John Boy Saint

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

That is such easy viewing and subtly amusing - but then I’m an old fart who does laugh at Porridge. Some one earlier in the thread briefly mentioned A Christmas Carol on the 3 evenings before Christmas whilst not funny I thought it was pretty good. G&S is a bit like the Royale Family with a few more sets.and bigger budget.

Its quite interesting reading the various views on this game, some you can tell were in attendance, others from afar, some think we were a bit poor others think we did alright. One thing that was noticeable walking up to the ground and on the concourse was a bit more of a positive air about the place. There is no denying Palace are pretty justified in where they sat before kick off in the league, this season Roy has them sorted into a belligerent, stubborn, bloody minded team up for giving anyone a game. With that in mind they started the game looking like all they had to do is roll into Southampton pocket 3 points and wander back up to London. Given the effort put into Boxing Day it was pretty good to see us come out of the blocks and get in their faces, Palace certainly didn't like it summed up very well by the song "cry in a minute, he's going to cry in a minute" aimed at Zaha, who I thought we took turns in pulling his tail as we knew a negative reaction would be likely be detrimental to his game. JWP certainly had sussed out early the line the Ref was going to let the rough and tumble go before blowing his whistle, the last time I can recall such a sustained amount of precise solid tackling from him was when we played Inter Milan! As the half time whistle went and the positive applause rang out around the ground, something from a pre season interview Martin Keown had done with Ralph whilst away in the Alps went through my mind - Ralph had made a point of hunting the ball (pressing), well we hadn't seen much of that until very recently and then only in flashes. Keown had a byline in his piece where he had briefly spoken to PEH en-route to seeing Ralph. PEH had said "We want to be horrible to play against" I thought in the first half we were horrible to play against - at last! We have without doubt been a team of 2 halves on so many occasions this last few seasons, either started with a hangover or had a full roast dinner and a glass or 2 of wine at half time, so it was good to see us up and at them again pretty much from the off in the second half. Their opening goal was clever, it did seem a cheap foul sold to and bought by the ref, from where it was 9 out of 10 times that was going to whipped up and down over the wall with Palace players primed to rush in for any scraps, for it to be deftly clipped up and over onto Tomkins head worked a treat for them and no one could honestly have fingers pointed at them in the Saints defence it was clever; I bet when Matty planted the ball on Frannys head v Leicester all those years ago the whole Leicester team thought Matt was going straight for goal. I thought we had a look of more P'd off than the dejection previously seen as we walked back to re start the game. Thought we made the right subs at the right time and 2 players who seem to like going forwards, we actually looked like weren't going to take another home defeat for a change. The continued pressing certainly reaped rewards especially with a predator like Ings on the pitch. Djenepo once he was warmed up must be a nightmare to play - like a few sat around us were saying the boy is made out of elastic bands - his feet are seemingly going in the opposite direction to the one he is suddenly travelling in!!! When Ings picked the ball up and ran back to the centre circle, most of the team were ready in position, the body language was (at last) we are going for this. Their keeper certainly kept them in it. I haven't walked out of St Mary's feeling entertained for quite some while, I guess hope has been rekindled because the team to my eyes was actually trying.

Like I said in the OP we need to work Gazzaniga rifling real stingers at him that he WILL fumble and players like Ings will be on like a Piranha spotting a gram of raw liver - There is nothing wrong being set up like we have been of late, the big threat of being caught short at the back, Son, is suspended, Prowsey can pull Delle Allis tail. Spurs still have the DNA of Poch and as my mate who’s primary income is betting says “Spurs are biblically overated” we seem to have turned a corners since we last played them and should have won.

One ref who I think is leaning on it is Martin Atkinson - I thought he was deservedly top of the pile and rightfully a FIFA accredited ref. This season watching games he is officiating he seems to have lost his edge and is happy to use VAR as a crutch to eek out his top level refereeing career.

His current gig in China will probably be the biggest money with the least pressure job he has had, unless he hates Chinese life, why would you want to go to West Ham especially having left one basket case owner.

Unless my Mince Pies have failed me suppose we may as well get this next one stoked up ! Probably the easier of the Festive 4 - as they can be a bit flakey. Pepper Gazzaniga with hard shots and make sure our front line is ready to pounce on the spillages because we all know get him rattled and he gets all fingers and thumbs.

Oh great cue up Geri Halliwell Look at Me on the stadium PA Only just said watching the late game to Mrs JBS - bet we get Mike bloody Dean on Wednesday “ Spurs best player”.”

Played advantage when there was no advantage to often - that cobblers when PEH changed his shirt after having it ripped from his back - and has been said already letting Palace players harangue him, it was only his 4th Prem game so they obviously targeted him like a novice left back.

Thats Eilidh Barbour she works for the BBC normally took over from Hazel Irvine on the Golf (when they had it) pretty certain she was on the Beebs Women’s football too - professional sports reporter which often make better sports hosts as they ask the right questions. Most of the folks we see each week on sports coverage are freelance - Amazon obviously have oodles of cash so plenty of carrot to throw at the priject [h=1][/h]

Well deserved for nearly doing himself a mischief raising money to help others

Very hard to pick out a man of the match as the whole team put in a shift, I have no issue with JWP getting the nod off the taters as he reliably set the tempo, knowing the liability PEH can be so avoiding the pass when danger is about, but knowing what Armstrong can do and which way he is most likely to be going. Lovely finish from Obafemi and nice play from Adams stepping backwards from Michael as he approached, opening the gate wider for him as Rudiger had to stay on him. Against Spurs Willian ran the show, against us he looked pretty inert as we collectively snuffed him out, Skate Boy Mount when he came on probably didn’t help himself as he looked to be on a personal mission with p*rtsm*uth v Saints in his head, good to see JWP getting stuck into him midway through the half - That must have smarted losing out to The Pompey supporting lad turned Scummers Poster Boy. That second goal just summed up the performance of both sides. It started just outside the Chelsea box, and was stroked through the team in a bloody great big loop via the defence and ended up with Redmond about 10 yards from where it started for him to score - Chelsea just watched it unfold mesmerised. Watching MOTD later when Danny Murphy was blowing sunshine up our backsides his final analysis was an attacking move by us at 2-0 up and we have 5 attackers waiting to pounce - that’s the kind of nonsense you would see from Ralph’s Leipzig - Just need to hope that this isn’t another false dawn. 100% record on Prime too, seeing the other issues some folks had, as a child from the 60’s technology still gives me eyes like saucers at times, getting an internet signal round our house is a pain I get Amazon Prime via an App on the DVD player - Christmas Eve the damn thing chooses not to connect, Christmas morning the same, “hang on” Vodaphone gave me 100gb to play with FOC until 2nd Jan “I wonder?” Personal Hot Spot on login the DVD player Bingo! Crystal clear 55” picture - turned it on for Spurs v Brighton eventually turned off after the Leicester game 18gb used - if you spoke of such wizardry not that long ago you would have been burned at the stake after being dunked in the village pond!

If that goal had been scored by today’s Oppos or any of the big clubs, and cast European ones in too, the Kleenex factory would be offering double time tomorrow for an extra shift to meet the sudden increase demand every time it was played in its entirety. As a Saints fan seeing a goal calmly constructed like that gives you the hope that seemed miles away in recent times.

Leicester are chasing shadows!

Football was played on Christmas Day up until the 1950s and the return match was on Boxing Day. - the introduction of floodlights (of which Saints were one of the pioneers) removed the need to squeeze in games during public holidays. That last ever Christmas Day game was in 1967 I think Blackpool v someone else. This thread is now Football related Ebenezer.