Junior Mullet

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.

We have incredibly rich owners, TV money next year is going to be massive, Chairman tasked with making us a team capable of challenging for Europe year in year out whilst playing the 'Southampton Brand' of exciting attacking football. Who actually gives a **** where the money is coming from? With our current set up a financial melt-down like the one we experienced under the ridiculous PLC regieme is simply not going to happen. Let's just enjoy the football ffs.

Zaha at Palace is coming on leaps and bounds this year. Looks a very good player that could play out wide either side of our 3 in our 4-2-3-1. Cant see him moving this Jan though while Palace are still in the shake up for promotion.

Wayne Bridge

Agreed. An injury to Fonte or Yoshida could be fatal if we don't strengthen now. I am surprised how out of his depth Jos has looked this season because I thought he would be the one to step up. Fonte and Yoshida are becoming a good pair.

Who would you suggest we buy for that kind of money to improve the first team? Or are you suggesting we need better bench-warmers?

I love the fact that we are talking about signing quality players for 10m or so.

We had problems with goalies a few seasons back until Richard Wright arrived on loan. You could tell immediately that he was solid, good and gave the rest of the team confidence. We need that level of solidity immediately and for me Butland is not the answer. I haven't seen enough of Boruc to decide whether he's that person but from the Arsenal game I think not. Davis isn't. I've been impressed with Gazza and think he will become a very good, exciting keeper in the next few seasons but we really do need solidity now. Those calling for someone like Friedel short-term were sensible in my opinion.

We'll get another 20-22 I think. I think that will be enough. Reading and QPR look bolt ons to go down. We'll be slugging out with Villa for 18th place I think. I hope Wigan continue their bad form but I think they've just got enough about them to stay up.

Most improved player as the season has gone on. Looks the part now.

Very good result. Other results suit us too. Still concerned about the second half of the season fixtures and it is clear we need a new signing to cover for Lallana in the short term and provide competition for the 3 attacking midfielders in the longer term.

His game is not good enough for this league. Agree totally with the club's decision to loan him out.

I said the same to a friend yesterday. We have some good teams to come at home at just the time they'll be fighting particularly hard for places. I think we will do enough away from home to stay up.

Not sure the Metro were mugging off. They seemed to enjoy it as much as the majority of us.

I'm glad that made me chuckle again. I'm happy not to be a miserable twit.

Just read up this thread at some of the vitriol. Embarrassing.

Oh no, MOTD covering it!

Wally. Made me smile though.

Success for me = comfortable mid-table. Satisfactory = staying up. Over the moon = cup final and staying up. Fantastic = staying up, keeping our best players for next season and making a couple of class additions needed to push on for a top half spot.

Thanks for the info VMan. Hope Adam gets fit soon. He's well on his way to becoming a Saints legend and in the next few years I can see him lifting a trophy or two at Wembley for us. I quite fancy a European tour and I don't think I'll have to wait too long the way we're going.

Why the conjecture over who will replace AL before the transfer window opens? Is it not obvious that the forward four will be Rickie, Gaston, Rodrigues and Punch? The only question for me is whether Rodrigues plays wide left or Gaston. Personally I liked the way we looked on Saturday with Gaston on the left.

Here are a few: "Can't say I'm looking forward to this game, just want to get to 5pm on Saturday and have 3 points in the bag and breath a massive sigh of relief because now is not the time to face a banana skin. Can't even say I'm confident because I can see none of the middle 3 changing so we'll be relying on Suarez again. Hopefully Wisdom is fit again, therefore pushing Downing out of the side otherwise expect them to double up on the right hand side time and again and while they're 3 off the bottom they haven't been struggling scoring. It says everything that we come to this game and I'm even contemplating anything other than an easy win, no confidence at all in our midfield." "They're playing some really good football from what i've seen, but we really should win." "Well i'm f**king terrified to be honest. They play some decent flowing attacking footy, and where we are at the moment, I'm losing confidence in our ability to change from the obviously predictable. If they sit back and counter, I fear we won't be able to break them down. I was believing we could be on the way up the table, but after the last two games, I think we are looking more like a mid table side that ever before. We play some decent stuff, but so do Norwich, Swansea, West Ham, Newcastle, and Fulham at times. And when your rivals ( traditionally) don't even bother to check on our results because we'er not seen as a threat to them anymore, that's worrying. I hope Lucas gets some minutes but don't expect much from him at the mo, other than that i wish for a clean sheet, pray for a win, and hope for nothing less than a draw. Totally dissilusioned at present, and don't see too much light while we keep playing Henderson and Downing together. We can't aford to carry two players, especially the way Gerrard is performing at the moment, so like to see the team before I predict. " "Southampton at home shouldn't worry me in the slightest but right now it does." "Well beware of the saints they have scoring power which we lack, brendan time to give stevie a rest also downing and henderson.But think there defence is suspect so if we score first could be a lot of goals,like to see other players get on the scoresheet other than saurez." "I don't want to see allen or gerrard in this game. Play sahin there with lucas and shelvey infront of them." BTW a lot of Liverpool fans critical of Gerrard or saying rest him. " I don't think they are a bad team. They played some good passing games this season. Remember the game against city." ...and so it goes on.