Rasiak-9-

This wouldn't just be a very good player we'd be signing, it'd be a massive, huge ****-off statement of intent and would turn a LOT of heads. If we sign this guy and actually have a decent season, finishing even 12th or so, we'd be taken extremely seriously as an up-and-coming club. Good players will know there's something seriously happening at Southampton. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK3x2DOoJIc

I've been living in a box for the past couple of months - Pompey do have a -10 to start League 1 with right? I remember seeing it on Sky Sports but its not applied on any league tables on BBC or w/e - did they appeal it or something?

My uncle curiously enough lived for a while in the same council flat as the last Euromillions winners before they won/moved out. He still received about 3000 begging letters over the course of that year.

Cheers for response. Completely missed Davis in those friendlies, great news on Lee. When I say most fans, I mean most of the people I talked to where I sat last season (STH Itchen North so full of a fair few old grumblers) and who I spoke to on away trips (perhaps similar) Honestly I don't think that our c/ship squad would stay up without significant improvement. Although naturally I of course hope I'm wrong.

In other news, does anyone have any idea whatsoever about how long it'll be before we get Lee back? We desperately need someone who can offer a different kind of threat up front and if we're really not going to be singing anyone else then please god let it be soon. Speaking of which how long is Steven Davis out for? For all intents and purposes our actual first XI has been improved with two (albeit decent) c/ship players in Clyne and Rodriguez and I think the vast majority of Saints fans were in agreement that we needed 5 or 6 experienced Premiership players before the new season if we were going to really compete. At the moment I just feel the best we can hope for is just about scraping survival, and even that is something I'd be more than happy with.

Just no.

^ This. A lot of people weren't impressed because they can't see that since he was literally their one and only threat we could afford to double-team him as much as we liked which any player is going to struggle against really.

Believe it or not, I'm living in South London at the moment and what should I get through my door but a flyer advertising top quality personal fitness training from "former Crystal Palace, Southampton and Brentford footballer Darren Powell" So I guess he lives locally and has just made that his passion. Heh.

Their run surely has to end sooner or later doesn't it? Agree with people in Stoke, could be very good value. Unfortunately however their manager is a tough cookie who knows how to grind out the results needed.

Still have a feeling they'll wrangle their way out of this one.

12-15 million would be well worth it. Terrific player. If we could only add him, Lens and another CB I'd be 100% confident we'd stay up.

His work rate and enthusiasm is terrific. Such a likable player - don't think I've ever wanted anyone to do so well as much as him.

So who ARE their players? I mean their actual players. Just academy kids on £200 a month or what?

http://grammar.about.com/od/words/a/redundancies.htm This has a great list of phrases featuring a redundant word such as "mutual agreement"/"emergency situation"/"planning ahead"/"end result"/"ultimate goal"/"honest truth" and so on which is a nice bit of goofy fun.

We can be pretty much sure Rodriguez has number 9 right? Have him on the back of my new shirt.

been done, with Messy/i as well...literally a million times.

I wouldn't give it to Lambert, purely on the basis that I think a skipper should always be in CM/CB (barring them being ultra-ultra-ultra talismanic i.e Shearer/RVP level) If you're going to give it to a younger player who doesn't look like an imposing, natural leader, you better make damn sure they're one of the best players in the team and command respect anyway, so I guess Schneiderlin could still take that role. Lallana plays a free-role in terms of his position and I'd much rather take the pressure of him and let him do his thing and play football. I wouldn't want to hassle him with demanding that he be a leader. As for Fonte (perhaps) and K.Davis and certainly Hammond, I just don't think they have the seniority in the squad anymore to merit the captaincy. Kelvin really should be replaced by a better keeper and Fonte by a better CB. Hammond won't get a look-in I'm afraid apart from the occasional run-out in the Carling Cup. Which leaves Steven Davis really. Tbh the only thing holding him back is that he's new, so hopefully it won't unsettle the squad too much. We'll see, but he'd be my bet. Schneiderlin really could be one for the future. Mouthy and confident and has every reason to be, as long as he's encouraging as well he could be a great skipper in years to come.

Off the subject but we're almost 2/1 to win on Betfair, we might well be worth a flutter.

Word. Close this travesty of a thread.

The problem with man-marking is off course that attacking teams are far more sophisticated in their runs off the ball. Y'know - its basketball style - he runs across this way meaning that he can screen him and he'll run into this screen etc. Done well you can drag your defenders all over the place and hopefully get your big centre-forward up against the little full-back. With zonal marking this can ideally be avoided. I mean both obviously have their strengths and weaknesses, the main one with zonal being that if players are just marking space then the attackers can get far more momentum charging through the gaps between the defenders if the defenders switch off for one second and let them get across them. Its really up the manager which he feels suits the team best I guess.

Does anyone know when the official squad numbers are announced? I'm still unsure about buying my shirt until I'm certain what name/number to get on the back.

Whatever we do, lets KEEP SINGING MARKUS LIEBHERR'S NAME. After all he did for us lets make sure that the legend lives on and his name rings out clear; both for the opposing fans in the stadium and for the watching/listening audience all over the world.

Sorry about that pal. Just couldn't be bothered that day. I had things sorted with another club anyway and my time at Saints was over; still, i've got plenty of happy memories here including my goal against Derby in the play-offs. That dickhead Idiakez missed his pen though, never liked him even when we at Derby together.

Yep. I was there for that one as well. Horrible night in which we went 2-0 down within 15 minutes more-or-less ending the game as a contest right there. For the rest of the game both teams seemed to have accepted the result before Palace added a third when Lloyd James failed to control a long ball and Palace nipped in for their third. Remember it very vividly indeed.

This. Without a doubt. Train delays on the way home made it worse.