Giordano

Goals against Bristol City do not count. Good passes playing against Bristol City do not count. Clean sheet versus Bristol City does not count. We are Real Madrid and Barcelona and Bayern Munich rolled into one. We are that good that when we concede two goals in five games, are denied goals by MOM goalkeeping performances in those and beat top of the table Liverpool at Anfield who already beat Man Utd there that we need to criticise SRL for being rubbish, Osvaldo ditto, Adam ditto, Jrod toothless and especially Big Vic for not being able to pass. Plus Mopo is one game away from the sack. My goodness if only those players and the Manager were any good we would be laughing. We would be top of the table on 20 points from 5 games not 8 because the Premier League had decided to give us extra points per game for style and class. #ridiculousexpectations......#getreal..........#preparingforcupupset(anythinglessthan5-0win)+#wristslittersconventionherelatertonight

While I do rate Big Vic, and I agree he is defensively superior to Cork, I would question whether he should be playing home games against average opposition. I think Cork helps us shift the ball a lot quicker and carries it further up the pitch. West Ham offered so little going forward yesterday that I would hardly say he was needed in there to protect the back 4. Great to have competition for places as you say, but Cork wasn't even in the matchday squad yesterday which hardly amounts to him breathing down Wanyama and Morgan's respective necks. I have considered this too and i think you are right, but to quote a Dire Straits early track (Romeo and Juliet) its just that the time is wrong. I think Bicvic needs a run in the side to find his real mojo. He was bought because he has got upward mobility in part to improve. He was also bought to be a main DM man for us so he is starting whoever the opposition is, it just happened to be a load of similar-ish solid teams. Liverpool away he is necessary, and indeed most away matches, but as you say, perhaps at home not so much - but then again, how many did Cork score last year and how many assists? I think Bigvic has already had more shots than Jack normally would for example...its just his speed of passing is not up with Corks and this causes knock on effects throughout the team and the coordination of our attacking play which the rest of the team are having to re-synchronise themselves to. I hope there is nothing irresolvable about Corks absence but it did look like JWP took his place on bench. I can see why KD is there, I can see why Chambers was there, I can see why Ramirez was there, and to drop JWP entirely seems unfair as he has probably the best set piece delivery in our team plus a good engine as they say...and that leaves Jos - and i think it was a reasonable call by MP to put Jos on bench given the nature of opposition and the type of goals he would expect them to try to score - so unlucky Maya but that's football, play better in training mate. No Cork, No Yoshida - both compulsory starters mid last season when we started doing better after having to play all the best teams first ten games ....

And if you add in that exceptional home win against man city as a "joker" we would be about 4 points clear and picking hotels for our champions league away matches next season. I am going to Rimini tomorrow via Bologna for a week for the Euro squash championships ( my team representing England btw as Squash National Champions)..so will check out a few for if we draw a Turin or Milanese team though im staying right on the coast seafront..plus this October Ive already booked a Relais and Chateaux 5 star place near Porto and hope to get in a match whilst out there in case we get Porto in our Group. Incidentally I think it would be pretentious if we were in Group "A" seeing as its only our first year so id be happy with "E" or "F", you kind of have to show respect for the established names in your first CL season but season after next I'd be livid if we did'nt get into group "A" or at least Group "B".

JRod and Adams first touches were below par yesterday - agreed, yet Ads is playing better this year than last year early doors. Jrod - personally I'm disappointed he has not burst out the blocks after his preseason goalscoring but I think we WILL find a way to play to his strengths I'm sure and he will get back to that level, he is back to last six matches of last season kind of performance. I want to see the unstoppable run with the ball take people on with strength and pace and skill Jrod of versus Liverpool etc... One other thing i reckon is worth pointing out - No other EPL team has burst out of the blocks smashing everyone and playing wonder footy. So i see no reason to despair. Im not complacent either but the facts are this: Liverpool, Spurs and Arsenal are playing good.... and two of those have already got beat once out of 4 already....Chelsea and Man City have got beat, Everton looked clueless until they beat Chelsea...West ham frighten nobody already lost at home to Stoke, Man Utd don't look awesome, Swansea got mashed at home as did Newcastle, Fulham cant beat West Brom at home, Villa can't keep clean sheets, Palace Hull Cardiff im not overly concerned ....everyone can beat everyone yet again in this league. So we only got 5 points from 4 games, all four of which are "bogey" teams - west brom, sunderland, west ham and norwich...? Not worried. I think we will play better against the so called "better" teams, just a hunch. As for lack of goalscoring. Yup we have not scored as many as this time last year. But we are tighter defensively. That sounds a trite and rather obvious a response - but many seem to have overlooked it. Should we have scored v west ham you think? I think yes. Whats our goals per shot ratio this year compared to the average for last year? That's an easy way to see if we are ahead or behind the schedule. And if we are behind, ( i think not- we scored 5 v barnsley...) ah well its only Liverpool away next week and we will get at least two up there id say...

