derry

That is a stupid comment. Can you remember Len Wilkins, Johhnny Walker, John Christie, Bobby McLaughlin, Don Roper etc, Well I can and every season since. As youngsters along with plenty of others we would sometimes go to Fratton Park to watch special matches, like one of the great Hungarian teams MTK loaded with some of the great Hungarian 1953-56 team. There wasn't a rivalry then as we had no football connection. In the sixties going to away matches there was a non event as we mostly won. I can't remember any problems there as a Saints supporter. The so called rivalry has been concocted in later years when really there isn't one and most people really can't be bothered. If we never played them again it would be too soon for me. An awful club that should have been liquidated after it's second administration, spending money it didn't have, borrowing money it wouldn't pay back and screwing lots of traders in the process. Why would we want to have a rivalry with them of all clubs?

I remember Delgado well, in Ecuador he was incredible, their best player in a generation. However he came with a knee injury that needed an operation. The club were dickheads of the first order. Instead of scheduling the operation immediately they allowed the Ecuador President to persuade him to go to the World Cup. They played him despite his knee so when he came back that was it for him and us despite the best treatment the knee was too damaged. My thoughts at the time were just that. It was obvious to everybody except the club what was going to happen. Putting him in for the operation would have rescued his career and our investment.

Just for anyone interested regarding my remark about the mythical football rivalry with Portsmouth, since 1927 we didn't play them at all until 1960. Since then we've played them twice in a league in 11 seasons, 4 FA Cup and 2 League Cup with a record of W18 D5 L5. We haven't even been in the same league for 86 seasons.

Precisely. We just don't need all the attendant crap that some supporters indulge in if we play Portsmouth. It's not if we have had regular games but we've hardly ever played them over the last sixty years. It's not worth the hassle.

I was pleased Portsmouth lost so they were removed from the competition as its the last team I'd want to meet. I don't get the hyped up competition as they are a team we have hardly played in the last hundred years. Very few in the last sixty years. It's a distraction we don't need.

Ron Davies, Keegan, Van Dyck, Alan Ball.

What I find interesting is that nobody is mentioning the one thing that he is brilliant at. Last year when he joined us I watched a video showing all his goals. Apart from penalties nearly all his goals were getting across defenders in the goal area and beating them to either low or head high crosses, he was deadly at that. Only Armstrong and now Brererton-Diaz are remotely able to do that. Che Adams rarely made runs and it's something we could exploit. I don't see him behind the strikers. He really isn't dominant winning balls pumped up to him, he is about beating defenders to the ball. Without an alternative I'd give him a go. With five at the back we don't really need three in midfield because it isolates our two forwards. 3-4-3 makes more attacking sense becoming 5-4-1 defending.

As a matter of interest Charlie has served his suspension by missing the Getafe game. The rule is suspensions only apply to friendlies and irrespective of the reason for sending off the suspension applies to the next friendly match. If it's the last friendly of the season then the suspension is carried over to the next season's first friendly.

I'd have thought you'd know better than argue with theorists. Paine, Sydenham and Big Ron now that was a combination to die for. Besides when was the last time Edozie got a proper cross in. Dibling showed the way.

I think Martin was keeping his fingers crossed that TP wouldn't score or assist so pushed Edozie up front and pulled TP back behind. That did the trick. If TP is on the field he has to play off the last defendef not the deep midfielder. That defence is going to give away loads of goals pinging it around in our own box. McCarthy got lucky today. The Premier League is an uncompromising place, now the opposition sees the way our defence plays it around they are going to be all over us like a rash. We were pretty sterile in attack and well outnumbered. Aribo was hopeless in getting forward to help. It was crying out for Alcaraz in his position. Dibling looks positive every time he plays. Two wing backs and three midfielders not getting forward will result in a lot of nil final scores.

WTF was Martin thinking. Edozie up front and TP forced back into a deeper position. Bring him on, stick him up front otherwise forget it. Having said that he still gave it a go. I have a feeling Martin was afraid he might pull a rabbit out of the hat so stuck him in a position he was unlikely to get into the box. Attack wise that was a sterile performance because the midfield was hopeless in an attacking sense especially Aribo. That game was crying out for Alcaraz to keep his temper under control and break out.

Duplicated editing spelling.

Possibly wasn't relaid because of concerts after the season.

