CB Fry

Ekambi is a new one on me.

I do agree with this - we have strayed a little too much into Eric Djemba-Djemba territory, where just because a player is not good enough for x big club, it doesn't mean they are good enough for us, it might be they just ain't no good. However, our Djemba-Djembas are at least young. We haven't gone the full Sunderland yet. Now VVD is gone and Davis is aging we do miss some authority especially with the mess we're in. We need a bit of experience and steel. Walcott, the oldest young prospect in the world, may at least provide some experience. Not sure about steel though.

So just to recap, you post about you do want/you don't want/you do want/you don't want us to pay "overs" by listing a great big list of players but you weren't talking about players after all but managers. Clear. And now we learn that Lazio and Napoli, CL and Europa League regulars are clubs beneath us and Watford and Burnley and Leicester because mid table Premier League towers over 4th place Serie A and we shouldn't lower ourselves to sign their dreadful players from Napoli and Lazio who are the same level as relegated Norwich. Its an opinion. Clear. And I must respect your right to drag up Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw because you were, like, assessing Les Reed's entire SFC career so how dare I suggest they're not really relevent now. But not relevant to the discussion are Mario Lemina or P-E Hojberg because they are merely players that we actually signed, are actually in the squad and will actually play for Southampton Football Club tomorrow. How dare I bring them into the debate without your permission. Shaw/Lallana: relevant to discussion. Lemina/Hojberg: not relevant. Clear. And lastly you have now described Gabbiadini, Hoedt and Shane Long as "bargain bin" signings. We've already covered the other two as our record signings for their positions for us so let's move on but hey, you're right about Shane Long because I distinctly remember the outrage at the tiny little fee we paid for bargain bin cheapo Shane Long And how everyone reacted to that tiny fee we paid for Shane Long. I'll try and help you out. All I can see is you don't like the fact we signed Nathan Redmond and based on that premise you are trying build some bullsh it manifesto/magic formula that guarantees we only ever sign brilliant players and never sign bad players and we do and don't and do and don't pay "overs". Because all other football clubs have cracked that formula and only Les Reed gets it wrong. But I can see you're struggling because you don't seem to have got much further than "don't sign Nathan Redmond". I'd turn it in if I were you. Happy New Year.

Why do we always leave it so late?

Please please please can you go out of your way and spare some precious time to give us some inside info please. Please can you do that. Please can you please can you please.

Tricky if true. Everton can and will pay more but he wouldnt have to uproot himself to sign for us and there's a nice symmetry to his career if he comes to us. Get the feeling our Arsenal twitter genius was taking a punt and hoping he was right. I'd like to see him here so fingers crossed.

Indeed, especially as we would want to announce it as soon as possible. "End of next week" is classic ITK tactics. If it falls through then, well, some things changed but I was right at the time etc.

Being that Arsenal ITK went so big on his Walcott story (hes already signed, he's a Southampton player, bet my account on it etc) I'm surprised none of the Sunday papers have taken the story on. Its almost like he could be full of it. Let's see.

Being that he hasn't even established himself in our team yet fu ck knows who you think is going to come in with a big fee for him in the summer. We've got him this season and next bare minimum. If he goes for a big fee after that, then that means he's been brilliant for us so fingers crossed. He's clearly stepped up since he's come back into the side and personally think he is currently outshining our supposed best midfielder Romeu and our big signing Lemina. Agree with the OP - he can be s big player for us, eventually another good un we've brought in.

Let's just work through this. So, when did you say you wanted us to pay "overs"? Well, there is the post I replied to in the first place- remember, this one: So apologies I obviously misread this, I thought you were complaining but obviously now I see you were praising the club because you don't want us to pay "overs" and you've never said you wanted us to. Great, we agree, Les pays good prices for the players we get in. The rest of the post is drivel. Why are you describing Gabbiadini and Hoedt as "not good enough for other mid/lower table teams" when we signed them from the 4th and 5th placed teams in Serie A? We also signed Lemina from the Champions of Italy, is that high enough above mid table for you? Hojberg came from middle ranking minnows Bayern Munich but fair enough he had been at Shalke in the depths of mid table middleness in 5th place. In the world rankings of teams I reckon Lazio and Napoli easily outrank Celtic and Red Bull Saltzberg but what you're saying is you want us to only sign players from sh it leagues. Fair enough, it's an opinion. And you are describing Gabbiadini, Hoedt and Lemina as "cheap nonsense" when two of them represent our record signing at the time and they all represent our record for their positions: you really ain't so bright. Also, they all cost much more than Austin, Pelle, Mane and VVD, the four players you have singled out as our best signings. All signed in the Reed era as well. Frankly you're all over the shop. Keep blubbering about Adam Lallana though.

That Instagram thing made my blood run cold. Seriously we're not actually going to sign him? Next weeks rumours: Joey Barton, Ched Evans.

Never in doubt. Good job everyone.

Pellegrino is three minutes away from two more months in the job.

We're holding on like a third division side in an FA Cup tie.

I thought you weren't making any judgement on Puel until he had completed 25-35 games?

AMBITION.

So the pundit you relied on as the go-to guy for your "all the pundits are saying Pellegrino has the safest job in football and won't be sacked" claim is now saying, about two days later, that he thinks he will be sacked this season. So much for the safest job in football. That pretty much sums up the pair of you, the idiot gifts that keep on giving.

You're using "FreshArsenal" as a source.

Fu ck me when are these people going actually let it go with dinlow lists with Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw on it? Jesus Christ. Some of us have actually got on with our lives since that happened. I've moved house and everything. We have an expensively assembled and salaried squad- the most recent figures have us in the top ten for both. Fair enough to say we are underachieving because we are, but we're underachieving in the context of the fact we have spent plenty on fees and wages. We've spent it unwisely in places but mainly on management rather than playing staff. We've got expensive players all over the pitch and on the bench and high wages and long contracts all over the fu cking shop. You seem to be having an argument from the Rupert Lowe era. And the idea that what you actually WANT us to do is to pay "over the odds" - knowingly paying more than a player is actually worth - just so you can wa nk yourself off in front of Sky Sports News - just shows how demented some football fans are. Fingers crossed we spunk £40m on Jack Wilshire just to make you happy. Meanwhile, Burnley are 7th.

Jesus wept.

A new assistant coach who is an Argentine or a former colleague of MP from Spain would be more of a concern. This is a "you'll do" appointment, suggesting an expectation that things are likely to evolve in the coming weeks. Whatever you think about this move, it certainly isn't that MP is secure in his job.

HE'S ANOTHER YES MAN A YES MAN ANOTHER YES MAN A YES MAN FOR LES REED ANOTHER YES MAN A YES MAN I TELL YOU. FU CKING YES MAN.

Of course it's upside down. It's Australia FFS.

I do hope this is the recovering alcoholic gag that I read it as.

Paul Merson I suppose it is about your level.