SNSUN

#it'llneverhappen :-)

Fantastic news - and I'm most chuffed Lallana is in there. That's that then, I'm certain Lallana will cement his place in the squad and will be in the England team for years to come. :-D

I'm not sure which it is - either the club decided the League Cup is not worth winning, and therefore a team of reserves and youngsters was put out, or they genuinely thought our "B" team was good enough to get through. I think the management's comments after the game showed it was the former. It is a shame we're out, our day out in 2010 at Wembley was something I'll never forget, irrespective of the status of the trophy we won. Seeing how much smaller clubs' fans like Swansea and Wigan were celebrating showed that all cup competitions have their merits. However we're out, and there's not much we can do to change it. I would hazard a guess that a similar team would have been put out against Chelsea anyway, and we'd probably have gone out then. The only thing it's robbed me of is the chance for another trip to St Mary's in December. We can hope that Pochettino learns from his first League cup experience and sets us up more strongly next season (if he's still around then.) It's the FA Cup I'm most looking forward to, the prestige cup where most clubs put out their first team. I truly believe we can do well in that this season, our first team can beat any other first team of the 91 when they're on song.

Irrespective of the others, if Lallana doesn't get a call up it will be a travesty. He's versatile (perfect for a limited tournament squad), talented, can score goals if needed, young enough that he can be an asset for years to come, and is in the form of his life. He's the sort of game changer England could definitely use. Clyne has tough competition at right back sadly, only time will see if he gets overlooked, Shaw though could replace the ageing Cole, but even he will have competition from Rose and Gibbs in the future. (and possibly even Bertrand if he comes good.)

This is a good game for Osvaldo to play in. The man needs confidence that will come with goals, and I think we'll get the chances against Hull that he needs to convert. Sorry to say it, but that means Lambert will have to make way. The attacking trio of Lallana, JWP and JRod are almost undroppable on present form - JWP has particularly impressed me of late. Whether Pochettino will drop Lambert for Osvaldo remains to be seen, but with a bit of confidence I think Osvaldo could become a major asset. Hull won't be an easy side to beat, Bruce seemingly made some excellent signings in the summer, but we're at home and should be winning games like this is our intention is to challenge for a European spot. (More so when you glance at the fixtures coming up.)

Me too, but I feel that the FA Cup is the cup of choice. That's the cup we play the first XI, and as has already been proved, we can beat the big 4 (or big 6 whichever way you look at it) over 90 minutes, with wins over Liverpool, City and Chelsea under Pochettino and pushing United close a couple of times. We have an excellent chance of doing well in the FA Cup, if the draw is kind to us. I'd rather 3 points against Hull on Saturday than a win tonight, hands down, if it had been offered.

Meh. Still time to get back into this but I'm not holding my breath.

The "Sky SPorts 1" link on that is working for me, but no sound.

Not one. Not one fricking person... :-( JK. To be fair, with touch technology being so popular, it's very easy to click on a link by accident. (That's my excuse and I'm sticking by it.)

It's 50/50. It happens against you, you spit blood. It happens for you, you celebrate. I actually feel that some penalties are justified. United not scoring theirs tonight meaning the penalty shouldn't have happened. Obviously this means that all Saints penalties are justified though...

Double barrelled shotgun, castration and a horses head to any clubs remotely interested in Luke. Add the same punishment to any journalists that link him with another club, and fans of other clubs that want him, and I think we have it covered. Do we want to be a top club? Keep the talent! (This is probably not going to happen, but Clyne, Shaw and Lovren could be our defence for years to come if we can keep them happy with progression.)

I hadn't thought about the possibility of penalties. Lambert on the bench then, with 6 of his clones.

Master Bates - ex-poster or bewbs and inboxer of soft core pornography. (Which I still have...)

For me, it'd be a modified first team, thus taking the cup seriously but giving fringe players a run out to prove their worth. Boruc Clyne Yoshida Jos Shaw Cork Wanyama JWP Ramirez Guly Osvaldo ...something like that, but with first team players on the bench if needed like Lambert, Lallana, Morgan etc etc (It won't be the above team, that's just a suggestion.)

