VectisSaint

van Dijk, and Reed's move to make VvD captain for the long term. That worked out well, didn't it? ****ed off Fonte and VvD left anyway. Master stroke by Tweedle dum.

What like ZZ? Really don't get this idea that some have these days that managers are no good unless they have won something. It is often the ones who haven't won something who are demonstrably the better managers, those who show a marked improvement in the teams they have taken on.

If he was a Carlos Kick a all that we just paid £18m from some French or Italian side people on here would be drooling over him.

McCarthy wanted by Spuds according to Miiror https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/tottenham-keeping-tabs-southampton-goalkeeper-12618078

Nowhere did I declare him $****. I have to assume its something in your mind that makes you think that. If you think he is good then that's fine, your opinion is valid. Just want those that are responsible for the terrible last 2 seasons to be held responsible and for the club to replace dead wood with better people to improve the club. There are too many in positions that are protected by the club being too nice, some ruthlessness is needed. There are some obvious candidates who have not performed, and Watson seems to be one of them.

Suggests to me that Bertie is staying. Sounds like it will be a loan anyway, more than capable of holding down the position in the PL, but with Bertie and Targett needs to be playing, a year on loan at Brizzle will be good for him.

Yes you can. Watson worked wonders with Gazza as well didn't he. McCarthy was a good keeper before he joined and as you suggest a few games and his confidence has gone up. He really hasn't done anything remarkable, just done what any good keepers do, one's that haven't been brainwashed by a poor coach. McCarthy is also a much more natural keeper while FF has to be coached, and it's that coaching that is the problem. Just because people have a different view to yours doesn't mean they have an agenda, just that they think logically about the issue and don't care about jobs for the boys. Watson is a problem, and we don't need him, so should get shot.

He hasn't. He was a decent keeper when he signed and still is. Can't see any significant improvement that you could put down to coaching.

Disagree, of the two Watson is the problem. To be fair to Davis he is/was not employed as a GK coach, he just happens to have been a GK himself. Our GK coach Watson has proved himself to be useless in that role, viz the development of FF from a decent keeper. Whether we need a dedicated GK coach as we have Eddie (and Stuart Taylor who is "clearly" not employed as a player and SKD) is open to question, but if we do need one then we should employ one who can actually positively develop our keepers.

It's OK, shrews are not rodents. More closely related to moles and hedgehogs.

They could have Forster for nothing, hell we could even throw in a GK coach if it would help.

This young player issue with Hughes is another red herring. Stoke have about the worst PL academy, hardly surprising he didn't bring young players through there. Given he played Sims, JWP, Stephens, Hoedt and Bednarek during his 8 games here, there is no reason to think he won't play youngsters if they are good enough. Bottom line is though our academy is very poor (better than Stoke), only the u18s are showing promise for the future now that Danny Butterfield is helping them improve.

I was wondering if this was part of the delay, agreeing compo for Watson. One of the first things Hughes needs to do get rid of the dead wood. Not so worried about SKD. We really don't need 3 GK coaches though.

Perhaps if we had had a manager in place we wouldn't have signed him, that would have been a positive.

Cherry and white halves or quarters with blue knickers and blue stockings perhaps. Not sure what the Ladies team might wear though.

I miss the good old days when someone would hang around outised Staplewood, or even hide in the bushes, to catch a glimpse of whoever was of interest at the time and report back here. Is there no-one on here that could camp out at the main gate for us?

It actually says "expected". At the time he was appointed his contract was said to be "until the end of the season". Well, the season ended over a week ago, where is it explicitly recorded that he is manager until end of June? Not even sure he is manager until end of May. Not that it makes any difference, I'm sure our bumbling Board will eventually get their act together and confirm a new contract.

Gardos already going, but we need additional CBs if we are going to play 3/5 at the back, cannot play that formation all season with only 4 recognised CBs (especially if Bertrand goes as expected). The ones we have (Stephens, Yoshida and Hoedt/Bednarek) are good enough for first choice but the squad needs more depth in this position, at least one, probably two.

Has been responsible for less goals in the last 18 months than you can remember I think you mean. Another myth about Stephens along with the one about not being able to head the ball. In fact our CBs have been directly responsible for very few goals between them other than a few by Hoedt who for some reason seems to be immune from the criticism, presumably because he was a big transfer foreign import.

