Giordano

Glasgow: Banega should starts every game and so instantly upgrades our first 11, Sinclair does not necessarily start every game. Sinclair has different attributes that we absent , banega has similar attributes to several- but just better. They are different types of player - but for me its Banega every time.

yep batman i know its a shocker but we do not play with conventional wingers anymore. Sinclair plays wide, number 11, has pace and can dribble and beat his man. The only other guy who can do that on the left is Luke.Its not totally ridiculous that he can not only play the left hand side AM role - but as cover for LS if needs be. If you want a position to make surging runs from beating players and shooting/crossing using your pace- left back is ideal in our formation for his skill set. Hes a bit short though at 5ft 9.5" and probably cannot defend for toffee but lets not let that get in the way of the hypothesis shall we :-).

I posted this on Saintslist earlier today. Im not sure how the wages will pan out because he would have to take a BIG drop to come to Saints but: All i can think of with this is that he is ( currently) a left winger thats not played much football in the last year. The only other player in our team to whom you could loosely attribute that title would be Luke Shaw. My thoughts are that we may be considering re-training him defensively and converting him as back up for Luke at LB ~ though in the first instance he is a left sided attacking player to balance our squad which is a bit right footed in attack. Otherwise why release JP who has and can score goals, dribble and switch wings as well? Can only think its a LS back up & his brother connection is the sweetener. Still an unusual one as i don't see him as a starter, unless we seriously think he could oust Adam Lallana as the more left sided creative midfield slot? Or maybe he is........but id otherwise see him struggling to even get on our bench in the league- as JP did last year.

Quite interesting how despite having apparently so many very valuable players that Roma did not so good last year - with lamela, de Rossi, Destro, Totti, Osvaldo, and marquinios (sp) in your team you'd think they'd have been challengers. Those six must be worth around £100m+...

NO! i like JP, he can score and make goals. Bummer if true. I think he can do it in the EPL.

Osvaldo plays as point man normally. I expect him to play in that position for saints - certainly at first. If he can play as one of the other attacking three all well and good, but initially, i think it was the9 mentioned it, but he should mostly know what hes doing already at the head of the attack. Its the inter- movement of the other three that might take a bit more learning. http://formation-x.com/en/formation/roma.html

I think we will score 3 or 4. They got new players just learning how di canio wants them to play whilst ours already know how to play by now. We are not only rock solid but full of power purpose and goal threat. They will go ott in physically trying to shut us down - so i can see plenty yellows for them and maybe a red. They will play for a draw as a good result whilst we will be playing to win and if itys a draw that's a disappointment. Can only see one winner here in normal circumstances. 70% saints win 20% draw 10% safc win.

I think a bench Saturday more likely myself maybe coming on later on in match and full debut in the Carling Cup. At SMS he will be presented to the crowd, but he has only been here 5/6 days, does not know how we play fully yet, full pressure and all eyes on him etc etc and he does'nt score with first touch there's a risk of a let down reaction from crowd. Plus the extra pressure on SRL and Jrod, and the AM's to deliver will be heightened as they know we got a £15m substitute super-striker on the bench....Osvaldo on the bench might be worth a goal headstart for us already v sunderland because of his impact on those other players to up game even more to higher level..

Was wondering about the team for Barnsley. Think it might be : KD Clyne Jos, Maya, Fox Cork, SD, JP GR Ads (capt) Osvaldo, Subs (7 allowed) : Gazza, Lovren, Jrod, Guly, CC, JWP, Mayuka. Schneiderlin, SRL, Fonte, VW, Boruc + Shaw rested. Clyne to get a run out to see if hes right ditto the rest of the back four though he is the most likely starter in the next EPL game of them four. Cork and SD to be the defensive midfielders - both experienced and know what to do. Jason to just go and attack and then cross it to Osvaldo to score ( or score himself - id say if JP starts he will score in this game) ditto GR and Ads to support Osvaldo as much as poss. Id back Osvaldo to notch one if he gets at least three chances and probably more...GR on offensive free kicks, Osvaldo on penalties, corners ?

