Junior Mullet

I've followed this all season. It is a possibility but my hunch is we will fall down on one of the two criteria. For those of you saying we wouldnt want this anyway, I think the club would for numerous reasons. I personally would love it.

Life is too short to over-analyse. We'll all be dead soon. Enjoy the ride IMHO of course.

Beautifully put. Rarely see such good posts on here these days.

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.