Saint Keef

All very well having two players for every position, but Pep tends to change it for each game and I watched them last night against West Brom and at times they looked they were a bunch of strangers. Undoubtedly very talented individuals but not playing great as a team I'd say. Yes we have a lot fewer options but there is something to be said for playing a settled team where everyone knows their own and their teammates jobs, and playing well obviously helps.

Haha, You really need to stop eating strong cheese before you go to bed,

Apparently - ordering on line - today is the last day for guaranteed delivery before Christmas. Includes the Sportsbet adult shirts (I've treated myself!). I'm falling in love with the sash.....probably a lot to do with the results. KEEP THE SASH!

I am probably the least techno savvy person on here, so for anyone in doubt, I've signed with Amazon Prime Video today on the 30 day free trial. £7.99 per month thereafter and you can cancel at any time. It set up immediately and I am currently watching Wolves v Chelsea on my PC. It's fine. Saints games against Arsenal, Man City and West Ham (29th Dec) are all exclusive to Amazon Prime Video, so if you sign up now you will get access to all three and it needn't cost anything if you remember to cancel after 30 days., Plus you can watch any other prem games they are showing. Man City v West Brom later this evening. Arsenal v Saints at 6pm tomorrow. If you can't watch it live they are showing replays of games. (I think later in the evening but also next day. So....... Anyway - I hope that helps some - apologies to others who already knew all this.

Another Liverpool defender injury yesterday - Matip. They will definitely need to go shopping in January - we need to slap a £70m price tag on Jannik now. I'm not saying he's itching to go, but if Liverpool came calling, the prospect of playing alongside VvD (obviously not this season, but in the long term) might be very tempting for him. Just saying.....

Carriillo couldn't bag his own shopping.

Start with the strongest team. Keep Romeu in. we are more likely to get a result against Arsenal than we are against City so play our strongest team and try to secure 3pts.. If Romeu gets booked, so be it, then bring Diallo in for Man City (that'll test him!). Man City will either be on fire or they won't. They've not looked like their old selves of late, but still think they can turn it on when they feel like it. I'd also stick with Stu and Theo. Bring Redders/Djenpo on when they tire. Having just watched Arsenal v Burnley there is certainly nothing to fear at The Emirates. Could go either way but if we play as we have been we're definitely in with a shout this time.

Yeh, but tell them to take their time coming just in case she's still there.

Four observations... 1. Well done to the crowd who were allowed in. We could hear you loud and clear. 2. Compare what KWP offers this team compared to Cedric Soares. He is composed, he can dribble, he can tackle and he can cross the ball with some accuracy. 3. Is it too early to say that in Jannik Vestegaard we have another potential VvD. He is absolutely commanding that defence and has become a big threat in the opposition box. 4. I didn't quite catch which part of Sheffield was the ref born in. Sheff Utd should have had at least 4 yellow cards. It appears someone had super-glued the cards in his pocket. Well done Saints. Excellent performance.

A win for us and we could also do with Brighton getting something at Leicester - a draw there and that would keep us in third.

Yeh that's right. He had been out of the game for a couple of years having failed a dope test I believe. Just a footnote to the story. Of the five of us mates that were there, after that game, two of us split up and went down to Madrid to see The Rolling Stones as had been the original plan.. The other three had caught the whole "Italian bug" from Brazil match and managed to get tickets for the semi final Italy v Poland so they went off to that. Ended 2-0 to Italy and Rossi scored both in that game too if I remember rightly. The three of them I recall even came back to the hotel wearing Italian bandanas, scarfs and flags that Italian fans had given them once they found out they were English. We couldn't get tickets for the final.

Not Saints related this, but I hope you don't mind me putting this up. One of the great strikers. And a short footballing story....... In 1982, I was on holiday with four mates in Spain, when the World Cup was on. Loret de Mar of all places (horrible place at the time). We had actually gone over to see the Rolling Stones in concert who were doing shows in Barcelona and Madrid. The World Cup was on at the same time. We were in a bar on the eve of the Italy v Brazil game and a German guy asked us if we wanted to buy 5 tickets for the Italy Brazil game the following day. We would be picked up by coach in Loret d Mar, taken to the ground in Barcelona, tickets for the match, and driven back afterwards. We thought it was a wind-up of course. The cost.......£18 each!!!! But we paid the guy and he handed over 5 tickets. Indeed, the next day the coach turned up, we were taken to the ground, (still thinking the tickets were dodgy), but they were genuine and we got in at the Italian end of the ground. The final score was 3-2 to Italy and Paolo Rossi scored a hat-trick. I had grown Italian men physically crying on my shoulder whenever Brazil scored and embracing me when Italy scored. The passion of the fans (Brazil's as well) was unforgettable. It has since been deemed one of the greatest World Cup matches of all time and I was there......and all for £18. The scenes afterwards in Barcelona and indeed in Loret De Mar were unbelievable. Happy memories indeed. But sad that another footballing hero has gone - and only 64 years old. Here's a youtube highlight of Rossi's hat-trick.

