Professor

We are close to having a quality player available in every position and even 2 or 3 over but to challange for the top 4 the clubs up there seem to have 2 quality players for every position. Not sure we are there yet.

Yoshida's mistake that led to the City goal reminded me of Dan Seaborne against MK Dons. As the ball came out of City's area after the Saints' corner, Yosh committed himself to a hopeless tackle instead of getting back to the defence line. He did get back as far as midfield, but was still hopelessly out of position when City scored. One mistake doesn't cast a player out of the team, although it did for Seaborne who was rarely picked by Akins after his error. It might just mean that Yosh could find himself having to work hard to avoid Forren and Jose being the first choice CBs.

Totally illogical, I know, but I feel so much more confident with Pochettino on the touchline because, quite simply, he looks the part. Poor old Nigel looked like a clerk from thr post office. But I agree with all those who say that Adkins was very poorly treated by the lack of thanks in the Programme. Cortesew would have looked a biggger man if he had done the decent thing. Did you notice today that he cut a forlorn figure in the Directors' Box with no one prepared to sit next to him!

At first sight I did wonder how a thread like this could go on for so many pages, and then reaqlised I wanted to add to it myself! Seems to me that the pro-Cortese and anti-Cortese stuff should be toned down. No club chairman can avoid criticism at times so it won't stop altogether but on a forum such as this it should be related to football matters, not personal matters. For the chairman to rent a house from a company linked to a former player is a very tenuous link to football and seems much more like a personal matter. The outcome of the court case, if it goes ahead, should have no bearing on SFC. To the anti-Cortese people, I'd just say you don't have to like the chairman although most of us, me included, don't know him and can have a view only based on limited knowledge from various sources, some of which may be reliable and some not. What I do believe, is that if Cortese were to walk away from Southampton, there is no way of knowing what the future would hold for the football club. NC has a stated aim of taking the club to the top level. He may not achieve it, but then he might. A new owner could have the same ambition, but then he might not. Why risk creating a gulf between the chairman and the fan base when the chairman's objective is one most fans would support? As for the club being owned by the fans, that is never going to happen and it never has been, even 100 years ago, it has always been private property, because even when the owning company was floated as a public compny, the controlling shares remained in the hands of a very limited number of individuals.

Seems to me that as fans we need Cortese. He has presided over the resurgence of the club and has shown that just hanging on in The Prem isn't eough for him. Whether his solution in swoppimg NA for MP will work we have to wait and see but it has shown his hands-on intention.

A word to the wise, Matt; we all love you in Southampton and nothing can ever take anything away from what you did for the Saints but as a football pundit, it would be better if you moved on. Like any other fan, you are entitled to your opinions, as are we all, but the problem for you is that your profile will always mean that anything you say in a public space will get more publicity than it should and can even damage your reputation. Might be best just to settle down, enjoy Saints' results if they go the right way and watch to see if the new regime can achieve things equal to or better than the Lawrie Mac era and beyond the performances in your time, when so often the team relied too heavily on you.

Assuming Daz heard the figure correctly, you have to look at it in the context of the top 4 ambition. For a bottom to mid table side as we were during thw 90s and early naughties, 30K to 40K would be right and not filled every week but if the club was in with a chance of winning the Premier League title and playing in Europe, not only would gates go up for the big games, they'd go up because people like to attend to see their team winning matches and the club would start to attract glory fans from further afield. 58K still seems high but if that really is the figure they are quoting to people on stadium tours it must have official support. Staying up is definitely the first obstacle and is by no means certain but if we do get over that, surely this close season will have to see some early transfer movement so that the risk of relegation isn't an issue next year. Buying players the day before the window closes has never given the impression of a confident or ambitious club but we are told that they are.

I agree that Cork and Schneiderlin make a great MF pairing but when Cork was moved to RB at Wigan, he was noticeably weaker there than Clyne and probably was responsible for the second Wigan goal. Almost like Adkins was back with Pochettino making an inexplicable change when he brought JWP on for Clyne. Although JWP played perfectly well, that change disrupted the midfield and weakened the defence. The lesson should be to keep Cork and Schneiderlin together.