Stephens is not playing "because we have no other choice", why do people keep on bashing the lad, he is a top quality CB who has done well in 1.5 seasons in the PL, he will get better, but he is certainly not a disgrace. yes he came from Plymouth, but he is still our Academy product. JWP is OK, but his lack of pace is stopping him ever getting to be top class. But besides that, cutting through the ******** of your post, you do have a point. Our Academy needs a big shake up, while Hunter remains in charge we will not see a great improvement, one of the key ones that needs to be shown the door. The u18s have developed well this season though, following the appointment of Danny Butterfield, that's where our next stars are likely to emerge. But it is very difficult to break into the 1st team in the PL. Look at all of the players you mention and almost all broke through when we were in the Chumpionship or L1. So, if you want to see stars coming through from the Academy more often it is clear you need us to drop down a division or two, hopefully that won't happen. There are players good enough in the Academy to be in the 1st team squad, but managers (Koeman, Puel and Pell) wouldn't take the risk, maybe Sparky will be a little different. Its the way of modern football in this country.

Very talented individual, but football is a team sport. Adds nothing to the team (though defensively far better than Redmond or Tadic). Our scouting team should have seen this and never signed him, I wish him no ill-will but will not mourn his leaving, and the sooner he is gone the better for all concerned.

Stones is certainly not significantly better than Stephens. There are some people whose opinion of Stephens on here is just ridiculous. The oft trotted-out bit about him not being able to head the ball is the biggest load of nonsense possible. Clearly peole don't actually watch his play (I gave up counting the number of headed interceptions and clearances is one recent game (Boscombe?) when I got to double figures around half-time. Stephens is a very good CB, arguably the best we have (certainly better than Wesley ****ing Hoedt who is a nightmare, but will be very good one day). The heading thing is so old school, there are very few teams nowadays in the PL where you need a tall dominating CB, only the teams at the bottom end of the table rely on tall dominating strikers, much better to be able to deal with the likes of Aguero, etc., fast agile strikers. Even so Stephens is perfectly good against the taller ones. Sunday highlighted the future, Stephens will be our skipper in the fairly near future I would imagine, thats the way our managers seem to be heading. He will also be an England international after this world cup. Them's my predictions anyway, based on actually watching him play and appreciating a British Saints developed player rather than the usual Carlos Kickaball who has to be better because we paid a lot of money for him. Anyway, that said we need to bring in 2 more CBs this summer if we are going to play 3 at the back next season as I expect (assuming Gardos goes). We can't go through a season with 4 CBs.

We were going for the win, and the referee let the free kick be taken when the ball had not been stopped (and possibly from thw rong place) again. No complaints about the time added (again) for me but if the rule about moving ball is no longer going to be adhered to then we should be told and the law changed appropriately. Stephens was excellent again, Hoedt got away with a few more cock-ups but was good today, thought the back three coped well again, note that Stephens was given the arm band when Bertie made his farewell to the fans, a sign of things to come (in a couple of years), he is the one going round geeing up the players and encouraging them, great to see from a relatively junior player. Hopefully now Hughes gets given a contract, and we get rid of Les, Ralph, Boufal, Redmond, Forster, Carillo and bring in replacements for Bertie and Cedric who clearly showed they were departing today (though we don't really need to replace Bertie if we can get Targett back alongside McQueen). Two new attacking MFs needed, new backup keeper, new LBs, two new strikers (although Sam G could be one) and another CB simply given we continue to play 3 at the back. Would have liked to replace all three CMs, but Tadic has done a good job in the last few weeks, if he can do that consistently next season then he should stay. Quite a lot to be done, lets hope we get it all sorted reasonably quickly.

Actually he isn't. Just happens to have been given the armband while the skipper is out injured. Yoshida used to be the backup skipper, but he has missed games as well. Bertie is not really captain material, but given the other options in the team without Davo and Yoshida there is little option at the moment.

Good to conclude based on his 3 league games for them; newly promoted to the PL, including debut against Liverpool (lost 3-2), managed by 'Arry. So bad that Palace paid £3m+ for him a year later.