Dangermouth

He's just desperate for the money he hopes they'll get. I would think most other clubs' forums will have a thread like this as this was originally on the beeb and he's essentially slagged off most of the PL.

Redkrapp knows less about football than my ar $ e and smells worse. I fail to understand any child who thinks that changing the colour of a pile of poo makes it anything other than a pile of poo.

Doubt it. Adkins has said time and again we drop too deep when we shouldn't, as have many of the pundits. Only people who will stop that are the players or whoever it is that replaces the ones that don't. That and getting the m/f to track back properly/when they should.

^ So obvious, you wonder why no one else has made the point on the BBC page where so many are slating Holt until you realise it's because they're all Manc/LFC fans or just idiots brought up on a diet of MOTD highlights. Really can't see why people think that as soon as you hit 30 you're over the hill. Footballer's legs used to be considered 'gone' at about 33/4 so they retired then but that's since increased as we all know and didn't even WGS play up until he was knocking on 40? Absolutely no reason to have not tried the 30 year olds in friendlies/brought them along in an increased squad and seen what they can do. Otherwise, with the "thinking" most seem to portray England should always be in a stage of development until they have 11 25-29 year olds and then they've 'arrived' and then they win (because they're England) and then they go to the knacker's yard. It's a bit like the argument that players have to earn loads while they're a footballer because they won't be forever, but funnily enough it's not as though they retire and then die - in which case they don't need the cash anyway - so after they retire they'll just have to get a job like the rest of the world. Personally in terms of movement and linking play, RL has more to offer than many who've played for England or who are now eligible. That's ignoring his scoring ability and surely Saints' fans should know more about him than other clubs' fans who probably will just see him as a big lump who wins headers aka Andy Carroll?

4-3-3/4-5-1 looks a good way to go for a footballing team. Here's the Manc's midfield from yesterday. Yes, they lost, but from what I saw they had a hell of a lot of pressure and were a bit unlucky another effort didn't go in. Notice the absence of a hard-man in midfield. Giggs Carrick Nani Scholes Kagawa Will leave you to look at other teams and see quite how many of them have that too. What they do have is better positional sense in the midfield, a bit more bite (so Fellani can't walk through the midfield at will, bit like Podolski did) and as someone said elsewhere they work as a unit both offensively and defensively. Think the work that needs to be done is in m/f so like the suggestion of putting in Yosh there and would like to see Lee get a few games when he's fit.

Probably noted before, but do other managers just take on board what NA says and copy him or is there now a 'manager's phrase book'? Latest to hear from a few players/managers is 'don't get too high when we win, too low when we lose'. Others are the now ubiquitous use of the word 'credit' and talking about the game being about the group, not the individual. Have heard others, but more and more I keep hearing NA-speak when he's not there.

No idea who expected us to win at Everton. Even when poorer than they are currently they'd normally win by at least a couple.

Plainly there seems to be more football on the ground and less long-ball than had been the case, but there are still many who will do that (fortunately). I think it's obvious that the calibre of highly-paid mercenary has increased as the EPL, as it's known outside of Blighty, has become richer and other leagues have become poorer e.g. Serie A. As for RL's 'failings', shouldn't really be news to anyone and nor should it be news that Rodriguez will in time take over his spot as he has a second-string to his game. RL will do well because he's got a lot to offer but for him to do continually as well as he has done we'd need others e.g. AL to really up his game because he, as well, needs to often move quicker, pass the ball earlier etc. Then that Cleverly bloke wouldn't get a look in.

Hmm. So the article says that Saints try to play footy the right way: cleverly (get possession back quickly high up the pitch to turn defence into attack quickly and pressure the opposition just like a certain Spanish lot do while not conceding fouls), but that they lack the personnel in certain areas to do so. I would discount comparisons with Blackpool: they were gung-ho and didn't have a clue, plainly from several sources now there are indications that SFC do but they just can't do it. Which doesn't help anyone, but at least suggests that if the players can get their act together they will make their mark. It also suggests that they are a different kind of team from many that have come up in that they are set up to compete at a high level. Now all we need is 4 excellent players to join up with Clyne (and I like Fonte, he has potential to do it at this level and possibly to a lesser extent does Hooiveld - which is the opposite of what I thought last season - just to prevent those who want to get on their high horses about player bashing from going off at a tangent) and more from the wide midfielders and it's CL here we come. HTH.

So. What was your view of the new boys then?

*Sigh* So you all want a bloke who will need £100 m to spunk up a side of poor Spanish journeymen and assume he'll be good because he was universally considered so at L'pool where, of course, he was used to fighting relegation, etc as many of you assume? While I don't know any of y'all, it does become apparent that few of you have any real nous about football even if you've been watching it for aeons. That applies to the vast majority of threads I've read and isn't based on this one alone. Note Footy Manager does not = real footy. Let's take what little we know, posted elsewhere. Adkins/the coaching staff have set up their teams correctly in terms of how they should defend (both Fat Sam and GN have said so). The defence and mid make a lot of errors and aren't used to the pace of the game, particularly mentally, although possession needs to be improved - no hoofball - so that we aren't the team that runs more than any other and as a result are knackered after 75% of the game. We would have been 'expected' to have lost 3 of the 4 games we played although of course NC and NA and the team would have wanted 12 points so in real terms we are only 3 points down from where that expectation was. We have received plaudits for our offensive displays, on the whole, albeit as Phil Thompson said we didn't really have one at Arse because they pressed so well. Note, they did not have a clogger in there to kick the crap out of us and they did not let us come on to them: they pressed and made it hard for us to play our game - i.e. they defended as we were meant to have and have done previously and they actually impressed someone who's not an ex-player/fan so maybe they did something right there. I do think the goalie is too nervous and this translates forwards to his defence, however. It always does because as a defender if you know you have to keep the ball as far away from the keeper/goal as you can if you are under pressure you tend to revert more to the 'kick it anywhere/possible miskick' as Fonte did against ManU than you do when you know you have a keeper who will clean out anything that comes near him/his 6 yard area/the box. Again, that's a mental thing which seems to be a recurring theme currently. Suggestions of adding to the coaching staff are not necessarily a bad idea but someone has said that this indicates the current lot aren't good enough. I see no difference between coaching and playing staff in that if you can upgrade, do so. As for whether NA could/should/will stay the question is moot and there is no point discussing it other than to say I hope he does and that he is actually a good manager and far better than nearly all other potential candidates were he to no longer be at the helm. Again, this is not football manager, but surely some of you must have noticed that just by replacing one person and a few others does not equate to a magic wand e.g. BR at L'pool and that there is perhaps more to running a football club/team than just putting names on a piece of paper in a certain order and assuming that 'that is that'? AVB was presented as the 'next big thing'. Is he, isn't he? How would Guardiola do if he had to manage the lot down the road with their current set-up? And, of course, would he be able to do it in the 24 hours he would be 'allowed' to do so?

