sidthesquid

He is a ****, a ******, a ***-***** *******, and a whole lot of other things I couldn't even write using ******* asterisks

Personally I don't care if he plays or not. He is one of the most over-rated players ever to play for us. I reckon most of the people clamouring for him to play didn't get to see him very often.

A brilliant night's entertainment - the match stats said 50 shots on goal between the two teams. Watching Saints at the moment is how football should be - an exhilarating, sometimes scary, always exciting rollercoaster. The way we play and with the players we have means we are always going to ride our luck at the back on occasions, but when we get it right going forward, it's as good as anything you could see in the Prem or the Champions League. I would give them all 8.5 or 9 tonight because they worked hard, stuck to the task even when it wasn't working, and when it did they were unstoppable. It has been fascinating watching these lads develop this season and we are miles ahead of where we were at the start. They look tougher both mentally & physically and they are going to get better and better. The only downside about the evening was the dismal attendance. Where have all these so-called fans gone? Are they all so rabidly anti-Lowe that they are cutting off their noses to spite their faces? Or has the memory of last season's garbage still not been wiped clean? Because without the return of these fair-weather fans we are going to lose Lallana & Surman and others just to pay for their non-attendance. And that will be the saddest thing of all.

Just for a moment against Ipswich I weakened and thought, just maybe he might one day be okay. And then I watched the Barnsley match.......

Personally, I've enjoyed this season. We do try & play the right way, & I do believe these lads will get better and better. They look tougher mentally & physically with each passing week, & though I still expect it to be a tough season, we will be okay. And at least I have hope

My thoughts on the game Players Davis 6 - nothing to do Cork 6 - OK Mills 7 - a pretty good debut after a nervous start Wotton & Perry 7 - admittedly the opposition were poor, but looked the best pairing yet Gillett - 6 Did okay when he keeps it simple. Like a long history of midfield terriers going back through Marsden, Case, Ball & Hughie Fisher, he should never be allowed to pass the ball more than ten yards McGoldrick - about 3 on the left, 7 on the right. At least he stayed where he was meant to when put out wide left, unlike... BWP 4 - seemed to try quite hard but obviously decided he could play wherever he felt like. Why is it he looks borderline OK as a sub, yet effing useless whenever he starts? Surman & Lallana 7 - the two most creative, imaginative players we possess by a mile. Sadly Lallana's shooting boots were havinng a wonky day. Peckart 6 - his touch was not great, but a couple of time showed what he could do Thomson 6 - better than BWP & stuck to his task on his wrong foot John 5 - He just looks lost with our style of play Overall, a frustrating afternoon, but nothing we haven't witnessed many times before in the Championship against big, unambitious teams. But we did stick at it, we did create chances & our lack of players meant we played an unbalanced team. Not great, but not awful, and still infinitely preferable to last season's dross

My thoughts from last night Players Davis 8 - Good saves, but still doesn't come for enough crosses James 6 - I thought he did generally OK & he does seem a bit tougher than in his few couple of games Surman 6 - tough game for him, Walters is highly rated player & kept him busy defending (Incidentally, watch the first Ipswich goal. It was Dyer at fault not Surman - AS had two players coming at him him because Dyer let his man go without tracking back, allowing Walters to pass inside for the cross) Perry 5 - still worried by his lack of pace & height Cork 7 - a bit lightweight for a CB, but a classy player Gillett 6 - some good, some bad Wotton 6 - a lot of average, but certainly not the worst player I've seen McGoldrick 6 -worked hard without really achieving a lot Lallana 7 - an 8 when he's in the middle, 6 when he moved out right Dyer 2 - he's giving headless chickens a bad name. As usual clueless, brainless and only half as fast as he looks (short legs, I guess). ALWAYS makes the wrong choice John 4 - looks lost & unhappy Peckart 7 - looks like just what we need up front Schneiderlin 6 - looked okay BWP 6.5 - may just have been that he was replacing Dyer, but he looked almost useful & interested A couple of general comments - We still tried to play the right way but they are young lads and it won't always work. I thought we came back bravely in the second half, but after we equalised it was like they were running in treacle, but remember they played an hour of the game on Sunday with ten men on a hot afternoon & had a day less than Ipswich to recover. A draw was a fair reward for their effort and I enjoyed the game. It was fast & open on both sides & I still don't understand why more people can't be bothered to watch it

Q: Is dyer ever going be any good? A: No

Don't panic, Mr Mainwaring! We are going to lose some more games yet, probably starting with Ipswich on Wednesday, but we will be okay. These lads might be young, inexperienced & lightweight, but they ARE talented. I admit I only saw the second half, but until their shocking equaliser Saints were giving them a good run for (all of) their money. After that we had to chase the game & most of the chances came from tired legs being caught upfield. I like watching the way we play football, and we surely won't get such sh1t luck every week. Keep the faith, turn up and support them this week & we will be okay

England team needs players like, kirkland, ashley young, agbonlahor, bullard, barry, richards, jenas, carrick, walcott, bridge, downing, guthrie, bent, etc. I do feel that the England team is a bit like last season's saints team - full of overpaid underperforming has-beens living off past reputations. I saw the players selected again & groaned - that so-called golden generation - James, Cole, Terry, Ferdinand, Beckham, Rooney, Lampard, Gerrard, Heskey(ffs!), Owen (alright, not this time), Defoe etc - how many times have they tried & failed. They are even less likely now than 2 or 4 years ago to succceed. And the above list may not be as technically able as the current bunch of t@ssers they might play with a bit more passion & enthusiasm & encourage us to get behind them like our own new lads

