Hopkins

Betfair not exactly gospel based on previous reports of Jackson, Vassell etc.

Don't think were too bad on the left anyway. If we were to bring in wide players they'd be predominately right sided anyway. With Dickson who was the best player on the pitch Saturday and Mills and Holmes too I think we've got players who can step in on the left. Even Puncheon can play out there. However to play him out there we need some serious strengthening on the right. Thats the crisis. Not the left side.

He's either on the verge or has signed for Brentford. Gary Alexander also pondering a move there.

Butterfield getting his squad pictures taken anyone? Pretty sure he hasn't got his yet, he's got black hair, knows the players, etc etc.

Pardew denies any truth in this.

Exactly. Only City would tempt me before. Anyway here is mine. £1 stake on Prem: Chelsea Championship: Boro League 1: Saints League 2: Gillingham Scotland: Celtic Champions League: Real Madrid. Gets me just over 9 grand.

Has he signed yet? Nope. Will he sign? Nope. Is there anything in these 5 pages that even suggests he's signing? Nope. Is there anything to suggest we are linked with him other than the original link? Nope. Not even a made up attempt at being ITK claiming they have heard he's even spoke to the club let alone we're interested? Nope. Then why do we have a 5 page thread? Nearly as ridiculous as the 10 page thread about and for someone who doesn't even post on here.

So why exactly have Cortese/The Club decided to do this then? Was there something he did specifically that caused them to do this that has been pointed out or has that yet to come out and everyone is just jumping to either the conclusion that it is a disgrace or that it is right because he's a tool...?

I've done it on a dancefloor. Along with the bowling ball. It doesn't get standing ovation you and your mates think it fully deserves if i'm honest.

Pretty sure he's not actually that good.

The problem is people like yourself think its as easy at that. It's as easy and wanting someone, going getting them, then if someone else becomes available releasing someone. In reality it's not. I cba to go into it too deep but ask/listen to many experts and they will tell you that the market is predictably slow. Until someone makes a bold move like a City for example then funds will start to trickle down and allow us to start swooping in. City themselves are reluctant to go out and just spend because they know that everyone knows they have loads of money. Therefore they don't get value on there signings and lets be honest the people in charge there are too experienced in business to go about and just pay over the odds for someone like Milner because Villa demand £30m. They will happily wait, knowing that Villa need Milner off the books asap and it becomes a waiting game, which one will back down first. I'm telling you now it will be Villa. They will not get £30m for him. They may get a player and £20m but City know what a strong position they are in and are happy to wait until they get the deal they want. The money eventually trickles down to allow us to get involved. We are in a position as a club that like City everyone knows we have cash. Therefore if we show interest in a player the price goes up. Unlike other clubs in our division who are signing loads of players, we are in a position as a club where we can look at getting a higher quality of players. Therefore we have to wait. For example, A team in our division say like Huddersfield, wants a player, they have to set there sights lower than us, so they go to a club like Forest and say, we need a striker, Forest say well we have Garner available, he's nowhere near our team you can have him. Huddersfield take him. We then go to Forest and say, hey, we need a striker, we'll take Tyson, Forest say woooah, he's in our first team. We say we'll offer you £400,000. They want to take the money but know that if they reject that bid then it not only means we have to up it, but allows them time to find a replacement. They didn't need a replacement for Garner. So Forest tell us no, we prepare a new bid, while they go off searching for a replacement, which btw, they have been making offers for Johnson from Sheffield Wednesday. But until Sheffield get a replacement or are forced into selling through financial problems, then they will not accept. In the mean time Cortese aint stupid and he probably knows that Forest are not only hoping we up our offer but also waiting for a replacement. Some it comes down to a waiting game again, waiting to see who is going to back down first, is Cortese going to offer some more cash if he thinks the value is there or is he going to hold out and wait for Forest to basically come back begging for us to offer again because they have lined up a replacement but can't do it until they know they are selling Tyson. This isn't FM. This is real life, where people play games, and have other options and circumstances to think about. This isn't a computer game where if you offer the right amount of money the game will automatically accept the offer, this is business, run by very experienced business heads who are all trying to out do each other and get value for themselves and there club.

Just so you know Englands display in the WC was not just down to two poor friendlies. They have been a truly terrible international team for a long time now and when faced against a team with some quality about them they struggle. Those two friendlies were against much better opposition than anyone we faced in qualifying which just masked the fact that when it comes down to subtle footballing ability England lack any whatsoever. Some of the best impact players in the world yes but without anyone doing the unnoticed subtle work in midfield at an international level your impact players won't get the opportunity to shine at all. Two poor friendlies and preparation had very little to do with the poor performance at the world cup. The mentality of coaches and therefore young players (except for a few, who are in-spite of the system and not because of it) is so focused on scoring, winning and results it will very rarely produce footballers capable of shining at an international level. Just look at Spain. Ask Xavi and Iniesta what they did when they were kids, I can guarantee they played shed loads of keep ball and pass and move. Check out the majority of coaches in this country and you'll find them encouraging kids to score goals like there heroes do on a Saturday. The problem with this country is that its full of people with a lack of intelligence when it comes to football and they all get sucked into the media frenzy which is designed to make money therefore tells everyone how good we are. You simply can't use England in any kind of debate about preparation because there short term preparation was fine, the long term preparation is what has led them to being a shambles and it's something many people predicted when everyone was bumming Capello and co during qualification.

