Saint_clark

Exaggerated by the fact a lot of kids involved today though.

Sounds like what Brighton used to do under Poyet. Wound Adkins up a treat.

Time to turn this around, 6-0 full time.

Bit of a weird choice for a friendly then really isn't it.

Worse one for me was Brighton away in league one. He said nothing at all about the freekick that was played forward for the winner, the only commentary we got was him calmly saying "the balls come into the box, and Fonte heads it back towards the keeper"...and then screaming "oh my word and it's gone in! A looping header from Fonte which baffled the keeper leads to an extraordinary end to the game here" - at this point I was raging thinking he'd scored an own goal, storming around the living room - "and Jose Fonte runs into the crowd" - wait what? - "who go mad, Southampton lead!".

...we lost to Portsmouth last season!?

Perraud off then?

No idea about him but what I've read on my usual trusted sites he seems very good. Wonder where we're intending on playing him though as seems his best performances came at either left back or DM.

Hope so, that third kit would be lovely.

You know we're a league lower, right? Jos Hooiveld looked unbeatable at this level.

What age would that be then? Didn't realise people's ages showed up on their profile...must not happen on mobile.

He retired in 2014, Fonte has been playing 30+ games every season since then.

Fonte never relied on his pace even at his peak. He played 30 games last season, 38 the season before and 36 the season before that - in the season Lille won the French league no less. So his fitness isn't in question for me. We know he is an intelligent player who can pass the ball and he's a threat from set pieces going forward. I'd be all for this. Even if nothing else he'd be a feel good signing that would get people connecting with the team again in the way the managerial appointment should have done.

Probably, but my point is I think we should have an older experienced championship level CB alongside someone with the potential to be a Prem starter.

I'd say slightly exceeded my expectations, for the first half of the season he was the only one that looked dangerous going forward.

I'm all for it. We've been conditioned at this club to believe anything over 28 is over the hill. Other clubs have players that do a job well into their 30s. Wouldn't want him AND Evans though, as that would mean needing to replace them both should we get promoted. I'd rather sign one of them alongside Salisu or ABK.

Spending £11million on an unproven player doesn't prove we're not skint, it just proves we're still going to gamble with our season.

Always liked Graeme Murty. Wasn't he a part of our coaching set up for a while?

My bad, I didn't read the whole thread and he didn't quote anyone so naturally I assumed he was talking about the person the thread is about. Carry on.

Darren huckerby who retired from playing 10 years before Martin's first managerial job and has never coached at a club managed by him?

Am I the only one that has never heard of Flynn Downes and isn't that impressed by his record?

That's alright then, the transfer window will still be open after the first game.

Yeah, I imagine they'll get a higher viewership overall but lower crowds. Trouble is the majority of people already have a team to go and support - the men's team. Take this season for example, we'll already have three games a week for most of the season. People are then expected to go a fourth time? You're supposed to justify to your other half that over half the week you're spending your evening or majority of your daytime at the football? And get enough time off of work for it as well? I don't know why they can't just accept it for what it is. Nobody complains about needing to get crowd numbers up at hockey matches.

One of the weirdest things I heard Semmens or Ankersen say was that we were signing players to fill out our B team squad. Surely you sign players for the first team and the ones they replace end up in the B team?

Not saying that, just given our recent history of taking players that age and throwing them into the Prem it would be strange if we sign them a league below and say "well, maybe they'll be ready in a few years".