Matthew Le God

This is a ridiculous statement. Which youngsters do you want to see play ahead of our large number of senior internationals? There is a huge gulf from under 21 football to the level of our first team. The Southampton first team is packed with internationals and the bar is very high for any young player to jump straight in to that level. Its a lot easier to blood youngsters as teenagers as a Football League club, than it is as a mid table Premier League club. The player has to be exceptional to get a place ahead of a senior international and may be better off gaining experience on loan and the breakthrough into the first team may be in their early 20's rather than teenage years.

So... - If Koeman was the manager in 2012/13 and had the choice between Shaw or Fox; you think he'd pick Fox? - If Koeman was the manager in 2013/14 and Clyne was injured, who from our squad that season do you think he'd play at right back instead of Chambers? - If Koeman was the manager in 2013/14 and Osvaldo, Lambert and Rodriguez were our only senior strikers and combinations of them were missing at different points of the season, who do you think at the club he'd have used other than Gallagher? Gallagher, Reed and Hesketh mainly got game-time due to injuries of senior players ahead of them in the pecking order. There are now more senior players (many of which are internationals) in the Saints squad than in 2013/14 under Pochettino or last season under Koeman.

Florin Gardoș ‏@floringardos5 37m37 minutes ago Good news. Fully recovered. Now fighting to regain match fitness. Still difficult, but we never get down, do we?

Its likely to more be a case that these are the two players we have out on loan that aren't getting games. Saints will probably want to see them in training fro a bit and loan them out to a club more likely to give them the gametime they need. Probably. I doubt it, Stephens has already shown he can be a top player in League One. He wasn't able to be a starter for the team at the top of the Championship, but that doesn't then mean he needs to go back to League One. A lower Championship team than Middlesbrough would be a better option.

Stephens is better than League One quality now, he is good enough to get regular game time at a lower Championship team. Going back to League One after performing so well at the top of the table with Swindon isn't helping him progress.

Its not really their story, they are merely rehashing the story from other sources and link to them.

He really wouldn't. I'm at a loss why some people say this. Ok, he shouldn't be starting every game for Saints but he has shown he is good enough to play in the Premier League. Playing in the Championship doesn't gain him experience, he already has a lot of experience at a higher level for 3 seasons. Many have written him off at 21, an age when Lallana and Schneiderlin hadn't played above the Championship. Ward-Prowse is one of the best central midfielders in his age group in the Premier League. Loaning him to the Championship also means Saints have one less first team player. How do you propose that is filled without bloating the squad? Why have you written off Cedric? Out of sight, out of mind? I don't see the club signing a right back to move ahead of him in pecking order.

Wanyama misses Palace and Watford matches... http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/suspensions

If you read the article it says... £30m in transfer fee + £32.5m in wages on a 5 year contract = £62.5m

Rasiak didn't play above the 2nd tier for Saints, like Beattie and Le Tissier did. Nor did Rasiak score 20 league goals in a season for Southampton, the best he managed was 18 second tier goals in 2006/07.

Which versions?

2 + 2 = 5 Mane has done it before when nowhere near a transfer window. More a case he needs an alarm clock.

Utter nonsense.

Not sure why people remain fixated on his £12m fee. £12m for a domestic transfer in the current market is not a huge amount of money. A decent season for a Championship striker and clubs ask for £10m+, so £12m for Long really doesn't stand out. Some people still haven't twigged the market has moved on from the days in the 1990's or early 2000's where if you signed a striker from another Premier League side for £12m you'd expect him to be one of the best in the Premier League. Those players now cost £25m+. You can get better value for money abroad, but in terms of buying a striker who has proven to be useful in the Premier League, Long at £12m has been a good purchase. Lucky for us Saints aren't run by Saint Charlie and won't sell him in the summer at a loss.

Fickle football fans being fickle. Shocker!

Fickle football fans being fickle.

I'm lost as to where you are going with this. Saints now have more numbers than last season in terms of senior players. van Dijk replaced Alderweireld Cedric replaced Clyne Clasie replaced Scheniderlin On top of that Saints have extra numbers in the squad in the form of Stekenlenburg, Romeu, Ramirez, Juanmi, Rodriguez, Martina, Caulker. Clasie and Cedric still have a lot to prove, but van Dijk has been impressive and the squad has more senior numbers than last season. So I don't see how anyone can justify in terms of depth the squad isn't better than last season. Starting XI quality may be down, but depth is an improvement despite the sticky patch we are going through which fickle fans jump on.

Koeman has said Austin is "too expensive", its hard to see how Remy is the cheaper option as he'd be on huge wages.

The Daily Mail are not claiming that at all. They say Saints are the "latest club to show an interest", that is very different form being "front runners" to sign him. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3372016/Chelsea-striker-Loic-Remy-quiz-new-boss-Guus-Hiddink-plans-Southampton-join-clubs-keen-January-him.html

Jumping to conclusions to think either rumour is definitely true.

That is pretty meaningless in terms of practical application or manifesting in reality. Especially after finishing 8th and 7th in the last two seasons.

Did you think Newcastle were not good enough to trouble them last weekend?

I'm not solely talking about league positions. In any case I don't think there is a great deal to separate two of the three players we lost last summer (van Dijk/Alderweireld and Cedric/Clyne), Clasie still has a lot to prove if he can ever get to Schneiderlin's level. We do now have extra depth to the squad, as we signed players in addition to those we replaced. That is extra depth compared to last season, but many fans are too quick to jump negatively on a run of bad results. But in general the club over the past 3 years is in the best place it has ever been. We have a combination of very good infrastructure at the stadium and training ground, a strong top flight squad, a very well respected academy and a good owner. We have never had all of those in place before in 130 years and next season's TV deal will allow the club to strengthen further relative to European clubs and those English clubs not currently in the top flight.

Fickle football fans... being fickle shocker! Its not new, especially since the birth of internet forums. The endless negative random musings of depressed fans grates and is part of the reason I rarely use this site anymore. The club is in the best situation it has ever been in and people still moan.

How many first team keepers do you want Saints to have in their 25 man squad? Forster is very close to a return, Stekelnburg has done little wrong and Gazzaniga really isn't as bad as many on here like to make out. If Saints did as you suggest and have another keeper, what would the do with all of them once Forster returns relatively soon?