Matthew Le God

Southampton's system uses one real striker with Ramirez behind, Lambert hasn't been injured or suspended and has scored 8 league goals. In the summer how much quality did we have in the striking department beyond Lambert to work at Premier League level? Had we not signed Rodriguez or Mayuka, who would you suggest play if Lambert were to be injured/suspended? To criticise Rodriguez for only scoring 2 goals is daft, he has been used out on the left and come on for brief cameos. Rarely has he been played as a striker. As I said, he is 7 years younger than Lambert, he is his replacement this season in case of injury/suspension etc and in the long term can be groomed to be his successor.

Do you have any evidence for all of this?

Why is it a waste of money? We don't just need 11 players, we need a squad. Mayuka and Rodriguez are 22 and 23 years old respectively. Rodriguez in particular is the replacement should anything happen to Lambert, plus he is his long term replacement given he is 7 years younger.

Kasper Schmeichel is 7 years older than Jack Butland! For a keeper of 26 years old, Schmeichel has hardly had a glittering career.

As others have said, if in self defence from serious harm then yes. But I'd expand that further to include the defence of other innocent people from serious harm.

I'd be intrigued to hear you explain the logic behind that. Are we always going to be a newly promoted Premier League club?

Why would you want to move away from the 4-2-3-1 system that has been working so well?

If Juventus don't make a bid and Southampton do/have already then it isn't quite the choice you have stated.

Unlike Oxlade-Chamberlain, Bale and Walcott who were sold having only played League One or Championship football, Shaw already has shown himself to be more than capable to play at Premier League level aged 17 for Saints. Plus when Bale, Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain were sold were either in the 2nd/3rd tier and/or didn't have the Liebherr estate funding the club. Things are very different now, as I'm sure Cortese will tell any club bidding for our players.

The (ever reliable) Daily Star say Arsenal want to sign Leighton Baines to play left back.

The thread title is very misleading, Ian Abrahams has been shown to be clueless on numerous occasions.

Or... we could be positive and support the team perhaps?

Yes. Just use Artur Boruc.

The main point of opening post was using the fair play league (with Saints at the top and Stoke at the bottom) which has numbers of red/yellow cards as a key weighting factor.

Why do you see getting yellow cards as a positive? It is perfectly possible to be aggressive and not get booked, i.e. win the ball cleanly and also not time waste/dissent etc.

If you mean Hooiveld and not Hooivelt, then it could be because at 6 foot 4 Adkins thinks he offers a counter to Stoke's aerial threat. Today's team has a lot of 6 foot plus players, which we might just need.

Have you considered it is the same 4-2-3-1 formation as normal with Yoshida at right back?

Training is now more like how it is in real life and based on conversations they have had with those in the profession. Surely a good thing?

Apart from being quicker and technically better than Fox, Shaw is quite stocky, strong and pretty good in the air for his size.

I know how you feel!

Ramirez is on the bench so not an injury concern, Clyne not in the squad at all so clearly something wrong with him.

Cagliari are in a mess, do your work Mr Cortese... http://www.football-italia.net/28839/cagliari-will-consider-star-sales

I doubt that is how Cortese sees it, he has said as much in interview.

Williamson joined Saints at 18 years old having already played for the Torquay first team. He didn't come through the Saints academy at all.