Minsk

Great result! IF - every match in the CCC which does not involve Saints ends in a draw AND IF - Saints win ALL of their remaining matches WE will be the CCC Champions by 3 points AND It is mathematically more probable for this to happen than any one of us winning the National Lottery Think about that as you are putting your numbers on tomorrow! AND NO, you cannot have any of what I'm smoking :-D:smt033:smt030:-D

From the players we have available at the moment I would go along with this line-up (although I might be tempted to switch Spiderman with Surman as he is more of a goal threat). Along with this with, subs would be: Forecast, Wotton, Surman/Spiderman, Lallana, BWP Ideally, if (as Wotte says) we can bring in ONE new player I would sign a RB. This would allow James (who appears to be our best crosser of the ball, and who would get back to help his RB out) to play RM/RW.

I'm starting to get worried. I never thought I would say this, but...... well said Alpine. I too would like to hear an answer to this.

I think this statement is far more ridiculous tha Arizona's!!!!

Who put in the 'outstanding individual performances'? From what I heard the best performances came from: Saga - should NEVER have been left on the bench Kayne - a much better player than Smith, who started ahead of him Kelvin - YET AGAIN and possibly Seijs. I will say once again, I wonder what the result would have been had we started with Saga, McLaggon and Euell (who saved us the one point with his last minute clearance off the line) and in a 4-4-2 formation? Yes, this was Wotte's first game in charge. But many, like you, are saying this as if he hadn't been all season. For crying out loud, he said only YESTERDAY that our problem has been too many young players and not enough quality up front, then he goes and leaves Saga and Euell on the bench, no Rudi or BWP in the squad, and plays virtually the same players that he himself said had been our problem!

What a fantastic analogy!! I can understand people being being happy that we got a point tonight, and especially so after being 2-0. I am happy about that! But, how some can say Wotte a great job the manager (sorry, head coach) did tonight is beyond me. All we have heard from him the last few days is that 'we have been playing too many youngsters' and 'our strikers are not quite good enough' (no sh!t Sherlock). Then, when he gets a chance to do something about this, He picks almost exactly the same team we would have expected from JP. Saga, our only experienced fwd who also scored the last time out, left on the bench; Euell on the bench; no Skacel in the squad; no BWP in the squad; Holmes goes off injured in the first half, does he bring the experienced Saga or Euell on? No, he brings another kid on (one who just happens to be better than a few who had started mind you - so why didn't Kayne start instead of Smith or DMG?). IMO, Wotte was totally responsible for us being 2-0 at half time, WITHOUT HAVING HAD A SINGLE SHOT ON GOAL IN RESPONSE. Yes, after some subs, we snatched a point. But maybe we would have had all three, AS THOSE AROUND US AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TABLE GOT TONIGHT, if he had started with a decent line-up in the first place. I certainly hope that Wotte has learned his lesson. I hope that on Saturday we play 4-4-2 with this line-up: ------------------------Davis-------------------------- James-------Perry----------Size------------Molyneux McLaggon-----Euell---------Surman--------Skacel --------------------Saga--------BWP------------------ But I sincerely doubt it will look anything like that. At the very least he had better start Saga, and hopefully Euell too (especially after his clearance off the line earned us that one measey tonight).

So, with Saga on we pull one back. Saga and Euell, we get 2. If only Rudi had been on the bench to come on as well!! Come on then Saints. Make us all eat our words and get a third!!!!!!

You're not the only one. Lots of us are ashamed that you're Saints fan. Just joking TDD. I share you're pain, I really do.

'Kin 'Ell, we haven't even had a single shot?!! At least now we know why Jan was appointed first team and not Wotte. Such a pity we have to have him now!!!

Just managed to get on here. So, would I be right in saying, in summary: Wotte stated that our problem had been too many kids and a not good enough strike force. He then drops our one experienced forward (who happened to score in the match) to the bench; picked a 19 year old unexperienced LB, omitting Skacel completely; apart from CM, which he was forced to change, he picked the exact same line-up as Jan had been doing; when Holmes went off injured, instead of bringing on the experienced Saga or Euell, he threw another kid on. Different day, different head coach, same old sh!t!!!!!!

I think Danny Wallace only ever got one cap, and one international goal to boot. A great little player yes, world class no. I hope we do get this guy and that he does great things for us, but to even hint that he is, or could be, world class is simply laughable. If he were that good there would be far better clubs than Saints after his signature!

Years ago Lowe was quoted as saying we would not do a Leeds, but that he wahted us to be a Crewe. i.e. keep afloat by creating and selling youngsters. He is getting us there in more ways than one. (Look where Crewe are now!) And to answer the OP; I firnly believe Jan was shafted, pushed, sacked, call it what you want!

