John Boy Saint

See we have. Mark Clattenbergs Dad........... Mike Dean on the Whistle.

Yup may be 22 years ago, there is no doubt the responsibility certainly focuses the mind, you grow up. Embrace it, enjoy it, and as has been said already they grow up really fast, and make the most of them when they are little because the day they become stroppy buggers will be upon you before they know it. As for the tiredness there is no doubt there is nothing to match it. We had number 2 pretty quickly there is a year, a month, and a week between our girls (2 was the plan but a "oops we shouldn't have done that" moment brought things forward). Friends who had their first at the same time as us thought we were barking mad, but being in baby mode when number 2 arrived, it was frighteningly easy. Interestingly when the same friends decided on having another, when it arrived, jeez, you just watched them age before our eyes. Both of ours were fully operational and you could see our friends looking on with a thought of "you weren't as mad as we thought".

I was wondering if she was still about the other day when they showed the Royale family where Nana died.... That was only triggered by seeing Caroline Aherne who left us earlier this year.

1665 was pretty damn grim too

Just as an aside the Arsenal game last Boxing Day kept coming up on social media today, and especially Cucu Martinas opener, even now that was one hell of a strike....... Not sure why I hadn't noticed it before but not only does he bend it inside the post but right round the back of Monreal (I think).

Nobbles the Jay Rodriguez song a little if he goes on a little run now after the brace at Bournemouth.

Merry Christmas to all my fellow posters................ You can all get well oiled today cos you don't have to be up tomorrow till at least lunchtime.

The technical term is crowned. If you are unfortunate enough to catch highlights from Nottarf Krap their crown is more like Everest running down the middle of the pitch. When St Mary's first opened one of the claims was that we had the only totally flat pitch in the country. ........ Hood down - Anorak off!! Mate who is a Man U fan managed to get tickets at OT and ended up on the front row at the Stretford end he said he was glad him and his son were taller that 5'8" as his eyes were literally level with the pitch.

Nice fix Sir!.......... Merry Christmas

7th for Christmas, ahead of Koeman in the table, Merry Christmas Sadio Máne............ Still putting a smile on Saints fans faces.

If Jay & Shane were doing their job this thread wouldn't exist.

Ah Bless their cotton socks

See we have (cue Geri Halliwell hit) "Look at Me " Mark Boody Clattenburg on the whistle tomorrow, so expect some shonky decisions.......... The most bizarre interpretation on advantage ever seen v Liverpool a couple of weeks back springs to mind.

Still bang out of order not having a Boxing Day game. I thought getting dicked around last Boxing Day with a 19:45 kick off was bad enough (smashing Arsenal did temper the ire quite a bit at the end of the day) but no bloomin game for us this Boxing Day!!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrr.............. Bah! Humbug!!

Would like to see him played more, personally I think he offers more than Clasie for starters. Always remember MP bringing him on v Citeh it was like a Jack Russell let loose in a field of Postmen, he only fancied a nip of one: Aguero. After being harried (no pun intended) for about the 3rd time Aguero just gave the ball away with a look of "will you leave me alone!!". This season v Sunderland in the cup, playing in the Romeu position he was up against a wardrobe and an American fridge freezer in their front line, he couldn't give two hoots about the size differential, more "Give me the ball" "bye boys". He commented recently that Claude had a word with him, about his temperament, seems, as he said himself, to have taken that on board and is now pushing his way right back into the frame.

That's a bit cruel posting Oriol up wearing the shirt, because unless I miss-heard or lost count he ain't going to be wearing it on Sunday because he racked up his 5th Yellow on Wednesday so misses Sunday's game. i stand to be corrected obviously

I like the fact that Premier league away tickets are capped at £30 and these robbing gets feel the need to cream an additional £3 & £1 off us to guarantee a decent view of the pitch, hiding behind the league cup as an excuse.

