Matthew Le God

I think he is merely being used there because we are using the system Koeman wants us to play and as he is using two XI's in each game he needs Sharp to make up the numbers in central midfield in the absence of Schneiderlin, Ramirez and Wanyama from the tour. I very much doubt Koeman sees Sharp in his plans at all, let alone in central midfield. He is just making up the numbers at the moment and shoehorned into central midfield until the full squad is together.

The system Koeman wants us to play appears to be something like this... 2nd half [color=#292F33][font=Helvetica Neue]Boruc Chambers Fonte Yoshida Turnbull Flannigan Reed Sharp McQueen Mayuka Gallagher[/font][/color] Sharp used in central midfield due to the absence of Schnedierlin, Ramirez and Wanyama from the squad.

Southampton FC ‏@SouthamptonFC 2m #SaintsFC second-half team: Boruc, Chambers, Fonte, Yoshida, Turnbull, Flannigan, Reed, Sharp, McQueen, Mayuka, Gallagher I think Turnbull is the most likely left back, although he is a centre back he is left footed.

I don't even know where to start with that!

Pellè is having a good debut so far... Southampton FC ‏@SouthamptonFC 5m 3: Early chance for #SaintsFC as @GPelle9 chests it to James Ward-Prowse, but Hasselt goalkeeper Dylan Swinnen tips his shot wide. [0-0] Southampton FC ‏@SouthamptonFC 3m GOAL: @sportinghasselt 0-1 @SouthamptonFC (Graziano Pellè 5) #saintsfc Southampton FC ‏@SouthamptonFC 2m 5: #SaintsFC take an early lead through debutant Pellè, who converts @lloyd_isgrove’s cross from close range. Calm finish. [0-1]

Or... they are being honest and he has a groin strain. Why is that so hard to believe?

Southampton FC ‏@SouthamptonFC 1m Anyone worried about @Nathaniel_Clyne – don't be. He's just got a slight groin problem. #SaintsOnTour

I'm not the one who created this thread because of the following vague conversation... Your opening post to this thread is vague in the extreme to anyone who wasn't aware what you were referring to...! Talk about twisting people's words!

Because Chambers was so terrible last season? Pochettino at times last season was finding it difficult to choose between Chambers and Clyne at right back when they were both fit. Because the club has such a poor record of producing and playing teenagers in the Premier League?

Remember that squad tonight is missing... Clyne Lovren Schneiderlin Wanyama Ramirez and dare I say... Osvaldo Add all of them to a match day 18 and the squad is a lot stronger. Also, to write off some of the youngsters before you've seen them play a reasonable amount of games is a little harsh to say the least! The club have a great track record of using high quality teenagers in Premier League games.

Neither of them are named as subs.

2012/13 Rodriguez 10th June S.Davis 6th July Clyne 19th July Gazzaniga 20th July Mayuka 28th August Yoshida 30th August Ramirez 31st August Cropper 31st August Boruc 22nd September 2013/14 Lovren - 14th June Wanyama - 11th July Osvaldo - 18th August 2014/15 Tadic - 8th July Pelle - 12th July

Quite a few of the under 21's are with the 1st team in Belgium and a lot of the under 18's are with the under 21 team currently up north on a training camp with Hunter and Jaidi. The club haven't announced replacements yet for Dodd & Williams, nor for Hunter who they said would be becoming technical director and no longer under 21 manager. I'd guess Jaidi might get a promotion to under 21 manager.

I said Nathaniel Clyne's transfer to us was an example. You've even quoted it in post #170!

I gave an example.

If he joins an English club at the end of his contract Burnley would get compensation, like when we signed Nathaniel Clyne.

Rodriguez didn't score 21 Championship league goals in a season when he was 21 years old like Ings did last season. So on what is that "glance" based on?

And now you post a picture of an image in a Danny Ings thread with smiling_red_panda in its URL http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jdZAuafZKtA/UUdI267OPdI/AAAAAAAAACQ/iBhS2072i7A/s1600/Smiling_Red_Panda.jpg

As Bearsy said earlier... that picture is the first picture if you type "amused" into google images.

Bournemouth Echo journalist... Neil Perrett ‏@neilperrettecho 10m Burnley have rejected a bid from #saintsfc for former #afcb striker Danny Ings. Cherries in for another sell-on there.

Bournemouth Echo journalist... Neil Perrett ‏@neilperrettecho 10m Burnley have rejected a bid from #saintsfc for former #afcb striker Danny Ings. Cherries in for another sell-on there.

Sharp is a contracted professional at the club, what do you propose they do with him during this pre-season? Train on his own at Staplewood? Bit harsh isn't it? I'd imagine they are looking to sell/loan him if possible and if they can't his contract will run down and he'll leave next summer.

Because he is on holiday, due to World Cup participation. World Cup and Champions League finals? Do you draw no line? Just "goals at any level"? He wasn't exactly hitting them in for fun in the Championship last season.

Odd that the article describes a 27 year old as a "starlet".