Midfield_General

Melting the odd one into the top corner from miles away doesn't hurt either

Plus Stu Armstrong getting back to form in the last few games. Makes such a difference to us going forward.

Shoving his goal celebration back down his throat was extremely satisfying. He looked like he was going to cry at the end, the pluggy wiggy gimp. Lovely stuff.

Ah. I see.

No idea what this £45m business is about. Telegraph reporting its a free transfer initially, rising to a £10m fee if he makes 20 appearances.

My god, imagine being so breathtakingly stupid that you don't understand the concept of a team of the week f**king hell, that's almost impressive 😂

And here is that overhead kick - absolute banger:

After yesterday, JWP goes on this list as the best free kick taker in the world right now.

I hate to break it to you old chap, but he joined Liverpool five years ago Still, at least tonight we can rely on Lambert, Lallana and J-Rod, they could make the difference

Watching Van Dijk the other day, thinking how he's probably the best CB in the world (if not right now, then probably over the last few seasons), it got me wondering how many others have passed through Saints who were at some point or other regarded as the best in the world in their position. Obviously it's subjective to a degree, but Shilton for example was consistently rated the best goalkeeper in the world for some time, so that's another one. Was Shearer considered the best CF in the world at any point? Are there any others?

Good old Leicester. Got a couple of stunning goalkeepers too if you're interested lads 👍

Yep. If you haven’t read Benali’s autobiography yet, I can recommend it - there are some very interesting insights in there about Cortese and his attitude. He’s presented as an expert at spending other people’s money, with a huge, unearned sense of entitlement to go with it. I know they fell out and it’s only one side of the story, but it’s a first-hand account and he comes across extremely badly.

Pretty sure he would have buried that chance to go 2-1 up on Man Utd - the one that De Gea saved.

So apart from the roads, the aqueduct, sanitation, irrigation, medicine, education, wine, the public baths, public order and coming on and setting up both goals, what has Nathan Redmond ever done for us?

Do you know who Redmond is? He created both our goals.

If it was me, I'd go: Forster; KWP, Stephens, Salisu, Perraud; Romeu, JWP; Livramento, Tella; Adams, Armstrong (A) Subs: McCarthy, Bednarek, Valery, Diallo, Djenepo, Elyounoussi, Redmond, Walcott, Broja.

Does Stekelenburg count? He was a loan but seem to remember he was first choice for a while under Koeman. He was another odd one. Can't ever really remember him making any really amazing saves, but he never really messed anything up either. Just sort of comfortably saved the ones he ought to. He was the definition of 'solid but unremarkable'.

Best manager we ever had.

Oh Matthew. It's not meant to be a literal statement of fact. It's just an opinion, a whimsical musing based on not very much other than a fleeting consideration of recent seasons when Burnley and Newcastle have both often been in and around the relegation fight, but each time have tended to be able to do enough to pull away. You know, the sort of light-hearted but ultimately throwaway comment you might make or hear when you're out, chatting in a pub, with a big group of mates. Ah. Actually I think I'm beginning to see why you didn't understand.

Newcastle have got much more quality than us, and Burnley are better managed than we are. Neither of them will go down because they never do. Brentford and Brighton both look like they’ve got more than enough to be comfortable. Looks to me like it’s 3 from 4 - Watford, Norwich, Palace, us. If any of those other three are able to defend and grind out draws in tough games in the way that we are incapable of, we are bang in trouble.

I thought Nathaniel Clyne was great for us. Not least for this one he absolutely melted from 35 yards to knock Arsenal out of the league cup at the Emirates... He's got a foot like a traction engine

That’s amazing.

There was another one like that - I think it was against Leicester. From memory, Shane went through, got pushed wide left by the keeper as he came out, but took it round him, stayed on his feet and slotted brilliantly with his left from an extremely acute angle. 'Bloody hell' we said, 'nice one Shane, didn't think you had that sort of composure in you'. Then they showed the replay from the angle he'd scored from. It showed that he'd actually curled it behind the keeper but back away from the goal, Schmeichel had inadvertently punched it in with the back of his fist, and that it had been on course to go out for a throw-in on the far side. Bloody love Shane Long.

When Rideout signed that was another great opening day - beat West Ham 4-0, with Rideout getting two on his debut. Forward line that day was Rideout and Clarke, with Danny and Rodney Wallace on the wings and Le Tiss off the bench. Pretty tasty that.

Here he is scoring a lovely chipped free kick (about 1 min 30 seconds in). MLT would have been happy with that one!