Minsk

Two adults and a four year old in my household. I pay around 25 quid per month for everything: electric, gas, water, rates, etc. Broken down it is about 7.50 for electric and around a fiver for gas.

Yes it was. 5m down-payment; 5m for Ars appearances (1m after every 10); and 2m after 20 COMPETITIVE STARTS for England (i.e. friendlies do not count, and neither do sub appearances). So, the earliest we would have got the extra 2m would be if Theo was to start every England game up to the final of the 2010 World Cup and then in each of the 2012 Euro qualifiers we MIGHT have received it around the end of next year/some time in 2011. However, it is more likely that Theo will not reach his 20 COMPETITIVE STARTS until some time around 2012. By which time, of course, we could have either entered administration and ceased to exist, won the Champions League, or anything in between.

As with Davies, One Size wanted away. The problem wasn't letting him go it was who we replaced him with. 1.5m in for him was spent on 1m for Jakobsson (who was too similar to Claus and they were useless together) and 350k on Yahia who never made a single first team appearance for us. However, Davies (who is also STILL injured, so it wouldn't help at all if he was still here) has been (short-term) replaced with Jack Cork who IMO is a better player.

A slight over-exaggeration methinks. We have: RB - James, Cork, Hatch LB - Surman, Skacel, Mills CB - Killer, Perry, Thomas, Cork, Lancashire, Racine, Wotton (also Spiderman can play there and Thompson played at CB for the reserves for all of last season) Of the above Killer and Racine are out for Sunday and Thomas is a doubt (as is his ability ) but that still gives us 4-6 options for the 2 CB places and 3 options for each of the full back positions. Not exactly no defenders in our squad is it? And if things get worse we can use the loan option, which is far more sensible than buying/long-term loaning another addition to out wage bill who may never be used!

I fully agree. I am also pretty sure that the 'in-the-hole' position is where he did so well for Hearts. Of course, Lallana is doing very well there at the moment but I doubt he will be available for every game this season.

I think he could. Or he may play right, with Dyer left and Rudi in the whole. Or he may even play further back. One of White, Thomson, Rudi or Dyer will be playing there (with two of these 4 out wide and one elsewhere). How would you set them out? (Given that we have been told the reserves and the U18s will play to the same formation as the first team.)

Hmmmm, interesting! I saw your line-up and thought, 'Why has he put Dunford in the starting 11 when he is only a sub?' So I refreshed the OS and noticed that BWP (who I thought would be playing in the Holmes role on the left) has been completely withdrawn. Maybe he is off out on loan? Anyway, another possible way of lining could be: - - - - - - - Forecast - - - - - - Hatch - Davies - Argent - Imudia - - - - Dunford - - Thomson - - - - - - Dyer- - - White - - -Skacel - - - - - - - - - Paterson - - - - - - I think this is the thing with many of our youngsters (and even with Skacel) they can each play in a variety of positions. It will be interesting to see how they do line up.

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/?page_id=10570 I see that Rudi is back playing for the reserves tonight against Gillingham. Saints Reserves: Forecast, Argent, Imudia, Davies, Skacel, Thomson, Hatch, White, Dyer, Paterson, Wright-Phillips Subs: Pernecky, McLaggon, Byrne, Dunford, Reeves I would guess that he will be starting at either LB or DM given the other players in the team. Whilst it would be interesting to see how he performs at LB in this set-up I would have preferred to see him on the left wing or better still in the hole behind the front man. I am also surprised that there are no Thomas, Lancashire or Mills involved tonight.

Me too. I will be over for the Norwich match. Can't wait! I expect the lack of posting on here at the moment is down to the lack of news in general to talk about, what with the international break, no matches, transfer window closed (although the loan window has just opened), etc. I must admit that I haven't posted anything recently and don't even tend to log in unless I want to post something, even though I do still read the threads a few times a day.

I have no idea of what figures are being quoted for which teams but as has been said by someone else......... Spiderman was our only paid for transfer and that is a sum RISING TO 1.2m. I doubt we paid anywhere near that amount up front. If, for example, we only made a downpayment of 300k where would that put us?

