Hooiveld struggling to make Villa clash (From Daily Echo)
When news happens, text SDE and your photos or videos to 80360. Or contact us by email and phone.
Hooiveld struggling to make Villa clash
8:00am Wednesday 19th September 2012 in Sport
By Adam Leitch, Chief Sports Writer
Jos Hooiveld
Jos Hooiveld is a major doubt for Saturday’s crunch St Mary’s clash with Aston Villa.
The Dutch centre half was forced off midway through the first half of the 6-1 drubbing at Arsenal with a calf injury.
Hooiveld had been struggling with the problem for several days but Saints were hopeful he could get through the game.
It didn’t work out that way and Maya Yoshida was drafted into the side earlier than expected, having only had one full training session with the club since signing, and that after arriving back from international duty with Japan.
Saints’ much praised medical staff are doing all they can to have Hooiveld ready for the weekend game against Villa, but he is at best touch and go to be ready.
If he fails to make it, that would mean a first Saints start for Yoshida alongside Jose Fonte .
It would also mark only the third league game that Hooiveld would have missed since joining the club from Celtic on August 31, 2011.
In that time his fantastic fitness record has seen him start in 43 of the 45 league matches that have taken place since he moved to St Mary’s.
Hooiveld and Fonte have been the regular pairing in that period, starting 39 of those games together.
On the four occasions Fonte was out injured, Hooiveld partnered Aaron Martin , now on a season long loan at Crystal Palace.
The two games Hooiveld missed, in which Fonte partnered Martin, were both draws, against Cardiff and Birmingham.
The centre half department is one in which Saints are short of options beyond their lead three defenders of Fonte, Hooiveld and new recruit Yoshida.
Their only other centre halves are Dan Seaborne , who has slipped well down the pecking order, and Jack Stephens, a teenager with only a handful of lower leagues games for Plymouth to his name. Nigel Adkins also has another problem to wrestle with as he tries to find the best way to get Gaston Ramirez into the starting line-up.
Adkins is believed to want to start the £12m Uruguayan this weekend, having been impressed by what he saw in the second half at the Emirates Stadium.
However, he will have to move the team around to do it. At Arsenal he sacrificed one of the central midfield three in the shape of Steven Davis to bring Ramirez in at half time and tinkered with the formation slightly.
Adkins will have to decide whether to try and play Ramirez in the hole just off Rickie Lambert and adapt the team around that, or whether to employ him in the 4-3-3 type formation the club have favoured this season.
If he does the latter then he may have to consider moving captain Adam Lallana back into a more central role. Alternatively, he could drop Jason Puncheon , who has been one of the brighter lights of the season so far.
Comments(88)
mike saint
says...
8:26am Wed 19 Sep 12
Hope we can loan one by Sat along with a goalkeeper. Davis must be Dropped.
Stroppy_gramps
says...
8:27am Wed 19 Sep 12
I'm looking after my son this weekend otherwise I would be there singing along with everyone else
Seedhouse the Unrepentant
says...
8:42am Wed 19 Sep 12
mike saint wrote:Sorry thought you were told several times the other day that the loan window is shut? We can pick up out of contract players who are free agents but not loanees.
Thats our best centre half out then.
Hope we can loan one by Sat along with a goalkeeper. Davis must be Dropped.
Please acknowledge receipt of message and confirm your understanding.
regards
Seed
AndyAndrews
says...
8:49am Wed 19 Sep 12
PS NA for the sack if we lose against Villa, ie 5/5 defeats?
angus mc coatup
says...
8:52am Wed 19 Sep 12
AndyAndrews wrote:well that makes that a crunch game then.
Please don't be lazy and boring by calling every single match this season a crunch game!
PS NA for the sack if we lose against Villa, ie 5/5 defeats?
Chipmonk1
says...
9:17am Wed 19 Sep 12
Furthermore I will not be watching the game and hopefully remove my TV watching curse.
Well i'll try anyway.
tugboat
says...
9:18am Wed 19 Sep 12
Hopefully it wont lead to lots of tinkering to find out. We should know our strongest line up (bar injuries) and know his best position.
At 12 mill with his ability he starts,doesnt he ?
A scratchy 1-0 will do to steady the ship.
Alicesdad
says...
9:18am Wed 19 Sep 12
AndyAndrews wrote:It might be worth looking at the statistics and overall position from a different perspective. Try it !
Please don't be lazy and boring by calling every single match this season a crunch game!
PS NA for the sack if we lose against Villa, ie 5/5 defeats?
Persepctive One: Instead of the somewhat superficial 5/5 defeats, why not check out how many other teams last season lost away to City and Arsenal and also lost at home to Utd. I can't be bothered to look it up as I'm sure someone else will.
I wouldn't mind betting it covers a whole load of teams, many of whom kept their managers.
Perspective Two: A manager is a key appointment at a club, they are new to the premiership. The club has spent a shedload (£30m) on new players and the new boys havent had a chance to play together yet.
That warrants time and a proper assessment. We are nowhere near that assessment yet.
Perspective Three: Management change is disruptive to team spirit. The manager is highly thought of by the players. This is not Chelsea where a bunch of ageing egoistic relics form a clique to get rid of the manager. We are Southampton and are way above that gutter. The team spirit is excellent at this club, as endorsed time and tme again by many players. To disrupt that too soon would be folly.
Perspective four: The cult of management sacking is one of the main reasons that clubs fortunes are like roller coasters. Look at our own history in that respect. When Mcmenemy took over he took us down in his first year. The cup win rescued him. Then he showed his true worth over the next few years. In recent years we have been a mess with management change. And now Adkins has arrived and we have seen success and consistency for two years. He is passionate, knowledgeable and tactically shrewd. He may not be the most charismatic interviewee on TV but he does demonstrate honesty, a sincere belief in the way this team plays, he truly knows what he is trying to do and will be a legend at this club if only the doom merchants are kept firmly in their place.
This team will not be relegated. I fully expect a respectable mid table position by the end of the season. I also think that the majority of fans believe this too.
SaintMax
says...
9:33am Wed 19 Sep 12
Hopefully Yoshida and Fonte can get plenty of practice in this week to start forming an understanding.
Mr. T
says...
