Matthew Le God

How does that make the Daily Mail wrong? I don't like to defend the Daily Mail but... their article on 3rd December says the two players will be sold IF they don't sign a new deal. Then 8 days later Speroni signs a new deal. So it certainly doesn't show the Daily Mail to be wrong.

Only foreign clubs in January can sort out deals with players with expiring contracts in England. English clubs can't talk to Lallana about it until 6 weeks before his contract expires at the end of June.

Plan A was 442 with lack of movement and didn't work. Plan B was Chamberlain upfront on the shoulder of the last man, Lambert playing deeper, Guly and Lallana on the wing and Hammond making runs/Schneiderlin in a holding role and it didn't work. Plan C was to bring Connolly on for 10 minutes and didn't work.

I'd say every 4 weeks.

Why do you find that so unlikely? Have you not noticed most Championship sides are skint and Blackpool were promoted last season? Newly promoted from League One, Norwich and Leeds both challenging for promotion in the Championship this season having not really changed their squads much from last season.

Taxes don't goto the BBC.

I'd just like a local paper that provided good coverage of the local team. The Echo falls short in a number of areas. The continuing practice of "stealing" stories from other outlets is poor journalism. It would be okay perhaps if they had exclusives of their own, but pretty much every Saints story in the paper is lifted from elsewhere(normally the OS/Saints player). Positive stories like that of the Cortese interview are lifted only in small detail and a negative spin is put on it such as the comment about the BBC having a deal with the club.

Good on them, the Echo just "steal" stories all the time now from the nationals/BBC/Saints OS, but odd to see the BBC air their grievances in public. BBC Radio Solent Twitter...

Chamberlain has a better cross and better left foot than Walcott imo.

Remember he isn't doing interviews in his first language.

I remember reading that Nathan Dyer used to beat him in races.

Yep, I feel really sorry for someone sacked by a League One team then signing a 5 and half year contract with a Premier League team.

James Ward-Prowse was involved with the squad for the Cheltenham game, so it was probably him.

How was the general atmosphere of the evening, it sounds like it would have been very positive and friendly?

I know! Just asking, it may have come up and Spudgun may have more to add. I like to know about all things to do with the infrastructure of the club (like the training ground, stadium and academy) as it sets the club up in the long term.

I'd like to know more about the stadium plans. 1) How far along are they? What timescale are we looking at? 2) Is a relocation still an option if it isn't possible to develop St Mary's? 3) They think the club "could" average 45,000 in the Premier League, but how big would they make the stadium? 48k? 50k? 4) What in terms of development do they want to do around the stadium along with the railway station? Hotels, bars, restaurants etc?

Will deserve its own thread. I wish I had an invite to one of these dinners at St Mary's.

I hope ladysaint asked him about the "Ball Signing" room in the new training ground building...

Saints have a satellite academy in Bath, which is how they got and continue to get players like Gareth Bale and a number of other Welsh and West Country based players. The satellite academy allows them to have wider coverage within the academy travel distance radius rules.

What if Saints were mid table Premier League side when Walcott and Bale were at the club, rather than a Championship club? Both would have developed better than they did imo. Walcott's career stalled somewhat and Spurs very nearly sold Bale to Nottingham Forest. Should Saints quickly progress up through the leagues they will find it easier to keep hold of these types of players into their early 20's at least, rather than selling them as teenagers.

- Walcott left Saints in the Championship side when Arsenal came calling at the age of only 17. - Bale left Saints after the Championship playoff failure and loss of parachute money. Both took a long time to establish themselves in the new clubs(Walcott still not managed it fully) as they left too early and would have got more playing time if they stayed longer with Saints. But left because of a range of factors including Saints being a Championship club and needing money. If Saints are seen to be heading back to top half of the Premier League quickly, that will help keep the players at the club. Never before have Saints had an owner providing significant backing. I think that if as Cortese states he intends to make them a force again in the top half of the Premier League and it seems he has the funds to do so, players will stay, but only if the upwards trajectory is both rapid and maintained. Of course if another Bale or Walcott is discovered by Saints it would be hard to keep indefinitely, but I think Saints in future will be able to keep them into their early 20's, rather than selling them as teenagers.

Here is the 24 minute version... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/9270086.stm Previously it was only 8 minutes.

http://www.sportingpreview.com/prem_news/10110329.php

Point 5.10 of this document explains why... http://web3.newforest.gov.uk/images/planningimages/161300_21.pdf

Floor plans have been added on the 7th December to the development on the council's website. Only the ground floor plan, not the 1st floor. Ground floor of main building - http://web3.newforest.gov.uk/images/planningimages/161300_39.pdf Strangely there is a "ball signing room"! I like the big press conference room similar to what Arsenal have. Does look an awesome development. Upstairs will be the offices for the management/chairman/scouting, the players restaurant, players lounge and balcony overlooking the main pitch. Must be costing loads as it is designed by the same architects that did Stoke City's £7 million development, and Saints' is bigger and more extensive than that.