Professor

The clip has had massive publicity, and so has the player, who now has a ban. But you do wonder what the referee was doing - or maybe they don't have one in US games?

In his piece on the OS, Pardew says that he may rest one of two as he can't expect every player to play every game, but he also says that he will maybe mark one or two that their performances have to be better. So whoever gets left out might be in the manager's sights. Wonder who he is thinking of?

Summer 1958 - as a schoolboy, I was reading the football pages because of Man U and Munich earlier that year. In the summer, the Third Divisions North and South were being merged into the new 3rd and 4th Divisions and the papers were full of how the northern teams would dominate the soft southern teams. Bury from the old Third North were favourites to win the new 3rd Div. I watched for the Bury result at the start of the season and they lost - to Southampton. Living in Sussex, the closer teams for me would have been Brighton or Portsmouth, but Southampton had caught my imagination. The next year they beat 1st Div Man City in the FA cup 3rd round and went on to win Div 3. I was already hooked, and later I moved to live in the New Forest, which I still claim was for work purposes, but I can't help thinking that love of Saints might have had something to do with it.

If Saints beat Brighton, both Gillingham and Stockport have to get at least a draw to stay above us. On current from (last 5 games) Saints are equal top of the table with 13 points from 15 (with Millwall) If football was totally predictable, no one would have invented Football Pools, but the odds do favour moving up two places this weekend.

Haven't read all this thread, but have enjoyed what I have read. Just three points, for other people not to bother reading, either....... 1. It is remarkable that the God Delusion has survived despite science and education showing it to be just that. 2. People seem to be able to compartmentalise - so that they can treat their belief in God separately from their understanding of the origin of the Universe without needing to resolve the obvious conflict between the two. 3. God and the Church are two different things. The Church plays several valuable roles in society. Not everyone who believes in the need for the Church, including some of those working in it, believe in God.

Just seen on BBC Breakfast. Liverpool got a draw last night from a penalty. The penalty came from a very deliberate dive, where the Liverpol player jumped over the defenders legs, well away from contact, and went straight to ground. So one more point in the Premier Table, but not gained under the rules of football. Is it so now so much part of the game that fans applaud their players who 'win' a penalty? Do clubs train players to make deliberate contact with a defender in order to fake a foul? If all that matters is the result, does the means matter at all? Of course it matters. Liverpool cheated last night and everyone who saw the clip on BBC knows that. The Football authorities desparately need to do something about it, not just about Liverpool but about the whole sickness in the game. It is perfectly feasible to take firm action against the clubs and players when the evidence of cheating is there from the video of the game. More than that, every game could be videoed by different methods, specifically to watch for cheating. The penalty rule itself needs to be changed. It is too high an award fouls that do not affect a scoring chance. Its use should be seriously restricted and replaced with direct or indirect free kicks, depending on the foul committed.

Its an appalling situation that the fat cats sit on the top of the heap stuffing huge sums of money into their pockets while the rest of football struggles to survive. The money only comes from in the massive quantities it does because of TV and the return of so much of it to just a few players, managers and agents is a scandal. There is a suggestion that some of the wealthy owners in the Abramovich class are beginning to get fed up with seeing their money being handed out to those who have their snouts in the trough. Thats probably the best hope of change, that those bankrolling the system get tired of doing it, because it doesn't look like the people running the game will do it, as they are down at the trough themselves. The game's best hope at present is Platini, but his chances of success might be slim.

You can't predict who you will draw in the FA Cup so you just deal with what you get. A home draw would have been nice, but away to a struggling side in Div 2 must be good news as far as progressing to round 3 is concerned. I can start dreaming of a mid-table premier side who will underestimate us so we help them to start concentrating on trying to stay up!

The quotes from Connelly on the OS in the article 'Connelly wants more of the same'.

Surprised at so many people wanting an away draw in the FA cup. True, we can expect to win away to anyone in the next round, but home advantage makes that more probable and means a gate of over 20,000. The uncertainty of the draw is one of the great things about the FA cup - and was a factor in getting to the Final in 2003. If this year the draw gives us a chance to see how this Saints team performs against a premier league side, that would be very interesting. Lets be the first Div1 side to get to the Final.

After his two goals against Bristol Rovers, it was rightly pointed out that David Connelly had scored four goals in four games for the Saints. In fact he hasn't played a full game for the team yet. After 3 games coming on as sub, he started against Rovers but was subbed at 78 minutes. His 4 goals come from around 170 minutes on the pitch, so roughly a goal in every 45 minutes! Connelly says himself that he is not match fit yet, and incredibly, that he is still rusty after so long out of the game. An absolute coup by Saints to get him and it would be interesting to know how it came about, when other teams have clearly missed out on an absolute gem. If its down to Pardew's time at West Ham, this could be one of the best things Pards has done so far, which is saying something given the quality of his other signings.

