Gordon Mockles

You notice the critics of Papa, like Nineteen C, have been quiet since he's done well with usual positive influence of goals & assists! He's got great awareness & ability to pick players out with passes straight to the feet.

We're on form. We're brilliant. I'm ecstatic. However, I have one huge gripe that has been consistently bugging me about the p*ss poor refs (& even worse linesmen) that clearly see the constant fouls on Rickie Lambert. Why bottle it & not give any protection or any form of free kick to Lambert? Is it because he's a big guy? Is he too honest? He's tall & strong as an ox but is consantly shoved in the back, laddered with defenders on his shoulders (trying to off put him & stop him getting off the ground). Happened in tonights game (Huddersfield), throughout the Walsall match (one shove was right infront of the lino - no bleedin' flag, refs body language clearly showed he saw it & the t*sser totally bottled it). Lambert made it so clear after the incident. I mean, FFS. Referee the game & penalise this. Sorry to say but it's happened ALL season & I've noticed so many incidents & Lambert has been awarded about 2% of these infringements. Time to open your eyes officials or find a new job! Rant over. Needs to be said though. I just can't understand how officials cannot see the blindingly obvious or chose to ignore it. Shocking refereeing!

Brilliant result. Committed, professional performance. By no means an easy game & Huddersfield were not crap. We were just solid, organised, motivated, committed & hungry for goals. With the current balance of the squad, we've a better team now than we had in the Championship. We've shown the League what we can do at home, away to the League leaders, how we can score multiple goals, from all over the pitch (putting us 3rd best goal difference in the League). We now need to convert as many games to wins as possible, home & away. Esp. in games against teams like Tranmere. Make up those games in hand & hope teams above slip up & feel the pressure. It's a huge ask but, if not edging to the play offs, it's great prep for a stomping start to the next campaign & good practice for the team to gel. Great night out. OWTSGMI. Even the Chapel sung a bit tonight!

Couldn't agree more. Didn't make a mistake & looked comfortable, assured & made the game look simple & easy. Reads the game superbly. Best defender since Svensson. Being fair to all, the entire squad performed exceptionally (Lambert, Puncheon was awesome, Barnard had his best game, entire squad. Waigo did really well as he often does to all but those blind detractors...Nineteen will no doubt concentrate on the one offside, not the 2 assists to Lallana (1 goal, the other should have been), the times he got into goods scoring positions, put his trademark low balls (so difficult to defend) across the box but no-one sadly could there as it just passed the player on near post) & his passes which he does time & again, across a crowded box, straight to Rickie's feet...superb! I love Puncheon. Real attacking menace we've lacked since....oh, Berkovic n maybe?! Morgan was great today, spraying passes left , right & centre. Ostemebor got forward lots but dunno how convincing his ball winning skills are. Only criticism was why Barnard was subbed first when AP keeps saying (damn right) that Lambert needs a rest. 7 mins hardly gonna save his legs! Come on! Usual shambles of linesman & ref. Why have linesman? They just annoy you cos they don't serve a purpose. They get 50% of theseciaions wrong league one. FA cup ref was a rare treat! Just hope reports of Pardew storming out the ground (maybe cos of Cortese) aren't too ominous?! He wasn't happy after such a result on Solent!

Hope so as I've got that scoreline with Puncheon to score 1st. 65/1.

Just saw the press conference with the administrator on Sky News. Seemed to come across a bit arrogant. Time will tell. He's got a hell of a job to be do. Dodgey comb over! He reckons the Skates will be playing football next season. Yeah, but in what League?!

Not really. I think you're just jumping into your habitual reaction without actually thinking things through. I didn't comment just to be enigmatic like some. Do you watch the show regularly? If so, you'd be completely blind not to notice. Consider the coverage teams such as those I've mentioned get & there's a distinct difference in my opinion. I didn't comment cos I feel hard done by (although I do a little bit considering when we do have newsworthy moments they do seem to be swept aside more often than not) , I commented mainly because there is a difference. Not just in the highlights, but the presenter's clubs of choice. It's clearly noticable if you look at the wider picture. Come on, don't tell me you've not noticed the extra airtime Leeds so often get? Certainly in post highlight commentary. Someone even mentioned it (regardless of using forum opinions as an accurate bench mark) to which I agree. Sometimes I think you just like to disagree just to engage some sarcasm. Fair enough if that floats your boat but you should absorb what's said & sometimes consider things. You may find you start to expand your viewpoint. FWIW, I quite like the show & realise they have a lot of clubs to cover. It's just there are favoured clubs they tend to discuss more. It's obvious enough to be noticable on occasions. In this case, compare our highlights to that of the previous big games in League One. I dunno. Maybe the editor is Skate. Claridge may be less inclined to talk Saints. Stranger things have happened. As for the coverage time, Sky plus it. Then you can skip forward. Much easier as I got bored of the in depth analysis of Forest or Leeds! There's only so much of Steve Claridge I can take. So droll & boring. I feel for those that stay up. How do you keep awake? I'm sure he's a nice guy but he has zero charisma & personality!

