derry

I think maybe before Lloyd James is slaughtered a little bit of balance should be considered. On the left Holmes worked his socks off to help Surman defend, on the right James hardly ever got any help from McGoldrick, who was well forward, therefore was trying to hold probably the fastest player in the CCC and his support on his own.

I stayed until the end and saw every crappy minute. Wasn't today brilliant? I thought that Birmingham would outplay Saints and probably win by 2/3 goals. In the event we outplayed them in the first half and weren't outplayed in the second half and lost to two scrappy goals.

How the hell do you come up with a comment using the word fact, having not seen a single minute of play in any of the friendlies, or the three competitive matches. Until you actually see what the hell you are waffleing on about, I suggest you stop making such an obvious spectacle, as it is obvious you haven't a clue what is happening on the pitch and how the team is playing.

Fantastic first half. Second half Birmingham played more direct and with pace on the break. The first goal was a free kick into the box and a scramble, the second one Kelvin went walkabout, the ball bounced over him headed onto the bar by Svennson and Philips from 6 inches. We were passing but not being as patient in the second half and hitting longer passes giving the ball back to Birmingham. They then counterattacked at pace. Although no goals came from them. We need to keep the passing going and forget the longer balls. we need to pick up the pace when we are under pressure. John ran out of puff and the ball was being won off him time after time. Birmingham are probably the most potent team in the CCC, they caused us problems at times but we were never outplayed.

I would have thought that was fundamental, but it never seemed to happen.

I'm not so sure about the big crowd, I've just spoken to the ticket office, 17500 tickets sold including season tickets. They are expecting a total with walk ups of about 21000.

Presumably all the teams will play the same way.

Alpine etc, I had no problem with the starting post or the discussion that followed. The above post was the one I targeted. The information was even capitalised to emphasise the in the know factor and is clearly uninformed rubbish. Posts like this are not part of a discussion or an attempt to seek information. It is clearly posting rubbish claiming it to be substantiated. That is why I find these sort of posts rediculous.

Thomas is nowhere near good enough, even for cover.

I think he has two years left.

I was just checking if nickh was around.

Who really cares?

That would explain everything, Kelvin Davis is really a fullback.

Svennson "the knee feels fine after last weeks match" and signs a new contract, we really do get some allegedly in the know crap posted. It would help if people who don't know anything refrain from posting rubbish.

He is in the squad tomorrow.

Probably not, but the circumstances have.

I think you will get your wish.

I'd say that the huge gamble was taken the season before last and made even worse last season. This season is a result of the overspending, money we didn't have underwritten last year by £21m in player sales and still losing £5m. We now have to play affordable football. Luckily for us we have a group of pretty talented, fit, eager young players to come in and have a go. I think they will do pretty well, with the help of the players left from last year that can fit in. For me pretty well is finish just below halfway.

The two could never play successfully together, nor could Raziak and John. It looks as though the team on Saturday will have John starting and Mcgoldrick on the right with Svennson alongside Perry, It doesn't look a bad combination to me.

Only if they were brought up through the academy/reserves.

Last year Saga as a striker in the games he appeared in scored 3 goals, in the reserves he was again pretty impotent, in the friendlies he played in this season, I'm not sure he scored He ran around for Poland, was the first player substituted and didn't score. Raziak performed poorly and couldn't play with John or Saga and went off to Bolton in March. Euell was dire for a large part of the season, his passing was abysmal, he did try hard after being brought back after his substitution was cheered. He doesn't seem to have been too bad in preseason. The club wanted Skacel to stay but he opted to leave the club in the lurch and go to Berlin, performing well in the process. Berlin want him but he is too expensive. Hardly a player we want to rely on. Thomas was out for a large part of the last half of the season, if he was fit then Pearson didn't rate him. This season v Stoke his timing, going for headers was poor and on 75% of the occasions he was easily beaten in the air. To make matters worse he was at fault for two of Stoke's goals. These players are not the players I would want to build a side around. Having seen Saints over 30 times last season, playing don't move, no pace, pass it to the opposition football, the three games I've seen this season so far have contained some great football, enjoyable to watch, and at least given me hope that we are turning the corner. Last years team could not be any better this year, we damn near, were relegated with them. This years team will get better, I am much more optimistic now than at any time last sason. Yes we have things to sort out, winning the ball in the air and marking at set pieces. We do however have good things, pace, good passing, well motivated, fit, quick in the tackle, things we didn't have at all last year. We have loads of experience, Davis, Svennson, Perry, John, Wotton, Surman, BWP, Davies, all virtually guaranteed a place in a matchday squad. It is up to the likes of Euell, Skacel and Thomas to get their act in gear and start competing for a place.

Ticket office worked it out roughly, 700STs moved from Itchen North.

We have to have it in the loan agreement to prevent him playing against us. ( Lucketti could have played v SUtd but didn't)

Any experienced player that comes in, fundamentally needs to be keen, motivated, giving their best, able to run at pace and play pass and move without giving the ball away. We don't have many of those.

Read, shrug and move on!