My thoughts on the issues from that match and season to date are: 1. Wanyama is a defensive upgrade. We are better defensively with him in our team. That overrides all other considerations for me in a team that has got Lambert Osvaldo Lallana & Jrod all capable of being fancy on the ball/ scoring. We have greater solidity with him. We are harder to beat with him. The harder we are to beat in this league the more likely it is that eventually, our better players performing the higher risk of failure attacking plays (ie dribbling crossing attacking passes and shots as against horizontal and backward passing) will conjure up some magic and score. So, for me he is performing his prime function very well. His attacking distribution is not as good as his defensive ball winning and hustling skills at present but we must remember he was brought into the team under great fanfare and has been given prime responsibility in front of the back four- he cannot play fancy-dan football right from the off there... he is ensuring a steady foundation for himself. We know he can defend for us now. Bit by bit I hope his confidence will rise to attempt even more offensive plays than he has to date. I don't doubt his technical ability to do so unlike some. I saw enough direct forward passes from him yesterday, at pace, largely in the middle third to Jrod, Lambert Adam and Osvaldo, to know he can deliver those plus he had a half decent half volley palmed away too by jussi.. He has not got the technical purity on the ball of Cork its true- but I am delighted that if and when he and MS get suspended /injured ( as they will as they are our main enforcers) that we have such a great ready made replacement in the team as Jack. It would be madness to let Cork go to Fulham or elsewhere. His presence ensures Bigvic and MS have to play 100% EVERY game, no coasting because there is no decent replacement for them. 2. Lovren is a defensive upgrade too. A really good buy. His presence means Fonte and the other CB's and full backs must play better or lose their place. No guaranteed starting place for Jose this season and he is playing every game like it could be his last- and playing much better than this time last year incidentally, no coincidence its in a team with two better defensive players than then in it. 3. Calum Chambers and James Ward Prowse. These are getting regular time out on the pitch. That is fantastic for Saints, and for England. Clyne has the competition he needs now due to the emergence of Chambers and we have the back up if Luke gets injured of knowing Clyne can slot in at left back with Chambers on the right. Chambers imo is already a £5m player. By end of season that will double or treble if his progress continues. 4. Morgan is learning how to play with bigvic and its taking some time. But it will happen. Patience. He is an excellent and intelligent player. To me he is playing this year with more apprehension in his game. He has been put under the spotlight due to his fantastic under the radar year last year but this year everyone knows his opta stats and expect 20 interceptions a game etc...he will get into a rhythm and when he does we will be an even better team. 5. Boruc. Is our undisputed number 1. KD is an excellent back up, his experience is what you need when you come on for a penalty or the last 34 minutes of a game down to ten men. This is another defensive upgrade on last year. 6. What to make of the forwards and attacking midfielders? Well, myth busting number one: we are much stronger than last year. Lambert is now an England striker, Osvaldo plays for Italy. Adam is playing better than this time last year and jrod is about the same as early doors last year ( ie i think he can really improve- im one of those that believes in him and want him to get to Rio...). Myth busting number two. Lambert, Osvaldo, Adam and Jrod cannot play in the same team at the same time together. Yes they can. Can they play effectively together though? I think yes yes yes. They are all four really good players. In time. Patience. By stopping the other team scoring for longer we buy time to get the attacking formula right. The real fun question for me is can we play those four PLUS Ramirez? If it was a CD released at xmas the title would be : Now THAT'S what i call an attacking team formation 2013. The answer for me is NO by the way. But in the same way that Cork is an excellent player to have that ensures that the DM's stay 100% on form, the presence of Ramirez on the bench for me ensures those four must give 100 every game. If Ramirez gets on and plays well, way hey lets go mad and say he scores - well then its up to the subbed player to take his chance next time..and Ramirez IS a high quality player no doubt. Lambert MUST start if fit for me though. The others are more interchangeable than him imo as he has totemic value ( he gives belief to our team that we can still score whilst at same time the opponents are scared of him because they know he can too). 7. Subs bench:. Stronger. Better midfield back up, better full back cover, better goalie, reliable centre back cover. Lee is perhaps unlucky not to make the bench this time but i expect him to do so soon. He is a player that could be put on the pitch with the express intention of him going to score a goal. 8. The Manager: Is clever. Is skilful. We play the third highest possession football in our league. Proud of that. We are trying to do something new in the league yet are constantly modifying it as others "get wise". WE are one of the innovators in this league along with Swansea under Laudrup, Everton under Martinez, Liverpool under Rodgers. Most of the others are pragmatic football teams. He picks and plays our young British academy players. Unlike Chelsea, Man City, Spurs etc. 9. Lastly, PACE. Shaw is fast. So is Clyne so is Chambers so is Jrod. Osvaldo is ok, Ramirez is ok, Lambert is lightening quick but his intelligence makes him speed-of-light quick, which i think is marginally quicker as its got less particles in it but a physicist might be able to help on that point ;-). Adam is fast thinking but slow running ditto Cork, JWP is fast thinking with ok pace, SD is slow but intelligent and reads the game very well hence does not get made to look slow too often (lets forget about the other night with CR..), Big Vic is ok-ish, big unit hence looks slower than he is- but try stopping him when he gets a bit of a run going! MS is fast thinking that makes him looker faster than he is, which is about average really, We have less pace on the bench than once upon a time. It is not an massive issue though. Our game, the modern game, is much more about speed of thought and speed of passing than pure running speed. The fixation with speed of running is a throwback to the 80's, 90's and 2000's. Tell me, anyone, who the pacy player(s) is at Barcelona? Or the Spanish National team that wins Euro championships and World Cups/everything? If i recall correctly half their team make Adam look like Usain Bolt. That's my start of season review for you...

