SNSUN

To be fair this match is crying out for Jordan Henderson to work his magic.

Wesley WHO-dt? A player that will soon be stricken from our memories. He'll be the player that nobody remembers in ten years that someone mentions in conversation and we respond "Oh shit yeah, I'd forgotten about him!" Good riddance and, more importantly, we now have his wages to spend on someone else. Let's just hope we don't get another Billy Big Bollocks like him and, to a point, Lemina. Bit by bit we offload the deadwood... ...then probably replace it with more deadwood....😁

Agree they look impressive and they have that winning mentality about them. To be fair though there are some impressive looking line ups in the tournament for teams that could win it. I wrote Portugal off pre-tournament but then saw their attacking line up of Jota/Bruno Fernandes/Bernardo Silva/Ronaldo backed up by Pepe and Ruben Dias at the back, and a solid keeper in Rui Patricio, and they must be considered possibilities. The Belgium line up also looks great, and that's even before you add in favourites France. Even Germany and Spain could be classed as outside bets despite their opening results. Then I look at England and see Stones and Mings in front of Pickford, and I just think we're on a lower level to that lot. I may be surprised, and we do have good attacking players, but I just think the first good team we face and we'll be pummelled.

Are you for or against the idea of eScooters being made legal for public use (privately owned not one of the current hire schemes)? Pros/Cons? Lazy person's bicycle or clean transport solution to get people out of cars?

As usual my eyes will go straight to the last few fixtures of the season. If we have the likes of Norwich, Brentford, Burnley, Palace, etc we may be in with a shot of survival again! 😋 Seriously an opening day win would be nice, but seeing as we presently have one senior full back, we need to get a shift on in the transfer window.

Winners: France Runners Up: Italy Scotland get knocked out at: Last 16 Wales get knocked out at: Group Stage England get knocked out at: Quarter Finals, after jammily getting through games in the most boring manner imaginable. We get embarrassingly spanked to ultimate winners France. Dark Horse (Furthest a team gets excluding England, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Portugal): Switzerland Top Goalscorer: Griezmann UEFA Best Player: De Bruyne UEFA Best Young Player: Ferran Torres (Spain)

Blimey, McCarthy might make a penalty save in training then! Get him on the bus/train/boat/pedalo/scooter/whatever term we use currently...

So, who is the third player we will be signing from Brest? 😁

I look forward to watching him play in 8 months after he's finally adjusted to the Premier League and we've had to rotate between Vokins, Salisu and Diallo at left back. 😜 It's good news that the club is also looking for another full back as well, so the mistakes of last season aren't repeated. Another right back that can play left back, or right back with KWP slotting across to left back if needed, would be the best solution, but I wonder whether we would bring in two left backs in case one of them isn't very good/doesn't adjust/doesn't live up to expectations? Unless Vokins is finally ready to step up to reserve LB I guess. I can't see Valery as having much of a future here. Obviously Brandon Williams would be perfect for us, but would he come if he knew that KWP and Perraud were first choice? Tricky.

Absolute bargain if true. But seems very low... Thankfully Bournemouth aren’t in the Prem anymore! 🤪 Just turned on the internet for the first time all evening and I see Villa have had a bid for Buendia accepted. How nice would it be if, just once, we could make headlines for a surprise expensive signing! Buendia is class though. I’ll miss him at Norwich. (Wife’s team that I loosely follow.)

If Southgate plays two defensive midfielders or 3 centre backs, especially against so-called lesser teams, then there is no hope for him. But he will. Pickford, Walker, Stones, Mings, Chilwell, Rice, Mount, Foden, Grealish, Sterling, Kane or something similar to that would get other teams shitting their kecks. But I can't see him going so attacking. Usually unless I happen to be in front of the TV anyway, I don't watch England friendlies, but I'm on a stag do tomorrow and I stupidly mentioned there was an England game, so we're going to watch it. Pray GOD for some entertainment, or I'm going to have to get very very drunk. (I will anyway, but that will accelerate the issue.)

I reckon Smallbone might have had a chance were it not for his injury.

Neither are Barcelona, with Aguero, Garcia and potentially Wijnaldum signing on for nowt. Shows there is good value to be had if you’re a big enough name! Not breaking the £20 million limit doesn’t bother me because there are relative bargains to be had, you just have to scout well.

