Sheaf Saint

The thing is, I wouldn't mind paying a little extra for my electricity if I knew that the energy firms were using the extra capital to invest in renewables and more efficient methods of power generation. But they clearly aren't. Last night I attended a fascinating talk at Sheffield University by the authors of a new book called Project Sunshine, which looks not only at the scientific aspect of ending our dependence on fossil fuels but also at the historical, political and economic factors which have led us to where we are now. Their main argument was that the technology exists already to move away from a coal/oil/gas based infrastructure, but the political will and economic conditions do not. Everything is all about the short term - the energy giants only care about making quick returns for their shareholders, and governments only give a damn about winning the next election. Quite simply, as long as the global free-market economy exists in its current guise, we will continue to get shafted in the short term, by way of profiteering from the multinational corporations that hold all the power, and screwed in the long term due to the lack of investment in technologies that will free us from the volatility of the global energy market. Pugwash is quite correct. The situation is only going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

My other half is expecting our first child in february, and trying to pick a suitable name is so much harder than we thought. I know from first-hand experience what it is like to grow up and go to school with a somewhat unusual name, and just how cruel and hurtful other kids can be when it comes to ripping you about it, so I was very conscious of this. Mine isn't a particularly weird or pretentious name, it's just uncommon, and it didn't help that there were a couple of characters on TV during the 80s that I shared it with which became the butt of all the teasing I received. Of course, my parents weren't to know that would be the case when they gave it to me, but that didn't stop me from resenting it at the time. We thought long and hard and managed to come up with plenty of girls names that we both liked, but just couldn't agree on a boys name. Every suggestion that one of us came up with was rejected by the other. But it's academic now, because we've had two scans and they both showed it's a girl

Thanks

I'm a little confused. .. Why has our game at Sunderland been scheduled for the week after all the other ties for this round? And will it be on TV as it's the only game that night?

Interesting read that. I never knew Ian Branfoot managed Fulham. Was that before or after his time with us?

I guess they are going by the logic that Fulham were so ineffective at getting past our midfield that Dejan and Jose really didn't have that much to do, whereas Senderos and Amorebieta did pretty well to restrict the scoreline to only 2-0. That's the only reasoning I can think of for it. But then they've only given Schneiderlin a 6 and both the Fulham CMs a 7! What the actual f**k!?

"Spare a little change?"

Just read that again and absorb it... 6 clean sheets in 9! Last season we only managed 7 in total. When was the last time a Southampton team could boast that kind of defensive record I wonder? If memory serves we had a really good run under Hoddle while we were still at the Dell but I don't have the stats for that right now. This is the absolute bedrock of our success so far this season. We just look so solid and composed all the way up the pitch, with not the slightest hint of the schoolboy errors that cost us so badly last season. Lovren looks to be the signing of the century (after SRL, of course) and the improvement in Fonte this season is just incredible. With a top quality goalie and two full backs with the potential to play at international level as well, teams must really be starting to fear playing against us, and it's not as though we have to 'park the bus' to defend effectively either.

Chelsea and Citeh are playing each other so they can't both go above us, but at least one of them will regardless of the result. Worst case scenario we will drop down to 5th if Spurs beat Hull at Home - which I fully expect them to do.

Is it possible to add an 'All of them' option to the MOTM poll?

I just can't see him getting into our side at the moment. Even with Davis injured today, MP clearly thought Guly was a better option off the bench, and that can't be a good sign. I expect Gaston is pretty frustrated right now but it's down to him to force his way into MP's plans.

All about how crap they are and how Jol has to go. http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?topic=33439.60

Without doubt the most one-sided Saints performance I have ever seen. The stats say it all. Fulham aren't a bad side, but we gave them absolutely nothing. We could have played all night and they still wouldn't have got past our rock solid defence. The 'tater on the stream I was watching said that it would be hard to pick a MOTM because you could make an argument for every player in a red shirt, and I'm inclined to agree with him. I can't bring myself to pick one player out of what was such a complete TEAM performance tonight. This is one happy Saints fan right here.

Pinch me!

Wow - I'm in dreamland. That was undoubtedly the most complete first half display I have EVER seen from a Saints team.

Jay-Rod you f***ing beauty!!!!!!!!

Just look at these stats... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24591247

Lambo hits the post!

Excellent performance so far. Really should be more than 1-0 up. J-Rod should have done better after he nutmegged Senderos but the keeper saved well. Keep this up and we should win comfortably.

We know. He's a self-confessed wind-up merchant and the most worthy candidate for your 'ignore list' you could possibly imagine.

Went to see Captain Phillips yesterday - the new Tom Hanks movie about the true story of a Somali pirate attack on an American container ship. Was pretty good. Quite gripping, but ultimately a bit too real-life Team America (f*ck yeah!!!) for my liking.

I'm guessing from this that you only started watching Saints about 3 weeks ago then.

As I just posted on the post-match thread... If the rest of our attacking players could start playing decent balls into the box or hitting quality through balls, then Osvaldo would have got a few more goals so far and we wouldn't even be debating his effectiveness. He's clearly a quality player who has strength as well as ability, and I have no doubt whatsoever that he will start banging them in sooner rather than later.

If the rest of our attacking players could start playing decent balls into the box or hitting quality through balls, then Osvaldo would have got a few more goals so far and we wouldn't even be debating his effectiveness. He's clearly a quality player who has strength as well as ability, and I have no doubt whatsoever that he will start banging them in sooner rather than later.

Bloody BBC bias. Their match report doesn't even begin to do justice to the effort Saints put in today... Manchester United dropped two points as Southampton scored a late equaliser to claim a dramatic draw at Old Trafford. The hosts took a first-half lead when Robin van Persie followed up to score after Wayne Rooney's effort had been blocked by goalkeeper Artur Boruc. United hit the crossbar twice, through a Rooney shot and a van Persie header. But their failure to kill the game off proved costly when Southampton grabbed a last-minute leveller, Dejan Lovren bundling in James Ward-Prowse's corner.