9:35am Wed 19 Sep 12
spyware
says...
9:36am Wed 19 Sep 12
AndyAndrews wrote:We all remember the last time Saints' lost the opening 5 games of a new season.
Please don't be lazy and boring by calling every single match this season a crunch game! PS NA for the sack if we lose against Villa, ie 5/5 defeats?
For ease of reference that was the '98-'99 season, infamously known as the 'great escape'.
We only had 2 points on the board in the first 9 games.
Dave Jones was in charge then.
So just be patient and believe as its still early days.
St. Saint
says...
9:39am Wed 19 Sep 12
mike saint wrote:Christ! Learn the rules
Thats our best centre half out then.
Hope we can loan one by Sat along with a goalkeeper. Davis must be Dropped.
SO50 Saint
says...
9:44am Wed 19 Sep 12
See You When The Fog Clears
says...
9:45am Wed 19 Sep 12
I totally agree with everything you said, good to read some commonsense thinking for a change.
I believe we will be mid table this season and with any luck have a good cup run
spyware
says...
9:56am Wed 19 Sep 12
SO50 Saint wrote:Well remembered that man.
Was are first win in that great escape season at home to Cov? Think it was about mid october and the weather was atrocious
After a 1-1 draw at Arsenal, we beat Coventry 2-1
The next win was home against Wimbledon 3-1 in December
SO50 Saint
says...
10:01am Wed 19 Sep 12
OSPREYSAINT
says...
10:08am Wed 19 Sep 12
St. Saint wrote:Free agents can be signed by a club at any time in the season, if they had been released by their previous club before the end of the transfer window. A club can request to sign a player on emergency basis, e.g. if several goalkeepers are injured at the same time. Christ, has nothing to do with it.
mike saint wrote:Christ! Learn the rules
Thats our best centre half out then.
Hope we can loan one by Sat along with a goalkeeper. Davis must be Dropped.
manosussex
says...
10:10am Wed 19 Sep 12
tugboat wrote:Yep got it in 1
I thought this problem would happen,were overloaded with attacking options,but really should of known where ranmirez would play before we bought him in,its not as if we didnt have enough time to think about it.
Hopefully it wont lead to lots of tinkering to find out. We should know our strongest line up (bar injuries) and know his best position.
At 12 mill with his ability he starts,doesnt he ?
A scratchy 1-0 will do to steady the ship.
Confucious
says...
10:23am Wed 19 Sep 12
Chipmonk1 wrote:Far from it - our overseas supporters are among the most cogent on here and all contributions, apart from those coming from fish (ie the underseas), are welcome. And this is true even though most on here have their mental receivers off the hook and are a couplet short of a sonnet.
As an overseas supporter i know my opinion is of less regard but IMHO Ramirez should come in at Davis expense alongside spiderman leave Punch and AL on the side and either Chung or JRod up front with Lambert.
Furthermore I will not be watching the game and hopefully remove my TV watching curse.
Well i'll try anyway.
Of course some opinions are more valued than others by merit of their content. Mine are held in particularly high esteem, though not because I'm a quadruple season ticket holder, but because I have considerable tactical expertise and a lot of inside knowledge about what's going on at the club. Fans also know I'm a special advisor to Nigel and Nicola via e mail. In fact (since you may be unaware) I am THE person who, two seasons ago, got the club working on the basis of "The higher they get, the fewer."
bullsbags
says...
10:27am Wed 19 Sep 12
Also in those days we had players with top flight experience including a certain
MLTISS
SaintMax
says...
10:31am Wed 19 Sep 12
manosussex wrote:We should take with a pinch of salt what the papers say too. A club like ours (not the spend-easy clubs like ManCity Chelsea etc) doesn't buy a player for £12m with the view to shoe-horning him in somewhere.
tugboat wrote:Yep got it in 1
I thought this problem would happen,were overloaded with attacking options,but really should of known where ranmirez would play before we bought him in,its not as if we didnt have enough time to think about it.
Hopefully it wont lead to lots of tinkering to find out. We should know our strongest line up (bar injuries) and know his best position.
At 12 mill with his ability he starts,doesnt he ?
A scratchy 1-0 will do to steady the ship.
Our day will come soon, and I reckon this will be saturday.
SFC4EVA
says...
10:32am Wed 19 Sep 12
AndyAndrews wrote:As I said on a previous thread......
Please don't be lazy and boring by calling every single match this season a crunch game! PS NA for the sack if we lose against Villa, ie 5/5 defeats?
"If we had got the same results against Man U, Man City and Arsenal with a slip-up against a lower placed team (Wigan) spread out throughout 3 or 4 months no one would have been batted an eyelid. It just so happened we played 3 of the best teams is the country and possibly europe in the first 4 games of the season. Wigan, i'd like to think was a slip-up and we would get something from "Wigan" type teams. Wigan who, let's not forget, have been in the Premier League for 7 years! I'd like to think that NC has enough about him to realise the sort of teams MU, MC & Arsenal are!
Some people need a reality check."
Let's not hit the panic button yet! COYR
Jesus_02
says...
10:39am Wed 19 Sep 12
Our two problems are Fox and Kelvin. Fox because he isn’t the best defensively and has been previously singled out by teams and Kelvin because his ability to come and claim and his decision making has a been poor
It would be a brave man to select Gazzaniger, but he could be a good option. He might not be as good a shot stopper but he is good in the box and his distribution is excellent.
As with Ramerz, I imagine he will start instead of Puncheon although I confess I’d like to see him play a freer role just off Ricky
Hobson82
says...
10:58am Wed 19 Sep 12
OSPREYSAINT wrote:I heard West Ham turned down the chance to sign Silvestre on a free, I know he's getting on a bit, but surely he could add valuable experience to our back line. At least until the end of the season.
St. Saint wrote:Free agents can be signed by a club at any time in the season, if they had been released by their previous club before the end of the transfer window. A club can request to sign a player on emergency basis, e.g. if several goalkeepers are injured at the same time. Christ, has nothing to do with it.mike saint wrote: Thats our best centre half out then. Hope we can loan one by Sat along with a goalkeeper. Davis must be Dropped.Christ! Learn the rules
SouthamptonLegend
says...
