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It's a little more than an inconvenience at this notice. How sad it is that the people actually getting off their arses to support their team are treated as the after-thought.

Absolutely. I guess my point is that not all those that slip through our net will have been (or will be) without their merits. It's simply that in our current situation it's very difficult to give them all the playing time they'd need to develop further - short of turning out a starting XI entirely comprised of academy graduates and never releasing anybody until they reach the age of 25. As such, I think Koeman's comments make perfect sense. With regard to him coming out with them publicly, I think there's a bit of sensationalism in the headline here. Fully fleshed out and read as quoted, his comments aren't nearly as stark or harsh.

The cream of the U21 crop is long gone - shouldn't be much of a surprise that there's not really any others from that group that'll make it at the top level. One or two of the U18s may still make the grade and I don't think it's unreasonable for them not to be quite ready for first team action yet. How long did Lallana or Schneiderlin take to reach prime playing ability and market worth? Apart from anything else, we can't keep churning out top class players every single year. There will be fallow periods.

Ah, I see. No point challenging any behaviour that's 'part of football'. Seems a bit bloody backward to me.

As a kid I was quite timid at games and would wait for others to chant and then join in. So perhaps with the youngsters there's a bit of that (although irrelevant in the upper-centre of Block 42, as I'm about half the age of most around me). These days I don't give a toss - if I want to sing, I bloody well will - even if that's on my own, or accompanied by just a couple of people in the vicinity. Sadly that's increasingly the case in what's historically been the most vocal area of the ground. Granted, there were less regulars than for a league match, but at present it's the same no matter what at St. Mary's. The atmosphere's a large percentage of the experience for me and pays a significant contribution towards a matchday's value for money. How many times did we help (however small the percentage) turn a game on its head when grinding out results in League One and the Championship? How much better a day out was it for that? Almost as frustrating as this topic rearing its head increasingly often is members calling those that miss a decent atmosphere 'super fans' and saying "Well sing then". I am. We are. But seemingly 'we' are fewer and fewer. That's sad.

Some info here on Dusan Tadic's contract at FC Twente: http://sportwitness.ning.com/forum/topics/astonishing-clauses-of-southampton-star-s-former-contract-reveale Apparently these leaks have shed light on some dodgy dealings and caused Twente's chairman Aldo van der Laan to stand down.

Absolutely fantastic news. In for at least Norwich; no idea where in the country I'll be on the 28th Dec yet.

I'd love to think that it was related to this tweet:

I don't think it's ever taken me more than 3 or 4 minutes to get up the stairs and across the bridge. How impatient are we becoming?! If it's that much of a problem you can always go past the stairs, through the first underpass you see and come out just a little up the road from the bridge's exit.

This is it for me. I'm not going to berate people for doing so but it's bizarre. I'm sure plenty of people do have genuine reasons but thousand upon thousand? The disturbances and the flattening of the atmosphere affect the enjoyment of others so I do understand why people get frustrated.

So, so much this. It's been rare for him to slot into a side where the other 10 players are settled picks. I'd quite like to see him have the confidence to take on an opposition full back - he never seems to. Though having said that, Clyne mostly stopped doing so at least a year before he left, leaving me to wonder whether our full backs are instructed to take fewer risks now.

Not ideal, but steamroller the Klopp ****fest and we could be facing a kind run towards the Final. Tonight could've be all-in - the Quarter Final now has to be.

United out. Should we concentrate on this Cup yet?

Came, couldn't quite see; came back with taller shoes, conquered.

Well this sent my mind spinning with the things I'd need to re-arrange tonight... Genuinely just had to check the fixture list to make sure the match is tomorrow. It is. Don't do that!

While that opening statement's true, there can be any number of reasons as to why the face doesn't fit. Lack of discipline, lack of application, behind-the-scene indiscretions... It's not necessarily related to a lack of ability. You only have to look to Jason Puncheon for an example of that. Gaston certainly wouldn't be the first PL loan player to fail to make an impact either.

Yeah sure - you already follow me so I've no bones about your girlfriend cross-examining my posts. @antonydjames Would like to think I communicate in an erudite manner no matter the medium but if it's of any help, have at it!

If Gaston was on a more representative wage packet I'd say we might as well stick a 2-year extension under his nose rather than let him walk for a pittance. When he applies himself he clearly has more to offer. As it is, that sadly seems like a huge gamble. Though if him playing for a contract leads to contributions like yesterday, it can only be good for us.

I like the idea of that. Would also give people a small slot to go to the loo/the bar if they so wish. Perhaps it would also make sense to split it into two halves, topic-wise i.e. operations in the first 55 mins and then football in the second. Might focus the questions a little better.

Prior to going on air, Blackmore did a short intro to the crowd and asked for exactly this. Unfortunately a few seemed to think that having the mic put in front of their faces made them more important than the rest in attendance.

What about if did attend and you spent a good portion of the duration with arm aloft, intending to ask such a question, but were left frustrated by a deficit of staff with mics? Are you allowed a little grumble then?

Tonight was a worthy exercise in principle, but the implementation was slightly lacking. The free-for-all nature meant unfulfilled potential and I don't understand how two members of staff with mics was ever supposed to achieve fair coverage of 500 people. They barely moved. It's pretty selfish to stand up and take up a portion of the (relatively curtailed) running time in order to big yourself up as a super-fan. No doubt that prevented some genuinely corking questions from getting airtime. Personally I'd have liked to ask Les Reed why - after saying 18 months ago that we don't see the value in loaning out multiple youth players - have we since sent 7 individuals to other clubs (and 2 of them more than once). At a push it could've been followed up by asking why players such as Harrison Reed (supposedly one of the best players our academy has ever produced) are struggling to make it into the first team.

Without doubt, but it's inextricably linked to the game now.

Would be more difficult to weedle out of if worded something like: "Though the club's commercial revenue has increased in the past year, it still looks low when compared with that of clubs of a similar size and stature. Which specific actions are being taken to improve this?" I'm both interested to hear what's said tonight and prepared for a session of half-answers/management speak. Obviously it's unlikely that anybody will get to ask more than one thing, but I've prepared a few questions just in case my points of interest are asked by others. Better to go in prepared with some facts and figures than to rattle off meaningless waffle off-the-cuff. Hopefully that's the way to get some answers of substance.

The 'Big Book of Football Forum Clichés' has taken a pasting there, with bonus [insert name of form player and pick on a trait they're known for] comment. About as insightful as referring to Ranieri as 'the Tinkerman'.