That is how I would read that rule, but I'm only guessing. Maybe this is why we had to sign Gasmi when we did, instead of waiting for his foot to heal first? :smt102

I quite like this idea, or somethng similar. This league could replace the champs league and as team wouldn't be competing in their own domestic leagues it could conceivably have 24 teams. This could something along the lines of 3 teams from England, Italy, Spain, Germany and France with the other 9 teams made up from the other countries (Holland, Portugal, Russia, Ukraine, Scotland, etc). The bottom 4 could be automatically relegated (to be replaced by a team from their country's league) AND the lowest placed team from each of the major countries (if none from that country is in the bottom 4). Could you imagine the uproar if the Euro league finished with a 1, 2, 3 of say Chelski, Liverpool and ManUre and ManUre were still to be relegated? In a perverse kind of way I would find that quite amusing.

He played at RB when captaining England U19's over here a few months back. I think he also played primarily RB when on loan last season (was also used as a DM last season, which is where he also played the last 30 mins for England when I saw them) but he also seemed to do a very good job at CB against Brum in the cup game. Soooo, I would say he is a RB, CB, DM kind of guy (and pretty darned useful in all of those positions).

I also think we need to find room in the starting 11 for Cork. I also like the experience of our back 3, but Killer and Perry both got caught for pace a number of times on Saturday. However, Killer is valuable for his experience and leadership whilst Perry has made numerous goal saving last minute tackles already this season. So I am not sure which, if either of them, should be dropped. So maybe you are right and he could be given a start at RB against QPR with Lloyd dropping to the bench?

If anyone has the opportunity, time and inclination could you please type up the full list from the Echo for those of who live a bit too far away to be able to buy it. Or if anyone could point me to where this info may be found elsewhere this would also be helpful. Ta in advance.

This is the second post which I agree with you 100% in a couple of minutes. (The other being the player ratings.)

Can I just be the first to say.......we have downhill fast since Pulis signed! And, on a more serious note, I really do hope that we keep and use Rudi. He is a better LB than Drew and he can put a better ball into the box than any of the players out there today. P.S. I agree 100% with Arizona's player ratings.

A very disappointing performance. After Lallana wasted the open goal we never looked like scoring. Some good play in the middle of the park but no threat in front of goal. Lee Holmes looked good on occasion but kept slipping over in the first half. Perry saved us a few times at the back, and Kelvin stopped us from getting a thrashing almost as much as the lino did! MOM - Kelvin Davis, I hope he doesn't get shipped out before Tuesday!!!!!

I don't think I've seen anyone say 'he's crap', I know I certainly haven't. What some people are saying is that there is less than a 'wow' factor about his signing (admittedly, probably like most felt about the Marsden signing - and many others who proved to be not so good as CMFG) and that they are airing their concerns about our signing a 24 year old, who has been a professional player for 5 years, and who has only made 12 full appearances and another 13 as sub, and most of those for the footballing Mecca of Grimsby Town! Would you be happy for him to take Spiderman's or Gillett's place in the starting 11? Do you think he is better than Wotton as next best back-up? If not he is 4th choice CM at best; did we need to sign a 4th choice CM when we have the likes of Surmand, James and Thomson who can play there? Is Pulis better than all three of those? There again, are you happy with our LB options? Personally I would have preferred us to sign a LB (or at least cover for the LB position) allowing Drew to move up into CM if need be. This is not slating the guy, just airing personal opinions - which is what this site is for is it not? And again, I really do hope Pulis proves to be an excellent player and a great asset to SFC; but AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME I am not doing cartwheels about his signing. And I will freely hold my hands up and praise the club for his signing if he goes on to become a great midfield general.

