Badger

So, any idea who might be in line to replace Blind ? Or, how soon will it be before we are in the market for another manager ?

I don't follow this: and.. No. We don't have to work around the clock to keep the f^cker, he is under contract. No solution to be reached, and unless Saints deem otherwise there is no % prospect of him making an exit.

Thanks for the generous comments here, CG. Its interesting how you and plenty of Feyenoord fans take a reasoned and relaxed approach to players leaving to further their careers, wheras most on here go into a rage when ours depart, although much of that is to do with the manner of their leaving I suppose. You mention VW, and a good example of someone not coming out of things well at the moment with a sulk, but there you go, thata a pampered prima donna player nowadays for you. I like your views of VVD , and look forward to seeing him play for Saints. (Who can we have next season ?)

...VW

If not being bought, then an out of contract perhaps, such as Vlaar.

Still worries me that we're left with such poor options as back up here.

He was, but the thing that surprised me with his signing, is that he was never allowed to play in a free role that he had at Swindon but was played in a wide position, and his effectiveness was lost (assuming he could have made the transition to the higher league anyway, that is). Then Branfoot arrived, and McLoughlin didn't suit his hoof and physical approach (Paul Moody & Dowie were preferred). Added to which we had a clause to pay a further installment to Swindon once he reached a set number of appearance, and once that was near he was not near the first team again. All in all, the transfer was a failure.

Another critical difference between MS & VW, is that Morgan had his 'blip' pre-season nad was fully focusssed again for the start of the season. VW has had all summer to consider his position. Perhaps a phone call from one of Levy's sleazy contacts to his agent has been the turning point.

Depends where, and for how much. Ideally £20m, but we all know he isn't up to a figure approaching Schneiderlin proportions. As for selling, anywhere but yids or Liverpoool, but I can't realistically see any of the 'top 4' wanting him.

I can think of another, who seem to be 'going backwards' at a faster rate than them..

Perhaps supportrs, and perhaps Reed, have to acknowledge there is not an endless conveyor belt of players, the level of Shaw, Oxlade Chamberlain, Chambers etc from the Academy. If JWP & Targett are the level coming through then RK it is understandable that RK seeks players from elsewhere (although not sure the Netherlands is the complete answer).

There was me just about to post ' does he have a song yet ? ' and you come up with that ! None too complimentary though.

I think many people have overlooked this possibility, and how that might affect how 'attractive' we appear to potential incoming players (in the abscence of stupid money to compensate of course).

Had we not signed Romeu then possibly we might have been interested, although I can't see this now. Unless of course we're planning to permutate any two from four (VW - assuming he's staying, Clasie, Romeu and Illarremendi), allowing for injuries and Romeu's inevitable suspension

There is still a week to go in the window, so perhaps we'll see where that takes us before damning the transfer activity of the whole summer, and of course Clasie has still to make an impact. That said, theres little to get too excited about by early showings.

Wages - fair point.

Wafer thin, and probably not a lot of goal threat between Pelle, Mane & Rodriguez . Seems to me they all need about 4 or 5 chances before they take one. But no worries, we can bring Long in from the bench.

Probably the name on everyones lips after another failure to score. Just wonder if he'd pass the profiling test refered to on another thread. Perhaps theres a reason we've not jumped in to try signing him, apart from the £15m QPR want.

Just for the record, and so we can return to this again in a few years after JWP has been sold for £25m , do you think JWP is better now, or will be in the future, than Paul Wotton in his prime ?

Perhaps he was... until the end of October.

Who do you regard as our creative midfielders ? Juanmi I regard as a striker, Davis is pretty ineffective, and that leaves Tadic, who despite his reputation as king of assists seems to be living off the reputation in Holland and the first few months of last season.

He might of course re-evaluate that after today, Thursday, and of course Everton at home.

I'm not sure the signing of Wijnaldum or Clasie needed to have been an either/or. Unless of course the club told Ronald there was a limit on the number of countrymen he could sign, a sort of Dutch Cap if you like.

Agree with you, that we need to spend in the areas you suggest, but also that it won't happen. Go on Les, prove us wrong.

An away point is always welcome, but Watford are a side we should expect to beat if we've got serious ambitions of top ten again. Defensively we may have improved today, but from what I've seen we still lack creativity going forward, and a serious goalscoring threat. Mane is probably our most likely goalscorer it seems, although his attemps at Newcastle in the last minute, and possibly his one on one v Everton (at 0-0) could have given two extra pints at least. Going off injured today didn't help our cause, neither did having Long as his replacement. Its the lack of a serious goal threat that concerns me more than todays result. I don't expect Rodriguez to turn into a 20 goal a season player no matter how good his link up play (with Lambert & Lallana) used to be.