If there was a point in buying Forren it was to play him. Jack Stephens is already there as CB behind the other three so Forren was not intended as cover. For me, Yoshida should normally be the other first choice, but he did look uncertain at times this week and he's not the goal threat at set pieces that both Jose and Jos can be. At the moment I think I'd go for Forren and Hooiveld butr its not easy. We all wanted another CB and now we've got one it may have given the manager quite a selection problem.

'Fraid have agree with above. Possessioon should mean more chances and chnces have to converted. On the balance of the game that should have been a win by at least 2 clear goals, and since Wigan are such a poor side, maybe more. But what else can be done. We have two proven strikers in Rickie and J-Rod and well as both played it wasn't enough. I thought Davis did well in midfield when he came on but wasn't so sure about Yoshida today. Expect him to hold his place ahead of Hooiveld but it would be good to see Forren coming in as soon as he's ready.

At the end of this window, SFC are looking a proper Premier League club again. There has been no panic buys, which are apparent in other places. QPR is reminiscent of the panic buying when 'Arry was here and despite his 5 buys in January that year, he failed to avoid relegation. Our new manager appears confident in himself, calm and most important, confident in the quality of his squad. The loan of SDR, who had been on the fringe of the first team is also promising as it suggests that Pochettino doesn't see him as good enough for Saints. Obviously we need to get more points on the board by winning games as well as just not losing too many, but its very hard to imagine us being in the relegation dog fight given the way the team is playing, and with the weakness at CB now resolved.

This is the point. I've no problem with him being booked occasionally as it is easy to cross the line from fair to foul and to be effective he has to play close to that line, but he didn't need to be booked at Old Trafford. So its not his tackling I'm talking about, its behaviour after the game has been stopped for a foul, such as kicking the ball away, retaliating or accosting the ref, which are the kind of things that other players do get booked for and which Morgan could avoid.

The ' Adkins wasn't a big enough name to attract quality players' could be a manufactured reason for his nsacking by someone who just wants to criticise the Cortese decision, but for all I know it may be true. On the other hand, Pochettino does look more like a football manager and more like a former player, whereas Nigel looks more like a bank clerk, so maybe that was the reason. Will we ever know..........

After Morgan got his latest booking this week at Old Trafford I checked the stats on the OS and see he has had 7 yellow cards this season, easily the most of any Saints' player. He's also top for the most fouls. As a defensive midfielder he does have to put in more tackles than some other players but when he fouls an opponent he gives away a free kick that can result in a goal to the opposition. When he gets a yellow card he then has to tone down his play in case he gets a second yellow and is sent off, which can reduce his effectiveness for the rest of that game. At Old Trafford, he certainly fouled the Man U player by grappling with him and shirt pulling which gave away a free kick just before half time in a dangerous area but that wasn't what he got booked for. Having been penalised for the foul Morgan then kicked the ball away and was booked for unsporting behaviour. Seems to me that some words of advice would help, or even a session with a sports psychologist. He's one of our best players but could be even better if this aspect of his game could be improved.

To all those bemoaning the single signing of a full international CB during this window, and those saying how weak we are beyond the starting 11, I think we must assume that the manager does not agree, and as football professional he is probably well qualified to have a view. The following list based on the starting line-up against Man U doesn't look to me as if all our second choice players are weak, or non-Prem standard. Boruc --- Poland international --- Gazzaniga / K.Davis Clyne --- England u-21 --- Fraser Richardson Yoshida --- Japan international --- Vergard Forren Hooiveld --- ---------------------- Jose Fonte / Jack Stephens Fox --- Scotland international--- Luke Shaw Cork --- England u-21 --- S.Davis Schneiderlin --- France u-21 --- James Ward-Prowse Puncheon --- ---------------------- Ramirez Lallana --- England u-21 --- Do Prado / Chaplow Rodrigues --- England u-21 --- Tadanari Lee Lambert --- ---------------------- Mayuka

Yes, of course you are, but some would disagree with you that Barry Sanchez's disagreement was an insult, just as I feel many would disagree with your assessment of players who performed very well against Man U this week, some of whom are full internationals. As for deadline day. As MP has said, there could be a surprise but only if its possible to sign a player who is definitely an improvement on what we have, and otherwise he is satisfied with his squad.

