If any Saints fans were in doubt that the team still needs strengthening to survive in the premier league, then they were given their answer against Wigan Athletic.

It has to be said that Saints were comfortable in the first half of the game, they enjoyed a lot of possesion and only a finger tip save by Ali Al Habsi denied Adam Lallana giving Saints the lead, but eve though Saints had a lot of the ball, it seemed that in the main Wigan were coping well and not stretched.

After the break though Saints were soon behind and it has to be said the way that Wigan carved through the centre of the Saints defence was very worrying and highlighted just why we need to sign central defenders and fast, to be blunt we just arent good enough and speedy enough either physically or in mind.

In fairness Saints had a few chances to level things during the second half, but in the main they were efforts from outside the box which were bog standard saves for the keeper, they were saves that had to be made and decent, but fact of the matter is they werent out of the ordinary.

More worryingly was our inability to change tactics and our delay in doing so, the more the scond half went on the more comfortable Wigan looked and we didnt seem to know what changes to make, the first was puzzling, Ward-Prowse for Davis, a like for like substitution and no change in play or formation, a minute later and Sharpe was on for Rodriguez, a decision that didnt please some sections of the crowd who felt it should have been Guly going off. They had a point, Guly had probably been as good as anyone on the pitch first half, but second he had lost his way a bit, however Guly is the whipping boy and an incident just after the change showed that, firstly Ward Prowse was caught in possession with barely a whimper from the crowd, Guly caught a few minutes later in similar fashion drew some obnoxious comments from many around me.

Sharp's arrival brought a change out of neccessity and at least the striker showed a willingness to run and work and an equaliser looked possible, however with only 14 minutes left on the clock it was a little bit late in the game, add to that the fact that reverting to 4-4-2 seemed to confuse the midfield who didnt seem to be sure who exactly was meant to be playing where.

The second goal for the visitors with a minute left was perhaps symptomatic of the day for Saints, Fonte claimed he was fouled and he did have a case, but the fact was in the Premier you dont get time to dwell on the ball and the central defender had been caught doing just that and paid the price, Kone burying his chance one on one with Kelvin.

This was a harsh lesson for Saints, with 36 games to go there is plenty of time, but werent we saying that six weeks ago with regard to the closing of the transfer window and our lack of quality signings in that period was shown up yesterday at St Mary's, yes Saints have the time to get out of trouble, but the fact is this team is not good enough to do it and unless its improved then it will struggle, Wigan are not a great side but they were streets ahead of us in the way they played and the composure they had, Nigel Adkins has a lot of work to do, but without at least three signings that task will be very difficult indeed.

Photo: Action Images

northamred added 11:13 - Aug 26 "Guly is the whipping boy" you're not wrong there - in the pub after the game a number of Wigan fans said he was our best player - I'm assuming the obnoxious comments you mention were not entirely related to his footballing ability. Amazing how blind people can be with group mentality.
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landsdownsaint added 11:28 - Aug 26 Guly was our best player! I was also in the pub talking to Wigan fans who said' will have Guly & Lallana but you can keep the rest'!
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Fordy added 11:32 - Aug 26 I think it was a very worrying display because the signs have been there for a while yet nothing has been done about it. We desperately need some pace up front and we need to sort out the centre halves. Fonte was too slow to react to the danger for the first and was a mess for the second. Jos can be leaden-footed at times and apart from Clyne the whole of our back four worries me. There were times yesterday when we were one down and the ball came into the corner and Fox and Jos just ambled over to get it. I know in the grand scheme of things it probably doesn't make much difference, but just running to get the ball and showing a bit of urgency might have got the crowd and team going. The whole team could do with raising its tempo at times at this level. The signing of Rodriguez is looking ever more puzzling. He's not a winger and a fast winger would have been much more of a priority. If people like Chaplow and De Ridder can't even make the bench with Cork yet to return, let's get rid and bring some quality in.