Charlie needs some coaching, that round house hook should have been preceded by two ior three left jabs he might have connected then. Otherwiswe Lazio were just a niggly dirty bunch of fairly decent footballers. The ball rotation was rediculous and on an unluckier day seen us buried out of sight.

It's just stupid getting McCarthy to pass the ball because sooner or later he gives it to the opposition. I'm not impressed with Wood. Not good in the air, another that dithers on the ball and gives too many away. Alcaraz and Charles having a decent game but AAW finding it difficult. Mara is showing more effort but because of the rediculous 90% possession in our final third the forwards have to come deep. Edwards and Bree, Manning and Taylor ok. BBD great finish looks like an asset given the ball.

Miovski tore the England defence a new one when he played for Macedonia against them. He looked a decent centre forward.

I went to the funeral yesterday of a friends daughter who had been courageously fighting various cancers for the last four years, finally succumbing on July 2nd aged just 43. She was brought up with my kids, Andy it was heartbreaking. One of my sons was very close, just three weeks older.

Better if we play like we did in the playoffs. Three centrebacks, two full backs, three midfielders and two strikers. Go pragmatic and cut out the crap in our own half. Do that and we can accumulate points. Do it the purist's vulnerable way, passing about under pressure in our own area we'll get hammered. Martin didn't get away with it in the Championship, he sure as hell won't get away with it in the Premier League. Only by changing did he achieve promotion. And only by changing will he avoid relegation.

Personally I think our passing out from the back is a nightmare, if the opponents press hard because of our head in the sand obsession the players still pass under pressure to players under pressure or end up giving the ball away. McCarthy is a panicker wants to pass but can't see one but because of instructions does it anyway and drops a defender in it or passes to an opponent. He needs to cut it out and hit it over the press. I'd dump Edozie, his running up dead ends doesn't work. Dibling would be a better bet there. The first half centre backs looked poor with Manning in midfield disjointed. Alcaraz was struggling to find anyone to link with. Sulemana took too long to go at the full back so allowed numbers to close him down. For an hour that looked like a reserve team playing by numbers not really fancying Oxford's physical approach.. Mara lacks effort, time to unload him the injury wasn't helpful. We looked stronger after the hour but created little. Martin needs to play within the limitations of the players he's got. McCarthy will concede bucket loads if forced to play out irrespective of the press. Even if he gets Ramsdale he can't afford to play around his own box for two reasons the risk of losing the ball and allowing much better teams to consolidate. That will lead to conceding goals and an inability to slowly break down Premier League defences.

The defending per se was abysmal in the Premier. We didn't need a goalkeeper we needed a miracle.

I was talking to a friend the other day about Saint's styles. He was a really good goalkeeper and on Saints books at one time. We were talking about how bringing in McCarthy together with three centre backs saw us through the playoffs. His take on Bazunu and McCarthy opened my eyes and answered for me some important questions. Why did Bazunu look so vulnerable. Martin's obsession with a ball playing goalkeeper seems to be his problem. He plays such a high line he is always going backwards. He is almost never in a shot stopping position coming out and narowing angles. Nearly always unsighted retreating behind defenders and especially vulnerable to deflections. McCarthy didn't because he was uncomfortable playing out so was coming out in the traditional way and making blocks. Personally I think we need to play the same way we did in the playoffs. The tippy tappy playing out in the three friendly games so far looks like a vulnerability clusterfuck in the making. The Premier League will be a much more difficult environment and Martin just doesn't have the time to learn the lessons. If he reverts to the back four, inverted wing back, tippy tappy we are going to get a hammering.

As far as I'm concerned Adams is a chance misser not a chance taker. Secondly his runs into and across the box are almost non-existent. And if he does get on the end of something it can almost be guaranteed he'll be offside because he is careless. Just move on.

Bednarek in valuation terms owes us nothing. I think we bought him as an U21 international for £5m ?. We've had our use of him. As far as I'm concerned if somebody wants to pay over the top, fine. If we need another year out of him we can afford to let his contract run out next year. I don't know what our negotiations about a new contract are currently if any. I think the club should keep him for his experience.

I had just flown into Southampton and was walking across to the office to sign the paperwork for the next flight and was met by the British Airways Senior Duty Officer. They handled Keegan's flight. I played golf with him and he was a ST holder at the Dell. He told me that KK was met by LM and they were going to the Potters Heron for a news conference that evening. KK's signing for Saints was to be announced. I arrived home in Southampton before the local news and saw the announcement. There was massive excitement.