Junior Mullet

Sheff Utd 1 -v- 2 Saints We'll play them off the park. You're such a bunch of pessimists on here.

Hmmmmm, that's not bad. Seems to be working for Cork, Lallana, Surman, James etc etc. We have very little to offer the journeymen looking for one last pay day, I agree. Thank god.

We will not go into admin, not with Lowe in charge and holding shares. Relegation would come before admin. Fecking doom-mongers on here. You should be writing for the Mail.

My point was really that CCC defenders are wise to the types of passes he is used to scoring from, hence they manage to snuff out attacks most of the time. There are times when he gets through ie. as he did against Cov but it's not as easy as it was at a lower level. Hence he has to adapt his game and those providing service to him do too. Breaking down defences in the CCC and prem is probably the hardest nut to crack and so I'm not surprised we fail to do that week in week out. Personally I'm happy with the progress that's been made so far this season. However, it will be worthless unless the team continue to work hard on their game. The team and coaches must work hard in all areas to ensure that that happens. Do I think JP is not playing the players correctly? Perhaps sometimes, but I don't necessarily think it's all his fault. Unlike Burley I find myself agreeing with most of JP's team selections. We are in the process of rebuilding. Until we get rid of the remaining high-earning crap at the club I expect he cannot afford to sign or loan all of those players he would like. However, I'm encouraged by the signings that have been made, particularly in Holmes, Schneiderlin and Cork and I have every faith that Smith and Jordan will do a job for us too. If I were in JP's shoes with the players he has available I would play McGoldrick attacking RM at the moment as he is doing - I would also spend hours analysing his performances and coaching him to get the best from him. I really do think he is worth the effort. In a few months time we will all have a better idea as to who can play where and how. That's really the time judge JP's utilisation of the players at his disposal.

I disagree. Within our current set up he is a flair player. In answer to your question, I think he has not yet quite sussed out how to play at CCC level. Having watched him at Youth and ressie level he played as the front man with Lallana behind him in the hole and later on he played in the hole himself with Basseya up front. His goalscoring record at those levels is nothing short of phenominal. Most of his goals came from clevel through balls through the middle from Lallana and James - he would run on to them, control the ball well and then finish. He used his acceleration, strength and control to excellent effect. It's not that simple in the CCC and playing on the right is pretty much new to him this year. Understandably he resorts to the methods that worked so well for him in the youths and ressies but is quickly learning Im sure that he needs to adapt his game at this level. I have no doubt he has the ability and motivation and arrogance needed to make it at this level. The only questions are whether he can adapt and can the coaches identify how he needs to adapt. Only then will we see whether he takes that on board or whether he is unwilling or unable to adapt. It's too early to write-off him, his ability or his attitude yet. Frankly the stick he gets each game sickens me. In the same way it sickened me when the same people used to shout obsenities to Jones, Fuller, Wright, Euell, Wright-Phillips, Dyer etc. I look around at games and its the same people every time - just waiting to have a go as soon as they get on the ball - I've even seen people look disappointed when one of their targets scores or does something positive.

How very amusing. Isnt this pretty much what several England managers said about Le Tis. Not that I'm comparing him to Le Tis of course. However, how many times have we heard this about Le tis and other flair players. Some of you may wish to watch 11 huffing puffing players who fall down dead with exhaustion at the end of a game but I personally like to see a balanced team with a mix of hard workers (ie. Surman, Cork, Wooton) and some genuine flair players (Mc Goldrick and Lallana). Arsenal seem to have the balance about right - how many times do you see Theo track back and defend? Hardly ever. In fact I would say that McGoldrick puts much more defensive work in that Theo during the course of game in like-for-like positions. Why do some managers condone some players not working as hard and being as disciplined as other players? Because they feel that the player is talented enough to know what to do and thereofre should be left alone to apply his ability as he feels best having regard to the players he is playing against and with. Of course not all players can do that but one or two in a team like ours with the system we play is quite reasonable. Some of you have cited McGoldrick for being at fault for one of the goals on Saturday which he clearly was. I also can agree that he played very poorly all game - uncharacteristically poor in my opinion though. But for feck's sake, please bear in mind he is a forward. I don't see so many of you making such a big deal about our defenders and defensive midfielders when they CONTINUE to make sloppy mistakes.

Personally I think he has been one of our most potent attacking threats this season. I think the critisism of him is unjust. He's a striker who has been asked to play on the wing. Like all of the other strikers who Jan has picked to play on the wing this season he has not really excelled yet has managed to score, get in goal-scoring positions and create chances for team mates. I think you should be pointing the finger at the manager rather than the player. I hear so many of you going on about his attitude, what most of you really mean is his body language. I bet he wouldnt get so much stick if he was blond haired and blue-eyed. There are currently far worse players in the team.

Sod the D-fence, I love our attacking focus. Anyhow, under total football anyone can play D-fence if asked to. Hell, give me a week at Staplewood and I'll be good to go....

Quick and skilful left-footed winger/forward. He should fit in very well with our formation and style of play. Concerned a bit about his attitude but if we can get that in check I reckon we will all be very happy. Will be a massive improvement on on BWP on the left wing and will give us options when Holmes is fit again.

