VectisSaint

I'll pass thanks Whitey, just wait and see I guess. To be frank, if we can't beat Midgetland without him then we probably deserve to go out.

Apparently not, they are looking for one, if Stones leaves they will be looking for two.

Am I right to assume that Romeu is not eligible for Thursday? I hope I am wrong.

Hugely disappointing game. But, in the end blaming individual players isn't the answer. Today the blame sits fair and square with the Koemans (not sure how much was Ron and how much Erwin today). Setting the team up with two defensive (holding midfielders) and no advance midfield and expecting Tadic to fulfil this role was a complete and utter disaster. It wasn't that any of the players played particularly badly, though several didn't exactly cover themselves in glory, but leaving a huge area of the middle of the pitch without any presence from Saints was a disaster waiting to happen. Why didn't the coaching staff trust putting Romeu in from the start, thus allowing Davis to play his best role in advance of the defensive midfield. Until we have Clasie available, and now we have a strong defensive midfielder this is what we have to do. Expecting Tadic to fill this hole is just dreamland. To be honest even putting JWP there in front of Davis and Vic, or even Davis in front of Wanyama and Reed would have been much better. The Everton MF could not believe their luck being given such a large area to work with uncontested. So at least at half-time we saw what should have been done, Romeu came on and Davis was moved forward and immediately we looked more solid and could then threaten more offensively, trouble was it was too late, we were 2 goals behind. Then with 10 to go when we should be trying to win we inexplicably take Davis off and replace him with JWP, that was just a sign to me that Ronald had thrown in the towel. Almost straightaway, we were torn apart again because we had lost our control of the MF, didn't really matter that we conceded we were already 2 down. Very poor, and Ronald has to shoulder a large part of the responsibility. I would say that the players as a unit also looked lethargic, why is that? I've seen it before, sometimes we just don't look to be at the races, especially for early kick-offs. So, I would just like to say well done to Romeu when he did get his chance. I know we were already 2 down, but immediately he gave us steel and his reading of the game was very good, one or two passes went astray (a huge cross-field Morganesque pass to Soares sticks in my mind) but that is to be expected from someone with only one or two sessions with the squad. He will never be Morgan, but he looks a very good acquisition if we can keep him fit (just wish he would do something with his hair). For those who are criticising Targett again, lay off. He is being badly let down by others, especially the bad mistakes we are making at our corners (that's twice in 2 games). He saved us early on and took a yellow for the team thanks to the awful Oliver throwing yellows at Saints for inocuous issues, and had to take care from then on not to get another booking (clearly we had Martina ready to replace if needed, but after we were 2 down Targett wasn't really seriously threatened again). We could not afford to lose him to a sending off and he knew it, hence why some may have seen his actions as pulling out of a challenge. Its clear Bertrand won't be back for at least another 4 weeks, so we have to make do with a decent but inexperienced backup.

You are having a laugh. About the only good thing about today. He instantly gave us some steel, his passing was good, his interceptions, he really looked class in the role that he was brought in for. The yellow card was just so wrong, but then Oliver had no idea today as usual.

Some of the singles exist before tickets go on general sale due to STs. The restriction is not there when STs are sold, and of course some individuals do not renew.

Think a few people should actually look at what happened to Clasie on Monday night. Not many players would have come out of an accidental incident like that without a similar problem, nothing to do with fitness, and nothing to do with his hammy either, just pure bad luck. All that said, he did not look anywhere near PL fit before he got injured on Monday. He will be though.

Caulker sinus infection

3-1 FT

They've replaced Nzonzi and Begovic. But they've added as well.

Would make sense if we were all looking to buy our own little crane or excavator. Apart from their fridges or hotels, there really isn't much of the business that would benefit from sales to "joe public" which is what shirt sponsorship is all about.

Pedigree group can be contacted if anyone wants to buy it. Personally speaking, Shoot! was not a patch on Charles Buchan's Football Monthly.

This has nothing to do with replica kit sales, it covers only income from shirt sponsors and kit manufacturers. However, we would probably be in the same position even if it did, maybe now our kit sales will soar with the addition of an outlet at Gatwick LOL.

Nothing to do with being Cortese's vision, but the fact is that little more than a year down the road we are much further away from realising this dream than we were. We now have no regular first team club-trained players (the last to leave being the well known Englishman Morgan Schneiderlin) and realistically only 3 academy players anywhere near the first team (JWP, Targett & Reed). Targett will not get much of a look-in when Bertrand is fit, Reed doesn't seem to be favoured much by Ronald (and to be fair I can see why sometimes, he lacks discipline) and JWP, well there is a whole thread about him so no need to stir the **** here). Fact is we have gone from being a very British-based team with young players to an almost totally non-English team of youngish players in a season and a half. We have also seen a complete about-face on academy players being loaned out. I'm not actually saying which way is right and wrong, but the facts show that we are now nowhere near the vision and the actuality which was the reason we were held up by many as the model club for England in the PL. Sadly there is little coming through the academy at the moment that is likely to change this position, at least not for another 2-3 years, maybe the likes of Callum Slattery will be the start of a turnaround.

Pretty obvious to anyone watching the u21 game on Monday. Don'the local rags cover these games? He didn't look fully fit before the Citeh guy accidently took him out anyway.

Didn't we also get some money from AM for Toby ? *Noticed that Fitzhugh mentioned the same.

If he can reproduce the stuff shown in the video, then he really does look a very good DM, and very much in the mould of Morgan. Comfortable with the ball, likes to bring the ball out of defence, available to help team-mates and to start off attacks, even some Morgan-esque passes. Apart from having a little less style than Morgan (that certain je ne c'est quoi) and an apparent lack of attacking play, he really looks like what I imagine he is meant to be, the replacement for Morgan. I like the look of Clasie, but I don't think he is meant to be Morgan's replacement, more of an alternative in the more advanced role in MF currently occupied by Davis and JWP.

With 2 long term injuries, its only 5 not in match day squad each week, injuries and suspensions will take care of most of that. We do technically still have "Sick-note" Ramirez as well.

So far has filled me with confidence. Have to say, more so than FF I'm afraid. Stick The Stek behind Morgan and our back 4 of last season and you have a top keeper. Still the fact that remains that if Forster is out until next year we are an injury or suspension away from Gazza or KD again.

No envy at all from this Saints fan, at least not of Palace or Stoke. Other than wishing we had signed that Morgan Schneiderlin chappy, the only other signing I have seen so far that would have been good has been Wijnaldum. Shaqiri looks like a disaster of Osvaldo proportions, wouldn't want an arsehole like that anywhere near Saints, thank you.

So thats one then. Now you've posted the answer even the 15 year olds here will get it right (at least those that can read). By the way, it varies some say 39k is the capacity.

Do we have a pox doctor doing the medicals?

Wonder how many on here could quote the capacity of Goodison without either looking it up first or being MLG.

Despite the hype at the time it would seem in hindsight that we were wasting our time.

Agreed, he looked half decent in a team that were being destroyed. His touch and hold-up play remains far better than Pelle's, but his time in the PL is nearing its end, such a shame that he had to ensure a season of being under utilised by the master tactician and coach that is Brenda.