SNSUN

Aside from the fact that I, too, think they'll all be fit, I still think Fonte has the quality to do a job in CM. Apparently he played there early in his Palace career, and that would leave Perry and Jaidi at the back. Seems ok to me... IMO Lallana is the key to winning, we have to have him fit. He is, in the JPT side, the creativity that has got us here. No Puncheon means a lot rests on his shoulders. It'll be nice next season when we don't have to worry about cup tied players!

I posted on 606 my thoughts on this, but I'd be very suprised if anyone paid any money to Portsmouth. We learned from the January window that hardly any money is being exchanged for players in this current climate - unless a player is available at a HUGELY knocked down price, why the hell would other clubs wish to buy a player that they can't even use until next season?

It's a trophy, it will make our season look better than perhaps it has been, and if Cortese is to be believed when he says we have underachieved, perhaps it will buy Pardew time. But we have to win it. Lose, and Pardew won't be the most popular person around, even with all the injury worries.

Oh I don't disagree, a number of times I saw him use his left foot when it would have been easier to use his right, but he is what he is - a left footed left back playing out of position. It's not his fault he doesn't have a right foot of note, I'm sure he didn't choose to play right back, but he did because Pardew told him to and because he is a model professional. Harding exemplifies being a pro footballer. He does what is asked of him, to the best of his abilities, and is very vocal during games, spurring us on when we're struggling, and marshalling the back line. I noticed once or twice he was yelling at Seaborne to hold the line. He could potentially be a captain for us one day IMO. Playing with his left foot, I still think he had a good game. He worked so hard and had to deal with the fact that he was out of position, and still got forward to have a few shots. (Ok, not great ones...) Our side is so much richer for having him in it, although as has been said, I do hope James is fit on Sunday so Harding can start at left back. Lastly, I forgot to mention it before, but kudos for Saints fans for applauding the second Hartlepool goal. Completely spontaneous, it was nice to see we appreciate good football even if it comes from the opposition.

There's always that chance, no point denying it - the winner will be whoever has the most passion on the day. My team, if everyone is fit, would be: Davis, Thomas, Fonte, Jaidi, Harding, Antonio, Hammond, Morgan, Lallana, Waigo, Lambert. ...although I understand that due to injuries some of this won't happen. It's a shame, because Waigo, Antonio, Thomas and Perry have been key to our success in this competition this season.

I don't wish to speak ill of the Northerners but... ...evolution gave them opposable thumbs for a reason...

Did they spank it before they hung it?

We need Lallana for creativity, I hope he's fit, and Morgan too. I'm gutted Thomas is out, but either James or Harding can cover that spot. Whichever XI gets sent out, they're good enough to win the cup for us.

They need to find out the real definition of "overhead kick".

He wasn't good either, but it wasn't the worst I've seen him play. Probably his one good pass of note stuck in my mind...

Just back from the game, and for once I don't have to get up for work in the morning, so can post on here! A win is a win. We were made to work for it, but I got to see five goals, two of them corkers, and all in all it was a satisfactory night. All three of our goals were mistakes by them, I'd really like to see them again on the highlights, but for Barnard's header I think their keeper should have dealt with it better, for Lamberts goal, their defender slipped, and for Waigo's goal, well, I don't really know WHAT they were playing at. At least we capitalised on the chances when we got them. I notcie Hartlepool only had two shots on target, and they scored from them. We started slowly and Hartlepool's goal didn't come against the run of play. Seaborne and Mills looked very shaky at the back, compared to Harding and Fonte who, I thought, were brilliant; Harding in particular was my MOTM, and I'm not just saying that because he's my favourite player. He could have scored twice in the first half, and was genuinely everywhere you looked. I thought Morgan was very good until he came off at half time, God knows why, being rested perhaps, I didn't see him pick up a knock. This was perhaps the best I've seen him play. I'll also give big credit to Barnard, who worked his nutsack off. If this was FM, he'd have 20 as his work rate. Puncheon, Waigo (despite scoring the winner), Seaborne and Mills were all a little shaky for me - Puncheon had one of those games where he's exceptional at times, and poor at others. (A bit like Antonio was when he first arrived.) IMO Waigo was perhaps the weakest player on the pitch for us, he undoubtedly has talent, and pace, and a finishing touch, but I think maybe his concentration waivers, his punt in the second half could have been dangerous. Finally, praise to Wotton, he wasn't bad when he came on. God knows how many Hartlepool fans there were but it couldn't have been many - at least they can make the journey back with their right back's screamer fresh in the memory. Prutton you git, did you HAVE to score Colchester's equaliser?

