The9

Mulumbu and Yacob was probably the most consistent pair of central midfielders, and certainly two of the most vital to their respective club, West Brom's form went to pieces during their injuries/AFCoN call up. Wouldn't be much of a stretch to say they were a top 6 pairing. Liverpool slaughtered us up at their place in midfield too, put Cork's comeback somewhat into perspective that day.

I'd say this is exactly what will happen. Hodgson will only include him if Carroll isn't available, and he'll have to score or play a blinder in limited opportunities just to get another look.

Having not watched much L1/L2 until we found ourselves down there I wonder whether he ever had any in his first 10 years as a footballer or if his success just came too late for him to be the total package. Because let's face it, if he was 5 years younger, quick, could dribble past players and had the reactions to get to balls in the box on top of what he does have, we wouldn't be talking about spending £20m on a striker.

Oh blimey, you missed a hell of a party.

I await JWP's progress with interest, can't say he did much to impress me once August was over and he didn't run the U20s like I was expecting him to either.

Honestly, it's a close run thing.

I don't know where you get that from based on what I've said.

I can't in all conscience suggest Carrick wouldn't get into that 3 anywhere, or that Kagawa might not be better than Cork or Wanyama - and last season Scholes would have been in there. Plus Lallana and Puncheon/Guly are not in the same strata as their wide players.

I like them - hoped you were planning on doing them for Prem teams too - would be a nice counterbalance to whatever hilarious cobblers Bearsy comes up with.

Huh ? I'm pleased that a Saints player has been recognised, not so pleased that it's taken a pile of injuries for it to happen, but not particularly bothered about international football either way. However, if the team was full of people who wanted to play for England as much as Rickie Lambert probably wants to play for England I suspect the team's results would be a lot better.

We did it about three weeks ago in a friendly, suppose that doesn't count though...

One ?! I can't do ONE ! Moments to re-live Pahars v Skates in 2003 The moment we drew Watford in the FA Cup semis (cue me screaming off down the office corridor knowing we were in the Final) 2010 at Fleet Services on the way back from the JPT Final - or I suppose when we scored the 3rd, cos we knew we had it in the bag then The last 10 minutes at Brighton in the L1 promotion season The first goal against Coventry at St Mary's in the Championship promotion season Henri Camara against Norwich Me scoring from 40 yards in the Gwent County League 2003 My triple hat-trick in the Gwent County in 2000. Saints 3-3 at Man U - Pahars megging Stam, Le Tiss through Taibi... Moments to revisit to change Middlesbrough away in the Championship runner-up season 1979 League Cup Final The last minute of the 2-2 against the Skates at St Mary's The whole of the 2004/5 Fratton visit Not punching Jerry Sherman in the face when I had the chance as a teenager in 1988 in Newport (possibly ditto with Lowe on Cup Final day 2003) Me, clean through in the Gwent Amateur Cup Final in 2003, chipped the keeper on a soggy pitch and put it a yard wide. We still won, but I only set that one up. Telling the manager I was injured before Inter Cardiff v Afan Lido in 1995/6, probably should have played Immediately before a knee-high tackle from behind wrecked my knee in 2000. Moments I wasn't at but would like to have been 1976 FA Cup Final at Wembley Tommy Tynan, 90th minute, Jena, 1980/1. CMFG's meandering dribble goal. Saints in Europe in the 70s... maybe.

Wednesday.

If England start picking sides from before Madonna then Lambert's going to look like one of the youngest. Who do you want ? Bryan Robson ? Bobby Charlton ?

It's exactly what he said when asked why he hadn't picked Holt and Lambert on Goals on Sunday about 2 months ago, to be fair. He clearly doesn't rate him above about 6th choice and is only picking him because of all the injuries and the limited nature of the opposition.

We tangibly hung on to the players who might have been useful had we gone back down. There seems to be little reason to keep them now, especially as some of them have never been managed by the current Head Coach during an actual season. I think praising a side for reducing the wage bill by a negligible amount when their wages are dwarfed by new signings, whilst also praising the club for not asking for a fee for players is a rather rose-tinted way of looking at it as well. With the players we released in the summer we could easily have got rid of them in the winter window and got money for them, plus it would have reduced the wage bill sooner as well, if that was a benefit. If they're worth having, they're worth paying for.

Still need to clarify if Chaplow was given a temporary extension due to his injury, as I was under the impression he was out of contract already and he was on a month-to-month until he was fit. De Ridder, yup, so that's three from a squad of about 30, plus the 7-ish who are actually useful in the Prem. The rest of them have just been expiries. I also don't think credit is due for allowing players who want to play that we have no plans for to be able to leave, that's just reasonable, just like the position with Dickson last summer seemed a little unreasonable.

To be fair, Hodgson explicitly stated that Sturridge and Carroll would have been chosen ahead of him had they been fit, he wasn't exactly handing out platitudes other than "he worked hard to get to where he is" and you can tell by the phrases he uses that he regards him as a limited player and his perception is coloured by having first encountered him as a Bristol Rovers player knocking Fulham out of the FA Cup in 2008 (without actually scoring). He also basically said he'd considered signing him in 2008 but he didn't think he'd be up to the Prem. And that Saints won the Championship, and that Lambert signed for a Championship side, and also seemed to think that he'd ever played in a league called the Premiership.

Yep, post #17. By the next one I'd started having a pop at Hodgson.

I am ambivalent to all Saints players in the grand scheme of things, they're all dispensable and transient. I liked what he did in the Championship and League One. I no longer comment on his current Saints career because you just get lazy stuff like your comment, where people are unable to separate opinions about the person, the player, the international and the best way for Saints to progress, and just resort to having a pop at the poster. However, I can say "he'll have to have a hell of a match against Scotland to get picked for a competitive squad", and that's not a criticism of him.

You missed the post where I congratulated him then ?

It had better not be, that would make Alpine wrong. Speaking of me, I went to Newport on Saturday (may have mentioned this), and I saw Cheltenham v Newport at Whaddon Road in the Southern League Premier in about 1995, so I have no reason to go there. Me, me, me, me. None of this Saint Garrett nonsense. /sarcasm.

When did he play for them ? Thought he'd only played for English clubs ?

Yup, most of them involve travelling and having to try though. This is Scotland at Wembley.

Nice kit, who was he playing for there ?