Tuesday night, cold, miserable…. But enough about me, the mighty SFC had made the relatively short hop to Wycombe and Adams Park. I didn’t know their ground was called Adams Park and wondered for a second if it was named in honour of Tony Adams who was a great manager for them, not. This got me thinking about names for Grounds. I know that Wycombe’s ground was not named after Tony Adams but as an aside, it’s a pet hate of mine when clubs take the corporate shilling to rename their ground but even that’s preferable to ego trips for Chairmen / Owners like the DW Stadium at Wigan and the Madjewski at Reading. It’s remarkable that our own egomaniac at the time SMS didn’t try this trick – The Lowe Hockey Stadium. Brrrr.
I digress as usual but back to the game and after the belting win at Norwich on Saturday, Saints would be expecting to continue the good work at Wycombe who though having improved recently, are still one of the bottom sides and should therefore be dispatched. The fans, armed with the feelgood factors of the Norwich win, Wembley tickets on the way and Pompey almost certainly going into administration, certainly expected a win. There was one team change for Saints with Morgan Schneiderlin being ruled out and replaced by Michail Antonio with Jason Puncheon moving to the centre of midfield. I’m guessing that Lloyd James would have been the usual replacement but he had a knock and didn’t travel.
In the first quarter of an hour nothing happened and then Wycombe found some form and Super Kelv had to make a couple of saves. Saints had their first effort on 20 minutes as Puncheon hit one straight down the keepers throat. The half drifted on with nothing happened so Pards got fed up and introduced Wotton in place of Antonio with Punch moving out to the right flank.
Half time and 0-0 – I expected half time roastings (not a John Terry / Ashley Cole roasting) and flying out of the traps in the 2nd half.
Having become exasperated with poor internet connection and continual dropping out of the Saints Player, I reverted to BBC text commentary on my phone and for the next 15 minutes I assumed that was broken as well. Then, on 61 minutes came “Adam Lallana shoots over”. Are you seriously telling me that nothing noteworthy happened between 45 and 61 minutes?
Barnard was replaced with Waigo but it was Wycombe who nearly took the lead on 70 minutes when Davis had to turn a shot onto the bar an over. Another 15 minutes of nothing happened before Saints won a free kick 35 yards out but Sir Rickie found only the keeper with his effort. Injury time and in a desperate attempt to win the game, Lallana was replaced with renowned goalscorer Wayne Thomas for the last minute. Full time, 0-0, rubbish.
If you are the ‘glass half full’ type, you would be looking at two away games at Norwich and Wycombe and would be happy with four points. However, having got three of those points away to the league leaders, you’d have been expecting three more tonight. This is a poor result for us, matched only by a generally poor performance. Regular readers will know that I’m not a great fan of Schneiderlin but maybe tonight illustrates what’s missing then he’s not there and that’s no one else puts their foot on the ball and passes it. I guess Pards was trying to keep some creativity in the centre of the park by moving Puncheon there. After Antonio went off however, Wotton and Hammond in the centre of midfield should have provided a base for the more creative Puncheon and Lallana on the wings to do some damage but it just never happened.
Pards pointed a finger at the conditions and poor pitch and he did at least acknowledge that we have to learn how to win these sort of games – of which there are many in League 1. He also said that we just weren’t good enough but it showed how bad it was when he mentioned a tight offside call against Papa Waigo as a turning point. Thing is – before Christmas, we were winning these games so what’s happened. Personally, I think that David Connolly being injured has been the major factor as he had that ability to find space in tiring defences and put games to bed. This just sounded like a truly abysmal game where the match report could read. Kick off – half time – 2nd half starts – full time – 0-0. I realise that this report doesn’t say much more than that.
Sometimes you can analyse things too much – a 0-0 draw at Wycombe is a rubbish result. Still, could be worse, Peter Storrie could be our CEO – then you would be justified in wanting to slit your wrists. Us Saints fans really haven’t got too much to grumble about right now unless you’re the sort that would piss and moan if you won millions on the lottery. Onwards – Walsall at home on Saturday.
I digress as usual but back to the game and after the belting win at Norwich on Saturday, Saints would be expecting to continue the good work at Wycombe who though having improved recently, are still one of the bottom sides and should therefore be dispatched. The fans, armed with the feelgood factors of the Norwich win, Wembley tickets on the way and Pompey almost certainly going into administration, certainly expected a win. There was one team change for Saints with Morgan Schneiderlin being ruled out and replaced by Michail Antonio with Jason Puncheon moving to the centre of midfield. I’m guessing that Lloyd James would have been the usual replacement but he had a knock and didn’t travel.
In the first quarter of an hour nothing happened and then Wycombe found some form and Super Kelv had to make a couple of saves. Saints had their first effort on 20 minutes as Puncheon hit one straight down the keepers throat. The half drifted on with nothing happened so Pards got fed up and introduced Wotton in place of Antonio with Punch moving out to the right flank.
Half time and 0-0 – I expected half time roastings (not a John Terry / Ashley Cole roasting) and flying out of the traps in the 2nd half.
Having become exasperated with poor internet connection and continual dropping out of the Saints Player, I reverted to BBC text commentary on my phone and for the next 15 minutes I assumed that was broken as well. Then, on 61 minutes came “Adam Lallana shoots over”. Are you seriously telling me that nothing noteworthy happened between 45 and 61 minutes?
Barnard was replaced with Waigo but it was Wycombe who nearly took the lead on 70 minutes when Davis had to turn a shot onto the bar an over. Another 15 minutes of nothing happened before Saints won a free kick 35 yards out but Sir Rickie found only the keeper with his effort. Injury time and in a desperate attempt to win the game, Lallana was replaced with renowned goalscorer Wayne Thomas for the last minute. Full time, 0-0, rubbish.
If you are the ‘glass half full’ type, you would be looking at two away games at Norwich and Wycombe and would be happy with four points. However, having got three of those points away to the league leaders, you’d have been expecting three more tonight. This is a poor result for us, matched only by a generally poor performance. Regular readers will know that I’m not a great fan of Schneiderlin but maybe tonight illustrates what’s missing then he’s not there and that’s no one else puts their foot on the ball and passes it. I guess Pards was trying to keep some creativity in the centre of the park by moving Puncheon there. After Antonio went off however, Wotton and Hammond in the centre of midfield should have provided a base for the more creative Puncheon and Lallana on the wings to do some damage but it just never happened.
Pards pointed a finger at the conditions and poor pitch and he did at least acknowledge that we have to learn how to win these sort of games – of which there are many in League 1. He also said that we just weren’t good enough but it showed how bad it was when he mentioned a tight offside call against Papa Waigo as a turning point. Thing is – before Christmas, we were winning these games so what’s happened. Personally, I think that David Connolly being injured has been the major factor as he had that ability to find space in tiring defences and put games to bed. This just sounded like a truly abysmal game where the match report could read. Kick off – half time – 2nd half starts – full time – 0-0. I realise that this report doesn’t say much more than that.
Sometimes you can analyse things too much – a 0-0 draw at Wycombe is a rubbish result. Still, could be worse, Peter Storrie could be our CEO – then you would be justified in wanting to slit your wrists. Us Saints fans really haven’t got too much to grumble about right now unless you’re the sort that would piss and moan if you won millions on the lottery. Onwards – Walsall at home on Saturday.
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