Whitey Grandad

I also have one spare in the home end. If not taken then I shall have a bit more space to sit

We might all be excused for thinking that the playing side of the business is not top priority. Nothing beats a settled team and at the moment our team seems some distance from that. Hoddle makes the point in the Mail today that the manager spends a lot of his time sorting out transfers rather than coaching the squad.

No, not on Sky

Yes, that surprised me too

Clément Turpin. I thought he was good too. http://sportif225.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/ARBITRE_TURPIN_Ligue1.jpg

Hoddle doesn't like the window either: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3207352/Deadline-day-panic-day-transfer-window-shut-season-begins.html And on Wanyama the Mail on Sunday stirs the pot further: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3207372/Victor-Wanyama-tells-Southampton-unhappy-wants-leave-midfielder-refusing-discuss-new-contract.html

Yes, surprise indeed. It was probably the best of a very few offers.

This shows why referees should never mimic the offence, or lack of it, because such actions can be misinterpreted. I took the ref's actions to mean that the player's hands were down by his sides but we can't know that for sure. A simple shake of the head would have been more than enough.

We have nothing like £100m in the bank, we should just be grateful that we have sufficient resources to trade at a comfortable level if we manage the business properly. We cannot sign anybody on a 7 year deal. Professional contracts can only be for a maximum of 5 years, 3 if the player is under 18. Please check the facts before going on a rant. http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/administration/01/27/64/30/regulationsstatusandtransfer2010%5fe.pdf

My apologies Wighty, I didn't mean to belittle you, I was just trying to take your last point to its logical extremities. It's inevitable that Targett will be compared to Shaw but first and foremost we should be comparing their defensive capabilities. Anything else is a bonus.

Good to hear but the suspicion must be that these reports are leaked in order to unsettle the players.

#welimpon

There was one on Thursday that annoyed me. JWP was open for a short pass and Victor chose instead to drive the ball out to the left wing and into the crowd. JWP was not impressed.

So because neither he nor Shaw managed a goal or an assist they are equal? Fullbacks are there to defend and protect the flanks first, anything else is a bonus. I cannot imagine Targett ever being as good as Shaw but that's not his fault, that's just the way it is.

Lionel Messi ???

It was something to do with there being a time by which we could exercise our option but Atletico sold him before that date contrary to our agreement. Or something.

Quite right. They are well paid and should concentrate on playing the best they can.

My concern is that the players are unsettled for the first month of the season.

Yup, 6 pm on Tuesday September 1st. This allows clubs to meet the Champions League deadline of 11pm that evening.

When Ivan Golac was my neighbour we used to talk football quite often (obviously). He said that he liked to leave three players upfield because the other team would then need to keep four players back.

Beagle

It depends who's doing the dying and who's assisting. In principle I'm for but I am uneasy about it.

Expects

Targett was a lot better last night but one attempted cross was driven straight into the Northam and the other was cut back to the edge of the penalty area where none of our players were expecting it to go.

I've just looked again at all angles and pause-motion and both hands are on the no. 8's shoulders. Caulker's left hand is actually over the defender's left shoulder and he grabs the front of his shirt and pulls his shoulder back. Unfortunately the ref had a good view of it. We really must practise these set-pieces and if Caulker is going to do this sort of thing then we need somebody to block the referee's line of sight.