SNSUN

Morgan booked now. This ref is card happy.

Frimpong sent off on his debut for Barnsley. Lol Still, good signing for them. Villa beating Everton. This is not good.

I am worried of a sending off. We also play well as a passing team until that last ball into the box when it falls apart. Fulham look dangerous on the counter, especially Riether down the right. KITS.

I actually think Morgan is good enough to adapt to play in the attacking trio behind the striker, which would resolve the Cork/Wanyama problem. Either way, it's a squad game. All the players are needed at different times.

The Beeb said it just now, with WHam and Sunderland winning, Cardiff and Fulham will need to win today or they'll start to be cut adrift. While it won't be a huge gap in terms of points, psychologically it's massive. I remember us struggling to get to 0 points in League One first season. Norwich is a good shout, I don't rate Hughton as a manager. They've got a good set of players and that is what's keeping them out of the relegation zone at present, but it's only a matter of time before they slip back into it though. However, with Norwich, you do feel that if they sack Hughton and bring in another manager, they have the players to get them out of the shyte. If I were forced to predict a team to be relegated with Fulham and Cardiff, it'd be Stoke.

Some managers just "fit" a club. Pulis seemed the perfect fit for Palace and vice versa, the same can be said IMO of Holloway at Millwall. It seems Poyet is Sunderland's perfect fit. I honestly could not predict who will go down this season. Fulham seemed nailed on until yesterday when they revealed their signings - how well they do depends on how well those players gel. West Ham have been struggling for goals all season, but Allardyce has been there and done it before. Palace were everyone's tip at the start of the season but recently they seem to have clicked. I just can't pick it.

GK: We'll live through this season, a lot depends on Boruc staying fit and unsuspended. A new keeper in the summer will be needed as Davis is knocking on, Gazzaniga just doesn't look up to it yet and even Boruc is prone to a brain fart. RB: Totally sorted. Our strongest position IMO. CB: Jose and Dejan are great, Jos and Maya less so, but as for this season where mid-table is most likely where we'll finish, we'll live. Definitely will need strengthening in the summer though. LB: With Fox gone, that leaves us with hoping Shaw doesn't pick up a knock, Clyne out of position, or the untried Targett. Weirdly, as I didn't rate Fox at this level, we do suddenly look weaker without him. Go figure. Fingers crossed Targett is a good'un. CM: Wanyama, Cork, Morgan, Davis, JWP, Reed. Top line up there, and JWP and Davis can play higher up. AM/Str: Now looking like our weakest area. Lallana and JRod will have a big job trying to assist/score goals for us, and we really need Rickie to find some semblance of form again. There's a lot of trust being placed in Sam Gallagher. I hope he has the right mentality for the challenge at his young age.

Arsenal v Crystal Palace Cardiff City v Norwich City Everton v Aston Villa Fulham v Southampton Hull City v Tottenham Hotspur Manchester City v Chelsea Newcastle United v Sunderland Stoke City v Manchester United West Bromwich Albion v Liverpool West Ham United v Swansea City As long as Saints win, I don't care about the other fixtures. Preferably an Everton win against Villa though and a Sunderland win against Newcastle.

Maybe it'll be easier to sign him in the summer now!

Peculiarly, now all has been said and done, I'm actually relatively happy with our business this window. A lot of the deadwood has been allowed to leave and the big troublemaker has gone too, and seemingly we get to recoup the money we spent on him. (If Juve take up the option.) Granted that leaves us short up top, but yet another academy prospect has stepped up. As people have said this window already, why sign anyone now? We're bound to be safe, we're only a few points away from guaranteed safety and with the players we have, 8th-10th is realistically where we'll finish anyway. The only benefit bringing another player in now could have achieved is that they'd have half a season to bed in. Let the academy show what they've got to offer, and spend money on the positions that need strengthening in the summer. Whose dream was it that half the first team would be academy prospects? Corteses? We're getting there.

A Relegation battle and a dicking from Manchester City to come? Pass. I'd have taken Swansea's position last year though! Granted we'll probably only finish 8th - 10th, but I wouldn't swap mid-table for a relegation battle and for a cup final, especially not the League Cup against perhaps the World's most in form team at present. One of the only things Saints lack at present is squad depth, and that will come in time.

True. Stoke turning it around against Sunderland would see them on 25 points too.

I love high scoring games like this, it's top entertainment with lower league finishing. No goals in the second half then... :-D

I want West Brom to beat Villa. Keeps the gap below us at 8 points. 5 points behind will give Villa the incentive to push on and try to topple us. 9th is OURS! (or possible Newcastle's...)

I just had a banging dump, one of those poos you really need and feel so much better following. Minimal wipeage too. I also love that first sip of a cold pint, especially when you feel you deserve it. (Though this example is less Muppet Show-worthy.) What are your favourite feelings in life?

Getting excited now as the deadline looms. I agree that Vela would be a good signing - someone that can play up front and in the attacking trio would be a great asset to have, and he's a good age too. Will it happen? Fingers crossed, though with Osvaldo seemingly moving back to Italy, I think we'll bring someone in from there.

This was my thought. Perhaps she bloody loves football and has kept it quiet. Someone give her a shirt. (Striped one, circa 2003.)

Gotsta go to bed, up at half 3. Don't want to leave the game though! COYR. UTS! Night all.

2-2. What a game. Lallana

Arsenal are simply too good to roll over and die, which is a shame. Please keep showing some fight Saints. I have more Arsenal supporting friends than any other team and they give me grief. SHTI, second for Arsenal. We goin get spanked?

1) Get him back from injury asap, he's a big loss. 2) Shoot anyone that inquires about him 3) Keep him sweet by improving the squad around him/winning something. Lyon's loss is our gain. I'm massively impressed by Fonte's improvement this season but another signing at CB of Lovren's ilk would make for a stunning back four.

A decent stand in to Fonte and Seaborne in League One. Sadly another player whose career stalled because of our rise up the league. I hope someone from a team in the Championship has seen him play and takes a punt on him.

There's a Danny Fox-shaped flaw in that plan! ;-) Short term fix. With one signing, we get all excited about it just one time. With 5 signings, we get excited 5 times! I suppose also the chances of each player's success are increased the more signings you make. In a roundabout way. We thought we signed 3 quality players in the summer. 2 came off, 1 has largely flopped. 66% success rate. Last January we only signed Forren. Boom. That's what I reckon anyway. I still prefer our transfer policy now, looking for the right players to strengthen a position, than the scattergun transfer policy of our relegation season in the CCC. (Although granted we have money to be choosier now.)

I'd take Thibaut Courtois in a heartbeat. A top goalkeeper, who's been plying his trade in Spain with Athletico Madrid with much success. 6'6'' 21 year old goalkeeper. I'm not saying we'd get him, I think he's destined to join Athletico full time if Chelsea stand by Cech, but of all Chelsea's players that aren't in their first team squad, he's the one I'd have. Yes to Lukaku too, but surely Chelsea can't overlook him for another season? He's Drogba-esque, and IMO a big upgrade on Demba Ba. I suppose it depends on how good Targett is rumoured to be. If we lose Shaw in the summer (which I think is highly likely if the offer is big enough) then we should bring in a top left back, have Targett as back up/fighting for a first team spot, and sell Fox.