Chez

Love the white kit, not seen it in the flesh but it looks the best kit I've seen us have. White kits make teams look bigger. A classic season and all the kits will become classics.

the game is all about opinions I guess. I remember going up to Wolverhamton to witness a dour 0-0 and he didn't make a single tackle in the entire game. I know tackling isn't anywhere near as prevalent as it used to be, but the game was crying out for a CM that could win something. If he had we might have done something in that game. I watched him carefully after that and it wasn't a one off, he hid in every game. I might be wrong but In think we have totally destroyed all opponents featuring him in it.

I remember...sadly, a defensive midfielder that didn't tackle, pass, shoot, control the ball, run, win anything in the air, move off the ball, cross, or dribble. Lightweight is putting it mildly.

thought he was out of contract?

at last some pace at fullback. Wonderful.

He says not. I guess he has to say that. If I was Froome and the tour was there for the taking I'd have to take that opportunity. Who knows what might happen in the future.

I just want to say that he was one of the worst footballers I have ever seen.Thank god he was injured a lot.

reminds me of the trip to Colchester in their new stadium. Got stuck in a huge traffic jam on M25, missed the junction, arrived just before half time, saw little of the second half because of the fog - other than Saints playing ****, then it took hours to get out of the car park. Cost me an arm and leg in fuel as I spent most of the drive at a stand still or doing 100 trying to make up time. Still at least I didn't have to wprry about their being no pubs within 100 miles of the ground.

I think he also still owns the penthouse suite in Gunwarf quay. Not short of a bob or two is are arry. The land on Southsea seafront has been cleared after the fire - the council forced the owners to do it. I notice the Spinnaker Tower developers are buying it, wonder if they'll include a working lift in their plans?

IMO jurors simply struggle to find accused guilty. "Are you 100% sure that terry was racially abusing him?" "Er..." "If you have any doubts at all you must find him not guilty. So are your 100% certain?" "Er, well, I guess I am not 100% sure." "Then it's not guilty".

isn't their admittance dependant on them meeting these FL requirements set out today?

yep, Paul Smith in nets with Niemi on bench. So many bad defeats to them. None worse than that home missed penalties circus. The Lambert header in the Hudds game did suggest possible brighter things, but that can be countered by bringing on Jake Thomson and him being as effective as he had been in all previous games. The way Robinson embarrassed Perry (never ever rated him and on of the reasons we were so **** in my humble opinion) and made Lancashire look like a kid made me fear for our survival, never mind promotion.

there are so many horrific showings. Losing is one thing, but total no shows with players showing no desire is another thing completely, add a few horrific car journeys, tunring up late and not seeing half the action through fog and you've got some football away day nightmares. Already mentioned, Huddersfield away first time round is as bad as I've seen us. Ricky goal apart we were an embarrassment. Wycombe away and Colchester in said fog were slow deaths, but for total and utter fuming because of how **** we were, nothing compares to the 2-0 defeat at Bristol City in 2009. Terrible. When the only guy to come out of it with any credit was Wotton, and only because he tried to decapitate the opposition on two occasions. That says it all. The 5-1 drubbing at Preston and 4-1 at Coventry still stick in my mind, shiver...but equally pathetic was the showing in the 1-0 defeat at QPR, when Quashie could be seen standing around on the half way line with hands on hips as they went up the other end and scored. This revealed quite clearly that he could not give a toss as he was off a few days later. Shameful display, specifically by him, fuming. On reflection I can understand why he didn't want to get hurt, but now I know why unsettled players shouldn't be allowed to play. Oh and the Watford defeat, 3-0, on Boxing day was painful too. I can hardly type Swindon, Rotherham or Bristol Rovers away...aaaaghh

Now I know why he kept making so many ****s ups, he wasn't drunk as I suspected, or just **** as my pal thought, he was simply cheating. Glad I turned my nose up at his testimonial. I wish him all the best in his recovery against addiction. Disappointed but not surprised.

because he was struggling to spell it?

crap, but potentially brilliant.

Le Tiss claimed he did the old first throw in scam just the once in his book. Claus talks about a whole series of events. Shameful.

his game is all about fitness and in the initial games on his return he was poor, perhaps because he wasn't match fit (**** off Owen). But away at palace for example he was outstanding. You need movement in a side, and off the ball running is key. Not all players do it. I point to Freddie Ljungberg as a key player for Arsenal back in the day. The space he created for others because of his running without the ball not to mention latching on to the end of some great passes was a huge contribution to their success. Chaplow can offer that to us, all be it on a lessor scale.

fair enough, you have a point about players making comments about doing it right, but almost every season poor early season performance is blamed on fitness and a crap pre-season. I don't buy it. Fans and players look for easy excuses. Getting back to your original point of Lambert's performance under both managers, under Pardew he scored 33 goals, named in the PFA Team of the Year for League One, and won the PFA Fans' Player of the Year award. It's not like he was twiddling his thumbs under Pardew and then Adkins came in and turned him into a player. I already acknowledged he was perhaps fitter, but I think the difference in the quality of his game is not massive. Getting back to the main thread, how much were Palace asking when Bolton came sniffing around in Janurary?

the city wanted to honour the old professional footballer in the country?

You are right he certainly was injured and that led to his loss of form, then confidence and then more loss of form. It went on for a long time after the injury had healed. My point was that the bright lights of Lambert last season under Adkins can be countered by the lows of the previous season. It's not all been plain sailing. It matters not really, he's been bloody great under both managers. The idea that Pardew's pre-season was to blame for his injury is ********. He got injured, so did a couple of others. It happens. Pardew was an experienced manager that had done countless pre-seasons before that one. I didn't notice his **** pre-season technique effecting Newcastle last season.

the hatrick at Milton Keynes is another example. He was scoring goals from all ranges and angles. Not seen that under Adkins. He also completely lost his mojo in the first season with Adkins. Took him 2/3s of a season to find it again. You have to applaud Adkins patience with him though as it paid dividends later. He certainly is fitter and his workrate is much higher, but he's always had that great touch and vision. The fact remains Pardew took the gamble (as all signings are) and brought him here and for that I'm thankful.

One of the reasons he didn't shine in that game is we targeted him defensively. I haven't seen Fox and Lallana make such a massive effort to get tight and double up on a player as they did that day. It was clear as day to me that Adkins and the side recognised his threat and they did a job on him. A brilliant job. Fox had his best game in a Saints shirt and Lallana worked his socks off to cover him. The way Adkins made Zaha top priority in that game makes me think its highly likely that we would try to sign him. You don't make that effort if you don't rate him, and if you rate him why wouldn't you go for him. Whether we value him like Palace seem to if a different matter. In my eyes he's a special talent, someone that could go on to great things. I'm concerned about his temperament, but with the right guide at the right club he might grow out of it. We'd be a good choice for him I think.

he started 5 games in the league. That says everything. The guy had some very good games coming off the bench, turning a few games completely, but despite this he played almost everyone out their at RM rather than him. The criticism Adkins gave him about tracking back was headed immediately by de Ridder, but Adkins didn't seem to be able to forget it that game. I like him, he has great ability, I don't even think its his final ball that is the issue, it's his decision making. Far too often he just doesn't run at opponents, dithering instead. Another problem is he just is not fed. I've seen him come on have an immediate impact and then not see the ball for half an hour.

no Saints fan has watched Steve de Ridder week in, week out, as Nigel clearly doesn't trust him, so hardly ever plays him.