...because he would cost more than a bag of magic beans. We don't seem to have a vessel to wee-wee in. That is until we flog Ings and Vestergaard, but even they'll not fetch much more than £35 million and that money would probably cover the cost of replacements anyway. How nice would it be to wake up one morning soon and find out we've been sold to an Arab trillionaire...

If TAA got injured enough to pull him out the squad, I don't think Southgate would select another defender to replace him. I reckon Jesse L would get the first nod, but I don't think JWP would be too far behind. EDIT: Be funny if JWP ends up getting the call and wins England the Euros with a last minute free kick in the final. V. Funny. (Mind you I will probably be pissed...)

Salisu, Bednarek, Stephens + 1 (assuming the plus one is an improvement on both Stephens and Bednarek) would be a good complement of Centre Backs. Some people say you need 5 CBs in a squad but as we're Saints, I guess that fifth spot would go to a youth player (Ramsey or Tchaptchet I guess. If you pronounce the T's in Tchaptchet and repeat his name, it sounds like a train going down the tracks. 😁). Also knowing Saints however, I think we'll start the season with Salisu and Bednarek starting, Stephens as 3rd choice and a newly signed, perennially injured CB that takes a whole season to be ready. 😉 It probably depends on who would want Vestergaard. If there are no takers this summer I think he signs a new contract in the Autumn and sticks around (which of course means we're no better off with CBs than we have been this season).

Let's hope he's a Joule in the crown of the academy.

Ohm my god these jokes are bad.

Well I called it. Underwhelming squad. I'll support them when we play but will be very "meh" if we get knocked out. At least we have other UK countries to follow. Personally I'd be surprised if anyone but France won the competition anyway.

Would be a surprise if JWP doesn’t go. I bet we take 3 or even 4 right backs too. Don’t rate Southgate at all. We finally have players to pick from that could be a new ‘golden generation’, but I don’t think Southgate is the man to win trophies. JWP is versatile, has leadership qualities, is reliable, fit, not injury prone and can take a penalty. He’d be a loss to that squad. It looks to be another “building for the future” squad if the likes of Bellingham and Saka are selected.

This, but imagine JWP and Grealish in the same time - Grealish getting fouled around the box and JWP banging in the resultant free kick. It's a recipe for GOALS! 🙂 Mount and Rice have two of the spots for midfield, if Southgate persists with a 433 then I suspect Henderson or Phillips will be his choice for the third spot.

Pope is out sadly or I think he'd have got the nod. My guess is it will be between Henderson and Pickford (with Johnstone or Ramsdale as unused 3rd choice) but I reckon Southgate will go with the experience of Pickford. We just have to hope he doesn't make any errors. Big questions over whether TAA will make the squad. Some "pundits" have him as a starting right back but Walker and Trippier will be in the squad and I reckon Southgate may take James which means TAA will miss out again. Rightly so? Well James had a cracking game yesterday and showed he can play CB in a 3 man backline (like Walker) if needed. I've never known such luxuries at right back as we have currently. KWP and Wan Bissaka must be kicking themselves! Injuries may play a part in squad selection too - but apparently Jordan Henderson is fit, just not match fit, hence why I think he'll be in Southgate's squad at the very least.

I'm starting to get excited for the Euros now as it creeps ever closer and I'm actually able to the pub for a couple of games, after World Cup 18 was ruined by my newly born daughter. 😄 Is this going to be the official Euros thread? What is everyone's choice for England starting XI if everyone is fit? For me it should be: Henderson, Walker, Stones, Maguire, Chilwell, Rice, JWP, Mount, Grealish, Sancho, Kane. But maybe I'm biased on JWP. I strongly suspect Southgate will start Pickford, Jordan Henderson, Foden and Rashford.

I said before the game Chelsea would be too much defensively for City and I wish I'd put my money where my mouth was! City need work, especially in attack, although they were unfortunate that De Bruyne went off in tears. Chelsea were well organised and difficult to break down - I bet their fans would have taken losing the FA Cup if it meant winning tonight. Reece James, Ander Christensen and Kante were outstanding. I'm glad I didn't take sides in this game, it was much easier to watch, but the right team won.

Pretty much my thoughts on it, the latter comment especially in a season when we could be struggling for survival. Otherwise it's OK. I'm a sash fan but it is nice to see the stripes back.