saint1977

I've posted about the small time and pathetic antics of B&HA FC on another thread so time to focus on our boys excellent efforts. Was this going to be another Bournemouth away where commitment met moments of real quality of another Rochdale? Thankfully it was the former and well deserved too. Appropriate that Fonte got the winner - a worthy player of the season surely? I'd echo Frank's Cousins' comments though: this is Saints and we can't afford to slacken off in any of the remaining games one iota and we are far from home and dry. Good to hear Adkins losing his rag at half-time, it shows his desire and drive to get us over the finishing line.

Poyet has embarrassed himself and having just won the league there was really no need for it either. It's even worse than that nomark at Bournemouth Mitchell. It reminds me of Colchester sniping at Norwich all of last season - fat lot of good it did them when Paul Lambert took Norwich back there and hammered them. I expected banter but the front of that programme is simply pathetic. I really hope if we'd been in Brighton's position that we wouldn't behave like that - I know about the Hoddle/Spurs stuff etc but it stopped as soon as Hoddle was sacked after a couple of years of utter failure there. They brought on Murray and went direct at SMS in Nov or does Poyet not remember that? In which case he really is becoming Arsene Whinger Jnr.

We did but Rochdale amazingly were more up for the game than our players. Poyet has it spot on - we have better players but Brighton have won the title because they play as a team. To be fair, we have been better recently in that regard the Rochdale debacle apart but the players have to knuckle down and get the 3 points tomorrow. Brighton are already up and have lots of players out of contract so if they are winning 50/50s tomorrow something's wrong.

We just need to win tomorrow simple as. We need the focus and bottle that was missing at Rochdale. Great result for Huddersfield today but in a way it tells our lads what they need to do - win. Draw doesn't help us much so we need to have a good go at them and get stuck in. Plymouth result means they can still stay up but they do have Exeter away who have a real chance of getting 6th. If the boys do their jobs and win the remaining games it takes Huddersfield out of the equation. Let's face it, we should want it more than the sides we have left and therefore I'd expect the players to win the 50/50s and get the job done. Nice to see a lack of player interviews on the OS, the talking needs to be decisive and done on the pitch. Hudds - 3 shots, 3 goals, you need to match that boys.

Saints just need to focus, be professional and make sure there is no repeat of the Rochdale experience - how a club outside the playoffs can be more "up for it" than the team in second is beyond me. I celebrated as wildly as anyone else on Saturday when Guly scored the winner - out of relief as much as anything - but we must do far better on the run-in remaining. We are much better when we get an early goal as it settles the team down and stretches the game - so we have to strike early at Brighton and that means Lambert staying around the penalty area a lot more, the midfield apart from an increasingly dependable Hammond needs to link far better than it has of late and hopefully if Lallana is fit that may happen. Barnard's injury is a big concern, looks like Guly and Lambert with Connolly and N'Guessan on after an hour as impact subs.

It's going to be very tight and IMO, we will need to get at least a point V Walsall on the final day which might not be easy if they need a win to stay up although I'd expect us to win front of a full house. Both our teams are on a strong run albeit I don't think we are fully firing like we did over Xmas. From the outside looking in, Kilbane has made a difference in screening your back 4 away from home and in getting Clark's instructions across. I don't think you'd have won at Tranmere last year. Both teams still have hiccups though sometimes, hence why Brighton home and dry.

In my view, it is likely a sweetener to keep that nation's police, military and intelligence forces onside pertaining to our current operations in Afghanistan. Also, if we and the other allied forces bolster the educational infrastructure and start resolving some long-standing international sores such as the creation of a Palestinian state and turning down the Neo Con volume on Israel a bit (by the way, I support Israel's right to exist), we might actually have less new extremists to fight in future. I'm prepared to criticise the Coalition on some things - not least this half-baked NHS "reform" which the Cabinet should have shot down - but I can see the possible logic here of what they may be trying to do.

Seconded, stupid as it sounds it could be a tougher game than Brighton. Our lads will lift their game for Brighton but one lesson we have to learn is not to give Gary Jones at Rochdale any space to take aim from 25 yards. That was a peach of a strike and not the only one Jones has produced this season. Getting back to tonight, the key to beating Charlton is an early goal. Their win on Saturday will have given them a lift so we need to start quickly and put away any decent chances to deflate their morale again. We must have more width tonight and I'm interested to know if N'Guessan is injured as he wasn't on the bench Saturday and his pace caused them problems at the Valley as an early sub. Defensively, Charlton are still very vulnerable, Orient hit the woodwork twice late on from defensive mistakes and their keeper handed BWP a goal literally on a plate. See BWP has a late fitness test after limping off.

