VectisSaint

So he will be off before the window closes then.

You didn't seriously expect Fonte or Cedric to play tonight did you? Bertrand is more of a concern, injured presumably, like Targett. Chance for McQueen who has looked capable in pre-season.

Is Bertrand fit? No sign of him in any training videos/pics. Also no sign of Florin still. Guess we will find out tonight.

In the beginning NC was responsible for bringing in over 30mill of commercial income from his business partner and great friend Markus. Of course Turkish would not admit this, since Turkish and Cortese are not the bestest of buddies. Bringing in significant commercial income after that while we were in L1 and CCC would have been difficult and it is clearly much easier now that we are established as a Top 8 club in the PL. I'm sure that Cortese could have done better on this account, and possibly would have if it had been considered strategically important at the time. Our hockey coach and heiress seem to be making a reasonably good fist of generating commercial income despite their lack of business background now based on the platform that Markus and Cortese originally put in place, and so credit is due and long may it continue and hopefully improve. Still good to see that Turkish still believes in his Cult of Cortese, even though really no-one actually gives a damn about the Milan Midget any more.

Sorry, but that is just plain stupid. You are quite right about the 50:50 chance with a coin toss, because that is a random event with previous events having no bearing on the outcome. But the level of risk in adopting the strategy (that some claim we do, personally I think it is not much more than lucking out) is not a random event and is heavily influenced by the changes made in the previous season. The chance that the strategy will eventually fail gets larger each year (if you believe it is a strategy).

If you consider that it pushes Yan Valery down the order then perhaps you're right, but he is only 17 and although he has looked good in pre-season he is probably a year or two away from making any sort of breakthrough. Jason McCarthy has been loaned to Walsall for the season. So signing Jeremy Fisher on a 2 year deal really does nothing of the sort, and provides good backup/alternative for Cedric, and no need to rely on Martina or Yoshida any more, neither of whom are good enough at RB. Good signing in my opinion.

Looks a decent addition as backup RB. Have seen only a few clips but what strikes me most is that he is a bit more aggressive and robust than many of our players. It is something we have lacked a bit, reckon he will pick up a few yellows but sometimes, against some opponents a more aggressive style is needed. Certainly looks a better option than Martina and far better (at RB) than Yoshi.

Exactly. The more times the Club goes with this risky strategy, the higher the probability that it will not succeed the next time. We've been "fortunate" for three seasons, maybe we will be fortunate again this season, then again maybe we won't. But offering new contracts (and they are only offers, nothing has been accepted) is not a sign of ambition in any real world.

Launch of an advertising campaign for his old man's buffalo mozarella I expect.

Batman may be a tool, but to consider what we have done is a sign of ambition is just plain stupid. Selling 4 players (Juanmi was forgotten but we had already signed Pelle's replacement), losing 2 keepers (one through loan and one through retirement), losing one other squad player due to his contract running down, losing a successful manager and coaching team, signing 2 players and getting others to sign replacement contracts is hardly the mark of an ambitious club is it. Take off the rose tinted spectacles, we are working to a model that has worked so far, but no gaurantee that it will continue. We no longer have a player that puts bums on seats (or these days gets bums off of seats). There is still a month to go until the transfer window closes, but to make out we are clearly showing ambition is just laughable to anyone who does not kowtow to the current board and think the sun shines out of their arses.

David, revisionist theory at its best. Les was interviewed during Pochettino's reign and stated quite clearly that his view and the club philosophy was that young players would develop better by being in and around the first team and being coached by the Southampton coaching staff. Soon afterwards Jack Stephens was loaned to Swindon. The "philosophy" was then changed to giving players loan experience at nearby clubs where Saints could keep a close eye on them. Then Poch left and Les's "philosphy" changed again with several players going out on loan, although two (Stephens and Turnbull) were at Swindon, who seemed to have become almost a partnership club. Then last season players went out on loan all over the place, the "philosophy" had changed again, though Turnbull went to Swindon again. The truth is Les (and the Club) do not have a "philosophy" and do not know what is best for young players development. They change with the wind and state that their philosophy matches what they have actually done. Personally I believe it is better to loan players out, but not necessarily to Champ or L1/L2 teams, Chelsea's idea for a lot of their players going and playing in the top division in Holland (or other "second level" leagues is the right way to go for both their football development and their personal and educational development. I suspect that we won't see Gazza back again, it looks increasingly like the club "philosophy" for goalkeepers now is to bring in/develop English keepers, who have worked or are working with Dave Watson, the England goalkeeping coach. Besides bringing in McCarthy would be surprised if we don't also bring in another younger English keeper who already has some linkups with Watson, in order to bring our compliment of keepers back u to 4.

Suggests we will sign two keepers, we can't go through the season, including the PL2 and ELT with 2 senior keepers (assuming we sign McCarthy) and one u18, however good Lewis might be. Maybe it will just be another young keeper, unless we are going to rely on Kelv coming out of retirement in case of emergency.

McQueen looks like he will be in the squad, has looked accomplished, apart from one error against Twente. Actually looks better thsn Targett now he is playing in his original position. Stephens is clearly ready, probably no worse thsn Gardos. Isgrove makes no impression. Valery looks good, probably decent backup for Cedric. Jones is good, but probably needs another year or so. Afraid Sam G is mot up to it, and not sure about OO. Reed looks good for a while, then disappears. Haven't seen anythimg from snyone else that would indicate they are ready. Hopefully Seager can make an impression when he recovers.

OK, I'll go with that, and save my massive thumbs up until the current board have improved 5 seasons on the trot I was happy to acknowledge their achievements after 4 though (even 3 would be remarkable, were it to happen).

We improved 4 seasons in a row with the previous board, and 2 (that's 6 not 7) with the current board. Will give a massive thumbs up when the current board match their predecessors

Only an issue if you seriously believe u21 teams will make it to the final. Highly unlikely in my opinion. Decent L1 or even top L2 teams who are playing together week in/week out will beat u21 teams who have been brought together purely for these games. Would be quite surprised if any u21 teams even make it to the semis. If it had been the u23 teams, as in PL2, then maybe things would have been different. Good to see Cheltenham Town in the Northern Group, unless Cheltenham has been relocated overnight.

It did when I wrote that.

I know, but you said in all 3 pre-seasons since he joined us. This is only his second pre-season since he joined.

He signed for us after pre-season in 2014 (14 August). Leverkusen friendly was on 9 August. We played Liverpool on the 17th in the first league match and he was on the bench on the 30th August (West Ham away).

Arguably, but certainly while Gardos is injured. I would expect: Forster, Cedric, Fonte, VVD, Bertrand, Clasie, Romeu, Davis, Redmond, Tadic, Long Subs, Gazza (or new GK), Stephens, Yoshida, Targett, Hojbjerg, Austin, JRod [using this site at the moment is absolute ****]

With George Curtis as their head coach.

You said "press", by what stretch of the imagination is Townsend "press". Media, OK. Does he write for a paper? Can he even write?

Really, always think of the **** as Villa, through and through.

Pshycologically a good team consists of 7 Road Sweepers and 4 Concert Violinists, if you are really lucky you get one lead violinist (according to Lawrie when Alan Ball died, "Alan started life as a road sweeper but became the best lead violinist Southampton ever had" - arguable of course, but neither MLT or Micky were ever road sweepers)

The new Saints TV Channel, exclusive to Virgin. Next we will have a radio station and then the catering will be the best in the world.