VectisSaint

If you're flagging things up to the editor (I see he's already fixed your bowel problem) then you should fix these two paras as well: "Last season, the suave Italian quickly won over supporters - some of whom who were overly-critical in the early stages of the season - with his passionate displays." "If his high early standards can be maintained, and a goal-drought similar to last month’s four-month spell be avoided, Pellè can most certainly make history." Otherwise a decent piece. Time and another 30 games will tell of course whether he ends up being an improvement over last season, he was after all very good in the first part of last season as well.

But have you understood it? The answer to that is clear.

I particularly enjoyed the poster that stated, presumably in all seriousness, that it is not the recruitment policy that is at fault but that the players are generally poor footballers. So the recruitment policy selects poor new players. If the LFC "fans" responding on that site were representative, then they will continue to have a major problem. I hope they are (as this will be to our benefit), but suspect that the club management of LFC have more understanding of what is needed. It may have taken them a while but they eventually realised that Brendan Rodgers was seriously lacking in the football management department.

Rodgers biggest problem was actually sticking with an aging, largely ineffective Gerrard and not having the ingenuity/foresight to replace him before he became a dinosaur, as well as not paying attention to the need for disciplined central midfield rather than a multitude of attackers.

Try watching it again (if you have watched it at all). If that isn't "whipped in" I don't know what is. If you want to beat up on Stek then there are examples of his failings, but this isn't one.

Well like many others I think you are wrong. You are not taking into account the game play. Of course if there is no-one else on the pitch and Willian tries it from where he did any keeper in the world would save it. But it wasn't like that, he had to deal with the rest of what was going on, and the other more likely possibilities, therefore his starting position was not ideal for what actually happened. I agree that perhaps given Willian's previous (that was his 4th goal from a direct free-kick in consecutive games) he might have weighed up the odds slightly different, but then Willian may have chosen to place the shot elsewhere, and still Stek would have been caught out. It would have been a very very lucky keeper who would have got to that shot in the circumstances.

It would only have been savable if his start position was near the far post, and effectively he had to do little more than stick his arms up. But if he had started in that position he would have left himself open to Willian sticking it somewhere else, it would have been terrible goalkeeping to have done so. The goal from Eriksen by Spuds on Sunday (2nd goal?) was not as good as Willian's goal (not as close to the top corner), but was still described as unsavable. A shot in that position is savable in some circumstances, but not from the position from a dead ball that Willian's was. I seriously doubt that any keeper would have saved that in the same circumstance, not even de Gea at his best.

Lucky old Maya. Trips to Syria and Iran. That must be what playing international football is all about. Meanwhile Vic gets to go to Mauritius (mind you its a long old trek)

Its swings and roundabouts, you see things live that you don't see on TV, you also see things on TV that you miss live. Both perspectives have their value (as long as we are not talking about MOTD type highlights, but full match). You may see managers going to matches (though its not as common as it used to be) but on the other hand our Black Box is based on video (TV) evidence.

As was written on the Chelsea build up thread I believe, it would not have mattered if there had been 3 Steks in goal, they would not have stopped that goal. If it had been taken from the place where the foul actually was committed then it would have been a different matter. But blaming Stek for that goal is silly.

I don't agree that he is being kept out of the side by Ward-Prowse. Certainly not just Ward-Prowse. He is being kept out by a combination of Romeu, Wanyama, JWP and Davis.

They can complain about a decision. He is being charged because he repeatedly (3 times at least) stated that referees were biased against Chelsea, not because he said the penalty decision was wrong. He is accusing referees and thus the FA of cheating, having a vendetta against his team.

The law applies to "retailers" who have more than 250 employees. Its the number who work for Southampton FC that will count. I would have thought Southampton FC have 250 or more employees, regardless of how many work in the retail stores themselves. Many smaller enterprises are planning to charge 5p as well, many also planning to donate the money they make to charity.

He clearly turned his head and was looking straight at the incident before it finished. If he didn't see what was happening then he really does need to consider a trip to Specsavers. Did he think that VvD had removed his own shirt because he had got a bit hot or something?

They really didn't, at least not for a League One team, or even Championship. Our budget in League One was massive compared to the other teams there at the same time.

Matt lost. At least i can stop watching Countdown again now.

Might not last 90 minutes...

I think Martina is also available. Curacao were knocked out of the WC and don't seem to have any fixtures this week. Stek is also not on international duty AFAIK.

Ramirez has not been called by Uruguay for a year or so.

But they never help poor old Chelsea, according to The Special Needs One. It was a fact though, stealing that 5 yards was clearly in this case the difference between a direct shot at goal and not. Happens all the time of course, but usually it makes no difference.

No problem it will be green

Tommy Docherty was manager at the time, he was quite special (and at least is not a arrogant **** like the current incumbent). Dave Sexton took over soon after and was in charge when they won 5-3 at The Dell later in the season (Jan 1968 - my first Saints game).

Glad someone else noticed this. It probably would not have been a goal if it had been further back. Still, the referees are all against Chelski aren't they.

We'll be the Southampton Saints before too long...(nooooooo...)

Think yesterday was just about as good as it has got so far. Given we should also have had 2 penalties and Tadic should have scored as well, it could easily have equalled our 6-2 victory at the Bridge from 1967 (Davies (4), Chivers (2), Osgood (2, but for Chelsea))