This year 9 pts from 3 games - Top with a 100% win record in the vey difficult championship. Last year it took 9 games to get 9 points in a mediocre league 1 and we were in 17th place with those 9 pts. poor games against Rochdale, mk dons, leyton o, swindon in league and cup during that time. Here is the team for that very poor rochdale 0-2 home defeat which for me was a particular low point for Saints Davis Butterfield-Fonte-Martin-Harding Chamberlain(Mills71)-Hammond-Schneiderlin-Puncheon Connolly(Guly59)-Lambert. ^ as you will see, very similar to this years team - swap chamberlain for lallana and puncheon for cork, Richardson for Butterfield. same keeper, mostly same defence, mostly same midfield, same strikers. So why the big difference this year. Credit that the same team has kept together and developed. Is it all down to one Mr Adkins, confidence, momentum, lallana being missing. We are a different team with the same players - WHY? (i am not complaining, just amazed)
Because we have the momentem behind us now after getting promoted. Winning becomes a habbit, and a very good one.
Better shape, better management, better team spirit and togetherness, no lallana, winning mentality, confidence...the list is long IMHO.
got to agree with red and white. from the foundation upwards cortese/adkins have sorted things on and off the pitch. fantastic to see. been a saints fan 27 years and ive never had such a smile on my face. we might not win the league but at least i know we are in safe hands and that is good enough for me.
We have momentum from last year where we gained promotion because of team spirit, fitness, quality of players and good planning. All of it due to one Nigel Adkins who was brought in by Nicola (when a lot of us said:who?). We must strike whilst the iron is hot and get those points on the board, because other teams will start watching us and try and prevent us from playing our way.
It is not about individuals though it is about a team. I had the impression when Pardew was here he concentrated more on the individual within the team than the team as a group. JMO is all. Today they seem to work for each other within the team. You are right they have responded to the way NA does things and very positively. It is clear on the field of play that as far as the team goes there are no stars out there they are all stars. He has created a unit they play as a unit and when he changes things they just slot in to that unit. So in my opinion it is not just one thing, it is a combination of things. Add to that the fact that in the main the bulk of this team have been playing together for nigh on two years. So they are well and truly used to each other by now.
Was looking at Championship table last year and saw we will only need another 39 points to probably avoid relegation. I'm a Saints fan, I can't help myself!
My thoughts exact! With Adkins it's all about the collective group, everyone working for everyone else. There's no individuals more of a unit. Adkins is quick to praise individual players for good performance, but it's clear he has no favourites and it's always about the collective. This cuts down on egos and builds the player's confidence in each other. Plus he has installed a winning mentality and he's now got a team made up of a 'hard working, honest group of players' !
