John Boy Saint

That’s because, we don’t choose to be a Saints fan - the Saints choose us! And given our ups and downs over the years and throughout a season - prophetic words from a father to son many years ago. (no not mine).

Superb result - after sitting through West Ham the recent transformation has been amazing. Like Villa I went and did something else, I guess I best keep that up when we are away and not on the Tellybox

Congratulations mate.

Maybe if he didn’t lose it so often we would be top 4 rather than having top 4 form.

A bit off the wall........Was the goal being ruled out last night manufactured by the Blades defender? If you look at the decision against WH again, and the proximity of Baldocks (?) head as he stretches to get his head on the ball is very un-natural Did he have the presence of mind to think Rice is pumping his arms as he runs “If I can just get my head on it there is a damn good chance the ball will hit his hand so any goal will be ruled out by VAR, if I miss the ball I’m bringing him down and they get a less dangerous free kick” It will no doubt be re run umpteen times cos it’s good ole West Am, the defensive header is a real do or die effort.

When you see that handball given you wonder how the bloody hell that Toby handball was not given for us v Spurs!

Lee Mason on the Whistle for this one - he can be a mixed bag. Darren Bond the man in the van out in the King Power car park watching the VAR TVs (newer name to the Refs roster - and yes I know he isn’t sat in a van in the car park). I didn’t realise the VAR linesman made the final decision on the offsides not the VAR Ref until the other day. I guess you’ll all want me to go out shopping on Saturday afternoon like I did for the Villa game

Last time we went to the FA Cup final we beat Spurs on Boxing Day 1-0 at SMS and then in the 3rd round of the cup at SMS 4-0 so if they get past Boro ...........Played them on the next available bank holiday then in the 4th round of the cup. just saying as footie does throw up these anomaly’s

Saints Ladies have picked up where they left off, winning yet again, knocking Cardiff out of the Women’s FA Cup at theirs. In the hat for Monday’s draw where the WSL and championship teams come in.

Won’t be Palace for a change!

7:35pm tomorrow (Monday) BBC1 before the Arsenal v Leeds live game. Apparently Saints will be number 11 and our Fishy Friends down the M27 are 27!

Mike Riley probably didn’t like him so a perfect excuse to winkle him out.

Desk

Dele Alli clocked up most of his distance holding his arms like a penguin pursuing Mike bloody Dean round the SMS pitch begging for a penalty or 2!!

Well you ain't helped by doing likewise - git-bag!!!! Its like waiting for the Beano to be delivered!

Think most highly paid pundits thought they were going to be the strugglers of this seasons new boys and had them down before the first game kicked off, and there they are hob-nobbing towards the top of the table, so I guess they feel they have to be overly complementary to dilute their earlier dismissive comments. They without doubt "got passed to death" last night, think the festive endeavours were showing on them too, Man City then Liverpool both away is a trip to the frying pan then the fire.

Not even the modern sophisticated computerised spell check tool can counteract the tool inputting not having the actual grasp of the metaphor they are attempting to use when they use the wrong word but spell its assumed replacement word correctly. The Echo have dropped stinkers like that in for years, even when you had to have a degree of education and completed an apprenticeship to work on a Daily Paper. My Granny use to have the Echo delivered every night when that was the norm - once she had cooked the tea and settled down for the evening she would read up on the days news. Whenever we stayed with her as sprouts she would soon have steam coming from her ears, then read out all the grammatical errors. She always admitted that she wasn't the most highly educated individual "but if someone learned their English from the Echo, well this country would be in a right sorry state!". ............Good old Granny and worldly gems!

Daily Express has also been telling us we will have Snow up to our roof tops this winter and Woolly Mammoths marauding our streets for the past umpteen years!!

Think you're right (ok that last bit is fanciful) the only question mark is Valery - I get the impression that his virus is one of those horrible ones kids of his age get out of nowhere and despite their best efforts just knocks them on their backsides and keeps them there. Sports people at a professional level with these kind of things are, thankfully, pretty well protected as unlike the rest of us with say an ordinary cold can take a lemsip or night nurse and plough on with everyday life, because of the intensity of effort needed to perform apparently the effects of even a cold can become a pretty serious health matter. So Danso might go right back and Vestergaard gets a spin out next to Yoshi

There was a bigger older looking lad who sat in front of the Kingsland at the Chapel end - to quote Billy Sh*te he was top drawer at “****housing” when the clock needed running down he would fumble and faff about - can’t remember who it was against he faffed about just as the oppo player lost his patience and went to get the ball, this nipper turned the opposite way and kicked the ball right onto the touchline for the throw, player was spitting chips Saints players subtly giving the lad the thumbs up.

As I said elsewhere right now the league is like a Snakes and Ladders board the middle is so compact. Championship was like this a few years ago as the games came down to single figures think there was a set of midweek games where a win would propel you into the Play offs to the “promised land” a loss would have you looking nervously over your shoulder.

That second half seemed to drag on in the middle - then suddenly we are into the final 10! Even though we looked the part you were just waiting for something spawny to happen, as it often does v Spurs and especially with Mike bloody Dean on the whistle. Given the intensity of games we have played in the past 12 days with the effort we have put in I thought again we were impressive yesterday, just got right into their faces especially as the back 4, JWP and PEH have played every game, whilst Prowsey was snapping at everyones heels as he has been all Christmas I think the toll of his endeavours showed in the delivery of his corners and not quite the crisp whip - but hey thats not a criticism he's played well, and with PEH suddenly the midfield isnt a nice place to be for opposition players. Its like we have been playing with water in the petrol tank and someone has drained the tank changed the filters and put clean petrol in. We all know its a "funny old game" - West Ham it wasn't funny at all. All most of us Saints fans ask is that we see effort from the players for 90 minutes, hopefully spread the noses of the big boys across their faces along the way, the atmosphere at the final whistle of the last 2 games has been fantastic, actually it has been in the games too as we can at last see some effort. Keep it up and who knows where we will end up, because right now the Premier League table is looking congested in the middle, to the point where its resembling a potential game of snakes and ladders, with Watford on the rise, the race to beyond 40 points might be required.

Just seen that handball again on MOTD - baffled how that wasn’t given, especially when you see what feeble 1000 times less blatant handballs have been awarded penalties. Absolutely bizarre - a cynic would be forgiven for thinking there is an agenda in favour of certain teams, or push the realms of fantasy in thinking Mike Dean has said there will be repercussions for anyone countermanding his decision involving a clear and obvious error on his part with VAR.

Yup everyone wants Pep - whilst he may be a dour man, he kept them up before, did a solid job at Everton and probably still has the highest win percentage of the heap of managers who have been through the doors of OT since SAF retired. Before anyone says Sunderland they were an absolute basket case. For Moyes himself I hope he succeeds, for West Ham themselves couldn’t give 2 hoots if they fell through the trap door, as slippery as the Eels they like in jelly around there.

Starters