 Sunday, 28th Oct 2012 08:21 After a saturday when pretty much all the results went for Saints, they go into the game with Spurs with the real incentive of a win pushing them right up the table. Although a late Reading equaliser gave them a draw at home to Fulham and pushed them above Saints on goal difference, if Saints can beat Spurs then they would not only leapfrog Reading but Villa and Norwich too to make the league table look a bit more attractive reading for Saints supporters. Of course with Saints defence it would be a very optimistic Saints supporter who would predict this win and of course with our defensive record its hard to see anything but a Spurs win, however QPR showed that with a bit of heart and by digging in you can match the big boys and its now time for Saints to show that they can repeat the gutsy performances against the two Manchester clubs but cut out the defensive errors. In the past it was games like this in the Premier when our players stood up and where counted and we eaked out more than our fair share of results when it didnt look probable, we need to start doing that now. Looking back over our start it doesnt take a genius to work out that its our defensive frailties that have cost us dearly, but at the start the players diod have heart as they showed against United and City, but in recent weeks we seem to have lost that and some baffling team selections have added to that woe, its time now for Nigel Adkins to show us what he is made of and that he is the manager to get us out of this situation. If these selections are genuinely Nigel's own doing, then so be it, let him succeed or fail by his own hand, but if the manager is letting himself be influenced from elsewhere and being forced to play players or a formation that he is not happy with, then he either now needs to stand up and be his own man, or to be blunt he isnt the manager we thought he was if he is allowing this to happen. Players know what situations are occurring at clubs and truthfully if discipline and spirit is to be maintained in the dressing room then the players need to respect the manager, if that slips away then the will to battle does as well. Saints can beat Spurs though if Nigel Adkins deals with the problems that he has, that means playing players in the right positions, I know I hark on about it, but it is the main problem, if we counter Spurs wide threat by playing defensively minded players on our own flanks then we can build a foundation to keep the scoresheet blank and win the game, bluntly if we play the likes of Guly, Puncheon or even Lallana out wide we will get murdered as we have done on far too many occasions. So will Nigel deal with this situation or not, I support Adkins but I have to say that if he plays the same old players in the same old positions and we get slaughtered down the flanks in the same fashion as we have been in virtually every game, then have to say that I can see very little hope for us, under Nigel or indeed under anyone else. But if the manager shows us he is still in command of the team and he can make these tactical changes and he has learnt from his mistakes, then this could be a magical afternoon at St Mary's, three points will change the league table and perhaps alter the course of the season. By 5pm this afternoon though we will know if Nigel Adkins is the man to take us forward. Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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