um pahars

In the run up to the Bournemouth game I was worried and this transfer window fiasco has me really worried. Would be over the moon to have wasted £20, but if not, then it will buy a few beers!!

Cant see anything other than Cup Finalists as that centre half pairing will be torn a new one by United.

I haven't got an overstated sense of entitlement and fully accept Saints have been pushing right at the top of their potential level. It's been briliant ever since we hit rock bottom and I was always willing to accept a bit of a recalibration once the top 6 got going and others started to catch up with us. BUT that doesn't mean I can't express a couple of thoughts without being seen as needy and over demanding! Firstly the last two transfer windows have been very poor and have left us much weaker. Previously we've matched the outgoing players or got pretty close to doing so. But this year we are much weakermroght through the crucial spine of the team. This is a real worry for me. Secondly, (and I accept the above has a huge impact) I have not been impressed with Puel's style of play and tactics. Too often we've set up wrong and even allowing for having a weaker squad, he hasn't got the best out of the players he has. Both on and off the pitch we've made too many poor decisions this year. We need to avoid being dragged in to a relegtion battle, regroup this summer and come back firing with a focussed and targeted transfer window.

Yoshida is a good honest pro, but he has been a back up since he came here and has shown nothing to suggest he is any more than that. A player who can slot in to the back four and provide cover for the odd game here and there. Certainly not someone who we should be building a defence around. He's not as good as Fonte, and even if Fonte's star was waining, then the policy should be to replace him with someone as good as him in his pomp, as opposed to promoting a squad player who couldn't force his way past him or his fellow centre halves (Jos H not withstanding).

One of the most disappointing affairs for me and where my expectations were higher, was in the Europa Cup. I expected to perform better in the group games and then happy to take whatever happened next in the knock out stages. Therefore the rotation policy, team selections and negative tactics pifsed me right off.

I recognise that we came out of the summer transfer window with a weaker team and also probably think team spirit and confidence meant we were performing at the top of our game. So for me I would have accepted 7th - 14th, on the fringe of Europa qualifications if cup winners went our way, but never really looking over our shoulder to worry about relegation. Cup runs I'm not so hung up on as sadly the cups have been so abused they're almost like reserve games until the final!!! BUT how we manage 7th-14th is also important to me (& drab football with few goals isn't winning me over), as is giving it our best shot (& squad rotations, poor management & poor transfers is causing me concern). Dont expect the world, just that we do our best (& at the moment I don't think we are).

We sit up in the Itchen in the area when the comps are situated, which means we are often graced with the presence of various friends, family, hangers on and freeloaders LOL. Fair to say that for last couple of games a couple of different sources have suggested that Fonte has not been acting in a manner befitting his role as captain. Whilst I think Puel has a lot to answer for and think his rotation policy and tactics have been frecking awful, I'm also critical of players playing Bertie big balls.

Have to say that I am now mega worried about point (3) above now. Players aren't playing for the manager, nor for each other. Will the banked 24 points be enough to see us through the second half of ththe season???

Im not really knocking individual players, more the issue with wholesale changes. McQueen ain't no Bertrand, but he's an OK replacement if he's the only change in the defensive unit.

I don't expect us to win every game and I was hoping for 3-5 pts from these 3 games, with a real hope that we could at least win at hope to WBA. So if I was going to tinker around as much as Puel is, then you're probably right in that I would be looking to put out the best team for the most winnable game. Fingers crossed a win at Everton will get us back on track, but if not then it's been a poor effort in recent games. BUT for me the massive tinkering is the main cause of a number of problems I think I see out on the pitch. 1) No fluidity in our play. Maybe it's the way the manager wants us to play, but it seems so disjointed and players don't know what each other are doing. Do players need a longer run in the team to get used to it? 2) Confidence. We seem very fragile at the moment, is the chopping and changing one of the reasons for this? 3) Lack of team spirit For most of the game we just looked like a ragtag collection of individuals. Players seem frustrated with each other and there seems to be little collectiveness out on the pitch. I hate to say it, but the last time I saw it was the 2004/5 season!!! 4) Lack of mental strength Too many silly errors at crucial times, perhaps it's due to lack of match sharpness and not having any consistency in the team selection. 5) Players just don't look happy Perhaps it's a good thing that they are looking a bit ****3d off given the results, but I think there's more in it than that. Forget the interviews for the programmes and the stage managed interviews for the Echo & others, I don't see a happy bunch out there at the minute? Are they playing for the manager? Squad rotation only works for me if your squad is rammed with quality, interchangeable players who could easily replace each other, and even then I'd only be doing it sparingly and only when absolutely necessary. We haven't got such a depth of talent, plus we seem to be making wholesale changes almost for the sake of it. And as I said in the first post, I think Puel is struggling from one transfer window too many and critical players not being replaced with those of similar ability, but he just isn't helping himself here.

