Junior Mullet

I hope he has more important things to do.

Our bench is incredibly weak. Has been all season so credit to NA and the coaches for doing so well in the circumstances. Played a good team off the park completely first half.

Gayest thread ever. Get over it. I would hate to be mates with some of you soppy sods if you were ever dumped by a bird.

Brilliant - OP waited nearly 6 years for this little gem of a first post.

I have it on good authority that Nicola wanted a better looking manager with knees that wouldnt frighten your granny, to tap into the lucrative Far Eastern teenage girl market.

Yes, likely to go down now. So much of our form was down to team unity and the work the coaches had done on our defence. Very bad timing. I could have understood if we were replacing with Pep Guadiola but this guy? FFS.

I echo this. Don't underestimate fan power...it was the downfall of the last guy who did.

Absolutely shocked. The timing is a massive gamble - just when we were getting our act together!

Punch is the player Ihave enjoyed watching most this year. He's been fantastic and that 20 mins or so in the second half at home to Villa was as good as any individual performance I've seen from anyone in the 10 years or so I've been supporting the team. Never mind these foreign players we're being linked with, he's got good ability and knows how to play as part of the team. He's an integral cog in the Saints bus. Compare that to Gaston - a gifted player but he's not essential to the team and there are aspects of his game that mean the team can sometimes look more fragile when he plays (silly fouls, doesnt offer as much defensively, is not yet on the same wavelength as the others in the attacking unit etc). We can accomodate one player like that but not others IMO. He's also become a popular member of the squad. Good mates with AL, gets involved with banter and Luke Shaw states that of all the players it is Punch who has given him the most advice. I will be gutted if we don't sign Punch up.

Yoshida limping slightly. Looking good up front but no cutting edge. Defensively w look weak.

Brum need to sell him this window. They were making sure he didn't pick up a knock.

He will be moving shortly. Not sure where though.

There are some good odds there. We have a history of scoring first this season.

There's no age limit on being a stalker.

From what I saw he fumbled and parried quite a lot. Luckily Villa couldnt finish for toffee. He is good at coming for crosses though.

If his shins are as ugly as his knees I can understand.

We didnt defend at QPR and I dont think we would at Villa. Attack is the best form of defence for us. Totally agree with your sentiments about beating them tomorrow. The only thing going for Villa will be the fact that their fans and ours expect Saints to win and that can sometimes bring the best out in players. Fortunately I dont think even their best is good enough if we are on it.

We need to be clinical and finish our chances. I think we will. I have no problem with Jos playing in this one. I think he will dominate Benteke and will pose them a threat from set pieces. I think one of our ploys will be to win as many corners as possible - they are awful at defending them. Cork and Morgan to boss the midfield.

Big chin, other than that he's a quality player. Will get a lot better too.

Lambert is an absolute diamond. He holds the ball up so well and even when he doesnt win a ball to hold it up he puts the defenders under a lot of pressure and hurries their clearances. The result? We win a lot of possession from passes and picking up loose balls in the last third of the pitch. We have pace, guile and superb fitness from the two holding midfielders and the three behind Lambo when (and this is not always the case) he plays as the front man. Lambert provides the ball, they provide the runs from deep, and that is much harder for defenders to pick up. There arent many, if any, like Lambert in the Prem and I for one am delighted to have him in our team.

Steve Davis played very well against them at our place, in fact his best game for us IMO. Interesting to see whether he gets a start this time.

Make no mistake about it, Villa are a very poor side. When I saw them at St Marys I said then that they would be relegated and what I've seen on TV since has strengthened that view. We should beat them the way we did QPR away. Saints have the guts, experience and ability for a fight like this. If we can get draws at Fulham and Stoke it amazes me that people think this sh itty Villa team will beat us. I am confident, even with Jos in the team together with his obligatory own goal.

Decent player with potential. Attitude may be an issue.

Clyne returning is so important for two reasons. First, we need his pace and second it allows Cork to go to CM. We have missed Cork playing there and IMO it was Cork's return that was the biggest factor in our stopping the early season rot.

What happened at Leeds was a disgrace. Thank goodness we don't have individuals like that calling the shots at our club, and let's be clear, it was individuals who brought about the demise of Leeds. That said Leeds have survived and will find their rightful place in the football hierarchy in due course. Pompey were always going to implode - they were a rich man's plaything - when he had to get rid nobody else wanted them because they did not and could not provide a buyer a viable business proposition (at the price needed). The foundation at Saints throughout is so much more solid - through ownership of the stadium, training facilities, supporters (numbers and weath per head) and the accademy to name but a few things. The players we're being linked with are mostly youngsters. It has not escaped my attention that these players currently worth £10-£12m or Euros now, could be targets for the best in Europe for double that in a few years time once they begin to show their potential. It's a shrewd move by the club. Very rich people are attracted by making big money and are prepared to take a risk to do it - something that scares the wits out of ordinary guys like you and I, but if you just try and put yourself in their shoes for a moment you can see the logic. Are our owners getting excited about selling Sharp for £4m? - I think not. Are they excited about the prospect of buying Asori for £10m, getting a few good years out of him, developing him and then selling for double, pocketing half of that and then reinvesting £10m in the next good youngster? Damn right. Trust me on this one Colin. If I am wrong I promise you a free kick at my nadgers in front of the Ted Bates statue (the good one, not the funny one) at a match of your choice.