Graffito

The problem yesterday was Ipswich dropping deeper second half and Saints slow build up. It wasn't only Long that showed for the ball, usually over the top or down the channels, but also Pelle (to feet) and he often didn't get it either. If you recall, we carved them open a couple of times in the first half (Davis was one) when they were playing a higher line. All well and good blaming Long for not playing like Suarez (who does?), but if we can't play to his strengths then we are relying on his control in tight situations, which as we know, let's him down on occasions.

Any way the wind blows, this forum. We win and everything's great. We don't win and who's to blame?

Bring him home. We could have done with him tonight.

Pelle barely won a header all game.

I Ditto. Two or three youngsters as fresh blood though rather than wholesale changes.

The water bottle's a surrogate teet. Kn@bs and knockers.

Buy quality irrespective of nationality.

I've seen nearly all of our matches this season and that's not what I've seen at all, in fact quite the opposite. His last action was to take one for the team against Chelsea. It would be insane to sell him in January.

Ok, Deooderant.

Odegaard. Norwegian for Deoderant.

This right to go down malarkey is indeed part of the problem. It's not only Owen. It's a widespread view of pundits who, of course, tend to be ex professional footballers. It's a view which supports a culture of diving to gain competitive advantage and it's something about professional football which really ****es me off. You'd get laughed off the pitch if you tried in amateur football some of the theatrics you see in the professional game. I suspect players are told by Managers to go down at the slightest touch and leave their foot in. There's the bonus that you might get an opponent sent off too. It's cheating pure and simple.

Good point well made. Terry and others were in the ref's ear all game.

Pathetic post.

Have to see the penalty shout on TV but from the other end of the Kingsland it looked like an obvious dive. Who cares anyway. Apart from that incident, the ref fell for their falling about all afternoon. Just seen Mourinho's interview. He's thinking about his next game in making those comments.

We all like a tryer.

Yeah he should have positioned himself on the far post.

Rubbish?

If you can get to London on a cheap deal you can pick up tickets at £12 return to Birmingham, £15 on the better Virgin trains.

But we're in the top six, above 5 of last season's "top sides".

The stats reference last season's top sides. Currently Saints are above 5 of the 7 sides that finished last season above Saints. Performances this season against Liverpool, Arsenal, Manu, Tottenham were good and we have been very unlucky not to have taken points. First half against City was ok but eventually beaten by a better side.

This what the Liverpool Echo said: "Southampton were not made to work for them, they didn't have to be imaginative or beat Tim Howard with an outrageous piece of skill or shot. Instead they just lumped crosses into the box and Everton wilted. Three times." So much for Ronaldoesque crossing. I thought Clyne's crossing was pretty good too e.g. In the build up to the second.

Hunt the Pompey fan. Release one onto the pitch and unleash a police dog.

You sure you didn't dream that?

Stand him on his seat and hold onto him when we score the winner. Hope he enjoys it.

If ever there were a meaningless statistic...