John Boy Saint

2 steps forward 1 step back............... Funny old game! Disapeared outside to put our festive lights up at 2-0, put the red and white ones up and came in for a brew and a warm up as the scores were being read out...... Oh dear! We certainly are making hard work of this season.

I was stumped walking back to my car on Wednesday talking to some Arsenal fans when they asked "how many of your first team regulars were out there tonight" on reflection the answer should have been all of them with the possible exception of Harry Reed. Pretty impressive so many players are feeling involved and being kept ticking over at match readiness levels, rather than being a bit rusty when suddenly called upon..... Maya Yoshida being noticeably one of the main beneficiaries of Claude's policy.

I think the window of opportunity has been seen to have swung wide open where the academy players are concerned, and the doormat outside the first team dressing room says Welcome. The nippers must have seen young Josh put Baines on his backside last weekend, then switch on the afterburners and tear up the pitch to a crescendo of very noisy encouragement and for the first time in ages fans getting up out of their seats in expectation. Followed by the standing ovation when he was subbed, and thought to themselves "hey I want some of that"!!

Probably boredom, from what I have seen of him on the show seems he is a stay at home Dad while his missus keeps doing her stuff.

Stayed in a long time, sent packing tonight in 5th place.

This is the trouble in these 24 hour rolling news hungry times, especially following the Jimmy Saville business, everything on this subject has become a sensationalised witch hunt where the media is concerned, you just have to remember when the Old Bill rocked up round Sir Cliff Richards house coppers everywhere like it was an armed siege and helicopters in the sky, the bloke is in his seventies and very unlikely to be on his toes over the fields like some scallywag. In our case what a juicy story for the likes of Sky to run a breaking news ticker on SSN for half the evening, the reportedly best football academy in the land at a "nothing" club, oooh a nice plump target to give a kicking to. Obviously this is a very serious matter, and it seems over half the football league teams are now being investigated for what is an historical set of events at a time when these things could and were brushed aside and under the carpet, Chelsea allegedly having paid a victim hush money was rumoured the other day. But for quite a few years now systems have been put in place in an effort to protect young people from adults they are entrusted to, who are not under the watchful eye of their parents. I have a mate who teaches kids golf at a golf course he has had to be CRB checked/certified (or whatever you call it now), those of you who have shopping delivered from the supermarket to your house those delivery drivers are CRB checked! The fact that years have clicked on and systems have changed since all these terrible acts occurred obviously doesn't matter to the media, guilty until proven innocent is the mantra to stick by where they are concerned, and sod the fact that the mud remains long after they have moved on.

I remember that listening to an in and out signal Solent on the radio in my bedroom (being a school night). Crikey just remembered that was in the days before wall to wall coverage and Solent would have a normal music show but would have a crowd noise when a goal would be scored either way. That was indeed a very long night. You have also reminded me about the first leg at Elland Road, highlights were on Sportsnight and my Dad shouting for me to come downstairs in my jimjams 0-2 down half time, Lawrie conducting the hardy souls who made the trip north to sing more, think a pitch sprinkler went off and a bloke sat on a bucket over it until it was turned off, and we levelled the tie at 2-2: all very exciting for a Saints mad nipper! Cheers for triggering those memories John

Jeez you must be running out of toddlers to smash on FIFA 2000and whatever year we are in............ Or supporting the wrong team, there was bugger all wrong with our squad tonight. There you go you got a bite!

Just missed the first goal for the first time ever thanks to the travel carnage, then the pat down at the gate. Just going towards the stairs to our seats you heard the roar then went "hang on that's ours making the racket". Good performance nice play, and even Mr Friends generosity in giving super soft fouls to Arsenal failed. Radio 5 already banging on "Southampton beat a weakened Arsenal side" hang on a cotton picking moment please tell me how often Boufal, Clasie, Davis, Reed and McQueen play together in midfield. I can't believe from reading on here that some bellends got their knickers in a twist over the team selection, my mates Wife who is proper Arsenal mental was spitting chips at Arsenes selection, I took a quick squizz at the Beeb saw Claude's selection and thought blimey we are going for this!! I went to Sunderland, Sheffield United, and the Liverpool games over the last few seasons so it was good to see us go for it in players picked, and effort put in.............. Someone is going to get smashed to bits by us sooner or later this season. Back to my mates Wife post match she was (surprisingly) impressed by us, and thought Young Sam and that oriental looking chap at the back were both very good, she did think that Ramsey was @&£?%#€$¥ rubbish. Drive home was a bloody pain though, the cone trolls were out in force, M3 closed - no problem oh M4 closed at Reading for the Cone Troll Christmas Party, little travel app says tail backs 4 miles before junction - country lanes it was then. Still bloody good win........ Bring on the bin dippers, always nice to do them at least once a season: why not make it twice just for fun then mess up whoever we meet in the final.

