derry

I think the first thing any player, and that includes Ramirez, has to buy into is that the Southampton way is a high energy game to first win the ball and then keep possession. Our players mostly pass and move, Clyne, Shaw, Lovren, Schneiderlin (now and then), especially Lallana, and Rodriguez attack at pace carrying the ball but pass and move and work like crazy to close down the opposition. Ramirez unlike Lallana who is working his socks off doesn't play that way. He is a play making ball carrier that nearly always tries to run with the ball. He is a talent and could be great for us if he is able to adopt the high energy pressing game however I am not sure he can or is trying to. This leads me to think that the manager isn't going to compromise and unless Ramirez adapts he will move on.

The club have got it right. SMS half closed, the rest not even half full in the previous round, SOL one third full. The supporters patently don't rate it especially as it is a reserve team competition. It really doesn't rate a Europa place which is a sop to the sponsors. The Europa place should go to the next highest EPL teams along with the FA Cup Europa place currently used by Championship mid table Wigan.

This cup was useful in that it gave match time to players not in the first team. Match fitness in the absence of a proper reserve league is necessary. It picked out four types of players. Not good enough even to be reserves = Davis and Fox, youngsters on the fringe - Chambers and Reed, reserves - Yoshida, Hooiveld, Cork, Lee, and first teamers - Rodriguez, Davis and Ramirez. Gallagher looked useful and a first team would have deprived three useful youngsters of the experience at a higher level. Some will say Ramirez is a waste of space but he needs to play matches to get him up to match fitness. He has ability and we may well need him and the others if we get injuries. I think the club has got it right.

I bet it will have triple glazing and lots of insulation:lol:.

Gaston is a talent, no doubt about that. There is however a few things he has to take on board so that he can successfully play in our system. Firstly his natural instinct is to run with ball irrespective of where he is whilst the team ethos when not retaining possession is to move it quickly, so unless he is in the final third running and losing possession is counter productive and exposes us to quick counter attacks. Secondly his pressing is casual and whilst he is able to be physical he isn't as sharp in getting tight. He has to sort the way he plays much as Lallana has done so that he fits the team tactics. If he does he will be a big asset and give us more unpredictability and edge. If he doesn't he won't play a lot and will probably move on. Like Yoshida, missing virtually most of the pre season preparation he is playing catch up, especially as he just isn't getting the game time to fit in.

Next time Mike, set it up. Arrange a regular contact at the Job Centre who is responsible for the applicants and will take your call by arrangement and is already aware of the reason for the call. As soon as the non-applicant makes the statement, ask them to wait, ring the number, tell the contact "Mr So in So says he doesn't want the job" then hand him/her the phone.

Nitrogen is used because in overheating/fire situations, caused by, for example a max weight aborted take off at high speed, especially in aircraft 200/300 tons at 200 mph, bursting tyres would flood the fire with oxygen but nitrogen is inert so doesn't. There was talk of fitting aircraft with nitrogen supplies to fill the voids in fuel tanks after fuel is used or the tank empty, (as per the TWA B747 that blew up after takeoff due empty centre tank cooking off) so that combustion wouldn't occur. Bit like cabin sprinkler systems. Weight considerations and cost put that to bed. Airlines always say "Safety is paramount", what they mean is, as long as it doesn't cost money.

For anyone who can read them there are animated timeframe charts on netweather.com. From midday they have shown a forecast of heavy rain for a period which with the low pressure front is pretty standard however the wind charts show the worst winds in mid channel off east sussex and east of Dover. The winds are shown peaking about midnight dropping off rapidly to about 0300. The strongest winds, mid forties in this area are shown south of the IOW slowing northwards and dropping into the 20/30 band just north of the mainland coast.

Some years back I played golf with one of the 1976 Cup Winning team the day after his vasectomy. He walked like a jockey, I know he was in pain but the banter was unbelievable and we were rolling around all through the round. Fair play to him he was a great sport.

The players/management/spectators know what they get with Fox, he has never been a good defender. Swansea know what he is like, so put the nippy Dyer out wide supported by runners from inside and behind. Consequently he was exposed and torn apart. Lovren did his best to support him but unlike Hooiveld quite rightly wouldn't leave the middle open. Fox needed support and cover from in front and inside, presumably Davis was supposed to cover in front but never picked up tight, choosing to stand off allowing Dyer to cut into the space. It wasn't until JWP was sent on and closed down quickly that we at least helped him out. Fox doesn't read the defensive game, he defends like a winger, either too far up with space behind or backs off towards the corner of the penalty area. Even if he isn't that quick he could have got tight on Dyer and tried to bully him leaving the others to cover the space behind him.

I was talking to Dennis Pring at the golf club this morning. Ian White was there but not in photo. Said it was a good do.

