The Kraken

I've previously done a "best Saints XI of players of my lifetime", ie players that I can actually remember seeing for Saints (pretty much 82 or 83 onwards). It is: Peter Shilton Jason Dodd - Michael Svensson - Mark Wright - Mark Dennis Jimmy Case - Steve Williams Rod Wallace - Matt Le Tissier - Danny Wallace Alan Shearer

Indeed, and thanks for reading my comments as they were intended without putting a silly misinterpreted spin on them. Now I know you're having a laugh. Guly is just about the most derided player on here and at the ground; exactly because he's not a blood and thunder merchant. "Too lazy", "always trying stuff that doesn't come off", "frustrating languid style" are all comments on read about him on here. And Richard Chaplow is often suggested a much better option by fans on here (though clearly not the manager) because he's a box to boxer. De Ridder was initially championed as a much better option as he was quick and got stuck in, until it finally twigged that he was actually very average with the ball. I'm not for a minute saying everyone thinks it, that would be ludicrous, but its a common theme that I've read many times on here so its not exactly a tiny minority either. Your comments about fitness levels are valid (if not fairly obvious). And its good that we seem to have a squad who are on top fitness, especially so when this has clearly not been the case in our recent past.

Agreed on the first point, to an extent. As I've said earlier I think against Man City he was sometimes a bit naive and got needlessly caught in posession at least a couple of times. Also I've been critical in the past that he has a tendency to be a bit sloppy with simple passing, sometimes in dangerous areas of the pitch. Wigan, well the whole team didn't really perform or stand out in that so I won't pass comment. And against United he seemed to have learnt his lessons from the City game and had one of the best games I've ever seen him play. So yes, I think he can progress even further to be a really good player for us. He does need to find a level of consistency though, and cut out the casualness and carelessness which have previously been the downside to an otherwise calm and technically gifted player. Running around a lot is no real benchmark as far as I'm concerned.

Being as post #13 included no reference from myself to the ability of any player, I think you probably need to take more care in your reading (and avoid putting words in other people's mouths which, as you'll see from my post #16, I clearly don't believe in the first place).

Where did I say it was all he did? I'm just a bit baffled that the ability to run around a lot is being used as a marker of what a great player Morgan has become. I thought he was exceptional against Man United. Against Man City and Wigan, less so, I've continually stated he needs to cut out the sometime casual and careless nature of his game (which he did sublimely against United). His ability to cover more ground than anyone else doesn't actually mean a lot to me, if I'm honest (though its good to know he's pretty fit).

You won't be "way down" the queue at all. You're a season ticket holder so will still have the opportunity for tickets (just as ST holders did for Arsenal, you just had to be quick to get them). I also doubt our away game against Everton will sell out (and if it does certainly not as rapidly as the Arsenal game), so if you're prepared to get a ticket for that you'll push yourself further up in priority. This is an entirely new system based on points earned home and away; inherently it is extremely fair. But the downside is that, right at the beginning of the system, a lot of people will be around the same number of points. It'll soon even itself out, and if you continue to attend away games as well as homes you'll be in the top priority bracket very soon.

It never ceases to amaze me how some of our fans equate running around a lot to being a great player.

This is it, really. Its no good coming up with brave performances against the likes of Man City and Man United and then not being able to replicate that against the lower ranked sides. We were poor against Wigan, and that was the match we really needed a top performance from. NA won't (or shouldn't) be judged on how the team and he peforms against the big sides; his fate will be determined by the results and performances against the sides in the bottom half of the table.

A Pompey fan was kind enough to point out that we got promoted from League 1 to the Premier League with a net transfer spend of £3M. Which caused a bit of confusion all round, really. Nice to see that Corpie cares so much that he's over there still starting threads about us. PompeyScot will probably be on here reading through soon, even though he never ever looks on here, no sir never. Hi Bill

Corp Ho is on cracking form over on POL, coming out with even more deluded and completely incorrect garbage than usual, bless him. Never mind the fact that Rhys Williams was watched by us and in that match got injured and is likely out for most of the season. Good one Ho. Also... He thinks Ramirez is on £120K a week :lol:

If he always goes for them (but rarely gets them) that's not being indecisive, that's just being pretty poor at catching crosses.