11:04am Wed 19 Sep 12
Chipmonk1 wrote:How can you drop Steven Davis!? He's our main midfield man this season and is a box to box player, something we lack!
As an overseas supporter i know my opinion is of less regard but IMHO Ramirez should come in at Davis expense alongside spiderman leave Punch and AL on the side and either Chung or JRod up front with Lambert.
Furthermore I will not be watching the game and hopefully remove my TV watching curse.
Well i'll try anyway.
I'd prefer Morgan to be dropped but for some reason Adkins likes starting him so can't see that ever happening, no matter how **** poor his tackling is.
My team for Villa would be; Gazzniga, Clyne, Fonte, Maya, Shaw, Ward-Prowse, Davis, Cork, Ramirez, Lallana and Lambert.
Davis, Richardson, Seabourne, Morgan, Puncheon, Lee and Mayuka
sisaydo
says...
11:05am Wed 19 Sep 12
Hobson82 wrote:Oh please, desperate no!
OSPREYSAINT wrote:I heard West Ham turned down the chance to sign Silvestre on a free, I know he's getting on a bit, but surely he could add valuable experience to our back line. At least until the end of the season.
St. Saint wrote:Free agents can be signed by a club at any time in the season, if they had been released by their previous club before the end of the transfer window. A club can request to sign a player on emergency basis, e.g. if several goalkeepers are injured at the same time. Christ, has nothing to do with it.mike saint wrote: Thats our best centre half out then. Hope we can loan one by Sat along with a goalkeeper. Davis must be Dropped.Christ! Learn the rules
Sue from Oz
says...
11:12am Wed 19 Sep 12
SaintMax
says...
11:26am Wed 19 Sep 12
SouthamptonLegend wrote:like that starting 11, but Nigel can be unpredictibly predictable (Guly/Fox/Morgan/dro
Chipmonk1 wrote:How can you drop Steven Davis!? He's our main midfield man this season and is a box to box player, something we lack!
As an overseas supporter i know my opinion is of less regard but IMHO Ramirez should come in at Davis expense alongside spiderman leave Punch and AL on the side and either Chung or JRod up front with Lambert.
Furthermore I will not be watching the game and hopefully remove my TV watching curse.
Well i'll try anyway.
I'd prefer Morgan to be dropped but for some reason Adkins likes starting him so can't see that ever happening, no matter how **** poor his tackling is.
My team for Villa would be; Gazzniga, Clyne, Fonte, Maya, Shaw, Ward-Prowse, Davis, Cork, Ramirez, Lallana and Lambert.
Davis, Richardson, Seabourne, Morgan, Puncheon, Lee and Mayuka
pping Ricky)
upwherewebelong
says...
11:43am Wed 19 Sep 12
Rodriguez must be used as a centre forward after all Nigel that is his position he's not a winger.
Ramirez - must start
Mayuka - Why sign him if you wont play him or even use him as a sub
Lee- What's happened to him ?
Cork - We need him back soon to make our midfield stronger
Defense the most neglected area of the team by NA - Can't understand why NA didn't strengthen this area more during the summer.
That said in essence the season starts Saturday as the PL stitched us up by given us that set of 4 fixtures. As long as NA stops making silly errors that he didn't make last year we will be fine as 12 wins and 4 draws from 34 games left will see us safe which lets be honest is all we want this year.
redsnapper
says...
12:28pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Watching Spurs the other day their keeper had acres of space to distribute as their defenders moved up smartly, our back 4 and certainly Fox stay too deep.
KD then passes to Fox 9 times out of 10 so even the dumbest opposition soon realise how to beat us.
Wake up Saints
Mush On The Beach
says...
12:44pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Alicesdad wrote:That’s an awful lot of perspective..... Very good.
AndyAndrews wrote:It might be worth looking at the statistics and overall position from a different perspective. Try it !
Please don't be lazy and boring by calling every single match this season a crunch game!
PS NA for the sack if we lose against Villa, ie 5/5 defeats?
Persepctive One: Instead of the somewhat superficial 5/5 defeats, why not check out how many other teams last season lost away to City and Arsenal and also lost at home to Utd. I can't be bothered to look it up as I'm sure someone else will.
I wouldn't mind betting it covers a whole load of teams, many of whom kept their managers.
Perspective Two: A manager is a key appointment at a club, they are new to the premiership. The club has spent a shedload (£30m) on new players and the new boys havent had a chance to play together yet.
That warrants time and a proper assessment. We are nowhere near that assessment yet.
Perspective Three: Management change is disruptive to team spirit. The manager is highly thought of by the players. This is not Chelsea where a bunch of ageing egoistic relics form a clique to get rid of the manager. We are Southampton and are way above that gutter. The team spirit is excellent at this club, as endorsed time and tme again by many players. To disrupt that too soon would be folly.
Perspective four: The cult of management sacking is one of the main reasons that clubs fortunes are like roller coasters. Look at our own history in that respect. When Mcmenemy took over he took us down in his first year. The cup win rescued him. Then he showed his true worth over the next few years. In recent years we have been a mess with management change. And now Adkins has arrived and we have seen success and consistency for two years. He is passionate, knowledgeable and tactically shrewd. He may not be the most charismatic interviewee on TV but he does demonstrate honesty, a sincere belief in the way this team plays, he truly knows what he is trying to do and will be a legend at this club if only the doom merchants are kept firmly in their place.
This team will not be relegated. I fully expect a respectable mid table position by the end of the season. I also think that the majority of fans believe this too.
I believe the Alex Ferguson approach is the way to go adopted by the United board all those years ago. We have a good young manager and a good young squad, keep calm, keep belief and keep loyal.
The rest will all follow, as sure as eggs are eggs and skunts are skint.
saintlysoul
says...
12:56pm Wed 19 Sep 12
SouthamptonLegend wrote:I agree!
Chipmonk1 wrote:How can you drop Steven Davis!? He's our main midfield man this season and is a box to box player, something we lack!
As an overseas supporter i know my opinion is of less regard but IMHO Ramirez should come in at Davis expense alongside spiderman leave Punch and AL on the side and either Chung or JRod up front with Lambert.
Furthermore I will not be watching the game and hopefully remove my TV watching curse.
Well i'll try anyway.
