 Monday, 22nd Oct 2012 09:15 Perhaps the hardest Verdict I have had to write in several years as Saints continue to commit the same errors both in selection and formation, that gives little hope that we can pull out of this. In the preview for this game on Friday I spoke for the need to play square pegs in square holes and shore up certain key areas, Nigel Adkins team selections did none of this and indeed completely baffled me. Those who have read these previews and verdicts will notice that in the main I am quite consistent in the way I think we should set out a team and make selections, whatever the formations I have always talked about playing players in their true positions, not playing people out of position just to give them a game, but perhaps more importantly not panicking in those selections, by that I mean that a good player doesnt become a bad player over night and vice versa. So far this season I have not castigated Nigel Adkins as much as perhaps he needs to be, I have allowed him a lot of leeway, partly due to the fact that I feel he deserves his chance to show that he can manage at this level and partly because of the difficult job I know he has after many of his transfer targets werent signed, but although that is a big reason why Adkins has to be given leeway in the fact he is not in charge of his own destiny, the fact of the matter is in the main he is still picking the same players in the same positions who are making the same errors and on Saturday I think he has gone a step too far. Its fine for the manager to be moan poor defending, yes he is right it did cost us the game, but he picked those players who defended so poorly. Many would concur that our weakest position is at centre half, that being the case why play all three of them in the same back four and one of them out of position at left back, square pegs in square holes, OK he might have been a bit hand tied in the fact that Fox was injured, but he had other options in that position and given we knew that the Hammers tactics would be to get men down the flanks and balls into the box for Carroll, to play Yoshida there was suicide. The first goal was pure Saints defending as shown week in week out, a fairly simple ball into the box from a free kick 35 yards out saw Boruc on his debut indecisive and none of the central defenders took charge of the situation and the ball carried on through to go in off the far post, if that was bad the second was perhaps worse, Yoshida was beaten to the ball by Benayoun, in truth that was going to happen at sometime with the Japanese player not being that mobile, but as Benayoun headed towards goal, Hooiveld inexplicably failed to curt him off, instead of coming across and keeping the West Ham player out wide, he let him run through only coming across and trying to make a tackle when it was far too late, and even then not even making much attempt to block the ball, the cross across goal was good, it should have been cut out by Fonte however, but he seemed to think he had no one behind him so let it run and was horrified to see Nolan appear for a simple tap in, yes Fonte should have cleared but in these situations he really should have been getting a shout to clear. Saints then rallied and hit back with a Lallana goal after some good work from Jay Rodriguez, but just as it looked like Saints had some shape and were back in the game, Rodriguez cross was his last touch and he was off for Lambert and Mayuka, neither really showed much, I cant even remember Mayuka touching the ball. But the two goal cushion was soon restored, another free kick from way out was going nowhere, Carroll had got under it but could have done litte with it till Fonte for no reason whatsoever knocked it off his head with his hand, it was no accident fgod knows why Fonte choce to do that and the resulting penalty killed the game off. The only question now was would West ham really rout us, the answer was no and a 4th in the final minute was harsh although it still saw a few of our defenders found wanting. So once again another heavy defeat on the road, worryingly all the goals coming from poor defending again, more worryingly though was the managers selections, I feel that he is bereft of what to do next, afraid to try something different and relying on certain players too much who constantly let him down, as I have said earlier i believe his jon is hard due to the lack of transfer activity in key areas in the summer, areas he wanted to buy in, meaning players like Mayuka who in a side playing only one up front was a signing not needed as shown by his lack of game time, but its more than that, as on Saturday the managers selections have been flawed too many times to just blame it on injuries and a lack of signings. We are at a point where we have to get on with it and the manager has to make do, as he had to do at Scunthorpe, working with a limited squad this is where Adkins should be excelling but he isnt, on Saturday the players looked punch drunk, lambs to the slaughter, I hate to say this but they looked a side that wasnt motivated or playing for its manager. I actually hate writing this although Im sure there will be those who claim otherwise, this is why I have waited till Monday to actually do it, I didnt want to write it in anger, but allow emotions to subside and write it constructively, but sadly even with those two days passed, I still cant find much good to say about this game be it about selections, substitutions, tactics, defending and ost worryingly morale. Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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