redkeith

England will never improve until the management and the media learn that there is more to the game than running at 100 mph, preferably with the ball. Wingers who are fast, but with no end product are preferred to more skilful, slower alternatives ( Lennon, Sterling, Townsend v Le Tissier, Llallana ) . Crucially England always go for a central midfield that gets up and down the park, rather than include a proper defensive midfielder, unlike any other country at the world cup. Saints are very lucky to have 3 good defensive midfielders in Cork, Morgan and Big Vic, but they still get criticised in many quarters for passing sideways. I would much prefer a proper DM such as Cork or Barry in the side than playing Gerrard there, just because he is Captain and so has to play. Comparing Gerrard to Pirlo is nonsense, as Italy play Pirlo in front of their DM's not as the main shield for their defence.

Don't think we have peaked and I don't believe the gap into the next level is as huge as some might think. Had we won both games against Spurs, Yesterdays game would have seen the winner end up in 6th place and with European place. Even if some players leave, we still have very good foundations to build on.

Great first half, Davis should have put us 2 up from Ad's cross. Can't say too much about the 2nd half as the stream went. Shaw and AL of to Brazil I think. Now watch the press sell the team off !

Chapeau Bearsy!

As heard first on Guardian Football Weekly " Giggs is good at playing away, relatively speaking"

Kevin Bond curled one into the top corner past John Burridge in a 4.1 win over Arsenal. Most people just remember the Shearer hat-trick on his full debut .

If Utd sign Lallana Moyes wants sacking. They already have Mata, Fellani and Rooney playing in the same space, and now they want Ads to run in there as well! Ads is the last player Utd need. There was another press story last week about him going to Arsenal. Both clubs need Cork, Morgan or Vic a lot more than they need Lallana.

Were so on top in the first half that people were trying training ground flicks when it was still nil-nil. Far too relaxed. The Jay-Rod shaped hole in the squad was clear to see, We need someone else who can run into space from wide areas. Thought about coming over for this one, glad I didn't.

Which home produced teenager are you referring to? Isgrove or Robinson ?

Houghton kept on about Ad's not being a 90 minute player, just before he put the header from Chambers past the post, maybe once or twice more, and of course when he was subbed when Saints were 3,0 nil up. Of course no team has ever subbed their best player when a game is already won to protect them from the risk of injury have they ?

Fantastic performance, although if you were being a bit picky, Jay Rod should have scored 5 or 6 . Ray Houghton is a bit of a knob to keep going on about Ads not lasting 90 minutes. What is the point in leaving him on to get kicked about when the game is already won ? Both fullbacks were excellent, and I thought JWP is starting to look more comfortable in the middle, A handy 4th choice if Vic and Morgan get injured.

No worries. I like this Podcast as it doesn't take itself too seriously, unlike the Journo's on Sky sports on a Sunday. I liked the idea one of the raised about building the England team on Saints and Liverpool . Hart Johnson ..... ...... Shaw Gerrard Henderson Lallana Sterling lambert Sturridge worth a go ?

43 minutes in to the podcast is a well informed debate on Hodgson's choice. http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/audio/2014/mar/24/football-weekly-podcast-arsenal-chelsea-andre-marriner

I thought we played well, but got done by high balls into the box. Are the bedwetters going to say we should have played Jos ? Ricky was unlucky with the one that hit the post Ads and Gaston had good chances to equalize . We created loads of chances, but someone needs to clam the nippers down, as JWP, Chambers and Shaw all seem to be shooting too much when there are better options on. Last year I turned the stream off as we were soooo babd at Upton Park. Today it was frustrating to lose, as we did enough to win it. Playing Vic and Lovren would have been a risk as they are not match sharp. As for Clatenburg, I lost count of the handballs he didn't give, and he missed a nasty lunge at Jay Rod by that t@rd Nolan,

I would hope, now that Cortese has gone, we may start to see the Cups as an opportunity rather than as a way of using squad players. Terrible performance, but we did the same under NA, so it's not just down to Poch. Someone should send the Leibhiers a DVD of 1976.

Watching it again, the touch that brown gets doesn't change the direction of the ball, so if he doesn't take Gaston out, Gaston would have had a free run on goal. So, in my opinion, the fact that he got a touch should be irrelevant as he has stopped a goal scoring opportunity with his follow through.

Ki pulled him back to start with, but Foy played advantage. That is a booking 100% of the time but Foy didn't go back and give him his 2nd yellow. Also think that Foy would have given as free kick if Brown had made that tackle 40 yards out.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-25753398 Minister for Portsmouth eh ? Must be the bestest Minister in the world. "Fackin scammers ain't got no Minister !"

Morally or Fiscally bankrupt, or both ?

Great performance. Pleased for the back 5 to keep a clean sheet, especially Gazzaniga, who must have got some confidence for Xmas.

If a top class CB is available, like Astori, it would move Fonte to 3rd choice centre back which is good depth for anyone but Man City or Chelsea. It would also give us the option of moving Lovren to Left Back in an emergency, and maybe even to play 3 at the back when teams try playing 2 up front, like Chelsea and Spurs have recently. Also would like another keeper, but I don't know who, as Caesar and Given are on Mental wages.

Yes we defended terribly, and too many players had bad games, Jay-rod and Davis in particular, but if Jay-Rod buried that chance to make it 2 0 it might all have been different. Their 2nd and 3rd goals came from ricochets, though to be fair, they tore us apart after the 3rd. Also, why did Lovren not close Soldado down quicker for their first ? The squad looks paper thin at the moment. We really do need a back-up centre half, and left back and GK.

Lowe did want a team full of Southampton Academy products. Unfortunately, that team was Arsenal.

MoM would have been Chambers for me, if he had buried that header. Good shaoe to the team, and the replacements all played well. Poor ref again, missing obvious handballs, Zaballetta's body check on Jay Rod, Nasri's 2nd booking etc. Magnificent goal from Ossie. Maybe the trolls will find somebody else to attack ?

I think Ads must have the bug that downed Lovren or something, as he didn't look injured. No way was that a tactical decision. Squad looks a bit thin now, but could be a last chance for Gaston. Bigger chance for the bed wetters though.