VectisSaint

Would prefer to play our strongest team for the Palace game, more likely to get 3 points from that. Play a weakened team and you never know what will happen that might affect the next game. I would go Forster, Clyne, Alderweireld, Yoshida, Bertrand, Schneiderlin, Wanyama, Davis (Capt), Tadic, Pelle, Long.

It was a blatant penalty and if not was a "blatant" goal kick. So 2 bad decisions in one. He did seem to have some personal issue with Shane Long, who was being fouled and kicked all over the park, and yet the ref ended up lecturing Long seemingly accusing him of cheating in some way.

So who are we getting as cover for Yoshida while he is away for the Asian Cup?

I remember it well, but it is still absolutely shocking how we did in the second half of the season, 13 points in old money from our last 22 games, 3 wins and 7 draws. 47 points in new money, so even Dalek would have been wrong predicting that 40 points was needed :-)

But that's the point, better to listen to the medics, rather than start getting excited because things are apparently going well. It was always January. The article itself says, get to stage 6 before putting a timescale on it, JRod was just hoping it would be earlier based on progress to date. It was his aim, but it was never likely realistically, in all probability. Nothing wrong with having a target though, and as I said he has worked hard to be fit in every other respect. If he had not been able to run we would be looking at a few weeks on top of when his knee was considered strong enough.

November was never realistic. RK said from the beginning he would be back in Dec/Jan and it would be like having a new player. He has confirmed it since, by saying that that would not now be the case. As far as I can see it looks like he may be 2-3 weeks behind what was originally thought, i.e. mid Feb. There seems to be media and fan confusion about this "latest setback", there has only been one further minor op, but media seemed to pick up on it late and confused the issue. The good thing about JRod, is that he has maintained a very high overall level of fitness, the issue will only be ensuring the knee is strong enough when it comes to kicking a football - a major concern of course, but he at least does not have to get himself fit again.

He made team of the week in the Daily UKIP Express rag today, I thought he was MOTM as well, effectively playing like a sweeper just behind Jose and Yoshi. He really is a class player. I see that Garth Crooks put Yoshi in his team of the week, admitting that he didn't know anything about him, but that he would keep an eye out for the "lad" in the future.

I'm more than happy with Ron's clear statement that no-one will be leaving in January. Morgan will go at end of season, not before.

Wrong thread, this one is half-time entertainment.

So he's 20 already, explains some of the comments on BBC about how many teens we had in the squad, one or two I thought were are actually not teens any more. Is he the first Saints player called Dominic, no offence meant but it really does not sound like a footballer's name, a bit like Rupert.

The little kid who was our mascot yesterday predicted 5-0 to Saints. We all laughed. He was really not too far off given the disallowed effort and the stone-wall penalty and some other decent chances.

As an attempt at half-time entertainment it was truly embarrassing. Sponsors trying desperately to get some coverage. The half-time relay is usually a good laugh, but forget the zorbs as well and have kids try to score the goals as well, not young "adults". Otherwise the Albion Band and police display dogs would be a good alternative, preferably at the same time.

Don't think many are saying he should be first choice, but as a creative option off the bench he is just what we really need right now. His creative ability really isn't in question, but you are right that he is prone to injury and his international duties makes him unavailable at times. I'd still rather we had him than another team in the PL. I'm also sure that Ron would do better with him than Poch or Nigel were able to do. He really is a misfit at Hull, but then that was always likely to be the case, really surprised that Steve Bruce thought he was a good idea for his style of play.

or just that they have played less games. Assuming DC is Diego Costa, he has played 10 league games, Aguero has played 14 (although he has gone off injured in at least two of those). If Costa had run as many miles as Pelle in 10 games he would be on 62.

No watch? Have Eterna sold out?

Otherwise known as "lack of options"

Shouldn't this be on the Osvaldo thread?

Good shout, David Armstrong also comes to mind.

Though he was clearly fully involved in training yesterday. Depends on any reaction now. Davis also a doubt but he did train.

You might not moan, but I bet you would look completely ****ged after 10 minutes (of warming up). Unlike little Raheem, I don't think anyone has complained of being tired, but it has been clear for a few weeks that Tadic needs a break (in fact he has looked shattered ever since the Albanian drone fiasco). Without more options we have no way of giving players a rest, at least the international breaks used to be good for something, and getting knocked out of the League Cup early at least means less games in the run-up to the Christmas/New Year fixture congestion, whereas the ultimately fruitless task of making t to the QF has made things even worse this season.

Pelle looks perfectly fine in the training pics today, his hair is almost perfect. Davis is in just one of the pics, but it doesn't look like he was fully participating. He can be seen pulling on a tracker bib so he must at least be running I would guess.

The pity from RK's POV is that he was expected back In Dec/Jan (would have been like a new signing) but now its not so clear. RK won't put a date on it because it puts pressure on the player, but looking like end Jan at least, much along the lines of what was originally expected, but maybe a little later as he has had to "step back".

Having just watched Ron's press conference he is basically saying the same thing. It is not a fitness issue, it is playing too many games without enough options, heightened by us now having nearly every player away on international duty during the international breaks. Lack of squad depth is costing us big time for the second season running.

Trying to think of any pacy singers. The only one that comes to mind is Speedy Keen, Thunderclap Newman, who sadly died in 2002.

Good, probably confirms he will sign for us in that case.