SUNDERLAND AT ST MARY'S

Another must-win game, can we get the 3 points??

Will not be easy as Sunderland will be hard to break down though Fletcher not being fit would be an advantage but suspect they will play him as will be seen as a key game for them. I think we will win and Rickie is overdue a goal so think he will bag a couple

Hoping you are right Matty and forecasting 2-1.

Shite. Bad day all round.

Most worryingly we have more difficult games coming up. Unless we can get 3 or 4 points from next week's two away games things will be looking very bleak again.

well a poor game and 3 points thrown away as Sunderland were not that good. Surprised with the team selection and that Rodrigues was dropped. Had been good against Reading, one of his best games, ran the channels well and 2 strikers at home makes the other team work. Mayuka was pretty awful but if playing as a striker is his position, I thought he was a winger. Dont know about 85th best player in the world, on yesterdays showing be surprised if he was the 85th best in Hampshire.

Ramerez certainly didnt look a £12m buy, worrying didnt seem to have his heart in the game and got a couple of rollickings from Cork for not tracking back. We didnt create many chances. Lambert went very close with a deflected free kick which had the goalie beaten but just went wide of the post when no score, who knows if that had gone in. Aside from that we had a header off the line in second half and then defelcted shot from Guly near the end.

Sunderland really didnt create much either. Kelvin made a great save after 30 seconds when we backed off as normal and allowed them to shoot, all to common a problem. free kick second half was saved by Kelvin though nearly sneaked through but aside from corners and free kicks they didnt offer much, which is why the first goal so important.

Yet again though NA made wierd substitutions which is a worrying trait. First of all I couldnt believe De Ridder was on the bench but to bring him on first was crazy. Tadanari Lee played mid week and scores yet no on bench, you figure out why? Know this was supposed to allow Ramerez into the centre as totally effective out wide left but lets be honest De Ridder didnt terrify Champioship defences so was never going to worry premiership full backs. He had one decent corner and that was about it.

Why Adkins didnt put Rodriges on and move Puncheon to left side no idea. And that pretty much summed up saints, no idea. Few players came out with much credit, out of the strikers and midfield only Cork was anywhere near decent Shaw and Fonte at the back and Kelvin.

NA has put pressure on himself and the team now with his team selection, tactics and substitutions. Need now to win at least one of the next two away games and that is unlikely at Stoke. With Di Matteo out of a job and our Italian CE think the speculation re NA and his job will start again very soon if he doesnt get some results. While I do like the guy I have never thought his substitutions or tactics top notch and dont think he has much help around him, no one with top class experience and to many times it shows.

Davis 7 little he could do about the goal
Shaw 8 another good game, we need to stay up if we want to keep him
Fonte 7 decent game wish we would play with him to stick to opposition top scorer on man to man basis.
Yoshida 5 he is coping with the pace of the game, need another CH in my view.
Cline 6 partly at fault for goal not his best game.
Schneiderlin 5 his passing was off yesterady
Cork 7 best of the bunch and at least never gives up
Puncheon 5 pretty inept display, despite playing better to inconsistent for me and would look for a replacement in january
Ramerez 5 wasnt at the races, didnt like rain it seems or playing out wide
Lambert 5 pretty poor but servcie was abysmal and tactics seemed to keep him out of the box
Matuka 4 totally ineffective has pace but starts his truns to late, and goes to ground to easily

Subs De Ridder 5 simply not up to scratch for premiership, shouldnt have been on the bench.

Will be a battle to stay up and yesterday didnt seem as if the players we had on the field had the heart. Think Chaplow must be totally hacked off when not even given a chancess when we perform like this