VectisSaint

Agree with everything you say, apart from the last two sentences. Bertrand will definitely play tomorrow (unless he is injured) and I will be surprised if Cedric doesn't start, after all Martina started on Thursday to rest Cedric. Martina is 3rd choice right back now, if Pied had not suffered his setback it is debatable whether Martina would even still be at the club. His attacking play is quite effective, but defensively (from the games that I have watched him play not from pre-conceived ideas if Shurlock is reading), he is very poor. Sitting where I do, I get to see Martina close up for half a game every match, you also hear the other players talking to him, Fonte and Virgil effectively coaching him. Don't get me wrong he is a great guy and his enthusiasm is terrific, he's just not very good at what is supposed to be the main part of his job. Targett was poor on Thursday as well, but was tested much more because Sparta actually had a threat down the right.

The World Cup of Hockey is for players in the NHL only (though I note there are about half dozen exceptions). The Ice Hockey World Championship is the real world international championship where teams like Sweden and Russia have all their domestic players as well. I see in the Mail today (reported on BBC Gossip) that apparently we won't see Ralph at St Mary's for some time, they didn't realise that he has already been gone for a few weeks, as the teams also play pre-tournament warm up games which they completed yesterday as far as I can see.

I post on what I see thank you. If he had been good defensively I would have said so. He played most of the 2nd half in their half, very little in the defensive role at all. This seems to be the norm whenever he is played, we end up effectively with three at the back, not saying this isn't planned but he is very poor defensively and has to be coached all the time by the centre backs. He put a lot of effort in to his attacking game last night, and of course it paid off with the second goal in particular, but we were playing a completely useless team last night and he still didn't look comfortable. Sorry if my opinion is not the same as yours, but I say it as I see it rather than having a pre-conceived notion like many and not swayed by one or two exceptional moments, rather on the complete game.

What an awful game of football. Sparta were absolute ****e, but you can only beat what is put in front of you. Still we looked shabby at times, Romeu in the first half especially was absolutely awful, Targett was skinned so many times, Long was dreadful and Tadic was a complete and utter waste of space (should have been taken off as soon as the bust up with Austin was sorted because he clearly sulked for the rest of the time he was on). Hojbjerg is a class player, and Chaz at least looked sharp tonight. JWP bimbled about as usual, doing nothing of any note (funniest moment was when he went haring after the Prague player, who must have been cacking himself knowing JWP was coming for him). VVD holds it all together brilliantly. Forster made a brilliant save. I haven't mentioned Yoshida, what was he thinking about with that back pass. Tadic and Charlie arguing over the penalty, don't care who was right and wrong that just should not happen. I won't pass much comment on Martina either, good cross, but defensively he continues to be absolutely woeful. Seriously if people think that was a great performance then God help us, because it wasn't.

Eddie Jones was at training, Puel's dad played rugby, Puel is mates with Pierre Berbizier, Puel likes rugby, he comes from Castres which is big rugby town in France, he is mates with another French rugby player whose name escapes me, he wants to go to an international rugby match, he may return the compliment and visit a rugby training session, he is open to learning from other sports and it is very interesting. He made some jokes about rugby as well, seemed very relaxed talking about rugby. No new injury concerns.

Probably true, but there aren't many Sparta Prague supporters in and around Southampton getting tickets in the home end and trying to make out they are Saints for the night that would make up the numbers.

Was looking forward to a stirring speech by Krueger to honour these fine gents. Unfortunately Jose ****ed it up, Ralph is pucking about in Canada and everyone thinks Cedric is **** (excluding me). I guess it won't happen now. Thank God to avoid the soporofic speech at least (small mercies).

Please can someone teach the interviewer about how to interview and ask interesting questions. How pleased are you? How pleasing was the draw? how proud were you? **** sake its like listening to a 6 year old kid at school.

It was also still school holidays when we played Europa last season. You won't get the same turnout in mid September on a school night.

We were lucky to even rescue a point. But its all OK according to the happy clappers.

To be fair, Dalek coming out has nothing to do with whether we make a slow start or not.

Ralph is not around he is busy pucking about in Toronto.

What we need now is a motivational speech from our Chairman to our Manager and players. Unfortunately he is currently not around as he is coaching Team Europe in the World Cup of Hockey in Canada. Just when he is needed.

We don't play the Czechs until Thursday do we?

Same here in SN. Not all of PO is evil 30-41

Do you have any evidence that anyone does care?

This. His abilities when the ball is live are poor. Yes he has good dead ball skills (though even here his abilities are overrated), but he is slow, is not creative, cannot tackle and is too small to be effective in the air. None of these aspects are going to improve over time (unless he learns to be more creative with his passing, unlikely in my opinion). So the old excuse of he's only (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, etc etc) does not wash. Unfortunately he is not now and never will be an outstanding Premier League or England player, he will continue to earn a decent living in the PL either with a lower level team or as a bit part player with us. It is nothing to do with us not cutting him any slack because he is a Saints player it is all to do with him not being the future great player that he is hyped up to be, and that people who watch him play week in week out can see, and our succession of managers see as well. The only time I can remember him playing really well was once maybe last season, or it could now be the season before when he partnered Vic in defensive midfield and he really did look quite promising. But it seems to have been a one-off experiment and he really has done virtually nothing during open play since to show that he is going to be a future star.

Saved his energy by standing around like a statue watching the ball for 89 minutes. Walcott was the fastest back in his days with us. Has lost some of that speed over the years with Arsenal due to injuries. Where was Ward-Prowse in the list?

Another reason to get an Irish passport post Brexit (if you are eligible).

Seems to answer the question, "where has all the money gone?". How/why have Saints got involved with such a bunch of shysters? We do seem to be scraping the barrel with some of the commercial tie-ups (the African betting company as well). Good job it wasn't Nasty Nic that came up with this one.

Assist and goal (penalty] might boost his confidence though.

Point with Valery though was that he has been around the first team (pre-season) and we could have added him to the A List but have (presumably deliberately) chosen to omit him. Loaned out players are expected of course, and Pied is out for the season.

So whatever happens Valery is not available for any Europa League group match. Everyone else is available for selection.

Expenses £20.9m in 2015. Matchday and commercial £29.6m Wages and salaries £72.1m, Broadcasting £84.2m So thats a balance of nearly £21m. Then player sales profit was £44m. Even allowing for Tax (2.9) and Interest (2.7), that's about £60m to the good in 2015. Questioning where the money is going is not unreasonable. I have no problem with paying off the debt that Katherina has accrued, with the new TV deal coming into effect this season, its difficult to see how even if that was paid off in full we would not be in a healthy position.

53 shots, 14 on target. We have a lot of shots when we are chasing the game late on, once we throw caution to the wind. The times when we look good, need to stop the goals against and then we might have a chance.