VectisSaint

Idiotkez would probably have missed, one of our worst signings ever. No-one should have let Best take a pen under such pressure, at least he had the guts to step up when all of our experienced players bottled it. As usual we put all the effort into making Best into a good player and then let him go when he is finally coming good.

Conversely it could be the best time to announce a signing, before an FA Cup game that doesn't affect our promotion bid, give those "in the risk zone" the chance to go out and show the manager what they can do. Anyway there is no-one really "in the risk zone", the team we have is already good enough to win the League, what we will be bringing in is players to strengthen the squad to cover for injuries/suspensions and to be be available at the next level. Competition for places is what its all about, competition for Rickie, long term replacement for Jaidi and backup for AOC assuming Punch departs.

True, but he hasn't played at all this season (apart from short sub appearance last game) due to cruciate ligament injury and only played about 8 times total last season. What odds on 4 PL managers being sacked tomorrow: Grant, Hodgson, Ancelotti & Houllier must all be slightly concerned at their future job prospects?

You've got Brett Ormerod

Much more important is that Stockport have sacked Simpson, the only man to see the merits of A Pulis Jr as a footballer (other than his Dad of course). The new man may have a different view, this could be seriously bad news for us. AP has now played 11 times for County, he is now becoming quite an experienced player, over 20 professional appearances now.

As always, strongest team possible. Only exceptions I might make would be to play Bart (which doesn't really weaken us anyway) and play Seaborne instead of Jaidi. Blackpool will field a weakened side.

No no no, its not us that aren't the proper fans, its those that actually live in Southampton who are the plastics, FFS all they have to do to see Saints is walk or bus a couple of miles or so. Proper supporters have to travel miles and miles, catch a ferry or even a plane. Never lived in Southampton in my life, but spent years crossing the Solent for home and away games, thats true support LOL Anyone who supports Saints has my total respect, you don't have to be mad to do so but it helps.

The only player in the 1st team squad who will not make it in the Championship is Jaidi, not because he is not good enough, but because his legs won't take it for another season. Thats why we need to be looking for another CB to play alongside Fonte, not for this season but for next. Everyone else we have is more than capable of top half at least Championship finish.

Best has been injured this season, yesterday was his first game back (cruciate ligaments). I think its a touch unfair to say he has done naff all at Newcastle, really hasn't had much of a chance so far. Still he is probably only about 4th or 5th choice there now. Still wouldn't have him back, watched him yesterday and his body language is al wrong, gives the impression of being disinterested and lazy, too big for his boots. Shame, always rated him when he was with us, and was uinfairly castigated for his pen miss, when senior players/manager (joke, Burley's incompetence) should not have even allowed him to take a crucial pen in a shoot out.

With respect, that is somewhat naive. Its clear that JP doesn't really want to be at Saints, don't know why but he wants away. Just because he is our player, contractually, doesn't mean it would be good to have him back. Players like him can be disruptive, and will not play to their potential. I guess thats why NA let him go on loan in the first place. I don't think NA's ego is the issue here. Sounds to me like Millwall are looking to extend the loan anyway, not get him on a permanent, at least for now.

I watched the goals on the FL show earlier, and all three (I think) were scored with him cutting in from the left. I'm not a regular attendee at SMS but I thought we were mainly playing him on the right. If he is being kept out here by Lallana then I can understand his frustration, but sorry that will not change. I thought his frustration was due to losing out to AOC, but he is primarily playing wide right.

Prefer not to have him back, appears to be a disruptive influence and is not keen to play for us. If we can replace him with someone who does want to play for us then we would be better off without him. It really doesn't matter to me that he scored 3 today, shows what he can do, but appears to lack the application to do it consistently and feels he is bigger than the team.

Believe his loan expires on Tuesday (from what I heard on SaintsPlayer today). His loan was not subject to the same rules as Chaplow because it was not a domestic "transfer". I suspect Guly would not have played today if we weren't 99% sure he would be our player in the next few days, or at least a new loan deal was tied up.

But at least he was right abut Burley (and one of the things I always agreed with Alps on).

Happy too, but not really amazing. Would have had to have been 1st to be higher, that hasn't happened since 1984 (?), before that in the late 70s, not sure if we were ever 1st but were 2nd, and before that in the mid 60s. I remember them all, but then I am an old git.

Inevitable, Palace are woeful. Now people will see the true quality of GB, couldn't have happened to a "better" bloke. Well done Jason.

I wish people would be more careful with their thread titles, I thought for an awful moment this was a thread about Anthony Pulis

Think we would be hard pushed to buy better than Lambert or Fonte without going daft, and it is not really necessary, these are players that will do well in the next level, in Fonte's case in the PL as well. Fact still remains we need competition for places and backup in these areas. Jaidi is more than good enough at this level but he is not getting any younger, and while Seaborne and Martin are good backup we are still a bit light in this department.

Not heard of injuries and suspensions then? Nothing to do with Plan A not working. When Lambert is unavailable we do not have cover, simple as that. Similar with Fonte and Jaidi, our cover is very thin with Seaborne, Martin seems not to be favoured by NA (I don't know why). WE have more than half the season to go, and will be playing 3 games a week at times, we will suffer injuries and we will have suspensions, ergo we need cover in one or two positions. We also need competition for places, currently there is no real competition for RL or for our 3 CBs. There is no need to have a bigger squad, we need to get rid of Pulis, Forecast and Wotton and bring in about 3 more, so the squad stays the same size actually.

I would hope we can beat all three.

I think we have some scope to offload one or two, don't you. The likes of Pulis, Forecast and Wotton spring to mind. I would guess Puncheon won't be coming back either. We certainly could do with one or two more, a big striker as backup for Lambert and another winger as Holmes is out for the season and Puncheon appears not interested in playing for us. Possibly another good CB as well.

Surely no-one will ever get that desparate, only a mad man would think of hiring "managers" of that standard. Thought hiring Burley was as low as anyone sane could go.

Soon be 4 when Burley is shown the door by Palace

Specially for those that leave 5 minutes before the end of the half

The Player Registration could not be transferred until the window opens but the deal can be done I believe, therefore cannot play on the permanent deal until the window opens. Could happen in this case, could already have happened I would guess, but it doesn't sound like it from what has been said so far.