James

COYR - let's kick start our season again. 2-0 Saints.

LB has never scored a league goal in the Championship! and is out for 2 months. T.Lee could well be a better player than Sharp - I don't disagree with that but if T.Lee struggles to make an impact immediately then we need another option who can. If we can't spend again for Sharp then maybe Lukas on loan as well.

Monday, 2 January 2012 Brighton v Southampton, 15:00 Win Saturday, 14 January 2012 Nott'm Forest v Southampton, 15:00 Win Monday, 23 January 2012 Southampton v Leicester, 19:45 Win Tuesday, 31 January 2012 Southampton v Cardiff, 19:45 Draw Saturday, 4 February 2012 Birmingham v Southampton, 15:00 Draw Saturday, 11 February 2012 Southampton v Burnley, 15:00 Win Tuesday, 14 February 2012 West Ham v Southampton, 19:45 Loss 14/21 for me.

As we well know, International experience is all well and good but it does sometimes take foreign players time to adapt to playing in the Championship (and indeed English football - take Guly as an example). Whilst Lee might be great in the long run, I agree that someone like Sharp who already has experience of scoring goals in the Champ would be nice to have as well.

Presumably he means Championship experience not age wise experience.

The only problem with Martin was that he isn't as confident on the ball as Fonte - the way Fonte plays its like having another midfielder/attacker at times and Martin just can't offer that at the moment. He was defensively sound and provided an excellent deputising performance on Friday. As others have said, of course he isn't as good as Fonte (in this league not many are) but he is young, he is learning and he has shown he is capable of stepping into the firing line as and when required.

Would like to see Hammond back tomorrow - him and Cork would be good I think. Definitely should persevere with Steeeve down the right hand side, would perhaps consider Guly as well as he doesnt seem to do it during away games. Starting XI for me: Davis, Richardson, Hooiveld, Martin/Fonte, Fox, De Ridder, Hammond, Cork, Lallana, Lambert, Connolly

Would be good to have him back in the squad but there's no doubting Hooiveld is a better player.

Hope it isn't late into the month - we need reinforcements ASAP.

We were in the first half - not in the second. As for James having nothing to do - were you in the toilet when he saved a Morgan screamer, at the feet of Steve when clean through and then from Lambert on the volley? They were most definitely NOT better than us.

Bristol were NOT better than us. They won - but it was smash and grab in every sense of the word. Other than the goal and the offside goal they didn't pose a huge threat and even though we were off form we created the better chances. Adomah and Maynard would do well for us - unfortunately we won't sign either.

God that was depressing - felt like the most important game of the season when we threw everyone on at the end. We weren't great but those saying Brizzle should have won 3-0 need their eyes checking - for all their huff and puff I thought they created relatively little. We should have won the game regardless of the fact we were well below par. First off - I hate doing this but the ref was absolutely dire - he must have had a personal vendetta against Lambert - their no.6 was all over him all the time and he missed a clear as day pull back in the box at 0-1. A crying shame to lose the record to such a dirty team who played with a lot of gamesmanship - don't like to see it but their throw ins/goal kicks/free kicks etc just took an age. The ref really didn't want the game to flow and that didn't help us at all. What is worrying is the fact that the squad is paper thin at the moment - the first team are out on their feat visibly and we don't have the right men to come in and replace them. The December form proves this: Blackpool (h) - Davis out and we lose two points because of a gaff from Bart, Donny (a) - we are without Lambo and fail to score The run seems to tie in with the loss of Chaplow who provides a directness and robustness that the midfield currently lacks and De Ridder cannot provide. It was easy to see why Steeeve isn't first choice - he rinsed their left back a number of times but his crossing was (for the most part) atrocious. Reinforcements are needed and quickly - heard NA say the deals wouldn't be complete until the end of the month, I wonder whether we can wait that long? Hope that we can kick on into 2012 but I am worried that the team have run out of steam a bit - its going to be a struggle to stay in the top two and this result will only boost the Hammers and Boro.

No announcement regarding one - and its hardly lashing it down now. It'll be on no problem

Was just thinking it might be a good thing if the Hammers get the likes of Whittingham as it will only weaken the teams below us i.e Cardiff. If they could take someone off Boro like Robson that would also be good. As others have said, its about being in the top 2 not necessarily Champions. The ideal situation would be that the Hammers weaken the chasing pack by unsettling/signing their star men - then these new signings fail to gel in their team and they fall away too - we can dream eh?

I agree. Very strange, these sorts of players aren't going to come cheap either. Considering what they spent in the Summer and now with their rumoured targets it really is boom or bust for the Hammers. Maybe they make them public to appease the fans even though they know its unlikely they will be successful in getting them. I seem to remember a couple of seasons ago they were in relegation trouble under Zola so released a story about bidding for Graham Dorrans presumably to calm the fans down even though they failed to sign him.

They've now bid for Peter Whittingham as well - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16362916.stm

They would have done I reckon - they are desperate for any sort of cash coming their way - if I recall the manager as much as admitted that on the radio after one of their games.

Not that I doubt your logic, but makes you wonder why we didn't sign him on loan when it was rumoured. He would have helped us to a few more points in our sticky December I reckon.

I wouldn't be surprised if this were the case. He fits the current ideal of signing young players who can progress with the squad.

Exactly.

Dickson and Forte would be my guess. Don't think we need to rid ourselves of many more (I have excluded Forecast on the assumption nobody will want him)

I thought this was common knowledge? No need for a thread about it almost a week after we first found out.

I think they'd cope well with the majority but perhaps not the top teams (but then everyone struggles against them)

Would be funny if they got him and they didn't go up - they would be in real trouble financially. Seriously, once they are all fit how are they going to keep Rhodes, Piquionne, Cole, Carew, Baldock and Sears happy at the same time. I'd like to see us go for him but at 4m its a big risk for someone unproven at this level. He might flop if WHU get him, who knows?

Beckford reportedly has a terrible attitude. For this reason I don't want him. He has played in the Prem but my Everton supporting mate said he was the laziest player he'd ever seen who was most definitely NOT good enough for the Premiership. He's hardly doing it in the Championship either, Leicester might not have as good a midfield as us but its still better than the majority in the Championship. Even David Nugent is scoring a few goals for the Foxes and he really is ****e. Would rather have Sharp, someone who has proved his worth in the Championship this season even in a team which isn't really very good. He hasn't had the chance to prove himself in the Prem either. Can't see why anyone would want Beckford over Sharp - although it would take the heat of Guly (if you think he's lazy just wait until you see Beckford)