks,the Japanese striker is a gamble,and the jury is out on him,lastly Guly is great in the air,i must be watching a different game to some people.
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Stephen added 19:09 - Feb 8 My take is this. It was freezing and not a great night for a game of footy. Adkins was well peed off and rightly so. If we can play our first choice players we are a match for anyone but if we bring on the second raters we start to become very weak especially at the back. We have to remember that our second raters are really league two level playing in the Championship. The negatives are the usual. Our full backs are poor and not really Championship material. Our centre backs are our first and forth choice so we are very weak along the back. Our midfield struggles to penetrate and the opposition know that (Leicester showed them) and when our central midfielders send the ball to the wings the opposition can weaken their central defense because they know we aint coming through the middle - ever!! The positives are . Reeves looked the real deal. Lambert played in the hole when we we were in diamond and he looked good. Our wing midfielders are good. Lots of choice but when two defenders are on them all the time we are stuffed. Our forward two are perm any two from about 4 and they are good stuff. Oh that defense. I remember Adkins said Goals win games and defenses win leagues. Well we will never win the league with our defense leaking goals. In Adkins we trust.

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LostBoys added 19:09 - Feb 8 We were awful and some of the performance Martin Harding Richardson De Ridder Guly had to be seen to be believed. The finishing was parks standard. We have to do much better on Saturday and then Tuesday
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nobby added 20:42 - Feb 8 Regarding the defence; they have been quite consistent all season. The first 10 games we conceded 11 goals this was our best start to a season for goodness knows how many years.Our next 10 games we conceded 9 Goals and at this stage out our home record was still intact and we had just suffered the defeat away at Doncaster, the start of the slide. In the last 9 games we have conceded 10 goals so we are conceding an average of a goal a game but our defence has not got any worse or any better. By the same reckoning on the goals scored breaking it down suchlike, we have scored 25, 17, & 9; a reduction of 8 goals in each section. We started off the season scoring for fun with goals coming from I think, 10 different players but now that's not the case. Perhaps a sudden realisation and the pressure of everyone saying that "this Saints side can win the league". It's a tough league indeed and for some reason we've lost our creativity. With such a lack of goals, it's made everyone turn their attention to the defence, when in my opinion they have been quite consistent - not perfect but they've done a fair job all season.

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nobby added 22:30 - Feb 8 Two main factors in Saints downturn; In the first 10 games Lallana scored 4 goals and gave 8 assists. Lambert scored 8 goals and gave 3 assists. In the next 10 games Lallana scored 2 goals but gave no assists & Lambert scored 4 with 5 assists. Lallana missed several games through injury and suffered a loss of form. Also in the next 10 games Lambert seems to have turned more into a provider than a scorer. He then missed a game through Injury before being suspended for three matches. We rely too much on these two guys and have no-one of the same quality to replace them.

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tiptop added 22:30 - Feb 8 Good stats nobby. I'll take it as read. Its true we have been a team about attacking. Goals. We've scored more than any other in the division is a NA fav". This stat is drying up. We've lost our edge and last night is the first post match NA has openly realised it. Time will tell if we regain our form in time. We can do. Our brand of football at the start of the season wasn't a new fangled thing. We did it well, it worked, we had a bit of luck etc. Its a confidence thing.. who knows exactly why our confidence is faltering. Ben Reeves sounded like he has played himself into the squad for sat. A player who wants to pass the ball forward and takes the initiative. A mid filed general is becoming a priority but more quality in there asap please. We must keep faith. We have the players...its proven already. Im pretty sure the manager wouldnt want to change the instructions that he was giving out for the 1st half of the season... why would he? Because teams have realised if the press a team at the back they cant play?! It could be as simple as that but i dont believe it. The players have lost something. Belief. And they need to get it back. Simple as.

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Whatsforpud added 23:52 - Feb 8 Nick, you make a good point about not playing the ball into channels. That killer fifteen yard pass from midfield directly forward for an attacker to run on to, can be more effective than the easier ball swung in diagonally from the wing. Also have to agree with Nobby - in the main, Lambert and Lallana are the ones most likely to make things happen.
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Jesus_02 added 00:12 - Feb 9 we scored 2 good goals and conceded 3. Bart made some great saves but did not play his part in a solid defense, its not the same defense that played against Leeds if the Keeper was different! If winning was so important then we would have played Kelvin simple. However KD (though much improved) has had his shaky moments also. If we were less sentimental we would have got a new keeper at the beginning of the season. Remember it was Richard Wright that helped keep us up under Pearson. Personally I think we are about to turn a corner, though we will most likely end up in the play-offs. Either way a successful first season back in the Championship

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saintstowin added 08:36 - Feb 9 excellent points made about goals scored. as that has taken a dip ever since our blistering start then there is automatically extra pressure on the defence and any failures (such as regular conceding - which most teams have to put up with) will be magnified. it would've been great if less goals for us concided with us generally being more tight at the back but that hasn't been the case, unfortunately. so we work with what we've got. ofcourse losing isn't nice but in terms of our current form i'll look at 2 solid points against two of the best teams in the division rather than throwing away a single cup game in the last ten minutes. for me the millwall result stood out in as much as it reminded me of days not too far gone by when 2 late goals to turn wins into defeats were all too commonplace. we hardly ever do that these days. i expect a starting xi of real strength on saturday and we'll be back to winning ways hopefully.