The "lying Dutchmans" post match comments were no doubt manna from heaven.

But seeing as, to be honest, we are a bit hot and cold this year, surely winning the League Cup guarantees us another go in the Europa league next season? Which is where the club wish to be on their mission to increase the clubs profile across the Planet, and increase the revenue streams, which in turn reduces the restrictions of FFP.............. Which ultimately should enable us to keep more players through being able to pay higher wages.

.......... Don't tell us: you could hear it in Shrophire!

I thought the cheer when the music stopped as we kicked off the second half, said what the majority thought of the volume.

That today was the spoonful of sugar to take away some of the bitter taste still in the mouth from Thursday. When Josh Sims first burst onto the youth scene a few years ago, you thought I wonder if he will make it through to the first team or was that his peak. Wow he was like a bottle of pop, Puel shook the bottle and unscrewed the lid and the lad just fizzed all over the pitch. Always showing for the ball, not scared to get stuck in, superb movement to make his own space, putting Baines on his backside was amusing, then burning up the pitch Wow the noise must have put him slightly off being selfish (never seen so many backsides leave seats in anticipation for a very long time). ........... Maybe young Josh should give Redmond extra training on how to burn past opposition players without having to stop and let them gang up on him.

Yeah whatever!!!........................... Better see some extracted digits!!

It was more of a hand flap with "sod you lot then" body language.

Sat in a bar just off the centre of Prague old town, had a nice dessert, and drinking double shorts (sod the beer). That performance is still like a cut that has had lime poured on it!! Shane Long can wave his hands in a sod you motion at the fans that were venting their anger at such an abysmal performance, most folks at the game have shelled out a decent amount of money, probably each in the region of how much he earns in the time it takes to curl one out of a morning!!!!!! You are a professional football striker: learn to stay onside man! Redmond........ A Norwich fan said, when I asked him about Redmond: nice footballer lots of running and stuff but beyond that he is bloody thick, he gets into a position then goes "Duuurrrrrrrugh what do I do now" Claude you are bloody deluded if you still believe he is a new Henry. all of you fellow posters can slag me as much as you want........... I don't care because however you cut it that was a $H1t performance and I am ****ed off!! Barman......... Same again!!

Time for bed, me and Mrs JBS have seats on an Eastward bound plane in the morning................ what a Wizard wheeze!!

:D:D

Solid defensive performance Clattenburg putting in a predictable performance, summed when he thought he was at Twickenham with the first half advantage he played in Liverpools favour, VVD defends well............. "Here you go boys have another go at that from here". Highlight might well be the sparkly new PA speakers dangling from the roof........... Pitch perfect audio for the first time since the Stadium opened.

That's nice and easy, straight line route from the hotel to the pick up point,......... Might be needed after an evening on the Dark Beer and Becherovka............. Hic! .................. Handy for a hair of the dog too!!! :spaz:

Err The Daily Mail link was the easiest to link here for a general overview in relation to the op........... That boat is actually sat there, there are tons of munitions aboard all rotting away in the salt water. The catch 22 has always been is if they start moving them will that trigger a reaction, a controlled explosion isn't controllable, i first heard about this 30 years ago.

Hmmmm so we have Clattenburg on the whistle, what joy!! Just don't boo him or question what he does under his duvet when the lights go out, as he said recently that he gives nothing if the fans get on his back. https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/2082834/ex-referee-graham-poll-slams-mark-clattenburg-claiming-his-decisions-are-influenced-when-home-fans-are-on-his-back/ So be very very very nice to Mark on Saturday.

I bet there are a few lurkers in places under Southampton This is the one you don't want to go off: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2195590/3-000-ton-timebomb-shipwrecked-Thames-estuary.html

Is anyone staying at home free to look after our Gerbils?