Ivan Katalinic's 'tache

I wouldn't be surprised if we've made enquiries for both Mackail-Smith and Austin to register our interest but, if we do sign one, the other will be filed in the 'Elliott Ward' folder...

Is there a requirement for Saints to have a player with a double-barreled surname in their line up & Mackail-Smith is being bought in case Oxo is sold? Maybe that's why Ward-Prowse is being fast-tracked too.

Same person who posted on the Swindon site perhaps? Or the rumour copied from one site to the other? Would be an excellent signing if it did happen to be true, though.

Seeing as Wenger has no eye for a goalie, maybe we can get them to pay £8m for Oxo and Forecast?

Nige, what I want you to say is: "sorry, that was ****, I'm going to spend like a c**t to replace some of the underachievers". HTH.

Exactly. Although why keep putting players like Doble on the bench if you're never going to give him the chance to influence a game? Might as well go with less than the 7 subs and save on the travel / hotel fees.

What's the point in including Doble on the bench time and again if we never put him on the pitch when we need a goal? Part of our problems, with a few knocks, is the lack of attacking options off the bench if we need a goal. A problem emphasised last week and this. Doble is a pointless sub if he's never going to come on.

Where's Connolly been for the last few games? Is he injured again? Waste of space in the squad if always injured or NA doesn't pick him. Get rid and get someone in that can give us something different up front.

Obviously doesn't do away games. Too much travelling.

Missing Hammond and Lallana definitely. And some proper bottle to give 100% rather than worrying about whether they pick up a knock and miss out on next week's glamour game. Shameful with so much at stake and even more so when you consider the results of those around us.

Good to see a quick move on to the Utd game. Especially as this is pretty much what our players were worrying about today, not getting injured and missing out.

I hope you're right that we get Chris Martin if Norwich get Austin.

Really important game. NA has to drill into the players that have to perform tomorrow and we MUST win. Can't have any passengers in the side not wanting to pick up a knock and miss the Man U game. COYS.

Would prefer we sign Jeff Hughes from Brizzle Rovers, TBH.

Difficult one. Still has the same ability; if he gets form and fitness together he can still be just as good as last year. I wonder if Liverpool fans are asking the same of Fernando Torres who, although operating at a vastly superior level, is in a similar position.

Interesting that the OS says we had to fight off lots of interest from top flight Italian clubs to keep him. I wonder who?

Saints keep 1 Guly! Excellent news.

Weren't Norwich after Elliott Bennett of Brighton earlier this week? Could this be the player they're after though?

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12876_6673649,00.html Leon Clarke CDAJFU, IMO.

Given that we're over halfway through January now, I imagine that the substantial bids NA talked of aren't going to come to fruition. Sounds like it's going to be a typical Saints transfer window: lots of anticipation, not a lot of actual activity, raised hopes as the deadline approaches and proceeding pretty much as we are in February.

So maybe the story about Reading signing a player from Swindon and a striker merged to become a striker from Swindon and the Austin rumours grew from there? Austin must have an inkling there's a good move for him somewhere to have handed in a transfer request.

Did they really say arse?!

Graham Baker

I thought he didn't want to go back there as he felt he was treated poorly there when a youth player? I guess there are no morals when someone flashes the cash...

Maybe on here? http://www.southamptonrumours.co.uk/