VectisSaint

Still a problem at Newcastle, apparently up there it lasts a lot longer before the infection is cleared, they reckon they will be over it by the end of the transfer window, sorry month. I see Klopp tried to back peddle on his false positives claim, but really didn't explain it very well.

I seriously doubt Pompey saw it as giving us a helping hand 🙄

No. As Ralph pointed out before the game we have played Brentford quite often in the last couple of years, in behind closed doors friendlies/at the training ground, we are more aware of their strengths and style than many other teams. Think it was pretty obvious beforehand that we were going to play the formation we did, because of the lack of RB and also to match up Brentford's formation.

What match?

Agree with you totally, my point really was that Tella was perhaps not the best example of the value for money of the Academy, because he was a player that we signed from elsewhere (OK he was effectively a free agent) rather than one who had been brought through our Academy from the start. he debate is becoming whether there is any merit in having an Academy, but I think the debate is focused around the kids, 8 year olds and so on upwards, not whether we can effectively buy players from other academies. It is an interesting debate, being compared with how Brentford have dispensed with their academy. I see Ralph defending it today, on the basis that we are there for the local kids, but not necessarily saying it is there for us to develop players for the first team. Personally I think the Academy system has gone very wrong in the last few years and needs a radical revisit. Hopefully Mr Pedant will not barge his way in on this post.

We only have to 'make do' for 1 game, really don't see what the fuss is about. Too late already to do anything about tomorrow. I just read we might be looking at Joe Aribo from Rangers. Can't for the life of me see why he would come to us over Villa, unless he and Gerrard didn't get along. Sounds like me may be looking at bolstering CM though.

Today's award for stating the bleeding obvious. Try reading the posts and understanding the context before you come back with your pedantry. Now I've wasted one of my 3 posts replying to you. Presumably you still haven't got a grasp on what professionalism means with regard to Valery's performance on Saturday.

Is Tella a product of our Academy? 10 years at Arsenal before he joined us when he was 17.

At least the muppet commentators will stop confusing Tella and Valery. Might still have a problem sorting out JWP and Stu though. Valery WAs actually doing OK, but it was always going to happen after the first booking. Hope Tino is fit for Brentford otherwise we will be stretched.

MLG has confused things, and then tried to fix it by editing his incorrect statement, which you quoted before he changed it. KWP's suspension applied only to PL games (totting up yellow card bans are competition specific), but if he still has covid when we play Brentford his suspension will be served, irrespective of injury/illness. Regards Salisu, the rules say that a suspension for a red card is applied to any competition (PL, FA Cup, EFL Cup) and so Salisu should serve his suspension today. BUT there seems to be some confusion now as Ralph said in his presser that Salisu would be suspended for the Brentford game (or words to that effect) so now there is some doubt about him, but no doubt about KWP.

To be fair the site does not say what Master Bates stated, what it actually say is that it is reported by Ben Dinnery (inury expert) that "A coaching or scouting role at Southampton may await Sam McQueen following his retirement from football aged just 26." Nothing in the article to substantiate what Ben Dinnery thinks, pure speculation. https://www.footballinsider247.com/southampton-star-mcqueen-may-be-set-for-coaching-role-dinnery/

All irrelevant now, Coventry Utd ladies were rescued and avoided liquidation. They were awarded a 10 point penalty but this probably just means they will be the "automatic" relegation candidates (without checking the league table). So, no potential opening for next season for teams aspiring to be promoted to the Championship. The Saints Women will just have to go out and win the League and gain promotion on merit (as I think they will).

I guess if your politics lie a little to the right of Attila the Hun you might consider the BBC left wing.

I note that the 4 matches that have been rearranged today are all going to be on BT Sport. I do hope the PL is not rearranging matches based on what TV Deals can be put together, if it is then that stinks. I don't understand how none of the Everton matches have yet been rearranged when they are the worst hit by postponements.

The hilarious rumour apparently is linked to comments allegedly made by Dragan (the TV Mogul not the chess player) in El Nacional as being his first goal for Southampton. Point being it is not just some rumour made up by some spotty Team Talk journalist kid. Maybe Dragan plays golf with Bale.

You're right, of course, our man is 57. So maybe he is a Serbian warlord 😳 Someone needs to update Wiki with his details to avoid this confusion.