My version of events is that for 60 minutes we were far too narrow against a decent and well-organised MK unit with Baldock always a threat. Kelvin will be disappointed with both the goals and would probably put his hand up, should have competed at least for the first one and didn't get a clear view of the second one from where I sit having now seen it on TV his positioning was not sound. I like Chaplow but Stephens should be getting a full debut tomorrow night as Chaplow is an energy player and the petrol light is flashing. Guly needs more practice games to get sharp, he could do a job from the bench but the injury really disrupted the run of form he was on. What a comeback though and great spirit from the boys who went mental when it was back to 2-2 and then 3-2. This will be a huge asset in the weeks ahead. I nearly burst blood vessels celebrating Barnard's winner. Forte did what impact players should do - he stretched a tired back 4 and exposed Lewington as Antonio did last year. The goals from Forte were a huge bonus and Barnard's finish was superb under that pressure but credit to MK, they kept at us and Leven's superb free kick stayed out thankfully! I think we have to say that's a good 3 points, MK beat Posh and Hudds still have to go there yet.

Pretty much every Branfoot signing bar Monkou and Paul Allen (not the Seattle one). Particularly David Lee, a whiny little winger we bought from Bolton and in keeping with every other Branfoot signing probably gave away for free or near enough. Dixon and Speedie - outscore Shearer? Ha ha! In recent times I was glad to get Euell off of the books and as has already been said Jermaine Wright as well. Branfoot leaving followed by Burley in terms of managers, can't believe the SFA paid compo as well! Not too sorry to see Harry go either. Who was I sad to see leave? It would just be too long a list!

Best of luck to you, you are going to be Champions and deservedly so over the season. My hope is that by the time we play you you will be up and maybe with one eye on the trophy and the new stadium. We haven't been consistent or ruthless enough to pull clear yet in second place - I take S Clarke's points on board about expectation on board but Norwich's players had to deal with 24k gates last season and applied themselves. Where I think we may pip Hudds and Posh to second is squad depth - I think Forte will prove an asset with his pace now he's fit and Stephens is going to seriously keep the heat on Hammond and Chaplow. Guly is also now fully fit and will be pushing Barnard.

Thanks for your replies, Forte starting was a suggestion but I can see where you are coming from, Barnie is in great form and it would be a risk to disrupt that. Also, Guly needs some game time under his belt as well. Hopefully Barnie will get two, Lambert one and Lallana one, we'll be 4-0 up after 70 minutes and we can take all 3 off to rest and Guly and Forte then take up the reigns! I can dream anyway, whilst we're at it MK batter Posh 3-0 tonight....

This is the game where we need to score early and then do what we did at Oldham and keep our foot on Charlton's throat for 90 minutes. That would send out a message to Fergie Jnr as well - can't believe I'm going to cheer on MK Dons tonight but needs must! Charlton would really struggle if we got an early goal and may get on their players backs. Despite the great form Barnard is in I'd be tempted to start with Forte - I agree with Chez's comments on him on the Sheff Wed thread and Gary Doherty is very, very slow as are Charlton's other CBs. If you have a look at the goals they are conceding it is quite often that they are beaten for pace so Forte might be able to draw some fouls or get them on a yellow and then bring on Barnard after an hour with lots of extra space and Charlton's back 4 knackered.

Tell you what Ken, I wouldn't be too happy if I was one of the staff being asked to take another wage deferral and have to explain to my mortgage company when my employer spurned the opportunity to get a big gate in and pay me. Hope we stuff them.

Lallana is going to cause mayhem if Megson picks Semi. Here's hoping! A new CB partnership for them is bound to bring communication issues and Jones has been in poor form for S'thorpe and if he can't get a game in their back 4 that leaked 3 to PNE midweek then he really must be out in the cold there. I'd be tempted to give Forte a run with 30 minutes to go, chuck them a pacy curve ball after struggling with RL/LB for an hour. On paper, they have some quality front players but I guess their midfield is getting overrun. You can't see Megson lasting much longer with Mad Milan's track record if their run keeps on.

I've criticised Hammond earlier in the season but I do think on current performances that is a bit harsh. He's weighed in with vital goals like Saturday's and has been more vocal on the pitch. He's not our most talented player but not our worst either. As for N'Guessan, he played well when I saw him at Exeter but has been stop-start since but his pace is a threat and we've hardly seen Forte. We do another CM after Morgan's injury and Gobern's stupidity on Saturday. Gobern has been a red card waiting to happen as a sub, he also totalled one of Exeter's players straight after coming on and got away with it, a loan next season might be in order as there is a good player in there somewhere.

To be fair to Bournemouth fans, most of the ones I know are decent and the vast majority of this is being whipped by Newsquest, a fifth rate American franchise, that happens to own both the Bournemouth and Southampton gutter rags. The reason the journalism is so poor is that Newsquest's staff are paid next to nothing (I have a number of friends that started their careers at the Echo and realised that they could earn much more elsewhere and not be subject to a regular f-word tirade - allegedly - by their stone age sub-editor - once they had "got a foot in the door"). Pay peanuts, get rubbish. I've also witnessed first hand how the Soton Echo operates and anyone who wastes their money on it really is a fool. The reason the Daily Telegraph has gone downhill so badly into a gutter tabloid is because one of the senior staffers is ex-Echo.

Agree totally Adrian, FFS. Did Saints have the option of vetoing this? Surprised the league allows it. I had sympathy with Plymouth before this but I don't now - hope they go bust. It is Plymouth's responsiblity to sign players that are likely to be available during an English season.

