SNSUN

"The Dutch Xavi"? Crap signing. We should be signing "The Dutch Messi" and no less. Seriously 2 summers ago we signed Osvaldo, and the summer before we brought in Ramirez. I think our transfer dealings the last two summers under Ronald have been far more intelligent signings. We're not blowing large sums of money anymore.

Perhaps, but at least you know whatever the result, you have 37 more games to get it right.

Well I think we'll lose this game unless something magical happens, but it is only the first game of the season, means very little. Transfer window still open and we already know we're hunting a centre back and a midfielder. Still hoping for a draw but new manager syndrome could favour Newcastle.

Thanks. Will give it a go for ten minutes but then off to work for me! :-(

Watching on a dodgy stream. Newcastle deserved that equaliser. We've hardly been in the game at present.

Yep. Besides subs during the game and perhaps a tactical tweak if needed, I wonder how much rein he has over things like team selection...

He won us the Ashes to be fair... ;-)

Spurs fans saying Toby was their best player. He's a top player, fitness problems aside, and a shame we couldn't sort the deal out. Get VvD in though and all is forgiven.

Effectively the team that got them relegated the last time but with a couple of average additions. (I wait to see about Brady, but playing him at left back is odd.) . However they have a decent manager now, and if they play as a team they could grind out a few results. I still think they're relegation fodder if they don't spring a surprise for the rest of the transfer window.

Ha, great minds and all that...

Stoke had a lot of our ex-players a few years back. I reckon they'd be involved in that stat.

Dedicated player and a hard worker, loved his passion and was my favourite player in League One. He showed his class by playing out of position at right back in the JPT final and not putting a foot wrong. One of our best free transfers. Nice touch not signing for the Skates too. He must really feel passionate about Saints.

I'm most annoyed, have a birthday meal for my mum tonight. If the tie had been more tense, I'd have done the honourable thing and snuck an iPad into the restaurant, but at 3-0 up I'm a little more casual about it! One goal from us should finish off the tie. After their performance last week, I can't see Vitesse getting four goals.

Hughes really likes the Barcelona rejects doesn't he! ("Rejects" used in loose sense.) They'll be called Barstokelona before long...

Yeah I was surprised to see their possible line up. Bar Wijnaldum, it's the same as last season. Very beatable. We'll have done well to get them before their new signings are fully ready.

If the away games were homes, and vice versa, I'd be inclined to agree. Newcastle though will be a different prospect to last year, even at this early stage, Everton are never worth underestimating, and Watford have home advantage, and I haven't got a clue who most of their players are, could be good, could be bad. It could be easier.

Get Champions League and there's a hope...

I like it. Has the sash and isn't a bad shade of green. Could be much worse.

Think this thread was started a few pages ago. For me the league is too hard to predict, not even any dead certs for relegation. Top 4 will be same as last year, just in a different order - Chelsea, Arsenal, City, Utd - and bottom 3 will be Watford, Leicester and Norwich in any order. Saints about 8th.

£10.5 sounds fair to me. It's not much more than we've rumoured to have bid. Get it done. Reading the Celtic forums they mostly think he's off irrespective of whether they qualify for the Champions League as long as they get the right amount for him. Also say he's the complete player.

Now, at the start of the competition, of course people are excited about it, but ask again come January/February if league position suffers.

Anyone else watch the YouTube highlights and get blasted in the face instantly by a beardy tosser called Lallana in a Nivea advert? Cos I did, nearly smashed up my work iPad.

Just like signing Brian McBride for Saints in FM2007, I reckon Lambert has one more good season in him, because although his legs are going, he'll be determined to prove doubters wrong and he still has the footballing brain that scored and assisted so many goals for us while leading the line. Not for us, unfortunately for him we now have better options, but for a side potentially fighting relegation his experience could be invaluable. I wish him the best. I can't see that he'd be too disappointed at how his Liverpool stint turned out, he got to play and score for his boyhood idols, and most likely achieved a fair chunk of money doing it. Spurs though? Depends if he wants one last big pay day or potentially 2 seasons more of regular game time. I can't see it happening. WBA in a Pulis side would be a decent choice for him!

Pretty sure Arsenal have already got one eye on Vic reading media reports. Those two (and a pre-injury form JRod) could be the ones we struggle to keep next summer.

Just watched this for the first time, and re watched it straight after. Light hearted video and it's a catchy chorus too.