All credit to Pardew for going to 4-4-2 from the start. Not before time after the evidence of the last few games. But I wonder if Pardew panicked when Rovers pulled one goal back so he reverted to 4-5-1 and went defensive. Although it worked, because the penalty did not come until too late in the game for Rovers to save it, but its more evidence that 4-5-1 is very risky. What is going for us is that Pardew has assembled a great squad, and all credit to him for that. This team is better than last year's by quite a measure and could hold its own in the CCC but Pardew needs to shake off his attachment to defensive play when he has so many quality players who are delivering the goods.

He's probably still number 3? Not on the bench when Pardew is starting with 4-5-1 but probably would be if Pards was playing 4-4-2 for the whole match.

Absolutely great! This is what real football is about. Very much hope he makes the grade, he certainly is showing the right attitude.

I never expected us to sign Mellis as its a standard Cherlsea loan, but now looks like Preston will not want to sell Trotman. As for the spot this week, I'd go for Thomas.

Gordon Taylor has had to issue a statement to 'clarify' what was meant by the PFA giving support to King. A fairly mealy mouthed statement that still doesn't recognise that King is a serial offender, or that footballers are in a special position of influence over many young fans. Its not what a player does as a footballer that gives him his high wages, its the high media profile of football - and the price of that should be that truly bad behaviour rules you out.

Lets remember that Marlon King has already had his second, third , fourth and more chances. The man is a violent thug who should not be allowed to use his football ability to obtain any level of respect from the public, and certainly not to set an example to young people.

Bristol Rovers are going through a rough patch. It should be possible to get a result against Rovers, even if its a draw, with a few players rested. I'm sure he won't risk any players with knocks but overall I expect he will limit the changes to 3 or 4 at most. If he is allowed to cup-tie any loanees he probably will, as it may increase the prospect of keeping them. I suppose the team against Charlton depends on how this week's game goes, so I expect Pards will only decide on that next week.

Russell Slade, next recruit to the Saint's scouting set-up? But could Brighton poach one of our potential DoF's - Is Coppell too big for them?

Agree about Gillet, but doesn't the argument about 'weak points' suggest that fans know better than the manager? He sees the players home and away, in games and at training, and has the advice of the coaching staff, while fans watch a game for 90 minutes once a fortnight. And if fans are actually trying to eliminate the weak point, is that best done by undermining a player's confidence so that he plays even worse? It might result in a change or it might just entrench the manager - eg Jermaine Wright - and in the meantime the team might not be at 100%. I know its wishful thinking, but I'd rather see the fans get behind the whole team and encourage even the less popular players.

Logic suggests that the best team should win regardless of the system, but Saints have not been winning until the system has been changed. However, as different players have come on when the system is changed, there is scope for argument as to whether it is players or system. Personally, I think it is system, but others disagree. Pardew might feel that we do only have two quality strikers with Lallana now more settled in the wide role, and Saga seemingly out of favour. If Connolly is not 90 minutes fit yet, that could be a factor, but do we still need another striker as cover before 4-4-2 can be played regularly or should Saga be used?

I agree that no manager should act on the opinion of fans. We are, literally, ignorant of all the facts taken into account by the manager when he makes his team selections. But views expressed by fans outside of the ground are reflected in crowd noise during the game, booing etc. Dressing room chat also probably means that an unpopular player is aware of what some fans seem to think of him. Is there anything a manager can do, or should do, other than encourage his player to ignore it?

For as long as I have supported Saints, which is over 50 years, there has often been one player in the team that the fans pick on more than any other. I don't mean a fringe player struggling for a place, but someone that the manager thinks is worth his place, but who is constantly criticised by the fans. In recent years it has been Rory Delap, then Paul Telfer, now it is Paul Wotton. Just wondering what people feel about the need for a whipping boy, and seeing that some of them go on to play at the top level for other teams, is the role always given to the right player! Who has been a whipping boy and deserved it, and who was better than the fans thought? As for Wotton, Pardew obviously sees a role for him, although he does tend to be subbed, but maybe he's in the side as a steady influence while Murty is out of the team. But if a player is not the best player in the team, do they play any better for having the crowd on their backs?

In case anyone doubts it, I watch home games in The Kingsland, and its been a revelation to see the quality of players that Pardew has brought into the Saints' team. There must be plenty of managers who would not have been able to put together the side that Pardew has, but that doesn't mean he walks on water or that his decisions are beyond crititcism. But friendly criticism should be constructive. I do think he seems to lack confidence in his own team and even in his post-match notes today he is still defending the defensive system, but he has the players who are good enough to go 4-4-2. When Pards does play it, one of the strengths of the system is that it takes some of the pressure off Lambert as well as putting our best 11 players on the field. Possibly there is a fitness issue over Connolly, although I couldn't see it when he came on against the MK Dons. In the past, when Beattie, Phillips and Crouch were here, would anyone have played just one striker, so why do it now we have Connolly, and if there is a fitness issue, then why not start him, and then sub him later in the game.

Have you noticed that they've scored two goals since going 4-4-2? Do try to keep up!