I'd prefer Morgan to be dropped but for some reason Adkins likes starting him so can't see that ever happening, no matter how **** poor his tackling is.
My team for Villa would be; Gazzniga, Clyne, Fonte, Maya, Shaw, Ward-Prowse, Davis, Cork, Ramirez, Lallana and Lambert.
Davis, Richardson, Seabourne, Morgan, Puncheon, Lee and Mayuka
Mush On The Beach
says...
12:58pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Sue from Oz wrote:Sue, us Aussies talk the most sense on here .... It’s the constant sunshine and fine wine, it’s good for putting positivity in your pants.
I just want to say I agree with Alice's Dad. Saints survival and splendid successes in the past two years are due to Nicola and Nigel. It's been a great time to be a Saints supporter but it was always going to be difficult surviving in the premiership. I hope that Nigel is given the time to show what he and the team can achieve!
Hobson82
says...
1:00pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Alicesdad wrote:Alicesdad, is your real name Andy Gray?!?
AndyAndrews wrote: Please don't be lazy and boring by calling every single match this season a crunch game! PS NA for the sack if we lose against Villa, ie 5/5 defeats?It might be worth looking at the statistics and overall position from a different perspective. Try it ! Persepctive One: Instead of the somewhat superficial 5/5 defeats, why not check out how many other teams last season lost away to City and Arsenal and also lost at home to Utd. I can't be bothered to look it up as I'm sure someone else will. I wouldn't mind betting it covers a whole load of teams, many of whom kept their managers. Perspective Two: A manager is a key appointment at a club, they are new to the premiership. The club has spent a shedload (£30m) on new players and the new boys havent had a chance to play together yet. That warrants time and a proper assessment. We are nowhere near that assessment yet. Perspective Three: Management change is disruptive to team spirit. The manager is highly thought of by the players. This is not Chelsea where a bunch of ageing egoistic relics form a clique to get rid of the manager. We are Southampton and are way above that gutter. The team spirit is excellent at this club, as endorsed time and tme again by many players. To disrupt that too soon would be folly. Perspective four: The cult of management sacking is one of the main reasons that clubs fortunes are like roller coasters. Look at our own history in that respect. When Mcmenemy took over he took us down in his first year. The cup win rescued him. Then he showed his true worth over the next few years. In recent years we have been a mess with management change. And now Adkins has arrived and we have seen success and consistency for two years. He is passionate, knowledgeable and tactically shrewd. He may not be the most charismatic interviewee on TV but he does demonstrate honesty, a sincere belief in the way this team plays, he truly knows what he is trying to do and will be a legend at this club if only the doom merchants are kept firmly in their place. This team will not be relegated. I fully expect a respectable mid table position by the end of the season. I also think that the majority of fans believe this too.
Your posts are always good reads and very rarely do I disagree with you.
However, and I think some people are aware of my feelings on Adkins and Cortese.
Adkins has so far done a sterling job, and will go down as one of our clubs greatest managers. But I am not confident that Cortese will give Adkins much time. I hope we start picking up results soon otherwise I fear Cortese will get restless and issue Adkins with his P60.
SouthamptonLegend
says...
1:05pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Let's all hold hands and pray he signs in time to play on Saturday!
saintkenny
says...
1:08pm Wed 19 Sep 12
SouthamptonLegend wrote:we got davis in ,he looks no better than hammond so far ,cork in chaplow are better box to box players ,you should get players in if there better than you got ,but davis is not in my book ,might as well of kept hammond and got another better box to box player .im still judging davis to be fair ,but not5 much so far to report .ok he scored but hammond did also .i just cant see where he his any better than hammond so far
Chipmonk1 wrote:How can you drop Steven Davis!? He's our main midfield man this season and is a box to box player, something we lack!
As an overseas supporter i know my opinion is of less regard but IMHO Ramirez should come in at Davis expense alongside spiderman leave Punch and AL on the side and either Chung or JRod up front with Lambert.
Furthermore I will not be watching the game and hopefully remove my TV watching curse.
Well i'll try anyway.
I'd prefer Morgan to be dropped but for some reason Adkins likes starting him so can't see that ever happening, no matter how **** poor his tackling is.
My team for Villa would be; Gazzniga, Clyne, Fonte, Maya, Shaw, Ward-Prowse, Davis, Cork, Ramirez, Lallana and Lambert.
Davis, Richardson, Seabourne, Morgan, Puncheon, Lee and Mayuka
SouthamptonLegend
says...
1:14pm Wed 19 Sep 12
saintkenny wrote:This is the Northern Ireland captain and ex rangers captain your talking about...
SouthamptonLegend wrote:we got davis in ,he looks no better than hammond so far ,cork in chaplow are better box to box players ,you should get players in if there better than you got ,but davis is not in my book ,might as well of kept hammond and got another better box to box player .im still judging davis to be fair ,but not5 much so far to report .ok he scored but hammond did also .i just cant see where he his any better than hammond so far
Chipmonk1 wrote:How can you drop Steven Davis!? He's our main midfield man this season and is a box to box player, something we lack!
As an overseas supporter i know my opinion is of less regard but IMHO Ramirez should come in at Davis expense alongside spiderman leave Punch and AL on the side and either Chung or JRod up front with Lambert.
Furthermore I will not be watching the game and hopefully remove my TV watching curse.
Well i'll try anyway.
I'd prefer Morgan to be dropped but for some reason Adkins likes starting him so can't see that ever happening, no matter how **** poor his tackling is.
My team for Villa would be; Gazzniga, Clyne, Fonte, Maya, Shaw, Ward-Prowse, Davis, Cork, Ramirez, Lallana and Lambert.
Davis, Richardson, Seabourne, Morgan, Puncheon, Lee and Mayuka
Hammond isn't in the same league as Davis, literally!!!
lowe esteem
says...
1:16pm Wed 19 Sep 12
AndyAndrews wrote:Please don't be Lazy And Boring by Prematurely calling for the Manager's head-put your own head on the block,tell us your own views AA?
Please don't be lazy and boring by calling every single match this season a crunch game!
PS NA for the sack if we lose against Villa, ie 5/5 defeats?
PS: Saints Are IN The Stripes!
saintkenny
says...
