John Boy Saint

Sturridge, Rooney, Rickie Adam Jay The top English goal scorers in the Premiership so far this season, with our 3 Boys scoring 10 goals as a unit then it makes sense to give them a go,

Having been to Sunderland last week, I hadn't gone to pick holes in players who are not in the starting line up every week as there was no way they would be a fluid unit like one we get to see on matchday. The one thing I did spot early on was that there were players who would easily slot into the first team when called on, as someone said above it's not as if the whole XI would need a mass rotation. i would be happy to be shown why Yoshida gets so much grief on here, being called carp etc. Last season he played the Lovren part to Jose in defence, he was the intelligence of the pairing, playing out of position to accommodate Jose too. This season due to Confederations cup and a niggle the Lovren Fonte partnership has gelled surprisingly superbly. MP ain't going to break what ain't broke especially as it's doing so well. Still there are plenty of players in reserve who would allow our squad to be as big as we like: ignore the goals watch the pressing

+1 same place.

You have just had your ear bent in the dressingroom the managers words still ringing in your ears as you meander out onto the pitch when out of the corner of you eye you see a wide eyed nipper running at you like a loon. Still nice of the Hull sub having seen the evil deed try and even things up. It is quite funny watching these relays from row EE how the subs on the pitch from both sides stop and watch. Probably like most of us waiting for combination of damp grass, trainers and Kids probably running faster than they ever have in their lives having to stop quickly and pass the ball on. Kiddy skittles!!

Can anyone remember back in the very late 70's at half time, pretty promotions girls would sometimes come out and throw freebies of something into the crowd? The first I can recall was bags of a Football somethings snack like Wotsits but round (obviously) . Then a Record shop in town was the sponsor and the girls had 7" singles to throw to the crowd, the only thing was no one had sellotaped the paper sleeve opening, so as the freebie flew through the air it became the freebie of "death!" as the sleeve went 5-6 rows back but the black vinyl disc of doom flew at speed deeper into the Milton!!! Quite bizarre really when in those days at some grounds you could could come home with a free set of darts given away by the opposing fans!! The last freebie into the crowd I saw was at the Milk (league) Cup game v Wolves and little cartons of Unigate milk were thrown into the Milton Road end, unfortunately about a minute after a Copper and his Boss walked the touch line in front of the Milton and these cartons some now opened rained down on them, the Copper smartly walked across the 6 yard box in front of the goal but his boss walked behind the goal and the rain of cartons got heavier as folks were looking for the rebound off the net!.............. The poor sods on the front row probably also got a coating!

Didn't he say on Sky when he had become one of the first midfielders, or THE fiirst player to reach 100 premiership goals, "Just imagine if I could run!!":D

Apart from when we played QPR on a foggy Autumn Saturday afternoon and the Archers penalty box was just about visible.

Enjoyed that, if you haven't read it yet and have iPlayer watch Ripper Street then read it, it's quite funny as I found I was reading it in the way they speak on there: bizarre and even more rip roaring. well done

Interestingly from the Hull point of view, considering that they gave Spurs the run around in both the league and the cup in consecutive games at The Lane. That they turned up at SMS with a formation fearful of the way we play. That losing the game in the tunnel factor if we can impose that on teams then that is a massive weapon in our armoury.

it did indeed http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2498246/Adam-Lallana-determined-make-World-Cup.html If you scroll down the page there is the heat map and the play sequence to his goal and it starts at number 12. There should be no Witch hunt where Wanyama is concerned. Saturday was a mistake anyone could have made, and if his back was giving him some grief then there is is a good chance that dulled his reaction slightly.

Surprised at no mention of the Pig Pen, the cheese shaped caged away section in the corner of the Archers and West Stand, it looked (from memory) like a spare enclosure from Southampton Zoo!! Someone is going to ask Southampton had a Zoo??!

Not a clue! At 13 the matchday diet consisted of sweets and crisps!! Plus if we had got down there a bit too early, catch the number 2 bus to Dale Valley Road nip into my Gran and Grandads and she would feed sometimes 4 of us with enough bacon butties to keep us going till getting home!

Back end of the Seventies my Paper money and sometimes helping Milko got me on the train from Basingstoke with my school mates into the ground a programme and pockets full of sweets from the Garage down the slope. When we got to the 1st Division I can remember being outside the Boys door at the Milton road end around 10am!! Just so we could be down the front and see the game. The programmes would arrive and we would take turns to go and get them signed by the Saints players as they arrived. When we got into the ground having established which TV station we were going to be on by the vans in the car park (Match of the Day wow the cables were immense) we would hang over the wall to see what letter in the advertising we were over so that we could see ourselves on TV later or next day. All my Paper round customers knew when Saints we at home as they all had their Saturday papers before they got up!!

My Granny reckoned that I spent enough pocket money in there to have bought a player!

You could smell the players!! Frank Worthington first evening game back in the top league he was then playing for Bolton slid out of play in front of the Milton Road wall when he got up inches from the fans the smell embrocation oil was immense. Oooo I just smelt it then! When you are in the Chapel or the Northam behind the goals and you see the signs "Beware of flying balls" at the Dell there was no room for a sign! My mate was holding court being a bit cocky sat on the wall as the players were kicking in before the game, BANG Phil Boyer lights one my mate is suddenly sat on a heap on the floor, and all us nippers are almost wetting ourselves with laughter. Even Phil had a grin on his face.

Us get an unfair decision, based on refs performances this year so far, and away at Chelsea or Arsenal: pigs fed and ready for take off spring to mind. Chelsea should be interesting as MP stated that he is looking forward to crossing swords again with both Mourinho and Pelligrino (sp?).

If that was a penalty then we had 2 nailed on Pens at Sunderland midweek. our one at WBA wasn't soft Luke had his jet boots on the defenders backed off but matey couldn't stop fast enough and bingo clipped him, penalty cheaply given away.

Is there any chance you can put together a team solely made up of English players for me?

Hey Nicola do you think I can borrow Pochettino for training next week?!

The one thing you can say about Sian Massey whenever she is running the line you can be assured that she is going to do a good job, and the fact that she has made it to being a Premier League line official deserves respect as that must have been a bloody hard journey. Her outstanding quality is that she keeps up with the game, unlike many of her wobble bellied colleagues.

You have to say though that none of them when given the chance look shabby or out of their depth, and best of all try bloody hard. In our recent dark days you so longed for a player to bust a gut for the shirt. Manufacturing our own priceless.

My thoughts too, being in those surroundings along with a couple of mates, including one who has made his mark on the International stage will be really good for him in particular. Very good news for all 3 of them, and for the standing of the club too.

Come Vic you have been watching all those Brit Flick films, this has to be my best impression of an English Actor: I will give you a clue! "Are you ****ing Mugging me off?!!!".

An attempt at "are you the Chapel in disguise" towards the quiet Sunderland fans was piddling into the wind a little bit too.

Strangely he did make me smile last night, takes over from Gaston and his polite fluffy corners, and spanks in a few of hard and menacing corners. He delivers another punishing free kick that we scored from. Then in the dying minutes a moment of human fallibility, outside the box in space he decides to have a crack at goal and smashes one into the empty seats behind the goal....................... He will probably be working on that in training if his dead balls this season are anything to go by.