Chez

you're kidding. Mark Mudie `presents' a show and their only guests are our friends Bob Beach and Colin Farmery. All PDT stalwarts.

You have to pay £2.50 booking fee for each ticket? Bloody nora I didn't know that. Cortese's wages really have forced the Saints to be ruthless. I'm attending a wake at SMS next week. I wonder if they will charge me for parking? I suspect the FA wouldn't be too happy to hear that some clubs are pocketing 17% of the income on admin fees thereby getting round handing it over to the FA competition and the opponent (Chelsea obviously won't be overly concerned) as part of their share.

I'm not sure I fully agree, and that's from someone that was slating him after about ten games last season. He does have a few other attributes to go with some nice crosses. He has a lot of quality on the ball. He has a great first touch and the little dummy and come inside thing he does is good. He gets himself out of tight spaces well so he doesn't hoof or give up possession cheaply. What he lacks is pace and because of that he doesn't defend correctly, dropping far too deep so he doesn't get exposed by pace (whilst at the same time giving the opponent all the freedom they need to cross at will). He also has a **** poor work rate, doing the absolute minimum. His choice of pass sometimes leaves a lot to be desire - the incessant use of the long diagonal ball for starters - but certainly no worse than Yoshida, Clyne or Fonte. As cover for Shaw he's OK - never a left midfielder - but he could be so much better with some proper analysis of his game and the right coaching. There are lots of fullbacks without pace that have done OK in the Prem, he needs to emulate them and change his game. Sadly you just know he'll carry on as he is, because he's made his money and he thinks he's made it.

it will be a ****ing crime if PFC gets a single penny of tax payers money, no matter what guise they are in

don't worry chaps, should the PST fail to turn the necessary pledges into hard cash, Ms MoneyPenny says there are plenty of fall back options including getting the cash from the governments's Big Society Fund.

I'd play Guly there. He had a good game playing there against West Ham. Ramirez leaves us too open defensively. Having said that Rodriguez hasn't let us down when forced to play on the left. Chaplow is not the worst shout in the world. He gets up and down the line and will keep things tight. Shaw can quite clearly do a lot more offensively if given licence so Chaplow's lack of quality on the ball might be overcome by Shaw stepping up. Interesting choice for Adkins. IMO he'll play Ramirez and we'll concede goals because of it.

you sure it wasn't 140 or even 1400 Neil? Wonder if the court stenographer described them as the World's Greatest?

by and large I think I agree with you, but can you explain the difference between the `traditional sense of a 4-4-2' and what we do?

Fair enough, perhaps I am wrong, it has been known. Going forward there certainly is a lot of interchanging, which is essential, but I'd argue that when the opposition goalkeeper has the ball in his hands that's when you see the formation and it's Ricky AND Ramirez splitting the back four and then two banks of four. Ramirez has been playing up front. He doesn't have a responsibility to track runners unlike the other four midfielders. Whatever formation it really is, I think we agree that the wide players are a little more defensive minded than earlier on in the season when the likes of Lallana were often found on the wrong side of attacks, and that has provided much needed protection to fullbacks and also the centre backs from the subsequent crosses.

he misunderstood the initial question. He thought the interviewer said/meant that some people had called in and suggested that fans don't celebrate goals. Ridiculous suggestion, sadly for him not one that anyone had actually made.

jeez we 4-4 fecking two.

no we don't. For some time now we have played 4-4-2 with Ramirez as the second striker. He does drop deep, but so does Lambert - is he not playing up front too? Check Ramirez' starting position when the ball is in the opponents keepers hands. It's him and Lambert closing down across the line. He is playing up front. Add to this Lallana and Puncheon have since WBA played as proper right and left midfielders rather than wingers. It's a subtle difference, but they are deeper and have much more defensive duties. They are not playing as three behind the striker, although they do cut inside and float when we have the ball. When we don't they are right there in front of their fullback.

no we ALL weren't. I actually thought Adkins might have brought him on for Lallana earlier, seeing as he played left midfield at West Ham earlier in the season and did a good job. Ramirez on the other hand was **** poor when moved out wide at WBA. Not every Saints fan is surprtised or disappointed when he comes on. When he has slotted into the middle of midfield (his actual position) he has done a good job, keeping the ball and passing it well.

no nagging thoughts that it might all go tits up?

he was badly misjudged by the majority of fans, failing to see what he can and can't do, what he is trying to do with the ball or how he could be effective. I still think even now many don't realise he's left footed or hasn't got pace. The lack of understanding or appreciation of the game dumbfounds me at times. He certainly has upped his work rate, although he always did try and often got stuck in. He's a proper team player, tracking runners and getting goal side.

This is exactly what I have been saying for months now. It's good that we have a settled back four, that is very important, but if Jos has to come in I won't be concerned at all. He will be fine.

Interesting. If the season ended now he'd be my player of the season (Cork will get it if he continues as he is doing) and he's a vital player in the side especially as we have no right midfielder cover at all unless you count de Ridder.

I don't see an improvement in that department at all. He's always had a great touch and upper body strength. He's upped his workrate, but for me the main difference is that he now has the confidence to really take his time and when he does he hasn't got fans on his back moaning at him for holding on to the the ball for too long.

better than Bridger, but not as good as Bale? How much do you think he's worth seeing that he's English, left backs are hard to find and their is crazy money out there?

are our "play off hopes [still] hanging by a thread"?

they all saw that goal at Fratton Park though on the TV. Amazing how mistakes made in TV games shapes opinions of players. Fonte's error at Boro on TV swayed the general opinion on here that he had a poor season last year, which of course he didn't.

some of us have backed him phantom jeans and all. Wonder if he will sign a new deal?

The Ref wised up pretty quickly to Roberts' pathetic attempts to cheat. Shame the one at West Ham didn't do the same with Carroll. Lets not encorage our own big man to cheat

two pacey fullbacks, it's like all our christmas came at once. Clyne is not the finished article either.

I blame it on the beer.