Is it me or are Saints just not a fashionable club to talk about? P*sses me off a bit to be fair! The Skates fall from grace, constantly on the news (ok, first possible PL club to go into admin or wound up but still) & in the press. Our similar (& almost total) destruction was barely in the papers. Leeds, Forest, Norwich, Middlesborough, West Brom, Newcastle, Leicester...Lincoln City. All seem to get talked about more. A suddenly wealthy League One club (broke JPT attendance record, good gates, coming back from the mire & other great headlines for the sporting press) which has shown a tremendous turn in fortune reaches a Wembley final, did well in the cup, biggest spenders in one of the quietest transfer windows in years & suddenly beats the unbeaten League Leaders in a convincing manner...barely gets a mention. Extended highlights no more than 2 extra shots of Lallana's 2 strikes off the posts...that's it! Takes the p*ss a bit! Lizzie is usually pretty annoying but the girl who covered for her once was almost as bad &, this week, they had an exact male Lizzie equivalent. The producer obviously likes the scuplted hair, twitchy headed, over the top/over familiar (& desperately trying to look relaxed & at one with the audience), over gesticulating, exaggerating mannerismed presenter! I just find it patronizing & sh*t. Like when adults speak to 10 year old children as if they're speaking to 3 year olds!! Still. We won. Sod the coverage. We'll never be the favoured choice. That has been proven. We beat Man Utd emphatically - it's soon forgotten. Wayne Rooney scores a well taken goal - it's on the end credits of MOTD/highlights/news/back page of tabloids/Sky adverts for a week...that's life. We should be used to sh*t coverage by now. As many intimated, least it's not ITV. They'd probably just show you footage of the queue!

And that it was, oh Mystic Wes! More confidence than I had anyway.

Or, maybe the 10 players in front of him! LMAO

FFS, you're always negative & seem to relish moaning about Saints. Some take umbridge with that. Accept it. We had a great result. Be happy & side step those having a dig. Don't take the bait. Surely we've one common goal - our love of our club. For once, ignore the petty **** & enjoy our win & let us hope we continue winning from this platform. Take our games in hand. Regain our winning ways in the league after the cup distractions. Onwards & upwards! (predictive wrote "beards" and upwards then, how random that would have sounded Lol) Bickering gets tiresome!

Extremely chuffed with the result. Must admit, I wasn't overly confident. 2-0 away to the unbeaten (their current run) league leaders is an excellent result & it sounded a spirited performance. Clean Sheet (good for defence & Kelvin's confidence). Barnard off the mark...twice (good for his confidence). Puts the Skate distraction behind us & winning such a pivotal league match will give the general team, manager, (hopefully) Chairmen & club confidence. A good day at the office & I'm glad my bet was wrong, for once!

I'm not a fan of James at RB at all but I do agree, prefer Thomas. Otsemebor didn't make a tackle until about 70mins in one game. He didn't get involved & looked like a spectator. Just wasn't in the game. I hope our final ball improves today (Lambert's overhit pass just a blip!)

Forgot to say, my betting tip (I like doing the first scorer & scoreline). I'd avoid Grant or Rickie as poor odds despite being likely scorers, I'm just hoping not 1st) but I did a few quid on Puncheon to score first & Saints to (sorry) lose 2-1. 115/1. Regardless of bet, COYS

Really? Hallelujah! I expect a lot of criticism followed the Skate game. Natural though. For once, both the arm chair fans & the pros had a more than valid point. Good news!

Thank you! In a rush & on the phone so hadn't chance To check. Much appreciated. Ta.

Does anyone know if Puncheon is starting? Was gonna put a bet on!

When you're get a bone, you just don't wanna relinquish it do you?! Still, for all Papas weak points, he adds much more only you seem blind to these. Fortunately, this forum is all about opinions & luckily, understanding football isn't one of your strong points! No offence, it's just your football diatribe always sounds a bit scripted. Still, it's only an opinion.

Well said. They link together well & seem the most productive pairing when you judge results but don't shout that too loud. Nineteen Canteen will wake up & start slating Waigo, highlighting his weaknesses & totally ignoring his strengths (which easily outnumber his failngs IMHO). Makes me chuckle, NC used to always quote stats (esp. about The League, Lowe & managers stats which weren't always relevant when you assume the car crash his old victim, Pearson, inheritted but old news that!) but strangely omits these stats when systematically berating Waigo. Maybe he missed the JPT games, Southend away, Stockport, Bristol Rovers, etc. Regardless, they link up well & Papa picks out Lambert often when most seem to not put the service in for Rickie despite his goals. However, I'd really like to see Connolly back in action. He's a menace in the box, nippy, lays it off well & has a deadly finish.