Having read through the thread I have noticed there a number of people who agree wholeheartedly with this post. However, whilst I do fully support 90% of your posts (it would be more but I know nothing about the drinking holes in Dubai ) I do see some flaws here: Firstly, are you sure that Pulis can come in and fill 'any number of posisitons'? From what I have seen, read and heard he is a CM and not the next Nick Holmes, but I might be wrong. Secondly, who do you think is better - Pulis or Drew Surman? Personally (again, from all I have seen, read and heard) I would rather have Drew playing in our midfield than Pulis. If this means playing a relatively inexperienced, but promising, Mills at LB then so be it. But then again of courwe could always play Rudi at LB to allow this (until he goes). Thirdly, if he only wants to play 10 or so games a season or to come off of the bench OCCASIONALLY then this hardly fits in with JP's mantra of wanting players who want to play every game. Fourthly, how is Pulis (CM) going to give the likes of Gobern (LM/LB/AM), Mills (LB), Racine (CB) and Paterson (CF) time to be ready to play for the first team? (Unless, of course, you are claiming - as above - that he is able to play in all of these positions to a better ability than those mentioned?) Fifthly, what evidence do you have that Euell and Skacel are sulking because they cannot get into the team? JP himself said quite clearly at the fan's forum that he could not use them unless they were still here after the transfer window shut. Indeed, on what are you basing your opinion that Pulis is a better than either/both of them? Now, I am not saying that he is rubbish and that he will never play well for us (and I haven't seen anyone else post this either) but the fact that he has only played about 20 full games at the age of 24 does show that he has never previously set the footballing world on fire (unlike Holmes did in his early days, for example). What I will say is that I hope JP can turn him into a great player for us. And I am sure he will be needed at some time during the season. But I am about excited by his signing as I was about Viafara's (no, it's not a Skate thing - it is based on all that I have seen, read and heard as it was with JVF) and the latter has not been any great loss to us. Personally if we had the money for a signing such as this (which we obviously have/had) I would rather seen a LB signed so that Drew could have been moved back into midfield when needed. It would seem that Pulis has been signed as a 4th choice midfield player (behind Spiderman, Gillett and Wotton - or maybe even 5th seeing as Cork could play at RB allowing James to move forward) and he doesn't seem to offer anything much in any other position. So, I would have preferred a signing who just offered more. That said, I will reiterate, he will get my full support and no slagging until he shown what he can/cannot do.

Very happy to hear this. Great news!!

I disagree with getting rid of Rudi (apart from the possible financial need). I think, if he stays, he could prove very useful to us over the season at LB, LM and AM. For example, without him, if Holmes gets injured/suspended we would have to either play Drew at LM and Fish Mills at LB or play a right footed player at left wing. Also, if anything were to happen to Drew our only other option at LB is the virtually untested Fish Mills. Soooo, if Rudi id to go we would definitely need to bring in more cover for LB (and, I suppose, if GAsmi joins he will be the cover for AM and possibly LM). Also, Rudi had a good first season with us but was screwed over by Burley during the last campaign.

With only 3 days to go until the end of the end of the transfer window what do you all think about the size and strength of our squad? Personally, I feel that a first team squad should consists of 25/26 players, with enough flexibility to cover 3 places for every position (obviously, given our system, this means 2 x CBs and 2 x DMs). And going by that criteria I think we are just about there: GK: Kelvin, Bart, Forecast RB: James, Cork, Hatch LB: Drew, Rudi, Fish Mills CB: Killer, Perry, Thomas, Cork, Lancashire, Wotton DM: Spiderman, Gillett, Wotton, Drew, James, Euell AM: Lallana, DMG, Rudi (+ Spiderman) RM: White, Thomson, Dyer (+ DMG and BWP) LM: Holmes, Drew, Rudi (+BWP) SF: DMG, John, Pekhart To save you counting them, the above is 26 players plus BWP. Given the ongoing transfer rumours (Pulis in - DM?; Gasmi in - AM?; and BWP out - Plymouth?) I am pretty happy with what we have. Especially seeing as we also have the likes of Racine, Gobern and Paterson to call upon if absolutely necessary, and with the versatility of players like Thomson (played mostly at CB and CM for the reserves last season) Gillett (has played at RB and LB before) and Spiderman (could probably play just about anywhere except in goal). In fact the above goes to show that we could easily lose BWP and Euell without any drastic consequences to the outcome of our season.

Sorry to hear about the redundancy. I hope you get a good package and find something even better very soon. P.S. If you have second thoughts about pursuing legal action don't feel guilty about going back on your word, especially after you have given back the company car.

If it is a choice between the two, even though I have never seen him play, I would prefer Gasmi. There's just something about a 24 year old who has only made around 20 pro appearances, even though he has been signed by his own dad for 3 different teams, that doesn't fill me with any great excitement.