Pardew Wants To Build

Back in August a bad defeat at the Galpharm stadium highlighted the huge gap between the two teams then. The manager wants to show that now this gap no longer exists and that we are capable of beating anybody that turns up against us.

‘We could argue that we have come a long long way in terms of getting closer to them’ AP told Saints Player. ‘They absolutely waltzed past us, they were fitter, stronger, better technically than us on the day and could have won by more, but I don’t reckon that will be the case on Tuesday and I reckon it will be a good game’

Alan went on to say how the Walsall game showed how the team was progressing. We are gelling and the new players have strengthened the team.

He also went on record as saying that we still need to learn how to play on all surfaces. Playing well is not always possible for the 90 minutes of a game but we have progressed far enough now where he believes 10 minutes of our best is enough to win a lot of games.

Against Wycombe we only had a couple of minutes and we still need to do better on such occasions. We still need to harden up. Huddersfield will be a far tougher task but if we can get 20 minutes of our best we should score a goal or maybe two.

They have a couple of very good strikers but we have two excellent centre backs in Jaidi and Fonte. Fonte was different class against Walsall and Seaborne is on the sidelines. He has a turn of pace and a lovely left foot which we may need at some time. Against such good strikers we need players like we now have.

Alan Pardew knows that the playoffs still beckon but that the task is very difficult. We need to carry on winning and the next 4 games are going to tell us whether we have any chance of making them.

Myself, I like the way that Alan Pardew has become more upbeat over the last couple of weeks. Maybe he can sense the dream is still there as we grow ever stronger.

Time will tell.