Gorgiesaint

They were idiots then.

Why? Some players develop better than expected, some don't. Just because a few years ago the coaching staff thought Targett might develop into a better player doesn't make them idiots. They obviously thought enough of both of them to keep both on - and selling them for £30m and £14m means they probably weren't.

Back to their old tricks, the rules shouldn't apply to them. Just play by the same rules as everyone else and stop whinging about it FFS.

#Pompey have sent a letter to the FA asking them to re-consider the suspension rules for the FA CupJamal Lowe will miss the 4th round after picking up 2 yellow cards, QPR have only played 1 match in the competition so couldn't have anyone suspended at this stage

He cannot coach a defence

He can't, and nor can any of his coaches. But the on man at the club I suspect who does know about defending is Radhi Jaidi. Why isn't he being utilised to sort the situation out? (and by that I mean coaching the defence, not playing although I suspect even at his age, he might do a better job than some!)

He'd be absolutely crazy to move. He's got a decent side at Celtic, more silverware on the way this year, good reputation.

 

Potentially he'd end up in the Championship. We'd be career suicide for anyone right now, and anyone decent will know it.

Not sure he would. It might actually be the time to get out. Celtic have been dominant over the last few years largely because Rangers managed to shoot themselves in their foot with their finances. With Stevie Gerrard galvanising them, Hibs and Hearts looking stronger this season, Aberdeen in contention, and even Livingston & St Johnstone having strong starts to the season, the title race is as open as it's ever been. Given that, it might be that they'll struggle to sweep all 3 domestic trophies, and Rangers look better placed in the Europa League at the moment.

Anything less than 3 trophies will be seen as a failure, he may just want to get out whilst his stock is as high as it is. Whether he'd come us is another matter entirely.

My friend is Martin O'Neill's tenant at the Winchester house. He's just, this minute, been evicted without warning. Make of that what you will.

Well he has just lost the Ireland job so probably needs somewhere to live. Coincidentally it just happens to be near Southampton.

All we need is another manager with faith in Shane Long as a striker....

Finished 4-1 to Telstar, Seager scored the third Telstar goal as well.

Just scored for Telstar away at FC Dordrecht to make it 2-1. Think that's his 1st league goal for them.

Me too, I’m flying back tomorrow for the Bosnian match. It’s important too, they’re not friendlies. The rankings from the Nations League determines the seedings for the EURO 2020 qualifiers and it’s the only route to the playoffs for the Euros.

 

- 24 Teams at EURO 2020

- 20 teams will qualify outright from the 10 EURO qualifying groups (Winners & Runners up)

- 4 teams will qualify via the playoffs

Win your Nations League group, you’re guaranteed a playoff spot. Where a Nations League Group winner has already qualified for the Euros outright, their playoff place will then go to the highest ranked team in their Nations League Division (Not necessarily the same 3 team group) who hasn’t qualified outright.

It's better than watching meaningless friendlies. BUT surely the qualifiers for the Euro's are supposed to make sure that the best 24 teams qualify for that tournament. The 4 teams qualifying from this competition (one from each League means that one of the following teams will be at the Euro's:

Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Faroes, Georgia, Gibraltar, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova or San Marino.

WTF?

Gives some teams a huge advantage when the next Euro finals comes round!

Brilliant topic this, I agree with many of the goals mentioned already but I will be different and pick three from one game.

 

I have such amazing memories from this game, 1-0 down at home to Newcastle on 86 minutes then Neil Heaney equalised, Gordon Watson put us in front and Neil Shipperley finished Newcastle off for a 3-1 win. I just remember the Archers going absolutely ape**** for all three goals (I was totally knackered), this was the famous game when the stadium announcer told us all in the Archers to sit down so after a few songs with expletives telling him where to go, the atmosphere in that second half was just incredible. That was probably the best game I have been to for so many reasons.

Loved that game, was in block 5 of the Archers for that and remember seeing the faces of the Geordies close up who just couldn't believe what had happened, from then on in the Archers stood all game and we could make one hell of a racket in the bikeshed when we wanted to.

I'd forgotten that one. I was in the Archers that night as well, just where Gordon Watson piled in to celebrate the second. I just remember Pavel Srnicek beating the ground in frustration after bobbling the ball for the the third goal, he was not happy. Would have been a long trip back for them that night.

Great thread Pilchards. Had periods of being a season ticket holder at both The Dell and SMS, but also long periods without so I'll have missed a few, but here's my 5:

1. Mick Channon v Liverpool in 1984 - The best team goal ever seen against a team that won the European Cup that season.

2. Marion Pahars v Pompey - Latvian genius, say no more.

3. David McGoldrick v Preston away - Odd choice this one, but just sticks out in my mind. We were so bad under Poortvliet, 2-0 down at half time, and from somewhere we fought back to 2-2, and then McGoldrick weaves his way through their defence in the last minute, Not many there but mental celebrations.

