Chez

I've said it many times before, but I'll say it again, signing John was a terrible decision. Dreadful. We already had Rasiak on the wage bill who was the exact same player IMO and he was also on the huge wages that we could no longer afford never mind add to. With the paracute payment gone we should have been cutting back not spending more. It was pure madness.

Goals are all important, but the game is about more than just that. The guy is just 20 and already he runs rings around oponents. Ok so he scuffs the odd shot but we're only about 15 games into his career and `fan's are already writing him off and don't seem to care if he stays or goes. If you're old enough to remember you will know that a certain MLT was bloody eratic in his younger days and far from the `unbelievable' 30 goals a season guy we all know. Jesus some of you are clueless when it comes to the delopment of young players.

is it? The only time I ever saw him run was one time when he misplaced a pass at SMS and he sprinted to try and recover the situation. I was amazed, not only was he working for the side but he actually was fast to boot. It just made me think why on earth he never ran around in games. I'll tell you why, cos he is ****ing lazy. If I am honest I never wanted him here and I'm glad he has gone. Rasiak worked twice as hard, but was twice as slow and therefore got lambasted. John is actually pacey yet when do you ever see him making a darting run? Never. Besides the chances we create Stern should have got 30 goals last season.

reread my post I said `IF'. I have said before I am very dubious about this signing. The stoke fan I spoke to said he is cack.

I think he will too. Unfortuntaley all we do at present is cut him some slack and face facts that he is going to make mistakes and get bullied off the ball a little. That doesn't help our current situation though and he needs to lean quickly if we are to have a chance of staying up. Even if Killer is back at the weekend I would have reservations at playing him with Perry.

you are spot on. I have to say the reason we are in this **** is because we tried and failed to offload Skacel, didn't have a fit Thomas to sell and my best guess is that the deal to sell Davis fell through at the last minute (hence us buying Forecast). With them gone the books would probably have balanced. Havign said that the gates have been so low we would probably still have had to sell one if them.

McGoldrick Skacel Lallana Surman Gillett Schneiderlin Mills Svenson Lancashire Cork Davis

Bridge is the best crosser of the ball I have ever seen. Totally one footed though and doesn't look like he has improved much since he joined Chelsea. I'd liked to have seen Bale in ther top flight for us, as its impossible to compare his performances with Bridgers due to the difference in quality of the opposition. He looks a more gofted player to me, but looks rather nieve when I have seen him for Spurs and Wales. Mark Dennis was good but not as good IMO. Statham had a terrific season for us but I'd describe him as solid rather than special.

its not about age its about lack of quality. Gobern, Wotton, Pekard, Smith, Thompson, Robertson. Different ages but all very average indeed. What we need is better players playign every week. A fully fit Svensson and Euell for starters.

Technically he is a batter player, better touch, more ticks and better ability with an oponent tight to him. He plays with his head up all the time, he is a class act. Not the finished article I might add but a quality player. What he doesn't have is the pace Bale and Walcott have that enables you to get away with more mistakes and lack of experience. It its slightly less important in midfield. Where do you play him though in a Premiership side? Not many teams give players the freedom of the park. Make no mistake he is a gem and £1m offers should be laughed at no matter how much trouble we are in.

if we could get Saga, Rasiak, John, Thomas and Skacel off our books permanently then perhaps we might be able to afford to keep Surman and Lallana.

I think deals are done way before the window opens. The window is just for official paperwork.

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.