Should have taken a leaf out of Jan's book and taken his glasses, tie and wastecoat off. He looked a real buffoon. Overdressed and over-opinionated.

By 'eck that's a strong looking U.21 squad. Doubt he will get a game unless there are injuries or call ups to the full England squad, but I've no doubt this will do his confidence wonders and will improve him as a player. I just hope he is not tapped up the same way I reckon Surman was tapped up or at least had his head turned when he made his U.21 debut. After all, it must be a lot of pressure on them turning up in a clapped out old banger and the rest of the squad from prem teams arrive in their sooped up pimp-mobiles.

Good riddance. He's a bad influence and only interested in the fortune and fame, like so many others who never fulfilled their potential. That's what always set him aside from Theo.

You are mistaking the club as being one that is chasing promotion. if we were we would get two good full-backs in or Play Cork at RB and get another CB in. Problem is the only goal for the club this year is to avoid relegation and to give as many of our youngsters as much first team experience (and exposure) as possible. If we're nailed to 24th spot come Jan I would expect to see a full back come in for James. Otherwise, expect him to keep being picked.

I expect he will get a warm reception tonight - he deserves one. Unfortunately I can see him being in blinding form tonight which is why I've got money on Ipswich to win 2-0. Hope I'm wrong.

I've been a season ticket holder for the past few years but didnt get one this year on the basis that I didnt want my Saturdays to be so tied up. I looked on the OS this mornign and saw tickets were £26 odd! I decided not to go tonight or on Saturday. It's too expensive for me given the current economics and the fact that as an alternative to one match I can play two rounds of golf or take my girlfriend and I out for a meal. It's sad because I would love to go to every game that I possibly can but I'm just not going to pay those prices. I am also finding it difficult to square the fact that last year I watched the nucleas of this team playing for free in the ressies most weeks. Don't get me wrong, I support the current youth policy but I just find it difficult to justify the cost of a ticket.

Talented player - will be the next Kenwyn Jones

3-0

I've watched him play in the U.18's and ressies lots of times and I can honestly say that IMO he is a more effective attacking threat than Theo ever was. He may not have Theo's sheer pace and acceleration but he has more footballing intellegence than Theo ever will and more trickery. His finishing is first rate also. I want to avoid comparing him to a young MLT but it is difficult not to. We don't often see someone for Saints playing with flair and natural ability in the middle of the park like this. Lallana will step up to England U.21's soon I would think.

Arsenal at home wouold be a cracker IMO. Wenger would play his kids against ours and I think it would be a real cracker of a game and a chance for our lads to show they are better than theirs.

Best tenner I have spent in years, seriously. Loved it. Bring on Man Utd. Great listening to Portaloo and Cork on the radio on the way home. There is obviously a very special feeling around the club at the moment.

They were both exposed on Saturday against prem class pace and skill. Not many teams we will play against will have such good wingers and forwards as Brum. James is still learnning how to play right back. He played as CM for years and excelled there. Personally I think he is a much better CM player than Gillett but IMO it is a real credit to James that he has accepted playing out of position to fit in with the manager's (erm I mean Lowe's) new plans. James did look a little nervous at times on Sat and gave the ball away more often than he normally would, but experience will soon settle those nerves and he will improve a greatly as the season goes on. For those of you that are saying Thomas should play at RB - I hope you are joking!

Not surprised Davies wants out. Indicative of the make-money while you can player mentality these days. let him go, he's not good enough for the Prem anyway and he's injury prone. Stoke will be relegated and Davies will not be bought by another prem club next season. I wouldnt mind Surman going. He's lacked any real form since playing for the England U.21's last season. He's not a natural left-back IMO and gives the ball away far too often. £2.5m would be a great deal IMO. Skacel with Mills as cover is much more preferable to me. Not seen Pullis play so can't really comment. Does seem odd though. Not sure we need anyone else who is average at best and remember we have Euell as CM cover.

We are not going to play too many teams with the fire power, especially off the bench, that Birmingham had. They will win the league through their manager and the bench. I can see our lads beating a few teams quite comfortably this year and I look forward to that. We do look suseptable at both full-back positions against pace and trickery but few teams will have a Quincy, Bent or a Jerome. I really enjoyed yesterday and in particular as Le God says, watching the lads give it 100% right to the final whistle. Made such a difference to the narrow, long ball, one-dminesional passionless displays we saw so often last year from the supposed 'senior players'. Frankly I hope the remainder of those 'senior' players feck off asap and leave our coaches and proper players to carry on the good work they have begun.

Wrong name, wrong person, just plain wrong. Now, put the keyboard down and get back on the pis$ for Matt le Tis

I thought it was more like £10k, but the principle is the same. Fact is we are not chasing promotion and the powers that be obviously think the lads we have are able to keep us up. Thereofre why pay for loans that arent really going to benefit us? Expect to see loans made if our lads can't cut it and we find ourselves in a relegation battle. We don't need another Hammill or Guthrie holding back the progress of our own talented youngsters.