Saw it on the telly. Liked our intelligent way of defending (for the most part) and the fact that our midfield had an average age of 21 and no caps vs MC's midfield of you work it out. J Rod reminds me of MLT in that he just occasionally gets involved and does something intelligent though of course there is a bit of a skill difference. And for those slating the attack, MC did have about 65% of the ball so they weren't doing much in an attacking sense, were they? Like many have said here: a couple of signings, keep up the standard of football - which they will actually improve on - and we'll be the ones to watch.

Would like to comment on 2 things. Yep, I'd say this was a "Premier League" effect in part, second because it is a dark colour and predominantly red it will and does appeal to those who see the 'fashion/accessory' side of it: i.e. non-footy supporters and women who will see it as smarter than a tatty shirt/typical footy shirt etc, third yes, it does and will grate against the 'traditionalists', fourth those who say 'people don't like change' either a) don't have a clue about much (mantra repeaters), b) are saying to impress their boss/fit in because that's what repeating twee homilies does or c) don't recognise that there might be more to it than that. They and perhaps others also will come up with a lot of phrases like "I'm not racist, but ...", I'm all for 'tradition', but etc. Now back to the footy/shirt matter in hand and the photo at the top of this page. I take it the 'lesser lights' of Soton have tons of cash to throw around and therefore you're still affluent over there? That and the people of Southampton are now very laid back as they don't seem to have any fashion sense at all, unlike in say Manc.

Agree: looks like a Sunday League kit; should have the black shorts and white socks; is a marketing ploy (see the big pic of T Lee? who is much more prominent than Rodriguez, among other things); is psychological. There was a study once (fwiw, probably not a lot) that said that teams that play in red are more successful than teams which play in other colours. On that basis, switch the red and white tops to improve our away form. Otherwise, don't care. Wouldn't buy it anyway.

Why did he only play 10 mins today? Injured?

Head up, strong, looks for the good pass, good control, quick feet. Could be good.

Ofc. Good post.

Does anyone who knows about these things know if their £40 million loan from the local council will still be approved and is it legal? If it is, it seems to be a bit of an unfair advantage they have.

Went to game and sat with the home lot. Stonewall pen for them not given and their goal that was disallowed for offside was very iffy. Thought Saints were crap first half and only when they decided to pass the ball around a bit in the last 20 did they look any good. Only 2 players that actually looked professional standard were Chaplow when he could be ar$d cause he really looked like he was coasting a lot of the time and O-C who plainly (on that performance) is head and shouders above the rest put together. Actually, Harding did some ok stuff as did Buttefield. Happy when Jaidi went off - he should pass only with his head. The home lot were far noisier than the Saints' fans for the most part although they were incredibly biased and probably thought less of the ref than the Saints' fans. As everyone's said, however, to win away there was an excellent result and Colchester will turn over most teams - there was more to their game than long ball, but once they'd gone down to 10, that really seemed their only option. I also had the misfortune to sit behind someone who really needed anger management therapy. After the lobotomy, that is.

Let em in.

@ smirking, post 24. Try Silvia here: http://clips.camwithher.com/uprofile.php?UID=25

Hi Si. Dunno what marketing you've done, but there might be room for you to consider these things (some of which have been alluded to): layout, typeface, presentation overall. Marketing and especially distribution e.g. do you want to start selling at grounds through their outlets; sell to people who visit fora like this one or a wider audience, put in longer articles for those who'll like them, etc? Number of pages and advertising - again all tied into marketing. I would guess you've done a bit of this having done journalism at uni (Sheffield's quite a good one for that, isn't it; rankings-wise, anyway) but it has to be asked why some publisher hasn't taken this niche before? It must have been thought of (not saying it's a bad idea), but I assume you'd like this as a first step in your career, no, so what I'm saying in essence is that I think the finished article could be quite a bit more. No point in trying to compete with Nuts et al head on and the publishers would agree, probably. Then consider branding (if you go that far) and how often you'll need to freshen it up. Certainly controversial letters/columnists can keep readers coming back. Is it football only or are there other things you can put in? How will this work as a monthly/weekly and what about during summer months? How do you compete against, for example, Soccer AM and club programmes which are indirect competitors. Etc.... Personally, it's something I might glance at while at the dentist's, but after you've heard one footballer saying they like r 'n' b, blondes with big t'ts and Italian food .... Anyway, good luck with this; looks like it has a future.

Yeah. Dykes was doing Erica. As far as the rumours went. Mods, please feel free to do the usual if it upsets anyone.