shurlock

Perhaps there is a case for extra midfielder - even during his short stint, Chaplow's picked up a few injuries. And Hammond has had recurrent problems since last Jan. Maybe there is greater wear-and-tear in CM; but it definitely cost us last season, even with PWFG as back-up. Still if we're to sign one player, the priority remains a pacey wideman - guess its simply a case of josh wright sensing that the writing is on the wall at scunny.

Fair play to Nick Halling, our resident saints pundit- beaming during the playoffs that he lost a skate a grand with some dodgy betting tips...

Liam Feeney's been impressive for them. V.pacey to boot.

Not (unfairly) trying to compare him Ronaldo, just saying that he was our least effective attacking player yesterday (obviously, that's not saying much - others weren't a million miles better). His performance against Blackpool was slightly better which might have something to do with him playing in a slightly different position. I don't think he has it in his locker to play wide midfield, beat men and get to the byline. He's much better in the middle.

Ands it equally annoying how some players become rallying points for fans who think they know their football, dismissing others, the fickle herd as blind idiots who only see part of the game. Those fans aren't as insightful or knowledgeable as they think are. Others then cower and bow to their supposed wisdom. Puncheon was OK but wasn't that good - there was no real penetration to his game - he never beat his man etc. Out of our attacking players yesterday, he was probably the least effective, with Lambert just behind. Most of the diagonal balls, if i remember, came from Morgan who was my MOTM.

Don't think Punch's chance was very easy - the cross wasn't good enough: Punch had to get it under control with a defender closing in before getting a shot off - being slightly to the side of the six-yard box, he also didn't have much to aim at - it would have taken a ridiculously good shot to have beaten the keeper at the near-post. On the other hand, as Weston Saint puts it, Punch flattered to deceive. At no point did he beat his man and get behind County (it was similar under pardew where he cut in alot). At least, Guly and Chambo did, even if the end result petered out - usually as other defenders came in and hacked them down. I don't think Punch's best position is as an out-and-out wide man where he gets too isolated and is asked to take people on - as he's tidy on the ball and links up well with others, he's probably better in the middle or just off the strikers.

We have some nobs in block 4 who refuse to sing the slow version and often sabotage it by speeding it up because they think "its a tottenham song".

most pointless thread of the year -as well as the most illogical. two birds with one stone.

Is this just a rehash of the Danns/Stock rumours? Its so 2010....

Thats ridiculous - 20+ games in the same division is not long enough to make a substantial difference to your market value; it takes longer with time preferably spent playing at a higher level; of course, the more genuine experience you get, the less time left on your contract - and consequently the weaker the negotiating hand of the club. The only way in which selling Oxo in the summer would command a higher fee is if there were more clubs in the hunt for him, thereby bidding up the price. That's possible: activity tends to be more intense in the summer as clubs are clearer about what they need and don't need and owners make funds more available for the new season; but if you believe the reports, all the usual suspects are interested in the kid, so the market is as competitive as its arguably going to get.

cheers mate.

Agree - so who's the player i asked about above?

cheers - always think saintsplayer is being mischievious when it focuses on a player as if to suggest we've got a mystery trialist or a player's made a return from a career-endng injury or a somebody who's been out in the wilderness is back in the building.

Watching SaintsPlayer, who's the black fella right hand of the screen (1m 15s) and dribbling with the ball (1m 41s)?

Or taking the "Red Flag" to a Xmas No.1.

They sneered at Hodgson, in part because the job was too big for him (forget the fact that he took Fulham to a major european final) While we're in theory a bigger club than fulham with a more expectant fanbase, NA would have to pull off Cloughie heroics before he was considered. The scouse card no doubt goes a long way with that tribal, inbred bunch as does NA's emphasis on attacking football after the hunger reigns of Benitez and Hodgson; but not far enough to compensate for the lack of success at a higher level.

Conditional on what? If he gets us to the prem?

I agree - in all likelihood, punch will just come in for lallana - and if punch is out, there's no reason why dickson can't play LM with harding at LB. One underestimated strength of our squad is its versatility - there are several players who can readily play in more than one position (lallana, dickson, butterfield, guly, punch) Given Guly has got something about him, I'm to see how he performs in his favourite position, in the hole with proper strikers running off him (yes oldham were burried and down and out but guly, barnard and lambert linked v.well on tues - consider the 6th goal). Would he be even more effective than he is right now? I have a sense that Guly is being played slightly out of position, though its no biggie - he's adjusting well to the requirement not to drop as deep to collect the ball and the shape and discipline of the team is all important, esp against better opponents; but i wonder what he could do in a freer role.

I missed the home game against tranmere earlier this season as I was in the US - as I was out and about, I found an Apple store and listened to most of the game via saints player and my sennheisers on one of their showroom laptops. Standing in the middle of a shop that could have been a set from space odyssey in utter indifference to the babbling yanks ensconced in the homely tones of whispering dave was quite something.

If Lallana is injured, we can play the same formation as we did against Blackpool and put Guly in the hole instead -arguably his best position- and play Lambert and Barnard up top.

Remember the article is written by a saints fan - so it might be a case of heart over head. a good propaganda piece though.

Guly spots another shaven brazillian braving the elements.

Liverpool looking pretty clueless upfront against Blackpool. Open the emergency chequebook time...

It appears Brighton also have a game that evening (Colchester at home)

Excellent- we want as many league games as possible given the way we're playing at the moment esp as Brighton are beginning to feel the heat. As the game's brought forward, we could theoretically be on top that tues pm?