Definitely not. We need wins and 3 points will be better than had we drawn at OT and then at Wigan. Partly what may have done for poor old Nigel is that being unbeaten for a while is all very well but it doesn't deliver enough points if you aren't winning games along the way. Can't see MP being content with a draw going by his positive approach at OT, but we do need the front players to find their shooting boots again as some of the recent efforts have been looking a bit weak, Puncheon and Lambert at Chelsea excepted!

If a new line of inflatable Nigel Adkins dolls comes on the market, are there any people on here would like one as a bed warmer? It was Adkin's players, with a little help from the previous regime (likes of Lambert, Schneiderlin, Lallana) who played at Old Trafford bu8t would Adkins have made the same starting selection or substitutions? Probably not, as he tended not to play 2 strikers in away games and generally made his substitutions later in the second half, but does that make Pochettino a genuis? Different, Yes, but genuis is rather OTT.

Yes Miltonroader - you have been found wanting as Cortese is both today and tomorrow, whereas MLT is actually the day before yesterday, along with FB, LMcN, AS and a few others. MLT was rightly worshipped as a player as was LMcN as a manager (after his first disasterous half season), but their views on the present running of the club, whilst interesting, are no more valid than anyone elses.

Very much enjoyed dronskisaint's post this morning (No.256 at 11.11am Sunday) which chimed with my own views. Southampton Football Club is bigger than Cortese, or Adkins, or Pardew, Le Tiss, Rupert Lowe, Nigel Pearson, Mick Channon, Ron Davies, Terry Paine, and any others you care to name. Some of those did great things for the club, some were controversial, some loved by some and hated by others, but one thing Cortese said in his interview was that supporters should keep their support of the club above their admiration for any passing individuals. Like dronskisaint, my support goes back over 50 years to times when I woulkd come by train from Brockenhurst or park in Shirley to walk to The Dell, or go for a pre-match drink at The Bevois Castle in Bevois Valley (now The Rockstone Inn). The point I'm making is that times change as we pass through them and what seems very important at the time soon becomes history. That includes personalities linked to the club, but it is the football club that goes on. I have seen Saints playing in European competition, the first time being against Newcastle in the Inter-City Fairs cup on a very wet night at The Dell, and we have never really made a mark in Europe, so thats what I would like to see and if Cortese has that vision, then good luck to his project because we fans will all benefit from it. Be honest now, could anyone really see Nigel Adkins as a European Competition manager, or a top 4 manager in The Prem? Obviously some people could, but its a stretch of the imagination... In Spain, the football world there certainly does see Pochettino in that role, so lets wish him well.

One signing (CB) is enough unless they have found a really outstanding wide player at an affordable price to replace Puncheon, but as we are JP has done well enough to be worth his place. RW is a position that needs some flair and unless we have another Walcot or Chamberlain coming through from the youth teams, it may need a transfer in, but best not done with a rush in January if we can wait until the summer.

Ah, so that was the reason.... until last Friday Coutinho was going to sign for SFC until he heard about the manager change. His decision had nothing to do with Liverpool's league position, current team building, record of trophy wins, possibility of European football next season.......

Given the choice, why would a player choose SFC, which is in its first season back in The Prem and still close to the relegation zone, against Liverpool who are 7th in the table, have a record of winning trophies, are throwing the cash around and have the possibility of European football next season? It would take a real Adkins Luvvie to use this player's decision as a negative against our new manager. It was always clear that Coutinho was a prrime example of a money-grabber who had no feeling for Southampton, the football club or the City, and is just the sort pf player we are better off without.

Lets hope he goes to Liverpool, sounds just right for them.

Last two years the kit worked well. The sash was for good historic reasons and last year the retention of extra white when the stripes came back worked like a transitional phase back from the sash. But the move to predominently red has made the team not look like the Saints. No doubt marketing considerations will carry the most weight for next season, one of which will be that the kit will be changed again. Hopefuilly it will be to stripes but I doubt that the views of the fans will be a factor in the decision.