Junior Mullet

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.

Ooops, looks like you took my post for an invitation to play top trumps. I wasn't comparing like for like players: "We are currently better than Liverpool in some departments. We need to exploit them.". There will be battles over the pitch tomorrow and I think we will some of them. For example, I think our attacking UNIT will be a match for them. I think they are suscpetible to teams like us who can play good football and use craft and guile to create opportunities. I think Morgan and Cork have looked excellent together this season and will stand their own against the Liverpool midfield. Our entire back four will struggle against Suarez, who will exploit our weaknesses with his fantastic movement. Holes will be created for the likes of Sterling. They will look to exploit the inside left channel between Yoshi and Shaw. We will be a threat from corners and other set-pieces. Lambert, Lallana and Gaston are looking more and more dangerous in dead-ball situations. Both teams are incredibly fit. Liverpool have the ability to counter-attack quick. We will pile me forward in attacks tomorrow and NA needs to look at this.

We are currently better than Liverpool in some departments. We need to exploit them. I think there will be team changes tomorrow and I think we will give them a decent run for their money. Outcome will be more like vs Man City than Arsenal for me. Looking forward to it.

I stopped watching the youth/development sides a few years back when the club made it difficult to do so. Do you really think he is that good? I've seen nothing to convince me that he is that good yet. Good for a 17year old and a better option than Fox, yes, but I don't think he's going to be world class. Bale on the other hand was winning games for us pretty much single-handedly at the same age.

Yes, I do believe we can keep hold of our young talent. In fact I think we are in the best position to do that for many years. It does depend on the individual though. Some will run at the first sight of their favorite 'big team' (Walcott was like a kid in a sweet shop when Arsenal came calling and he had a chance to join his hero Henry) or by anyone offering stupid wages, sign-on fees etc (AOC). Some will also go elsewhere if their talent and personal ambition outweighs that being offered by the club (Bale) and for this reason we need to establish ourselves as a regular European competition side. On the other hand players like Adam L could have left long ago but love the club and may harbour a personal ambition to become the 'new MLT' and enjoy the benefits of being a big fish in a smaller pond. Fact is, if we nurture young talent and look after them and their families from a young age as we do I think we stand a better chance of hanging on to them. We seem to be instilling pride and loyalty into the youth and long may that continue.

It's Yoshi's positioning that lets him down. That really does worry me against teams that can carve through teams like Arsenal did. The hoof ball merchants actually worry me less. It was good to see him hoof the ball himself on Sunday - clearly been drummed into him to clear his lines rather than eff around with the ball. He may gain us fans in the lucrative and developing far-eastern market. I do not expect to see him replaced soon.

...and the look on Nigel's face whenthis happened...it was like seeing your flash new girlfriend meet her old boyfriend for the first time since they broke up and giving him a peck on the cheek. Oh well, at least we won and Nigel showed that he has bigger more shiny balls.

Good spot by the opening poster. It's right, they are holding more defensive positions now. It didnt affect our forward play at all though - we had our best front 4 playig ahead of our best two central midfielders. That unit looked so good together it was nice not to confuse matters by allowing the fullbacks to push on all game to provide different options. Thought Clyne in particular helped the CBs out yesterday.

Not the 'next' one but I've aid all season he'll play for England. I've no doubt about it. He will play regardless of the fact he doesnt play for a top team.

I've been thinking similar on reflection AND we must remember that if Adkins takes us down he'll be taking a demoralised squad whose natural reaction to the embarassment of relegation may be to point the finger at him (if he hasn't already lost the dressing room). It's difficult for managers to take a club straight back up if it was they who took them down. Either way, I'm coming to the conclusion that Adkins will go and our ambition (full blooded gamble or accept that we are likely to be relegated) will be apparent from his replacement.

The club set up and this group of players would be ideal for Hoddle IMO. I like the racing driver analogy :0) but I don't agree with it. He is a very talented coach.

November for me was always going to be the test for this team and the club's ambition. We have winnable games this month. If we are still in the relegation zone as we enter December we will see the club's ambition laid bare. As I see it there are two possible scenarios: 1. The club stick with NA, a manager who has shown he can get us promoted from the Championship, is keen to play exciting attacking football and embraces the club's desire to bring on the youngsters. He is also a known quantity, an intelligent man and has people skills. Likely outcome is we get relegated and have a good chance of bouncing straight back up. 2. The club replace NA, who looks tactically naive and incapable of providing the coaching needed to organise the defence, which to be fair is not Prem class but still should be doing a lot better than it is. Any good manager with a reputation willing to take over would surely demand a hefty transfer budget for January and assurances that new player wage demands will be met. This would be a gamble: it's clear we need at least three, ideally four very good new players and new coaches. New managers can upset established players and what may be left of team harmony (although with every defeat I accept this becomes less of an issue). Would such a manager embrace the youth policy? I don't think the likes of Harry or Benitez being touted around would. If the gamble fails and we go down, we will be saddled with a heavy wage bill, transfer fee losses and a manager who might just feck off if a better offer comes along. I honestly don't know what will happen, but like everything else that has happened over the last 10 years I watch with interest and continue to enjoy supporting the team regardless. Let's not lose sight of the fact that a few years ago some on here were actually talking about going out of business altogether! Now we are discussing Prem survival. If we do replace NA, I would love to see us break the bank and get Hoddle. For me he is tactically astute, gets the best out players and would embrace the youth policy. I can dream!

Yoshida's positioning is like an average schoolboy's. Then consider he's playing next to Fox who is equally bad if not worse. I bet Prem teams can't wait to play us. Our failings are obvious and nothing is being done about them.

Does anyone else think that Cork playing RB with Clyne switching to LB is an option until January?

Working well for me

Unless Punch substitution was injury drive (Lambos certainly wasn't), they were dire decisions. 3 subs today, we looked weaker after each one. It was like Man Utd de ja vous and the crowd knew it. Thank goodness Fulham were as bad as they were otherwise they could have been out of sight.

The risk to start with Gazza a fortnight ago for an even bigger must win game shows NA has balls, serious balls.

Puncheon was unplayable for 15 mins of the second half vs Villa and must start.

Played golf with him once - a very very nice guy. His banana golf shot is legendary.