OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint

The edge may have gone, but you still know it's a derby. I overtook the Portsmouth coach on the M3 last year and outriders weren't allowing you in the middle lane. There were spotters/crime prevention officers on every bridge. At the top of the Avenue, there were half a dozen police transits and then the whole motorcade went down the Avenue with their lights on. The atmosphere at the match wasn't great, but we were being served a lot of drivel at the time...

That is correct. It's effectively a silent 'u'. Yosh was taking the piss when he introduced him. Right from his first touches when he came on as a sub early last year, he seldom missed pass and looked assured on the ball. The main criticism initially was that he was a bit lightweight and pushed off the ball easily, but that's not the case anymore. He's turning in to a really good player. As an aside, there's a Japanese youtuber called Oompa Loompa who basically mimics football coaches and players. He's been spotted at St Marys and he's a big fan of Matsuki and been giving him a lot of publicity which hasn't done any harm to Matsuki's cause.

"Man City CEO defiant over Premier League charges" reads the BBC website. You can see it now. The FA are going to completely bottle it. Chelsea put their hand up and said fair cop guv and got a slap on the wrists. Bad precedent. Man City are going to get a bigger slap (guessing add a nought to the fine of Chelsea's) but ultimately, based on the gravity of the charges, they should be made to start again in the National League North...and like us, given no right of appeal. What's irritating about this whole saga is how the media are giving so much publicity to Man City's side. Our legal department evidently told our management to keep shtum. But we were one kid with an iPhone whereas these charges are the systemic and constant fiddling of the books for a serious material advantage. The FA wants to honour the integrity of the sport - then show everyone they mean it.

How much did they spend in this summer's transfer window? £450m? Why would you spend a lot of money from some kid from Morocco? It almost smells of money laundering. Seems like Pep left just in time. Meanwhile, one kid with an iphone.......

Maybe, but Everton got done 10 points for just one charge. So City could have 115 x 10 = 1,150 point deduction 😀

So that's the decision on Tonda delayed for another four months Can't work out if it's good news for us or not. On the one hand, they can't be seen to be thumping the little guy when there's this bully to sort out. On the other, they could thump the little guy to show they still have some authority. Where's our legal team? They should be in the media all over the FA.

Exactly. Edozie has had many opportunities but inceasingly doesn't deliver. It is hard for Dobbin to fit in. He needs to come on when Larin's still there coz I can't see Mubama holding up the ball and laying if off to Dobbers.

Yes, I've noticed these two haven't been the quality they were last year. Bree seems more concerned with his hair style. With Peretz, are we missing a trick not giving Rambo a game?

It's also a bit concerning that Tonda has taken to going around the ground post match clapping the fans for the last couple of occasions. Don't recall him doing this before, so he could be expecting a decision imminently. I just hope that this time our legal experts are really on to this and Dragan is in the FA's ear threatening action if Tonda's 'sentence' is too harsh. Really disappointed how we rolled over and let the EFL kangaroo court and panel bulldoze us out of the way last time, but we have to have learned from that experience.

Different ways of looking at it. We've also only played one of the top seven and not yet come up against W.Ham, Boro or Wolves. Had a great night out earlier in the year at their place. Think it's not in their DNA to sit back and defend, so hoping for a similar scoreline this time. And if staying overnight, fully agree with those recommending the stay in Chester option.

When you look at the goal differences, maybe West Ham aren't the only stand out team in this league this year! Sort out our away form and we will be really motoring.

Yep. See the Bolton manager said you need a goalkeeper who can win you points and Baz did that today. Fair play to him. Now he's never going to wear a Saints shirt again, I wish him well.

Interesting comparisons. Peretz v Baz +1 goal. Larin/Scienza v Archer/Fraser +1 goal. The last home game was 2-2. So score should be 4-2. Entertainment guaranteed!

Yes, the key is to mix it up. At the beginning of last season, we were in a routine of goal kick to centre back, side pass to corner flag and we were hemming ourselves in. Usually the next 'pass' was a boot out to the midfield in the centre of the pitch which for pressing teams like Millwall was easy pickings. And starting this season, there were signs this was again being done too often. Now, Peretz is also playing the long ball. It would just be useful if he kept the ball on the pitch!

Yes. First sub after 76 minutes. Playing the game in front of him and as you say, learning from previous games. Excellent management Tonda.

And the commentator's comment: "How did that find a way through?" Rhetorical question! For years we endured that stuff. For years.

Surely Downes and JWP will be regular starters. Then it's a question of who else. They tried Matsuki but that didn't work. Jander is injured so we are a little short in midfield.

Good point. General consensus is he hasn't got the strength in depth that he had last year but we can't revert to 5 at the back and hope to defend a lead. But he doesn't come across as stubborn or arrogant so let's see if does anything different in these next three games ... and after the break Pompey & West Ham come along quickly, so this is a testing time.

Against Stoke, he looked quite good in his cameo, but perhaps he was more motivated in that game. He doesn't seem to have that natural instinct of being in the right place at the right time but it's early days and I much prefer a lump up front than another Adam Armstrong. Thought Birmingham were a good side with a good press and good movement on the ball, so a draw there was a reasonable result. Lincoln, on the other hand, was a setback and hopefully Tonda has learned by the mistakes he made and in future will be more flexible on substitutions and forget thinking resorting to a back 5 strengthens the defence. They can't score when the ball is in their half! Expecting a win this evening and Abbott to start.

From what he's done so far, he's done nothing to convince us he's not just another Archer. He needs to show he can link up with Larin because Mubama is so far showing he's got the touch of an elephant on speed. Yes, a poor transfer window. Losing Charles and THB maybe couldn't be helped, but should be be loaning out Quarshie and Archer?

Good luck to him but playing for a lowly Serie A club isn't a major step up on a leading Championship club. Always felt he is a busy body but with no end product. Hopefully he will develop over there and come back a better player. Evidently Juric saw something in him..

I can see your point but today I saw signs of Downes and JWP working well together and I reckon they could become a real force in midfield. I'm more concerned that Mubama and Dobbin aren't going to make it.

Don't think we've ever had such a thick-skinned, arrogant manager and yet we accepted it. At C.Palace, Nathan Jones was told in no uncertain terms by sections of our support that we didn't like his style of football, yet I recall trekking up to Huddersfield and Blackburn and watching absolute bollocks yet we stayed silent and were told to trust the tactics. And because he got us in to the playoffs, he had his apologists. He deserves all the misfortune he gets but like flotsam, if Leicester get rid of him, he'll resurface somewhere else.

Would like to know just how hard we tried to keep him. He would have been instrumental in our promotion push this year.

Agree with all of this and at the moment everything feels flat. Yes, when Dobbin and Mubama came on, we never looked like scoring but Lincoln had the better chances in the game. They wanted it more and for us to try and see out the last 20 minutes when we were clearly on top was criminal. Scienza's double post shot was the defining moment in the game, but our players need a lesson in positivity.