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Paul Doyle, who I sometimes uncharitably refer to as "Football Weekly's backup Irishman", adds some weight to the impact Jack Cork has made on the team. Indeed, Cork is one of the Guardian's 10 Premier League talking points. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/nov/26/premier-league-talking-points-weekend

This thread should really be entitled "Lambert vs Holt".

The problem with the club's tight-lipped policy is that it invites endless speculation about what is really going on. I have no idea what was going on at the start of the season, but there are myriad potential reasons for Rickie looking uninterested. Frustration at team selection, formation, not being picked, being substituted or my personal favourite, the observers not being able to detect an uninterested person

If the club and players have any sense, they'll keep quiet about what people are on. I earn a lot more than most of the people I work with; they know this - yet I've always been tight-lipped about the actual difference. Most people are smart enough that price paid doesn't denote "value to company", but some can't help doing the simple arithmetic of "I earn 25. He earns 50, yet I'm twice the man of him". The smarter thing to do from a player's perspective when looking at someone else earning a high wage is to realise that kind of renumeration is available for them too, not to take the hump because someone else getting a better whack. Besides, most of these people have been professional players for years. Disparities of income are nothing new. There are always one or two top boys in every club. Most players will be used to that. In the specific case of Lambert; I'd love to know what's really going through his head. Is he thinking "Gaston earns more than me", or is he perhaps considering where he is now to where he was three years ago?

The Guardian makes Jack Cork man of the match. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/nov/25/southampton-newcastle-premier-league-report I don't necessarily agree with that, but I can definitely see it, and it's oh so marginal. Great bloody feeling

Ramirez, just, and mostly on stats. One goal; one assist. However, Lallana, Puncheon and Cork were great too. Whole team was up for it today. Very pleasing.

So are we still on the yo-yo plan, Dalek? (I am not taking the p!ss. I admire your line in the sand commitment to an issue).

Excellent performance. For fans of Football Manager, the tagline would be this:- "An easy win for Southampton in a match they dominated". The tippy-tappy stuff clicked brilliantly today; looked like a tool instead of a gimmick. Two nil does not reflect the chasm between the two sides. No nervous moments at all, and after the torrid start we've had to the season, that performance is already one of my best moments as a Saints fan. We all knew Lallana could play; didn't know he could tackle. I'm starting to think that everything I thought I knew about Lallana is just the tip of the iceberg. Immense the last two games. Puncheon has been superb too. Hindsight is amusing, isn't it? Not so long ago, we were talking about whether he should ever play for Saints again. Now I wonder whether he isn't a cocky get for a reason. Seriously impressive work by everyone today. Sure, another potential heart in mouth moment for Gazzaniga, but I seem to remember another young goalkeeper making quite a lot of clangers last year for a much bigger team. Besides, his save helped get that first clean sheet. Don't want to single individuals out too much because it was a genuinely excellent team performance, reflected in the solidity of the team and the manner of our goals. Superb performance; Saints most assured since the return to the Premier League.

I don't normally go for celebrity tittle tattle, one can sometimes derive some value from it, if only as a cautionary tale. Take Boy George for example. At the height of his fame, he announced that he preferred a cup of tea to sex. Years later, he's cleaning out sh!tters in NYC and going down for chaining up rent boys. That cup of tea may look tempting, but it's a slippery slope, sir.

Everyone has a steak in this.

Not really sure what to make of this, Kev. Are you going to get your meat out to give it an airing, put it in the cuppa, etc? Or have I actually confused the whole thing? Is the meat in the cuppa the entire time, only for you to whip it out at the end? My enjoyment of the second half will be diminished while this issue remains unresolved.

Very encouraging stuff. The interplay is mesmerising at times. The goal was beautiful. Let's have a quick goal for Saints early doors in the second half; settle the collective nerves.

It's not as good as London, but then it isn't as dear. So what, Liverpool scrapping it out with who? Manchester, Newcastle, Brum and possibly Leeds? I don't even agree with Manchester, Brum or Leeds. Aside from London and (possibily) Newcastle, where else is better than the humble 'Pool for a night out?

I had to get a replacement passport after the missus washed my old one. The lady at the Identity and Passport Service told me that people actually try to do that on their passports. But yes; girls can be weird. I live in a house full of them; mine seem perfectly reasonable, even taking into account the dog's ceaseless war against delivery people. The vanity is both puzzling and one-sided. It's perfectly ok for girls to slap a load of make-up on and cover facial deficiencies, put shoes on to hide height deficiencies, corsets and wonder-bras to tame/unleash bits of their body. I can't go around in high heels without looking like a tranny or someone really concerned about his height (I mock fellow shorties who take the Cuban heel route). I can't stuff a load of socks in my special area either. Sure, it may work at first; but the moment my fraud is discovered I'd be massively worse off. Why is it culturally okay for women to have access to power-ups, yet a man who suffers the loss of a wig on a windy day faces utter humiliation?

Whitey Grandad is always lying about his age. He lies about his age all the time. One time Frank's Cousin came in here and sat in this chair. I said Frank's Cousin, 'you hang out with Whitey Grandad, just between me and you, how old is Whitey Grandad?' You know what Frank's Cousin told me, he said "Hey, Whitey Grandad is 137 years old." A hundred and thirty-seven years old!

My missus now works for a living, but her head was full of proper **** when she didn't, which she'll happily acknowledge now. A phase, if you will; lasting for thirteen years. Anyway, one of the scariest things you'll ever hear is a group of housewives talking to each other on the schoolyard. There is not a picosecond of silence, yet as far as I can make out, nothing is actually said. Facebook is a lot like that with some people.

They are called selfies, according to my teenage daughters.

Some of them are outright weird. One in particular left with the impression "yep, that'll be the mug shot they use when the Old Bill finally catch up with him". Some of the females on my feed use ten year old photos. The thing I hate most on Facebook is Status Shuffle, reserved for the sort of moron who is incapable of wit on their own account.

Well from about midnight to 5am, pretty much all of them. However, mid-morning - probably best to stick to touristy places where you may find some committed, usually Irish hen parties. Of course, the sensible individual would be attempting to kill multiple birds with one stone. Coming to Liverpool just for the football is a bit like going to Alton Towers to ride on the fecking tea cups.

Does Southampton have a rock club anymore? Plenty of fond memories in Raffles and Nexus.

Women up here are top.

I guess everything is relative, and it is not a terrible shout, but its a bit of a waste in a city celebrated for its flange.

I recently took possession of my Pi. The big boy is XBMC on OpenElec. That is now running and believe it or not, playing 1080p. Fairly sure some frames are being dropped. Still, it is very impressive.

QPR have got enough players as it is. Surely Harry will want more.

One must always write pwned, Spudgun.