1:17pm Wed 19 Sep 12
SouthamptonLegend wrote:it could help help if we had a left back and a right back ,davis is to exposed most of the goals ,no keepwer would have chance .behind the defence 5 yard shots and headers .some crosses yes ,but he has been better protected when he his .championship 19 clean sheets .one of them at leeds or we would of been in the playoffs,and 20 clean sheets in league one.also take into account we have had more against us in the premier league .in defense and midfield were not good enough so far.you could put the great peter shilton in were stiill let goals in ,lets be realistic here
Apparently we're talking to Craig Gordon!
Let's all hold hands and pray he signs in time to play on Saturday!
saintkenny
says...
1:19pm Wed 19 Sep 12
SouthamptonLegend wrote:well spo far he has not shown that in a saints shirt .nortern ireland his hardly a world force .makes no difference to me
saintkenny wrote:This is the Northern Ireland captain and ex rangers captain your talking about...
SouthamptonLegend wrote:we got davis in ,he looks no better than hammond so far ,cork in chaplow are better box to box players ,you should get players in if there better than you got ,but davis is not in my book ,might as well of kept hammond and got another better box to box player .im still judging davis to be fair ,but not5 much so far to report .ok he scored but hammond did also .i just cant see where he his any better than hammond so far
Chipmonk1 wrote:How can you drop Steven Davis!? He's our main midfield man this season and is a box to box player, something we lack!
As an overseas supporter i know my opinion is of less regard but IMHO Ramirez should come in at Davis expense alongside spiderman leave Punch and AL on the side and either Chung or JRod up front with Lambert.
Furthermore I will not be watching the game and hopefully remove my TV watching curse.
Well i'll try anyway.
I'd prefer Morgan to be dropped but for some reason Adkins likes starting him so can't see that ever happening, no matter how **** poor his tackling is.
My team for Villa would be; Gazzniga, Clyne, Fonte, Maya, Shaw, Ward-Prowse, Davis, Cork, Ramirez, Lallana and Lambert.
Davis, Richardson, Seabourne, Morgan, Puncheon, Lee and Mayuka
Hammond isn't in the same league as Davis, literally!!!
CB FRY LIVES
says...
1:22pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Seedhouse the Unrepentant wrote:well said.it has to be Yoshida.lets hope he can get up the other end too and score like Jos did for us several times last season.
Step up Yoshida! Looking forward to seeing him play along with Ramirez.
mike saint
says...
1:26pm Wed 19 Sep 12
OSPREYSAINT wrote:Well said
St. Saint wrote:Free agents can be signed by a club at any time in the season, if they had been released by their previous club before the end of the transfer window. A club can request to sign a player on emergency basis, e.g. if several goalkeepers are injured at the same time. Christ, has nothing to do with it.
mike saint wrote:Christ! Learn the rules
Thats our best centre half out then.
Hope we can loan one by Sat along with a goalkeeper. Davis must be Dropped.
nose74
says...
1:59pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Seedhouse the Unrepentant
says...
2:11pm Wed 19 Sep 12
SaintMax
says...
2:26pm Wed 19 Sep 12
promised land
says...
2:34pm Wed 19 Sep 12
buster gutt
says...
2:40pm Wed 19 Sep 12
I can't think of anything that make the team play even worse.Hope it's not going to be headline news in the Echo
Mush On The Beach
says...
2:47pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Not fit and proper enough to eat your fish and chips off from.
Cue a skunt joke please ......
SaintMax
says...
2:53pm Wed 19 Sep 12
SouthamptonLegend
says...
2:58pm Wed 19 Sep 12
saintkenny wrote:I agree it's not just Davis' fault, Adkins has shot himself in the foot not signing defenders.
SouthamptonLegend wrote:it could help help if we had a left back and a right back ,davis is to exposed most of the goals ,no keepwer would have chance .behind the defence 5 yard shots and headers .some crosses yes ,but he has been better protected when he his .championship 19 clean sheets .one of them at leeds or we would of been in the playoffs,and 20 clean sheets in league one.also take into account we have had more against us in the premier league .in defense and midfield were not good enough so far.you could put the great peter shilton in were stiill let goals in ,lets be realistic here
Apparently we're talking to Craig Gordon!
Let's all hold hands and pray he signs in time to play on Saturday!
But that game at Leeds was a once in a lifetime performance. Have you ever seen Davis play like that before or after that game?
We need a keeper who is a footballer. Someone who's quick with distributing the ball, can catch crosses, can kick a ball straight (to our own players), comes out to close down the opposition in 1 on 1 situations and a good communicator. None of these qualities Davis possesses.
Let's be realistic...if there is a better goalkeeper than Davis available we probably will sign him and give ourselves as much of a chance as we can to keep the goals down now. That goes with defenders too, if there is any decent ones left we'll probably sign one because, let's face it, we are starting to look desperate at the back in terms of quality.
george chivers
says...
3:03pm Wed 19 Sep 12
redsnapper wrote:Kelvin hasn't been in good nick recently, but please don't compare him to Dave McClaren.
Kelvin,s recent perfomances remind of Dave McClaren, a complete flapper in the box.
Watching Spurs the other day their keeper had acres of space to distribute as their defenders moved up smartly, our back 4 and certainly Fox stay too deep.
KD then passes to Fox 9 times out of 10 so even the dumbest opposition soon realise how to beat us.
Wake up Saints
McClaren was dreadful! Don't forget Kelvin was pick of the league keeper for both of our promotions.
McClaren was as bad as Bart at his worst, except is was every week without fail.
Bart is now playing well for Notts County.
Mush On The Beach
says...
3:18pm Wed 19 Sep 12
george chivers wrote:But is he as good as Joe Hart the England No. 1 at Real Madrid last night? .... its a tough gig being a keeper.
redsnapper wrote:Kelvin hasn't been in good nick recently, but please don't compare him to Dave McClaren.
Kelvin,s recent perfomances remind of Dave McClaren, a complete flapper in the box.
Watching Spurs the other day their keeper had acres of space to distribute as their defenders moved up smartly, our back 4 and certainly Fox stay too deep.
KD then passes to Fox 9 times out of 10 so even the dumbest opposition soon realise how to beat us.
Wake up Saints
McClaren was dreadful! Don't forget Kelvin was pick of the league keeper for both of our promotions.