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kevmarsh added 09:42 - Feb 9 Let's be honest, who expected the team to be where they are right now at the start of the season?? There seems to be alot of mud slinging saying Adkins subsitutions are sub-standard and this player isn't good enough and shouldn't be part of the squad etc.etc. Every player has played a part this season to get to the stage we are and don't forget we're still second in the league, albeit holding on by the skin of our teeth... Given that we have so many players coming back from injury, especially on the run in, this can only be a positive. We have soley the league to concentrate on now, Chaplow is back and in my own opinion is a vital link to the team, plus Sharp is certain to put his stamp on this club. What happens when we get promoted and we go through a rough patch?? are people going to be calling for Adkins head?? let's be realistic, he has done a fantastic job! In Adkins we trust! Let's have some faith and get behind the boy's and the manager for the last push!

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ancientbriton added 10:06 - Feb 9 Our Nigel says that he takes full responsibility because Saints played the way he wanted them to. Pity his vision wasn't the same as the Millwall managers? Millwall came out wanting to win and played as a team from the outset, close tight passing, always moving forward, working for each other and punting the long ball into the corners where players were on the end of it and pushing for the Saints goal. Saints on the other hand seemed to think they deserved to win, punted the ball about in defence with long, lazy passes and when they lifted it over towards the front it seemed to be aimed at no one in particular. Lee ran around a lot but to what effect? Harding blocked quite a few runs down the right. Guly was a liability and I'm surprised he wasn't booked for flattening the opposition. De Ridder was a one trick pony. Second half, Nigel had presumably said something because we came out with a bit more urgency. Ben Reeves was a revelation and had more about him than most of his team mates. Lambert and Lallana one can't fault, but boy do we look a world away from anything like a potential Premiership side. I hope Sharp brings something to the table, because there's not much else on it at the moment. Stir the pot Nigel, start playing the likes of Ben Reeves and Ward-Prowse, get some forward moving fight back into this complacency.

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bstokesaint added 10:11 - Feb 9 Well said Kev. There are a few home truths Saints' fans need to appreciate. We have over performed and were never expecting to be challenging for the league at this stage. Reading between the lines NA always said don't get too high or too low and started saying that when we had our amazing run. It flattered us, in the same way our current run doesn't tell the complete picture. NA knew we wouldn't walk the league and has been trying to manage expectations. Many of these players have not played at this level and are still finding their feet in this league. All this criticism and negativity spills over and makes us sound like spoilt brats. We need to get behind the team and lay off individuals. Form is temporary and we are just one win away from starting another winning streak. We have an excellent team who try to play proper football. They've spoilt us this season on the whole. Maybe a bit of patience, belief and support is all they need. The FA Cup's gone. It's not the end of the world. Lets get behind the lads on Saturday and watch them take all 3 points.

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Braveheart added 11:13 - Feb 10 The best thing about the cup tie with Millwall is that we are now out of the cup and able to concentrate on the "fantasy" of premiership football. NA in his post match interview spoke about how bitterly disappointed he was that we didn't go through. Lesson learned there Nigel, if you really wanted us to go through, you would have started your strongest line up. Once again, the overall performance of the team was particularly woeful. Those of us that braved the sub-zero temperatures were not rewarded by a warming display of skill and commitment. All to obvious was this continual lack of ability in passing the ball to someone wearing the same coloured shirt and on the rare occasion when it did reach someone in the same coloured shirt, we were treated to a further display of ineptitude because there was no ability in controlling it and use the ball wisely. Again there was no evident inspiration or cohesion from the back four accept to lump it back to Bart who has a real big problem in kicking the ball properly. NA has a lot of sorting out to do and should revisit his tactical skills and thinking. Perhaps if he told the players that constantly lump the ball wide, to alter their sights and lump it at the goal instead. Premiership? your having a laugh.

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Braveheart added 11:14 - Feb 10 The best thing about the cup tie with Millwall is that we are now out of the cup and able to concentrate on the "fantasy" of premiership football. NA in his post match interview spoke about how bitterly disappointed he was that we didn't go through. Lesson learned there Nigel, if you really wanted us to go through, you would have started your strongest line up. Once again, the overall performance of the team was particularly woeful. Those of us that braved the sub-zero temperatures were not rewarded by a warming display of skill and commitment. All to obvious was this continual lack of ability in passing the ball to someone wearing the same coloured shirt and on the rare occasion when it did reach someone in the same coloured shirt, we were treated to a further display of ineptitude because there was no ability in controlling it and use the ball wisely. Again there was no evident inspiration or cohesion from the back four accept to lump it back to Bart who has a real big problem in kicking the ball properly. NA has a lot of sorting out to do and should revisit his tactical skills and thinking. Perhaps if he told the players that constantly lump the ball wide, to alter their sights and lump it at the goal instead. Premiership? your having a laugh.

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