suewhistle

I have absolutely no insight into the strategies of any of the parties involved, but if they were truly keeping him 'wrapped in cotton wool' he wouldn't have played that 60 minutes against the Brighton second team. Now that the season is actually starting we won't need to do as much time wasting speculation, which is something of a relief..

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/aug/08/southamptons-will-still-ive-always-stuck-out-footballs-helped-me-integrate Another interesting interview with Will Still.

What's that in hands?

Which dressing room?

Obviously, like most commenting on this thread, I wasn't there..

Because hopefully we'll be back up and he'll be 3 years older and slower...

Maybe a better question on Stephens, and a polite way to express our disquiet (and they must surely know) would have been a question like "What was the rationale in giving Stephens a 3 year contract instead of 2?". ... and has he been to anger management classes..

I don't understand footballer valuations, but something is worth what somebody else is prepared to pay for it, so we'll see.. As for his contributions last year where people are being critical, I think we should recall a young Le Tissier who also didn't shine at tackling back. I can't recall the team Le Tissier came in to, but it can't be as bad and as badly managed as last year's shit-show, although I do remember Branfoot's decision to drop him at one stage rather being shown up. Maybe we all hoped for a little more from TD, but I remember the chuckles as he embarassed a few defenders and also the expectation in the crowd when he had the ball.

Yeah, it's near Slough.

I've just been researching where to watch the game in Torino, as that's where I'll be and my Italian friend hasn't a clue. Anybody got Che's number? I was hoping for an early night but just coming down now...

Maybe it's my inherent optimism, but the intensity of that training session session seems higher than those we saw under Martin?

I can think of one or two candidates.. We might even have the same ones in mind!

For all the talk of a cull, surely we have to wait to see who gets left behind over there..

.. yes, "continuing his transformation" might have been a better way to put it.

Well, that's my Saturday night out in Portsmouth shirt sorted then..

Only Connect? That's the foreword to Howard's End by EM Forster..

I think you and others with a similar opinion are wrong and I've watched a lot of players come through in my time. We can perhaps ignore Chelsea taking him early on the basis they take lots of young players, ammortise many over long periods and pay them too much to be able to get rid of them! But anyone who saw his best bits last season, terrorising top full backs,and teams doubling up on him and trying to rough him up will have caught glimpses of his potential. I don't recall other hopes like Hesketh or Sims ever getting so much attention. Progress, especially when so young, is not linear as those of us who saw Channon and Le Tissier can vouch. Like them he has the ooo factor, and it'll be fascinating to see how he gets on, just as it was with the players mentioned above along with Bale, Shearer, Stevie Mills, Bridge, Shaw when they debuted for us, and you could see they had something even then.

Yeah, you'll only get a reaction. Equal and opposite obvs.

Well, just on here to remind you of tonight's game! 😉 I'll be down the pub with an outside TV, with a few team mates, so we'll probably get bitten by mozzies. I could have been upset with Alex for not believing me, but instead had a good laugh as he illustrated my point so perfectly.. As my friend said just now, don't get involved, but I do wonder what his triggers are? The apple tree? The sponsorship? Her having an opinion? Football encompasses so many levels, from grassroots with £35 a month subs, through the leagues to teams like Eastleigh and upwards. There may be some top pros who don't enjoy it but the rest of us will carry on playing or watching their mates in a pub team etc, and the sex of who is playing will only be an issue for a few sad people and the even fewer who need to be critical on online forums.

Yeah, right near me. Obviously didn't have enough fluids before the game.. Cough Cough.. I'm just dripping..

Me!? Sarcastic? I've learnt all I know from you!

Who is Taylor??

You have it. Can I have the first BBD WTF FFS?

Badoom tish! It's all in the timing..

Good grief! There already? Have I got KO time wrong?