..worthy of comment for me is our shape in defending (both in terms of sitting back at times and also pressing at times) which worked brilliantly and completely stifled West Brom in my opinion. It wasn't a blind press - we pressed at times when we couldn't get caught out with the long ball and it worked well. Then the rest of the time West Brom were challenged to break us down if they could but they just weren't good enough. That was very encouraging for me. Very interesting.So its the same formation (as expected) and like for like substitutions. And the selective press shows intelligence - players judgement and understanding of position and their roles has improved. All good news. Main reason I ask is that it is a big clue to how we integrate Daniel into the team. For me - we should keep SRL right up the top of the formation as he is "probably" less mobile than Daniel, though essential as a point of reference for our team when fit. If not fit then Daniel is the natural replacement. behind him If fit and after his period of integration ( if he needs it), Daniel must surely play which leaves two places left as I think Morgan and Big Vic will start every league match when fit this season (but not cup matches). The two places will be a toss up between Jrod, Ads, JWP, JP, GR, Guly, JC and SD. I think that home winnable matches we would play 2 out of our most attacking players (Jrod, Ads, GR) but away tough fixtures we might play one of the more defensively attuned players (JWP, Guly, SD, Cork) and one of the attacking players with SRL and Daniel.

Too right. That's a massive compliment to the rest of the attacking midfielders we have. In response to the OP I'd say he will not start yet because he has not played well enough to deserve it, and if he carries on being ineffective when he does get a chance then he might get moved on - as any other player would. If he gets frustrated not playing much then he needs to start delivering the goods. A good example was the Sociedad game- compare his impact with Puncheon's- who clearly went out there with a point to prove and desperate to show it. As for what an on form GR can do with Daniel and SRL - for me Saints are creating a version of what some will recall as "cosmic football", latterly reinvented by barca who gave it a twist of especially dynamic ball recovery tactics once out of possession. In this conception of football all of our players need to be highly comfortable in possession of the ball and highly mobile and fluid in and out of possession. GR has those characteristics. He fits into this way of playing anywhere along the front 6 and so is a particularly useful player/sub for MP. JP for instance would probably not be as good centrally, whilst you would not normally put Morgan or big Vic wide.

The two centre-backs that SRL faced were 6ft 6 and 6ft 5 respectively. He admitted that he found it hard against them in post match interview. This was always going to be one of the harder matches for Rickie to impose himself upon for that reason, so to get three points and him a goal as well was excellent. I have not watched the match in entirety but can someone tell me the starting formation, and then if it changed? My memory says that Merson said we played an amazing version of 442, but that's at odds with our normal formation...so what was it and did it change in play much, especially after sub?

Dont see anyone claiming a "quote" was made up- only you. I question its accuracy not its provenance. You offer one and only one alternate explanation for the " lost in translation" quote- that it was made up - or true "FACT". There are others, you know it, i know it. I could interpret Uruguyan/Spanish into Italian and then to English up to a point - but its human to take the easiest option two or three people down the line and end up with " they gave me so much money i had to accept". Yours suits your argument, other explanations might not. The weakest part in your argument is your dependence upon third hand information. I cannot totally refute you- but neither can you insist that your opinion is " FACT. Incidentally, have you ever heard that mercenary phrase " quoted" from any other footballer? Most of them accept the £££ is important but don't go the whole hog and say its everything. Makes GR a very exceptional- and interesting man if true.

I don't mind what happens regarding Osvaldo as I feel loyal & concerned for Rickie even though i feel its in his and saints longer term interests to take the pressure off of him by having another punta in the team. ( Italian for key striker). But what i think is not fair is the character assassination of any player we are looking to buy - or have bought - based upon the notion that the ONLY thing that we have in our favour is plenty Wonga. IF SRL jRod Bigvjc and others are just like that well the ultimate end game or end result of that way of thinking is for us all to stop supporting the team because they are a shower of mercenary sh@ts undeserving of our unconditional support. I been supporting 40 years. Im not stopping now. I hate the £££ side of it but as long as its not 100% then we got something to support yet.

Metro Article for instance reinterpreting &translating Italian" quotes" from a Uruguyan speaker from an Italian newspaper, in English, is not FACTS. Thats supposition. You are probably right but its not FACT. FACT is SRL scored v Scotland Wednesday.

You are quoting from a interpreted possible attributed comment. Mate- Its probably right in principle but you never saw GR make that comment live on vid & neither ( caveat- probably) do you speak his language if you did see the interview in any case i wager. So please don't quote that as fact unless you can back it up. I'm sure you are better than that. You want to beat the money grabbing mercenary drums go ahead - but do it proper or you look silly.

We ARE trying for Osvaldo, but its very complicated. I was hoping to hear that last bit of newsc/ o St. Charlie on Sky Italia about MP making personal contact with the player. That is the last thing we got left - i was expecting this at some point a bit earlier but hopefully its a strong plus in our favour for the player - possibly the strongest - and guess what - & btw this is for the " its always only about the money" crowd / if it was only all about the money he would already be a Saints player. I doubt he can decide today but if he does and he's in- great- if not we still Need another top class striker with goals in him, preferably ready now- not one for the future.

