benjii

Is anyone else planning a day trip from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem / Dead Sea on Sat 1st (or any other day)? Settled on a tour operator? I've been looking but it's hard to choose one. TripAdvisor is awash with independent tour guides but they're the sort of people you need to book in a group. Does anyone have any thoughts/tips on the organised trips?

------------------------------Forster------------------------------- --------Alderweireld--------Van Dijk------------Bertrand------- Clyne--------------------------------------------------------Shaw -----------------Schneiderlin----------Wanyama----------------- ------------------------------Lallana----------------------------- ---------------------Mane-------------Rodriguez----------------------- Subs: KD(?!), Fonte, Yoshida, Davis, Lambert, Pelle, Tadic That team would smash it. If Toby not allowed because of loan status then go back 4 and add Pelle or Lambert upfront.

Pretty sure there will be a club bus but I wish they would get on with it. I don't want to be running for a train!

-----------------McCarthy----------------- Martina-----Fonte----Yoshida---Targett -------------------Reed-------------------- ----------JWP--------------Classie-------- ---Isgrove-------Jay Rod------------Long ---/Olumula ---/Hesketh I think we should put out a pretty strong team. If Rodriguez is fit then he should play and 45 mins for Long won't hurt. I think we need to protect at least one of Fonte and Van Dijk. Ideally we would rest both but with Gardos injured that really depends on whether Stephens or Jones would be considered too weak to play a reasonably strong Palace team. I think Davis, Romeu and Hojbjerg should be kept fresh so the midfield pretty much picks itself. Would be nice to see a youth product or Isgrove start up front with a couple more on the bench.

Hi Gadi! Where do you recommend Saints fans should go in Be'er Sheva before the match? Most will want to go for a few drinks in the hours before the game. Thanks, Ben

P.S. You might be interested in this thread as well: http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?57045-Europa-League-Hapoel-Be-er-Sheva-travel-accommodation-thread

HBS, Sour Mash is right. I will be at the match in Israel and I have no interest in making any kind of political statement. I hope everything will be friendly and we can all enjoy a few beers in the sun!

Play off defeat again would be most amusing!

Beer will be quite expensive I think. Food will range from cheap street food to the poshest of restaurants. It's not mega expensive like Norway or whatnot, but it's not cheap in the way that some countries are decidedly cheap.

I like him. What a cross.

I think that's probably right. I would expect Hojbjerg and JWP to be replaced and obviously for Fonte and Bertrand to come back in. Personally, unless Martina is feeling after effects from Thursday I would start him over Cedric. I think Cedric needs a kick up the arse. He could come back in against Palace. Probably one of Long or Austin, with Redmond in the accompanying forward role - the only caveat would be if Redmond impressed enough in the "10" position last night to replace Tadic. If Rodriguez in ruled out then I would expect it to be Long and Redmond because of how tired Austin looked.

They need to be confirming this over the next couple of days really, rather than by next weekend. People are travelling across the whole of Europe to the Middle East to get there, at significant expense. Some people are crossing the Atlantic to get there as well! I think it's reasonable to expect more than 3 or 4 days notice that I need to be at a particular point at a particular time. Don't see why this couldn't have been sorted by now.

In my view, he's a very limited player who benefitted from some League One standard defending. I would love to be proven wrong but he doesn't have the game to play in a passing side in a strong league. That said, he is obviously an excellent finisher so if we can find a way to carry him he will get goals. Perhaps when we have Boufal available the striker role might change a bit and he can play to his strengths a bit more. What we really need is a cross between Austin and Long - what a player that would be!

Why? He looks massively unfit. He's half the player of a fit Jay Rod.

I think Austin seems like a total *****, to be honest.

Complete nonsense.

Prague were rubbish.

I just had the "club bus" call. I get the impression it is, in principle, going to happen but they need to finalise arrangements. I said I was keen but only if it got to Be'er Sheva in good time for a few drinks and a bit of exploring pre-match!

It's a 5 hour flight direct - I think the Easyjet and Monarch prices are pretty reasonable. El Al and BA quite expensive. Luton and Manchester seem to be the best departure points for the cheaper flights but you can also go via places such as Katowice, Cluj, Istanbul if you're looking for the cheapest ones.

When faced with the prospect of visiting one of the UK's premier "wine lodges" who wouldn't?!

I think it's partly the fact that we are in a group with a guaranteed number of matches, as well as the school-night / finance thing. If this was a two-leg knock out I am sure we would have sold out. I think it will still be high 20ks at least tonight though, won't it? Didn't the club take the Europa package off sale because it had "sold out"? Or did I imagine that? I will be there, and I'm really looking forward to it, but there will be people who will prioritise the Inter match for "glamour" reasons and then there is the final home match v Be'er Sheva which may, or may not, be a dead rubber. If there's something riding on it then we should get a good crowd. If we can make it through to the knock-out stages I would expect us to sell out every home game.

Does she know Be'er Sheva well? Tips on the best place to go pre-match for beers would be good! Thanks!

Dunno - it's Italy. Pretty safe bet the match personnel will range from the "couldn't care less, on the phone to his mate" attendant to the highly officious, grudge-bearing little twit. I would say it's well worth the modest ticket cost of trying, if you're going to be out there anyway!

It's just Italy and its peculiarities. Lads would rather stay at home and eat momma's dinner. Different culture. I ended up watching an Inter match in a restaurant in Milan once with a TV and paying about 12Euro for a pint because I couldn't find a decent bar. There is a big sports bar but it was shut. Don't know if it's still there. I was in Rome in the Autumn after Italy won the world cup in 2006. They had a Euro 2008 qualifier away to France. "Great", I thought, "there will be loads of people out in the bars to watch a big match". Campo Di Fiore, me-up! It was deserted until about midnight. They just don't "do" pubs/bars in the same way. Maybe the best bet would be to head to the student areas if you can't get in the ground. At least they might be reasonably lively for midweek. Seriously: out of the three away games, Milan will be the least fun as a destination. It's just a prestigious club and an iconic stadium.