Matthew Le God

Yep, but Saints aren't far behind in 5th... http://www.premierleague.com/content/premierleague/en-gb/matchday/fair-play.html

We are 1 point behind 6th after 31 games... we are already a "top 6 challenger" with Pelle in the team! Okay, he hasn't scored for a long time, nor assisted many recently but that doesn't mean he isn't contributing. A lot of our play goes through him. After years of decline in the Football League watching dreadful football we've now got an Italian international striker and some turn against him. Fickle lot football fans.

I said "benchmark", not match. How much do you think Villa would ask for? The Premier League is a market where Hull's Shane Long cost £12m and we are now a year away from another mega TV deal. Proven Premier League 24 year old strikers will cost a huge amount. Of course I'd like Benteke, but the amount he'd cost would be huge and Saints would be probably better off looking for value abroad.

Villa would probably benchmark his price with that of Lukaku's move to Everton. I know he is 3 years older, but Benteke would still require a huge bid to get him.

If we did signed him it'll be to play for our under 21's.

He is doing something right to be involved with the Italian youth setup despite being born in England and signed to a 3rd tier English club.

Born in Chesterfield, with an Italian father he plays for the Italian under 20 side, he'd count as homegrown if he signed for Saints... [video=youtube;ty7B-fTc-nQ]

Ings is leaving at the end of his contract this summer regardless of Burnley staying up or not. Even if QPR stay up that doesn't mean Austin won't be sold.

He struggled this season to get game time for both Wigan and Brighton at the bottom of the Championship. They are heading to League One next season.

He has never been remotely close to good enough for a team challenging for the top 6 of the Premier League. To get in Southampton's team now you have to be of a decent international level, or at the very least be on the fringes of your national side.

Our 1st (Niemi) and 2nd (Smith) choice keepers were injured at the time and we were using 3rd choice Blayney until Keller arrived... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/4006615.stm

Kelvin, Paulo and Cody's mothers write a sick note excusing them of games.

Have you just been reading the numerous articles linking him with Saints today... or do you actually have some proper insider knowledge you wish to share with the group?

Burnley will get compensation and it would be significantly more if he stays in England rather than for example moving to Spain.

According to...?

No goal or touch not being made at a corner doesn't by default make it a bad delievery. Extremely harsh to criticise him for that, he was very close to scoring. Lambert did similar, not every Lambert free kick was a goal.

He has scored from free kicks for England under 21's. Plus not all set pieces are direct shots on goal, Ward-Prowse puts in very good delivery from corners and free kicks.

Yes. Yoshida was in Japan. African timezones aren't significantly different to the UK.

Using the words "have to have" makes it sound like a Premier League requirement rather than a club based optional policy.

Where have you got that from?

Saint Charlie, I predict this will be your version of the "Paul Wotton is a better player than Morgan Schneiderlin" thread.

I think despite being significantly younger he is a better player and offers more to England than the likes of Fabian Delph, Jack Coback and Tom Cleverly who have all been called up by England recently as central midfielders.

"doesn't have a best position" - what of you mean by this? And so what? He has one of the best minutes per assist ratios in the Premier League, I'd say that is a good attacking contribution. "woeful defensively" is also extremely harsh. He has actually bulked up quite a lot this season. Until this season Lambert has been first choice on direct free kicks on goal. Ward-Prowse's delivery from free kicks and corners is superb, it can still be a good set piece even if the end result isn't a goal.

So what? He is 20 years old and playing for a team that after 30 games is 6th in the Premier League. You'd struggle to name many players of his age that would be first choice in such a team. He has played 67 games for a strong Premier League side, Schneiderlin and Lallana for example when the same age hadn't played a single Premier League game.

Newly promoted teams are allowed to buy new players in the summer and January. The 2011/12 Championship promotion winning Saints side wasn't good enough to stay up, but we signed players.