McClaren was as bad as Bart at his worst, except is was every week without fail.
Bart is now playing well for Notts County.
I believe the defence can certainly help your cause.
Kelv does need a radar for his near post though this season, it has looked little shaky on occasions.
SO50 Saint
says...
3:30pm Wed 19 Sep 12
boobooj
says...
3:37pm Wed 19 Sep 12
SFC4EVA wrote:Totally agree. Not only that, but playing the tops teams in such a short space of time was always going to damage team morale - hence the inevitable 6-1 drubbing at the Emirates.
AndyAndrews wrote:As I said on a previous thread......
Please don't be lazy and boring by calling every single match this season a crunch game! PS NA for the sack if we lose against Villa, ie 5/5 defeats?
"If we had got the same results against Man U, Man City and Arsenal with a slip-up against a lower placed team (Wigan) spread out throughout 3 or 4 months no one would have been batted an eyelid. It just so happened we played 3 of the best teams is the country and possibly europe in the first 4 games of the season. Wigan, i'd like to think was a slip-up and we would get something from "Wigan" type teams. Wigan who, let's not forget, have been in the Premier League for 7 years! I'd like to think that NC has enough about him to realise the sort of teams MU, MC & Arsenal are!
Some people need a reality check."
Let's not hit the panic button yet! COYR
I fully expect the team to get the 3 points at the weekend and calm some of the doubters.
boobooj
says...
3:39pm Wed 19 Sep 12
SO50 Saint wrote:He probably would've done more with the Ronaldo shot too if Kompany hadn't ducked and covered like he was being shot at.
TBF to Hart he made some awesome saves to keep Citeh in the game at 0-0 during the first half one from Ronaldo was world class
Mush On The Beach
says...
3:42pm Wed 19 Sep 12
SO50 Saint wrote:I see your TBF and raise you another TBF .... Davis has saved 2 penalties from the top 2 Prem teams from last year.
TBF to Hart he made some awesome saves to keep Citeh in the game at 0-0 during the first half one from Ronaldo was world class
SO50 Saint
says...
3:44pm Wed 19 Sep 12
SaintMax
says...
3:48pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Mush On The Beach wrote:One of those could have been saved by by 3 year old daughter mind you.
SO50 Saint wrote:I see your TBF and raise you another TBF .... Davis has saved 2 penalties from the top 2 Prem teams from last year.
TBF to Hart he made some awesome saves to keep Citeh in the game at 0-0 during the first half one from Ronaldo was world class
SouthamptonLegend
says...
3:52pm Wed 19 Sep 12
At least it's better than being linked with that twitchy skate ****.
SaintMax
says...
3:59pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Mush On The Beach
says...
3:59pm Wed 19 Sep 12
SaintMax wrote:You show a lack of respect to goal keepers who have the balls to wait to the last minute instead of diving too early and going to the left or the right.
Mush On The Beach wrote:One of those could have been saved by by 3 year old daughter mind you.
SO50 Saint wrote:I see your TBF and raise you another TBF .... Davis has saved 2 penalties from the top 2 Prem teams from last year.
TBF to Hart he made some awesome saves to keep Citeh in the game at 0-0 during the first half one from Ronaldo was world class
Granted, a smart 3 yr old keeper like your daughter may have the same talent .... Sign her up now with the Academy
Mush On The Beach
says...
4:07pm Wed 19 Sep 12
SO50 Saint wrote:Agreed then
I'm not arguing the case about Davis Mush I choose not to slate individuals on here but do feel the competition of someone like Gordon would be excellent.
SaintMax
says...
4:22pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Mush On The Beach wrote:She's on Barca's books already but I will have a word with her to see if she could consider us when the great Davis hangs his gloves (much respect..)
SaintMax wrote:You show a lack of respect to goal keepers who have the balls to wait to the last minute instead of diving too early and going to the left or the right.
Mush On The Beach wrote:One of those could have been saved by by 3 year old daughter mind you.
SO50 Saint wrote:I see your TBF and raise you another TBF .... Davis has saved 2 penalties from the top 2 Prem teams from last year.
TBF to Hart he made some awesome saves to keep Citeh in the game at 0-0 during the first half one from Ronaldo was world class
Granted, a smart 3 yr old keeper like your daughter may have the same talent .... Sign her up now with the Academy
Velleity
says...
5:36pm Wed 19 Sep 12
So, the root problem might lie a little further forward than Kelvin.
PTID1898
says...
5:58pm Wed 19 Sep 12
slugger
says...
6:19pm Wed 19 Sep 12
PTID1898 wrote:loose what ?
It won't make any difference who is out injured or who is fit you will loose anyway.PUP
SaintMax
says...
6:26pm Wed 19 Sep 12
slugger wrote:Have we forgotten to tighten something thats come loose? Nice of him to warn us.
PTID1898 wrote:loose what ?
It won't make any difference who is out injured or who is fit you will loose anyway.PUP
slugger
says...
6:29pm Wed 19 Sep 12
SFC1976
says...
6:34pm Wed 19 Sep 12
PTID1898 wrote:Same as you lot last night then beaten at home again this time by the Mighty Swindon been a good week for Pompey mind you playing 2 teams of such quality is no shock you lost both.
It won't make any difference who is out injured or who is fit you will loose anyway.PUP
On the plus side I see you had a huge crowd at Fratton last night least you can still claim to be the bestest fans in the whole wide world ever :) well 10,000 of you can shame the other 7000 from the Bournemouth game couldnt be bothered to turn up. Pack the park you lot couldn't pack a suitcase.
Scarborosaint
says...
6:42pm Wed 19 Sep 12
warrens 76
says...
7:03pm Wed 19 Sep 12
lowe esteem wrote:Well I'm not sure i would call them stripes which would indicate a certain width usually defined as the same width as the adjacent colour...lines yes.
AndyAndrews wrote:Please don't be Lazy And Boring by Prematurely calling for the Manager's head-put your own head on the block,tell us your own views AA?
Please don't be lazy and boring by calling every single match this season a crunch game!
PS NA for the sack if we lose against Villa, ie 5/5 defeats?
PS: Saints Are IN The Stripes!
saintshorse101
says...
