Fabrice Fernandes no.1 fan

Trying to think how he would handle the current squad. Sold Beattie, loaned out Blackstock, Best and Dodd to make room for Redknapp, Quashie, Bernard and Camara. So i make that selling our best player from the previous seasons, two promising attackers and a good club servant, for an old midfielder, crap club captain, pensioner and championship striker who is also an international. My guess would be coming in, selling JWP, loaning out Ballard, Morgan and Walcott so we can sign Andros Townsend, Tom Cairney, Seamus Coleman and Josh Sargent Thankfully this now doesn't need to happen and we can all rest easily knowing that SR might be struggling at the moment, but they're not Rupert Lowe and Clive Woodward running the club into the ground hiring other slimey twats

My concern is Walcott can probably only do that for a few minutes at most, looks like he's running in treacle after that Sit Adam Armstrong down this week and make him watch Rodriguez and Long pressing for us, they really understood the role

At this stage we’re probably better off letting Ballard, Morgan, Pearce and Edwards getting the game time, and Dibling too

Cannot get my head round this being the 97/98 set, Heaney left us in Nov 96, Souness wasn't manager that year, Venison had retired by the start of the season. If you feel extra nostalgic you can get a Barry Venison match shirt on Classic Football Shirts at the moment for £400!!

I wasn't comparing, just showing he does have that record now. Davis's stat is for premier league, his championship stats would be different yes.

Looking back at previous keepers who have played for us in the premier league (post 1992) Bazunu: 9 games and counting with 0 clean sheets Forster: 1 game before first clean sheet Mccarthy: First game was a clean sheet Gunn: First game was a clean sheet Stekelenburg: 2 games before first clean sheet Gazzanigga: 6 games before first clean sheet K Davis: 4 games before first clean sheet Boruc: 3 games before first clean sheet Blayney: 3 games no clean sheets P Smith: 2 games before first clean sheet Niemi: First game was a clean sheet Keller: 4 games no clean sheet Jones: 3 games before first clean sheet Moss: 1 game before first clean sheet Woods: 4 games, no clean sheet Taylor: First game was a clean sheet Beasant: 7 games before first clean sheet Grobbelaar: 8 games before first clean sheet Andrews: 1 game before first clean sheet Flowers: First game was a clean sheet So a record breaking game against Man City, taking the record from Grobbelaar (although in his 8 game league run he did keep a clean sheet in the league cup)

Tomasz Hajto for me. Came in and played the first half of the season in the championship, Polish international who was what we needed at right back with Dodd , Telfer and Nilsson all going. Never worked for him particularly well (in hindsight Baird was probably the better option) and he went to Derby in January. Since then he's had a manslaughter charge and played a few years in Poland.

Think it starts by looking at what isn't working, and what is. 9 league games and we've conceded in all of them, so even if the actual individual defenders have improved from last season, clearly there is an issue with how the team is defending. Bazunu hasn't been brilliant but not sure changing the keeper helps, so the ideal is to limit the amount of clear chances we're conceding (which is high in my opinion). With Lavia out injured we don't have a capable midfield partner for JWP to do the defensive work that Romeu did and Romeo was doing this season, and we're so often leaving the centre backs exposed. I think the short-term answer is a move to a back 5 to shore up the defence. Without Lavia it seems the system that suits us best. One question is who you play at left back, where we seem to have no fixed option. I would argue Djenepo played the best so far this season, so either he or Larios. Perraud needs some time to get properly fit again. Ahead of that you have JWP and AMN/Diallo as shuttling, progressive midfielders, with the instructions that they move the ball forward or wide where possible with the wing backs playing high in possession. Aribo then plays as a 10 with the ability to drift wide to get the ball. Up front you have Adams and A Armstrong, to hold the ball up and play on the line of the opposition defence respectively. When out of possession Aribo and Armstrong could split wide to mark full backs if needed, making it more a 5-4-1. Overall aims, get Aribo on the ball more, take defensive responsibility away from JWP so he can focus on his on the ball game, and stop conceding so many bloody goals. In possesion: -----------Bazunu------------- -----ABK----DCC----Salisu----- KWP----AMN----JWP---Djenepo -------------Aribo------------- ----------Adams---Armstrong-- Out of possesion: -----------Bazunu------------- KWP-ABK--DCC--Salisu--Djenepo Aribo----AMN----JWP---Armstrong -------------Adams------------

Cancelo gets the ball in about 30 yards of space there, 2 players marking Haaland and no one picking up Mahrez, I didn’t expect a result today but we don’t need to make it so easy

Been thinking about this one, and my 11 would be: Bazunu KWP ABK DCC Salisu Larios AMN JWP Edozie Che Mara Essentially the plan is to have men behind the ball, physical against Haaland, and then long balls to Che to feed the pace either side of him, not a pretty style of football but better than playing 4 at the back and Haaland dominating the fullbacks all day

What's Beattie doing nowadays, he loves the club (as per his recent video reminiscing on his goals and admitting he didn't want to leave), and had the absolute spot on mentality for a striker. He was a bit of a prick on the pitch, wanted to score constantly and knew how to hit the target with power, which seems to be Adams' drawback.

