John Boy Saint

Chelsea certainly have their tails up at the moment, makes our 0-2 sandwiched between two 5-0 drubbings look slightly respectable.

I would say Killer just edges it still, not only was he a good defender but he also got Claus to stop being distracted by the pretty Butterflies that often fluttered across his side of defence , thus turning them into a potent defensive force.

Watched his post Inter interview on Saints last night, what a very pleasant and assured young man.

Wow! That was the perfect tonic after the spawny win Inter got off us at theirs (still baffled how we didn't win that). Even better win after the shenanigans from Inter before the penalty, anyone with half a brain could see what the slimy buggers were up to, that was an Italian masterclass in disruption........and it worked: that said Tadic should be nowhere near the penalty spot ever again when we are awarded one he must have missed far more than he has scored over the time he has been with us. As has been said already James Ward-Prowse was superb tonight, always showing for the ball, always looking for an effective pass. Romeu plays like he would like to punch someone at any minute, but is dominant in his position, I always thought he was short changed by RK, as a player his education shows through. Hojbjerg was the only weak link in midfield especially second half with his duff powderpuff passing and bloomin passing it backwards repeatedly when there was a forward pass on. Once again Maya had a cracking game, I will readily hold my hands up and admit I have been a fan of his for a long time, the guy reads he game so well (when he has made a rickett its invariably when he has had a brain fart and over analysed the situation in front of him). Virgil is immense, it's when he decides to go for an amble up field is almost as if he has just gone "Yoshi hold the fort while I show these buggers which way we are playing". Sam McQueen that boy just gets better and better, I just wish he would be a tad more confident when faced with defenders and believe in himself that he can do em with his ability. i have seen better games at SMS over the years, but this one was a bit special, as regardless of where they are in their league, how much of a pickle they are in with the manager, or the fact they have had to leave out some expensive players (thems the rules) they were the seeded team in our group and tonight Southampton beat the famous, the world over, Inter Milan right before my very eyes................. 6 years ago on the same night we were playing Dagenham & Redbridge in the league: what journey!

All of this could be like some people put their houses on the market just to see what the value is, and how much it potentially is worth by the interest shown. Chinese could be the bait on the hook to catch the Sultan of Brunei or someone of similar mega wealth who has cousins who can assist facilitate the FFP chicanery that Man City have pulled off. You might find behind the closed doors of SMS, whilst this sustainable approach is working nicely the timescale of becoming a football superpower at the current pace is going to take donkeys years to achieve so a little accelerant is required.

Thats after 10% of the gate has already vanished Britannia Road........ So those remaining have to cover for them.

Never been any different, I thinks it's in our DNA, Lawrie McMenemy always said that we were a quiet bunch as a crowd way back in his day, and that the players had to get the crowd going. He did say that once we get going we can be as noisy as anyone. I think yesterday going 1-0 down so early just knocked the stuffing out if all of us fans and players. As for the game, once again we slipped back into that too slow mode, and opting for the square ball rather than popping one over the top, for the likes of Redmond, Martina, and Bertrand to run onto, summed up towards the end when McQueen had acres of empty pitch to run into, had started on his way then had to check his run because Jose pretty much passed it square and by then behind him. Once more the only player to cover himself in glory for us was Romeu who was superb all afternoon, Clasie has me scratching my head especially when you have the likes of Reed in the squadwho to my mind is far more dynamic and not scared of anyone he is up against (that said having run himself into the ground on Wednesday this one was too soon for him), just needs game time to get match conditioning, but ability wise I would be controversial and say Reed is the better prospect. Tadic is another to frustrate, first 5 minutes a joy to watch then pretty much vanished, I would have thought the arrival of Boufal would have upped his game. At the end of the day Chelsea have a lot of expensive players on the pitch, and yesterday showed they have found their old selves again, after the blip of last season, and got an on paper result.

Sorry I couldn't find a tongue in cheek emotji thingymabob, seems a few have grabbed this one and run with it

Cucu Martina will be next in the Bucket market Liverpool to be thrown at the wall

I tip my cap to you Billy, that was a game of very little content, but you worked your magic on it once more.

Well for a Dull drizzly Saturday night that was quite an entertaining half of football

He must has realised the schadenfreude was about to go into overdrive on here, and thought he had better shut us up

Hahahahahahahaha!!! Lovren ............ What a fantastic brainfart!! The gift that just keeps on giving!!!!

Oh dear they have just put their foot on the gas

Yup my error, was listening with half an ear on the radio, summary was a bit airy fairy.

