Miltonaggro

Operation Yew Tree: The Musical.

Should be an interesting read as was at Saints for almost 20 years under twelve managers - remarkably, McMenemy to Sturrock. My memory is of a limited player probably lucky to get 300 games in the top flight (which I think he'd admit, and certainly not alone in terms of SFC teams of that era), but bringing loads of positive energy, 100% committed and Saints through and through. Had some ups and downs since playing days but comes over as a stoic, straight up and thoroughly decent human being. My favourite Benali moment was the kung fu kick on the precocious Nicky Barmby at White Hart Lane - had a good view that day and Chuck Norris would have been proud. There was an audible gasp from the Spurs crowd... :)

Its the cut-glass accents. Portsmouth were beaten by the Chester Zoo gibbon enclosure.

Positive overall, interesting at the very least. I think this should go down as the ‘Crocker window’ as that appears to be where the change of direction has come from, a large dose of strategic thinking in terms of signing these young stars with the promise of prem starts. Good work, given that we have owners who aren’t interested and don’t put in. So far this season it looks promising but over the season it will be whether improved performance (including fitness) translates to points. We clearly need experience, that vocal confident keeper in the Neimi mould, and the seen-it-all-before combative midfielder in the Case mould - you would think the club must be looking. If we’d got these over the line in addition to the kids I think most fans would be over the moon. Hopefully it’s time for Semmens to do some strategic thinking now and find us new owners that are willing to forego the net spend trophy for the reasonable chance of a real one!

Time on your hands. Dexterity in the wrist.

Welcome Lyanco. He's played in Italy, he fucking hates Pompey... https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/19536853.lyanco-discusses-dream-move-premier-league-southampton/

Looks very happy to be at Saints in the official photos. Welcome nipper, let's hope that you do well and prove the Torino tossers wrong!

It makes one realise how far ahead of his time Simon Clifford was. These days there would likely be an audience receptive to his bullshit.

This boy is some player, that combo of power, poise and an ability to read the game is rare but clear for all to see. I hope that he tears up trees for Saints while he's here and gives himself a few seasons to bed into the Prem - he could potentially leave at 21 as a burgeoning superstar!

Inevitable in many ways with Danny as is the spell on the treatment table on the horizon - that's the test for Aston Villa and their fans in terms of their investment of a large chunk of Grealish.

Thinking this over and it could well be that the lead has come about from Matt Crocker in plate spinning mode. Crocker was at the Toulon Tournament as FA Head of Pathway Development in 2019. Brazil fielded a talented young side and won, and Lyanco apparently had a stormer overall - runner up in player of the tournament, no mean feat for a centre half. Just putting two and two together but it may well be that this is where the potential was recognised, with his intervening patchy form in Italy overlooked in the manner of form is transient, class is permanent. This one will likely either be a Forren/Gardos or a Lovren/Alderweireld signing for us, a gamble, and I hope it’s the latter for the sake of us and the lad’s career. Swapping the Italian sunshine and Med for English drizzle and Western shore is probably just what El Gorilla needs to get him tearing up trees.

Nickname (self-applied) appears to be El Gorilla, a positive...

Just seen the beard on Twitter. Very concerned now...

First name terms, clearly a club insider with his finger on the pulse...

That delightful cover looks like a 1980s pub brawl with Kevin Toms as the landlord.

At last some sense. WD is not the biggest but experienced, hard to knock off the ball and holds up play well. Also currently out of contract.

Was in the Milton for that. I think the Notts County player goes down far to easily. Wish we had VAR back then.

Arguably the best head-butters at SFC since I've been a supporter are Ruddock and Osvaldo - historically we've not been blessed in that department, again poor scouting. Osvaldo's was anecdotal, but Rudduck's witnessed, and he ran 60 yards at the Dell to launch so has to be the gold standard. On that basis this bloke could be a useful addition for team character and cohesion as long as his beard remains non-hipster.

More the midlands of Basingstoke.

Agree with this and it looked like the pep talk included pressurising Djenepo and rattling Salisu and McCarthy, going for the obvious weak links as you'd expect. If Ralph wants to continue his 'top to bottom revolution' at Saints he needs to get a seasoned competent keeper and combative leader centre half in as soon as possible - Romero and Tarkowski perhaps but who knows, lots of good suggestions on the transfers thread. Club has to bite the bullet with the keeper though as a stopgap with the two remaining stooges will clearly cost us dearly, and there are people earning a lot of money at the club who should be all over it. The substitutions are another matter and today was especially baffling as the bench looked decent. We were good first half but Theo and Djeneop were obviously poor and off pace - Armstrong and Tella at half time or 60 mins looked a complete no brainer. For me the strangest thing is the manager's apparent inability to learn, is he simply stubborn or stupidly optimistic, like so many on here I'd love him to be successful but fans need some tangible evolution now.

Everton 1 Saints 3 (Ward-Prowse, Armstrong S, Armstrong A). In other news Watford to beat Villa with Ings limping off after 65mins.

Big John was before my time but my Dad was a decent centre half at non-league level and rated him as the gold standard, a monster, also rated Jim Steele. When I played as a schoolboy Watson was my hero from the terrace and Ronald Koeman on TV, both recommended by the old man again

LM always had an eye for a centre half, Dave Watson was a beast when Saints signed him from Bremen (not the biggest, but best in the air I ever saw in the flesh for Saints and England), Nicholl was as steady as you like and Mark Wright was up there with Van Dijk in terms of quality and ability. As others have said, the likes of Golac and Dennis, bought for peanuts but hard as nails and superb footballers with the likes of Statham and Mills. Later Monkou and Deano, Richard Hall who I though was very underrated and unlucky with injury, and then we are into the Svennson era. Any of those would walk into this side and most other Prem sides.

He didn't, wish he had as was terrific, I think Minsk might have meant Derek Statham - a class act.

I always thought him a bit of a ponce. I was a Zippy man at the time, the 70s children's TV equivalent of Piers Morgan. When good players are looking to exit Saints they should insist on them wearing this shirt for their farewell message. That we we should avoid the final year contract scenarios.