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131153 added 12:27 - Aug 26 Witout wishing to be accused of looking through rose tinted specs the reality is Wigan are side who have been hardened by 7 years in the PL and a very good manager. They play a pasing game and with our in experience when we went one down they were able to control the game. Our game last year was generally able to overcome other Championship sides. I feel a couple additions with at least one being a CB should help enormously. I feel in a way we may be paying for achieving our 5 year plan in 3 years. As NA said yesterday if we didn't know it before it is a ruthless league, both in the quality of teams and expectation of supporters. Ask AVB.

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sidsaint added 13:25 - Aug 26 This was not a surprise. We've known the need for quality experienced defenders all summer. Clyne and Davis are good buys, Rodriguez is wasted on the wing and was not our first choice striker anyway. On the positive side we are trying to play like Swansea and giving useful game time to the likes of Ward - Prowse but we have a long way to go and only a week to get quality in and bedded down. Time and opportunities have been wasted this summer.

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BlackRod added 13:42 - Aug 26 131153 'Wigan are a side that has been hardened ....' Quite true, but then so are most of the others we will encounter. As time went on they looked a league above us. And that's after losing their best player! How will that defence cope against van Persie? The nightmare scenario of 0 points from four games is looming. Still, last season we managed to screw up enough chances and still came second, so here's always hope.

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SingaporeSaint added 13:45 - Aug 26 Agree with most of the comments - I saw the whole game on TV here. We are flattered by some of the reports saying we were wasteful. We dont have any pace in this team and hence never get goal side - we passed it around at times in front of the Wigan defence and had a few long range shots but that was about it. We need pacey wingers and quickly to be able to get in behind or we will not score goals and wont stay up. To have not strengthened at CB is almost criminal - and we are hurting from it.. The second goal was ridiculous from Fonte.. Someone should also tell K Davis where his posts are - his positioning for the second goal was awful - thats 2 week's running.. I dont understand the signing of J Rod - he's clearly not a left winger - we paid huge money on him and he doesnt look anywhere near his price tag. I also didnt understand dropping JWP back to the bench - I thought he was nigh on the best player on the park at Man City, so he should have made a huge difference against Wigan.. He is bright and brings urgency - we lacked that yesterday. We lost our home friendlies 0-1, 0-4 and now the first league game at home 0-2. This isnt about coaching and positive thinking - it is about quality and we need to bring in at least 4 players this week and hope they gel or I'm afraid to say I think we will have a new manager by mid September.

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slynch added 14:07 - Aug 26 The 2nd goal doesn't matter, bit of a freak with everyone pushed forward at the end. But the 1st goal is a situation that happens every game and will happen every game. The ball gets pushed through towards the left, Hooiveld has 2 players to mark and Fox is watching on from about 10m away. New LB like Cyne required, Fox pushed up to MF. Up front, when there's a strong back four, the wingers have got to get to the goal line and cross it.

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splurty added 16:22 - Aug 26 Agree with most of the above ,but what has not been discussed is that we were one dimensional ,chaplow would have brought an urgency to our play had he been either a sub or a starter ,just pretty stuff will not work we also need a blend of short /long balls and pretty quick passing and the odd crunchy tackle to lift the players and fans alike ,I have complete faith in Nigel and the don to get the right players in also .There is a long way to go and to date they haven't let us down ! I have a feeling that we will win 1of the next 2games :) (not the cup game ) COYR