Once matey was sent off you knew we would be pushing water up hill. Second half we laid siege to the Stoke penalty area, what is worrying is that with all that dominance box we hardly fashioned anything of note. We have all this blathering on calling for the head of Puel, having watched him a few times now on the sideline he has been doing his nut at some of the decision making. But at the end of the day the players on the pitch are supposed to be doing a job they are paid handsomely for, most have been playing football since their Mums were wiping their backsides. Many have been in a professional footballing environment since they were about 8, and have taken a journey that has seen many other very capable kids cast out of the club system, they have made it to be Proffessional Premier League footballers. They train and play football every day, yet tonight with so much pressure being exerted in the vicinity of the Stoke goal, it was like they had forgotten the objective of the game being to put the ball into the back of the net, which for so many years of footballing experience as a collective on the pitch was pretty poor show, not being able to fashion many decent chances needs the finger to be pointed at them. You are playing Stoke yet knowing they are good in the air play loopy balls into the box for the Stoke defenders to see away with glee. I don't know, it's almost like the penalty box lines have been painted with Kryptonite! Right now it feels like the selling of our stars is finally catching up with us. Pelle Mané Wanyama that is a bit of a presence. That said who would have guessed as the season started we would find both Long and JRod unable to hit a Cows @r$e with a Banjo as we approach the half-way mark. They are now getting fed sitters on a plate which they defend better than attack. Other players know they need to take up the goalscoring slack but also know in doing so they leave a gap for the Oppos to exploit, just as we saw last night towards the end Puel changed the delivery option taking off Cucu and bringing on McQueen all of a suddened the new chap on for Stoke is running into Martina's empty space. Right now we are playing with pretty much no strikers and that I believe is what is producing pretty turgid performances.

Don't forget to add in that other winkle, who played at Man Utd Ravell Morrison, gifted beyond belief the ability to have played at the highest level and be paid a kings ransom, SAF tolerated him because of his ability. Allegedly when he had finished his training he was out with his mates mugging, thieving, and generally being a little scrote.

Ooooo I'm looking forward to the 3D one of the franchise now!!!

I think if you look at Leicester who have heaped most of their Eggs in the CL basket they have obviously suffered looking at the table. We on the other hand are in a better position, have rotated and probably taken a safety first approach to games which has made the football less spectacular, that said I do like the fact that we have so many players who are match ready rather than just being drafted in to "put out the fire". Maya being a prime example, in and out of the team previously as his natural position is filled by Jose, whenever he came in he always looked rusty, this season with a steady run of games he is looking much more switched on. Then add into this that only 1 of our 3/4 strikers has been able to find the net this season, and sporadically at that, concentration on defence is going to be a priority until the other 2 start sticking them away as we know they can. Sadly this doesn't make the football on view the prettiest. We aren't either of the Mancester sides or Chelsea who can walk into the Footballers shop and say "I want that one" to anything on the shelves then be in a position to leave that player in the back of the toy cupboard until he is required. Claude is working with what he has got, and I think he has got what he has got working well, if the end product was more prolific in converting the chances then we would all be sitting with stupid smiles on our faces. As for Boro on Sunday they were very dogged, so many times 10 men behind the ball leaving few options forward, the over riding thing to remember is that when you are watching on TV or sat in the stadium with your eyes higher than the crossbar you have a much better overall view of the pitch and the positions the players are in, than the players on the pitch. Stunning goal from Boufal when you see him in a heap on the ground as the ball hits the back of the net you can see you threw the kitchen sink at that shot and with his wrong foot.

Surprised this hasn't been picked up on here: Rolland Parris the chap who won the competition to design the Club Crest back in the 1970's has passed away. http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/14959606.Tributes_paid_to_Rolland_Parris_the_man_who_designed_Saints_emblem/#comments-anchor Personally I think he did a grand job, and his design still looks good today.

I found the 1978 promotion one only the other day.

I was wondering this a little having heard Tadic on Solent post match, then reading Maya and Virgil comments yesterday. 3 experienced players seemed to express a veiled unhappyness at the way our stall was set out on Thursday.

Probably one of the best Christmas songs too....... RIP indeed. Nice to see someone at Saints squeezed a tribute to Greg onto the playlist at half-time last night.