Saint Charlie

Local Reading reporter says Adkins had discussions this week but is also out the frame. What a shambles. Like Wolves last year.

One of the most deserved contracts ever. Big Saints legend.

Exactly.

Thing is, sometimes you just play well or badly in games regardless of tactics. Clearly we had an offday against QPR.

Don't see whats wrong with it really. Clearly him writing the reponses, no English players who could do that in a foreign language. If you don't like it then don't follow it.

I liked Adkins and I like Pochettino. The players clearly like him too. Results have been mixed but performances on the whole good and as with NA's Prem reign we should have taken more points, ie deserved a draw at OT and win vs Wigan. Hard to have a preference, but reality is we have Pochettino and Im glad we have him and not a buffoon like O'Neil, Allardyce, McDermott, Redknapp etc.

If the fans want to come they will (in their droves). We live in such a mollycoddle society that we want to make things easy for everyone. Its sick.

Lots of fans will come from Japan to watch Maya and also Radhi Jaidi is attracting fans from North Africa to SMS. The more diverse supporter base, the more different directions the fans will be going after the game so won't experience the same disrutption as United who have a narrow fan base.

We could easily sell 45k for most games and 80k for the Cat A matches. United do and although they win a lot the quality and excitement on offer is, IMO, poor.

Mata is their key man IMO, although Hazard is also in top form.

I wrote this a few weeks ago which seems quite apt now: http://betweenthelinesuk.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/brighton-hove-albion-and-gus-poyet-crossroads-ahead/ Would still be suprised if he went to Reading though, think he is just showing his "ambition" by refusing to rule it out and then galvansising Brighton in a few days by annoucing he has turned down Reading and wants to get promoted this season at the Amex.

Why risk injuries in a pointless game when you only have 8 games to go and half the team on Intl duty? Its not like the Dev Squad players are suddenly going to play vs Chelsea, they are just making up the numbers so that training can happen effectively, and it gives MP a good chance to see them in the first team environment.

I think having seen Bale, Walcott and AOC leave before their Saints careers barely began, fans just want to see 3 - 4 good years and then a proper fee reflecting the valie of the player. With Cortese in charge we are more likely to get that.

He picks up so many knocks!

Other teams know how good he is and can be. You tell them that we know how good he is and that in a couple of years time he will be worth 20m plus and therefore thats his price. If the club asking about him don't like it then bothered, he is our player. Im sure Cortese sees it like this and I have total faith he will bat away suitors.

Also coincides with Cork becoming back.

He isn't. He is too slow and static for this league and is a liability every time he plays.

Agree with your list, but would keep Mayuka and probably add either Hooiveld or Fonte to it (depending on how serious Saints are about European ambitions, neither of those two are going to see us improve).

Value is what someone will pay and what the club would sell a player for. This season Schneiderlin has performed in the £12m plus bracket for me. Shaw is worth £15m plus because a team that buys him now has a left back at the top level for 15 years and you pay a premium for English players. Therefore Clyne and Cork are between 5-7m for me.

The U18 success is more important than the U21 IMO. Currently for example we have 2 or 3 of our best U21s out on loan because that is best for them but obviously weakens the U21 team. U18 level shows the talent emerging, probably nobody aside from JWP, Stephens, Chambers (maybe Targett) in the 21s will ever make it in the first team. When you see Hoskins who is 20 I think go out on loan to L1 and struggle to get in their team then it shows how tough it is - earlier in the season people were calling for him to be given a chance in our team. Likewise Isgrove who has been around for ages but shows no sign of being good enough at the level we need.

There are some bloody good players at L1 level as we know ourselves. Bet some Prem teams looked at Lambert, Morgan and AL when we were down there and regret not making a move now. Not saying Grigg is anything likes those three but some have short memories!

Norwich win best IMO. Sunderland next four after today are very tough.

In the warm up he had 9 or 10 shots and didnt score from any. Rickie and JR probably scored 50%. To be fair his one in the second half was a good save from Jones. It was the one he dragged wide of the nesr post that was poorest in the first half. His silky skills were back though, great to watch.

Agree. Lovely ball for JR to head down to Morgan, kept the ball well and glided past Gerrard on a number of occassions. Subbing was right tactical call but no reflection on performance.

It is, but the quick thinking makes it. Kelvin for example dithers for a few seconds before deciding what to do and by then players are marked. Boruc nearly picked out Shaw with a throw to the halfway line yesterday which if he had reached it would have almost put him through. Numerous times he started quick attacks. Slightly bizarrely he never ever kicks out of his hands and prefers to drop the ball and kick from the ground.