benjii

A) no idea. B) no idea. We have had barely any communication of any sort from them and we don't really know where the purchase money came from so, who knows? I won't be buying an ST next year without some clearer idea of what this guy stands for and what he thinks he's doing here.

Stephens and Yoshida isn't really good enough for first choice pairing in the Championship. Stephens complete lack of aerial ability would get exploited. Assuming Hoedt leaves we would need another CB unless Bednarek is good enough. I'd imagine / hope the following would be off: Forster Cedric Bertrand Hoedt Romeu Lemina Tadic Boufal Gabbi Long That would leave us with McCarthy Pied Targett McQueen Yoshida Stephens Bednarek Hoj Davis JWP Redmond Austin Potentially the makings of a very good Championship team but a few additions would be needed.

Not sure what you can do about heading really? Headgear for all doesn't really seem viable and headgear is really to protect against isolated catastrophic injury - it doesn't offer protection against repeated blows and the effects thereof. In male amateur boxing, headguards have been ditched as they just make the head heavier and seem to lead to increased risk of concussion. The only feasible way to reduce the impact of heading is to regulate heading itself in the rules or somehow make the ball very light. Perhaps a rule that goal kicks or free kicks within the defending team's own half can't be headed? Hopefully, long-term head injuries through football are a thing of the past linked to the heavier balls but if it turns out that they are not then it will need some careful thought.

Liverpool is a **** hole. Fact

Jon Gittens has a great jaw and does not get sparked out. Your friend / you are probably suffering from delusions brought about by the absolute pasting Jon Gittens delivered. KR, JG

Oh, was he! Didn't even notice. Well spotted..

I've kept my identity concealed for a long time but I have to speak up now after some of the posts on this thread. A few things to set the record straight: 1 - Jon Gittens was, and some might say still is, an excellent player for Saints and all his clubs. 2 - Jon Gittens does not not show up. 3 - Jon Gittens focuses when coaching. There is no need to smile. 4 - Jon Gittens has a bright future ahead of him KR, JG.

Hoedt out is a blow. Should be a young CB on the bench then.

This has been obvious for ages and it's why our performance this season has been so bad. We should be 9th or 10th at worst.

Targett is better at defending than McQueen.

I'd bring Targett in instead of McQueen. Better defender. Got a feeling we might not see Bertrand again.

Not really, he's speaking sense. If the deal is done we will announce it on Jan 1 not at the end of the week.

I'd play him against Palace. Need some pace against Zaha.

Did anyone else notice that Hojbjerg was talking and gesticulating to the team at the start of the match yesterday just before kick off? We then went into a closer huddle and Yohsida spoke. I think he and Hoedt could be very big players for us over the next few years if we can stay up.

I'd still rather see him in Tadic's position but on the left is better than on the bench.

Decent effort and some really good play at times but we could have lost that in the first half an hour, where they kissed a couple of sitters. Also, we really should have scored. Still, got to be happy with a point there. Palace game is key to building a bit of momentum and we don't have many winnable home games left so the pressure is still on.

So we sack Les. Who appoints his replacement? Gao - leveraging his extensive footballing contacts and expertise? Krueger - I'm sure there's a decent hockey coach or motivational speaker he could line up. Ross Wilson - Scotland's answer to Pepe Guardiola. What we actually need to do, is have a chat with Les about the future and work on a proper succession plan because if he suddenly drops out of the picture I think things could get a lot worse before they get better.

Won't happen because he's way too good to sign for a mid table team!

This is true. He has missed some sitters.

A fit and motivated Daniel Sturridge would be the best striker we have had since Shearer. However, he's a massive bellend and is unavailable most of the time. Walcott would obviously improve the team but I'd be slightly worried he'd suffer the same fate as Gabbiadini Ie. good runs ignored the majority of the time by timid teammates. In theory though, a front four like this: Gabbi---------Boufal---------Walcott -----------------Sturridge------------------ ought to be mint. Or if we want to play three at the back, or a diamond, Boufal behind Sturridge/Gabbi and Walcott ought to be decent. Unfortunately, I don't have much faith in the current manager getting the best out of any group of players.

Clockwork.

Did you never see Bale?

Got to laugh at his desperation to join an also-ran. Bizarre. Might win a league cup or something if he's lucky.