To be fair, if those comments truly represent your opinion on Waigo, there's little point holding debate as I feel they are too wide of the mark. "He doesn't actually think about the game and his comical offsides were and still are a cause for concern as I assume he has been playing for at least 10 years." Talk about flog a point out. Yes, Papa was caught out offside a lot at first but he seems to have learnt. Fast players often can get caught & I'd not always 100% trust League One linesmen historically but on the occasions the run is timed to perfection, you have one on one goal scoring chances the likes of Barnard won't find so easy to create. What is the relevance of 10 years? As you well know, the Italian leagues play a different game to our defenders which may explain the early offside encounters Papa endured. To assume he doesn't think about the game, no offence, shows your actual lack of understanding as I think he has a good footballing brain with passes & movement which other squad members have not always anticipated. Still, football is all about opinions...

Strange analogy. I don't consider Papa a novice, as you should have noticed from watching his assists & goals from limited match time. My point was, he is good & contributes but is still adjusting to the English game. With more experience (i.e. Next season) he could improve yet even more. Bear in mind the Italian league is very different to ours. Many top fooballers from overseas have taken time to adjust but after teething, have proved to be great players at their respective levels. It doesn't happen overnight but I am not saying Papa Waigo needs to learn a great deal. He already adds a new dimension to the team. To think a 26 yr old footballer can't improve his game in an entirely new league is short sighted. We're taking about athletes, not horses! I feel Papa could really blossom, I truly do. If not, he still contributes a lot, esp. his pace & counter attacking prowess which is invaluable in a fairly pedestrian squad!

It was suggested Cortese may have had some influence with his Italian connections so not purely through Pardew's scouting network & judging by Waigo's pretty decent stats yet lack of appearances, I'd be inclined to agree with that. Merely my own instinct.

Completely unfair & vastly misguided nonsense. Papa Waigo can run hot & cold & is unpredictable but he is valuable asset to the squad. You think he can't cross cos of a few fluffed balls but have you forgotten the times he's made a run, dragged across 2 defenders, then hooked the ball over their heads, right onto Lambert?! Stockport was a good example & it's not the only time. If you're going to focus on the negative with your axe to grind, you need to watch the games closer (if you did in fact watch!) Papa links well with Rickie & often picks him out superbly &, as I have said, has transformed quite a few games with hugely contributing assists, important goals & sheer determination. He can frustrate with his heading challenges, sometimes standing off & not even challenging but I feel this is defintely still work in progress. In other games I've seen him win good headers, leading to goal scoring chances (or near misses/saves). It's no coincidence that our attacking play worsened when Papa was swapped with Barnard. Barnard doesn't track back like Papa, has little pace & the Skate defenders coped better. I do love the fact Papa will run back, help defend or hassle & challenge & sometimes win the ball & start a counter attack. The only downside, many of our team don't read it or have the pace & positioning to get back into the goal mouth to receive the ball. I truly believe, as someone commented, Pardew doesn't favour Papa Waigo due to him not being a Pardew signing. Why the sub Sat? I didn't agree with the sub. I think it caused more harm than good although we have hindsight. Maybe it has caused a chord of discontent between Cortese & Pardew but I shouldn't speculate. I really think Papa Waigo could be deadly alongside Lambert if the squad was built to suit their pairing better but sadly I can't see this happening as managers have their own agenda & sometimes close off other avenues due to their single mindedness. Our midfield are too pedestrian but with Papa in the squad, he adds an exciting & unique element no other player has. Yes, he frustrates at times but with the right coaching, he could be a real gem.

You people have short memories. What about Waigo's game winning substitution appearance against Stockport at St Mary's?! When he transformed a dull, lifeless game into a decent end, setting up Lambert for the first, then scoring the second himself. I agree, he's a hot & cold player. He's weak on the ball & falls over too easily but he has something about him I like. He has pace, a great asset, & a great attitude. He is an intellgent footballer & offers a lot of assists & tracks back, quickly able to make ground from defence to attack which IMHO is one of his best attributes. Ok, he needs to work on his touch which sometimes lets him down & his shooting can be great one game, weak in another but some games, his endeavour makes up for this. Can't fault his commitment & I truly think he has more to offer. Maybe his game will improve with his improvement in the native language/accustomization to our league. He's shown signs of improvement & has decent awareness of attackers around him, often picking out Lambert from awkward positions or the by-line. All in all, he contributes much more than his obvious weaknesses & I feel he has more to offer.

What shocked me most was W******d's atire in mid winter (with a bitter wind)...a feckin' waist coat (top off) & shorts. He must have been feckin' freezin'!! Especially second half when the cold has seeped through to your bones. A spare Skate top won't warm you up. Mentali!