derry

Obviously the treatment he is having isn't working so they are putting a camera into the knee to see what is wrong and possibly could put it right with keyhole surgery. Three weeks should cover the arthroscopy but dependent on the extent of any cutting etc, it will take extra time.

One thing this team does well is scrap like hell for an hour to gain the right to play, that along with the ability to score goals makes us a difficult proposition.

The Premier League has stated that the FA would veto this proposal.

Premier League state FA would veto the loss of Prom/Rel

David Lallana says he is not the v man

Is it the enable 3G, the Network Mobile Data and or ask to join Networks that need to be switched to off.

Leave the top 5 to play themselves every week. Without the other 15 clubs there wouldn't be a Premier League. Rather than increasing their money, those that qualify for the Champions league should forfeit all Premier TV money to the rest of the clubs and divide it equally to level the playing field a little.

If we are lucky enough to win promotion we should continue to strengthen from the Football League not attempt wholesale changes with overpaid foreign mercenaries. Reward the present team by not discarding them, giving them a conditional Premiership incremental salary, and in the event of failure be in a great financial position with a stable team able to challenge for promotion again all the better for the experience. Better still don't be relegated and continue to strengthen sensibly

Pride before the fall! It would be better to leave threads like this until the season is over, it's just tempting fate. Last season at this time Portsmouth and Bournemouth were doing the same thing look what's happened since.

He didn't????

I think this was always going to be settled out of court. Downes wasn't one of the central figures but was at Pardew's side.

Adkins has it right, possession football is the way to go. If that is the way we are going to play in the long term we are going to have to get in a goalkeeper who doesn't delay the pass until there are only poor options left. Teams that successfully pass out from the back usually have a slick passing goalkeeper. It is easy to see why most managers have had Davis playing it long.

Davis showed a complete lack of judgement, the header was under pressure and if he had stayed back it was easily saved.

Beattie loves the club! Don't make me laugh, he is living in Southampton and it is the easiest option for him, apart from us being top of the league. He had no problem walking away or sticking the ball in the back of our net for Everton. Time to move on and bring in a striker along the lines of those already bid for. He might do a job for us but his last two years have been dire including failing at the best club in a very poor Scottish League.

The council were looking at building a municipal stadium somewhere north of the docks with the Saints as the main user, however I believe the Saints wanted sole use, which the council couldn't agree, so the idea was dropped.

After forty years without one, I doubt a copy of the original no matter the significance, after a cooling down period, really is that important to him now.

He could be useful if fit, however wasn't there a driving disqualification due to a drink related driving incident in Bedford Place late at night? Anyone remember?

Beattie in the Echo tonight confirmed that the playing management were interested but it was a no from above. Exactly what I was told on Saturday morning. Chaplow and Cork weren't ex Saints with a history they were short term loans.

I get the feeling he is wiping the slate clean. I expect he is well aware of the politics and what he has experienced since.

I was talking to a mate of James Beattie's on Saturday morning, he told me that this had happened but Cortese has vetoed ex players coming back.

Arsenal are really getting the treatment from the big clubs and are likely to lose more of their stars so it's not only one way. On the up side they will bring in loads of money so if they force the sale of one of our players it will cost them megabucks. Probably far more than the individual is worth to the club as a current player, making the megabucks easily useable to buy a number of better players for the team, rather than never have the mature (potentially, maybe, sometime) great player possibly after some years of development and constant unsettling media which could lead to a weaker team overall.

When Cortese came in he said two things about freebies, 1) There weren't going to be any and Markus and he were buying their own. 2) All those ex club officials, servants were welcome in the Directors Box but would have to pay, presumably the corporate rate. If that is what he wants to do it's fine by me. Everybody pays.

Read Inverting the pyramid (a history of tactics) by Jonathan Wilson. A very comprehensive explanation of the development of tactics from the start of football.

Some people are missing the point with Hooiveld, the lad is getting to know the team so needs a little time, however he is a good footballer, that has struck up a 'partnership' with Fonte who as a result had his best and most confident game this season. Centrebacks come in pairs and this looks like a pairing that can become dominant and the bedrock we need. As for the Davis short passing, he is trying his best to pass out, but it is easy to see why managers had him just kicking long. He is not a natural short passing goalkeeper because those that are, already know where they are going to pass the ball almost before it is in their hands. It is the time taken by Davis to make his mind up who to pass to, allowing the potential recipients to be closed down and then have to pass it back to him because of the pressure. Some of the passes he makes short really only drop the recipient in the mire. Eventually we will have to replace him if we are going to play out from the back, the more the opposition see of him, the tighter it will get for our back players to receive the ball, as they will plan to pressure us when Davis has the ball. He will inevitably kick it long more often.