I have some posts again, so First, hope we can stop all these references to £100m being paid. Yes it was the amount quoted "initially" when the story broke, the vehicle for the story was the Sun, but not clear who gave the story to the Sun, but in the course of yesterday afternoon the article, which was quoted earlier in this thread, was updated to show the figure was £150m. I haven't seen or heard anyone actually quote the figure (Semmens for instance) and of course I have absolutely no idea how much was paid, but i am inclined to believe 150m is more likely than 100m. If you add the loan to this (which may or may not have been paid, or which is still with the club) then the amout Gao could get could be 200-220m, which would at least see him recouping his initial outlay. Sky would almost certainly have got their information from the Sun, or at least the same source (the link being Murdoch). https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/17216890/southampton-takeover-dragan-solak-jisheng/ We also should be focusing at least as much on Kraft (and Rasmussion) as on Dragan. We have been purchased by Sport Republic. Dragan is of course a chief investor in SR. It is most likely that it is Kraft we will see at games and who will have a hands-on role, I read that he will become the CE for the Football Club. I see this as bing more in the Cortese role. All the bollox being written about Broja and Dragan being at odds because Dragan is Serb is complete bollox, Broja may have a problem with Kraft (I've no idea why he would) but a lad brought up in Slough is not going to be concerned about a 41 year old guy who is putting money into Sport Republic any more than he would have a problem with the Russian oligarch at Chelsea (Albanians and Russians are not exactly best of chums). The troubles in the Balkans would have taken place when Dragan was a young boy/in his teens, he is more likely to have been a "victim" of the atrocities than someone who could be associated with them, he also seem rather anti-establishment in Serbia as far as i can see. I think he was interested in Southampton because of JWP's golf swing goal celebration 🙂 I'm quite well pleased with what I am seeing, I would have preferred it if Ms Liebherr had gone as well, but I guess nothing is perfect. Hopefully we can bring in a couple of youngsters in the Jan window, along the lines of Livramento/Small, though I am not sure I can get excited about Liam Rory Delap (sorry, I'm sure he is a great player). No news on the rearranged Newcastle game yet, was reasonably sure the new date would be announced this week.

JWP is suspended as well? 😉 The "Essential Information for players 2021/22" document issued by the FA says that a player who receives a red card (for 2 yellows in the same match) in the Premier League, EFL Leagues or National League is suspended for 1 match in (a) the relevant League in which the Player's Club competes, (b) FA Cup and (c) the EFL Cup (it also includes the Women's Leagues but that just muddies the water). From that it seems the Premier League [age is incorrect and that Salisu's suspension should be served in the Swansea match, not Brentford. The only other explanation I can see for the Premier League site saying what they are would be if Salisu was actually given a straight red, but I am reasonably sure I saw the ref brandish a (2nd) yellow first before the red was shown (Salisu won't know because he had his back to the ref). https://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/discipline/player-essentials There is no question about KWP's suspension, it applies to the next PL match (Brentford).

Sorry didn't come back on this sooner, had used my 3 posts up. You are of course right that his appearance was in the FA Cup, serves me right for relying on memory rather than checking the data. But FA Cup does seem to be considered top level capable so it doesn't change the situation. But the point I needed to make about your comment is that it is not the OS Squad that you need to look at, that reflects nothing in particular. It is the Premier league Squad list that is the reference, the (25 man) squad and the associated list of u21 players. Small may be on the OS list but he is not in the PL Squad (because he is u21). Anyway, all a moot point now, as I said before my post was largely tongue in cheek anyway, but there is no reason not to play Small.

Note that the Sun article got updated to show the value of the investment by Dragan for 80% was changed to £150m, which seems more like it. So Kraft will be the new Cortese with backup from Angerson. From what I can see this all looks like good news, someone ba King the Club with some interest in improving it, rather than just what he can take out. Would have preferred to see KL go as well, but maybe that will happen once the new team have got their feet under the table and she is happy that her Father's legacy is in good hands. Also this might explain why we didn't really pursue our.complaint to the PL about the Newcastle postponement with this going through the new new owners process at the PL, this is the first takeover under the new rules, didn't want to upset the applecart at such a delicate moment. So who can we buy now before the Newcastle game to counteract Kieran Trippier 🙄

I think otherwise, what they are avoiding is players that have played in the Football League Trophy or PL2 or that have played for other teams in the EFL, maybe even the League Cup. My comment was largely tongue in cheek anyway, I don't think Saints would play these "games" especially as they have complained about others doing so. Thinking about it of course Small would not be an issue anyway as he has already played in the PL (for Everton).

Thing is what rules are followed for the FA Cup with regards potential postponements. We have heard a lot from the PL and the EFL about what constitutes grounds for psotponement, but what guidelines will the FA use, when they have to consider the differences between the clubs from the PL and EFL? It does sound from Swansea that they expect to go ahead, but it could be that Saints have an outbreak. Earliest I see any announcement would be Thursday.

Not at all, nothing to say games have to be rearranged in the order they should have been played. Bear in mind Everton have 2 games that were called off before their Newcastle one (Leicester and Burnley). PL usually just try and get them rescheduled as quickly as possible to avoid further problems down the road. Reckon we will be told new date this week and it will be in January.

Best not to play Small, Simeu or any other B team debutants, we don't need any more players confirmed as PL capable in case of a covid/injury crisis in the next few weeks.

Smallbone is injured