Chez

good patience. Got between the lines. Decent move.

Brooks. Sensational.

we've been utter shit...and then KWP grabs the game by the scruff of the neck and ten seconds later we are hitting the bar.

He certainly did well for that goal, but I honestly don't think his hold up play has improved in recent months. The only thing that has changed is that he has scored goals in the last few weeks, which seems to have the unremarkable effect of bringing fans around to him. It hasn't changed my mind about him. As I have said many times, I like him, he has some lovely skills and he strikes the ball well, but to counter that, he can be far too casual and he needs to do the simple and `dirty' stuff better. He needs the right coaching and time to understand the position. I'm more than happy to give him that time. I am not sure going up will do him any favours though. Another season at this level playing every week would be ideal and then perhaps he can make a serious impression on the Prem.

Because of our ability to hang around in the top flight and your failure to get there, we've played each other just 10 times in the last 44 years. So, for a large chunk of both fanbases, there are very few memorable games to discuss. I've been to nine of those ten games and the only game that sticks in my mind is the 2-0 defeat at your place in 2009. A very young Morgan Schneiderlin was one of many Saints players that looked ill equipped to cope with championship football and in a fit of rage, due to his abject display, I wrote him off completely as a player that day (how wrong can you be?). There haven't been too many players to represent both sides either. Joe Jordan and Russell Osman have a special place in the heart of Saints fans of a certain age. I am sure you will put me right, but I suspect City fans may feel the same about them both too. Perhaps less so Stern John, who was well liked for his goals here, despite his minimal workrate. With goals in short supply, his lack of movement may have been more noticeable at your place? As for this season, well, despite the obvious advantage the parachute payments bring, I think a lot of Saints fans thought we would struggle to turn a sinking ship around, but the gap between the two leagues really shows. Once we recovered from losing James Ward-Prowse, our loanees started to settle and we got to grips with Russell Martin's possession-based approach, we have not looked back. Our side has a lot of quality at this level and no shortage of flair in the final third. Unfortunately for you, the additions of Brooks and the return of Sulemana have made us even stronger in that area. However, an injury on Saturday to the extremely important Flynn Downes (and to a lesser degree Stuart Armstrong) could throw a spanner in the works. Seeing as you beat us twice during our last promotion season, the only side to do so, it wouldn't surprise me if you brought an end to our 25 game unbeaten run this week. With leeds winning a lot of games, it looks like we need to win every game to get automatic promotion, but the odd draw here and there are bound to happen and that's my prediction, a 1-1 draw. Best of luck.

As I have said previously, I like him and the way he played in the Newcastle cup game made me think we had a real talent on our hands. That said, he's got to improve when it comes to playing with his back to goal and holding the ball up. If you're under the cosh, the ball has to stick when it is cleared and goes near to the central striker. When he is given space it's not an issue - the Newcastle cup game at SMS is a good example of that, but when a defender gets tight, he invariably does not protect the ball well enough. It's a weakness in his game. Get that part of his game right and Adams wouldn't get a look in.

I immediately checked his stats, half expecting to see that he scored maybe 6-8 in his last season at Blackburn (which would explain why Bournemouth signed him), but found he scored only 3 that season (which is above par for him). He's only scored 22 goals in 297 games.

Absolutely right. Poor finishing from strikers is always forgotten much quicker than keeper errors. It was woeful from Armstrong. Armstrong has some goals, and will no doubt score some more this season, so we are naturally hesitant to slate him, but we shouldn't. Our best striker has to be better than that. When we play Leicester or Leeds or go up and play Prem sides, that might be the only chance in the game and it needs to be taken. Everything is bloody brilliant right now though, so I will worry about Armstrong's ability to score in the Prem once we have got promoted.

great stuff Mara and Edozie.

play should not stop for cramp. If you are not fit enough tight shot. You don't slow down for your opponent when he gets tired. ....get in my man Mara.

if you say so.

the second goal was certainly from their left hand side. Bednarek got made to look like an absolute carthorse.

