tajjuk

Can't see De Boer coming here. Yakin guy sounds interesting though know little about him and I have Cristian Gross alarm bells ringing in my ears. Lennon is a big no, I'd be pretty confident I could win the Scottish League with Celtic, especially no Rangers. He needs to go prove himself at a Championship club. McLaren would be ok, he's certainly rebuilt his reputation but that appointment would be a bit 'meh'. As for Laudrup the rumours put me off, especially with our highly professional hard working squad. I also hope Mackay isn't being considered.

If we get Poch signed up then I think its more likely players will stay. in pretty much every interview you hear every single one of them talk about him and he has improved their game. To get him signed the board probably have to give him assurances over transfer fees, maybe one sale for big bucks plus some extra on top (say £15 million) then that might be enough to convince him, who knows maybe those are the sought of negotiations that are going on. So maybe one of Shaw or Lallana might go but Poch signed long term might be the key to Morgan, Lovren etc.

It shows progress, turn over will have increased, shows the club is progressing. A small step maybe but when you add in the media plaudits, the England calls etc I would imagine the clubs profile has risen quite a bit which help help with the off the field activities, sponsorship activities etc. It's not likely to make a massive difference to player recruitment but may help a bit. It's what happens now is the key, the players know it and we know it, it's a very important summer for this club. I honestly think there is more to come from this set of players alone but we've shown quality in a our first team. (for example could you argue our best eleven is worst than Evertons or Spurs?) but our depth is poor and that has probably cost us a dozen points or more. Aside from midfield where we have excellent options most of our back up wouldn't get into the teams of the bottom 3. If we can add 3-4 (I think more 4 maybe 5 with the loss of Jay Rod) quality players and keep the rest next season could be something special.

We have a first eleven as good as those above us but not a squad that is our main downfall this season and on Sunday, without two midfield powerhouses we looked a little weak and lost in midfield, we also played our best centre when clearly not match fit as the options below are not good enough. we need another 3 or 4 players that are Lovren, Wanyama level, then we will see more games out and win more often with a few injuries.

Providing we don't loose anyone then Another centre-back, with the aim of improving on Fonte. (Lovren Mk II) An option out wide who has pace, I did think when Chamberlain was relegated to the bench for Arsenal behind their many attacking mids we might be in with a chance at a loan for him. A long term replacement for Lambert, ideal would be Lukaku, but unrealistic, but someone in that mould. And probably a back up keeper who can actually challenge Boruc. (David Marshall) IF we got in those 3/4 players that were on Lovrens level we would be laughing and I think we would be in a position to challenge the top 6, although you are looking at probably a £40 million outlay. Not that we wouldn't be able to do that with all the Premiership money coming in. If we manage to get sell Osvaldo for £15 million then that will fund his replacement. Midfield we are very strong with Morgan, Wanyama, Cork, JWP, and Davis. (plus they can all improve). Our biggest challenge though is going to be hanging on to our players (and manager).

If it's good enough for the current World Champions.......... Diego Costa is a about as Spanish as I am, he's even played for Brazil internationally. Not to mention Marcos Senna before him. The there is half the German national team. *cough* polish *cough*. Then all sorts of different people representing odd nations in the athletics. And closer to home our very own English Cricket team containing Morgan, KP, etc. I think it's up to him, if he wants to play football internationally and France are ignoring his clear talents then I'm pretty sure he would improve the current England team which in defensive midfield you have the options of average (Livermore, Huddlestone etc) or Old (Gerrard, Carrrick, Parker, Barry). I for one would welcome him in the England team, couldn't care less if he's French, if he wants to play that is all that matters to me. From those articles that is not clear and it may be more a of hint to Deschamps.

Not sure why Carroll even deserves a mention, he's spent most of the season injured, barely scored a goal anyway and has far far less to his game than Lambert. Cleverley is more deserving of an England spot than Carroll. Whilst Lambert might not be banging in the goals (double figures though isn't bad) He's been a lot more creative this year, 8 assists, 40 odd chances created, even has an excellent cross completion record. I think if he can come up with another 3-4-5 goals before the end of the season (to finish on 13-15) then he'll definitely go. Carroll will have to score 8 or 9 before the end of season to be in contention I reckon and he's more likely to get injured. Jay Rod is competing with Welbeck I think more than Lambert or Carroll, his best work this season has been from out wide, rather than through the middle. I think he'll unluckily be in the 7 that miss out from the 30, Lallana will go and probably should start, Lambert will go as well but I can only see a few sub appearances. Shaw, I have no idea if he will go. Cole is injured though now so it;s unlikely he'll get much game time.

Goal, assist, hit the target with his other shot and showed his general all round play and clever movement. Hopefully a few more goals from him in the last few weeks (think he is double figures now) will secure his place. He's a far more accomplished player than Carroll and over the last two seasons has done more than Carroll has done 4 or 5 seasons. I don't think Jay Rod is competing with him either, he won't be playing up front for England he'll be vying for that wide left position which he should get over Wellbeck but Wellbeck will get cos he plays for Man Utd.

Only 3 points behind Utd (they do have two in hand though) still an outside chance of top 6/7, lets get as close as we can. (shame Everton won) Good to see Gaston have an impact. We seem to be picking up a few injuries though (Gaston, Wanyama and Lovren) and I'm not sure what all that pass out from the back to a player under pressure was about, would prefer Boruc to kick it off than that. Sloppy passing cost us those two late goals when really we should have had a clean sheet there as Norwich had nothing, probably should have been 4-5 even before then. Good to see Lambert get a goal and an assist in front of Roy.

One thing is he's probably going to the World Cup and he's done it because he's playing regularly for us. I have a feeling he realises that he needs to be playing week in week out and that is what he'll get here so I think he'll be here next season at least.

