Tom & Gerry

Exactly. It's a team game, you have to find the combinations that work. Long and Hojbjurg would be 2 of the 1st names on my teamsheet and fit the show ponies around them.

They say football is more skillful now but tackling is a skill, and no one can tackle now like Cliff did. RIP

Last season we achieved what many of you said would be impossible and stayed in the Premier league, a status that major cities such as Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Nottingham and Derby can only dream about. Statistically we are probably due to go down this season so although this forum is there for people to vent their frustations perhaps we should sometimes appreciate what we've got because it won't be there for ever.

Sounds to me like it's agreed but Hughes has gone on a well earned holiday before getting stuck in. Still with Saints it's never done until it's announced.

We hardly ever start a season with the Manager we thought we would at the end of the previous one ( maybe a bit of an exaggeration but it seems like it)

You mean the man that taught Pellegrino?

I believe Hughes does have the potential to be a top manager if he gets the right backing. He has the respect of the players and the fans, knows the premier league and is tactically astute, has the players playing as a team and to their ability. What he can't do is get Charlie Austin to score a goal like Jesus did on Sunday. To get towards the top of the league requires more than a good manager - it requires such things as investment, good recruitment and youth development.

Didn't have the black box did he?

There's no danger. I'd bring in the kids. There's a young lad called Park and another called Buss that would be ideal for this game.

You do know this site is for the blame game not the beautiful game?There are so many factors that are involved in getting a good Manager. It's very much horses for courses. Some of our best have been aweful elsewhere - Lawrie, Ball, Hoddle, Strachen, Adkins, Koeman are not held in great regard elsewhere.

We've always had dud transfers (Gaston, Osvaldo) mixed in with some some great ones. It's always a gamble especially when buying from abroad as to whether they will fit in and some players need time (Cedric, Romeu)- is Lemina going to be a great signing or not ? Can we afford to give Boufal more time? Recently we've found it harder to hit the jackpot so I would like us to concentrate on more on lower league players who might cost more but might be more reliable.

Don't expect an open expansive game on Sunday. We will try to keep it very tight for 80 minutes Then if it's still 0-0 and Swansea aren't 5-0 up we'll bring on 3 attacking players and go for it.

Perhaps that is arguable but you have to admit it was very lucky that he turned out to be more effective than any number of more expensive international strikers that we have signed since.

But we made bad signings even in those days. Fonte was the only other signing to make it in the Premier league. Signings since then have been hit or miss.0 Lemina and Boufal could have been as good as Mane but sometimes players especially from abroad either fit in or they don't. It's a gamble.

If he had stayed at the level he was when we signed him we would have been lucky to get half the money for him from another League 1 club. If he was better than that why didn't a higher profile club come in for him? A bargain yes in hindsight but all transfers are gambles.

Paying £1million was for an over weight player who had only played in the lower leagues was. Who could have foretold that he would be a player we have been unable to replace and what would the player he became be worth today?

As all transfers and managerial appointments are gambles we need a more successful gambler and I understand the chinease are quite good at this. Saints success was built on 2 outrageous gambles - Lambert and Pochitino but for every Pochitino there is a Pelligrino and every Lambert an Osvaldo.

Ye, but what if we win? That will cause pain and torment.

I don't think the Manager has given up and it is up to him to pick players that haven't.

You are absolutely right of course but the amazing thing is that even now there is a pathway out of this. If we could somehow win the game by playing like we did against Chelsea( league) and then Bournemouth missing the chances that come when we make the inevitable mistakes it might just give us a little bit of confidence and determination to get a couple more results that if other results went our way would mean we survive. Because surely there is a half decent team in there somewhere and we must have better players than Huddersfield, Brighton and Bournemouth at least. Far fetched I know but if we as fans have given up how can we expect anything different from the players?

Adrian ******** Heath comes close! Bad but not for me. At least we had one in the bag by 84 and at the time time we thought we'd soon be back again which we were in 86 (another bad day). In 63 it seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity. Surely it's time the Gods smiled on us again ?

Nothing in football since has come close to the disappointment felt when we lost the semi final in 63 but it made 76 even sweeter. We may well lose but if you don't go you will regret it though it might be a long time till you feel the benefit.

Evidence suggests very few people get rich predicting the result of football matches.

In football form changes. It's not much of a hope, but it's our only hope.

For me both players have a lot to learn and it depends how much they learn as to which will be the best. Boufal is more skillful, Redmond more direct.