Do we have anyone who is willing to go in goal? I don't think it makes much difference who is trying to stop Haaland, so shall we at least protect Bazunu from the mental trauma of picking the ball out the net every 9 minutes. You can see in Gunn's eyes that whenever he closes them he can still see Ayoze Perez celebrating

Depends on your thinking I suppose. For me, Thierry Henry was unplayable, absolutely terrific player with it all so is up there. Shearer obviously has the record for goals, and a ridiculous amount of longevity, especially with the injuries. And Rooney was a monster too, just on natural talent at times. Haaland is obviously a terrific striker, but I think to be considered in the "all time" category he would need to do it across at least 5 years. He has certainly had the best start, and might be the best talent, but it will be years before he is considered the best ever!

Absolutely this, or maybe even A Armstrong might be able to do the job. Put someone on the left who can put the ball past Coleman and then burst past him.

Peter Crouch spoke about this on his podcast, can't remember the exact one. He said he didn't really grasp it with us, but when he was relegated later in his career, he was such a key part at Stoke he was very aware of the impact. Said he found it really difficult knowing his performance on a pitch might lead to people losing their jobs, and the general revenue of the area (for example outside caterers, pubs etc). Back to Saints, no reason why we shouldn't be able to pay the living wage, it really is a drop in the ocean to a club of our size.

JWP included in the squad initially, so has spent the international break with England, just to get 0 minutes from the bench against Italy and then be excluded from the matchday squad against Germany. Can't help but feel his week would have been better spent at Staplewood.

We don't seem to release the line-up in playing order, only ever numerical, so I'm finding it difficult to get a sense of which new players have replaced those who weren't retained, and those still in the squad. What system are we playing this season, and how is it working for those who were part of the promoted squad?

Really really disappointed in that. Hard to see why that team was chosen and then no one bothered to prove why. Bazunu didn’t have a very good game, reminded me at times of Gazzanigga when he played a bit; a wonderful long pass on him that sailed out of play almost every time The defence looked shaky, too many high balls not being dealt with (surely it is still rule number one that you don’t let the ball bounce and the opposition have a chance at it) and passing was very sloppy Midfield were overrun, everything seemed to just pinball off us. McGinn is a shit of a player but he played our midfield perfectly, wound them up and made them afraid to get stuck in early Cannot fathom how Moi gets in the team, he just does not offer enough to be in such a crucial role, he lacks the pace or power or drive to carry the team up the pitch Djenepo had flashes in the first half but some strong performances at left back shouldn’t get him 90 minutes at right wing, that doesn’t make sense to me. Up top we just never got going, nothing seemed to stick with either striker and we never managed to challenge a keeper who liked like he needed a nice lie down and a lemon and ginger tea all game. To be positive and move forward we need to give JWP more support, get Aribo settled and in the team (his close control can be a real difference maker in this team). Thought Larios had a look of Tino about him too, made one really impressive run through their midfield and then a few minutes later tracked back for a great tackle. Get him learning from KWP and we could have another talent in the team, and would give Perraud time to get fully fit (because he doesn’t look it currently). A game to put behind us and try not to let happen again this season

I look back and think we just never found the right spot for him, or didn't play in a way that suited him. He played for us in a period where we only really ever played 4-4-2 but he always seemed best pushing forward rather than in the box to box role we required of him (which more suited players like Oakley), or he was tucked out wide which didn't work either (although that was less frequent). I suppose that is average for Saints though isn't it, to have some quality but not hit the heights of the top ten that much. Maya only played more than 25 league games in one season with us, and he was an important player but across his career I think he represents the average ability of a Saints player. He wasn't the focal point of the defence like VVD or Fonte, but was a reliable top level player.

This is sort of what I had in mind! I've been a fan since 02, so have a few more prem years, so this team seems a little weak to me in places. I think mind would be: Alan Blayney Richardson Yoshida Higginbotham Fox Telfer Cork Quashie Elyonoussi Ormerod Rasiak I think that team probably gets relegated, but has some

Just what we need, lets shut the economy down with no warning to anyone and make everyone have street parties! Wonder if the (alleged) Prince Andrew is going to see Mummy. If the game is played, I would like us to go for it: ---------Gav--------- KWP-ABK-Sali-Perraud ----AMN--Diallo---- S.A--Aribo--A.A -----Adams----- With Edozie and Mara ready to come on to bag our fourth and fifth...

I've seen comments about the best players to play for Saints, and jokes about those we wished had never graced the Dell or St Marys, but I'm intrigued by who is deemed as the most average of Saint, and maybe even an average Saints 11. For me, it is someone whose quality for us was in the top flight, but in teams that finished in the lower half. Never quite nailed down a starting spot, but was helpful across a few seasons under a manager or two, and maybe a lower level international. Based on my criteria I think I have two distinctly average Saints to get the ball rolling: Danny Higginbotham, and Paul Telfer. Solid, dependable professional footballers but guaranteed to have never been picked by a fan to have their name and number on the back of a shirt.

The Rasmus Ankersen grudge match! AMN to come in from the start for me, over Diallo, and probably drop Moi, he seems to be a slower, weaker link at times

Edozie taking Tella’s number means one of them will switch or not be with the club next year then

A thunderbolt of a right foot, a silky left foot, and the most obnoxious and bitter attitude on the pitch football has ever seen