VectisSaint

Forgot that Cull had been released, but agree about the OS, its really piss poor, it should be the source of information about the Club. There's actually been almost nothing about the U23 or U18s written or reported since their leagues were suspended. No information about what is happening for the upcoming season, perhaps the web team genuinely don't know. Really totally useless.

I'm struggling as well, but it could be that some players who are over 21 might be designated as B team players rather than having to register them as PL players. It is certainly plausible for positions where development takes longer, goalkeepers being a good example generally. Of course the club can play these players under the existing criteria (though we haven't much in recent seasons) but this could be a way of explicitly saying these players are here to develop and be involved in the B team for now rather than pushing them now into the first team or sending them out on loan. I don't know, just speculating. The strict age group thing really doesn't work well across the board.

Bear in mind the decision to go for a B Team for next season. Exactly what this means is open to question, but it does suggest that some over 21s will be maintained but not included in the First Team squad. I would imagine Latham especially will fit into this category. There is no prospect of him being in the PL squad, but he has been given a contract until next year. Of course he can still play in PL2. Strangely he doesn't even appear on the OS site under any of the teams, had quite forgotten about him until you mentioned him in your post. Cull and Scott still qualify as u21s for next year, think these three will be the B team keepers. If Forster cannot be shifted then I would think that Harry Lewis will get loaned out.

A few times, played in a back 3 for vast majority of the season.

Forster only played 30 games that season, and conceded 20 I think. A shit keeper can be protected by a shit hot defensive unit. Forster wasn't shit, but he was below average, if the defensive unit stops shots from being on target for a keeper that has a poor shots/save ratio, as Forster certainly did a couple of seasons later, then keeping to just over a goal [er game is not that difficult. I think you underestimate how good our defensive unit was that season, if we had had a better keeper we could have done better than we did. Forster was not very good, and after his knee injury he went downhill even further. He had occasional great games, but then so did Kelvin Davis. Forster looks good at Celtic for exactly the same reason, the Bhoys concede very little in the way of chances on target, as you would expect playing the SPL. Forster is not shit, but he is at best bang average and his shortcomings in many areas (crosses, distribution, kicking, ball at feet, defensive organisation, and of course shot stopping) are exposed in the PL, especially when you have a leaky defensive unit, which with the best will in the world we do.

Doesn't sound much different to how things were supposed to be set up under Poch, and the the Southampton way, junior teams all following the same approach. Can't see anything so far that confirms this stuff in the Daily Fail, and also nothing that really makes any sense about what will actually change. Saints will still have a team in PL2, and play the fixtures pertaining to that League (and the problems that provides, with a lack of competitive fixtures throughout the season). What is going to change, nothing will happen unless all the top teams do something similar?

Has MLT "bailed out" of Twitter or has his account been taken down? Twitter like other SM platforms does ban people for some of the stuff that he has been voicing, ask David Icke, Katie Hopkins or even Trump (or at least his political campaign). If you put forward stuff that is both incorrect and dangerous you will be removed. I stopped following MLT months ago (and stopped using Twitter altogether). Too much unsubstantiated conspiracy theory nonsense spouted by right wing reactionaries. Not going to call him a crackpot, but he is "keeping company" with some that I would. Some people do lose their jobs for saying outrageous stuff on a public forum, whether Southampton or Sky see his remarks as such is up to them of course, time will tell, but they might well have found some of what he said embarrassing, who knows.

I didn't see all of the game, but he was actually quite poor last night, compared with other games I have seen. I guess it was partly to do with the early booking, but he was struggling with some sort of injury in the closing stages. Brentford were also a very effective team going forward so he was up against it anyway. Don't take that performance as a true measure of how effective he has been for them.

The last 3 Dutchmen we purchased were actually Hoedt, Martina and van Dijk. I think VvD was definitely Prem class, even if he was a cock.

Missed that (reported 30 June) , at least that's settled then until next year.

Does that mean we have extended his loan into the 20/21 season? I know things are a bit weird at the moment, but how does that work, surely his loan ended when the 2019/20 season ended. Not that it really matters, don't think we will ever see him back in a Saints shirt (hopefully).

No, he really wasn't very good in the first place, made to look decent because of what was in front of him.

But it's exactly what you do if you know that you're not wanted, even if you want to stay. Fonte was pushed out by Reed, who was trying to build everything around VvD including making him captain. Stupidity from Reed, I certainly don't have any negative views of JF, think he was a victim and was treated appallingly by Reed.

Well that's all pretty clear then.

He was, but he has been pretty good most of the season, by all accounts, their defence is the big difference this season.

Forster wasn't able to kick it long either, his kicks seemed always to go into touch, maybe a result of his early rugby playing. He is (or was) terrible with his feet, whether it is short or long. Not that Macca is that good either.

They do have an East Gate though. Does have a very similar look and feel to West Quay https://www.eastgate-berlin.de/das-center/

He wasn't. Nearly cost us the 2nd with his terrible pass, Billy Sharp (?) should have buried that. Also was lucky with his handling on the edge of the area, wasn't given as handball so can't be counted as an error but it was certainly dodgy. Maybe could have done better with their goal after Vestegaard's calamity but maybe that's being harsh, also got away with mistake when Romeu cleared from near the line. Still he did make a top drawer save. But he certainly wasn't solid throughput by any stretch of the imagination. Don't think we were that good throughout as a team yesterday. Very good second half performance papered over a very poor first half where we should have been 2 or 3 down. Still, a 3-1 win is a 3-1 win. Thought Adams goals were both very well taken, great footwork, don't think he got the credit deserved for those goals (indeed not sure the Sky tater even realised he had scored the first).

In a word, no.

Really, I took that to mean people like Harrison Reed who have impressed while on loan. Obviously Forster has impressed, but can't really say the same about the others you listed or any of the other for that matter.

Palmerston North is heaven compared with Portsmouth.

Met up with Jim Steele once when he ran a pub in the Cotswolds, really nice bloke.

True, Ossie would have been worth much higher wages than that 😉

Puncheon

Did very well, unlike many young debutant he looked confident. Difficult first half but having to play alongside Vestegaard what do you expect.