derry

Cliff Huxford was captain of Chelsea's reserve team, what a captain he turned out to be. His voice boomed out the whole match, the original hard man and tough as nails. George was volatile, a skilful reserve player at Leeds but a clinical finisher. He carried a knee injury for years but you wouldn't have known. A great player for us. The only time in league football I saw a player throw a punch properly. Harry Harris of Newport hacked George who threw a right upper cut and poleaxed Harris, who was stretchered off. Dick Connor was an incisive passer especially forward and blended in, however he only lasted the one season until promotion but it was enough. I think the first game back in the second sivision we hammered Liverpool 4-0 at the Dell. The Saint's forwards were the key. Paine, O'Brien what a pair on the right, Reeves in the middle, either tommy Mulgrew or the brilliant in the air Brian Cifton and the quickest player in the country in my opinion, John Sydenham on the left. Over a hundred goals a season in the league more than once. I hope these memories give you the picture. In those days managers assessed players after tips from scouts and believed their own eyes. We bought crap in later years because we didn't do that.

Personally I think Adams and Armstrong are hopeless and we should unload them both as soon as we can get in probably three consistent goal scoring strikers with the season's transfer total probably approaching £200m from Orsic, CC, Salisu, Liveramento, JWP, Lavia, Bella-Kotchap, Adams, Armstrong, Sulemana (possibly), maybe a few others. Spend the money wisely and we could have a team good for a few years.

Ted sold Charlie Livesey to Chelsea, in return he got captain Cliff Huxford. From what was left he bought George O'Brien ( a wonderful goalscorer and a Leeds reserve), the skilful Dick Connor from Grimsby and turned an ordinary side into champions. Reeves into a 45 goal centre forward ably assisted by Terry Paine and the lightning fast John Sydenham. And the best match of my youth, an FA Cup visit to Maine Road to massacre First Division Manchester City 1-5 with Paine turning left back Cliff Sears inside out and Reeves scoring four against the great Bert Trautman in goal. The moral of this story, let's do it again. This is really where the journey began, six years later we were a first division side.

Photoshop?? Nothing on Saints Official Site.

Three set pieces, nothing new then. With that defence and keeper no surprise.

Retire!!!!

It's about time we copied Rugby and with the yellow card give a time penalty off the field. Due to the footballers discipline ramping it up from ten minutes to twenty to thirty would make managers clamp down. Failing that make it red for indiscipline and crowding the referee. Clean the bloody game up it's a disgrace.

I think the EFL don't even allow the clubs to televise the matches except for the two nominated televised games therefore there are no streams.

Try the BBC Sound App and select Solent it might be on there.

It's a bloody travesty. If Armstrong had been a fraction slower the ball would have hit him harder and more than likely not gone in. It's a disgrace despite Tella's good grace that he thinks it's his goal. He was ducking out of the way. If he was a decent character he would insist he had no part in it and that it was Tella's goal. As far as I'm concerned he's just another example of what is wrong with football. He's been a failure since he arrived and Saturday wasn't much different. Irrespective of the award those that saw it know what he did and I for one won't give him any credit, just another game he didn't cut it in.

I remember that after Koeman, Puel tried to play a dysfunctional diamond that the players were mystified by. Over the season we got 46 points out of 114. It was the start of the unwatchable garbage that was even worse under Pellegrino and in many games under Ralph. Last year under Ralph, Jones amd Selles it was as bad as it gets. Friday was the first time in years that I saw a manager pick a balanced team that looked the part. I thought the possession football at this level was superb. The marking at set pieces needs an overhaul. Stop ballwatching and position to see the ball and the mark. If Smallbone had turned sideways and faces out he could have seen Ifore and the corner taken. He then only had to take a pace to his left and block Ifore most probably drawing a foul with neither getting the ball. Chelsea used to run interference to block markers trying to stop John Terry. This is virtually the same defending. I hope the new set piece coach picks up on it.

I think one area we could easily improve our defending. At the corner a SW player was outside the back post. Smallbone was the back marker but did it all wrong. He faced the ball, that mean't he had to win the header which he didn't do. What he should have done was to turn sideways so that he could see both the ball and the back post header. So he couldn't outjump the SW player he could however move into a blocking position and stop the SW player moving forward to get a good jump probably ending up that neither of them could reach the ball. I've noticed over the years we have lost a lot of goals because the marker couldn't see the mark mainly through ball watching.