Having a look at the table, it seems like the top 8 (thankfully including us) is starting to break away from the pack behind. Is this your view on the table, or is it still too early to tell? Can Saints stay there? [TABLE=class: table-stats, width: 336] [TR=class: team first, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]No movement1[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]Arsenal[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]13[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]25[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]No movement2[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]Chelsea[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]8[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]20[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]No movement3[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]Liverpool[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]7[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]20[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]Moving up4[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]Tottenham[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]4[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]20[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team divider, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]Moving down5[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]Man City[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]17[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]19[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team divider, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]Moving down6[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]Southampton[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]7[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]19[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]No movement7[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]Everton[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]4[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]19[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]No movement8[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]Man Utd[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]4[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]17[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]No movement9[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]Newcastle[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]-2[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]14[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]No movement10[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]Hull[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]-2[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]14[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]No movement11[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]West Brom[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]0[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]13[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]No movement12[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]Swansea[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]1[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]12[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]No movement13[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]Aston Villa[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]-3[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]11[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]No movement14[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]West Ham[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]0[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]10[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]No movement15[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]Fulham[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]-5[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]10[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]Moving up16[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]Cardiff[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]-5[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]10[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]Moving down17[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]Stoke[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]-4[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]9[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team divider, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]No movement18[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]Norwich[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]-14[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]8[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]No movement19[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]Sunderland[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]-15[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]4[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: team, bgcolor: #F5F5F5] [TD=class: position]No movement20[/TD] [TD=class: team-name]Crystal Palace[/TD] [TD=class: played, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: goal-difference, align: center]-15[/TD] [TD=class: points, align: center]3[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

He's a liability that man. I can't understand what Mike Ashley was thinking. Newcastle are currently surviving in the Premier League on one good transfer window in January. Without some of the players they signed, and the ONE player they signed in the summer, they'd be doomed IMO. I wonder how hard they'll resist moves for their better players in January. They're just the sort of screwed up club to sell Ben Arfa, Cabaye and Sissoko and not replace them. (Or in Kinnear's case, replace them with tat.)

Hey all, I've been doing some scouting and found us a new goalkeeper... :-D COYR, let's go second...

I've done a prediction for the bottom nine clubs in the Premier League in 2018: Blackburn Everton Arsenal Reading Sunderland Yeovil Ipswich Sheffield Wednesday Grimsby Town Aston Villa York City EDIT: Sorry, wrong thread...

True, Sky curse has gone. Last Manager of the month for Saints in the Premier League? Twitchy Redkrapp.

Yes I'd perform sexings on her. Perhaps without telling her, you know how much the ladeez likes a surprise. She'd love it too.

I agree I'm a little worried about this game, Stoke are notoriously difficult to beat - but with Hughes coming in and changing their philosophy, which is still in the early stages of taking hold, there isn't really a better time to play them. Play as we know we can and we could surprise them. My money is on a draw but I wouldn't bet against us winning.

Man City Chelsea Arsenal Liverpool but my God is it hard to choose this year. You could make excuses for Man U picking up their form and enough points to get in, Spurs with their "much improved" squad, and yes even Us, little old Saints, if we really can continue something resembling our current form all season. (Which would mean routinely picking up points from bottom half clubs and sneaking the odd win or three against the "top sixers".

Palace will be bottom, Sunderland will improve but not significantly to avoid relegation, and the 3rd team (which is most difficult to choose) will be Newcastle, who will implode when their better players are pilfered from them in January. Honorary mention also to Norwich, who despite a good transfer window are a team 'rotting' under the guidance of Chris Hughton. Nice bloke, just not good enough to get the best out of those players. (IMO). This is not said to annoy my wife, who actually agrees with me about Hughton.

This link just popped up on Newsnow, and I must be tired because I've read it twice and still can't make heads or tails of it. http://www.bsports.com/extratime/leaderboard-crossing-success-in-the-premier-league I think it states that James Ward-Prowse is the most accurate crosser of the ball in the Premier League this season, which if true is a hell of a stat for an 18 year old that's considered more of a central midfielder than a wide player!

I personally think Sunderland might put out a stronger team than us next week (in the hope of resurrecting something from their already poor season) and win, meaning being in the next draw is moot, but should our "B" side get through then I'm not too concerned who we get. It'd be nice to play at home, it gives me more chance to see it live, but otherwise not too fussed. If we have aspirations of winning the cup, then of course you hope for the likes of Leicester, or perhaps Stoke or West Ham, but with a virtually all Premier League line up, it won't be an easy cup to win this year.