Very strange that he would manage a (friendly) game and then resign immediately afterwards. I could have understood it if he resigned straight after the Donny match, but a behind closed doors friendly which we won????? That smacks of him being pushed, not jumping. I had thought maybe Wotte had taken this game and that was the reason for the 'new look' (seemingly first choice) back 4.

I forgot about that.

Yeah, I kind of figured that out.

The other day there was a nasty car crash on my street. I did not WITNESS the crash but I heard it. Now, if you had asked: Does a tree make a noise if it falls and no-one is there to hear it? I may have had to answer differently.

I'm sure I read somewhere that they played a friendly against Wolves last Tuesday. So maybe they were over for a couple of friendlies?

Does a tree make a noise if it falls and no-one is there to witness it!! Yes, it does! Okay, I wasn't looking for answers per se, but maybe for comments/thoughts. Okay, here's another one: For those who watch the reserves: IYO, is Jamie Hatch a better RB than Lloyd James?

I know this has been covered on a few other threads but it hasn't had a thread of its own, so maybe there are some who were still unaware of this match. It also raises a number of footballing questions (what a novelty ) which could be discussed. So, for those who didn't know, Saints apparently played a 'behind closed doors' friendly against a Hungarian team at SMS on Friday. And, as the thread title states, we won 5-2. First question: Why has there been no mention of this match on the OS? There have been some rumours that this match was played in front of some rich guy who wants to invest in Saints. I think it is more likely that the tooth fairy will visit me tonight. My thoughts as to why this match was shifted from Staplewood to SMS is along the lines of when WGS was here and he got the team to train at SMS when they hadn't won a home match for while. Anyway, onto the match and footballing type questions it raises. Apart from the goalkeeper, Tommy Forecast who played the entire match, two different Saints teams lined up for each half. The line-ups were: 1st half: Forecast, Hatch, Saeijs, Perry, Molyneux, James, Smith, Gillet, McGoldrick, Lallana, Holmes 2nd half: Forecast, Imudia, Wotton, Lancashire, Mills, Schneiderlin, Boyle, Pulis, B. Wright-Philips, Sasanowski, Gasmi Saints were 2-0 up at half time (DMG got both goals) with Pulis, Spiderman and Gasmi scoring in the second half in response to the 2 goals our 'reserve team back 4' let past them. Questions: 1. Seeing as this was the same day that JP resigned, who took charge of the match? If it was JP's last gig I would guess it was the usual formation with Lallana behind DMG, with Smith and Holmes as the wide players, in the first half; with Boyle behind Saga, Gasmi and BWP out wide, in the second. If Wotte took charge, did we play 4-4-2? 2. In the first half the back 4 was: Hatch-Perry-Size-Molyneux; is this an indication that maybe Hatch is going to get a go in the first team? Possibly allowing James to play in midfield? 3. Players who had NO PART in this match include: Davis, Bart, Surman, Skacel, Euell, Paterson, McLaggon (have I missed anyone? I know White and Gobern are injured.) I wonder what the reasons were for their omissions? i.e. were Drew and Paterson ot allowed to take part in a behind closed doors friendly because they are currently suspended? Why didn't we change the 'keeper for the 2nd half? Even if resting KD it would have made sense for Bart to get an outing? I expect this thread will only have about half-a-dozen replies, as it is about football.

I will be pleasantly surprised if Deneboom is signed IF he is used in tandem with Saga.

Even though I nominated Shearer, Steve Moran formed a great partnership with Keegan so I voted for him.

Spot on, Vectis.

I have never believed that Jan paid the compo to his former club himself. Just I don't believe he suddenly decided yesterday, after everything that he alledgedly said earlier this week, to walk away of his own accord.

Of course, we are all entitled to our own opinion but I really cannot see the logic in this. We have just gained a striker, with Champions League experience THIS SEASON. He has played 2 games and scored one goal. We only play with one striker. We have (at least) 3 others available. We do not have a single RB. IMO, our best option for RM is playing there. We only have 3 CBs (and one of those is clearly NOT up to CCC standard yet) for 2 positions. And yet you and the idiots who run our club want another striker but are not concerned about our defensive frailties. ALL GOOD SIDES ARE BUILT FROM THE BACK. Keep a clean sheet and you only need to nick one goal to win the game. Your, and apparently their, notion is to be able to score a brace or more to be sure of winning. Which we always have to do because our defence is about as worthwhile as a chocolate fireguard. Worry about injuries to defenders when they happen? Yep, that makes sense. You can always pop out to the shed and open a new box of defenders whenever the need arises. Personally I would rather have a proper RB on the books now (and another CB) to train with those he would have to work with should the need arise for him to be in the team. And frankly, any proper RB should be in the team (in that position) ahead of Lloyd.

Which looks nothing like 'our' guy. (IMO).