I have a favourite coach, Pep Guardiola. I love the way his teams play. They use the ball, manoeuvre it around, keep possession, probe and probe again, run the legs off the opposition and strike decisively when the opportunity is made. That is what Russell Martin is trying to do. After years of schizophrenic crap it's a breath of fresh air. We are nowhere near yet, which in itself is brilliant. I like what Russell Martin has done and is working on. Yesterday several things stood out for me. We need a lethal finisher, preferably a dominant centre back, plus a replacement for Liveramento. Provided we keep Tella and Sulemana that could give us an irresistable cutting edge. Edozie is raw, he can beat a man, is trying to provide an end product but isn't there yet and his two shots into the stand demonstrated a lack of composure. He is a young player that could in time be devastating but still needs nurturing and plenty of brief exposure to build up his experience. Of the existing, Adam Armstrong isn't the answer but could play wide, Adams was better and took his goal well, he's better at reacting than being given time because then he usually misses. Personally I think Adams will go and maybe Piroe will come in, Stuart of Sunderland subject to fitness would give us good options up front. If Sulemana goes we need a like for like replacement. I think Stuart Armstrong offers a good alternative both wide and in the hole if Alcaraz is not available.

What a relief to have a manager pick a predictable, balanced team. the first time in years and it was a big reason we were relegated.

He did pick up an injury on Saturday, said it was nothing serious so may be precautionary.

I think the response should be "This isn't Poundstretcher, you know the price so either pay it or stop wasting our time, If the bid isn't the asking price we won't even respond" They really need to put up or shut up. All the feeds are coming out of the clubs like Liverpool and Newcastle.

I'll give you some names that caused our relegation and Bazunu isn't one of them. Rasmus Ankersen who should have changed the manager at the end of May 2022. Didn't buy a proven striker. Apart from Alcaraz had a mare in the January transfer window. Worst of all he brought in Nathan Jones to replace Ralph then compounded the whole thing by making Selles manager with 14 games left. Che Adams who missed enough vital one on ones to nearly keep us up. KWP who forgot he was a defender, Perraud likewise. Elyounoussie who meant we were virtually playing ten from the start. Personally I think the managers got us relegated. We had virtually no shape or discipline. We had enough good players to win matches but we never saw a balanced team selected that was made up of the best players, not the yes men and managers favourites. That's why we were relegated..

M3 M25 probably J27 at best. I did Stansted daily for two years thirty years ago and it was an awful drive then, God only knows what it's like nowadays. I couldn't wait to get to Gatwick. I wouldn't think it's an option. Train might be a better option. I can't see him doing that. I think Brentford, Fulham, Chelsea, Brighton and Bournemouth are his options. Even Villa and Wolves. He'll either get a place locally or not move.

I think it's Chigwell, Essex. That's an awful drive.

City have a 2024 £40m buyback clause and a 20% sell on clause. That's what is underpinning the reported fee. Similar with Liveramento only a much higher percentage based on the actual fee. I think it's dawned on the predators that nobody is going for bargain prices unless we want to unload them, Aribo, Lyanco etc.

Mind you Duncan, Man City are the most predictable side in the Premier and teams can rarely lay a glove on them, I'd take some of that. I just dont want fifty percent possession to be in our own half.

We all know how Pep's team plays. Keep the ball, attack at speed, slow, slow, quick,quick, hug both touchlines move it back and start again. However, possession amongst the defence, backwards and sideways racking up the pass numbers, hence the high percentage isn't possession football it's unambitious,turgid, losing crap. If we are going to play possession football it has to be possession that pulls teams apart in their own half with half a dozen players overloading opponents at pace, with players getting in behind. It also contains an element of hitting teams on the break. I'm not sure that is our future. I'd love to be surprised.

His totally non combative game playing virtually every week left us competitively weak. He was hopeless and shouldn't have been selected. He struck me as being a thoroughly nice person that got on with all the managers.

If I remember correctly, under Puel we finished 8th and had 46 points. Personally I thought the football on offer was garbage. I was glad to see the back of him. Bringing in Pellegrino and buying Carillo was stupidity. Les Reed's record at Charlton was abysmal not surprising for an FA bureaucrat. That was the top of the slippery slope that SR eventually through their arrogance and stupidity employing Jones and Selles sealed our fate. I hope their obsession with possession isn't going to lead to another clusterfuck.

Find some ex pros that only need to watch a player and decide if he's worth watching again. All the data in the world won't cut it. We appointed a data man as manager he won two matches. A data man oversaw the transfer window, spent £60m and brought in one player we could use and one who could be of use if played correctly. Just another case of educated bullshit.