VectisSaint

I'm sure you've said this already today. It was one of your funniest comments first time around, there was no need for an encore.

I thought the chants of "******" aimed at Wilshere when Gaston kneed him were optimistic

If we could buy Guly a goal (at the right end) then there could be an argument, but although AL is not prolific he does score a few. Guly is much better defensively. Perhaps a more interesting discussion may be whether we look better with Fonte wearing the armband rather than Adam.

This is getting like a stuck record, would have taken a point but we should and could easily have won. Good performance, especially having played extra game, apart from the free kick Theo didn't get a sniff, we completely stifled them and outplayed for long periods. Yoshi and Fonte were great, Cork very good. Guly played really well, somehow we have to buy him a goal at the right end, you could see how much it was hurting him at the end.

Dyer's fault for the pen evidently

Oh, true could be I suppose. I actually heard it on 5Live initially where I thought they said it had been successfully appealed, but looks like I heard it wrong. Stoke site says they have lodged appeal.

On the BBC: "Steven Nzonzi is available after Stoke appealed against his red card for a challenge on Southampton's Jack Cork."

I was in Swindon earlier, if only I had known that the mighty Skates were in town (I would have avoided the place completely).

I see Stoke successfully appealed Nzonzi's red card. Didn't see anything on the sports news but he was cleared to play today. Seems to be rather a lot of teams successfully appealing reds lately. Always seems a bit wrong to me for the team who had the man sent off wrongly, on the other hand Stoke were definitely better when they went down to 10 men so maybe we should be aggrieved that he was given his marching orders.

Boo. You tricked us. Boo. (I would never boo Guly of course)

Are you Guly? If so Happy Birthday, if not Happy Birthday anyway.

I was feeling charitable.

"Carrico is a versatile player who can play in the centre of defence as well as in midfield". Substitute "Pele" for "Carrico" and all sounds very familiar. Has only played twice this season (due to contractual issues not injury). Remains to be seen if he is a bargain, he is not a full international for Portugal so don't see why this is seen as such a big deal. Sporting are not the team they used to be, in the bottom half of the Primera Liga, although cannot blame Carrico given he hasn't played. Seems a fairly risky signing, can't see he would be any better than Jose Fonte.

and despite this are nearly always wrong. Very seldom gets score right, and is lucky to get 3 or 4 results correct. Yet he is evidently the BBC's expert.

It was probably at his christening.

Yep, 2011 already

There was a lot of rubbish spouted about DC and his injuries, according to the man himself he was fit nearly all of the last season with use. I think even the Skates would not have signed him unless he was fit, even they are not so stupid as to sign someone on a month's ontract without checking out his fitness beforehand (are they?).

With the rain we are having signing a Wellington might be a wise move. Just hope he has no beef with the English weather.

or Dyer (Nathan variety)

Doesn't seem to be doing Nathan Dyer too much harm

Usual moronic vitriol on the Echo site from so-called saints supporters. DC was always a decent player for us and a decent bloke, did they really expect him to say when he signed for them, this is a **** club and I intend to take then down another division. Glad that he has found some gainful employment even if he is playing for a lost cause, basket case club, just hope he actually gets paid. I'm sure we didn't all call Channon, Davies and Stokes Skate ******s just because they spent some time in the twilight of thier careers helping out our poor, ungrateful neighbours. Cannot see what motivates people to write abusive stuff, calling people ******s etc in a public forum such as the Echo, really shows what a load of idiots we, like most other clubs, have in our midst.

And you accused me of being on my high horse. Your high-horsemanship is outweighed only by your pomposity.

Did Adkins go defensive? Did Stoke come out and play very differently in the 2nd half after a hair dryer half time from Pulis. Some people seem to forget that a football match includes 2 teams. We were dominant in the 1st half, but Stoke were also appalling (nevertheless they should have had 2). Anyone who cannot see some positives from yesterday really should hang their head in shame, we battered Stoke for 45 minutes, playing them at their own game. 3 goals scored at the Britannia, only 4 goals conceded in their previous 11, I really do wonder about some of our (Arsenal) supporters.

Ill-advised to leave Saints, as a Saints supporter that is what I think. Maybe you think otherwise. He was advised to leave too soon as soon as the £££s were on the table, money isn't everything, believe it or not.

Don't buy this fitness thing. He was still full of running after 102 minutes yesterday and is the only player that we have that is able to hold the ball up, something we will definitely need. I would be staggered if NA drops him to the bench against the Arse. I also hope that we don't get Fox back in, would be a disaster if we have him up against Oxo (assuming Theo plays as striker as this seems to be his position now).