Boruc Clyne Lovren Fonte Shaw Morgan Davis (Maybe JWP) Lallan Gaston Jay Rod Lambert Norwich will come for a scrappy draw, we don't need two very defensive minded midfielders and we need to use the ball as best as possible to Wanyama on the bench for me.

Assuming we swap position but keep the team (and I'm presuming the manager to) then we might not be in Hulls position because Pochettino would have fielded a weakened team, in fact if we were much closer to relegation like Hull then its even more likely we would have done. So we wouldn't have got to an FA Cup semi-final. We also seem incapable of beating Sunderland whatever team we put out so would have probably lost at the weekend anyway. We've had a good season, will finish in one of our highest positions for years, we have a great squad of young players, more coming through, have played some excellent football and our captain (and maybe others) are going to a world cup with England.(seriously when was the last time we had a player likely to be a first teamer in an England World Cup team?) Just enjoy the moment rather than what ifs, it's a great time to be a Saints fan and I'm sure fans of 100s of clubs would love their club to be in the same situation ours is in.

Yeh we need a player who can replace Lambert long term but also give us options in the short term. I think Jay Rod was originally bought to do that but he has evolved into something else and seems more suited attacking from deep rather than leading the line (him scoring more away premier league goals would support that, allowing more space in behind whereas at SMS the deeper defences cause him more trouble) Lukaku would be the ideal for me but I think that is unrealistic, he should be leading the line for Chelsea, hes better than all 3 strikers they have.

The idea is find a fresher more mobile Lambert which gives us a future replacement for him (still think he has plenty to offer) and in the immediate future different options. Quigerella is just as old as Lambert and not as good as him either IMO.

Not buying the Shaw and Lallana to Man Utd rumour today, £30 million is too low for a start but why Utd? why would you join a club in decline? Yeh big money big name but I think they would wait for the Man City's, Arsenals, and Chelseas to come calling. (Hell maybe even the big European clubs) They have the money, the champions league football, the likely title challenge next year and the highly respected managers. Man Utd will have none of those things next year barring a miracle return to form and maybe sacking Moyes.

Nah not for me. 31, will be 32 next year, never played outside Italy and has an average goal record. Seems more like a West Ham signing to me.

Marshall. Had a great season despite Cardiff's problems they would probably have been dead and buried without him.

81.3% pass completion. 10th best in our team, below Davis, JWP, Morgan, Cork. Needs to improve it but I'm pretty sure we all new he was a bit rough round the edges, he is only 22.

We lost unluckily to them. sh*t happens. Bad teams beat good teams. Still wouldn't swap places with them in a million years, they play crap football however 'effective' it is its still crap to watch (and they know it), they are still in shed loads of debt yet give Andy Carroll £90k a week, they have a bunch prem rejects and they are about to move into an Athletics stadium. However bad Saints get, which lets be honest isn't bad at all I can always look at West Ham to cheer me up. Oh and we're 8 points ahead of them.

There are some terrible posters on this forum. 25 shots, only 5 on target was our problem. Had enough chances to win two games. We just never seem to get the luck against the likes of West Ham (their 2nd goal offside for example), but I'd still much prefer us to attempt to play the way we do than the dross they serve up under fat sam.

Sunderland didn't play a mid week game and made 9 changes. They also have a bloated squad from a hap hazard transfer policy and a collection of managers of the last few years which probably means that whilst their 'best' team is not that good, their 'worst' team is probably at about the same level. We on the other hand basically rely on about the same 12-15 players and play a very intensive pressing system, doing double sessions in training and had played a tough away game (with long travel) just 3 days earlier. We simply don't have the depth at the moment to sustain a full league season plus cups at those high standards all the time. We barely do it in the league, had we had better replacements than the likes of Fox, Guly, Davis, Hooiveld etc I dare say we would have a few more points on the board. I would imagine that is why Pochettino is not really interested in the Europa league as we would need about another 5 or 6 players of at least the Jack Cork level just to stay competitive in the league.

I don't really understand the point being made, if the club are being run with just business in in then a cup run is profitable as is Europa league qualification, more prize money, more games, more gates, more profile raised etc. Now I could understand a business decision abandoning the cups if you are in a relegation battle because the difference between staying in the premier league and not can't be made up by cup runs, but not finishing 11th or 7th and the cups. So the actual resting of players etc doesn't really support the OP's theory. All Saturday told me is that whilst we probably have a better first eleven than all but about 6 or 7 clubs in this league, once we get outside the regular 15 players we have used all season our back ups are fairly poor. Whereas Sunderland who have had a rather haphazard transfer policy over the last couple of years have a better first eleven than us the other 10 to 12 players that don't make their starting line up are not much worse and probably better than our back ups. Someone did notice that Sunderland made 9 changes yeh? that they are still in the relegation zone and that whilst we had a hard fought away win against a Hull team are very strong at home, Sunderland didn't have a mid week game.

8th in the Premiership, a far more talented squad built with home grown English players, one of the best academy systems around, stable financial footing behind the club, a clearly talented manager and potential for it to get even better? Or Sunderland in a relegation fight, with a hotch potch squad of overpaid ex Man Utd squad players and some journeyman foreigners? Just because they are in the final of a cup that most people don't really care about anyway? A no brainer really, on the path Sunderland are on if they don't get relegated this year then they probably will next year or the year after. I would say pretty much every mid-sized or small club in the country would love to be in the position we are in now (and I don't just mean league position)

Over reaction central in here.

" since his return from injury, they have kept two clean sheets." Eh? Last game he cam on in the 93rd minute and against Fulham he came off after 45 minutes.