S-Clarke

I don't get FPP. There's nothing fair about it in our sense. All this is going to do is create a bigger and bigger gap between the top 6 and the rest - much like we've seen this season. There's nothing fair about it.

This quote is the big one... Krueger on #SaintsFC boss Puel: "The bigger picture football-wise will become transparent as we move into next week and the week beyond"

I pick out this quote in particular - “The trading in the last three summers were often out of necessity,” We were told quite often that we didn't need to sell to buy, but seemingly we did. So what's changed?

We didn't need to sell last year, or the year before - so they told us. So that's news to me.

Same. I missed the Palace home game, so the last home goal I saw was Gabbiadini's debut goal against West Ham (which also ended in a defeat). Last home win I saw was Leicester. what a miserable season it's been at home.

Straight into the Champions League group stages.

We had similar results last year. Drawing at home to Villa, losing to Palace, drawing to Sunderland, losing at home to Stoke, away to Norwich, away to Bournemouth etc, drawing to Newcastle. The huge difference this year - for most of the sides - is that the top teams have raised their games, coinciding with us not taking them on. That's why the gap is so big, we're all much of a muchness. Everton have been decent, not amazing, and look how far ahead they are. That's why I still think we're not miles away, it won't take huge surgery to pull us away from the Stokes/West Hams etc. I don't believe we need to reinvent the wheel.

Do these loan back deals ever happen anymore? There's always so much fee paid, the buying club want them now. I guess for PL clubs buying from the lower leagues a loan back somtimes makes sense as it's usually not insane money (But again, that will probably change), but someone will not pay £50m and then let us keep him for another year anyway.

Just looking at them, we've bought so much crap over the years. That Wayne Thomas transfer summed our club up back then, he was 500k value max...yet we splurge 1.5m on him. He wasn't even that good. Burnley then went and bought Clarke Carlisle for a couple of 100k iirc and ended up doing miles better than us.

If West Brom lose tonight (away to Man City, so probable), we go 8th without even playing. Seems as if West Brom have been 8th for decades.

Virgil was our top signing for a while, before Osvaldo it was Wanyama. Saganowski was only like 700k i think.

Is it just me, or did Puel sound very defensive?

Unless you are a personal acquaintance of Ronald, and had a personal chat with him last season, then I wouldn't think you knew.

They had no fit players at the start of the season, I remember that. Even more remarkable what Phelan did in the circumstances to get them off to the start they had. They were no way anchored to the bottom, 19th, couple of points from safety is the position from which Silva took over. Let's not make out he almost did some sort of great escape job, because he didn't.

If it was down to most on here, we'd have sold the entire squad by now. He doesn't score nearly enough, but Long is a great asset in my opinion.

Thought that was a decent effort today. First half was pretty drab from both sides, but we were the team with the control. 2nd half was a much better spectacle, we should have made it a more comfortable margin, but allowed Boro to huff and puff a bit in the final stages. Well deserved win overall though. Thought Pied looked really decent down the right.

Ah, failed. What a miserable attempt at a post.

wtf? cheerio then, not entirely sure you'll ever be welcomed back.

Solent FC, to go with the all new Solent City. Let's not jest.

Yeah, I heard that. They visited him in the hospital as part of the usual Hospital trip. Hope he gets through it ok, fair play to the club for sticking by him.

Jack Schitt...?

I'd pay more attention to the points tally than the position. We're still 1 bad week from 15th. Still think we'll finish top half, but it won't take the normal 50+ points to achieve it.

If we wanted to sign those 4 players in particular, you're looking at £80-90m spend, and that's without us selling one of the 'stars' (i.e VVD, Bertrand etc). So, as good as that would be, we're not in a position to splash out on all four of those at once.

I dunno, no smoke without fire and all that.

I assume he was moaning about something. He spent the entire game moaning at someone or something. It was never his fault, always someone elses.