The9

Nothing mysterious about Cortese stepping down. Also, the thread was started by someone who was admitting they were wrong. FWIW I think a fair amount of stick for the knee-jerkism and conclusion-jumping that was required to adopt that position in the first place is fair, not that it'll make those kind of posters think about it more next time anyway. The closest I got was considering the FFP regulations as a possible motive for the sales and wavering for a couple of days in my (continuing) belief that the club might be sold at some point but the owner isn't doing anything in particular to market it. In fact my response to Crab Lungs' revelations within 24 hours of the Lovren and Chambers sales was "so basically we'll see if we sign 6 players in the next 35 days or so". We signed 7 (and released 7).

The little matter of her not being able to respond as well - I suspect a lot of the insulters wouldn't have said it if she had an account, never mind to her face.

Oh, and as if Ward-Prowse wasn't long enough on its own, he's actually JMEWP.

Is that's a typo on Jay Rodriguez's middle name? His dad's called Enrique - I'm not sure Enriqus is actually a name?

I think you're thinking of "Porthos"... middle name hilarity is one of my favourite things about squad lists.

20 of the 25 fully grown adults this year I see - and all of the outfielders except Mayuka likely to feature regularly too.

I don't recall Irene ever actually saying that? Lots of hints that he would be looking to go as Forster was first choice and there wasn't any competition in Koeman's mind, but then I don't quite understand the "leave him out til Window closes" logic either, if he was after a move. His options now are "beg for a 'mutual' contract termination" or "get on with it".

I don't recall a single Saints fan having a problem with it at the time.

I think he's a perfectly good player for a top 10 side, he's well suited to the wide attacking role and if he plays will pitch in with a few goals. A lot will depend on how Mane fits in though, and if we play him instead of Long/Tadic out wide, or instead of Pelle down the middle. Long's got a decent pass on him too and could play in the hole, now we're a bit short of creative midfielders.

Don't forget that using the Lambert example we'd have to allow 4 seasons of regular first team games for him to improve to Premier League level - so that would probably mean offering him a second contract before he'd played in the Prem.

I have no opinion on this matter, just giving you a chance to clarify yours.

This point would have merit if we hadn't just spent that entire time paying the likes of Lee Barnard, Jonno Forte and Billy Sharp to not even train with the first team.

Erm, he meant the Hernandez from Uruguay that Hull have just signed, not the Hernandez from Mexico that Real Madrid have.

Understandable that they've moved Boyd on, at least.

He has already committed to the future contract and all the terms of it, including remuneration, in order for the clubs to be in the position to agree to the future transfer (assuming Saints still want to). It's almost certainly enshrined in his loan contract for this season, for the convenience of not having to redraft the agreement.

I get that every time I phone for tickets.

I hope so, or we might get retrospectively relegated for fielding an ineligible player for most of 2012/13 as he wasn't on our official squad list until after the January window even though we signed him in, and played him from, September.

Nigel Quashie? We paid £2.1m for him from the Skates when he was out of contract 6 months later and they hadn't offered him a deal - almost the antithesis of "sweeping up left-overs". Presumably you mean Calum Davenport by "that centre half 'Arry brought in", he was a loan from Spurs and had a contract with them for another 2 seasons afterwards. Both January deals, neither were free agents.

Gareth Bale should be shoe-horned in, preferably a really jug-eared 12-year old version of him. Maybe hugging Theo Walcott. And why tf isn't Calum Chambers up there, went on to become Arsenal's 3rd most expensive signing ever in the history of everything? Oh, and Dale Stephens. And Taider

Using the concept of U-18's pre-contracts as a basis (the idea being that it's a pre-contract to a permanent signing): http://www.lawinsport.com/blog/mills-reeve/item/pre-contracts-in-football Basically, the "option to buy" sets out the contract terms for the future contract (and fixes the transfer fee between the clubs), in the event that the club decides, unilaterally, that they want to take up that option. The player has already agreed to the terms, and the clubs have agreed the fee. The only reason not to take the option is if the player doesn't meet the standard required in which case the loaning club retains their registration - eg Osvaldo at Juventus last season coming back to Saints.

I'd note that you don't need Targett on the bench if you have Alderweireld and Clyne in the team and a CB to cover Alderweireld for when he goes to RB and Clyne to LB.

The first goal was Schneiderlin's - Pelle's hair might have got a touch but his head didn't - no change in the spin on the ball at all. The second one came off the defender's thigh or possibly his boot (looks like boot from the wide camera and thigh from behind the goal), pretty sure Schneiderlin missed it altogether though he lunged for it, he was in front and put the defender off. Spotting it wasn't helped by both of them wearing similar bright yellow boots.

Hmm, I absolutely did miss that. And any and all reporting of it. There was a lot of easily-ignored nonsense on social media though, of pretty much the same ilk as the previous few weeks' rantings.

You should probably re-read it. Lots of stuff about what HAD happened and the reasons he'd been told for that, and not much about what will happen (because, obviously, his sources were no longer at the club or privy to those decisions) - even the stuff about the club sale is couched as opinion rather than based on his sources.

It is a sign of the ageing football audience. And that the kids are fed up of telling their dads how songs from the past 10 years go.