The Kraken

I hope that isn't the limit of your ambitions, James.

Good to know what's allowed. Cheers.

I think you've missed my point. Bazza and Alpine may express their opinions in p*ss poor ways; but that's their undoing, often they raise perfectly valid points. The extremity of their opinion and the way they present it often gets people's backs up, and you're typically the leader of the fightback brigade who only seek to p*ss fire on the perceived WUM bonfire and take a totally contrary view. The truth of the matter usually lies somewhere in the middle and often gets lost in the black and white parody it all becomes. If we lose 3-0 then I'll have a few misgivings about the side and how much we've learnt from last season. According to you, that one result would have zero meaning and is not worth discussing. I can't ago along with that; I think it means something, even if its fairly small potatoes in terms of a whole season. I don't have to, or want to wait 10-20 before discussing the merits of this season's side. I don't think internet forums are designed around waiting that long to ascertain how well we'll fare come May. If you need to wait that long then fair enough; that's your decision.

I'm not sure if it's a indictment on Neil Allen or me, but that's the first thing I thought

You might disagree with it Aids (there's a change) but it's an opinion, and yes, they'd have a point. I know you don't like admitting that others are able to sensibly hold differing opinions to your own, but there it is.

You forgot Alpine. If we do get thumped 3-0 then I think they'd have a point.

TBH it might have been the best for my predictions to be spared, after last year's mishap of forecasting WBA for the drop and Steve Clarke the first for the sack....

I knew I was a bit dumb and duller, Bear. But even still, its anopther kick in the goolies for my mongboard cred to be shunned so publicly.

Don't know why I bothered.....

Brilliant, I'd forgotten all about the Lawro hand-wringing threads when he tips us to lose! Loving the new season of it already.

Edit: Hmm, I see this has been covered.......

It's a pointless argument you're making; pretty much any signing (if they play) will improve the squad. Therefore is they're ever called upon to play in the first team, the inference is naturally that they are a better option that what was available before they arrived. The first team may not be immediately improved by a signing, but the squad definitely is.

I think you'd be hard pushed to argue that any of the signings we made last season failed to strengthen the squad (and thereby the team). Even Gazzaniga was a step up from what we already had.

Its not the only way but its a surefire good way, and probably the quickest way.

I'm pretty much there at the moment. I'm very fortunate to have a free ST this year, otherwise I can see that I really wouldn't be going very often. Its more of a choice thing than a matter of not being able to afford it, I just don't see the recquisite value in spending £40 and upwards for a match ticket when I can watch on a stream for free (plus more and more pubs are showing Saints games now).

Good feature, hope it continues. Friday am seems a good time for posting.

Being good enough for what? He's 20 years old and about to play in the Premier League for the first time. He's also an excellent talent and a really good player to watch. Whether he can step up from doing it at Championship level to the top reaches of the PL remains to be seen over the next few seasons, but I think writing him off as "not being good enough" inside his first season is naïve at best.

The moon one gets me every single time!

It was something I'd hoped we'd solve both tactically and with a new recruit in midfield, a tricky fast winger who can unlock a defence. I don't think dipping into the transfer market for that type of player has ever been a priority so we'll just have to hope that the tactical improvement is noticeable; judging by some pre-season games (albeit not the last one) I'd suggest it's not out of the question that we may yet see some of the same frustrations.

A fair comment, and one that we don't seem to have done anything about (in the transfer market at least) to address.

As monumental a tw*t as Neil Allen is, its a perfectly valid point about the Daily Echo still being banned. And the attempts to justify the decision are particularly desperate. Anyway, as you were. I need a wash after agreeing with something that #factless has written.

No-one in their right mind would do that. No-one. And nor should they; he got given a contract, the club never came up with a solution to buy him out of it so he's fully entitled to see it out.

Whatever he was on he'd have lost a good load of it to tax, so its nowhere near a million quid after that (if he was even on that much in the first place, which I somehow doubt). Plus he was a young man who probably thought it would last forever and he likely frittered a lot of it away. He'll have done well out of us, no doubt, but I don't quite understand the levels of bitterness and jealousy on here about it, we've had plenty of other sponges associated with the club who have taken much more out of it than a daft young bloke who turned out to be a bit sh*t.

There were certainly a lot of kits being worn yesterday. And while it only looks pretty sh*t on the players (the white in the shorts and the socks break up the red a bit) it looks utterly atrocious when being modelled by fat middle aged men with beer guts and a pair of jeans.

He really looked like a fish out of water there! Feel a bit sorry for Cork really; he was superb last season but will likely move aside for a new signing. I just hope it doesn't knock his confidence too much, he'll still have plenty of a part to play.