Saint-Fred

I think we are.

Not sure we could have been two up? I personally don't think we look like scoring and the goal we scored should have really been a straight forward save! It's early days but IMO the players don't look like they believe and there was a part of the game where we made Sunderland look good and they dominated. (Again without looking like scoring though). A couple of examples that said it all to me was when the ball dropped to Fonte who just hit a driven ball aimlessly into the centre circle. It went to one of our players but just not something you'd normally see. There was a point when Forster had the ball and just looked like what do I do with it? No one was in space or seemingly wanted the ball? Things aren't right and Puel needs to sort it ASAP. Perhaps a win will sort it..however today will have been the easiest opportunities to get that win...on to arsenal..

Perhaps the six place finish had less to do with the Southampton way and more to do with the manager we forced to leave whose new team currently are second in the table?

Ended up booking flights and hotel together through BA ...£150 a head but that's including two nights in a hotel a short walk from the ground. Pretty reasonable. Out on Wednesday home on Friday! Cracking!!! Now the hard part telling the bosses!!

Why is that inconsiderate to the fans?

You are forgetting FFP? (Drops bomb then Casually withdraws to watch the 300 page debate rage)

http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/crystal-palace-fans-threaten-to-riot-if-zaha-is-sold-to-spurs/story-29655139-detail/story.html#vBE4Pwg6z71QIBJJ.01 This is more like it, no bedwetting from the Palace fans, straight to the direct action! Lol ..if we rioted everytime we sold a player imagine the state of Southampton then!

Probably best to avoid Europe then!

Would they have made the effort for 500 visiting fans if that was all their ground held?

Sorry was joking about West Ham being in pot 4! All fair points and we will have to agree to differ on our opinions..the only points I'd make is..there is very little money to be made in the Europa league and the chances of us winning it are pretty small. The chances of us progessing to the next round can't be that great whichever pot we are in, given past European results. Finally you sort of made my point for me anyway..you had a better time in Arnham..a "bigger"side, bigger stadium and able to take more of our fans so they laid on better facilities etc...

My view is that the aim of getting to Europe means we are aiming to play a better standard of opposition. If we need to draw minnows to have hope of progressing then perhaps we don't deserve to be there? I'd much rather play three top teams, see a better standard of football and better players than see two games against a lower ranked team...taking it to the extreme (impossible I know) but I'd like us to have three teams out of pot one! That's really being in Europe! European nights against Ajax, Inter, Schalke etc is better than against those in pot 4 ( especially West Ham) Surely It's about testing your team! Also what if that lowly team beats us? That's much worse than losing to Inter etc?

Can't see Tadic excelling in a Central role. The defensive responsibility is too great.

I was wondering how both him and Tadic would fit into the diamond?

Sorry....surely we want to be in pot 4 so we get three half decent teams and then can't be drawn against some minnow with a ground capacity of 4?

Thanks for that..whilst you are here..where is Adam going now Klopp has signed his replacement? My money is on West Brom next summer but my mate reckons Stoke? What's his view?

Lol well played..he obviously reads this forum then? .from this the genuine ITK is Essruu then? (Sorry and Monk too) ?

didnt that Jack fella tweet about Tadics contract just before it was announced, which I am not aware that any of the others did? (Sorry don't follow him but thought someone on here referenced it at the time..and haven't looked to see if any of the other ITK's did either)

I never said he'd hold us to ransom I just said that the club may have purchased McCarthy as his replacement so in seasons to come when he goes it's not an issue. We won't know for at least a year so it's a bit of a circular argument. Back to the thread ...Mason? That's exactly what we need more midfielders who aren't better than what we already have!

No doubt that is accurate..but then again why then did he leave Celtic? Why not stay there if that's his character? His position as first choice would never be under threat there and he would have champions league football. I don't believe he will angle for a move but a bid for him is inevitable if he plays as he can and then it becomes all about money or Champions League etc...

Stek was always just cover for Frasers injury. We haven't "Lost" Gazza he will be back! We seem happy to have a very good goalie and a not so good cover..who would be happy to sit on the bench if they were good? Therefore the McCarthy signing could be Frasers replacement in advance? It's not unfeasable and 4 million is quite an investment in a reserve...if we can get him to be number one it will allow us to sell Fraser for a significant sum in seasons to come. Why would that not be 1) sensible - why wait for him to go and then scrabble for a first team keeper? 2) in line with current policy.

If Romeu was signed in advance(like Austin was to replace Pelle) as Wanyamas replacement ,the club have sorted a replacement to a known leaver as you suggest? If that's the case it does make me wonder about Forster and McCarthy?

P Surely if last years wage bill of 70% of turnover included exceptional payments to get rid of Osvaldo ...then we can now pay 7m on top of that? so we have the money we paid to get rid of Osvaldo plus an extra 7m to play with? (Plus those leaving etc) so with regard to FFP it can't be much of a restriction especially as we already had the 9th highest wage bill.

Again the poor Boro manager is getting, in a year, less than Negrado gets in a month! Hope they have a whip round for him at Christmas and don't take the **** out of his old Ford Focus too much!

Lol after 10 days he has been paid more than the Boro manager will be paid all year! That made me chuckle bizarrely!

If we play the U23 team in Europe then we can demonstrate quicker progression of the academy players to the first team and save the first team for the weekend (they wouldn't even need to travel!). We would then break the mould of teams with a hangover after European games as our first team would just have an extra days recovery from the weekend before! Everyone's a winner!