Marina crosses a ball in to row Z Yoshida passes the ball to their centre forward McQueen fccckus it up For probably the only game we will win in this run of three, there is no way we should be pulling 3 out of 4 of the back four. I've seen Saints lose many times over the last 40 years, never easy, but that's the team I follow and always will do, but I'm struggling to remember when we have set ourselves up so spectacularly to fail! I knee jerked a few weeks back, but I don't think I was wrong. Puel may have come in off of the back of one transfer season too many, but he ain't helping himself. Poor tactics, poor team selections and dull as gfccuk football means it's not a happy new year for me.

There are a number of positions that are either easier to replace or do not have as much impact if the replacement isn't as good as their predecessor. One of the reasons I wasnt fussed when Shaw went. Full backs can augment a team, but they don't make a team. However, One of those positions is a goal scorer and whilst we managed to replace Lambert, it has to be recognised that we haven't managed it this time after lettingtwomsources of goals go (eg Pelle & Mane). If we can see it,then I presume the experts can too. What they will do about it it is another matter. Goalscorers are a rare and sought after breed, but wshe desperately need to unearth someone or get the cheque book out. We're a pretty decent team, just need some goals and can't see the current options providing enough of them

Stayed in Bergamo and trains to Milan are fairly regular and inexpensive. From memory about €10 and just under an hours journey. No train station at the airport though so you have to get a cab or bus in to bergamo

Pretty much spot on, along who Sour Mash. Their support was in sort of three groups (although of course they blurred a bit). The singers over by the Northam segregation who got involved with the pushing and shoving when the penalty was given, another group of 20+ in their shorts, black t shirts, bumbags etc down by the Itchen segregation (& to be fair they looked as if they could handle themselves) and then the rest up from these two groups. The trouble in the second half started when one of the younger leaders of the singing crew (also in a black t shirt) was going up and down the aisle trying to get others to join in. Most did, but an old fella in a green parka and a where's wally lookalike in a Sparta tea cosy were giving him some sh*t. The older bloke eventually had enough and planted one on the lad and pushed him away. Cue some pushing and then the 20 "lads" smelling a ruck came steaming up. The young lad started taking pictures/filming the blokes he had had a run in with (difficult journey home for them, or retribution back home methinks) whilst the others the others then chased Where's Wally across the empty seats to the OB & stewards. And others are right, when the OB got involved they were on the other end of a few digs and if this had been a League game then loads would have been kicked out & probably given banning orders (plus). Think the OBs brief for the night had been containment and just get them out of town ASAP. Agree about the away leg, I think the 20+ will have grown by then!

He was most certainly not a black box signing, this one was 100% down to Cortese.

Just how many levels are there in the footballing pyramid considering we've been 6th & 7th in the past two seasons?? Last season 86 teams finished below us in the "Football League" alone!

That was my first thoughts, and think earlier poster on this thread said something similar. The ones where the contract extensions went smoothly were all hush hush and announced to much fanfare and pen signing, whereas these 3 have been leaked (similar to Clyne, Wanyama etc). If there is a commonality in the method, then reckon one or two may be off!

That's the top

Indeed, Everton might be wanting a scarf held aloft photo at Goodison (surely creative photographers could come up with a better idea!!!).

So what is stopping the deal being done??? logistics, holidays etc is a smokescreen as fax machines or jetting out an employee/agent/lawyer to deliver the contract is small fry £££ in a multi million deal??? I certainly would not rule out RK not being 100% convinced on the move!!

My Pacific Close, Ocean Village source can confirm that Jan K is not at all happy with the situation, so that part stacks up. And another source (same one who let me know about the kit & Virgin being our sponsors-ask Steve Grant as I gave him the heads up before it was announced!!) has also said they didn't want RK just seeing out his last year & if he wasn't going to sign then they would have a difficult situation to manage. However, that situation will become easier if RK walks and so it is seen as a win win (but they also haven't given up hope of him staying if he signs the extension).

The kit is not like any of those above. The closest I've seen was a Kappa (I think) mock up. The kit is block red on arms and black red for the top quarter/third and then stripes underneath that. no idea on 2nd/3rd kits.

Had resigned myself to accepting he would go at the end of next season and can also see the argument about being a lame duck come next Spring and therefore nipping it in the bud, BUT Everton???? Always thought he would go on to a much bigger role than Everton (even allowing for some money being thrown around). All recent leavers have at least moved to bigger clubs, sometimes a pi5fser, but they have all stepped up, but this is sideways at best! On the continent my percrption is that managers have a short tenure, but just can't get my head around these quick stints.

How long left on his contract??

Cant argue with RKs man management. Seems to have got most of his calls right with regards players, so happy to back him 100% on this one (would be interested to know what lack of intensity meant - half ar5ed, stroppy, coasting, not as good as rivals??). Mane, Tadic & Wanyama seem to have come back stronger. Even in these days of player power, RK seems to be in control (contrast that with other dressing rooms where the egos have landed).