A hell of a lot more than half I reckon! I didn't think it would take long for a build up thread to appear! Soooooo looking forward to this one. We didn't play well tonight, but hopefully the players will be more up for it on Sunday, though naturally there will be nerves. We CAN win this, as long as we can dispel the nerves and play as well as we know we can, even with the "second string" Saints team. I'm hoping Lallana was dropped tonight to help him recover for the big game, good decistion to give Lambert an early night too. Harding was immense tonight on the right, although if James is fit, I'd like to see him take the right back slot with Harding switching back the the left, although I wouldn't bat an eyelid if Harding starts on the right. I think a loan right back is unneccesary. We must sing our hearts out for this one, I know I will. UTS

Happy Birthday Toby. When Fraser is older, you'd better make sure you get him nice presents, your birthday follows quickly afterwards, and you will have to expect to receive arse presents if he's not satisfied with his...

He should never have to buy a ticket. Granted, he made more money in his career than most of the rest of us put together, but he could have earned more by going elsewhere. And he didn't, because loyalty shone through. Give him a ticket, a chant, and a bottle of Malibu.

Theres' no reason to sell anyone in the summer unless they want to go. We're building for the future, which means all the players we have, excepting the chaff, must stay.

I was very tempted to put some money on Morgan to score at any time tonight, but Ladbrokes weren't offering that service at the time. :-( Bet he goes and scores now... Judging from Cheltenham, and the Swindon game, anything I bet on doesn't come true. So I've stuck a covering bet on the draw/Hartlepool win tonight. Easy win for Saints then...

I, too, would love it if Leeds ballsed up their chance of promotion, and for that reason I'm hoping Millwall or Charlton beat them to the auto spots. I would also love it if we manage to get them in the play-off final and beat them. :-) I do, however think it's highly unlikely, nay nearly impossible, for us to make the play-offs this season. I do however think our form until the end of the season will be good to brilliant, and will certainly spool the likes of Colchester and Huddersfield.

A very good Lounge thread. :-) For me, the best Roasted meat is Pork. I love Pork. You could roast me a whole joint of Pork, and I'd try my darndest to eat the whole damn thing. Without being greedy though, I do tend to ration it. So... Pork - At least 3 thick slices but the more the merrier. Got to be thick slices... Crackling - God created Pork to come with crackling. Got to be slightly soft on the inside, to make chewing not impossible. Roast Spuds - Four or five reasonable size spuds. Got to be very, very crispy, my dad really cooks the best ones, though they probably instantly raise my cholesterol levels. Stuffing - Sage and Onion, while it doesn't really lend itself to Pork too well, my olds always do stuffing with whatever meat they're cooking, which suits me. My girlfriend doesn't, which angers me. Crispy Roast Parsnips - I've only started eating parsnips in the last six months, I never use to like them... I didn't use to eat much veg, I was a fussy sod, but now I'll pretty much eat anything. Peas are my favourite veg, I also like carrots, broccolli, cauliflower (especially cheese), beans, cabbage, etc etc but I can't eat sprouts, swede or turnip - it makes me throw up. :-( Gravy's got to be thick too...

Hell no. I can't stand either of my parents.

Am I crazy that I think they all look ****ing ridiculous, or are they crazy for doing this? I occassionally watch Snog, Marry, Avoid on BBC3, dross in itself, but I see all these girls saying "I would never go out without my fake tan!" Do they realise how stupid it looks? Or is it me?

It's a bank holiday 3pm kick off, so there could be quite a few people interested in spending the day at St Mary's...

Harsh IMO, while the USA may not be the best world force, they're surely too good for Charlton. I don't want Leeds to go up, and because of this, I actually hope Charlton's form picks up.

Chris Perry, once he's had his bionic legs fitted. Plus I've heard that next season is really going to be Pulis's season.

There are four players that IMO have earned the right to play at Wembley as they're the players that played a big role in getting us there... Perry, Antonio, Waigo and Thomas. I hope all are fit and that all get their chance, even if it's from the Subs bench, although I understand that there is little room for sentiment in football. A trophy, however tin pot, will go down in our history, so winning it is perhaps the most important thing. I will however be enjoying my day out at Wembley no matter what!

I said we'll beat Tranmere, and Swindon and neither happened, so I should be cautious about this game. I'm not going to be though - I'll be at St Mary's tomorrow and I want us to win by a big margin, for entertainment value AND to get the party started for Wembley! Fingers crossed we don't arse this one up, I don't think we will, but you never know. 3-0 Saints.