Doctoroncall

Not necessarily so, many of the contracts now include performance related pay so it will be hard to judge what a player may get, partly why it takes time for a player to sign these days.

Q1: What were your opinions of your first season back in the Premier League? Considering the start, fixtures and defensive blunders quite reasonable. Also strange with a decent manager in Adkins being replaced but at least we got an upgrade and the football remains great to watch. The season tailed off at the end which was dissappointing but showed we missed having a player like Coutinho who we were after in January and a striker that can convert chances. Q2: What are your expectations for the upcoming season? Mid-table 10-12th, if we get a decent striker then maybe up to 8th. Q3: What are you expecting from West Brom this season? More of the same as last season but not so good with only Anelka and Lugano as additions or is this Odemwingie chance? Will a 34 year old Anelka be able to score 20 a season? Q4: Happy with the clubs transfer business so far? OK, will be happy with a striker joining, ecstatic with a creative midfielder in addition. A couple of academy players have joined the first team so it'll be interesting to see how they do. It seems so much better to be able to produce your own. Q5: What other positions need adding to before the close of the transfer window? Striker really. Q6: Favourite memories of games against West Brom? 3-2 win in 07-08 Championship season, John banged a brace in the season we stayed up and you went up as champions iirc. Q7: Worst memories of games against West Brom? Last season at home, poor performance all round and let Lukaku do the business, just when we should have started to climb the table a bit more. Q8: The previous game between the sides finished 0-3. What were your opinions on this game? see above! Q9: And finally, score predictions draw, 1-1.

And not forgetting there is a time element for each contract which both parties sign in agreement.

I remember talking to a scout and he identified Powell as the weak link in the defence in what he did (eg. stay too close to opponent and was easily turned) and also was likely to get a booking with some dirty play! not a great player.

... and a terrible manager.

Some good points in your posts Alps. It's always a difficult one for a club like Saints if it is to challange for a top six position as quickly as possible - Saints cannot spend loads (and I mean loads) and hope it works aka Man City as I don't think the money is there and the players would only come for the money. So that means a more sustainable but slower growth is to blend of a few quality purchases with the club graduates and see where that gets you. At the moment the squad needs that clinical finisher, what Lukaku did for WBA, for this season to become a European push, otherwise no higher than 8th if we are lucky.

Would he have been turfed out when the PST were brought into power, or perhaps he's one that can easily switch sides and put the welcome mat out?

he continues not to get it which makes it funnier!

He gets a mention along with Saints in Inverting the pyramid by Johnathan Wilson.

No. Dalek thinks we'll struggle so almost alone. Most probably expect mid table ranging from tenth to fourteenth so an improvement in some way over last season. There may well be a poll at the start of the season to see where we expect Saints to finish!

a team? you mean Norwich? compared to Bechio and Jackson. Quite an improvement.

They're been linked to a defender (a Dutchman iirc) so they may not have stopped their shopping yet. I think they'll do better than last year, however, how much depends on whether Van Winkle or Hooper hit form through the season. Of all the teams in the PL last season you have to worry about Newcastle and West Brom (only Anelka has signed?) to keep up to last year's position.

Has Quagliarella signed? Is he worth a punt for the fantasy football if he has? Thanks Bazza.

That was a much better match thread than usual.

Thanks for that. One to save and savour!

compare it with Union Carbide!

I like the idea of progress season on season but feel the next couple of seasons can be done at a quicker pace, especially when considering what the club has done in the past three seasons. I think the current ceiling for us and similar clubs is 7th/8th place. Unless we have stability in the squad i.e. no key players leave, the odd quality addition, the younger players develop and the standard of academy players improve - more Luke Shaws than Ben Reeves. Then I don't see that we will get beyond that level. Edit: Also, with a nice run of fixtures we have at the beginning of the season, if we are in the relegation zone, I'd be dissappointed (I'm thinking West Ham last season).

He was focused on Euro qualification and stated top 7, top 4 and top 6 all in one sentence! Also about being excited about the project.

How can you destroy history, it's still there to be seen and talked about.

Surely we can only say we've been shafted if he turns out average or below.

Thanks SP. What was the jet plane we were building after WWII but had to stop otherwise the US would pull the plug on UK support aid? I remember my father saying it was an advanced plane which the yanks thought would take their military aviation trade away... or was he making it up?

Is that going to be for the forthcoming season only or when the costs come down to an acceptable level? Fantastic gesture, it'll be interesting to see how long it lasts.

That's great work Alpine. have a star...

That was a good team. Hopefully we can raise the bar to match expectations and get a great academy head in place soon. I think the Dark Lord knew this was an area that paid for it self and more so maybe left them to it to find, coach and school the kids to reap the benefits.

What timeline did you use. No chaplow, guly or sharp etc.