Saint-Fred

Toby never played for Poch at Saints? Don't get your point? Toby had the chance to join us but chose Spurs maybe due to Vertongen but most likely for a higher salary.

Poch, Clyne, Toby, for three more. Whilst Liverpool had qualified the season before lallana and Lovren left they have not been champs league regulars for a significant period. They 100 percent aren't champs league certs every season are they? Chambers, Shaw and Morgan are the only three I'd consider joined champions league clubs.

Agreed but how many have left for genuine regular champions league football? Not many? how many of our ex players who left are so good they are now being chased by the genuine champs league contenders clubs? We need to stop being a feeder club for those outside the champs league, even Spurs and Liverpool have a cap to their salaries and by expanding those contracts of the top performers will can at least make it difficult to take them. If we don't or can't pay the going rate for wages we will always be a club which is losing their stars each year.

I don't think it's necessarily about investment but about protecting what we have. We sign players (apparently on lower wages-comparitively-) but don't appear to then, once we know they perform, reward them with new contracts quickly. We should be giving new contracts to those who perform even only 1 year into a contract. Unless we get their wages high enough they will always be a target. Everton hold onto their players as its a massive investment to get them due to their current wages so cheaper options are taken. Perhaps the wages our players get mean that a spurs or Liverpool can give them a heathy pay rise without having to make a sacrifice in their own squad? Signing players on big wages is always a risk (gaston, dani) but rewarding those already here with big pay rises to keep them, is very little risk and the only way we will change our position or reputation as a feeder club.

The church at St Mary's is relatively cheap (a five I think) and about as close as you can get?

Just for clarity..IYO what constitutes a successful season for a team such as Saints? Would just like to under stand your expectations?

Protest? FFS we have a small budget etc etc and "we" are considering protesting due to a poor run of form. The new fans seem to think we are Man Utd with a right to win every game. I am totally bemused by some of our fans at present!

What game were you watching when JWP was MOTM? Very bizarre comment that... And how is Long missing a one on one RK's fault? With respect based , on this post only, you are the last person in the world RK should take formation or tactical advice from..

Good post but I think we are getting carried away with Gazza, he is nowhere near Frasers level. He had a great game , although still a couple of incidents which suggest he is still very capable of dropping a real bollock. Let's not build him and expectations up too high as next time he doesn't have such a great game he will get slated on here.

Sometimes we seem to forget that the other team buy players, use tactics and turn up trying to win the game. It's as though only us have the right to win a game and that everyone else are just there to make up the numbers. I suppose it's the price to pay for the failing big six..their fans and their attitudes moving to support other teams..

West Ham haven't won for six games they must be really ****.

Lol in this society it seems you are either a god or the scum of the earth worst person ever there's nothing in between it seems. Why can't people just be good at the job and with that you have highs and lows but when at either end of spectrum your are still the same person who is just good at the job? I was talking to a Liverpool fan the other day who said he was hoping for Keoman if Klopp hadn't arrived so maybe other fans think more of him than some on here do!

No club can move forward all the time? Even Man City and Chelsea who have chucked a billion pounds each at their teams can't be better than last year every season? Personally I am confident we still have a better squad than some of those around us and it will be close as to who finishes where in that middle section. That's no disgrace as all the teams are spending money either buying (cabaye, shaqri, benteke for example) or keeping (stones, that west brom forward etc) players to improve so If we have to improve every year or the fans will lose interest thats a bit sad and not very sportsmanlike. But maybe that's society now?

Lol

Bet the papers make an issue of it but only cancels out the Bournemouth one against them!

No I couldn't give a **** as long even if Liverpool never win another game...my Liverpool supporting mate told me he had tickets for Liverpool v arsenal and he was looking forward to it as it probably be a title decider..obviously that was before today! They are the most deluded self righteous fans of them all. Anyway as they are rivals for a mid table spot we should want them to lose.

Stick him upfront..Chris Sutton mark II

Someone like Austin, someone who just wants to score goals, would have had a field day today. I think we need a credible alternative to Pelle sometimes. We created chances early on and a goal then would have killed them and we would have romped it.

Crikey I have stopped listening to kloppsport as its just a klopperpool love in 24 hours a day, do we really have to suffer the same on here?

Errr that's their first win since September and everyone including us win at Chelsea!

I suppose but a lot of keepers have quicker reactions or we wouldn't see the saves we do. We will have to agree to disagree as I really can't see that he'd be happy conceding those. I am not saying he is a bad keeper but that he didn't contribute at all on the night. For a forward to win a game you expect that bit of magic if necessary, for a keeper you want that decent save to keep you in the game and stek just didn't even get close, even to the one hit straight at him. If kelv had been in goal I bet he would be slaughtered right now. Funny thing goalkeeping, you only notice a keeper is good when he makes those saves that win you games. I don't recall stek making any of those yet?

If he had saved them all none of the saves would have been considered "worldies". I really can't see the reason the shots are considered good? No one on TV is saying these are goals of the season are they? Run of the mill shots that every professional keeper should think they have a shout of saving IMO.They were hit well and hard some on the ground but it's not from 5 foot away he had time to react and in every case he dived or stuck his hand out after the ball had passed. He didn't have to over. stretch they were all within his reach. I know you will say the pace beat him but Niemi made them saves against arsenal as he could react quickly. I think he would have saved at least one of those and got a hand to others. There is no debate we allowed too much space but even penalties aren't scored with a 100 percent hit rate.

You will also see goalkeepers make saves from Sturridge with those type of shots and from those positions all through the season too!

It's all about opinions but the first was from wide on the left outside the six yard box, the goal from sturridges point of view must have been pretty small. It was a good shot granted but IMO he should never score from that position. Goal 2 was straight at him yes from close range. The third was from outside the area and he still he couldn't get down to it. It went under him, he wasn't unsighted and a deflection was irrelevant as he never got down quick enough. Four and five fair enough good strikes but even then IMO a decent shot stopper would have got a something on at least one of them. Six no chance. However the first three were where the game was lost.

Do you really think so? The team was poor but from those angles and distance he should at least get a touch? The only thing he did all game was one save which he palmed out invitingly for any on rushing forward but fortunately for him no one was bothered by then. What would you give him marks for? For his long punts upfield? From memory I can't think of any other their part he played in the game other than picking the ball out of the net. Not saying he's a bad keeper just that last night he didn't do anything and I am sure that if their keeper was in our goal he would have saved at least one of them!