Surman has been coaching the younger kids at AFC Bournemouth, so is getting a promotion by working with our U18s. As you say, great role model. He wasn't the most talented of physically gifted, but he forged a bloody good professional career. Good to have him back.

good spot. That's a great signing. Coles gets bonus points for helping Niemi bleed the skates dry while offering nothing in return in terms of games.

I was told that Dibling was a pretty reserved and quiet kind of guy. Southampton was actually the ideal environment for him and he was perhaps not best suited for upping sticks, but the offer from Chelsea was too good to say no. The academy at Chelsea was full of top quality England youth players that all know each other very well. Lots of extravert types. Dibling became a small fish in a big pond. I don't think he got game time immediately and that made it quite difficult to settle in. A shame for him, but bloody great news for us as we got him back.

You are saying he is quick enough? That's great. The Watford game was the first time I've seen him at senior level and he wasn't involved in the play a lot, so perhaps I was mistaken. Pace is not everything of course. MLT and Sir Rickie both proved that. If he can beat players, create space and provide end product at the top level then we have a proper player on our hands. I'm excited from what I have seen so far. I like Ballard a lot too. I know youngsters often get overhyped, but there might actually be two or three that can become proper Premiership players.

I wonder if they might really need a full season of playing every week - in the championship - before they are ready to cope with the Prem? The jump up is massive. Doing that without a huge amount of games, especially against the better quality championship sides is asking a lot. Both players look talented. Maybe they can do a Shaw, but possibly a season out on loan would help them more than the odd few minutes here and there next season.

In Germany during the week, so cant go. Bollocks. Who's idea was it to have fifth round games bloody mid week. Shite.

Yeah, we could easily get smashed, but there's no point in worrying about that, we've been smashed by them many times when we had top flight players. The key is to play our normal game and see if we can actually get between their lines and cause them problems. It will be very difficult to do that, but we have to attempt to dominate the ball from the off. I fear we will be chasing shadows Not sure Liverpool lose to lower league opposition very often. They don't lose at home full stop. Great to be the underdog for once though and what a thrill if we take the lead or dare I say it get a result.

took mine to Norwich away about ten years ago as we were visiting friends in that area. I didn't tell her we were going to the game beforehand. It was bloody freezing. Bitter. And it snowed. When we arrived she didn't want to get out of the car. In the ground, everyone stood for the entire game. She sat down the entire time, didn't watch the game and just tried to keep warm. She has never been back. Fine with me.

I went to all the FA cup games in 1991. Great times. We were utter shit in the league, but despite that you always thought we could beat someone on our day. The game at Old Trafford was like a strange dream. I still don't know how they equalised. Brilliant game, even better outcome. I didn't think Timmy would get near any of the pens, but Giggs fucked it. Bolton away was some game too. Another massive away support considering the distance. The fans really loved the cup back then. We were absolutely cruising at half time, but in the end just scraped a draw. The noise from the home fans was immense. Burnden Park was weird, with a supermarket taking up half the away end and huge floodlight pylon in the middle of the other half. I think the Bolton replay is the most packed I have seen the Dell (not old enough for the Channon testimonial). What an electric atmosphere. We were so lucky to get through. That Bolton side was tremendous at the time. I know it's a cliche, but it felt like our name was on the cup. I can't remember the Norwich home game, I am guessing it was 0-0? The replay was another amazing atmosphere, but a massive nightmare of a game. Saints fans were not happy, especially with the ref, Ruel Fox for taking the piss and the police for keeping us in the ground afterwards. Sunderland and John Burn were absolutely flying and may well have beaten us, but you have got to fancy your chances. I can't imagine what it would have been like to get to the final and play the skates. It would have been absolute carnage.

I have to say I really like the look of Dibling. Good feet and he's big strong lad, which enables him to hold his own at this level already. My only concern is that he appears to have the pace of Le Tissier in his later years and not when Matt burst onto the scene as a winger. That's a shame. If he had that pace, we might have a potential £100m player of our own on our hands. If, when you say "coaching staff", that extends to the academy coaches, then I agree, as they are the ones most responsible for developing these young players.

great first touch and threaded pass from Mara to set up that Che chance. Has he been poor otherwise?

how far off Leeds strongest team is it?

can he play there?