ANY CHANCE AT EVERTON?

Can we keep our heads above the bottom three?

Who knows what performance we will put in but I can see us getting a point 1- 1 my prediction

With optimistic head screwed on really tight, SaintMike's forecast for today......

Everton 1 Saints 3


(please)

We were 1-0 up but can't hold onto it, 1-1. I'd take a point right now, though.

Forget that, it's 2-1 to Everton now. I feel a hammering coming on.

3-1. F uck this, I'm turning this off; I am not listening to yet another rogering. What a SHAMBLES. Sort it out Nigel.

F/T 3-1. Well, I carried on listening, against my better judgement(!) hoping they'd turn it round, and, while the second half was better, the damage was done. Saints hardly troubled their goalkeeper in the second half.
I am not one of those calling for the manager's head but I think Nigel's naive. Learning he may be but, in the PL, this will get you nowhere. Maybe NC should get someone in alongside him, someone with experience at this level? 6 games played, 5 defeats (with 1 win against a terrible Villa side), and 18 goals conceded is woeful.

People have said that we wouldn't get anything from most of these games, but that shouldn't be an excuse.

Now 17th, so outside the relegation zone, which might change depending on QPR's result on Monday.

Damn, you weren't listening up there.......I said 3-1 to Saints not against them!

A lot of excuses flying around the forums 'We've had a tough start, against top teams, blah, blah, blah..' and the 'tough start' excuse isn't without some justification, as no-one expected Saints, as a newly promoted team, to pitch up in the PL and beat four out of the six teams they've played so far. That said, I don't think anyone expected Saints to concede 18 goals in six matches either, a truly appalling statistic and one that will get us relegated if not addressed. Do Saints have a defensive coach and, if so, what exactly is he doing to justify being paid?

So far, we've had
Man City (A) - good match, and not a bad defeat, given it was our first PL match in 7 years. That gave everyone optimism. L 3-2
Wigan (H) - poor, a bad defeat and a match Saints should have got something from if it weren't for stupid errors. L 0-2
Man Utd (H) - A good game but Saints undone by some ridiculous subs and bad defending. That's 'one that got away', definitely 3 points dropped (no, I don't care it was ManU, and that Saints weren't expected to beat them that was three points lost). L 2-3
Arsenal (A) - Dire capitulation. Calamitous defending meant a hammering, the only saving grace is that it wasn't actually worse. At half time I was thinking it could easily be double figures. L 6-1
Aston Villa (H) - Dreadful first half 'here we go again', much improved second. Villa are a dreadful team and fell apart in the second half. The 'season starts here' or a false dawn? W 4-1
Everton (A) - Took the lead, promptly threw it away then totally collapsed. We are lucky with was 3-1 and not 6-1 or worse; it may well have been if Everton hadn't been satisfied with 3-1. Awful. L 3-1

It seems that Adkins ethic is that attack is the best form of defence. Normally it is, and in the lower leagues this approach works, as we saw over the past couple of seasons but in the PL it's footballing suicide to take that approach. Yes, Saints have scored goals in each match, except the Wigan one, but that doesn't alter the fact the defence is crap and the midfield goes missing. Giving away 18 goals in six matches is just crap.
Realistically, I certainly didn't expect Saints to be placed much better than 17th (and we're lucky that Reading and Norwich, at least, are worse than us and I'm hoping QPR will lose tomorrow, as they're not much better, either. However, we can't go through the season hoping other people are going to be even worse) but I didn't expect them to to adopt this kamikaze approach, hoping to outscore the opposition. It does NOT work in the PL. That said, with a bit of luck the team can keep their heads above water until January and get some defenders in.
Playing exciting football is good but losing isn't and what's the point of playing exciting football if it means you're going to end up relegated?

Reading the various fora, you see a mixture of doom and gloom and upbeat optimism. I am generally optimistic, thinking that things will get turned around but, at the minute Saints are whipping boys and that is just depressing.

Nostromo I agree with you that cannot continue and have said before that while I like Adkins he does at time seem naive with his tactics. The facts dont lie and 18 goals conced in 6 games says it all. The back 4 at the start of the season were simply not good enough. Yoshida is an improvement but with Fox our best left back it is obvious we will struggle and playing players out of position is not the answer.

You can bring in another couple of defenders but now can only be out of contract players so unlikely will be much better than what we have. Therefore you have to provide greater cover to the back 4 with support from the midfield but I am afraid Adkins persists in ball players who like to get forward, that leaves the defenders exposed and as not the best defence in the league no wonder we concede goals. Losing Cork has been a blow as although not the best tackler he does get back and provide cover, to many of the midfield options dont do the defensive stuff that comes with the territory in todays game. Yesterdays selection with Ramerez, lallana, Rodrigues and Lambert was adventurous but with our defence there was only ever going to be one outcome as far as I was concerned

Away from home would prefer to see us play 4 1 3 1 1, ( I know what about 4 4 2) not overly negative if you include Lallana and Ramerez in the formation. I would have Chaplow (cork if fit) playing in a sweeper role in front of the back 4, then a midfield 3 of Schniederlin Davis (Cork when fit as another option) and Lallana with Ramerez playing behind Lambert As well as providing support to the back 4 if you play the sweeper role you push the mdifield 3 further forward, to often our midfield drops deep which puts more pressure on our dodgy defence. For away games think we have to win the battle of midfield first. Also think Adkins will have to consider if we can have Lallana and Ramerez in the same team when playing away from home.

Our recent performances have shown what a mistake it was in not signing Buttner, Cortese's pride looks like has left us weak on the left side of defence. That may be some defence for Adkins as has not been able to get in players he may have wanted but he has to recognise that you cannot continue with a formation and tactics that means we will leak goals. doesnt matter how good going forward 3 goals a game conceded will be ceratin relgation. I also hope Boruc gets fit soon and starts, think he is the better goalie and need an experinced head in Goal, Gazzinger can go on loan to gain some experience.

I said before about bringing in someone like Tony Adams to work on the defence, sadly don't think that will happen and also dont think Adkins will change much and will stick to his principles. That will put immense pressure on him as although we may win more of our home games every away game I think will end in defeat and that means you have to win your home games and rumours about adkins position will continue.