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stmichael added 17:37 - Aug 26 We will not keep a single clean sheet this season with that defence. We have no pace other than Clyne. EASY to defend against. This league is too much for us with the current players. Truth is we have not strengthened much since promotion from league 1!! Woefully short however it is hard to be too critical after the success of the last 3 seasons.
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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 21:20 - Aug 26 There were very few positives to take out of the game yesterday. We didn't cause Wigan any problems at all. Guly and J-Rod were both completely ineffectual. J-Rod is clearly not a winger and should only be played up front. I think Adkins got it wrong yesterday. He should've played 4-4-2, with Lallana on the left and J-Rod up front. Wigan were so comfortable with only one striker to deal with and Lambert was often isolated with no support. Adkins left it far too late with the substitutions and the system change, and why did he leave the useless Guly on? Lallana was our best player by a mile and it seems Adkins is trying to build the team around him. The trouble with that is, if Lallana plays through the middle, then we don't have good enough wingers to create anything. Saints desperately need to bring in Ramirez and Phillips to provide the quality out wide as this was totally lacking yesterday. And as for the defence! Don't know where to begin! Prob need 2 new CB's and a LB. Man Utd are likely to carve us open with ease next week. It needs to be a busy week for us in the transfer market!! PS. People have been complaining about Guly for ages now and I'm afraid that most of the time it is justified. He is a luxury player that we can't afford to play in this league. His work rate is awful, as is his movement off the ball and if he tracks back he usually gives away a cheap free kick. He won't upset any defences this season, he's simply not good enough. In the past, on occasion, he has shown the ability to win a game out of nothing, but we haven't seen him do it since about November last year, and I don't think he'll be able to do it at this level. Why does Adkins persist with him?

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Jesus_02 added 21:37 - Aug 26 Guly, Guly , Guly, useless, useless, useless ... what we need is someone 1: that runs round more 2: cant pass but clapps the crowd after the game 3: second touch is a slide tackle...Oh I long for the class of a Carlton Palmeresque player......the 80's where great but 60's and 70' even better , a couple of pints the night before, few ciggys at half time to get the blood pumping and players that dont mess about and get stuck in. Who needs a player that tries to "unlock the defense" when you could have "honest" but fruitless endevour. Ps. we where honestly rubbish because 1: we didn't vary our game and became predictable, 2: We didnt change our shape (even though Adkins thinks he tried to do that with two like for like subs) Wigan are a Premiership team with premiership experience and the came for a smash and grab (and where successful)

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stmichael added 21:45 - Aug 26 I have played and watched the game since 1973. I know and understand the game. Guly was ineffective for most of last season and should not be playing in the premier league Simple as that. He is not crap of course not. however he is totally out of his depth. We cannot carry him any more.
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bstokesaint added 23:48 - Aug 26 I hate to say it and I would normally defend him but Guly didn't look interested yesterday. When he did make a successful pass he just stood there, motionless and made no attempt to move into space. What's more I counted at least 4 or 5 occasions he ignored Clyne's overlap and instead cut inside. This isn't going to do Lambert any favours in terms of service. He wasn't alone yesterday mind in less than great performances. Biggest concern for me was the lack of quality options on the bench, it really points to the fact 2-3 new personnel are required. Until then we will have to make up for our lack of pace and cutting edge with better movement. It's not all doom and gloom, but we need to get out of this mini rut so that it doesn't end up haunting us.

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bstokesaint added 23:53 - Aug 26 Oh yeah and Clyne absolutely brilliant again. If we could find a LB of his ability then that would be something. We have a great player there. Future international for sure.
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Zambucco added 08:58 - Aug 27 When you first start going out with a girl, she may have a couple of little annoying habits, but you don't notice much because you concentrate on those lovely tits and her other redeeming qualities. However after a little while and things aren't so loved up, you start to notice these little things a bit more. Suddenly it's all you notice and she becomes a right pain the in the arse, even those lovely tits are starting to sag! I think that's how it is with Guly, folks here are only concentrating on the negatives. I make a point to criticise Lallana and Lambert everytime they make mistakes, mostly to annoy my 'friends' who are Guly haters. Guess what by the end of the game, they've made as many mistakes as Guly, yet who has complained? For me he is still a player who offers so much to the team. In many ways he reminds me of Toure at City, but without the backing and confidence. My final thought is, patience, let's not panic, give the guys time to adapt. Also a few new signings will not magically transform the side, they will need time to slot in and acclimatise. Look at Rodwell at City, big name signing, yet he's cost City 2 goals in 2 games! Final, final thought, we did need more urgency, I would have had Chappers in the middle to mix it up a bit. Tadanari Lee will be a welcome return too, his pace and effort would have definitely frightened the Wigan defence into mistakes. final, final, final thought, if our chances had gone in we'd have won YAY! p.s. Guly haters feel free to reply but make it civil! No name calling, do that on the Echo site!

