Matthew Le God

3 inches taller than Piatti.

What is it about a team like this that makes you think they couldn't beat one of the weakest Championship sides? K.Davis Clyne Yoshida Hooiveld Fox Cork S. Davis Ramirez Do Prado Isgrove Mayuka

Odd when someone describes themselves as a "Reputable established football associate"

You are making up your own definition for "reserves" then, as there is no reserve league anymore. As football now allows for 7 subs, those that would have played reserve team football in the past are now on the subs bench for the first team.

What would Pochettino gain from playing Osvaldo if he is already match fit? If he isn't playing with other first team players (Lambert, Lallana, Wanyama etc) it isn't helping him to gel with them by playing him with the back up players (Do Prado, Cork, Davis etc). It'll just mean he'll miss training sessions with those playing on Saturday. (he'll probably start tonight now I've said that )

Depends on your definition of "reserve" then. There isn't a reserve league any more and those 7 players I listed are not first choice. If it were a Championship match against one of the weakest teams in the league and Saints put out a line-up of... K.Davis Clyne Yoshida Hooiveld Fox Cork S. Davis Ramirez Do Prado Isgrove Mayuka Would you be confident? I would. A line-up like that should be able to win and leaves our key players fresh for Saturday.

Do Prado, Cork, K.Davis, S.Davis, Yoshida, Fox, Mayuka, Hooiveld Theres 7 players that don't start for the first team. Plus you could give Ramirez and Clyne some gametime as they haven't started a match yet. All of them are more than capable to beat a poor Championship side.

Our "reserves"... Do Prado, Cork, K.Davis, S.Davis, Yoshida, Fox, Mayuka, Hooiveld etc should all be good enough to beat Barnsley. They were all important parts of the Championship promotion winning team and/or internationals.

Like this fly on the wall documentary...

Charlie, there was a sell on clause when he left in 2007. But the club cashed in on it a year after Bale left in 2008 and also got Tommy Forecast.

We've had 39 threads on Gareth Bale... http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/search.php?searchid=694419 The answer to this question is in a lot of them.

Schneiderlin and Shaw weren't fully fit according to Adam Blackmore of BBC Radio Solent, no news on "Spider" though... Adam Blackmore ‏@bigadamsport 24 Aug Apologies for delay in replying to queries about fitness of Schneiderlin & Shaw - both are ok but came off after not being 100% in the week

Saints under 21's lineup today vs Reading... Johns, Young, McCarthy, Turnbull, Targett, Moore, Flannigan, Sims, Sinclair, Gallagaher, Seager Subs: Cropper, Colmer, Robinson, Branker, Mugabi ..................... Omar Rowe, Jack Stephens, Harrison Reed and Lloyd Isgrove missing, so they could be some of the 7 subs for the Barnsley game.

Yes

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2401892/Southampton-interested-signing-Valencia-winger-Pablo-Piatti-season-long-loan.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

It is 7 subs in the League Cup, same as in the Premier League and Football League.

What makes you think that?

They changed it... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2334206/Cardiff-City-black-colour-change-criticism-following-kit-launch.html

I hope Turkish isn't still trying to correspond with someone who has him on ignore and won't be viewing his posts or replying to him.

No it isn't. A full away end of around 3,100 (an extra 1,300 or so fans) would make the total "circa 31,000", which is what I said. It was the 4th highest attendance in England yesterday! During the summer holidays, on a bank holiday for a game that won't attract much corporate interest. It really isn't as disappointing as you make out. Before yesterday every game in 2013 bar the Everton game (which came after popular Adkins was sacked) has sold out. So of course you have to look at other factors influencing the Sunderland attendance. In the grand scheme of things yesterdays attendance holds up well with all things considered and compared with other clubs.

It was the 4th biggest attendance in England so far on this Bank Holiday weekend. If Sunderland had filled the away end it would have been circa 31,000.

? Why would you have Danny Fox or Matthew Targett (who hasn't even been training with the 1st team) on the bench over Calum Chambers?

He appears 3 seconds into the video...

Saints won't be lining up like this either... 01 K Davis 02 Clyne 03 Yoshida 06 Fonte 23 Shaw 04 Schneiderlin (S Davis - 59' ) 10 Ramirez 18 Cork 42 Puncheon (Guly - 80' ) 07 Lambert 24 Mayuka (De Ridder - 55' )