Colinjb

Didn't have high hopes for WH v WBA, but what a match!!

1. How have you found the league so far now that we're approaching the half way mark? Well, so far I am loving how open the league is, the last few fixtures have seen us fall away but having so many teams fighting it out at the top is making for a wonderful spectacle. The Champions League places could literally belong to any of the top 8 and there looks to be a wonderful scrap for the title, so glad the closed shop of the top four is looking more open. It gives hope to clubs like us (and yourselves) after all! 2. Which position if any will you be wanting to strengthen in the next transfer window? We need more depth at the back. With Boruc out we look very shaky in goal, Gazzaniga simply is not premier league standard. If anything happened to Dejan Lovren or Luke Shaw I would also be extremely concerned. Danny Fox and Jos Hooiveld, like Gazzaniga are not good enough for where we are in the league currently. 3. You must be delighted with the International recognition of some of your players. Are there any others that you feel are worthy of a call up? Nathaniel Clyne should be in the reckoning, one of the best right backs i've ever seen play for us. James Ward-Prowse shouldn't be too far away, although the central midfield position for England is getting very competitive. (Ross Barkley for example! Either him or Ward-Prowse ahead of Cleverley all day long.) Also, the ongoing mystery of Morgan Schneiderlin being ignored by France is a complete farce. 4. What are your thoughts on Mauricio Pochettino and is he really that different to Nigel Adkins in terms of coaching? Under Poch we are better organised and press higher, we do not score as freely generally but are less likely to conceed, the defence under Pochettino is the main reason for our immense improvement this year. 5. What are you views of Everton as a club, our fans, and our style of football, and if you've been to Goodison before our stadium? There is a little animosity from some sections of the fanbase after the Adrian Heath incident in a cup semi final in the 80's. Personally though that was before my time and I have no real problem with Everton. A well supported club which under the right manager can go far. Under Martinez this year you look very impressive and i'm not looking forward to seeing Lukaku line up against us again. 6. Can you name a best eleven plus a subs bench using players from both sides? Applogies if it may seem a little Saints led or positions seem a little off, i'm just not that familiar with Everton...... GK: Howard DR: Clyne DL: Shaw DC: Lovren DC: Distin DM: Wanyama CM: Barkley CM: Schneiderlin RWF: Deluefeu LWF: Lallana FW: Lukaku Subs: Boruc, Baines, Fonte, Mirallas, Ward-Prowse, Lambert, Osman 7. Where do you think both teams will finish in the table? Everton: Top 6, I feel a champions league place will be a bit far beyond but a Europa League place should be a given. Saints: 8th, We need better defensive depth to finish higher but it will signify massive progress as we look to push up further. 8. Any predictions for the game? If Lovren and Shaw play: 1-1 Without those two: 2-0

Think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit....

Straight out of the constitution of the People's Republic of Liverpool! He is doing alright for them this year but he is a shadow of the player he was, he's just being used in a system better this season.

That was a response to Window cleaner's prior point about teams having a spine. Nigel may not have built ours but he still used it, Mackay didn't have that luxury.

I'm not saying he is the absolute be-all and end all but to say he has done anything other then an excellent job (league cup finalists, play-off qualifiers, Championship winners) after he had to effectively rebuild their playing staff from scratch (only four players on the books when he joined two years ago, he didn't have the benefit of an existing spine of players) just doesn't ring true for me. Cheque books do not mean certain success. Look at Leicester.

Which seems to be a common theme for those that have successfully made the jump. As for Cardiff Mackay had to rebuild the club and were doing extremely well considering! As Saint Clark said, before Tan started undermining the manager they looked alright.

Yep. Hence the problem they will now have, their momentum has been utterly stymied by their Chairman's outspoken nature.... While ours made a brutal decision there was an immediate plan that it was part of. Vincent Tan appears to be flying by the seat of his pants, his approach of money = success is not currently clicking and he is panicking.

And who had to sign the cheques I wonder? Tan is just as responsible for not keeping a hold over the clubs spending more then Mackay is for using the funds at his disposal.

Can't fault their consistency. Not that it will do them much good, they are a well supported club but not do not have the sparkling appeal they believe.

Can't help but think that owners of clubs like Cardiff have seen how we (among others, Norwich and Swansea obviously also spring to mind)) have done since promotion and asked the question, why can't that be us? After a difficult decision by our chairman and after spending a high amount (but not the same volume as some) we have adjusted well to the division. Tan may see this as his 'Nigel Adkins' moment, unlike Adkins though who had finally made us look capable of Premiership survival at his point of exit right now Cardiff are in a genuine mess. That will be a difficult job for anyone bold enough to take it.

The killer for me will be when Sky Go is no longer supported on the Xbox 360. Of course the games will not go on forever, there's money to be made and an evident market for anything new and shiny, but I don't use the units solely for that. In terms of the technology and capability there simply isn't the same capability jump as there previously has been. I waited until 2009 to get a prior generation console.... now, I honestly see no point in getting one, I don't have time to play the games in any serious way anymore.

On a purely bang for buck reasoning the Xbox 360 and PS3 offer far more currently. I see no reason to buy a new console, none at all. Slightly improved graphics and physics? That's not worth the best part of half a grand.

Just why does technology like this inspire such bizarre fanboy-ism in otherwise rational adults!?

It does help when you are only playing against nine men though.

Yesss!!!! Jay!!

Are there any moments in saints' recent past that he has found particularly inspiring for his career?

2-1. Jay to score first. 42/1. No better time to play Spurs, just hope our team are fired up.

Just need a few novelty bits, main bulk of shopping is done. Presents to be wrapped over soccer Saturday this afternoon.

Wonderful news. Congratulations mate!!

Still four hours out of what should be a day with the family!

No, don't fancy a 4 hour round-trip on xmas day, cheers all the same.

The pass completion stats, looking at this it appears as though we are bang average in that respect. http://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/2/Seasons/3853/Stages/7794/TeamStatistics/England-Premier-League-2013-2014 This does ignore the number of attempted passes, etc but in isolation we do not appear to be anything special.

They clearly havn't gone, just thanks to a pressing style he isn't going to get as much space in a forward position as he did before therefore restricting his efforts to headers from crosses and supporting the more unpredictable forwards we have. He is still the best hold up player we have which testifies to his ability, movement and strength. Naturally if we have teams under the cosh half the time they will mark the living daylights out of him, they're not stupid.

Pacey, energetic and willing to single handedly have a go. He is becoming better all the time and one of the few attackers we have who can be a little unpredictable. (Ossie is the other, but he doesn't have Jay's work ethic... Although I believe Ossie has a little more flair in his locker.)