Sheaf Saint

Clyne missed a fair bit of pre-season through injury otherwise he would have been first-choice from the off. He looked pretty sharp and hungry for the ball in the cup game at Barnsley, and he played the full 90 minutes, so I was surprised he didn't start against Norwich. Following the two-week break for the internationals, I fully expect him to start tomorrow because he is most definitely a better option (at this stage anyway) than Chambers.

No, he is a self-confessed troll. He admitted to me via PM recently that something he had posted in a seemingly-serious way was completely false and done purely for a reaction. Therefore his opinions are worthless and should be ignored.

I did. Two instances spring to mind: that goal against Derby and a delicate little cushion header to perfectly set up Rickie for our smash and grab at Elland Road. Whatever else he may or may not have done in the few games he had that season, these two moments were enough to convince me that he has very good technical ability. That's something that a player either has or he doesn't, and all the rest (like vision, awareness etc...) can be taught. If he has shown the coaching staff enough in training to convince them he can contribute this season then I hope he gets his chance to show us as well. Personally I would give him a run out in the Bristol City cup game to do just that.

I can recommend studying with the OU very much. I'm on track to do a part-time degree with them at the moment (completed my 120 credits at level 1 and just about to start my first level 2 module) and the standard of delivery of their modules is excellent. If you passed your first year at uni then you should be able to put the credits you got for that towards an OU qualification.

I have to concur with this assessment. I have done some call-centre work myself a couple of times when circumstances dictated I had to take whatever work was on offer at the time. It starts off OK but eventually, like anybody else who has ever worked in a call centre, you will reach the stage where every morning your alarm will go off and your first thought will be "Oh f**king hell... do I have to go back to that f**king place again!?" Not trying to put you off like

Pahars was undoubtedly a more skillful player, but he was in and out of the side through injury far too much and we never really got to see a full season of peak performance from him. Lambert may not have the same technical ability, but his overall contribution to our meteoric rise back up the leagues makes him a much better value for money signing in my view.

I make that the first shot on target of the game so far. On 74 minutes. Brilliant advertisement for international football this.

That moment summed up Walcott's game. Great run and a terrible final ball.

Let Lambert take this FK!

Ouch. Walcott on Piatov - that's gonna hurt!

Yeah I just watched it too. I was dubious about it because it has received a lot of criticism, but I actually enjoyed it more than I expected to. That is, at least, right up until the last half an hour or so, where it became a laughably bad re-hash of the original Star Trek II.

I find it absolutely incredible how he was written off by so many on this forum after he found himself down the pecking order last year. There was a lot of excitement about him when he signed, and from what little we got to see of him in our promotion season from the Championship he showed some glimpses of brilliance. I was looking forward to seeing if he was up to the challenge of playing in the PL because he looked a dangerous player, so I was very surprised when he found himself frozen out once the season started. I hope he gets a chance to prove his worth and takes it, perhaps in the cup game against Bristol City, because with Puncheon and Mayuka both out on season-long loans, we may need to call on his services if we get a couple of injuries to our forward players.

The Mirror have given him MOTM... http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/england-4-0-moldova-mirror-player-2256056

Watching his performance for England lastnight I have absolute confidence that he can play the deeper role with Osvaldo up top, and not only that, I reckon it will be very effective once they get on the same wavelength. Just look at the little combinations that Rickie and Wellbeck played with each other last night. And that's after just a handful of training sessions together. It was interesting to hear the 'taters drawing the comparison between SRL and Teddy Sheringham during the game. Both came into the England fold later in their careers than most, neither of them very fast or mobile but such intelligence in their play and their awareness of their team-mates' positions at all times. This is something I brought up with a mate of mine at the beginning of last season who was convinced that SRL wouldn't make the step up to playing in the PL.

Interesting that the comments for each player in those links are identical, yet the ratings are different. One has given Wellbeck 9 and Lambert 8, with the other one doing the opposite.

Oh, OK. Just I heard him on the radio once talking about his experience of going to the '76 cup final, and the way he spoke about it made it sound like he was a lifelong Saint.

John Inverdale from BBC sport is a Saints fan.

Interesting piece from Robert Fisk in today's Independent.... http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/iran-not-syria-is-the-wests-real-target-8789506.html

Sad. A great broadcaster. I went to his house once near Romsey when I was working for Southern Water (he was out though) and his hallway was covered in framed photos of him with world leaders and other hugely famous and influential people he had interviewed (like Mother Teresa etc...). RIP Sir David.

Yeah I agree with this. even if the player doesn't deliberately block the ball with hands, it is still denying the opposition a potential goal. Most fouls are not deliberate, but the free kick will be awarded anyway if the defending team gain an advantage from it. Same should go for handball.

Clyne played the full 90 minutes at Barnsley in midweek and looked sharp. Perhaps MP just didn't want to rush him back with two games in a week. But if both he and Shaw were fit enough for the bench, it does make you wonder why MP decided to go with far, far weaker options in an away game against tricky opposition.

What the fook was that from Wanyama? Time and space and played it straight to a Norwich player under no pressure.

How is that offside when Lambert ran back onside and left it for the player who was onside?

Good spell of pressure there. Better than we managed in the whole of the first half. Another decent effort from Osvaldo but never going to trouble Ruddy.

Good effort from Osvaldo!