VectisSaint

Actually it isn't. Apart from Hounslow most other teams have improved since early in the season. Results against those outside the top 3 are no longer foregone conclusions, that is why Ipswich and Oxford remain well within reach, because they have dropped points elsewhere.

We can play Broja in the FA Cup (according to the rules), it is only the Premier League where he is not permitted to play (to the best of my understanding). Whether Chelsea and Saints agreed otherwise is open to question, but don't assume he can't play.

The focus has been on Ipswich all season, but actually Oxford are in a better position than Ipswich, taking games in hand into account. Think we need to win against both to be sure of being top.

No. He pops into people's houses to watch MoTD, never said they were in the UK. You can watch BBC from overseas, if you choose to set yourself up correctly, places like Switzerland for example (or is it just a coincidence that Prof has a profile icon (or whatever its called) that is the Swiss flag, I don't know.

I didn't say that I thought it was a good idea, merely pointing out what (I believe) has happened, really doesn't matter what we think, its a done deal. But this is what a #2 Keeper is for, isn't it? Cover for when your first choice is unavailable, long term injuries to keepers are fortunately fairly rare. McCarthy isn't completely useless, indeed the beginning of this season right up until the game he was injured he was far better than last season (as stated by many on here). What I do wonder is why it is taking him so long to get back to fitness, a hammy for a keeper does not usually take this long to recover, perhaps Ralph lost it with him after his last game and told him he was no longer wanted, he was certainly fairly pissed off at the time.

I suspect Forster already has other plans for next season, as do Saints. McCarthy will be our #2.

Pretty sure that he was offered a new contract based on being No 2, Forster was also offered same but declined. The theory was that we would be bringing in a new #1. So, based on that and that things have developed since the Summer Saints could, in theory offer Forster a new contact as #1, on the other hand his mind may already have been made up and he has plans for next season already in place.

Maybe Prof is not based in the UK.

Very much doubt that anyone (other than Chelsea) can buy him before 2023, without the agreement of Chelsea (it will have been written into transfer agrrement/contract) After 2023 Chelsea get first refusal. Don't actually think Man U specifically would be very interested and seriously doubt Tino would want to go there anyway.

But he wasn't in the form of his life. Last season he missed a lot through illness and injury and scored only 12 PL goals (compared to 22 the season before, in just 9 more games). The writing was on the wall last season, and hence why I think Saints didn't really push the boat out to try to keep him. I would have preferred him to stay but really we haven't lost too much based on last season, and it wasn't too surprising to see him struggle at Villa.

I'm sure you'll manage somehow.

The deal for Bertrand was nothing to do with Saints, he was out of contract.

I think the Bookies have got it wrong about Everton.

Thought Tino was very average today, he looked like he was not fully fit, wonder if he would have played if Perraud had been fit. He seemed to be very reluctant to go past a player for get upfield much, as if he was aware that he was going to be a bit short if he had to get back and defend. I'm not being critical of him, think he is a fine player but today was certainly not his best.

No mention of his left sided playing partner Danny Fox. I wonder why.

Winner of Euro Conference qualifies for the Europa. If Leicester were to win it might open up another slot (mind you they are not likely to win if they play Vestergaard, though they did win 4-1 last night)

Brunnschweiler was a youth (football) player with Saints before he turned to cricket, and has been with Saints since 2017, he is not a new recruit, just into a new role.

Not certain that there is the same rule prohibiting season long loan players playing against their host club in the FA Cup as in the PL. Short term loans have to get permission of their host club to play any game in the FA Cup, but this permission is not needed for season=long loans (i.e. Broja). From what I can see he is actually eligible to play against Chelsea in the Cup, but there maybe a clause in his loan agreement that says otherwise. I guess we won't know unless it actually happens. https://footballhandbook.com/can-loan-players-play-against-their-parent-club/#Can_loan_players_play_in_the_FA_Cup

Nor is Ralph. He said he didn't know whether he would have the strength to go through with it when the time comes (or words to that effect). Think too many people are reading too much in to what he said in an interview. Just as I think people are trying to over analyse Semmens' comments about Ralph's successor. You can't really identify a specific candidate this far in advance, you can have a short list of ideal candidates, but what are the.hancesnof your top target actually being available in 2024,I don't think anyone is hanging around just waiting for the Saints job to become available, I would be seriously worried about taking anyone with that mindset.

If it was a myth it wouldn't have counted anyway. 😉

Ralf or Ralph? Let's hope no one mentions Marcus.

It is still what the BBC have published on their Gossip web page. According to the BBC Arsenal are rumoured to be sniffing around is perfectly correct, that is where he read the report. Try stopping being a pedant for a while, you may find it beneficial. We all know what he meant, but you have to be Mr Picky, God knows why or what you get out of it.

Almost every chance on Saturday somehow involved Armstrong, he set up several chances for others, and got into scoring positions 4 times, once with the almost impossible scissors kick which made de Gea work. Even Adams goal (just about the only chance that Armstrong wasn't involved in) would (probably) have been slotted in by Stu if it had come back off the post (instead of rebounding in). The one where he blazed it over the bar, only Adams was in a better position and even that was not clear cut. Adams and Broja fucked up several opportunities where there were players in a better position but no one is saying they should be dropped because they failed to finish. The argument made for Stu to be dropped is one of the silliest suggestions ever read on here (and there have been many), he is by far our most creative player, everyone misses opportunities, evident that our recent good run of form coincides with Stu returning to the side and being back up to something like full fitness. No one else would have got into those positions to miss (I think he missed 2 Saturday, the blaze over the bar and the one where he dragged it right of de Gea's far post). First name on the team sheet for me (maybe equal to Romeu/JWP).

Dates for most matches shown on the League web site (Full-Time), London Bees and Oxford still to be rescheduled Last game currently 1st May v Cardiff, Ipswich and Oxford meet the previous week.

Was he better than Harry Maguire?