Well somebody has said something to someone for the red tops to be reporting this as " news" in the last two days. They are copying stuff from the Italian press which comes from leaks and well placed / trusted journies with connections to agents. Its all a big circle of "helpfulness" to ensure a player gets the best deal and his club and his agents....looking at the Itslian reporting their is nothing to say he suddenly loves sfc. I think that he may love that he might be getting offered better terms plus the chance to Learn from playing footy with SRL :-) As for when - My best guess is that we contacted him or more likely his agent again on friday/ saturday again. I think Roma were and are still are happy to sell to us so i guess again that the fee is not the problem - whatever it is - though the £8 m in the daily Star seems laughably low for someone who will probably be starting centre forward for Italy v Argentina in the friendly wednesday night as Balotelli has another calf strain. IF he joins i still expect it to be lastminute.com as sure he wants CL / higher profile footy but we will be his first choice once theres no other choices on the table , and thats how its hot to be for Saints right now with this kind if player at this stage of the project.

No News.

That last article recycles the Wolfsburg news but with the spin that he's not interested unless its a top team. It also says at the end that money is not the consideration at stake. Which is mostly but not all rubbish as we know. :-). Its not new news imo, Elsewhere: crstig on twitter suggests its a 3 horse race with us inter and Wolfsburg. Get your bets in each-way then ;-).

Extra minor amendment: he gets kicked 25 times per match but falls over 50 times! :-) I've never seen a player get as many free kicks as Totti. He is THE master at inducing them. But he does get injured and stay injured for longer these days. It does go to show though that you do need somebody technically very gifted and thought processes way faster than others to deliver the ball. I think Ramirez was recruited with that partially in mind. It's been said previously that the players around him were not alert to his ability - in other words he's too good for them- and whilst his performances have not convinced that this is true I am still a Ramirez- believer. Any team with Rickie, Osvaldo, JRod & Ramirez plus that solid central midfield plus those promising young pacy overlapping fullbacks, a holy goalie and one or two others is a very strong EPL team. Ps yes I am a Roma fan too (my sis lives in the centre ) and have got the shirt he is wearing in the pic from last nights article...

Very relevant comment about Totti. Note he was the assist provider of at least two of those goals. He is 36 and slow and "only " scored about 227 in 535 appearances for Roma plus he falls over 50 times every match and gets sent off 2 a year but he is also a football genius spotting passes and executing them like very few can do or have ever been able to do. For Osvaldo to be effective he needs a good supply - so the onus would be on the likes of Ramirez in particular to deliver him the ball in the right area at the right time. And then Osvaldo can finish, no doubts about that. If a Michu can do what he did for Swansea then Osvaldo can certainly do it for Saints.

Here is the original Italian article. From 23.43 last night. Paraphrased ( with my personal footy based interpretation ) Osvaldo to Saints could be surprisingly back on. There's been contact in the last few hours. Osvaldo is now more disposed towards going to England having previously initially discarded it as an option. And this time it could happen ( uses an analogy to when the decision to agree a pope has been made they blow white smoke). Spurs have tried but Saints are the ones pushing. There's been talk him joining Inter and Mazzari ( Inter coach) likes him that's true but its a tough one with little margin for error, and here's why: he costs a lot and Roma have consistently maintained the principle of not selling him to another Italian team ( IMO that BS - they will sell to who pays the most- Italian clubs can't pay the most though so its a nice and easy thing for management to say that would please Roma Tifosi) . And Saints this time hope to get him. My opinion: not surprised we retrying as the Wolfsburg contact suggests he is still being touted around...as to if we get him...if spurs match us at last minute he would join them - but i don't think ex-Roma director Baldini likes him so....we are not out of it yet put it that way...... Osvaldo-Southampton, può riaprirsi a sorpresa. Ci sono stati contatti nelle ultime ore, l'attaccante della Roma valuta con maggiore disponibilità la soluzione inglese che in un primo momento aveva scartato. E stavolta può esserci la fumata bianca. C'è stato un sondaggio anche del Tottenham, ma il Southampton spinge. In questi giorni si è parlato molto dell'Inter: è vero, piace a Mazzarri, ma non ci sono margini. Sia per il cartellino elevato, ma anche e soprattutto perché la Roma mantiene la linea di sempre, cessione non in Italia. E il Southampton stavolta spera di farcela.

Just realised our strike force this year could be England's number 9, England's next number 9, Italy's number 9 and Uruguay's number 10. My goodness....

Lol. No joking- its EXACTLY the kind of thing that would influence Osvaldo - once the correct amount of ££ is in his pay packet if course. Competing with England's new number 9 is prestigious and challenging. It would stimulate his pride into action. I wonder if his agent told about that.