benjii

In an attempt to steer the conversation away from - "it's the Muslims" - "it's not all the Muslims" - "but they are the worst!" - "but it's not because they're Muslims, it's because they're just a bit backward...." - "but that's the West's fault" - "and the West used to be backwards too, you know!".... Zzz........ Here's a different but relevant topic: https://www.theguardian.com/law/2016/dec/21/eus-highest-court-delivers-blow-to-uk-snoopers-charter

That is interesting! Cheers. Where's the embankment on Hill Lane then? Edit: that has just been posted!

That'll be £60 million then!

[video=youtube_share;Sc37Kk6quFM] Number 1! Sign this guy and he can do the free kicks and other set pieces. Not bad.

If the match had been a sat I would have gone. Because it was on Sunday and on TV I didn't bother. If it was a match at Fratton I still would have gone, regardless of it being Sunday or on TV. So, yeah, we can have a gentle rivalry but they are a nice, friendly, noddy little club so it's not important. Skates are noddy and little but it's not friendly.

Yeah, all he did was look fed-up at being subbed. Which is quite natural. He didn't stage a sit-down protest or start throwing things about. I expect Puel told him in no uncertain terms why he was subbed and all is well. As for the team, it is an interesting dilemma. I think the "first XI" is clear in terms of nine people. The only question marks are: i) Fonte or Yoshida and, ii) who the third forward is (assuming Boufal and Rodriguez are first choice). I think Davis and Clasie are clearly the best two to partner Romeu and the rest of the back four is obvious. Although West Brom are doing well they are still a very limited side. I would be inclined to pick our best team against Spurs and Everton and make-do against West Brom. In any case, five points from the three games would be excellent.

No, he's a useful squad player and, I guess, a popular character and no one would want to spend much money on him apart from some sort of desperate relegation battler, so what's the point? And I doubt he would want to leave us for a worse team when he has a decent length of contract with us so we would have to force him out, which isn't good for the dressing room. So, in short, no. I agree he doesn't suit our style that well but we would be silly to actively look to sell him when we aren't exactly blessed with striking options right now.

Score a goal Pierre Emile Oi-berg We will love you more than you will know. Wooah--oo--ooh.

I also agree.

To be fair, Mings probably was a massive waste of money.

Our fixture list this year is a bit weird. Home on opening day, last day, "boxing day", and new year eve. Seems a bit unusual. I think our fixtures are decent though. We got a lot of the difficult aways done early on and don't have a really bad run at any point.

Not in their positions. As a midfielder in our midfield three. I suggest you watch some football and educate yourself as to player positions. Jason Puncheon has not played as a wide attacker frequently for a long time.

I'll tell you who would really improve us right now: Jason Puncheon. I'm not saying we shouldn't have sold him when we did but if Palace go down I'd love to see us bring him back.

And Stoke is more than another game if you live in Stoke etc.... For the vast majority of Saints fans it's just a league match. That night change over time if we continue to be in the same division regularly and the Skates continue to be an irrelevance but that would take quite a few more years.

That's mental. It's just another game. But Romeu is suspended so I'd be up for Reed playing as well!

What a great legacy. Best wishes.

A nicer kit than either of our usual two!

Exactly. We don't have a single striker that any decent team would be interested in signing as their primary goal-threat.

Agreed, plus the absence of a striker that suits his system (other than Jay Rod but he is still clearly sub-optimal in performance level). It's a work in progress. If the club wanted a quick-fix approach they could have appointed someone else but clearly they see something in him for the long-term. Talk of "giving him until the end of the season" is therefore, in my opinion, short-sighted. I don't think Puel will have had any real say in what the current squad looks like, with the probable exception of endorsing the Boufal signing. I would give him until the end of next season, at least, and give him the opportunity to sign a decent forward that he thinks will suit his system. We also need a central midfielder who makes decent runs beyond the striker. There's also a lot of rewriting history and plan-wrong assessments of the football. As though Koeman was some sort of total football maverick coach. We played a lot of crap under Koeman too at times. Our 6th placed finish was excellent but also a bit freakish in the context of how we played in a lot of matches. Given the number of games we've had already and the strengthening of Man U, Chelsea and Liverpool, our current league position is pretty decent, I would say. People are just getting annoyed because they aren't saying many goals. That's understandable but sometimes longer-term gains mean a bit of adjustment in the short term.

I'd be happy enough with a point from each of the next three games, although two points and a win would be great. Romeu being missing is annoying, particularly as we have a ten day break after. It would have been better to be suspended for one of the hectic run after Xmas. But never mind. I'd go with: Forster Cedric Fonte Van Dijk Bertrand Reed Clasie Long Boufal Tadic Jay Rod But we will play 4-3-3 with Davis, Hojbjerg or JWP instead of Long or Jay Rod I expect.

That's not a **** up though, is it? It's a nasty, vindictive, mean, selfish act of deliberate criminality. I should note he has only been charged though, not convicted, so he may not have done it

The fact that Chelsea are playing a back 3 is annoying. He'd absolutely suit them down to the ground.

If there is someone we can buy who is a genuine upgrade on Long, Austin and Jay Rod and is well suited to the style Puel wants then, great, let's buy them if we can. If not, I would be happy to see him given a chance. A lot of forward play is about confidence and he will be full of confidence. If we need numbers, I'd rather it was Gallagher than someone signed purely to make up the numbers. We aren't going to get a return on Austin, Long or Jay Rod so we do need to be a bit careful about our next striker move or we're going to be throwing a lot of the wage budget down the well.

I think if have a storming second half to the season (ie. win the League Cup / FA Cup or finish near top 6 again) I think he may stay for another year whilst we integrate a Fonte replacement. If we muddle through and he gets depressed with the direction of travel then I would expect him to push for a move next summer. And, quite frankly, so would I if I were him!