SNSUN

Why are our odds and West Hams odds so different? We're level on points, similar goal difference and only a place apart in the table! Does that mean they have more faith in us than the Hammers to stay up?

Jos has improved, and far from hoofing it up the pitch on Saturday I thought he looked to play the ball out more than I've seen before. But I do think he isn't the answer to the centre back slot. I prefer Fonte alongside Yoshida - and questions still need to be asked about Forren. He made the bench a couple of games ago, is it Jos's form that now keeps him out, or the worry of upsetting a form team by including him that keeps him out? Also, I'd like to know how many points Gazzaniga cost us earlier in the season. His fumble of Snodgrass's free kick earlier in the season still lingers in the memory. He has potential but he was thrust into the side very early while the rest of the team were still learning the Premier League ropes.

vs Swansea - Draw (This game really could go either way so I sat on the fence.) vs West Brom - Win (Their season is over and a home game against them should suit us.) vs Spurs - Lose (One of those we predict a loss but could just as easily go and spank them after recent form against big teams) vs Sunderland - Lose (Improved performance yesterday, I wondered what effect Di Canio would have and it seems to have been positive) vs Stoke - Win. (Surely, it has to be a win here - could send Stoke down IMO.) 7 points, 45 overall. 12th/13th something like that.

Right now? Right this moment in time? Kone, to derail Wigan's great escape. All the relegation strugglers are picking up points except Wigan because of their cup run, and nicking one of their key players would not help in their quest to earn points. As in the summer? A big centre back beast with talent please, or an attacking midfieder to play in the 3.

Our form is good, there's isn't. They're at home, both teams play good football. I can see this ending in a draw, which would be another useful point, though if our ambition is a top half finish, we need to beat them. More spark in attack from us than today and we'll have the 3 points we need to level with them.

None of our defenders had a bad game on what was a tricky pitch in tricky conditions against a big side. Jos looked fairly comfortable and to me it seemed was looking to play it rather than hoof it forward which was promising. Fox wasn't poor either, though he'll never be the player Shaw has become, but still he put in a shift and from where I sat it didn't look like a booking. (Although I was quite far from the challenge.) Yoshida did his job competently enough too, and as pointed out Carroll is a lump who is hard to play against because of his height and strength. I didn't even recognise Vaz Te without his hair! Our biggest problem today was stringing together attacking moves. Lallana had a few touches but was off the pace, Ramirez was poor today IMO too, and Lambert had a quiet game. Only Davis shone out for me today of the attacking quartet. I thought he was very good, most moves went through him and he was always looking to win the ball when he didn't have it. I can see why he's fancied by Pochettino at the moment. All in all it was a miserable day with the rain, but a reasonable point earned in the end. West Ham earned their "hoof" chants but ultimately also earned their point. We're both seemingly safe now, but it would be nice to finish above them - a victory for good football that would be. The only other game I can get to this season is Stoke on the last day - I hope we have a few more points by then, but as it stands I can't see us going down on 38. Incidentally - we're only 1 point away from being mathmatically safe from being taken over by QPR and Reading barring a massive goal difference swing, so we now support them against the sides above them. That's - QPR vs Stoke, QPR vs Newcastle, Reading vs Norwich, Reading vs Fulham and Reading vs West Ham - all to be played before the season's end. It's been seen before that relegated sides start to perform better - let's hope that's the case when they play the teams above us - every little helps and a top half finish is a real possibility.

The three Hammers fans behind us in the Chapel were, credit to the stewards, swiftly dealt with. If you're going to sneak tickets in the home end, bite your tongue, no matter how much emotion you want to let out. I've done it, it's not impossible. As for Millwall, well, what more needs to be said. I was listening to TalkSport in the car and while it sounded like Collymore was making a big deal out of it, the photos above prove it was nasty. Shocking in this day and age, and no doubt Wigan's triumph will be overshadowed by it in the papers tomorrow.

Davis MOTM, honourable mention to Cork, Morgan, Clyne and Jay. Poor games from Ramirez (despite the goal) and Rickie. Full reaction when I can feel my fingers again.

Haha! He could've chosen any shirt colour in the world, but no, he plumped for the colour of their hated rivals. Airbrushing. Or theft, one or the other! So is the 10 point deduction happening this season or next? I'm rather hoping League 2 is a definite...

If Oxlade-Chamberlain had stayed with us, my guess is he wouldn't currently have received a full cap on our run up the leagues. Move to Arsenal, capped for England. This is perhaps why I'm worried we'll lose Shaw, and perhaps even one or two of the other jewels, unless Saints can really progress next season and try to hit the top 6-8. (Personally I prefer club football, so I really am not too fussed with the England team, despite patriotically supporting them (in vain) in competitions.)

+1, it wouldn't be a bad result, a point closer to safety and that 38 point mark that some think would keep us up, but personally we're good enough to beat West Ham. The virus thing could prove decisive though. I know it doesn't do us personally any favours, but I'll also be routing for Newcastle on Sunday...

