Lets be positive ...

[MrFFC]

Sitting in 9th 7 games in now heading into an international break at a good time for us regarding injuries when we come  back Karagounis and Taveras will be up and running properly settled, Diarra not too far away with the return of Berbatov Petric Dejagah Frei
A draw at Southampton a decent result and 10 points from 7 is decent start to the season

[btings]

+1 for optimism.

We lost this type of game about five times in the first half of last season.  Southampton's pressing knocked us off our game (as it always does), but we battled back and nearly took all 3 points.

If we can come out of the international break with fewer people injured than we started with, I like our chances.

[Artful Dodger]

I think we would have all settled for a draw after being behind for 70 minutes. But then again, having got in front, we need to close these games out. Too many late goals being conceded still.

[A Humble Man]

I think we would have all settled for a draw after being behind for 70 minutes. But then again, having got in front, we need to close these games out. Too many late goals being conceded still.

Our passing was so slow and their closing down so good we could not keep possession for very long at any point in the game.  Jol wants us to become a passing team like Arsenal but we a miles away from that in fact we are miles away from the standard of passing under Tigana. 

[AlFayedsChequebook]

I think we would have all settled for a draw after being behind for 70 minutes. But then again, having got in front, we need to close these games out. Too many late goals being conceded still.

Our passing was so slow and their closing down so good we could not keep possession for very long at any point in the game.  Jol wants us to become a passing team like Arsenal but we a miles away from that in fact we are miles away from the standard of passing under Tigana. 

That is just simply not true.

I suggest you go somewhere else to troll you Cottage Corner reject.

[TWFL]

I think we would have all settled for a draw after being behind for 70 minutes. But then again, having got in front, we need to close these games out. Too many late goals being conceded still.

Our passing was so slow and their closing down so good we could not keep possession for very long at any point in the game.  Jol wants us to become a passing team like Arsenal but we a miles away from that in fact we are miles away from the standard of passing under Tigana. 

I'm sorry but that's outright wrong. Just have a look at the stats and you'll see we are very much a passing side. We completely controlled possession yesterday with it at least 60% in our favour. We almost always had the ball and Southampton could only really hold on to it for a couple of minutes maximum before we got it back somehow. So no, we're not "miles away" from being a passing side, we are a passing side.

[MasterHaynes]

We underperformed away from home and still got a point and unlucky not to pinch two. This is surely reason to hope we can finish higher than last year when for most of the season away games were 3 point bankers for the opposition.

[A Humble Man]

Good to see so much positivity after such an abysmal performance particularly in the first half.  But it is false positivity that characterises FOF.

[Rupert]

Good to see so much positivity after such an abysmal performance particularly in the first half.  But it is false positivity that characterises FOF.

How to win friends and influence people  096.gig

[cottage cheese]

I FIND it hard to be that positive. We were very poor first half against one of the worst teams in the league. We were just as poor against West ham and the game was over at half time.

We play like that again against better teams, i just see the west ham game over and over again. It is shocking that as a team we fall apart away from home more often than not.

We were very very very lucky southampton really are a poor side as the score could and should have been 3-4 nil the way we played in the first half. There is nothing to be positive, it was the fact the saints do not have a potent attack which should have seen them runaway with the game first 40 mins.

[AlFayedsChequebook]

Good to see so much positivity after such an abysmal performance particularly in the first half.  But it is false positivity that characterises FOF.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Bye bye then.

You wont be missed you twit

[AlFayedsChequebook]

I FIND it hard to be that positive. We were very poor first half against one of the worst teams in the league. We were just as poor against West ham and the game was over at half time.

We play like that again against better teams, i just see the west ham game over and over again. It is shocking that as a team we fall apart away from home more often than not.

We were very very very lucky southampton really are a poor side as the score could and should have been 3-4 nil the way we played in the first half. There is nothing to be positive, it was the fact the saints do not have a potent attack which should have seen them runaway with the game first 40 mins.

So what about the second half where we dominated? Or does that not count because it doesnt fit your grouch-centric opinion

Yes we were rubbish for 45 mins yesterday but we nearly won! We also have a load of injuries to key players - It would have been like playing a game last season, away from home without Zamora, Dempsey AND Dembele.

[cottage cheese]

I FIND it hard to be that positive. We were very poor first half against one of the worst teams in the league. We were just as poor against West ham and the game was over at half time.

We play like that again against better teams, i just see the west ham game over and over again. It is shocking that as a team we fall apart away from home more often than not.

We were very very very lucky southampton really are a poor side as the score could and should have been 3-4 nil the way we played in the first half. There is nothing to be positive, it was the fact the saints do not have a potent attack which should have seen them runaway with the game first 40 mins.

So what about the second half where we dominated? Or does that not count because it doesnt fit your grouch-centric opinion

Yes we were rubbish for 45 mins yesterday but we nearly won! We also have a load of injuries to key players - It would have been like playing a game last season, away from home without Zamora, Dempsey AND Dembele.

