Chez

it wasn't just his lack of sharpness it was his inability to get off the ground and win headers that worried me the last time he played in the first team. Boy do we need a good headerer of the ball on Saturday to combat there big centre backs on set pieces.

if we stop playing nice fotoball will the results neccessarily change? Watford for example tend to hoof it long and they also have a side full of experience (the same can be applied to us last season) and they are still struggling. For me its not about swapping nice football for long ball, or indeed getting seasoned pros in to replace the kids. What we need to do is mix things up a little. Some of Schneiderlins long angled balls caused Wolves real problems on Saturday and got us into attacking positions much quicker than passing from back to front very time. We need a bit more of this and also a few mroe direct balls as well as that caused Wolves problems as well. Short passing all the time is not the answer and at times it gets us into real trouble even just from Davis shot passes from the area. As for getting old heads in I'm not convinced that is the answer either. I wouldn't swap Wotton for Surman for example. What we need is better quality not a higher age. Players like James, Gobern, Thompson, Pekhard and Smith have shown to be just not good enough (yet). Better quality replacements whatever their age is what we need.

Can't say I was impressed when I heard he was joining us but if he turns out to be mobile, decent in posession and get stuck in then eh could be just what we need. Is he fit for Saturday though?

thanks for bringing all those back to me, my tyeeth are grinding as I type. The ****ign bastards...;

the simple question is will we go bust if he came back?

understatement of the century. He has yet to make a single tackle since he signed for us and he's even started bottling them now. Great ability but a CM that doesn't tackle is going to have to be pretty special

Can't argue with that. So play Svensson, Wotton and John and we'd be hard to beat. Shame Svensson is always injured and way past his best, Wotton is too slow to get near to making a proper tackle, and John is the laziest striker the world has ever seen. I think you are going to have to be more specific as those three won't win us games IMO. If you mean get three players in, then how do we afford them? Genuine question.

with Surman and Schneiderlin in the middle we don't exactly have a arial powerhouse there already and in Schneiderlin we have a bottle when it comes to tackling. Get Gillett into the middle and we at least have someone doing the dirty work that goes unseen but is imperative if you want to prevent and break down attacks.

is Cork that good a CB that you actually want to shift him from right back? I have to say I'd rather give Gillett a go than James.

If you read my posts you will see that I felt we should NOT play Gillett at right back but should get him back into midfield immediately. Dennis Wise was Premiership quality playing in the Premiership, Gillett is CCC quality and guess where we are playing right now? Plenty of other small players have done well at this level. Safri last season for us for starters. I can live with a small full back, but if Perry and Mills/Skacel are also in the side not to mention Cork or Lancashire (neither dominating in the air) we are going to be in big trouble.

I'm pretty sure the "Hope you die soon" On the March cover wasn't just a sick statement putting into words Saints fans' displeasure at Branfoots terrible management, but was in fact a brilliant catch phrase of the time that featured in the very dark humoured `Poppet on a swing' sketch from a Harry Enfield TV show. Quality sketch, brilliant use of the catchphrase, but no real malice intended IMO. I could be wrong though...

how about we get rid of Smith, Pekhard and Robertson and try some new loans?

also that fact he getting shots in says someone is doing something right to create all these opportunities. Unless you hadn't noticed I like what I see with McGoldrick, or at least I haev over the last month. He has increased his workrate, is linking well with Lallana and Surman, and since he was moved back wghere he shoudl be (the middle) he has looked decent. Why JP plays him out wide or drops him deep is beyond me.

why did we sign Saga and Stern John when we couldn't afford to pay Rasiak anyway?

Too small for midfield. What a load of Cack. I give you Dennis Wise.

****. Bloody hell for two years now we have had nothing but injuries, loss of form, suspensions totally unsettling our defence. I haev a solution though. In comes Svensson. Yes I know Perry and Killer looked like old men when combined but I fear for us on set peices without some height. Although Lancashire has not been up to it so far I am almost inclined to play him next to Killer. We need more mobility than Perry and Killer.

I'd say he started slowly, improved greatly, had one bad game, was dropped and then has been injured. Time to get him back into the middle as we need some bite in there. I am still waiting for Schneiderlin to make a tackle. He is a complete bottler so we need Gillett to fill that space and allow Schneiderlin to play with freedom.

Interesting idea, but his lack of size would be more of an issue at right back than CM. For years we have lacked height at the back and we have been vulnerable at set peices and now you propose Mills, Perry, Gillet and Cork as our back four. That has to be the smallest back four in the CCC. Besides what's wrong with Pearce? I have to say that Cork has been hit and miss at right back so far. Too much ball watching and playing a high line when the rest of the defence is five yards deeper (allowing players in behind him). He does cover round well and is decent in possession but there is room for improvement thats for sure. I think he needs more time though, at least as much as James got anyway. I too like Mills at left back and would prefer Skacel at left wing, but Mills (and Perry) are small so we need to balance that out with extra height elsewhere in the side. I know big isn't always beautiful, but from corners and set peices you just have to have height. Losing Euell is not going to help us as well. For me Gillett needs to come back into the centre to give the back four a little mroe protection. He is a busy player that can play the Makalele role allowing Schneiderlin a little freedom. I think you will find Skacel adn Lallana will coem inside more than say Gobern or Thompson so they will effectively fill that space that Lalllana filled when playing in the hole. He's my side: Skacel McGoldrick Lallana Surman Gillett Schneiderlin Mills Perry Pearce Cork Davis

he's got 7 and is playing well right now.

so you have paid but you are bit going to games? Sorry but I can't get my head round that one. Do you live hundreds of miles away? Get to games mate, enjoy the struggle then quit next summer. Yes it painful at times but Saturday was a great game and worth every penny.

if we had kept Rasiak, Saganowski and John wouldn't we be bankrupt by now though?

tell us how we go about doing that? That is all I'm interested in when I come to this board.

let me rephrase, we were all over them in the second half.

spot on, and I also fear that even if we won 5 in a row the vast majority would see it as a blip and still not buy a ticket this season. The damage has been done. We're in the ****, we all know it, so whats the point of moaning about it all day long?

Yorkie you sure have got the case of the blues these days. Sadky though what you say will probably come true, but for now allow a little hope into your heart. Not sure if you saw the game on Saturday but we looked decent afetr we got our goal (pretty poor before mind). The side needs a slight tinker, Perry in (Lancashire out), Gobern out (Mills in with Skacel up to left wing perhaps), lose Pekhard, Smith and Robertson and try again with another set of lads on loan - and before you know it there might be soemthing to shout on for the second half of the season. Not all is lost yet and at least they are going to go down fighting for the club and not their wages.