angelman

from Sky Sports. Would this be The Sun who said that there was going to be a swap deal with Spuds for Townsend/Wanyama?

Gazza - £2.5m Clyne - £2.5m Fox - £1.5m Mayuka - £2.8m JRod - £7m Sharpe - £2m Morgan - £1.25m I know that that isn't most of,

Very accurate!!!

Harsh....we shouldn't forget this:

Who would you replace? He's a defensive midfielder so would be challenging Wanyama, Clasie and Romeu? It's very easy to get carried away with other teams signing players, especially in January, but I wonder how many are actually good signings at least in terms of value. Austin is one, but how many others? Looking at Suarez it's all a bit weird. http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/mario-suarez/profil/spieler/37337 says he signed for Fiorentina on 22/7/15 for £10.5m, but half a season later he gets sold for 40% of what they paid for him having played but 9 Serie A games. Why?

Like who? There is Guardiola and Simeone as the front runners. But Pep is going north. Simeone maybe, but really, is the Chelsea job that attractive? If Pep goes to Man City, who is going to go to Utd, presuming LVG gets the bullet?

OK. But in his first season with us, JRod in a more attacking position scored one more goal than Gaston did in his first season. Shame that Gaston seemed to go backwards, while JRod went forwards. But I would dispute your bit about throwing most of your chips onto the table and not coming off. Given that we apparently did, how did we prosper? Do you think we under achieved because all those chips went on bad bets?

Sure, granted the crowd is there and presume that is why things are as they are. But to me, what happens on the pitch is a lot more important than what happens in the stands, and with ET, you are giving one side an extra 30 minutes to get an away goal changing it from 90 minutes for each team, to one having 90 and the other 120. What you are saying is that 30 minutes of home advantage is the same as the value of an away goal. Also, normally you would have 90 minutes to be able to counter an away goal, but here you only have 30 minutes. (Not sure I explained that very well, but my brain isn't overly erudite today).

What a complete and utter load of crap.

Really don't want Everton to win. Can you imagine the press going into Merseyside arse licking overdrive?

Lots of teams....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_the_Saints_Go_Marching_In_in_sports#Association_Football Maybe we should just do the same and copy other teams' songs and substitute as appropriate.

And Spurs do?

liked it and so right in things like the media. Surprised no mention of Smalling trying to undress VVD

Think it wrong that away goals count in ET. Why should they? There has been 2 games of 90 mins and it's all square (with away goals counting) but having them count in ET is a distinct disadvantage to Liverpool (which actually, isn't a huge problem in this instance).

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Well, maybe not for football supporters!!! It is a bit weird though, that teams have to use it when there is a connection to Saints already about (ie us) and they have absolutely none (ie unlike St. Mirren etc). But what I find really really strange is when they start singing it at SMS. I presume it is to wind us up, which it doesn't really, just find it a little sad.

NO, I think that he refused and had been on £100k a week up till now. Even now I see that they might still be paying £30k p/w

Just a quick question - do you think JRod is a waste of money? After all he hasn't played at all last season and only 248 minutes this season? Just think how many ticket sales have gone towards paying him for not playing. During our barren run of results, just imagine if we hadn't have extended his contract but cut him loose blah blah blah. As I pointed out on the other thread, he played 26 league games in his first season, scoring 5 and assisting 3 - tell me, was that money wasted?

Wow, Spurs must be buzzing as they have got rid of Adebayor as well (to Palace).

I seem to recall that he was OK, had some really good touches, but you just wanted him to push on to the next level and be brilliant, like those brief flashes demonstrated he could be. It was interesting what Clasie said when he came. Getting the injury so early on, allowed him to hit the gym and bulk up, which he did. But he said that a lot of the youngsters were really fit, and much stronger physically than those in Holland at a similar age. Maybe that was one of Gaston's problems - he need to bulk up, something that might not have been so needed in Serie A, to stop being brushed aside too easily.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/qprs-charlie-austin-holds-dodgy-5205097 Goal celebration vs Hull, which I guess confirms/answers my question above.

It's been going on for a couple of years, and honestly, I don't know how it started. If anyone does, then can they enlighten me? It is the impression that many have and go with, while ignoring the fact that the number of games he plays is right up there. I think one of the WHU Davids brought it up with the failed Hull medical and then they did go on to say that he had no ligaments left in the right knee. They had to retract that when CA threatened legal action (which would rather suggest that he does have ligaments). To me, he passed a medical at Saints, and I am sure that the medical staff are more than competent and we would not have signed him had there been an underlying problem. Someone did say, but again no idea, that there might be a deep rooted problem much like the way that Remy failed his medical. It might manifest itself, but it might not. Who knows?

What's happened with him? I thought he had a fairly decent season last season but has had a bit part this season.

Agree (I think). There are always going to be some mistakes. Forren I see as insurance to CB that we never need to call on. Mayuka was what £2.5m and on paper could have been superb. Osvaldo, sure a complete and utter **** up. Ramirez - expensive for sure but the figure of £21m is ridiculous. We have to have players and they have to be paid. Some players you are going to turn a profit on, some you aren't. Now looking at what he did on the pitch. 1st season 26 league games, 5 goals, 3 assists. Is that a total waste? 2nd season 18 league games. 1 goal, 3 assists. Again, is this a total waste of money that would make up the £21m 3rd season - mostly at Hull, who I presume paid most of his wages, so guess that this is accounted for in the figures. 4th season - first half seems a waste, 2nd half at Boro, so presume again that this has been accounted for. No idea whether the £21m accounts for a loan fee. Presume not and that it is £12m fee + 3 x £3m or something akin to that. But anyway, take the first season and wages of £3m. I am not sure how one can say that that was completely wasted. Nor the second season's wage. That his return was not what was expected happens. Happens at most clubs as well. Some players adapt, some don't. So if you want to analyse it, 2 seasons from a 4 year contract = £6m in fees and £6m in wages that we got use out of. There, that's £12m not wasted from the £21m. Expensive for what he gave us, but not TOTALLY wasted like some are trying to make out. A shame it didn't work out, but he also served a purpose and laid a marker for SFC and that we were prepared to spend.

That would be good to do (paid members only? otherwise too many trolls could muck it up). Long I think is the man to get it this month.

That's brilliant. They sort of big it up (plausible deniability - it's The Sun wot said it) to then go on and say it's balls.