John B

7 for 1 against Glamorgan Gubbins out

Football is a funny old game if you had followed the Saints as long as me you would realise that there will lots of lows and very few highs with regard to results especially if our best players are not playing. You have to be realistic the club apart from a few years ten years or so ago has been on a downward curve because it has never had continual investment in quality players who want to play for the club. I am over 80 now I still follow the club avidly but accept we are likely to be a Championship club for the rest of my life

His bowling over all has been good this season and he has been recalled to the Test Squad

It possibly happens when the team overall is not playing well allowing the opposition to attack strongly so putting intense pressure on the defence Football is a team game when the team plays well most of the players play well Who is playing well this season you tell me cannot be easy playing in the Championship another season with better teams when they should have gained promotion last season and the better players have left or may be going It is going to be interesting to see what happens in the next month or so

Maybe a telephone conversation perhaps they do happen

Complaining about the bowlers when we have only 3 batting bonus points all season is pretty unbelievable

The main problem I feel is the retirement of Dawson which has left us without a top class spinner and crap batsmen. Baker is sometimes erratic I agree but he played well in the Hundred and got regular wickets

Rome Edinburgh and Dublin

Going to Villa would be a good move for him I cannot imagine him wanting to play all his career for Southampton

I thought he fucked up badly spying on Middlesboro when we were virtually in the PL Now with minus 4 points and Wolves Burnley Millwall West Ham and Middlesboro in the league it is going to be so much more difficult to go up

I never liked Alan Ball as he kept Terry Paine out of the 1966 World Cup team and on Boxing Day told Bob Wilson where Micky Channon was going to place a penalty at the Milton Road End at Christmas 1973. We drew that match and hardly ever won again that season and eventually were relegated I met Bob forty years later and he remembered that penalty save as he was useless at saving them. At Christmas 1977 I went to the Valley when we beat Charlton possibly 3 1 and saw what a great player Alan Ball was and convinced myself that we would be promoted that season which we were in a 0 0 draw with Spurs. It was the first time I saw Glen Hoddle play and he in my opinion was one of the best managers we have had in the PL With regard to strikers when we have been promoted we have had top class Championship goal scorers Chivers Boyer/Macdougal Lambert and Armstrong so we need another one although Larin may become one but it is a gamble

I think we may have to finish 3rd to get to the QF so highly unlikely Scores & Fixtures - Cricket - BBC Sport Scores & Fixtures - Cricket - BBC Sport

Alan Ball was well past his best when he joined us but helped the team massively to get to Div 1 in 1978 That said I do not think we need JWP but we need a decent striker not a young kid from Man City

A Win for us and loses for both Essex and Worcestershire if we beat Derbyshire we may be in the QFs

Time will tell but football is a funny old game I will wait until January to make any predictions I admire your confidence