Alanh

Assuming that we go up I would release Connolly, N'Guessan, Gobern, Pulis and Stephens. Perhaps NA is seeing something in Stephens that I am not, but for me he doesn't look ready to challenge Morgan or Chaplow yet. If you them assume that Puncheon will leave, possibly Forecast based on his recent loan period and possibly AOC if he feels that he wants to go, it means that we could lose seven or eight players. We might get Joseph Mills back but will still need to bring in 4 - 6 players to replace those leaving in the first team squad. I would hope that any new players could challenge for the first 11.

Watched most of the match and was very unimpressed by QPR's style of play. Every opportunity was taken to play a long ball forward and scrap for the second ball. Taraabt is obviously a class player, but Cardiff looked the better team and played better football. No idea how QPR have been top of the nPC all season based on that one game. I guess they have performed much better at home / against weaker opposition that Cardiff.

Does this raise the prospect of Saints fans buying through Walsall for the away section just to get into the ground as we will have sold out the rest of the ground?

Mostly fair points, but the point remains that we are likely to see more additions to the squad than the 3 - 4 that some people seem to think based purely on us losing some players whose contracts will expire, are too injury prone, are deemed surplus to requirements or want to leave. If 6 players leave the squad for these reasons I think everyone on here would expect them to be replaced with better quality regardless of whether we pay big money for them or do it over one or two transfer windows. FWIW I think that we'll need (based on who I think will be leaving the club) two wide players to replace N'Guessan, Puncheon and Holmes, if AOC leaves that will be another pacy wide player needed, a fast striker to replace Connolly and complement the other options that we have, a new keeper (not sure if 1st or 3rd choice), a new attacking central midfielder and possibly a new defender, subject to Adkins thoughts on which of our current group of defenders are up to it.

Both have made about 7 signings since they were promoted and they have obviously strengthened their first teams successfully.

Look at it from the perspective of the squad and you can see 5 - 6 players leaving - Holmes, Connolly, Forecast, N'Guessan, Puncheon, possibly one of the three left backs and possibly Stephens if he doesn't cut it in his few games here. You would expect us to replace them all with better to challenge for first team places. Personally I've also got my doubts about the ability of some of the current first teamers for the nPC so I would not be surprised to see 5 - 6 new players come in should we get promoted, possibly more if we decide that we need specific attributes that are not already in the squad.

That and the fact that with so many games postponed we will be playing catch up in terms of games played until the last week of the season. Without that, and assuming that we continued to take the 2 points per match on average we would currently be 4 points clear of Huddersfield in second with 5 games left, and with three of those 5 at home. I'd be fairly confident in that situation.

I would expect about 7 - 8 signings for the squad based on replacing players who I guess won't get a new contract - Connelly, Holmes, N'Guesson, Puncheon - and players who might need replacing. Norwich and Leeds both signed about this number last Summer / Xmas. I think that one of the most important areas for us to strengthen will be up front as I'm not convinced LB is good enough for the NPC and if Connelly goes we will need quality replacements.

Thought Chaplow had one of his better games today. Obviously his substitution was part of a tactical change from NA, but it was definitely a step up fropm recent matches.

For the football played Saints v Sunderland in the play off season. We lost 1-0 but the performances of both teams that day was excellent.

I don't know about Walcott, but to me Alex reminds me of Aaron Lennon. He's got the pace that you need to be a top attacking player in the prem, but more importantly he's got the quality of close control at speed that you need to make it. He's only 17 so it's not surprising that it doesn't work for him every time and he has matches where his influence is minimal, but give him a couple more season and he'll become more effective. I think he's good enough to play for the full England team one day.

Classic example of the type of thread that gets started when there is a long break between matches. Hopefully with 2 games a week for the rest of this month we'll be able to speak about the football a bit more.

Stanmer train station is just across the road from stadium, Brighton to Lewes line. Probably best to park in Brighton or Lewes and get the train in.

I think the proposal is would you prefer to be in our position or theirs at the moment, not a fictitious position where they are 10 points ahead but we have 6 games in hand. It's understandable that they would take the points as that is what they have now. Its a fair point to say that points on the board are guaranteed and the games in hand are only potential up until the point that they are played. If the offer was 7 points or 3 games in hand I think I would take the points, however I'm with you in being confident that we can use our games in hand to catch Hudds.

Based on our form since Adkins took over we should get 6 points from the three games in question so taking only 5 would be settling for less than we have been getting and would be less in terms of points per game than just about everyone on here thinks we need to get to second. I would take the 3 games in hand as I think we should get more than 5 points from them.

Fair point to say that their form is currently good, but we have a very good record against them and a very good record at home. I'm more confident about our ability to get 3 points in the match against them than I am in the match against orient away.

Not sure how you can say that given our recent history v franchise includes beating them four times last season. OK, we lost earlier in the season at their place but that was with Wilkins as manager. The current form of both sides is also similar.

Did mine in September last year. The content is simple and straightforward and is focussed on coaches who are involved with grassroots soccer for kids. Everyone on the course passed. The instructors on the course emphasised the 'career progression' aspect of coaching and gave out literature on coaching associations and how to move on to the next stages of coaching. As said above you will have to get well advanced before you can make any money out of coaching, but to start with it's a good introduction to coaching.

It was reported at the time as being up to €1M based on meeting certain criteria i.e. games played, caps won etc. There was never any indication that we paid £1M up front for Morgan, especially when the exchange rate was better at the time and €1M equated to nearer £700K. No-one knows the terms of the deal so we may have paid it all by now or may still be waiting for other add-ons to be triggered.

20/21 points should be enough IMO. Posh and Hudds drawing would be ideal as a total of four points would be dropped by the teams around us rather than just 3 if one of them wins. Time to forget the 'games in hand + 3 points' type of thinking and concentrate on getting an average of 2 points per game. I believe that this will go down to the last game of the season and that we will be in second going into that game.

They could easily become extinct over many generations if fewer and fewer new believers are brought into the religion and existing believers die. It's not going to be the mainstream religions that are at risk but the smaller ones with fewer current members / believers.

Coasting in neutral will save you some fuel but the engine will still consume fuel ticking over. Coasting in the highest gear possible will mean that the engine will not use any fuel at all. Clarkeson has written about this a few times and mentioned it on Top Gear.

Sarcasm or not paying enough attention, I can't decide.

The new kit come out late last year and is very different to the kit England wore at the World Cup. It has a panel across the shoulders that features a load of multicoloured crosses and a baseball shirt style collar. I coach a local kids team and you normally see kids coming to training in the new England kit (home or away) when it is launched, but I haven't seen anyone wearing the new one. I think that's partly down to the lower profile launch and partly because the shirt looks terrible.

That's a very telling piece of information. Earlier in the thread I said 6 new players, but I'm now thinking 7-8 is more likely with a similar number leaving.