Whitey Grandad

Yes. Or any of the other central defenders that we have on our books.

I shall whinge and bitch all I like. This system is shit. You keep on about a ‘winning formula’ yet that was last season in a lower league where our forwards covered up our defensive weaknesses. Just look at how many goals we conceded by playing that way.

Lallana is a coach in waiting.

Whether or not you consider Stephens to be better that THB at the moment doesn’t alter the fact that Stephens is a liability. If not playing Stephens means that we cannot play three at the back then so much the better.

October isn’t very far away. Tomorrow it will be ‘next month’

Maybe he’s fatigued?

We had 63.3% possession though. If anything shows what a useless obsession this is it’s the 3-0 score line.

Promotion was the worst thing that could have happened to him. The Ego has landed.

Nobody likes to say “I told you so” but, I told you so.

Me? Not me. I was never drooling over anybody. Besides, I was at the game, not watching on a message board.

Some of us have been saying that all along.

Start looking around now but don’t make it obvious.

Did it? That was in a lower division. This league is unforgiving. Has it occurred to you that we got promoted despite our playing system?

Eh? If playing five at the back means that we have to play Stephens then it’s de facto a wrong decision.

He was poor last season too. And the seasons before that. He’s just not good enough.

Stephens was poor last week. Offered nothing positive. THB had an off day. Stephens should have been dropped ages ago.

Worst in what sense? He’s just too slow. His dallying kills our game of any pace or urgency that it might have had. He gets skinned regularly by any competent opposition forward. He’s just not a very good defender and certainly not good enough for the Premier League. Has he been better than Bednarek, for example? THB had a disappointing game last week but in view of his previous performances I will cut him some slack.

That was last year though.

Please, please, please. No Stephens. Please.

But the opposition doesn’t have to run about chasing shadows. Apart from leaving a couple up front the rest of them can relax knowing that they’re not going to be overwhelmed. With five substitutes the front players can be swapped for fresh ones after thirty minutes.

Really? His style of football is as soporific as any that we’ve ever had to suffer. You must have a strange idea of what counts for ‘fun’.

Sadly not. Number #1 from Winchester to Southampton. I saw the police cars from the bridge over the M3 at Compton. I had intended to walk the first part of the Itchen Way starting from Cheriton but another bus didn't turn up so I missed the number 67. Which was annoying. I ended up going to King's Worthy and and walking to Winchester for lunch then on to Garnier Road and across to St Cross. My legs ache now but I need to do more of it.

Yeah, I saw that too. I was on a bus though.

Good news! Next!

And so modest…