The point I was just saying we were very lucky. A better team would have finished us off. To be honest I dont think diarra in the middle would have made any difference. The west ham game suggests he is prone to being second best.

Our key players in brede,mark,ruiz,duff,hughes (at times) all played badly just like against west ham. Its the individual errors that will cost us and it worries me how many times our defence has leaked late goals and how poor we were at set plays! We were fine against wigan but did switch off with about 10 min to go.

For me its our tactics that need changing. Ruiz is not suited to be that far back in the team, he was playing in front of davis and their other cm. He was just crowded out and lost for most of the game.

[AlFayedsChequebook]

I FIND it hard to be that positive. We were very poor first half against one of the worst teams in the league. We were just as poor against West ham and the game was over at half time.

We play like that again against better teams, i just see the west ham game over and over again. It is shocking that as a team we fall apart away from home more often than not.

We were very very very lucky southampton really are a poor side as the score could and should have been 3-4 nil the way we played in the first half. There is nothing to be positive, it was the fact the saints do not have a potent attack which should have seen them runaway with the game first 40 mins.

So what about the second half where we dominated? Or does that not count because it doesnt fit your grouch-centric opinion

Yes we were rubbish for 45 mins yesterday but we nearly won! We also have a load of injuries to key players - It would have been like playing a game last season, away from home without Zamora, Dempsey AND Dembele.

The point I was just saying we were very lucky. A better team would have finished us off. To be honest I dont think diarra in the middle would have made any difference. The west ham game suggests he is prone to being second best.

Our key players in brede,mark,ruiz,duff,hughes (at times) all played badly just like against west ham. Its the individual errors that will cost us and it worries me how many times our defence has leaked late goals and how poor we were at set plays! We were fine against wigan but did switch off with about 10 min to go.

For me its our tactics that need changing. Ruiz is not suited to be that far back in the team, he was playing in front of davis and their other cm. He was just crowded out and lost for most of the game.

I dont think we were that lucky. Almost all the fans I have seen have said a draw was a fair result

Ruiz should be higher up the pitch but he has to keep coming to get the ball from Baird and Sidwell because neither are progressive players. Diarra remedies this to a certain extent and a new CM in jan will help. Berbatov's return should also really improve us and players such as Dejagah and Frei will give us even more options in attack.

Overall this season we have played pretty well with some horror halves in between and certainly look good value for our current 10 point haul. This is all whilst losing our best two players and not being able to field their replacements because of injury.

If we keep picking points up a the same pace (which is perfectly achievable) we are on track for a 54 point finish.

[kevin]

it just shows how much we missed petric and berbatov who can slow the game down and involve the midfield more
ruiz is a different player when he has someone to link up with

[Wimbledon_White]

As with anything there are mitigants however there is no denying that we looked a very average team for a large portion of last night.
Without Berbatov or Petric to play off of Rodellega looked toothless.
Without support and supply from CM, Ruiz looked woeful. He also still doesn't have the bite of a Prem player in mind, he gets battled off the ball in possesion far too easily in my opinion.
Without Diarra/Murphy (I know thats not possible now before some smart arse pipes up) to receive the ball, Hangeland was trying to do too much with his passing and therefore mistakes were innevitable. He had a poor game generally in my mind.

Anyway, there are mitigating circumstances; the injuries. That said it was slightly worrying that the bench was full of average joes, no one who was capable of changing the game. I appreciate Richardson came on and scored but, in all honesty, he is no game changer.

[cottage cheese]

As with anything there are mitigants however there is no denying that we looked a very average team for a large portion of last night.
Without Berbatov or Petric to play off of Rodellega looked toothless.
Without support and supply from CM, Ruiz looked woeful. He also still doesn't have the bite of a Prem player in mind, he gets battled off the ball in possesion far too easily in my opinion.
Without Diarra/Murphy (I know thats not possible now before some smart arse pipes up) to receive the ball, Hangeland was trying to do too much with his passing and therefore mistakes were innevitable. He had a poor game generally in my mind.

Anyway, there are mitigating circumstances; the injuries. That said it was slightly worrying that the bench was full of average joes, no one who was capable of changing the game. I appreciate Richardson came on and scored but, in all honesty, he is no game changer.

but he did change the game...twice

[Deanothefulhamfan]

I think the standard of our passing was awful yesterday. I am amazed we had more possession yesterday, especially in the first half. The possession facts are really a load of rubbish though unless you are someone as good as Barcelona. We had 60% possession first half with no shots on target.

Despite our awful first half, several players actually woke up in the second half, and decided to start playing , we grew into the game and battled to get a draw and almost won the game.

I think it has been a solid start to the season though, and as many of you say, we will only be stronger after the international break.

COYW