How exciting. I'm pretty sure I've worked out the name, the clues in here are not that hard to break down but still couldn't find anything on Google. Would be quite interesting to recognise him out and about. I assume you've never seen him again? It's really not that hard. Google Littlewood and Monaghan. The same uncommon name should pop up on both pages.

Tbf it's not got anything to do with Bulger and his family anymore. Anyway just out of interest Dave, when did you find out who you had seen was him? Did you recognise him at all or looking back on it do you see the similarities? Looked up the name and didn't find a thing. How disappointing.

1-0 Down. Woop!

No. He wasn't.... http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10280~45372,00.html Wouldn't actually mind seeing him and McNish being given the opportunity to step in at CM if we had problems with Morgan. It's the only chance they will have of succeding at this club for us so I wouldn't be suprised if we don't strengthen this area unless Morgan gets a long term injury and just stick with Gobern, McNish, Wotton, Puncheon etc being options for the short term. Must stress that the possible back up signings of a CM and a Striker for Lambert will probably only be short term anyway. If you think about it, if we progess up a level this season into the Championship we are going to have to start improving our squad in these areas again and getting players who will challenge Lambert/Morgan etc for a starting place that somebody who is willing to be a back up in a league one side will not be able to compete in a team looking to challenge in the Championship. Maybe using the youngsters such as Gobern/McNish this season as a short term, allows us to spend on better quality next season if we are promoted. If Morgan/Lambert gets injured long term obviously we have to go out and strengthen with quality asap and in the ideal world we'd do that now and bring in a team which can compete in the Championship to play for us now, but finding the quality of players required in the Championship to come and play for us in league one while not being guaranteed regular football is in reality probably quite tough.

Thats nice. Because I CBA to look further back i'll start with after the Cup Final when our run in and results were essential. Brighton away. One of our toughest run in fixtures. Antonio, Puncheon and Lallana started in what I assume was a 451 variation Leyton Orient at home. 442. Antonio on the bench. Charlton at home. Another one of our toughest games. All 3 started. Antonio won it for us. Without him and Davis we'd have been stuffed. Bristol Rovers away. We play 451 and destroy them. All 3 start. Yeovil. All 3 start. Antonio is subbed off at HT. Oldham at home. Antonio on the bench. And I think we'll all agree we lacked much creativity, unpredictability and it was strange Antonio wasn't bought on. 0-0. Carlisle. All 3 start. Puncheon in the middle. Antonio scores twice. I'll leave the last two games because we start mucking about with team selections to look towards this season. however the one game he didn't play out of those two we lost. Antonio came here a very raw player. He ended up much more than just some option off the bench, often favoured over Barnard in some of the bigger and more vital games.

Can't honestly believe that people are still thinking Antonio was just an impact sub from the bench. He started in big games where Pardew favoured a 451 formation and in games such as Charlton he won it for us. Yes Puncheon and Lallana were first choice but at times one of those three played just off Lambert. We need another pacy winger. I'm confident we'll get it and even if its just Waigo i'll be quite chuffed knowing that Oxlade-Chamberlin is coming through but the dismissal of Antonio/Waigo as just options off the bench if baffling.

Just so you know Antonio played much more than a bench role. MLG can keep banging on about Lallana and Puncheon being first choice and starting every game they were fit for but the fact is towards the end of the season and in some big games Antonio was also first choice. Charlton at home is a prime example of this. Pardew liked to play 451 in some big games, including this one and Antonio was used as a winger with Puncheon moving inside to play off Lambert. Antonio was also used as someone to play off Lambert at times last season and he won us that Charlton game. He was much more than some option of the bench and without him or someone to play his role we will struggle this season. I'm confident we will get someone in however.

Betfair have also claimed we were on the verge of signing Jackson and Boyata. I'll choose to ignore them for now.

You got a link to this forum? Thanks.

The games previously have hardly been tributes anyway. He hardly gets mentioned until the end of the game when a little trophy gets handed to a player who has a photo and hands it straight back. Rather we did something else anyway.

Just out of interest will the accounts definitely be coming out? Not being a PLC any more does that not mean that the business doesn't have to publish accounts?

I love the fact that people seem to think that we are in a position to choose whether or not Beattie comes back to us. Like we even have the option to go "Nah, not with your ego son". It wouldn't even get to the point where he'd consider playing in League One let alone whether or not we'd want him. Jesus.

http://twitter.com/jaymcglashan Jermaine McGlashan's twitter. Talks about his trial at Saints.