Saints Travel Club Coach 7 arrives at Brunton ParkCarlisle is a long way away, 336 miles to be exact. You head for the North Pole and stop about 10 minutes before you get there. If you get together a team of Huskies, a sled and enough supplies and make that journey to go and watch your team then you are a complete hero and needless to say, I wasn't. 15 odd years ago I'd have been in the 900-odd hardy souls making the trip in the hope that Saints could continue their unbeaten run and maybe get their first away win of the season. As it was I was at home but I was certainly expecting something from this game.
Strange goings on during the week where it was both worrying and encouraging to read that Alan Pardew had spotted signs of complacency in the squad following last weeks win against Yeovil. It's worrying that any player can just expect to roll up and win when we are bottom of the league on negative points but it's also encouraging that the manager has spotted it and publicly stated that it's not happening on his watch. I wonder who the specific players were that he was talking about. My money is on the 'oh so soft' academy graduate players who have been with us for the past few years of total shambles and mis-management. I can imagine Jan Poortvliet telling the players that 'we have won once in ten matches boysh, sho we have no need to make a goal'. Christ he was a moron.
The Saints team showed a few changes with Thomas being injured and therefore unable to add to his record streak of 4 consecutive games between injuries. His place at right back was taken by Lloyd James with Jacob Mellis coming into the midfield. Also into the side was Joseph Mills to hopefully add genuine width to the side but disappointingly, it was at the expense of a forward with Saganowski returning to the bench.
I'm at a family meal thing so I'm not following the first half at all but at 3.45 I manage a quick gander at BBC Sport and we're 0-0.
The second half is progressing and I'm despatched to the shop to go and buy an essential that has been omitted from the shopping list. On the radio, Saints are attacking and Jacob Mellis is clean through. Now... the curious case of Jacob Mellis. By all accounts including my own, he's a lightweight who is not really adding anything to the side at the moment. It must be quite a tricky situation when you take a player on loan from a big club (Chelsea in this case) and he's pony. Chelsea obviously loaned us the player in the hope he plays regularly and gains experience. If he'd been any good then of course, no problem as everybody wins but as it is, he's been the polar opposite so he's in and out of the side but Saints won't want to annoy Chelsea as we may need to borrow another player off of them another time. We had a similar situation a year or so back with a lad called Stephen O'Halloran from Aston Villa who was not even a footballer. He doesn't make the 'Worst Saints XI Ever' simply because Lee Todd played the same position. Martin O'Neill got the right hump when he played one game before being consigned to the 'thanks but no thanks' pile. So... back to the game and the aforementioned Chelsea starlet is clean through with just the keeper to beat and a golden chance to show why he plays for Chelsea and England U19s and why he's so highly rated. Does he take this golden chance? Nope. Muppet.
Two minutes later and Carlisle's Scott Dobie (who is not a starlet, and will never play for Chelsea) gets a similar chance and buries it. 1-0 down and petulant kick of the inside of the car door by me.
Back home and my mood is not great as it looks like we're about to lose. It's 4.55 and I'm relying on text goal alerts again.
I'm giving up hope and being a miserable sod and my pocket has gone vibration crazy. Sneaking out again I can see that I have two messages again which had happened a few times already this season. One will be a goal and one will be the final score.
Strange goings on during the week where it was both worrying and encouraging to read that Alan Pardew had spotted signs of complacency in the squad following last weeks win against Yeovil. It's worrying that any player can just expect to roll up and win when we are bottom of the league on negative points but it's also encouraging that the manager has spotted it and publicly stated that it's not happening on his watch. I wonder who the specific players were that he was talking about. My money is on the 'oh so soft' academy graduate players who have been with us for the past few years of total shambles and mis-management. I can imagine Jan Poortvliet telling the players that 'we have won once in ten matches boysh, sho we have no need to make a goal'. Christ he was a moron.
The Saints team showed a few changes with Thomas being injured and therefore unable to add to his record streak of 4 consecutive games between injuries. His place at right back was taken by Lloyd James with Jacob Mellis coming into the midfield. Also into the side was Joseph Mills to hopefully add genuine width to the side but disappointingly, it was at the expense of a forward with Saganowski returning to the bench.
I'm at a family meal thing so I'm not following the first half at all but at 3.45 I manage a quick gander at BBC Sport and we're 0-0.
The second half is progressing and I'm despatched to the shop to go and buy an essential that has been omitted from the shopping list. On the radio, Saints are attacking and Jacob Mellis is clean through. Now... the curious case of Jacob Mellis. By all accounts including my own, he's a lightweight who is not really adding anything to the side at the moment. It must be quite a tricky situation when you take a player on loan from a big club (Chelsea in this case) and he's pony. Chelsea obviously loaned us the player in the hope he plays regularly and gains experience. If he'd been any good then of course, no problem as everybody wins but as it is, he's been the polar opposite so he's in and out of the side but Saints won't want to annoy Chelsea as we may need to borrow another player off of them another time. We had a similar situation a year or so back with a lad called Stephen O'Halloran from Aston Villa who was not even a footballer. He doesn't make the 'Worst Saints XI Ever' simply because Lee Todd played the same position. Martin O'Neill got the right hump when he played one game before being consigned to the 'thanks but no thanks' pile. So... back to the game and the aforementioned Chelsea starlet is clean through with just the keeper to beat and a golden chance to show why he plays for Chelsea and England U19s and why he's so highly rated. Does he take this golden chance? Nope. Muppet.
Two minutes later and Carlisle's Scott Dobie (who is not a starlet, and will never play for Chelsea) gets a similar chance and buries it. 1-0 down and petulant kick of the inside of the car door by me.
Back home and my mood is not great as it looks like we're about to lose. It's 4.55 and I'm relying on text goal alerts again.
I'm giving up hope and being a miserable sod and my pocket has gone vibration crazy. Sneaking out again I can see that I have two messages again which had happened a few times already this season. One will be a goal and one will be the final score.
God bless Radhi Jaidi. 1-1, 96 minutes. I'm back in the room and smiling... everyone notices.
To be honest, I'm happy enough with a point and keeping the run going though I'm not over enamoured with playing one up front in any game. We really should be looking to take the game to the opposition in a vast majority of the away games and in my opinion, packing the midfield and leaving Rickie Lambert isolated up front is not the way to do this. Lambo is many things but Drogba or Torres he is not so I don't think that playing him up front alone is the answer. I really hope that one of Saganowski or Papa Waigo is in the side to partner Lambo against his former employers, Bristol Rovers at SMS on Tuesday night.
Obligingly, the Skates have lost again and still have their 100% record and zero points. We are -1.
To be honest, I'm happy enough with a point and keeping the run going though I'm not over enamoured with playing one up front in any game. We really should be looking to take the game to the opposition in a vast majority of the away games and in my opinion, packing the midfield and leaving Rickie Lambert isolated up front is not the way to do this. Lambo is many things but Drogba or Torres he is not so I don't think that playing him up front alone is the answer. I really hope that one of Saganowski or Papa Waigo is in the side to partner Lambo against his former employers, Bristol Rovers at SMS on Tuesday night.
Obligingly, the Skates have lost again and still have their 100% record and zero points. We are -1.
Hope you can keep the blogging and humour up for a whole season! Mellis is an interesting case, but I have faith in Pardew. At least he didn't sign Pulis or Forecast!
ReplyDeleteYeah, we'll see... I'm a bit worried it may become repetitive with all the games I can't get to but so far it's ok. Many thanks for reading.
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