derry

There were several standout players for Saints today. Firstly a shoutout for Diallo who managed to produce some of the most dangerous AV attacks by giving the ball away. The prize for stupidity has to go to Elyonoussi for his shove in the players back just before the disallowed goal. The second prize goes to Mara for a succession of stupid pushes especially for the one resulting in Watkin's goal. He wasn't alone Armstrong was doing it all afternoon. Finally Che Adams for doing nothing for an hour including a stupid offside then missing his kick completely. We've just bought a goalscorer in Orsic so why don't we play him. And definitely finally after lining up for the free kick why didn't we hold our line. The whole Villa team would have been offside. Instead we all went backwards and Lyanco's shoulder put Watkins onside.

Adams just appears brainless. He was offside looking along the line and had plenty of time to step onside but did nothing.

I see Lorient are tracking Djenepo. I'm wondering if there might be the makings of a deal, part exchange for Moffi. His wages might rule that out unless we mitigate that financially.

I was really watching the Hull CF. SU were on top but it wasn't a great watch. I didn't really pay too much attention as nobody really stood out. I was paying more attention to how Tella was playing. He wasn't outstanding but made some decent runs and his movement was good but his goal was class, in his own half, spotted the break coming, between centre and right touchline, stayed onside, waited for the through ball and burned the defender giving him a little time to look up and check the keeper before hitting it hard across the keeper into the opposite corner.

There is a recall clause in the loan agreement confirmed by Kompany after Christmas.

Tella with another cracker, Typical Adams miss one on one situation but Tella ice cool had a look at full pace and smashed it across the keeper into the bottom corner. We're looking at all and sundry but we have a gem and don't appreciate it.

For anybody interested Tella playing for Burnley, 0-1 v WBA on Sky Sports. Sheff Utd v Hull (1-0) on EFL Sheff Utd. The Hull CF we are linked with looks pretty ordinary. I'm watching both games at the moment.

In the early eighties I flew the Saints party to Amsterdam for a match. Lawrie had Peter East's History of Southampton signed by the whole party including Kevin Keegan. I've still got it along with a load of other Southampton FC books through the years.

I've been watching Tella playing for Burnley and he has obviously benefited from some good coaching. His positional play and touch is so much better and his ability to keep cool in front of goal is impressive. Add to that his pace he looks like a good player. Is Jackson an improvement on Tella who already has Premier league experience.

It was a 1977 PIPER PA32R Cherokee Lance, retractable version of the PA32 Cherokee Six. Both six seaters with 300hp engine. I hope you had plenty of Instrument flying experience because most untrained pilots get disorientated and lose it within minutes. I'm surprised at the pilot pissing around when the thing to do was fly the aircraft manually. I once got disoriented over the North Sea from Norwich to Stavanger single pilot carrying a load of explosives for an oil company in the middle of the night. I was at 10000 feet looking over the side at a vast fishing fleet showing white lights, I then looked up at the sky more white stars as it was crystal clear.I looked down again at the white lights and suddenly I didn't know which was up or down. Being an experienced instrument pilot I focussed on the instruments and flew on not looking down again until well clear of the lights. Never ever forgot though.

Cherokee six or Single Commanche ?

January1959, FA Cup third Round. Special train to Manchester. Third division Saints v First Division Manchester City. With the magnificent Bert Trautmann ex German paratrooper and POW in goal . Terry Paine tore Man City defence and full back Cliff Sears apart, Saints won 5-1, Reeves 4 and O'Brien plus Cliff Huxford playing most of the match after pulling a muscle early on - no substitutes in those days. We got back to the Central Station after midnight. George O'Brien shouting " Where's the bloody brass band " 1963, snow from Boxing Day until April, hardly any football played. George Kirby pushing a pram around Cumberland place then terrifying Peter Grummitt with Saints 0-3 with 13 minutes left drew 3-3 after 1-1 draw away in FA Cup sixth round (QF) then beat First Division Notts Forest I think 5-0 at White Hart Lane in second replay on a neutral ground. Lost 0-1 to a scrappy Denis Law goal at Villa Park in the Semi Final. All the Saints players used to hang out after training at the old Tudor Coffee Bar at the Junction. Lots more where that came from.

It's a mystery that any of them are called strikers because they're everything but.

He created a very good assist laying the ball off with the centreback tight behind him but unable to get near the ball unless he fouled Ings.

If we are cosidering bringing in Danny Ings we need to push the boat out and buy another goal scoring forward that allows Ings to be substituted and can take over some of the match time whilst covering if the worst happens and he picks up an injury.

Innside by Melia Liverpool.

Sounds as though Lorient don't want to sell to a close rival in their league.

Lyanco has put in a couple of stand out performances at right back, against Arsenal's Martinelli and last night. His achilles heal is trying to be too clever, He very nearly dropped us right in it last night taking the ball out he tried a fancy flick and gave the ball away. He needs to keep it simple. He is less of a liability at right back. His interception, run and pass to Mara was outstanding. At the end we kept the ball in that right hand corner and ran a considerable amount of time off the clock. Lyanco backheeled off a defender to win another corner there.

Mara looked a lot better playing as the front striker. He took his goal well. I actually think Adams wouldn't have scored that. He also put away clinically a marginally offside chance in an early season game that was disallowed but it was similar to most of those one on one against the keeper that Adams misses. Pending a goalscoring striker we could do a lot worse than give him his head there.

Still in the FA Cup, Semi Final EFL Cup, Beat MC 2-0 I wonder what influence that will have on transfer targets as well as beating two Premier sides in the process.

Newcastle.

Now

I don't think we will but if we do McCarthy will soon demonstrate his weakness. We should have tried to keep Forster but I think his salary made it difficult to come to agreement. Looking at the defence and midfield in front of him small wonder he is letting goals in. It's been a shambles. If you want a scapegoat take the bloke that keeps missing sitters. That really has cost us points.

That doesn't mean a thing. It shows no comparison of the quality of strike or whether the the shots were even saveable as many weren't. Unless the shots are measureable which they weren't there is nothing there to prove. Either player could have failed to deal with saveable shots, made saves from almost unsaveable shots or been beaten by unsaveable shots. Without that the numbers mean as little as possession figures passing the ball around the back four and goalkeeper inflating pass numbers.

I'm not sure McCarthy would save much at all.