doddisalegend

Can't we just get Ralph to do it with an impassioned saints speech before every game......

Errr yes due to the very well publicized groin injury that he continued to play with for the rest of the season despite a lot of pain even falling out with Koeman when he turned up at staplewood on a players day off to do extra training..... Look Tadic isn't perfect ( he wouldn't being playing for saints if he was) but he has a decent return in goals and assists for us and we are a poorer team without him when he is playing well. I think you can throw several things at Tadic (tracking back being one of them) but he has never come across as a bottler.

Apparently this how they work it out make of it what you will http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/players/ea-sports-player-performance-index/what-is-the-ea-sports-ppi.html

you do know Tadic comes from Serbia right? were your average winter looks like this

Saw this on the PL website EA SPORTS Player Performance Index http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/players/ea-sports-player-performance-index.html There are only two saints players in the top 20 I'll let you guess who one of them is......

Have to agree JWP doesn't really seem to have a position. He just doesn't have any stand out abilities that cry out to play him in a certain position. He is technically good with a ball and can play a number of midfield positions competently enough to be a useful squad player but beyond that he just isn't as good as our other options in midfield.

What your observations on Tadic?

I just can't see the club making a big show of keeping Mane in August just to flog him Jan. The only way I can see the club selling Mane in Jan is if there is an offer beyond silly (at least 50 million or more). Next summer he will be gone but that's just the way of things for saints these days. How many players have the club sold in Jan since the takeover? I can only think of Jack Cork which giving his contract situation was understandable. I could see Gaston going in Jan but not Mane.

Interesting comments from JWP in this article. Certainly doesn't sound like he thinks his career has stalled especially this quote It’s inspiring and promising to know my friends and team-mates are getting the opportunity. If I can replicate what I have done for Southampton and continue my progress for the Under 21s hopefully that will come. I’ve been pleased with my form. It’s been the best spell of games in my career.’ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3312653/James-Ward-Prowse-takes-hope-Eric-Dier-Dele-Alli-England-21s-promotion-close.html

:lol:

Watching this perhaps we are not playing to the young mans strengths and need to play more route one... play him against citeh and get Steks firing long punts down the middle of the field all game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZaFqNRqylw

Yep there was a newspaper article earlier in the season about our recruitment. The jurno who wrote it, whose name escapes me, seemed to be getting his info direct from the club and he used those exact words when he mentioned Juanmi in the article.

Decent side? I still think they are the best team in the division when they are on song.

F**ked without Mane Good for you......... did your misses enjoy it only being the two of you?

It's ok all our African players will have been sold by then....

I'm guessing because he knew you'd bite and use all three of your daily posts on replying.........

Mauricio Pochettino reviving England's fortunes by giving youth a chance at Southampton and Spurs http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/mauricio-pochettino-reviving-englands-fortunes-6856564 POCHETTINO'S ENGLAND OUTFIELD TEN Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton, now Liverpool) Eric Dier (Tottenham) Calum Chambers (Southampton, now Arsenal) Luke Shaw (Southampton, now Manchester United Ryan Mason (Tottenham) Dele Alli (Tottenham) Adam Lallana (Southampton, now Liverpool) Rickie Lambert (Southampton, now West Bromwich) Harry Kane (Tottenham) Jay Rodriguez (Southampton) Could imagine the meltdown if that was England's front line

I actually think Poch prefers to work with young players who will buy into his philosophy and do the double training sessions with a smile on their face in a way more experienced players might not.

Given the infamous letter I was expecting the itchen north gate security to be much tighter Saturday but it was exactly the same as any other game. I guess the club will get punished for the Stoke smoke bomb as I was their security that failed to stop it coming into SMS rather than Stoke?

I think people need to look past the club marketing. Our academy is important and run well but I can't see the club forcing our managers to play academy players they don't rate just for show. Only two reasons managers play academy players either they're one of those rare players good enough to walk in to a PL first team at a young age or because circumstances give them no choice. Despite the clubs PR we aren't going to be turning out PL standard youngsters every year. We will get through plenty of good but not good enough academy players while we are finding the really good ones.

Well if Pelle is going to lose it and get sent off plus a three match ban can it be for lamping Charlie Adam? I don't think there is a player in the PL I would like to see get sparked out more than that ****.

You can only bring through youth if they are good enough though. I honestly think most managers will play an academy player if they think they are better than a first teamer. The honest truth though is not to many academy players are good enough to walk into the first team of a PL and I doubt people would be happy if we played academy players just to keep up our image as some sort of England football factory of youth.

Except every saints fan I know, bar one or two on here, is very realistic about our place in the football world I wouldn't for one minute take the odd poster on here who sees us as some sort of top six team as any sort of representation of our fan base in general. I really don't know anyone who thinks we will finish higher than last season and that's not even down to the squad but just because improving season after season is very, very hard.