Pat from Poole

He'd be a more than capable deputy for Lambert, which is what we really need. For all his faults (mainly lack of mobility), Lambert is a major presence in the team and an injury to him would be a major blow to the side. Vokes would definitely be a better bet than Mellor IMO.

Yup, those were the days.

My memory of those minibus trips was that Sam and Matt would spend most of them having a mini-ruck at some point. I believe that Matt is on Boscombe's books.

Goalkeepers in struggling sides obviously have more to do in matches, so will get more opportunities to make saves. I like Kelvin Davis. As you say, he was loyal to Saints and could have gone to West Ham, but he has a tendency to make glaring errors which cost us games, and he does not command his penalty area. As we strengthen the team elsewhere on the pitch, he will stand out more as a potential weak link IMO.

To answer the original question. Kelvin Davis.

Couldn't agree with you more re Burley. Was astonished that Scotland and Palace were daft enough to employ him.

Anelka, when Saints beat Liverpool 2-0 at SMS, by any chance???

Very much agree with this. I also think it's interesting if CMS has gone to Brighton for really big wages, as it could really disrupt whatever pay structure they have in place and cause team disharmony etc. This is one of my worries if we are looking to sign David Nugent, I don't see him settling for less than £20,000 a week, and is he really going to make that much of a difference to us to justify breaking any pay structure we may already have?

I have spent about 15 years being bemused by this. Think it boils down to us not really being great singers as a bunch of fans. We can be very fervent and passionate when the mood takes us, but apart from the few hundred of us who will pretty much sing all game, a lot of our fans just don't seem to want to sing. Which of course is their right and they've paid their money etc...

Yeah, this would be the neat way to play this. Though I guess most clubs probably think we are minted anyway with or without the AOC sale proceeds.

The Bierhoff one was comedy, a supposed marquee signing with which to open the new stadium at St. Mary's. Until he told Lowe his wage demands. So the marquee signings ended up being Delap and Anders Svensson.

Monkou was a true legend, one of my favourite ever Saints players. I think Branfoot's signings of Beasant and Dowie were overall decent signings.

This seems to be their main message board, interesting to note somebody on there say that Sharp likes to be the top dog at a club, can't see that being the case if he comes to us..... http://www.drfc-vsc.co.uk/index.php?option=com_kunena&func=view&catid=999999&id=163171&Itemid=108

Well, not entirely. Most clubs also employ agents to sell their players, touting them around for the best price.

McGoldrick is a bag of sheight though.

I remember this all too well, I presume you recall seeing the old duffer hanging out of the first-floor window of his abode before the game, chucking coins at us? Highly comical.

So much of it is about fitness in my opinion. If Adkins has them running up mountains until they puke in pre-season like Strachan used to, then I think we'll be halfway there. I've lost count of the number of opening day games I've seen Saints lose over the years when the players looked embarrassingly unfit.

Patrick Colleter did that unforgettable tackle on Poyet, of course. I remember him mainly for this, plus trying to start a fight with the whole of the Notts Forest bench. Proper nutter.

1. Monkou 2. Niemi 3. Pahars 4. Ekelund 5. Dia

Before my missus had our first child, we both played pool for our county (Dorset). Having kids kind of puts paid to hobbies.

Agreed. They'll still get 30,000 crowds for most games as well, they really should finish in the top two.

They seem to think they're signing Robbie Keane FFS.

The managerial situation at Wigan may be having an impact. There is absolutely zilch chance of CMS coming to Saints, we shouldn't be worrying about him.

Given the anti-Saints keyboard warrior activity of a number of Brentford's fanbase a couple of months ago, I'm sure you will all feel a degree of sympathy for them, given that their new manager is to be one of the worst strikers in the history of Southampton FC.

I'm sure I read in a paper somewhere that the ex-GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips was at the away leg in Belgium, as some kind of rebellious deed to annoy her parents. Though she now appears to be a saddo Chelsea plastic. I don't think i am entirely making this up, random though it sounds. Can anybody confirm I am not mad?