Must have gone out shopping for some new tights......... So in his absence I will deputise and start it. Listening to Arsenal hammering on the door of the Sunderland defence, but failing to break through at half time. Arsene will be sending them out with dynamite second half.

Tadic on the bench Boufal to start, hope he has a storming first half, then around 55-60 mins change up to Tadic, because Tadic will come on with a Bee in his bonnet, when he has a point to prove he is verging on unplayable with all his little tricks and feints............... That said they both know their way to goal playing both of them could be a giggle,.. Might need the midfield to be right on their game though.

Has that big Pub in the marina re opened? EDIT: Just seen that it has, but I don't think it's suited to being inundated with a horde of footie fans, looking a bit swish now couldn't see a telly......... Probably get a nice pre match Woo-Woo without getting a strange look from behind the bar

Probably why Barcelona are allegedly on the sniff round him.

None of them as they left without too much of a second thought for Saints. Bale would be a different matter, as he was sold as a necessity.

I see we have Mike Jones on the whistle for this one, think he was the one fell foul of what looked like a school boy prank when a Saints player was doing up his boot laces as he was walking backwards didn't see the Saints player and fell over him. Might have been up at Sunderland.

As has been said already a bit of a messy game, but going back to the Sparta game when Claude started shuffling the pack, when I saw the team on the wall at the back of the bookies under the Chapel. My first reaction was "that looks ok". Then saw the Sunderland team on the TV screens thought, they are taking this pretty seriously. I think the overriding thing Claude has quickly achieved is togetherness in the full squad, Jermaine Jenas mentioned something about it some weeks back on TV, when talking about rotation, in that as a fringe player you want to feel included. I don't think there is any doubt that all the players on the squad list right now feel wanted and have a purpose. Harrison Reed summed that up perfectly as every time he has taken to the pitch he has (to my knowledge) never let us down with his performance, last season he seemed to have vanished into a dark place that had fans asking what's happened to him. Then he popped up in the Palace cup game and played really well, getting right under the skin of Cabaye especially, after that game he said in an interview that he likes playing under Puel and that when he came in he had spoken to him and told him not to be so aggressive. Last night I thought he was immense playing in the Romeu role up against a Wardrobe and an American Fridge freezer without any trepidation and constantly showing for the ball regardless of who was bearing down on him. I think his performance also shows why Clasie has upped his game in recent weeks......... Last season under RK Clasie could have one leg hanging off and an eye patch over one eye and he still would have been on the bench ahead of Reed. Sam McQueen is looking an old hand at it now, Stephens I think was trying a little too hard, and second half after a couple of miscontrolled balls just seemed to let his head drop, which was a surprise. Disappointment for me was Isgrove, the lad has had a couple of great seasons out on loan playing week in week out against monsters in lower leagues and acquitted himself very well. last Last night first half there were flashes, but the moment that summed up a poor second half for him was when the ball came to him up front in acres of space enough to turn and run at goal like he has done out on loan, he didn't even think about doing that but just playing the ball back to where it had just come from..... And backwards. Young Olomola was twitching to go with him in support if he had turned. A moment that summed up Claude and the nippers up well was when Olomola came on, and instantly decided to chase the ball across the Sunderland defence (much to the crowds enjoyment) Claude was out on the touch line telling him to calm down. Moyes was all of a lather re the penalty, he should be lucky he still had 11 players on the pitch at that point as baldy who took out McQueen 1st half should have been in the showers as that was full studs up and agricultural but both ref and Lino (who were crap) saw nothing in it, matey who had committed the foul knew he was in trouble and was very quiet at getting away with it. Overall it wasn't a crackerjack cup tie, the game was decided by a lovely goal scored by our most expensive player, who you would hope would score goals like that by default, but what the game did show is right now under Claude Puel the club is in a good place.

Didn't we bugger them about for the next 2 seasons at the Dell too, leading Fergie to open one post match interview with "when did they say they were going to knock this place down: as it can't come soon enough".

I think in the past couple of games something has changed with him, so something has possibly been said. Or add to the mix the comments from Harrison Reed, regarding Puel and him, after the Palace game has seen Harry rediscover his belief, and as a result beginning to push Clasie to up his game. I can see Puel being one of those technical trainers who like Clive Woodward did with the England Rugby team looked to improve each player by 1% each training session.

You do wonder after all the effort he has put in over the years to be a professional footballer, whether some small part of him says "I wish I had stayed there and could play every week"........... Sadly though the money monster has probably decapatated that small part.