qwertyell

"Chicken" George scored in the first game I saw at the Dell (although it ended up officially as a Peter Shirtliff own goal). No idea why he was "Chicken", but that's what the supporters around me were calling him, and I was happy to defer to their greater knowledge than mine in footballer nicknames.

I used to love Paul Rideout, and I'm not entirely sure why. It might have been because I saw him once in a Beefeater and, being about 10 at the time, the thought that, tucking into a Horn of Plenty a few tables away from me, was an actual person I'd seen in Shoot magazine (probably in an article about how crap he was at Bari) made me a little starstruck. Was he even any good? I can only really remember him scoring a bullet header against Liverpool in a famous 4-1 tonking of the then (and never again - maybe next year...) champions.

Stuart Taylor. He doesn't need a sensible hair cut to get his fringe out of his eyes because he hasn't played a game of football since 2001.

Just what the midfield has been crying out for... Maybe Sammy Lee's coming back after all?

Ancient, one-season wonder, perma-crock, Championship striker. Our options might not be incredible, but there's nothing going on in Bournemouth to be envious about. Except nice beaches.

Austin also couldn't last more than 60 minutes when he played - or start two games in a row. That was when he was "fully fit" after a complete pre season. I just can't see him fitting in with the high tempo way Pellegrino wants to play, as good as he is from six yards. And the manager is said to be uncompromising in filtering out the players who can't or won't adhere to his regime. As an option off the bench he'd be handy, but I can't imagine that's a role Austin would be happy with.

Looked a major young talent a couple of seasons ago before a knee injury set him back. Not unlike Kurt Zouma in that respect. Not sure he's much of an upgrade over Zouma, to be honest, but hey - not our problem...

Only one year left on his contract too. You'd like to think we're monitoring him at the very least. We're crying out for some physical presence in midfield (and defending set pieces). And Chalobah's a better footballer than just a destroyer. Possibly a relative bargain to be had?

Angus Gunn, the England u21 keeper (and son of former Norwich keeper Bryan) will probably be their third choice keeper now Caballero's gone. Patrick Roberts would count as a home grown player - albeit developed at Fulham. However, he's yet to play for them and probably has another year out on loan somewhere in his near future. They've got a pretty excellent youth team, haven't they - them and Chelsea have hoovered up all the talent in recent years. So presumably there will be one or two on the fringes of the first team before long. Slim pickings, though.

I'd rather have Patrick Roberts.

And Jack Cork for £2.5m. We should raid our feeder club more often. Chalobah alongside Romeu would be just the ticket at the base of the midfield.

From a cynical business point of view it makes sense for Saints to promote Stephens, whether he's actually any better than some of our other options. John Stones selling for £50m was a game changer for English centre backs of any kind of competence. Look at the asking prices for relegation fodder Keane and Gibson. Harry Maguire cost substantially more than we paid for Van Dijk, in spite of only having a year left on his contract. A long contract and a reasonable season from Stephens next term and Saints will have an extremely valuable asset on the books. I like what I've seen of him, in any case. He's a bit positionally dozy and needs to improve in the air, but he looks an all round decent footballer.

No idea how England are still in this - they've been clueless in possession and a shambles at the back. Prowse's set pieces are all we've got. Really hope Saints aren't seriously considering bringing Chambers back. He's a poor defender, to say the least. Penalties or bust here, I'd imagine...

1-1. Gray. Germany have been terrible defending set pieces. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

0-1. Selke (who Saints were linked with a few seasons ago). Chambers didn't have a clue what he was doing.

It does seem to be that way. I'm sure the club have seen him more than I have (in this u21 tournament), but he doesn't stand out in the slightest as a player with anything about him.

Ward-Prowse is one of the elder players at the tournament - and while he's certainly played well, his physical limitations aren't nearly as apparent in the company of younger kids as when he plays with adults. If he's really to kick on, it will be how he copes in high paced, physical games against men that defines him. Too many matches last season passed him by because they were just too quick and aggressive. The Man City game at home was a particular low point - he was second (at best) to absolutely everything, knocked off the ball time and again, and was subbed having contributed precisely nothing, aside from looking lost and bewildered as players and ball zipped around him in a blur. He still doesn't have a settled playing position, because he can't do the defensive work of a deep lying central midfielder (his natural home), is way too slow to play on the wing, and not nearly creative enough to play as a 10. There's a player in there, no doubt, but let's not kid ourselves: he's got a hell of a long way to go yet. I suspect Germany in the semis will be quite a step up for all the England lads after coming through the weakest group by far.

"Saints believe he has a huge future..." Yet they've let his contract run down to its final year before considering offering him another one? I think he at least deserves a chance to try and impress the new manager. Then again, the club decided against giving Jason McCarthy such an opportunity.

If Pellegrino wants to fully implement "high intensity" pressing "where everyone gives 100%" commitment and "supports each other", the plodding, arm waving, whinging about being substituted Tadic doesn't seem like an obvious fit. (And quite how Charlie Austin will survive when he couldn't even manage an hour of jogging around in Puel's sleepy crab football is anyone's guess.)

Grabbed his shirt, then his shorts, then clipped his heels - followed by a "what was wrong with that, ref?" plea. Like watching a young Jose Fonte...

Cheap? Can't say he's stood out as being good or bad tonight - the whole Poland team have been ordinary. Keeper's made some saves, mind.

Easily the best they've played so far. Shame about Chalobah going off - he was bossing it. Will Hughes was a weird choice to replace him. Three midgets in the midfield now without a single tackle between them... John Swift looks like he could do better than Reading.

Proven three years ago (as a wide attacker - Lambert was our striker), perhaps, before his knee exploded. Since then, sadly, all he's proven is that, while an ACL rupture isn't career ending these days, that doesn't mean it can't be enormously career altering. Some players just never return to anything like their previous level. Rodriguez is one of them. If he hadn't gotten injured, we'd have sold him to Spurs for £20m a few months later. So £12-15m now, some years on from his peak, seems a decent fee. If he goes on to recapture that old Jay Rod magic and as a result looks a steal at the price WBA paid, good luck to him - it'd be thrilling to see him back to his best. But he's shown few signs of being that player again in a Saints shirt, so a fresh start surely suits everyone.

That was something Wenger suggested was a possibility when he signed Chambers - only to play him there approximately once, ironically against Saints (4 - 0), where he was absolutely useless. Not sure he's featured in midfield since...

As what, though? He's not a better centre back than Van Dijk or Yoshida, and arguably Stephens; or at least not significantly better to justify such expense. He ended last season playing right back - and he's not better than Cedric (haven't seen enough of Pied to form an opinion). Seems like a lot of money for - at best - a bit part player. And why would he even want to move to a club where he'd be no nearer the first team than the one he left? We robbed Arsenal blind getting £16m for him - let's not ruin what was a cracking deal for a player who won't make it as a top class centre back, because he's too weak in the air, and lacks the pace and mobility to succeed at full back (Montero at Swansea taking him to the cleaners a couple of seasons ago was particularly brutal). It's a no from me.