Sidney Fudpucker the 3rd

Having not seen much of him I thought I'd head to the Aviva to see him play for his country. He's not even in the starting 11. O'Neil has gone with Doyle and Hoolahan up front which is disappointing. I'd have thought that someone who plays regularly in the Prem and has just gone for such big money would've got the nod ahead of Hoolahan or Doyle? I expected Long to be straight in the team, particularly when you consider that the Republic really are ****! Can't help but feel that I've wasted my money coming here tonight. It's a terrible game and the main reason for coming is sat on the bench. :-/

He'll be a very special player in a couple of years, not sure he's quite up to it just yet. One for the future.

I'm convinced we could've done better for less money. Rickie cost £1m and is living proof that you can pick up players from the lower leagues for sensible money. Personally, I've never been so underwhelmed with a Saints signing. We paid silly money that we'll be lucky to see half of back when we let him go. Now I don't mind only getting 50% back if a player delivers the goods in their time with the club but I can't see Long cutting it. He hasn't anywhere else so what makes people think he will here? At least other past signings have had a decent track record. He just has a reputation for under achieving. Why pay so much for someone with such average credentials?

£12m for Shane Long and most people haven't even got him in their predicted starting 11. A very expensive substitute. That said, so was Gaston. Of all the business we've done, Long is the one deal I simply don't understand. I'd have rather kept £12m and Gaston. I honestly don't believe we'd be any worse off as a team.

Get in! Radio Nova, Dublin. You are ****ing useless. Sack your sports reporter!!!

He won't tell me anything. Not spoken to me since I bowed to pressure from people on here and named him. Understandable really, it wasn't a very clever thing to do but I was sick of people giving me grief. I've had a couple of texts about a player he scouted in the states who has just signed for a championship team but **** all Saints related. Think I've burned my bridges with that one.

I'd better not tell you what I've just heard on Irish radio here in Dublin then. :-/

Heard on Irish radio that we failed to agree terms with Mane earlier today so turned our attentions to Redmond but couldn't get the deal concluded in time. Can anybody confirm this???

If the mane deal doesn't happen we've just ****ed up big time. I wonder what odds you can get on Gaston getting more than 4 goals in 15 games, which is all that Long managed. I'm still utterly perplexed as to how we've ended up loaning them Gaston and giving them £12m for Long. Just stop, take a deep breath and think about it. It's a complete **** take.

It's not a stupid comment. He made a big impact on saturday and now we'll never knkw what Koeman could've got out of him. We seriously lack players who can change a game so letting him go is a big mistake. Watch him turn it on at Hull with a decent run in the side, which is exactly what he should've had at Saints!!!

We've got a serious lack of quality attacking options and I believe it will come back to haunt us. Yes we scored 3 at west ham but they were utter ****e. Sadly, I see more performances like the one against WBA than the one against WHU unless we address this. Just hope we land this winger and he delivers the goods. Need J-Rod back & to find form quickly as I'm still not convinced that Long or Pelle are the answer.

We do the strangest things. Bruce has done some good business. Like others have said, Hull have got the better of us with this one. Gaston on loan and in return we get Long for £12m. Gaston is a international who played in the world cup whilst Long was searching for four leaf clovers on his holidays in Cork. Bruce must be ****ing himself.

Be bloody stupid to let him go. He showed on Saturday that we need a player like him when we need to change things. Also, why allow him to go to a team who are direct competition, in that we'll probably end the season in a similar position.

So you'd write Rickie off if he was still here? Sheringham was still banging them in for Utd at 36. Age has nothing to do with it. He's a proven goalscorer. Something that Shane Long isn't. A player like Defoe is a very useful player to have in the squad. He'll always score goals & younger players could learn a lot from someone like him. Watch what he does at Leicester. I'd have money on him getting more that Long this season.

Useless fact of the day. When translated, Alderweireld means other world.

Defoe to Leicester? I know he used to play for that lot down the road but I think that's a good signing. I'd be more than happy if we signed him. He'll always score goals and if Woy had any ******** he'd still have him in the England squad.

Him and Micah Richards then?

Really? I must have missed that???

Fantastic result! :-) 4 points from the first 3 ain't too bad. From the same 3 fixtures last season we achieved 6 points, but we were one of only 2 teams to get a result at Anfield last season. Shame about last weeks result but that's football. Let's hope for a couple of quality additions and that Morgan stays.

He obviously didn't want to come here so has lazed around and underperformed in an attempt to force the manager to offload him. Basically his plan has worked perfectly.

Let's just take, Richards, Sinclair & Guidetti from Man City. Job done.

Done. Although I much prefer the old grounds. Not been to a new stadium that's had an atmosphere anything like you used to get. I'd take the Dell over St. Mary's any day.

Totally agree. I still think we need a winger / creative, attacking midfielder and a poacher of a striker more than anything else. A proper fox in the box has to be a priority as we just don't look like we've got goals in us at all.

Zaha back to Palace, on loan. Would've thought he was what we were looking for. That said, I don't really know what Koeman looks for. Apparently we're in for Van Dijk???

I'd start him alongside Morgan and give Big Vic a go at CB.