John Boy Saint

Reading between the lines after the Coates family decided to wash their dirty linen in public and slag off Hughes. It seems a lot of the issues Hughes was faced with was down to a director of football deciding to buy £50m of players that ended up sat on the bench, if they were lucky, due to them being square pegs and Hughes had round holes to fill. Aside from the Long and Austin blind-spot, for the first time since Koeman we seem to have a manager who does more than just shuffle the deckchairs, and actually tries to do something (by comparison to Puel and MoPe) noticeably different to change the game. Anyway when is the "What do you think Sparky had for Breakfast today" thread being started.

I’ve had a few so who cares. Only a total bellend would have failed to observe that his decent corner lead to our only goal!!!

That Mitrovic goal for Fulham v Spurs has to be a contender for Goal of the Month. Such quick thinking.

What a bonkers game Arsenal looking worse than Dagenham & Redbridge with 9 men, 2-0 down. Then Chelsea suddenly start thinking of their cream cakes at half time 2-2. Just hope half time doesn’t take the fun out of the game for us neutrals

Lemina living on the edge

Well done Alex

Blimey we should be sponsored by Clinton’s - flippin cards everywhere! looks like the whole squad will be getting a game by the time the first amnesty comes up.

Do we just go up there to lose. Oh look someone taller than Cedric wins the header in the box to score

What a save, thought it was straight at the bar from Ings

How is Carragher back on Sky!? ............ he gets right on my thrupenny bits.

Just about sums that turgid game up, what a shoite penalty

West Ham Directors must have a sound proof room they step into, just to laugh their heads off at what a bonkers deal they have https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45208151 Tell me I have read that right; West Ham are willing to pay for the pitch surround, but someone else has ruled that the London Legacy lot who lease the stadium to WHU for £2.5m per year will have to pay for it!!!!!!

He may have made some very questionable decisions against us in games, (his glorious assist at Burnley last season almost affords him cult status from Saints fans), you would hope that it is personal circumstances and not being hounded out. Need a few more of these youngsters on the whistle as they are more likely to keep up with the game.

Romeu sometimes gets a bit close to the knuckle with his last ditch challenges

What a shame it wasn’t Forest Green - just to listen to the crescendo of disgust at not being able to get a meat pie in the ground.

Whilst we are twiddling our thumbs waiting for the next game, looking out at the pouring rain. I was searching something on t'internet just now and on Google Chrome you often get a cartoon (Google Doodle) depicting a notable event, or person, from this day in history, above the search box. Today's "Doodle" was football themed "whats that all about?", so clicked it: Ebenezer Cobb Morley 187th Birthday....................... Who? Clicked again and learned something new. "What has this got to do with Saints" I hear being muttered, well nowt directly as he didn't play on the wing for us in the late 1800's, more football in general. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/ebenezer-cobb-morley-football-rules-laws-game-barnes-google-doodle-a8492781.html His original draft of 23 rules included a provision allowing players to “hack the front of the leg”, a controversial line that one FW Campbell of Blackheath felt was essential to promote “masculine toughness”. Another adherent suggested that without hacking tackles, “you will do away with the courage and pluck of the game, and it will be bound to bring over a lot of Frenchmen who would beat you with a week’s practice”. I wonder what he would have made of the modern game, and that Neymar fellow.

They have their work cut out with young Master Redmond then!

Reading Sundays match programme had a very informative interview with Mr Hughes, some nice positive quotes and thoughts.

Surely we want gems like Brian Clough is said to have come out with after Forest in their pomp got soundly beaten, might have even been by us!!!? Apparently he stood by the dressing room door as the household name players traipsed forlornly in to the dressing room and said "sorry" to each of them. Then stood in the centre of the dressing room and said "I am so sorry lads, this afternoons result was totally my fault and I take full responsibilty..............because obviously I named the wrong team to play"

Ooo how civilised........Just think a nice bit of Eppoises bought there before the match should be just about spot on after being in my pocket and transported across London to Waterloo. By the time I get off my curiously empty train carriage at Basingstoke Station it should be bloody glorious.

A few years ago a load of wage slips for Liverpool players found their way into the public domain, loads of folks were getting heated in the media about the monthly salary John Arne-Riise was getting (somewhere around £130k pm), there were many discussions, most in disgust at such an obscene pay packet. The Nurses comparison was used endlessly, then someone piped up and said don't look at his gross pay look at his net pay, then look at the amount of tax and NI he is paying then over the course of the year and how many Nurses could be employed by his deductions alone. But back in the totally removed from reality world of Football, Zaha's £130k per week looks an absolute bargain for what he gives to Palace when compared to the £500k (nett) a week Sanchez is getting at United.

My friend did say the attention to detail was very impressive.

A friend of mine is a Spurs season ticket holder, he went on a Tour of their new stadium yesterday said it was all pretty impressive, so obviously something is working in there. Took loads of photos but was told not to post them on social media which he has respected. Plus being a successful local businessman he isn't going to give himself negative press by being exposed as doing so.

Do they have a cryogenic facility to store these buggers in alongside the FAs St George’s Park!! Hang on just looked and aside from having the highest average age of referees in Europe. Lee Mason is doing City v Uddersfield We have Mr Perma-tan Amble round the pitch: Andre Marriner. Jack Stephens (if he plays) is going to love that, and going to have to keep his trap shut, in the Celta friendly he was on the whistle and blew for a very soft decision against Jack. The brief exchange between them was a bit spiky from Jack, seems the “injustice” served by Marriner upon him at the Emirates last season was still a bit sore.

That dressing room has a pretty good history of ousting a manager who guided them to an achievement beyond their wildest dreams, so if Puel is paid off or like Pearson packed off surreptitiously to manage another of the Thai owners clubs, after 3 games is pretty shabby. Man U away is a tough start to anyone’s seasons.