Winnersaint

You have indeed hit the nail on the head with this post. You have put out a reasoned response to the hype, and you have pointed out one of football's most irritating groups of supporters, the click-bait fan. Shame I will never agree with your views on the EU. From a swivel eyed loon!

Three years with us so I reckon he's done his bit. A transfer to a club in the Champions League probably suits his career progression which he is entitled to pursue, just like anyone else. Move on.

Dutch company!

Good player, as he was with us. Occasionally unplayable. Inventive with good feet. A lack of pace and shooting ability are his achilles heel. Just left us under a cloud.

Agreed. Not before time either. He has been less effective as a striker over the last couple of years and it is a natural progression for a player with his football brain.

MLT on Talk****e again this am. The large headed Scottish buffoon asked him about the new manager saying that we would miss transfer targets now the fixtures were out without someone in the hotseat. MLT was his normal laid back patient self and explained again how the club wasn't necessarily dependant on this being in place at this point in time. He said that the club would recruit as they had before finding the right manager to fit the style of play that the club were aiming for rather than the other way round. Brazil then went on to quiz MLT about specific names. He was very diplomatic when asked about the possibility of Moyes coming in, saying he wasn't perhaps the best fit in terms of the style of play the club are after at which point Brazil using his extensive imagination moved on to Roberto Martinez as a potential manager. I think Matt just about gave up at this point, pointing out that we would like to defend rather better than Martinez's teams do. It is easy to be dismissive of Brazil but he is of his time. It does demonstrate once again how little pundits, broadcasters and print media understand about the philosophy that Saints have. They are stuck in the past where the manager (often a big personality) brings their own style to a club rather than the other way round and they struggle with the idea that our recruitment process isn't plastered over the back pages or in the public domain. Everton/Koeman anyone?

Saw my first game in 1963 as a nipper so the first big change was Lawrie's appointment ten years later. Manager appointments then were never the subject of speculation, they just happened so I didn't really have much of an opinion on his appointment. By the time we appointed Branfoot I was living and working in Reading and was horrified when he was appointed. He was around at Elm Park on a few occasions when I was there watching kids I taught playing for Reading Schools FA. Came across as a complete k u n t. He got everything he deserved from us!

It never ceases to amaze me how the media just don't get us. BTW the co-host was Ray Wilkins. It's not just the media. A Liverpool supporting colleague this morning asked me what I thought about Koeman and his departure and was quite surprised when I said I wasn't bothered by it. I pointed out we'd lost a lot better manager in Pochettino and kicked on from there and improved in successive seasons under Koeman and would continue to do so under whoever was appointed. He asked me who I wanted as manager and was surprised when I said I didn't really care as the club would have a succession plan in place as we did two years ago.

On a few occasions our club Saturday social ride we have set off with upwards of 25 riders which is way too many, especially on the roads of north Hampshire and Berkshire. It is not easy to maintain group discipline especially with riders of different levels and a policy of no-one being left behind. We don't tend to be more than two abreast when roads and traffic allow, and it is the responsibility of the ride leader and 'rear gunner' to respond to traffic situations as and when we need to ride in single file. It tends to work OK but it doesn't alter the fact that a group of this size is way too it is too big. That many riders even doubled up represents a moving hazard at least the length of an articulated truck so it pays to be as user friendly to other road users to avoid horns honking/close passes and other driving behaviour that puts cyclists at risk. General opinion is that 12-15 is about the maximum number for a group ride.

Yeah! Doping git! If it this guy will he be as shiite as his namesake in games taking place in high mountains?

Le Grande Boucle is almost upon us again. Time for predictions. Think that Quintana will run Froome close again but he looked in superb form in the Dauphine, plus Froome has trained more specifically to peak in the third week this year. Add to that around 55K's of ITT and I think he will have the edge just. Will have to look out for Romain Bardet though. Think we might see a different Cav this year. A la Robbie McEwan in his later years, but don't see him winning a drag race with Kittel, Greipel, Bouhanni and Caleb Ewan as of old. Yellow Jersey - Froome Green Jersey - Sagan Polka Dot Jersey - A Climber White Jersey- Alaphilippe

Is he bringing his bike? Wrong Valverde.