7:45pm Wed 19 Sep 12
1st IRON MAN, who could put some much needed steel into our midfield.
2nd THOR & CAPTAIN AMERICA, would bolster our defence.
3rd THE HULK, put him in goal and no shot would get past.
4th and last HAWKEYE, pin point crosses for rickie to blast home.
now they have all been under contract to the avengers but after beating loki in the world final are now free agents.
if NC or NA read these posts please get them in!
Velleity
says...
7:50pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Alicesdad wrote:Alicesdad: Thanks for that thought - hadn't looked up the data.
AndyAndrews wrote:It might be worth looking at the statistics and overall position from a different perspective. Try it !
Please don't be lazy and boring by calling every single match this season a crunch game!
PS NA for the sack if we lose against Villa, ie 5/5 defeats?
Persepctive One: Instead of the somewhat superficial 5/5 defeats, why not check out how many other teams last season lost away to City and Arsenal and also lost at home to Utd. I can't be bothered to look it up as I'm sure someone else will.
I wouldn't mind betting it covers a whole load of teams, many of whom kept their managers.
Perspective Two: A manager is a key appointment at a club, they are new to the premiership. The club has spent a shedload (£30m) on new players and the new boys havent had a chance to play together yet.
That warrants time and a proper assessment. We are nowhere near that assessment yet.
Perspective Three: Management change is disruptive to team spirit. The manager is highly thought of by the players. This is not Chelsea where a bunch of ageing egoistic relics form a clique to get rid of the manager. We are Southampton and are way above that gutter. The team spirit is excellent at this club, as endorsed time and tme again by many players. To disrupt that too soon would be folly.
Perspective four: The cult of management sacking is one of the main reasons that clubs fortunes are like roller coasters. Look at our own history in that respect. When Mcmenemy took over he took us down in his first year. The cup win rescued him. Then he showed his true worth over the next few years. In recent years we have been a mess with management change. And now Adkins has arrived and we have seen success and consistency for two years. He is passionate, knowledgeable and tactically shrewd. He may not be the most charismatic interviewee on TV but he does demonstrate honesty, a sincere belief in the way this team plays, he truly knows what he is trying to do and will be a legend at this club if only the doom merchants are kept firmly in their place.
This team will not be relegated. I fully expect a respectable mid table position by the end of the season. I also think that the majority of fans believe this too.
Here it is.
in 2011, teams who lost to Arsenal away, Man C away and Man U at home were:
Villa - 15th
Blackburn - Relegated
Bolton - Relegated
Everton - 7th
QPR - 17th
Swansea - 12th
Spurs - 4th
WBA - 10th
Not so shabby a list, is it? So, out of the 17 teams in the premiership who weren't ManU, ManC or Arsenal, 50% of them had the results we've had against them this season.
I do wish the doom mongers who think the sky is falling in would get a sense of perspective: we've had a tough start that put us up against it while we were still finding our feet. Have a little faith.
I do expect the pessimists to find a reason why this isn't important, but I see it as a pretty arresting statistic.
Anyway, whatever anyone thinks, I'll be bellowing as loud as I can muster up in row FF of the Northam when they come out on Saturday. Get behind the team and support the boys!
City Saint
says...
7:52pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Let's hope the boys do it for Nige this weekend. If he can get some wins under his belt, he should get the longer run he deserves.
slugger
says...
8:43pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Corkonian Saint
says...
8:57pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Scarborosaint wrote:What he said!
NA is trying to reward some of the boys who have got us promoted over the last 2 years , KD for one turned down west ham a few years ago when they were in the premiership to stay with the saints in division 1 , stayed on a lot less money I would think, players get accused of being mercenary think he deserves a chance to prove he is premiership quality , NA will know and decide if some of these players can't cut the mustard !! Can't believe that the papers and some so called supporters are calling for the managers head after 4 games of a season !!
webbinho
says...
9:39pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Velleity wrote:But how many conceded 12 in the process? I know Blackburn lost 7-1 at Arsenal, but as you note, they went down. I'd love to see us stay up and I'll enjoy every game at St Mary's this season, but honestly don't see us winning many although think we may score.
Alicesdad wrote:Alicesdad: Thanks for that thought - hadn't looked up the data.
AndyAndrews wrote:It might be worth looking at the statistics and overall position from a different perspective. Try it !
Please don't be lazy and boring by calling every single match this season a crunch game!
PS NA for the sack if we lose against Villa, ie 5/5 defeats?
Persepctive One: Instead of the somewhat superficial 5/5 defeats, why not check out how many other teams last season lost away to City and Arsenal and also lost at home to Utd. I can't be bothered to look it up as I'm sure someone else will.
I wouldn't mind betting it covers a whole load of teams, many of whom kept their managers.
Perspective Two: A manager is a key appointment at a club, they are new to the premiership. The club has spent a shedload (£30m) on new players and the new boys havent had a chance to play together yet.
That warrants time and a proper assessment. We are nowhere near that assessment yet.
Perspective Three: Management change is disruptive to team spirit. The manager is highly thought of by the players. This is not Chelsea where a bunch of ageing egoistic relics form a clique to get rid of the manager. We are Southampton and are way above that gutter. The team spirit is excellent at this club, as endorsed time and tme again by many players. To disrupt that too soon would be folly.
Perspective four: The cult of management sacking is one of the main reasons that clubs fortunes are like roller coasters. Look at our own history in that respect. When Mcmenemy took over he took us down in his first year. The cup win rescued him. Then he showed his true worth over the next few years. In recent years we have been a mess with management change. And now Adkins has arrived and we have seen success and consistency for two years. He is passionate, knowledgeable and tactically shrewd. He may not be the most charismatic interviewee on TV but he does demonstrate honesty, a sincere belief in the way this team plays, he truly knows what he is trying to do and will be a legend at this club if only the doom merchants are kept firmly in their place.
This team will not be relegated. I fully expect a respectable mid table position by the end of the season. I also think that the majority of fans believe this too.
Here it is.
in 2011, teams who lost to Arsenal away, Man C away and Man U at home were:
Villa - 15th
Blackburn - Relegated
Bolton - Relegated
Everton - 7th
QPR - 17th
Swansea - 12th
Spurs - 4th
WBA - 10th
Not so shabby a list, is it? So, out of the 17 teams in the premiership who weren't ManU, ManC or Arsenal, 50% of them had the results we've had against them this season.