I have to disagree with those calling for Armstrong to be dropped. He may not have been at his best in the last 3 games, but he is still bringing a lot to the team, his work with KWP on the right, chasing back and helping out has been good. And this might just be the game where he gets his mojo back. For me, Walcott on the left and Stu on the right, with Djenpo and Redders as options later on. If Oriel can avoid a card and we can get a 2-0 lead I would bring him off and save him for the Arsenal/City games and get Diallo on playing with JWP. Start with Ings and again if we can get a 2-0, bring him off to save him, move Walcott to the middle and bring on one of the other wingers. It all depends if we can get a 2-0 lead. I can't see Sheff Utd scoring more than one at our place. 2-0 Saints for me

I think the coaches have worked on his jumping. It always amazed me that he wasn't winning headers previously. Maybe the haircut has helped too......now he can actually see the ball coming.

I agree. We should take £75 million if offered. But I also disagree. Why would we want "6 Salisus"....we haven't seen the first one yet! (only pulling your leg😉) Seriously - I can't see anyone offering £75m - maybe £50m if they were desperate or Tottenham if Kane got injured.......although they don't seem to be using Bale too much. Possibly MMan U. No chance Chelsea or Liverpool. I think Liverpool are more likely to be on the hunt for defenders.

Brighton drew 1-1 with Liverpool last week. They are no pushover. We just beat them having come from behind. Didn't play well but ground out the points. So all in all it feels like a very good result. Win Ugly!

There must be two Wesley Hoedt's. We can't be talking about the same one I saw doing "Bambi on Ice" impersonations at Southampton. ....and pretty good ones at that.

Good news. Should stop the bindippers sniffing around in January trying to strengthen their injury hit back four.

My apologies - although SNSUN was referring to the first half and I didn't think Lemina came on until the end.......when Leicester scored. Coincidence? Anyway, sorry if I misinterpreted. Although, to be fair, my old boots have got more chance of shining than Lemina.

He's not on loan at Fulham. They've already bought him .......for an undisclosed fee......as far as I know.

West Ham 2 Villa 1. Jack Grealish: An undoubted footballing talent, but his diving and play-acting makes him look nothing but a complete and utter knob! I should imagine if he ever goes to a supermarket and someone enters the same aisle as him, he'll go down claiming their trolley hit him. Does he walk around at home just falling over? And don't the referees watch videos of games? Can't they see that every week he is cheating them into giving fouls. Other Villa players are starting to do it as well. He should give up give up football and take up diving. He's better than Tom Daly. Anyway - I've attached the Jack Grealish training video available at all good retailers this Christmas.

I will start by saying I am no expert in this. These are only my thoughts. Certain members of my family have ended up with dementia, Alzheimer's etc. To the best of my knowledge my Grandmother, Aunties and Uncles who are all long since gone, and who suffered these ailments, never headed a football in their life. The fact is, a certain percentage of the population will suffer from these terrible diseases. To me, it therefore stands to reason that a certain number of those will be footballers. Using only Nobby Stiles as an example, no doubt they head footballs in training, but on the pitch I don't remember him being a prolific header of the ball, unlike say, Jack Charlton who reportedly also had dementia. We are told Sir Bobby also has dementia. So, I'm not dismissing the idea that heading the ball can have a detrimental effect, but equally from the little I know it's not the only reason. Is there a particularly high proportion of footballers who suffer these diseases compared to the rest of society (genuine question). Whilst on this subject, best wishes for a full recovery to Raul Jiminez after yesterday's horrible head clash with David Luiz. Fractured skull apparently and already operated on.

I have found a winning formula. With 20 minutes to go, I now simply switch the TV off. I feel much better for it and as far as I'm concerned, in my head we beat Wolves 1-0 and we beat Manchester United 2-1. We beat Newcastle 1-0. We cruised to a 4-1 victory at Villa and 2-0 against Everton. We also beat West Brom and Burnley. And....for the Spurs match I actually switched off at half time as soon as they got their first, so we actually beat them 2-1. There you go.....much better. I can confirm, in my head, we are now comfortably top of the league.

They're allowing a full house back in at Fratton Park.........based on the fact that Covid would be too sh*t scared of entering.

Apparently - so I read, yesterday was also the 15th anniversary of George Best's passing. Coincidence. Both genius footballers, and both dying too early having succumbed to the slippery slope of drink and in Maradona's case, drink and drug addiction.