austsaint

Chez, to be fair, you've been talking up Burke for some time. A tick for you.

From a fan/spectator vantage point things don't look good. System looks confused; players look unsettled, Manager looks an ill fit (much in the manner of Garde) but most of all Mane, Pelle and Wanyama are gone and nothing like replaced

Strikes me that way too. I think the popular idea of Jose as the loyal Captain Courageous has been damaged by the drawn out saga of contract negotiations and transfers talk. Let's be honest, he was five minutes away from being included in "Defectors watch" after being looked upon as close to a spot on the banner with Sir Ricky and co.

One thing I'm sure of...Redmond is not a striker.

This is truly awful. It's abject.

If Boufal is a better player than Mane, as some are suggesting, I can't wait to see him in a Saints shirt.

A privilege reading this. Cider and vomit....just about sums up our reluctant Captain.

I'd have Mane in for either Lallana or Eklund - otherwise hard to argue.

With you on this Andy - Fonte has demonstrated that loyalty in modern Football is wafer thin. The loyalty of Lallana and co. is there until a big Club with more money comes in with an offer; the loyalty of players like Ward-Prowse exist because there are no other offers. Just the same, I expect Jose baby will be the model professional for another year or two at which point age/wear and tear will catch up.

Glasgow, on the subject of money - how much was your redundancy payout worth?

Andy, has your son told you that JWP isn't as good a player as you have thought him to be?

Boufal will be a great signing which will soothe the worries of many supporters including me. I presume he is the replacement for Mane, who is nearly irreplaceable but this guy looks the goods. What now then? Who else comes in, another forward? A centre-back? I guess the push for Stanciu is now over. Win on Saturday and things start to look better.

Not bad for a contrarian!

Nine, I take your point about Hesketh's physique, which might count against his progress - but I cannot share your optimism about Prowsey even if he is peservered with at Prem level.

Looks like he will go to WBA. I doubt J-Rod will play another game in Saints colours; that injury really was a career changer - poor lad.

Saw a full replay of the game and I thought it was more entertaining than some Prem games seen so far this season. Both CBs were good; Reed was the busy organiser - Olomola looks like he could turn into another Emile Heskey, Sims was lively, Johnson looks a likely type - but to answer your question...Yes, Hesketh offers much more than JWP; that left footed shot alone is a skill JWP just doesn't have. Watching this game made me wonder about the amount of money and time the Club has poured into JWP with such little return. The time must be coming when some of these U/23 players go past him in the pecking order and it won't be before time.

He really is a magical player, and represents the star quality we are now so obviously missing. With hindsight, the Club could/should have insisted on him staying another year, getting the benefit of another successful season, and selling for 15-20 million next summer. I would rather have had that with Fonte being sold off for the 12 million, than the position the Club is now in, staring down the barrel of a mediocre season.

He was, but he got plenty of good service and space courtesy of Mane and Tadic.

Cedric's been pretty good really - crisp passing and a willingness to get forward. They were there for the taking at times but we lack the polish to finish. How Mane would have created havoc in a game like this.

Wondering if there's a big Club out there interested in the England U/21 Captain who has excellent technical skills and is a dab hand at corners and free kicks.

Glasgow's just had his level four broadband reconnected at his bed-sit. Hence the spike in post numbers.

Glasgow, you've restrained your boorish posts for so long under the new 'guise"; don't trash yourself again trying to lay a few bets with the odds so wildly in your favour - you're better than that! Ok, you're not better than that, but give it a rest anyway.

Finishing seventh, then sixth was fruit bearing. The worry is that the orchard hasn't been fertilised and cultivated sufficiently pre-season.

Yoshida had an excellent game yesterday, except for the horrendous back pass. Did you see his last ditch block on Deeney late in the piece which would have been 2-1 Hornets? As for Fonte, post 637 Delmary sums it up well; if he is keen to go for the last glittering pay day let him - he has served the Club well and an 8 million pound fee would be good business at this stage of his career.

Long was quiet yesterday. I don't think the new formation suits him at all, and the loss of Pelle but particularly Mane, has worked against Long's effectiveness. I thought Redmond had a great second half and showed considerable pace, energy and skill to enliven a static forward set up in tandem with Tadic. The elephant-in-the-room with Saints has to be James Ward-Prowse. How much longer can this "project" continue. I know Puel has committed to an encouragement of Academy players etc but if he hasn't already realised he soon will just how limited this guy is. The Club is quick to offload the Juanmis' and co but continues to persist with this poor little overhyped poster boy - who is about to turn 22. And to think he has a new contract extension.