4. Shane Long v Liverpool in the League Cup Semi Final - They battered us during that second half, and we obviously were missing VvD. I remember the lad next to me asking me how long to go when we were only 20 mins into the that second half! The release of tension when that went in was incredible.

5. Gabbi v Man Utd at Wembley (2nd goal) - However well we played, thought we were dead and buried at 2-0 down. Ah well, good while it lasted.

near misses:

Tony Funnell v Orient - the goal that got us promoted in 78.

Beattie v Pompey - FA Cup, just can't beat a goal against the skates.

Just scored a penalty in the Bernabeu to draw Leganes level at 1-1 with Real Madrid. Charlie Austin out . Bale got the opener.

Some interesting comments on here but I think we're missing something. It's all well and good rating players individually, but football is a team game and it's how players perform with those alongside them is what's important.

Let me give you all an example from our past. There's a player featured on the banner at the top of this page who at times was seen as hero, and many times as a villain. Claus Lundekvam.

Remember how many mistakes he made when he first joined. He dithered like no defender we've ever seen, or see since. He's the only defender I've ever seen take 3 touches of the ball on our own goal line when trying to control it rather than just clearing it. He was an utter bombscare. Yet when Michael Svensson jioined and actually organised him and told him what to do, they became one of the best CB partnerships we've had in our recent past.

So assuming we're playing a back 4 with Cedric and Bertrand as the full backs, at the moment I would say our best pairing looks like Vestergaard and Yoshida, although I wouldn't mind seeing how Vestergaard would go paired with Bednarek or, dare I say it, Stephens. Hopefully Vestergaard, once he gets fully settled, can become that organiser that we need.

Anybody got a stream..?

 

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

Goals are on Saints Twitter page.

1-2 Tom O'Connor

Surprised at this really, looks like Hughes doesn't fancy him at all. Would have thought he'd have had a better future coming off the bench for Redmond or Moi.

Anyway, good luck lad you have to safeguard your own future not leave it to the 'wisdom' of Hughes and his honcho's.

He won't because Moi will come off the bench for Redmond, and Redmond will come off the bench for Moi. Rightly or wrongly, just can't see Hughes playing both. Will be a good move for Josh provided he gets regular games.

Emery won’t last long at this rate

Yeah, that's a typical saints forum view. Brought in to rebuild a team, and less than a game & half in (against Manchester City & Chelsea as well) they're struggling not surprisingly so let's give him the chop.

He’s not that great anyway.

That's right, did a terrible job with Sevilla. All those nights in the Champions League & Europa League at a club with similar income to Saints. Terrible. Useless.

JRod scored four goals in two games. I would rather have him than zings.

3 of which have been penalties

Is it a 39th game? (i.e. a round of matches) or just a single game from an existing round. I read it as the latter as both that article above and the BBC article refer to 'match' not 'matches'. In that case it will be more like the NFL games played in London where a team has to give up a home game. You can see it now, there's no way Barcelona, Real Madrid or Athletico Madrid will be asked to give up a home game. It will be one of the smaller teams who will give up little gate income for a large wedge of TV cash. Sad.

Isn't the main reason players are late back after world cups due to them being 'entitled' to a 2 week holiday at end of the season. As such, given the Qatar world cup is mid-season, there's no reason why players shouldn't be back at their clubs as soon as their world cup campaign has finished, is there?

Players in England are used to playing through the season. What will be interesting is how countries who take a winter break will deal with it. Will they tag the winter break onto the World Cup break which will give a minimum 6 week lay off, will they have a separate 2nd break for the winter break, or will they ignore altogether?

So Newcastle already in turmoil then.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45151138

Mind you, the fans are unhappy and they signed 7 players (2 of which were on loan there last year). Nothing like starting the season with the feel-good factor!!

See Brighton ended up signing RB Martin Montoya from Valencia - wasn't he nailed on to be going to Fulham a couple of days ago?

If they wanted him no excuse to leave this late. Smoke and mirrors, typical Saints

Except that doing it at the last minute, Liverpool would be more desperate to offload him, making it cheaper for us.(maybe).

Twitter reports that Fulham also looking to sign Luciano Vietto on loan from Athletico Madrid.

Sky now saying Watford interested in a loan deal for JWP.

If there was no sell clause, would possibly give him some game time and allow us to keep him short term. Would also free up space in the squad for a striker ?

Drama queens ? No just making a statement , we all know we desperately need a new striker ? It's either Gao's not got a pot to **** in or he doesn't trust Wilson or Reed to spend his money .Any way with out a fresh face up front we will not get enough goals .Hopefully I will be proven wrong ! But if relegated I will still be there unlike many of the happy clapped !

So it's nothing to do with the Chinese government putting restrictions on taking money out of China then? Gao's money (what he has) is tied up in China, that's what delayed his purchase of Saints until he had funding in place sourced from outside of China. And hat will stop him investing further at the moment. What happens when those restrictions are lifted remains to be seen.