Tommy Mulgrew

Southampton winger Sillah Dibaga signs new dealpublished at 17:21 GMT 17:21 GMT IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Sufianu Sillah Dibaga made his senior debut for Saints in their FA Cup win over Leicester Young Southampton winger Sufianu Sillah Dibaga has signed a new contract at the club through to 2028. The 19-year-old is a product of the Saints academy and made his senior debut recently in their FA Cup win over Leicester at St Mary's. Sillah Dibaga came off the bench and into the action just after the hour mark and completed the final 30 minutes and extra time. Sufianu said: "It feels amazing. It's been a crazy week making my debut, it was a great experience. "Now I just want to stay consistent and maintain the good performances [in the under-21s] and try to get more chances with the first team. That comes with training well and showing that I'm ready to get more minutes and perform." At the final whistle, Southampton had five academy players on the pitch in what Tonda Eckert afterwards described as a big day for the club's academy. Director of group talent strategy Andy Goldie said: "This tops off a fantastic week for Sufianu after making his first-team debut and he has committed his future to the club on terms befitting of the progress he has made this season. "As with all young players, he still has a lot of work to do to make the next step in adding a sustainable impact in the first team, however if he continues to apply himself in the same way then his trajectory is very exciting."

Brave post; I’m inclined to agree with your assessment of Azaz. He seems too slow in mind and body for a top Championship team. (He’d be blown away in the EPL.) Compound that with an almost complete lack of physicality and he becomes a most frustrating player. Despite his good eye for a through ball, I’d limit his minutes for the rest of the season: 60 or so minutes per game, not 90. Not sure that Charles is right as his replacement but It’s worth a try. We don’t really have another natural 10, imo. Perhaps Leo could move to a central role if Edozie continues to do well out wide. But any change to our present set-up is a huge risk while we continue to string along a play-off chasing run.

Well, I’ll be blowed. (Oooh, er missus notwithstanding)

Perhaps that’s what Lucy likes.

🤔 😡 ☹️ 🤮

Fosseway reckons the cup defeat was not as bad a loss (I reckon it was just as bad and dispiriting, to be honest) as the league game but recognises that the failure to beat a team that did not really want to win was embarrassing to say the least: Southampton, on the other hand, made 10 changes to the side that won in midweek, and only a couple of them even made the bench. It felt at times like they weren’t exactly over-exerting themselves to win, as Tonda Eckert threw on an increasing number of children for their first team debut in the second half. Samuel Edozie, their best player while he was on, was hooked after an hour. Leicester at this stage were piling on Harry Winks and Ricardo Pereira and Patson Daka and Luke Thomas. https://thefosseway.net/2026/02/15/southampton-2-leicester-city-1-no-one-beats-leicester-city-three-times-in-a-week/#:~:text=Southampton%2C on the,and Luke Thomas. pertinent remarks about Archer, Ayew, Okoli and Skipp, too; a bit of a laugh for us but not for them. LOLcester are in serious trouble and an injury to Lascelles will compound the misery. We should support Blackburn as well as Saints until the relegation places are confirmed. Up the Rovers! 😇

Not sure about that. I think we’d need an upgrade in every position except GK (assuming Ramsdale stays) and, for that, I’d like to see Perez have some more games so that we can see how good he is. At present, he is imo not even as good as McCarthy at commanding his goal area and dealing with crosses that aren’t right on the goal line. It would certainly be good, though, to have two “characters” as the main keepers.

Wrong, I’m afraid. As I have already posted on the Larin thread, Tommy Mulgrew (not me, I hasten to add,) scored after 15 seconds on his debut, against Brentford, in the first game of the 1954/55 season at the Dell, the fastest-ever goal there. [Schlong’s at St Mary’s against Watford was quicker but not scored in his debut game.]

I suppose another way of putting it is: VAFC est un club de foot en skai. Fred might agree but I am not so sure you will, Christophe. 😄 Let’s hope it is not true. Onwards and upwards, Christophe, eh? Allez VA!

Tall Paul continues to find the back of the net in Turkey; he scored twice at the weekend. Yan Valery leaves the Owls on loan to Young Boys. He left us what seems a long time ago yet is still only 26. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c8d5p3gev00o

Goalkeeper alert: someone should tell our new Israeli recruit to beware of Begovic. 🙂

Too late for January, but we seem to have got a 17 year-old Malian defensive midfielder lined up for the summer, Issa Tounkara: https://sportwitness.co.uk/southampton-make-formal-offer-saints-want-to-finalise-signing-for-summer/

Ahem 1954, first game of the season, at home v Brentford, “my” debut: a goal after 15 seconds; the fastest ever goal at the Dell. And the best hair by far! 👏👏👏 I thank you. Glad to be of service. 😇

✔️ Millwall then Citeh then Saints.

Christophe: a play on words in English - on the road to ruin; (it does not seem to work in French). But then, out of the blue, a victory to (perhaps) disprove it. “Ruine” instead of “Rouen): Sur la voie de la ruine Sur le chemin de ruine Aller à vau-l'eau Sur la pente glissante

Pssst, Christophe, “Rouen” = “ruin”. 👍😂

Cyle’s brother

the dog’s bollocks (in more than one sense, perhaps)

Surely not so much the boardroom as why the f*** hasn’t the head coach or one of his assistant coaches or any of the players thought of set-piece training until now? It’s not as though such training is almost unheard of, is it? But, to little old Saints, it’s rocket science. A complete lack of initiative, resulting from over-reliance on data sheets. Our club never ceases to amaze me. 🤷🏼‍♂️

Have you forgotten luscious Lucy?

Many posters on here have praised our players’ commitment in the game today. Yes, it was better than it has been in most games this season but today’s match was our Pompey derby day ffs and for most of the time we played with less intensity than they did. That is unacceptable and smacks of an entitled bunch of players who thought they were more skilful and would prevail. You need to outfight opponents throughout the match and only if you do that will superior skill get you the win. Individual moments such as the Downes tackle for the yellow card were great but where was that passion for the rest of the time? If the goal we conceded was pushed over the line by a hand or forearm, why didn’t our captain protest loud and clear to the referee? If it had been us who scored an equaliser like that, you can be sure the other side would have been all over the referee in an effort to have it ruled out. We still have a team of sons-in-law; it’s not good enough. I can accept losing to or being held to a draw by a better team but not by one that merely tries harder than we do. Players and manager, please take note and do something about it.

First part I doubt but second part I could believe (but not for the reason you envisaged). 😳

Scored another hat-trick today; six shots, four on target, three goals, won four free kicks and won both attempted tackles. Yet he’s not good enough for the mighty Saints.

He obviously learnt more here than I thought he did.

😳 Speak for yourself.