From what I've seen Ramirez isn't a proper winger, he's one of these number 10 fellas (which is handy as that's what number he'll wear).

Thing is Bear, we've effectively signed three new players that can now be construed as a "winger". Ramirez is one, Mayuka seems to be a striker/winger, and JRod is being played out there. Add to that, we currently have Lallana who is skipper and a natural wide player, Puncheon and Guly, we're overloaded now and have a selection headache in that deprtment. In contrast, as of yesterday we had a centre-back pairing who have severe question marks over them and a replacement centre-back who has not played any league games at Championship level (never mind Premier League) and who has just returned from a major head injury after pretty much a season out. We also have a left back with defensive issues, and whose backup is a 17 year old prospect who looked a little overwhelmed in a Development squad game. And a goalkeeper who had 1 year at premier League level and was lambasted by fans of the side he played for as being the worst goalkeeper in Premier League history (and who has already given many cause for concern with his performances and distribution), yet only addressed this area by signing a couple of supposedly reserve keepers. The amount we spent this window was highly impressive. It just goes against the normal grain of building a side from the back, we have kind of done the reverse and the defensive additions (Clyne aside) almost seem more of an afterthought. I'll reserve judgement of Yoshida until I see him, but it seems like we're placing a lot of eggs in that one basket if we're expecting defensive solidity at any time soon.

I can't pass comment on Ramirez as I've yet to see him play. What I would say is that I'm surprised we've gone all out the strengthen our attacking line up by investing over £20M in Ramirez, Rodriguez and Mayuka, while recognising that our defence is the weaker area of the team but only spending around a quarter of that amount on a good right back, an unknown centre back and a reserve keeper. Its going to be a long season if we find it impossible to keep score lines down, we've twice conceded 3 and even shipped 2 against Wigan.

More scurrilous reporting from Pompey's chief spin doctor. The only plans and submittals in are for either Portpin to own and run the club, or for The Pompey Trust to buy the club and run it. There is no proposal for Portpin to lease the club back to the Trust, Chainrai has said he doesn't want to do that (not that his word is anything to go by, of course). Just more of a media witch-hunt from Neil Allen I feel, to drive the anti-Chainrai brigade closer to fever pitch.

He's 23. Hardly in the same bracket as someone like JWP, he's a year younger than Lallana.

It hit his leg. He almost inadvertently saved it. A move of his knee about 10 cms to his left and he probably would have saved it. Distribution was utterly awful today, could have easily conceded 2 goals from those giveaway passes to Fox and Clyne. Read the penalty well (again), not sure if he could/should have got to Ferdinand's header for the second, not much he could do with the third. But he just doesn't do it for me, I think it'll not be long until Gazza gets his chance.

Just watched it again on MOTD. Harsh in the extreme to blame Guly, others much more at fault than him for allowing Ferdinand the freedom of the penalty area for his header then two Saints players falling asleep for the rebound off the post.

I find his signing more and more bizarre with every game I see him in.

Yep; it may not be "right" but quite frankly, what do you expect if you take such liberties in the home end? Its idiotic to think you can get away with behaving like that, whether its ultimately right or not.

Already have, post 28.

Gary Neville was massively complimentary about the home support; he kept mentioning what a racket Saints were making.

Yep, my bad, read that one wrong....! Anything next game at arsenal is a bonus, but we really need to be picking up significant points in the home games against Villa and Fulham. If not, we'll be in massive trouble (and I think NA will be out of a job).

In which case it would be nothing to do with a steward being overly officious, it would be a direct action from the ticket office.

How would a steward (jobsworth or otherwise) recognise that MLT's season ticket was being used, and not by the man himself?