John Boy Saint

But would they, like I said earlier there is a jaundiced view of JWP here. Whilst Gareth Southgate might not be viewed as the most dynamic of managers he must see something in James to have made him Captain of the Young Lions especially when you see the array of "more exciting" young players who have been in the team with him. .......... mentioning Tom Cleverley in the same sentence as JWP should having you washing your mouth out with soap!!

Trouble is there are people who, and have, persistently mithered about him are so use to griping about him that if he scored a hat trick 3 games running would still be mithering about him. I certainly wished he believed in himself a bit more, which he now seems to be doing. About mid way through last season I thought he had become a bit more combative, in the 3-2 Liverpool game I think it was Skrtel he turned inside out and put him on his backside, nicked the ball, and set up our 3rd. The praise towards him was very scant almost dismissive and the preferred line (shamefully from Saints fans) was more towards Minolets poor kick out. In a few of the Europa games this season he was getting stuck in like he was slightly possessed and on the edge of getting carded, maybe all those England games taught him where the line is.......... now there is a habit of knocking him, regardless of how he plays, from certain quarters its going to be hard to shake that off. Maybe there should be a poll: Who would you rather have in midfield JWP or Clasie. ............ and neither is not an optional response.

Sorry my fault.......... started "watching" that blooming betting site and it went t it's up.

Wish I hadn't started watching that site now.......... 2 pens in quick succession ain't too clever.

Dollis Hill

At least they are games where we know we need to concentrate and perform, rather than against teams where we might not focus quite as hard as we should.

Don't think folks are ridiculing him, just now he has found what he thinks is dirty washing he has decided to wash it in public, and that is going to piddle people off somewhat. Personally I think he came back from the Euros a bit billy big bollix, thought his stock was higher than it actually was, probably made the wrong noises on the back of his assumed higher status, club thought ok if that's what you want fine we can spend your wages on a younger model. Without doubt he was a great servant for the club, but you could see he had lost that half a yard this season, and his displays for West Ham so far have justified the clubs decision to let him go.

36 points on the table for us still and plenty of football to pass under the bridge.

Be nice to test their mettle again like last year, they spawnily went 1 up and were smug buggers with it. Then when we clawed one back and the cracks appeared. When Davo put away that daisy cutter, which bamboozled everyone, they were shot. I know that was off the back of seeing their title challenge fade, but they have pretty much the same team so you would hope the same soft underbelly is there to be exposed. Last few games we have played with a bit of intensity, and dare I say it: flare. So hopefully we can give them a bit of a run around again.............. anything has to be better than the "Boxing Day" game.

The Bournemouth statement does say that Mings apologised to Ibrahimovic twice after the incident.

I expect this to get moved as the only tenuous link to Saints is that Tyrone Mings will miss the game against us in April. But as we have another weekend off no harm in sticking an interlude into the normal run of things to discuss. Am I alone in thinking that a bit of favouritism has crept into the punishments handed out by the FA to Ibrahimovic and Mings after the rough and tumble of the Man U v Cherries game on Saturday. If anything I think the match bans served up are back to front. You could debate until the cows come home whether Mings trod on the head Ibrahimovic on purpose. Having just been in a tussle resulting in a heap of bodies on the floor, the decision to tread on his head is not going to be a premeditated act, more of an opportunity presenting itself: if it was Mings intent. On the flip side the Elbow in the face Mings from Ibrahimovic has to be a worse offence as it has to have been premeditated, Ibrahimovic knew who was at his shoulder and the act of elbowing Mings was, as most people could see, a deliberate action to get him back having had a while to wait for he opportunity. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39210644

Be a bit of a shame if true, that said it does swing the door open for young Jason McCarthy to progress who looks to be having fun at Walsall. Yes I know it's only League One, but no disrespect to his team mates, he does look a cut above. Relatives are Bury season ticket holders and they said that he was the stand out player (2 goals aside) for Walsall in their recent 3-3 draw.

Seeing as your location has a PO postcode we can let it slide.

Really??!! Starting one on the 17th of November is a bit weird, with nearly 8 months until they traditionally thrust the new strip upon us............... bit like wishing your life away. Anyone would think you worked for Taylor Made golf clubs (new set to sell every six months).

The Express have also said that we will have the worst coldest Winter since the Woolly Mammoths roamed the earth for the past 2 Autumns.

I thought Mitchell had already departed Spurs, as they had given him a shoe box rather a black box and he had been tempted by the lure of the Dugouts at Goodison. Someone good in our retentions department would be good this summer.

I thought the pair of them looked no different to the lads who had come through the academy, then you say over £25m combined transfer fees, the should stay in the U23s until their attitudes buck up, (no doubt get the Boufal is great brigade on my case now, "he has to be in the first team": played like he had ball sized holes in his boots tonight!!!). Fair play to Caceres looked pleased to be playing football, bet Alfie Jones liked playing alongside him....... he had a good game too.

Must have found a pair of Corteses shoes stuffed down the back of a radiator.

But you only had to look at all the Euro 16 Portuguese photos.......... who was he hobnobbing with in just about every single one - Stratospheric Global Footballing Superstar Chrissy R numero uno on Forbes Richest Athletes list 2016 with £88m earnings and he is a year younger than Jose: that has to smart a little and sow seeds of missing out and wantin.....expecting more. Footballers total detachment from reality came when C Ashley Cole was publicly and vocally incensed at the miserly £55,000 PER WEEK Arsenal had just offered him.......... something like "how can anyone be expected to live on £55k a week": ask your Mother you snotty little brat she was probably putting that silver spoon up your orafice as a single mother with very little loose change in her purse!

Never had the impression he had a chip on his shoulder where we were concerned............ might still have a bit of niggle at having a Chairman called Rupert and an ex-player on the coaching staff picking a fight with him on the touch line at SMS. As I said on the other thread where this features, it appears that Souness have been to sensationalist journalism courses.

Free to get in plus a live stream according to the linked article.

Interesting that Boufal and Højbjerg genuinely qualify for this by age, you forget that they are that young. Bit like Redmond only being 23 yet seems to have been around for years.

Looks like Souness has been to The Sun reporter academy at the Murdoch Journalism University, what horrible people Southampton FC are. Obviously something wasn't right in that he didn't get a shout in the Europa league. But then seeing him left for dead very cheaply early on in the Hammers game the other day v Watford did make me wonder if with all the player analysis that goes on these day, if the club had identified that things were waning with his performance that maybe it was time to let things come to an end and not stump up any more.

Think to a lesser extent you could add in Nigel Pearson in charge, along with Richard Wright between the sticks 2007-8 season. The latter from memory making some impressive saves to give us any chance of another last day escape from the dreaded drop into League 1, the former giving us a bit more of a rigid backbone to take out on the pitch.

Of course we want them both fit, but there is a bizarre theme running through a few threads that leans towards Caceres already has the 2nd choice centreback badge on his shirt in some posters mind, the bloke ain't played a competitive game for over a year now due to a ruptured Achilles, but because he has a sparkling CV he is going seal up the defence instantly.......... it's this presumptive assuming that baffles me.