I just never learn, do I? First time in ages I'm feeling optimistic about a game we can win, and it's on the telly to let the world see how good we are.... It's like Groundhog Day, over and over again through the decades, and yet I never learn. Oh well, it was still quite entertaining. I'm not unduly worried about things, but I thought I would add my five ha'peth on today's game. 1, Kelvin might have made some good saves, but surely corners into the six-yard box HAVE to be the keepers. 2, I know it's heresy to say it, but Killer looked scarily slow and off the pace. 3, It was clear that our little lads were sh@gged - it was very hot out there and they looked physically and mentally drained at times. 4, Dyer is still useless. 5, The ref was an @rse. He may have got the penalty right but he was fussy, pedantic and totally lacking in urgency. It's down to the ref, not the opposition, to ensure they get a move on and not once did he seem worried, especially when it took over 5 minutes to get Hammill off and the subs on. He was stood there chatting to the Blackpool players as everyone waited for instruction. 6, It justed wasn't our day

It's no-brainer - Redknapp every time. If it was Agent Arry v Osama bin Laden v Hitler v Saddam Hussein v Satan himself, it would still have to be Arry, not that I bear grudges or anything......

Redknapp by a mile. I can still never quite shake my paranoia that he was Agent Arry all along

Amen to that. Best player ever to wear the shirt

Personally I would give every player 8.5 out of 10 for last night, even Wayne Thomas, but 4 out of 10 for the fans for such a dismal turnout. Big turnout equals more money equals less need to sell of our young stars to appease the bank. Duh!

There was a rumour on Solent last night that he was off to Brum on a season-long loan

Am I alone in not actually wanting a consortium and a new manager and all that goes with it. This season, with an honest, open manager and a team of young (mostly English, & some even local!) lads with a real connection to the club, trying to play football the right way, promises to be the most interesting & emotionally engaging season since the Strachan days. I don't want it snatched away for a bit of bought success, or worse borrowed success, from a team of overpaid foreign mercenaries (see down the road for a comparison). I want these lads to earn success

Excellent - listened on the radio & we totally deserved it. This season really could be fun...

Richard Wright & Andrew Davies

A very bad side with two good players in it!

For what it's worth, my ratings of the team yesterday Davis - 6 - A couple of decent saves but didn't look blameless for their winner & still uncertain on when to come for the ball James - 7 - did okay against a good winger, got skinned a couple of times early on but seemed to learn how to deal with him, and looks very good on the ball & going forward Surman -7 - looked fairly solid - playing fullback has toughened him up & got forward well Perry & Svensson - 5 - both looked vulnerable against the pace & physicality of Brum's big strikers. They need to play alternating games alongside Wotton or pwerhaps Lancashire Schneiderlin & Gillett - 7 - I thought both competed well and used the ball well in midfield, but both occasionally overelaborated & gave the ball away, and both tired by the end - but would you really swap them for Safri & Viafara? Holmes - 6 - glimpses of what he might be capable of, but is there any other sort of left-winger other than a frustrating one? Lallana - 7.5 - linked the play well & worked hard all afternoon McGoldrick - first half - 8 - looked the best player on the pitch, but only a 5 for the second half, back to drifting out of the game and looking like he didn't believe he should be out there John - 6 - held the ball up well & worked hard (for him) but missed the best chance of the game & tired badly Thomson - 6 -right-wingers can be just as frustrating. Looks a bright prospect, but never once looked up before crossing Overall, I'd give them a 6.5 for a brave effort & I still believe they'll do alright this season

You've lost your job, you are heavily in debt & the bank are about to repossess your house. Your wife & kids are hungry & fed up and giving you gyp. You've had a battered old sofa and a chest-of-drawers sitting in the garden with a for sale sign on for weeks but no-one is interested when someone comes in and offers you two hundred quid for your wide-screen telly. Do you a) Say no way, it's worth at least five hundred, and besides I'm sure this Friday is going to be the one when I finally win the lottery or b) Grudgingly accept the money, buy a cheap replacement & survive a little longer

I'm gutted but what choice is there? We couldn't give Euell or Thomas away in a raffle, Skacel would rather sit in the stands and count his money than take a pay cut to play elsewhere, we couldn't actually persuade anyone to buy Rasiak or Saganowski and now it looks like Surman is on his way, too. I think the sheer scale of our up-sh1t-creekedness is finally becoming apparent and the more I think about those maniacs last year (Crouch & Burley) blowing our future on that bunch of overpaid over-30s who are worse than valueless and we are still lumbered with, the angrier I become. But I am a true supporter & I will keep going to support them come what may, not sit at home dreaming of some 'investment' that may save us whilst failing the club you supposedely support when their need is greatest.

If you want to blame anyone - blame Skacel for starters. Turned down a £1million move to sit on his Rse for ten grand a week. And whoever sanctioned the huge salaries of Thomas, Euell, BWP etc who are worse than valueless because no-one will even take them for free. (Also, sadly, I reckon Davies is another one on premiership wages)

I thought this season was Plan B