I remember saints west ham. 1982 or 83 i think. Up the Archers. It kicked off a bit right in front of me as some hammers had infiltrated. They got removed. Outside it was a bit carnage. Some stampedes. Think an old guy had a heart attack. Don't recall the score but i did go to frans cafe on the portswood road for breakfast and sank 3 pints in a minute at the Royal Oak up the road for a bet. Promptly returned 2.5 of them though. Ahh. Football in The Olden days. Got quite s few saints west ham storiy memories actually ..

I watched the whole match intently, especially every touch Rickie had or even if the ball went near him. My kids and I were on "Rickie" watch like that zidane movie basically. Rickie did not do anything "wrong" in whole first half and showed good technique awareness and athleticsm. Ball retention was excellent - 100% pass completion, he made the ONLY threatening pass of the entire match which put Theo through on goal with a skilful over the shoulder chip and basically harried off the ball effectively too. He had NO goal chances. No service to score in dangerous places apart from corners ( which he made at least two happen himself). In the first half he was our most effective player in his position for me. I would give him a 7 for that first half - with most our team on 5 or 6, and give him a 5 for second half - but nobody else in the team got higher than a 5 in second half in my opinion either, so he did not stick out as the duff player in a team of otherwise fantastic talents at all. In fact when gets back to playing Sunday it will be with a team with far superior ball possession and retention characteristics- a more technically able team basically. He was made to look bad because of the tactics and being isolated up front by himself - Welbeck or Sturridge would have not done any better and quite likely worse given the type of game Lambert was forced to play.

I took my two kids aged 15 and 10 to one of the best stadia in the world - Wembley - to watch England play the strongest team we had available in a World Cup match last week. It cost £40 for the three of us in the Family Enclosure. It will cost me £33 to take my kids to St. Marys to watch Saints reserves play an early rounds Carling cup match versus Bristol Rovers. Which is better value? For me its obvious.#wrong.

That's about the best review I have seen on Rickies performance. I honestly don't think if you took SRL out and inserted ANY other forward we have that there would be any more positive outcome - and actually more than likely a negative outcome because Rickie DID actually defend from corners (winning a header away at one) - Defoe could not do that or Rooney, and he did cushion and head and pass to our players nearly 100% in first half - sure so could most of the others but 100% success rate cant be bettered, he could only work with what he was given. In second half not one england player got beyond rickie in attack ever - we lacked players and ambition - so he had to play constantly back to goal passes into a crowded midfield or in crowded positions and ran doggies between their defenders. I'm sure welbeck and sturridge could run doggies better than rickie but Carroll cannot and SRL did enough to keep the ukraine defence honest. As far as attacking intent - despite receiving terrible service from so called ball players in that second half he still managed to show- just like the other strikers would have done to be fair - but at the end his presence was enough to unsettle defenders enough for lampard to get a sniff....downside was he obviously tired the last 20- the younger more athletic sturridge and welbeck would not have tired so much - but they were injured so its a mute point! IF Sturridge plays for Liverpool Sat/Sunday though id be mightily peeved if i was Roy....

