Fitzhugh Fella

Not many in London?

With Chelsea and Man U away and Everton and Man City home coming up this will be our best chance to pick up 3 points for a while

Let's give him a chance, bloody hell plenty of people turn into world beaters after initial rejection

You don't like him? His name is familiar but can't think why - certainly don't remember him being on Saints books?

There is a photo in the Echo of him signing which includes Neil Benson who is the manager of Sparsholt Football Academy. Says Neil was once in Saints academy. Apparently Isaac has already trained with the club and been a guest at a couple of games.

from Sparsholt College Football Academy. Nehemie was released by Palace last summer but following his enrolment at Sparsholt he caught the eye of Saints and has signed a full-time scholarship arrangement up to 2014. He is a left-sided player.

I am dragging my weary bones up there to chalk another ground off

Things getting desperate down the murkier end of the M27 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-20945566

For me, if god forbid I was a Skate's fan, my main aim would be to do everything possible to maintain League 2 status. Dropping out of the top 4 Divisions through relegations is worse than being booted out through financial woes. There comes a time when you have to regroup and accept reality and certain fates - the Skates have yet to make that step, they are still basking in the heady but ill-gained atmosphere of Southsea Common following their act of piracy. I still also think they should request their name to be etched from the FA Cup that year - only then can they start to address their crime for which they are now paying so heavily.

Nice one Ron, I sense with tonight's news the proverbial is about to hit the thing that goes round very quickly so as to keep us cool.

At the end of the day it is their money, how they spend it is nothing we can ever have direct influence over and lets face it we were bankrupt when they turned up and if we are bankrupt when they leave we are no worse off. My view is Cortese knows there is big money to be made by staying in the Prem and in the Prem we have to stay if he is to sell at a large profit. The stakes are high but so is the prize.

To be fair, I don't think S-Clarke is anywhere near NickG's level of obsequiousness.

Lot of people/agents/clubs engaged in brinkmanship

That is a fair point - I will chase this but I remain sure the guy is telling it straight.

If you were a taxi driver and a Saints fan and Rickie Lambert gets in and asks for Southampton Airport I am sure you would at least manage to elicit where he was going from him and I am pretty sure Lambert wouldn't bother that much in revealing his destination. I just checked last night's conversation with "Lets be avenue" who knows this "taxi driver" well and was there listening. This guy has never come up with a story like this before. RL also mentioned to him that Villa had made a bid and so had Leicester but he had hoped Liverpool would come in. Three months ago I would have laughed at this story but after the bust up between Lambert and Adkins post the Villa game I think on the balance of probability the story is more likely to be true than false. Hence me mentioning it on here. Up to you if you believe it - personally I think it would be mad to let him go to a rival club.

Take this how you will but I was drowning my sorrows in the Guide Dog pub last night post match and got talking to a guy who goes home and away. He is a taxi driver (yes I know they have a reputation) but is a serious mature sort of guy not prone to making things up. He was adamant he took Rickie to Sot’on airport on Thursday for a flight to Newcastle to hold talks with the Bar Codes. Just passing on pub gossip but he swore blind it was true.

I am starting to think that some fans comprehensively swallowing Adkins banal responses to be a little worrying.

Everything you say is true Ron, it is all about money these days. I personally think the club will be sold in the next 2-3 years and everything will then depend on the new owners.

I am going to break the habit of a lifetime and agree with manji. Davis my mom and it is time to stick with this keeper to let him develop confidence. I was disappointed with Puncheon today mind. Thought he was pretty clueless. Defence superb and had we had Wiltshire today we would have won with ease.

Dad's Army is still being shown on BBC2. HTH.

Just back - one word sums up our performance although we lacked it.......... "composure" and that is why we only had one point instead of 3: More composure with Guly's miss and Jay Rod's wild over hit cross to Lambert would have delivered. In a local pub after the game the Stoke fans said they were impressed with our support.

The debate is superfluous imo. Simply put Sharp is not good enough for the Prem but he can certainly do it in the Championship. If we go down then I can see him coming back esp after they sacked SoD. He's a good player but has no pace and a poor first touch.

Ken Jones ex-Saints full-back from the 60s has died over Xmas. Here is what I was planning to publish about him next year but on a personal note I would like to add a nicer man you could not wish to meet. So helpful towards us historians too - always ready for a chat or to lend a photo. My sympathies to his wife and family. Ken Jones was widely regarded as the best full-back playing in Division 4 when Ted Bates decided he wanted his services to bolster Southampton’s ambitions to finally gain promotion to the top-flight. His first contract was interesting because he was not only offered £27 a week but also a pound for every 1000 above 20,000 in attendance at home games. A tidy and unflappable defender, he initially jousted with Stuart Williams for the right to wear the nos 2 shirt and then Tommy Hare, but all three lost out when Ted returned to the market in March 1966 to bring in David Webb and with the crew-cutted Londoner now ensconced at right-back, the team reached Division 1 by remaining unbeaten in their last 12 matches. The next season the versatile Ken made 19 League appearances all but one of them at left-back and played his part in the consolidation process as the club strived to hold onto their newly found position among the country’s elite. His best season was 1968-69 when he alternated between both back positions at the expense of Joe Kirkup or Denis Hollywood as Saints qualified for Europe but by the following year Bob McCarthy and Tony Byrne had joined the full-back selection fray and Ken fell further behind in the pecking order. He joined Cardiff then being managed by Jimmy Scoular his old Bradford PA manager but injuries preceded a retirement to a job in Southampton Docks, a resting place for quite a few other Saints players of the era. He settled in Chandlers Ford but was not lost to the sporting pages of the Southern Daily Echo as he forged quite a name for himself as an accomplished snooker player/ coach.

Excellent decision, well done NC for recognising a truly great servant who still avidly watches and follows his team.

NA is playing down new signings in tonight's Echo - would not be surprised if it is a quiet window.