Chez

who wants consistent? It's great having someone as unpredictable as him. He's going through a poor patch end result wise, but he really is a fantastic player to watch. We have very few dribblers in the side. Players that can retain the ball, keep possession and take the pressure off a defence. He does that as well as using his unbelievable pace to nip in and win balls and turn bad ones into good ones. Let's not wish him away just yet.

We should have pushed a Dembele/Wanyama swap deal last summer. Maybe if there hadn't been such uproar the previous summer at the numbers going out the board might have considered it, but no way were they going to allow similar numbers going out and face the rathe of the fans. Personally I don't think there is a cat in hells chance of Arsenal signing him. He can't pass the ball,so that counts him out right there. Spurs have moved on. He's not good enough for City or Man U. He's not a Liverpool type player, so he's running out of options.

Will he get a game at Everton unless they sell Colman? West Ham on the other hand will need to buy Jenkinson next summer otherwise Byram might be first choice.

Ever noticed that Crooks speaks with long pauses in the middle of sentences? That's because his brain is so pathetically underpowered., his mouth needs to stop every two seconds to allow the brain to catch up. One of the most useless pundits in football.

Acquiring young talent to bolster our youth team has worked in the past. Lallana, Best, Blackstock, McGoldrick, Jones all bought in. No reason why we need to pick around for scraps. We have something to offer top young players. A reputation for playing them for starters. The higher up the pyramid we are, the less likely we are to get youth team players coming through that are good enough to play at that level. This is why Chelsea have struggled. They want a top 10 player in the world in every position, not just a solid pro. Not easy to spot those. Our target is slightly lower, but still requires a top top player. We have been fortune to land several of the best young players ever when they were very young, but that's not normal. Stealing them for other clubs when they are a few years older, if agreeable to all parties, is a good idea.

Could not agree more. Mane caught the eye with his goals, but if I was a manager of Chelsea, City, United, Liverpool or Arsenal, Bertrand is the one guy at Saints that I'd be signing in the summer. Everyone of those would strengthen their first team or squad with him in it.

For which many slated him on here. Shows the strength of having people at the club that aren't just yes men.

And Close hasn't played a single fourth division game for them this season. Koeman must look on enviously.

How good would our attack look if JRod got back to where he was...

Interesting conundrum. Right now Long and Mane start in the formation we have played the few games, but form and fitness will see that change. And then there's Pelle...real competition means a nose will be out out of joint.

Why would he lie? Why is it so hard to believe? Feels like saints fans only believing the stories they like. He will be on a bloody fortune.

Now that's an interesting point, but I'd point to the fact he is the one providing cover for Bertrand. A much easier job than going one on one with a winger like Zaha... Just shows the importance of playing the right players in the right formation with the right tactics to get the best out of them. I am not sure RK has done that for quite a while, but he has at the moment with the likes of Long and Targett.

All fair points, but tell me, do you see the next Shaw to Bale in as many years as you care to choose? That's what some are suggesting on here and that is a very bold prediction. Those two are one in a generation type players. How we got both is amazing. Fair play to anyone that makes it and is proved right. For me Targett has the first touch to play at a decent level, but the lack of pace worries me and unless he compensates for that by becoming a little stronger and nastier he won't be real top player. Right now I don't want to see him at left back in a four. He is too lightweight. But right now we don't have to, so that's not a problem.

Feels so unSaints like does it? Great though. Hope it works out.

Now theres a thought, England emulate Saints and play a back three, but using players that are extremely comfortable on the ball rather than just 'tall defenders'. Everyone says of Greece can win the euros then there is always a chance of doing it. I seem to recall they played three at the back in 2004 on occasions. To be honest as long as don't play Jagielka then it will be an improvement on Brazil WC.

No one wants to look like a Scrooge. And no one wants to read about what players did badly when we have won, so it's best to keep negative comments to yourself. Maybe I can get the post count up for you. Forster kicking looks a little suspect, not helped by poor pitch. Is he fully fit and if not, what a risk. I wonder how Bertrand feels about playing in this centre back role. He is doing a great job, but will it effect his England position? Great that we can rotate the centre midfield. Either we have lots of quality or no stand out players. Putting the hatred on here from some of of Wanyama to one side, what's the best combination. Mane can't hit a barn door right now. It will come, but will that be before moaning fans start to get to him? Are we really going to to drop him or Long to play Austin?

As I understood it that's why he didn't get a move in the summer. His £85k a week wage demand combined with the transfer fee were too much. The fee has fallen, but I suspect the wages won't be far off.

Time will certainly tell, but right now Targett can only play against good opponents when he has Bertrand covering him. When Shaw played we didn't need anyone in front never mind behind. Targett has the first touch and composure, but I don't see him beating players. He doesn't have the pace required. He needs to bulk up and become far tougher.

Blimey. This will certainly be a post to look back on in five years time.

Makes a shed load of **** balls look half decent too. Pelle can't do that. We also seem to play the ball down the channels when Long plays, which is more effective than the long ball down the middle stuff we play when Pelle leads the line.

In a time when it's hard to relate or like footballers isn't it great to add another legend to the clubs history. Shame he couldn't have a MLT dell like ending, but there's plenty of moments that will live with me forever. I think I saw over 100 of the goals live! Someone point me to a video of the MK Dons hattrick as that has just come to mind for some reason...

You have to be kidding? Zaha took the **** out of him in the second half, or was that your point that as part of a five man defence he looks decent? I certainly can't argue that he has played well having been pushed further forward, but he has a bloody long way to go before I'm going to be happy to see him play left back in a four up against the likes of Zaha.

I haven't changed my mind about his finishing, The more time he has the worse he is, but I'm seeing stuff from him in the last month that I haven't seen before (or chose not to) and I am not sure why I didn't appreciate it before. I love a worker, but somehow ignored this in Long despite it being obvious. Loving watching him at the moment. bloody hell his work rate has become infectious. Before he ran around a lot, but it was in isolation and therefore pretty ineffective, but the rest of the side has followed his lead and as a result we are putting sides under pressure and they are not good enough to play there way out from the back.

Long proved beyond any reasonable doubt that premiership players can easily play twice a week with no problems. He ran his heart out on Wednesday, but he covered every blade again. Terrific display. I love that effort and it seems to have rubbed off on our midfield. The work rate and closing down has increased greatly and the results are obvious, more ball, more control, more chances and more points...

I've not seen a lot of him at QPR, so I will reserve judgement as to how he will fit in to our side and how he will help make us better. Singing strikers doesn't always add goals. You have to supply the chances, especially if they are goal hangers. What I can say is that I just can't get that Swindon game out of my mind. He destroyed us that night and because of that and his location I always thought that we'd somehow try to get him here at SMS, but of course our finances and situation never made it possible and I suspect there's no one at the club now that was there then anyway. What I saw then was that he has a touch of arrogance and nastiness that the top level players need. He also was real confidence in his own ability and is a clinical finisher. The fee looks small, just as the Cylne money was, but that 4.5 year deal at gods know what wages will be a millstone round neck if we somehow went down. But that's the non stop gamble of the prem and were not going down anyway. Great to sign an English player with something to prove...