Your opinions really are the biggest depressive element on this site, and for me the author must be one of the most mystifying "supporters" of SFC I've ever read. You don't love this football club at all do you? It's not a pre-requisite but you don't even appear to come close because anyone who loved their club would not publish post after post of unremitting negative gob****e. So you've got it in for Ramirez now because he plays for Uruguay in South America, comes off the bench to make the second goal but will be "too tired" to play next match for Saints? Whats your next gripe? Rickie played two full games in 4 days - one of them "Rick in Kiev" if you hadn't noticed so will he peeve you off as well? What about the rest of them? Lovren, the kids who played in Finland, Maya, Wanyama, Osvaldo, Davis, Boruc? All c&nts too? Where does it end with your non-stop negativity about the team and the club? And you started this season so well- actually watching a match in Austria i think and reporting about it without your default negativity infusing every sentence. I know portsmouth fans without the poisoned antipathy towards Saints that you have - are you some kind of double agent? With your attitude to the club you are better off supporting portsmouth. Then 95% of ALL your comments would make absolute sense.

Would just like to wish Rickie Lambert good luck later today as Southampton take on Ukraine in a vital World Cup qualifier. Hopefully with a good result then Rickie and Southampton will be that much closer to playing in the Brazil World Cup 2014. And of course the ultimate achievement would be when Rickie lifted the trophy and Southampton actually win the World Cup. Elsewhere Osvaldo is also playing for Southampton versus Czechoslovakia in another important match for Saints so Forza Osvaldo! #saintsfc :-)

I was thinking about that too....I cant see Woy NOT giving the shirt to Rickie and THAT would be the icing on the cake for Rickie (and for me to be honest- id be so chuffed to bits for him) - wearing the number nine shirt for England...quite something and that is one shirt you would never give away or swop with anyones.........

Great observation. Quite right. He was a good player for his level before he came to Saints, but at Saints he has accelerated development and maximised his potential through good coaching and playing with a proper football team.

Either way tonight Rickie got what he deserves with his caps and goals. Of course i want the story to continue with another good performance and a goal or two but even if he plays below average he has already done enough for me and broken down preconceptions about Southampton, its players and our style. A great advert for our club he is and is being. Talk about an Ambassador role - he is doing fantastic work marketing Southampton to the outside world. Instantly likeable and respected. The next wave of younger players : Shaw, JWP, Clyne and JRod even Chambers will have that little bit extra confidence from seeing what has happened to Rickie. If Cole or Baine get injured it wont be such a big deal if Luke gets called up for instance. Quite seriously, at the rate at which these strikers seem to pick up injuries it would only take some consistent starts and a few goals from him before Jrod was called up as well, especially if Rickie was his strike partner...now there's a thought......

Italian press suggest that Prandelli will play 352 and introduce Montolivo, Osvaldo and Balotelli who all missed Italy's rather lucky and poor 1-0 home win over spirited Bulgarian team. But playing with just the one striker- the ancient (goalscorer) The probable line up will have Osvaldo and Balotelli up front supported by five midfielders: Giaccherini, Montolivio Pirlo Thiago Motta and De Rossi. Buffon gets his zillionth cap Maggio Bonucci and Chiellini are the defenders. If it works well then its a useful pointer for how Saints could use Osvaldo best. Id imagine they already know Osvaldo better than we do and will play to his strengths...so it could be very revealing how Prandelli uses him tomorrow. No real flying wingers there incidentally- like Saints. I will particularly be watching Osvaldo and Balotelli movement in that 3-5-2 formation and how the others interact with them... though im going to watch Rickie v Ukraine first and record the Italy match if i can.....

I got a few funny (fake yokel accent) comments about rickie before and on way back from wembley. Maybe cos my kids and I were in red Saints shirts lol. I got same or higher number of peeps coming up to me saying how happy i must be and how chuffed they were for him. And he did get a standing ovation from a lot of the 64,000(i think) crowd when we went off. I think the story has transcended the player. Everyone is sick of professional footballers on obscene wages acting like they are actually somebody important doing something important. His modesty and unassuming manner is the antidote. If England win and he scores and/or plays well again the story will get even bigger. It will be more than just the World Cup. He could be a new symbol for kids today thinking about maybe becoming a footballer. The marketing people will do a "Beckham" on him and in five or six years you'll be wearing his after shave. Lets face it, england are desperate for a hero. He is perfect for the role. Just please don't get injured rickie!