I know we as fans love the good things written about us and automatically hate the bad but this is a great summing up of what I think of Pochettino so far. Sacking Akdins wasn't the wrong move, it was just a strange one because of the timing and of what Adkins had achieved. Had we not seen much in the way of change under Pochettino, we could have questioned the decision to remove Adkins, but, as the article shows, we're better off under Pochettino statistically and from the new style of play. Polishing off Reading last week also shows we've adapted to beating those teams that try the long ball as well as passing - which makes me wonder if we had that QPR game now, whether the result would have been different.

For the record, I personally have to say I love Norwich fans.

This is my worry. The only big leaver I can see this summer is Shaw, and I think that would be the case whether he was under long-term contract or not. He's such hot property now, the big clubs would tear their budgets apart to get him. Ideally we'd keep him, and I hope we do, but I think it will prove very tough. We'll all be sick of the media reports about him come July. Most importantly though is that Saints are in the driving seat, and he'll demand a high transfer fee as long as that contract is signed. Am I right in saying we get a development fee if he leaves without the contract? That would be criminal. I have faith in the club to do the right thing with the Shaw scenario, and should the worst happen and we lose Shaw, have faith in the club to sign the right replacements. While we're on the topic, would Ryan Bertrand be an unrealistic target if we sold Shaw (perhaps even to Chelsea)? As Ashley Cole's signed a new contract, he'd be a decent choice to replace Shaw. (Hypothetically of course, I sincerely hope we keep Shaw.)

Not read through this thread then!?! HELL NO. Young players please, not has beens. I see one reporter is linking us with Bolton's Alonso, 22 year old left back, if we sell Shaw. I don't know enough of him to comment, but he'll be a Bosman, so he could be the "back-up" people want.

He'll stay at Reading IMO. Adkins seems to have faith in him over Pogrebnyak (who no doubt will be off in the summer anyway) and Hunt.

Perhaps it's more cut and dry than I thought! Poll mods?

...and Young Player Of The Season. So, we're reaching the climax of the season, seemingly staying up and doing so comfortably. What a season, full of ups and downs, surprise wins and surprise losses, additions along the way that have made us a better team, (Shaw, Boruc) and additions along the way we, presently, remain puzzled by. (Forren) But who is YOUR player of the season overall, and who is your young player of the season? For me there are a number of stand out players, Morgan, Cork, Lambert, Puncheon, Yoshida, Shaw, Boruc, Clyne, which may make this debate more interesting as there's no ONE player that stands out, but for consistancy over the whole season I have to give it to Morgan. He gets better the higher league he plays in and judging by the stats previously posted on here, he's outplayed the rest of the Premier League for his position. For 'young player' it will be a lot easier IMO. Luke Shaw. Not only has he shown class defensively, offensively and positionally, he's only 17 AND he sorted out a problem position for us. Class, and I truly hope we can keep hold of him. JWP started the season well but sadly for him chances have been limited. I liked what I saw though, especially against United in the 3rd game.

I'm normally positive but I still won't be comfortable until we're mathmatically safe from relegation. Yes I think we'll win a few more and finish comfortably mid-table, but there's always a chance we won't! Still only 6 points clear, 2 or 3 losses (while perhaps unrealistic) and it could be squeaky bum time again. All that said of course, I think we'll beat West Ham on Saturday anyway which will push us up to 40 points, after showing yesterday that we can beat long ball teams as well as passing sides. I think we'll draw against Swansea and West Brom, lose to Spurs, draw against Sunderland and beat Stoke. So 46 points, or 48 if we can beat Sunderland, which is the game I'm not too sure about. In fact, play as we are, and they're all winnable, although our trip to White Hart Lane sticks out as the toughest.

Safe? There's a couple of young Derby lads that are supposed to be cracking youngsters - Hendrick and Hughes. Nick 'em....

Whilst I think he'll be great for us next season, I also wouldn't complain too much if we sold him for cost or profit, as long as we replace him correctly. If he's not happy here it would be silly to force him to stay. However if we can keep him, and all our best players, and add to them in the summer, we could have a cracking team next season IMO.

http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?44121-Putting-pressure-on-Boruc-to-sign Thibaut sounds like he should be a Shakespeare character.

Thousands of posts on a messageboard - I think that ship sailed for some of us a long time ago. :-)

Well, let's keep proving him wrong. Perhaps the Beeb will look back on his performance in the prediction league at the end of the season and decide someone else would be better at doing it. His positioning of QPR and Swansea is laughable.

Gotsta be Moyes for me. Our last two results are impressive (even more so if you take into our performances in those games) but this is traditionally a time of the season when Everton switch off having secured safety. 3 wins in a row for them is particularly impressive. The 1-2-3 in my eyes would be Moyes-Pochettino-Ferguson.