Interestingly in complete contrast to those stewards behaviour, at the West Ham game at half time a fan was drinking beer, obviously from the bar, chatting at the top of the steps. The steward just approached him and told him drinking not allowed there please take it back down to the concourse which he did.

I suggest you make an appointment to see the head of security and discuss the incident face to face.

I can see the same team selected again but food for thought as far as Premier League goals from play is concerned, Lallana 3 from 35, Rodriguez 6 from 40, Ramirez 5 from 29.

We have 15 league games before the window is open, why would we even be thinking of selling Lambert at this time. Any fee received is small beer compared with his worth. In any case the Bale money gives us a freebie in Lambert's case, we can afford to keep him. Osvaldo could get injured any time and as long as Lambert is fit we would still have good options. The game changer would be if further top class strikers were brought in in January. My view, whatever happens don't let him go this season.

But he didn't score. Ramirez put his away that's the difference.

Rodriguez and Lallana don't look like scoring whilst Ramirez's goal last night and his finish at Barnsley were clinical. We need goals from somebody, both Lambert and Osvaldo can but aren't yet, so for me I'd leave either Rodriguez or Lallana out.

Last night had the tempo of a training game. The first goal very nearly killed the game off. We were playing a very conservative 4-5-1 masquerading as the standard 4-2-3-1. Except for a twenty minute period in the second half when BC raised the tempo and got the ball forward quickly the pace was slow. A couple of good saves by Davis and the ball hitting his legs with him diving early the wrong way plus a series of low crosses across the goal could well have seen us out. Overall Davis was pretty poor, his command of the box was non existent, caught a couple of easy crosses but looked on edge whilst his kicking was dire. If Gazzaniga isn't the answer neither is Davis. If Boruc is injured we need a goalkeeper PDQ. The back four were ok however Fox drops off to the edge of the penalty area too far away to pick up the threat out wide. He also gets out of position which draws Jos out of the middle, a problem when they play together. Davis and Cork didn't really get hold of the midfield and I thought Davis was staying fit. No commitment there. Guly was hopeless and I don't think we get much out of JWP as a wide player. Lee in his first game for a year at least, worked hard but is not a lone striker and lacked service and support. Ramirez scored a brilliant volley but seemed to me to be totally uncomfortable having to play facing his own goal. He looked really good when facing play and was really accurate with his passing especially out on the right of midfield in a spell in the second half. This was his first 90 mins in ages and he suffered from cramp in the last five minute, going off with a couple of minutes left. He has the ability and we need to find a place for him but I don't see room for both him and Lallana. In the short term I can see Lambert and Osvaldo in the middle and two from three, Lallana, Rodriguez and Ramirez filling the flank positions.

By the middle of October the EPL will have lost a month to friendlies or World Cup qualifiers. The 2022 summer pre season would be international free. Another month out of the EPL season could be rapidly caught up. Making the CL and EL knock outs:lol: would free up a lot of weeks. Be interesting if somebody goes to court on behalf of the countries denied the WC. Although my guess is them being bought off. More likely a collection of clubs/leagues seeking damages. I think it won't happen.

Don treated various football injuries for me. RIP.

60's Promotion, 60, 66, A Cup SF 63. 100 goals a season. Ron Davies, Terry Paine, John Sydenham, Martin Chivers etc.

Interestingly this is not part of Islamism but comes from extreme fundamentalism. The same fundamentalism that the Taliban and other extreme groups use to persecute non members. In my view this form of dress should be banned in public as there is no way of knowing who is inside or what is concealed. Terrorists and bombers threatening this country are almost exclusively from the groups that adopt this philosophy. As an airline captain I wouldn't allow anybody on the aircraft with their faces hidden. I never had to turn anyone away but I was asked on occasions whether I would accept passengers and always refused.

Probably the best striker of a football in the England squad he has what most of the others don't have, football wise he is really smart with terrific vision. Leave out his goals, his passing was excellent but the two passes for Welbeck's goals were sublime, otherwise known as world class. Ricky Lambert has fitted in and brings the best out of the players around him. The first five yards is in his head, he isn't quick but like his goal against Moldova he was there already, all the others were just watching while he was moving. The main reason we are where we are.

Webb celebrity referee, would have been a penalty to MU, MC, Chelsea, Arsenal etc.

There was a lack of balance today. Only Lambert and Osvaldo are goalscorers, JWP doesn't score and Lallana is hit and miss. That leaves us woefully short up front. Two defensive central midfielders keep the goal count down at both ends. Neither full back really drove forward however we need midfielders to drive into the box to unsettle the defence. We were very one dimensional today. If we have six defensive players and only four attackers we aren't going to score many goals from play. It needs a tactical rethink, we need to get numbers into the box.