Lamberts turned himself into a viable option, and fair play to him, but he isnt world class. That he is not World class depends on your definition. Its a debatable point. In my definition he IS World Class. For me, playing international football in the World Cup for England automatically confers on him the tag : World class. Let me explain: He might not get into the World's starting eleven or even the squad versus Jupiter next week in the Universe Cup ~ but if you start and play for an International team like England in the World Cup that makes you World Class in my book. Does not make you top of the World Class , but you ARE in that category, Unlike the millions of footballers professional and amateur who are not. Some are top of the World class, some are middle, some are bottom. For example, Faroe islands left back - he's bottom of World Class. At least Rickie is IN the class though. You can only be in the class if you currently (if not currently ie this 4 year tournament period then "ex world class" or "used to be" world class must be used as a prefix) play International representative football in the World Cup - the competition which by default lends its name to the defining criteria of membership. He has played and scored in the World Cup for England, (at Wembley no less but venue is irrelevant - it could be San Marino away) , check, you're in the World Class son, next.

I started this thread on this subject last week or even the week before. The Mirror reporter must have thought it sounded worth a story. Shame i don't get paid by the word isn't it.Get your stories by reading fan forums. Quite straightforward job really. I always wanted to be a journo when i was younger. Now i just write the words for them and they publish it in their own or their journals name. Next week i shall tell a different and unusual story, and lets see if its in the red tops thereafter...

Great performance. My kids think that Rickie scores every game now...delighted i took them to their first wembley international and it was to see Rickie beat Moldova 4-0...now he's playing Ukraine next week.... He is the new Teddy Sheringham for Engjand imo...ideal to score and make goals for the rest of the team... Just hope Roy sees it that way. He just feels " right" to make our team potent every attack...

I am pondering a late fitness test to take myself and two kids (10,15)to see Rickie's debut. Its only £40 - the train fare is more than the tickets.....Question: small point on dresswear. Is it ok to wear Saints shirts to this match or not? Is there any chance of trouble with other supporters if we do or is it all forgotten these days when we meet up to support England? I cant remember last England match i saw live so don't know what the deal is.....first one was v Italy in 1973 when i was ten my dad took me and i got an Italy rosette...some guy called capello scored italys winning goal..this time going supporting England ( well SRL + England!)...

I personally think the chances are higher than for the Scotland match that he will start. First of all the obvious- No Sturridge. No Rooney. Secondly Roy tends to play two strikers - hence Rooney and Welbeck started last match with Theo in there too as a added attacking threat. I dont see us playing just one striker at home to moldova either...Rooney was kind of allowed to drift wherever he liked as number 10 whereas Welbeck played more conventionally as a striker. As a replacement for "drift wherever you like up front" I think SRL is better than Defoe or Oxo because he has Teddy Sheringham-style awareness and technical ability to hold ball and bring others into play from wherever he is. Oxo is more direct wing play and Defoe is just a goal poacher rather than play-maker - so out of the players available id say SRL and wellbeck should be the starting forward line. If Roy is feeling bold / stupid / cowardly it will be Welbeck OXO or Welbeck Defoe but i rather hope he would like us to retain possession high up the pitch and bring the Wiltshires, Gerrards etc into play edge of the box to score - and that's Rickie- unless he scores himself of course which if he starts then he has got a great chance that he should...the other option is to push Theo forward with Well;beck of course and start Oxo- but i think that makes us a bit lightweight myself - and Oxo as good as he is going forward can still be a defensive liability if dispossessed in a difficult part of the pitch...

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/sep/05/daniel-sturridge-injured-england-qualifiers Looks increasingly likely Rickie will get some playing time against Moldova.....

I know Roy Keane famously dissed them but Man Utd corporate hospitality arrangements compared to ours are like going to a Michelin starred restaurant instead of the local curry house. I've had hospitality at SMS twice and it was ok but not super plush impressive or even close to going to a decent hotel or restaurant and then a show..........but the man utd packages are amazing...and all sold out too....

Influx - sadly, you are totally correct. Some posters seem to post on here only to share the misery of their morose, permanently cynical, negative lives with the rest. And perhaps to provoke those feelings in others as revenge for the way they feel about life themselves. Saints is a good alibi for whatever relief they can get from dark side glass half empty thinking. Nobody is really too bothered with the positive supporter who may or may not be an idiot - but the constant sourpuss unites everyone with the ability, no matter what the circumstances, to find fault and drag you down into despair and woe is me thinking. They are about as popular here as scabies. If the quality and content of some only occasionally matched the quality of the cynicism and black-rimmed contrariness then it would be tolerable. But it does not. Good quality well reasoned cynicism is a great skill, but blanket one negative approach fits all cynicism is not a skill. Its just reactionary nihilism.