Has gone down like a nasty turd with Reading fans I've spoken to. Predicting them doing a Bolton next season. That'd be funny.

I think Everton have looked at our success and see it as a quick route back to where they were a few seasons ago. Having thrown the financial 'kitchen sink' to get our manager I can see the same tactic being used on our players. Hopefully we are contractually and financially strong enough to resist, we ought to be. The organisation is robust enough to ride this one out, but there again this is football, and if nothing else the Koeman defection shows us that there are no certainties within the bubble in which football people exist.

Time to move on! Exciting times. Pochettino has gone on to prove that he is a really good manager even if his team managed to come third in a two horse race, I'm not sure that Koeman is of quite the same quality as a manager and as such much less of a loss. FWIW I think he'll do OK. As for all the willy waggling over which is the bigger club I look at it as him taking over one of football's 'sleeping giants' whether he has the qualities to awaken it sufficiently is open to considerable conjecture.

Must be big news if its making Game of Thrones all jittery and confused.

I tend to concur.

Stopping is good (very occasionally and only if you run out of water) Older is definitely good. Wish I'd seen the cycling light earlier, holding on to speed as you approach 60 is a bit of a challenge! Have a pass next year (my 60th year) to the Alps, staying in Huez village two/thirds the way up the Alpe, can't wait. Training starts now, well yesterday. Happy days.

If Everton are prepared to throw enough money at players in the same vein as they did to get Koeman, release clauses will be triggered. If this is backed up by contracts which are significantly greater than those paid by Saints then whoever Everton come for they will get. There is no loyalty in football. Whatever we feel about this approach, whether is ethical or economically sensible matters not. I think Everton have looked at us and seen a quick fix to the top and are prepared to chuck ridiculous sums at it to get Koeman and I fear key playing personnel. Hope I am wrong.

I think a gentleman's agreement can be sorted out between clubs. One such was in place when Brenda left Swansea and involved Joe Allen. An approach from Liverpool was only able to made if a club competing in the Champions League came in for him. Spuds made such an approach to Swansea in 2011 which then allowed Brenda to seal the deal. Convenient or what.

Enjoy! By a quirk of Fleet Air Arm stationing I was born in NI albeit to very English parents (Southampton and Sussex). I only spent six months there well before I can remember, but I will be rooting for the team as I did in 82 and 86.

The 3 Counties Cycle Ride provided a welcome break from the frothing at the mouth and general insanity on the main board. There have been a few sane posts, however (take a bow VFTT) but a 50 mile sportive starting in Bracknell, (Berks) heading out to Christmas Common (Oxon) before a very brief interlude in Bucks seemed like the perfect antidote. About 25 club members from Team Boutique headed off at around 8:30. The pace was crazy and by Binfield I was off the back contemplating a lonely 47 or so miles. Getting caught the wrong side of the lights at Twyford didn't help and by this point only a couple of stragglers were in sight. Towards Sonning two team members were at the side of the road fixing a puncture on one of their bikes which put me back in contact with at least some of the team. A few minutes later a group of the team's lady riders scuttled by and the three of us got on the end of the group. The first main climb on the route is up to the village of Dunsden Green from Playhatch, nothing too steep, but a bit draggy but effectively the start of 23K uphill. Ok it was punctuated by short descents but most is on the B481 through Nettlebed to the top of Pishill. A second puncture stop within the group ensued around Highmoor which was the result of a split in the tyre wall, unusual on Conti GP 4000S IIs, and after a bodged repair we decided that a new tyre was the safest option when we passed through Henley. The bit from Christmas Common down to Stonor and into Henley is quick and once a new tyre had been bought and fitted the only other obstacle was the Flowerpot (pub) climb from Aston Village up Remenham Hill. The drop back to the A4 and then down to White Waltham was a breeze along with the road back towards Binfield. After this we were going back the way we came through Binfield and into Bracknell. My sub three hour target wasn't achieved but my moving time around the course extrapolated from my time for the whole ride was just over 3:10. The club's ladies and a couple of other blokes were ideal riding companions and the former a certainly no slouches when it comes to it. All in all a thoroughly enjoy able morning on the road in brilliant weather. Chapeau the ladies of Team Boutique!

Am I alone in not giving a s h i t?

Kudos duly given. looks like a good few lumps in that Bx16

It always was.