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SingaporeSaint added 09:25 - Aug 27 I'm not anti Guly - if we had Lens and Phillips in the team to break the line, then a Guly type to hold the ball and play it slow at times would not be a bad thing.. The fact is we dont have the afore mentioned and we cant have too many players who want to play it inside and keep the tempo slow. We have Lallana - who has better feet than Guly already who can play the link role. Lallana could also do with some sprint training too though.. Guly is an OK player but from a right winger we need more athletisism.. I am puzzled by the selection - Puncheon has played there in pre season and last week, all seems ill thought out to me.. Looks like we will sign Ramirez - I would expect he'll play as the link player though and Lallana prob wide - although they prob would alternate. We still need pace with an end product on the right flank.

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DJI added 10:26 - Aug 27 Great piece Nick, well thought out and agreeable to my own thoughts on the game. I particularly agree with the comment about speed of mind; at times we looked like we were trying to remember what we learnt in training before making a pass. We lacked the instinct of knowing where to place the ball at times and often missed opportunities to get behind their 3 man defence when Ricky drew them forward with his movement. I would like to comment on the Guly issue though as one commenter mentions that there experience of watching football dates back to 1973. They are using this to justify why they are a considered opinion on Guly's performance, even stating that he was "ineffective for most of last season". Well 11 goals and 7 assists suggests otherwise. This person was obviously in the crowd at Coventry away heckling him, just before he got two assists and a goal and made the most significant contribution that day of any other player? Or maybe he was at Reading away abusing him just before he assisted De Ridder for his goal which clinched us a point after a poor performance by the 11 man squad? Some behind me on Saturday even started moaning about Guly when he gave a pass away, but said nothing when Adam and Rickie did! The boy can't do right in some people's eyes, regardless of his considerable contribution in the 1st half of last season to maintain us in the top 2. If you look at the stats, which "In Nigel we trust" does, then you will see Guly's pass completion is way higher than you think. I even had somebody who watched the City game on TV tell me, who went to the game, how poor he was. The view from the arm chair must be so much better than seeing what the TV cameras don't!? Even the pundits pointed out Guly's off-the-ball running in behind the backs which Saints were not exploiting. But of course, as he took Rickie's place that day, he must feel the hate that some are not prepared to vent onto the manager who made that decision! Back to the game, it wasn't Guly who let Wigan score two easy goals and it wasn't Guly who didn't hit the back of the net from some of the crosses he put in. I would agree that Puncheon links up better with Clyne but Nigel clearly put Guly there as he felt we needed a bit of strength, pace and height against a very well drilled, strong and physical back 3? My bigger concern is our defensive errors on the day, our midfield not controlling the ball in the 2nd half and J-Rod not being brought in to it much because of the system we were playing. When he did come into the middle, he and Rickie were getting in each others way! That is because Nigel has not played the two together once in pre-season. I hope Nigel is brave enough to drop Rickie and put J-Rod in there as he can play the lone striker very well from what I saw of him against Arsenal.

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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 13:32 - Aug 27 Guly has done some great things in a Saints shirt, but in my opinion, he hasn't been on form since November last year. Most of his goals and assists last season came in the first 3 or 4 months of the season and since then he hasn't been anywhere near as effective. This might be down to Adkins sticking him on the wing. Guly is much more effective as a striker playing off of Lambert. This is where we've seen Guly at his best. But the 4-5-1 formation that Adkins is adopting doesn't fit the players we have. People keep comparing us to Swansea and saying thats how we want to play this season. But Swansea had Sinclair and Dyer playing on the wings to provide the pace and skill needed to upset defenders and get in behind defences. We don't have that so we can't play that system effectively. J-Rod and Guly didn't provide anything from the wide positions on Saturday so if we are going to play the 4-5-1 system we need the players to do so. Maybe Guly isn't so much at fault for his poor form as he's being played out of his best position.

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rjh added 18:56 - Aug 27 Clyne was class, what a great signing. Guly just not good enough.
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