We will need to not only show previously missing bottle at the back and in midfield as Colchester will direct as John Ward teams usually are but also to generate width as their pitch has been poor over the last couple of seasons and the scope for one touch football is going to be limited. That's not to say we have to hoof it but get it wide as early as possible as the surface won't be so bad in those areas and that's where Lallana and Chamberlain can do the creative work. Chaplow and Hammond (I'm assuming Morgan to be injured) are going to just have to battle and be the water carriers. Is Guly fit? He needs to start up front alongside Lambert if so, Barnard was useless at Walsall and should have scored two goals at least. If he isn't, then N'Guessan (ok, he's not great but Colchester's back 4 is glacially slow) or Forte up front for me.

I'd echo those that say Michael Brown - can't get a game at Pompey due to the contract trigger and although the cost would be high, it's only until May. He'd have a point to prove and is the sort of character that has played enough Premier League football to be respected instantly. The risk is that he can be a bit combustable - there have been numerous rumours of training ground fights - but the Staplewood environment is too comfy at present and needs shaking up. Moreover, Nigel needs an enforcer on the pitch. We need to do something to freshen things up and get the players focused and composed.

I do agree with much of this and Lambert created plenty last night but it comes back to having a consistently good enough partner for him. Guly and Barnard have done it in patches but Barnard misses far too many chances when he starts and last night was a prime example. Walker was brilliant and Lancashire played with real courage but Barnard really should have buried at least two of those chances and taken luck out of the equation. The issue is composure and belief - only Lambert or Lallana actually look confident in their ability to put the ball away in those situations although I admit even being a fan of Lallana's that his conversion rate could be better. Pity the club and MLT don't get on these days, he'd perfect on the training ground for building confidence in our front players but too much water under the bridge now. However, I'm afraid I don't share your confidence in getting 2nd place - I can't see us winning at Bournemouth or Brighton which we'd need to do or going unbeaten. Is the loan window still open? Definately need a striker if so, there are far too many games where we've blanked this season and it must be far more than our top 6 rivals.

The lack of a second striker to Lambert has been evident all season - yet neither Pardew or Adkins did anything about it. I went last night - and boy am I tired today - and the finishing was as unprofessional as Walsall's defending was heroic and brave. Barnard was a disgrace and the Walsall commentary had it spot on. The less said about N'Guessan the better and even Lallana and Chaplow were off colour. Plenty of effort and running around and Walker made some smart stops for them but with a little bit of composure we could have won 3-1 last night. I think the pressure and the expectation has got to the players and manager and it might be worth bringing someone in - an experienced older head or even a sports psychologist - that can somehow ease the fear and desperation we witnessed last night.

I do see your point and at one time would have shared it but having a more diverse workforce is good for a number of large companies and other sectors as it enables you to build trust and a rapport with your customer base which will also be mixed. The issue on applications being invited from certain groups is part of this but sometimes it is a reaction to other adverse events (for example the Police training college racism - and it was blatant - highlighted on BBC1). Coming from a recruitment background originally, I can assure you that candidates still have to be excellent to get a sniff of being successful, particularly in professional or managerial roles and that their background would only really be a tie-breaker at most in my experience, the quality, experience and track-record are what counts. Disabled candidates do get a guaranteed interview in participating organisations via the Two Ticks scheme but again, they have to fit all the essential criteria to get one and they still have to be the best candidate at interview and the same criteria as above will apply. I still think from experience that the best candidates will usually win out, whether they are part of group or not although there are some exceptions. Anyone who gets a new role in this current climate has to be decent at what they do and hats off to them.

Vital to get a good win tomorrow and get some momentum back - the non-performances have to stop. I want to see us out of the blocks quickly and getting lots of width and deliveries in, get rid of the diamond system for home games and put Guly up front alongside Lambert. My team - Davis, Richardson, Harding, Seaborne, Fonte, Chaplow, Hammond, N'Guessan, Lallana, Guly, Lambert. Moreover, we need goals as well, with the potential attacking threat we have outside of Lambert the team has nowhere near pulled it's weight in terms of goals.

I think this a really sound post. I can see where Benji's post was coming from but the problem is Benji is that whilst some people (you and Minty for example) have the intelligence and wherewithal to make a balanced decision taking into account your prejudices, which we all have, versus the other significant factors, others will just abuse the freedoms that a lack of discrimination protection would give them. Let's face it, there are a few people on this site we can think of where that would be the case. That's not a society that most of the UK would want to live in. There are one or two football clubs that were strongly rumoured in the past not to sign or develop black players - so AOC, Theo or Danny Wallace wouldn't have got a chance if it were their major local club irrespective of talent. If we had no discrimination laws, we'd be back to the bad old days of "suss" by the Police and Courts, and half the population would be consciously excluded from reaching their potential and enriching our workplaces and communities based on ignorance and fear whipped up by uninformed media outlets, by race, disability, gender etc. Of course, the anti-discrimination laws themselves must be applied with common sense. With regard to this, it seems that we still haven't done enough to change the habits of young male drivers, after all, if we did that we wouldn't to offer cheaper insurance for more responsible young female drivers in the first place. One way might be to restrict the driving age to 21, some of the worst cases of irresponsible driving fatalities seem to be teenagers.