Senin, 08 Oktober 2012

Adkins: We must learn fast

Adkins: Concerned over defensive frailties

Jose Fonte's last-gasp header earned Saints a 2-2 Barclays Premier League draw against Fulham on Sunday in a match they had dominated for the most part.

The Portuguese defender also scored the opener after just four minutes but, like so many times this season, Southampton did their best to throw it away as Jos Hooiveld directed into his own net before Kieran Richardson put Fulham ahead late on.

Fonte may have equalised but Saints have now dropped 11 points from winning positions and conceded a league-high 20 goals, leading Adkins to a simple conclusion.

"I keep going on about learning but we need to learn quicker," the Saints boss said. "We've got to keep the ball out the back of the net."

He added: "Obviously I am delighted we've come back so late on after going behind, but disappointed to concede the goals we did.

"The first half was good. We passed the ball well at certain stages.

"We scored a good goal from a set-play and could have maybe scored some more so the first half was very pleasing.

"The second half Fulham have come out and had a bit more possession of the ball. It was too open for our liking.

"We weren't compact enough in our pressing as a team and we conceded a couple of poor goals.

"We'd like to think we could've done better with them, but there was great character from the players to score at the very end.

"You've got to take your chances when they're presented. We had several good opportunities throughout the course of the game."

While Adkins was left thankful for a point, Fulham manager Martin Jol was left contemplating what might have been.

The Dutchman was annoyed by Fonte's second goal, claiming Maya Yoshida had fouled Giorgos Karagounis in the build-up to the award of the set-piece which led to the equaliser.

"It was 100 per cent a free-kick and I know as I remember I thought, 'now we are fine, now we have the ball and the pr essure is gone'," Jol said.

"But he did it as if he didn't see it and two seconds later it was a free-kick for them. That happens and, of course, if it hadn't they wouldn't have scored.

"I wasn't pleased with either goal but I was very pleased with the resilience and character.

"We did better in the second half. We stood up and played like we always did before. We put them under pressure and created more.

"Our better players had the ball and we played football."

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