I do wish the doom mongers who think the sky is falling in would get a sense of perspective: we've had a tough start that put us up against it while we were still finding our feet. Have a little faith.
I do expect the pessimists to find a reason why this isn't important, but I see it as a pretty arresting statistic.
Anyway, whatever anyone thinks, I'll be bellowing as loud as I can muster up in row FF of the Northam when they come out on Saturday. Get behind the team and support the boys!
Baddesley Bill
says...
9:51pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Velleity
says...
10:24pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Arsenal 5-2
Man C 3-2
Man U 3-1
Same goals "for" as well
Not looked for any others yet, but it does put it in perspective.
Strasbourg Saint
says...
10:51pm Wed 19 Sep 12
slugger wrote:Loose bowels ......
PTID1898 wrote:loose what ?
It won't make any difference who is out injured or who is fit you will loose anyway.PUP
....... d4mn fine curry, though!
Brrrmmmmpppp, pardon!
warrens 76
says...
10:52pm Wed 19 Sep 12
PTID1898 wrote:Lose or as in you have a screw loose..we won't you have.
It won't make any difference who is out injured or who is fit you will loose anyway.PUP
st.athan saint
says...
8:53am Thu 20 Sep 12
Alicesdad wrote:A very calm sensible thoughtful unhysterical post - quite what you're doing onhis ste I'm not sure !!!
AndyAndrews wrote:It might be worth looking at the statistics and overall position from a different perspective. Try it !
Please don't be lazy and boring by calling every single match this season a crunch game!
PS NA for the sack if we lose against Villa, ie 5/5 defeats?
Persepctive One: Instead of the somewhat superficial 5/5 defeats, why not check out how many other teams last season lost away to City and Arsenal and also lost at home to Utd. I can't be bothered to look it up as I'm sure someone else will.
I wouldn't mind betting it covers a whole load of teams, many of whom kept their managers.
Perspective Two: A manager is a key appointment at a club, they are new to the premiership. The club has spent a shedload (£30m) on new players and the new boys havent had a chance to play together yet.
That warrants time and a proper assessment. We are nowhere near that assessment yet.
Perspective Three: Management change is disruptive to team spirit. The manager is highly thought of by the players. This is not Chelsea where a bunch of ageing egoistic relics form a clique to get rid of the manager. We are Southampton and are way above that gutter. The team spirit is excellent at this club, as endorsed time and tme again by many players. To disrupt that too soon would be folly.
Perspective four: The cult of management sacking is one of the main reasons that clubs fortunes are like roller coasters. Look at our own history in that respect. When Mcmenemy took over he took us down in his first year. The cup win rescued him. Then he showed his true worth over the next few years. In recent years we have been a mess with management change. And now Adkins has arrived and we have seen success and consistency for two years. He is passionate, knowledgeable and tactically shrewd. He may not be the most charismatic interviewee on TV but he does demonstrate honesty, a sincere belief in the way this team plays, he truly knows what he is trying to do and will be a legend at this club if only the doom merchants are kept firmly in their place.
This team will not be relegated. I fully expect a respectable mid table position by the end of the season. I also think that the majority of fans believe this too.
Flashin the pan
says...
8:57am Thu 20 Sep 12
1-3
Flashin the pan
says...
8:59am Thu 20 Sep 12
1-3
SO50 Saint
says...
9:20am Thu 20 Sep 12
SO50 Saint
says...
12:13pm Thu 20 Sep 12
st1halo
says...
3:36pm Thu 20 Sep 12
Alicesdad wrote:I agree with all you say Alices with the exception of NA being tactically shrewd. Football can be strange, take the Man C game.... Ricky on the bench...comes on and scores... NA is a genius.....if he doesnt score, NA is chastised for not starting him...a no win situation, but I have aiways had doubts about his tactical ability based on his time here as I see it. He makes some very strange decisions and very rarely do his substitutions make a difference or change games. I could never understand why he liked playing 4-5-1 at HOME when in Lg1. Away was understandable to be more defensive. Playing players out of position too and not starting with the strongest team.
AndyAndrews wrote:It might be worth looking at the statistics and overall position from a different perspective. Try it !
Please don't be lazy and boring by calling every single match this season a crunch game!
PS NA for the sack if we lose against Villa, ie 5/5 defeats?
Persepctive One: Instead of the somewhat superficial 5/5 defeats, why not check out how many other teams last season lost away to City and Arsenal and also lost at home to Utd. I can't be bothered to look it up as I'm sure someone else will.
I wouldn't mind betting it covers a whole load of teams, many of whom kept their managers.
Perspective Two: A manager is a key appointment at a club, they are new to the premiership. The club has spent a shedload (£30m) on new players and the new boys havent had a chance to play together yet.
That warrants time and a proper assessment. We are nowhere near that assessment yet.
Perspective Three: Management change is disruptive to team spirit. The manager is highly thought of by the players. This is not Chelsea where a bunch of ageing egoistic relics form a clique to get rid of the manager. We are Southampton and are way above that gutter. The team spirit is excellent at this club, as endorsed time and tme again by many players. To disrupt that too soon would be folly.
Perspective four: The cult of management sacking is one of the main reasons that clubs fortunes are like roller coasters. Look at our own history in that respect. When Mcmenemy took over he took us down in his first year. The cup win rescued him. Then he showed his true worth over the next few years. In recent years we have been a mess with management change. And now Adkins has arrived and we have seen success and consistency for two years. He is passionate, knowledgeable and tactically shrewd. He may not be the most charismatic interviewee on TV but he does demonstrate honesty, a sincere belief in the way this team plays, he truly knows what he is trying to do and will be a legend at this club if only the doom merchants are kept firmly in their place.
This team will not be relegated. I fully expect a respectable mid table position by the end of the season. I also think that the majority of fans believe this too.
I should point out this is my only worry about him as he is totally professional in every other way. As Ive said before he has earnt my respect and earnt the right to have time to adjust and hopefully he will become what you believe he is now
STID

Seedhouse the Unrepentant says...
8:21am Wed 19 Sep 12