Tom28

--------------Davis------------- Clyne----Fonte----Yoshida----Shaw -------------Schneiderlin----------- --------JWP----------Ramirez------ Mayuka----------------------Lallana ---------------Lambert------------- Subs: Gazzaniga, Richardson, Cork, Rodriquez, Lee, Puncheon, Davis Rationale: Davis keeps his place just ahead of Gazzaniga. Davis' positioning and footwork for the Podolski free kick was woeful. Shot stopping is Davis' strongest part of his game and that looked poor on Saturday. He also made it pretty easy for Gervinho for the third goal. However, I wouldn't be ready to drop him just yet - it would be knee-jerk and look as though we're panicking. Clyne I thought was excellent on Saturday...he saved us a few times and he looked a threat going forward. He's a really top drawer full back. I know others on here didn't think he was very good on Sat - agree to disagree. Fonte and Yoshida get the start at CB because we don't have anyone else. The Yoshida mistake for the 3rd goal was Sunday league defending so not a great start. Shaw has to come in for Fox now at left back IMO. My patience for Fox has run out. I felt he warranted a place for his set piece delivery if nothing else, but his defending is just getting worse and worse. His positional play really has been shocking and unlike Clyne, he doesnt have the pace to recover. In midfield, we have to keep the ball more so Ramirez has to play. I didn't actually think he was as good as everyone is making out but you can tell he's comfortable in possession. I would drop Davis over JWP because I think JWP a) has been better and b) is fitter. Schneiderlin is an automatic choice as far as I'm concerned. Up top, Punch has been too inconsistent so time to give Mayuka a go. I'd like to see some real pace up top. We really lack it and it allows the opposition defence to play high up the pitch and cramp the likes of Lallana for time and space. With some pace in the team, Villa will have to drop a bit deeper and it will create more space for Lallana and Ramirez to operate. Lallana and Lambert are both automatic choices IMO too. Talk of Rodriguez coming in for Lambert is ridiculous. Lambert will score 15 goals in this division and he's one of our best players. Rodriguez is the future and I'm glad we have him but Lambert has to play now.

Unbelievable to me that people on here think Rodriguez should start up top rather than Lambert. Rodriguez hasn't shown anything. It's all well and good saying we can bring Lambert on after 60 minutes, but where's the use in that if we're 3-0 down?

Davis Clyne Yoshida Hooiveld Shaw Ward-Prowse Schneiderlin Lallana Ramirez Lambert Puncheon Subs: Gazzaniga, Fox, Davis, Lee, Fonte, Mayuka, J-Rod Time for a change at left back. Fox was woeful against United, Shaw really couldn't do any worse than that surely. Tough one over which CB Yoshida replaces but after the way they both played on Sunday, he has to come into the side. Tough call leaving out Steven Davis, but I think with W-P and Schneiderlin we have two grafters and runners in there, and then Lallana, Puncheon and Ramirez give us the technical ability to control the ball more, so I'd play all three.

Back on topic, if we could get Benayoun in cheap, then yes, otherwise, not too bothered.

Carroll scored 11 goals in 19 games in one half a season up to the end of January for Newcastle in the Premier League. Michael Ricketts scored 15 goals for Bolton by February in his first Premier League season. Form is temporary, class is permanent. Andy Carroll is severely lacking in class.

Speechless. Sorry but what exactly has Andy Carroll done? Is his record any more impressive than say, Grant Holt's? No. Everyone likes evidence so here goes: Andy Carroll Championship Record 18 goals in 50 games (1 goal every 2.77 matches) Grant Holt Championship Record 21 goals in 49 games (1 goal every 2.33 matches) Andy Carroll Premier League Record 20 goals in 85 games (1 goal every 4.25 matches) Grant Holt Premier League Record 15 goals in 35 games (1 goal every 2.33 matches) I accept stats aren't everything. There's also team contribution to consider, but I'm pretty sure that if I was to bother canvassing opinion of Norwich fans about Grant Holt's all round play and Liverpool/Newcastle fans about Andy Carroll's all round play, then Grant Holt would still come out on top. The only reason Carroll is considered a 'top' striker is because Liverpool were stupid enough to pay £35 million for him in a panic buy. Well, two seasons on and they've realised their mistake and they're basically cutting their losses. Your post was comparing J-Rod and Andy Carroll though and I realise I've gone off on a tangent comparing Andy Carroll to Grant Holt, but my point is Andy Carroll is not some superstar striker. He's distinctly average, over-hyped, has had off the field troubles, not got recent scoring form, and, as someone else has mentioned, he has the touch of a rapist. Frankly, suggesting that Saints, in signing J-Rod over Andy Carroll, are risking their future in the Premier League is complete nonsense. You also said that Saints are only signing Championship standard players. Take a look again at the stats above and tell me that you have absolutely no doubt that Andy Carroll isn't out of his depth in the Premier League? I'm not saying that he is, but there's surely a doubt there. He's hardly set the world on fire in the Premier League. A case could be made that he's a Championship standard player (again though, I'm not making that case). Maybe I wasn't speechless after all.

By all means. Its all about nailing your colours to the mast! Where's the fun on a forum if past comments, proven to be wrong, can't be ridiculed? Likewise, where's the fun on a forum if you can't gloat when you get the odd one right...? Just got a feeling I'll be right about this one.

This is going to sound grumpy but to me, this signing has the hallmark of a Jonathan Forte or a Steve de Ridder signing. I just don't get it. Never seen the guy play but just watched some youtube clips. He really doesn't seem all that, some of the 'highlights' were mis-controls and mis-placed passes. I really don't think this guy will get near to becoming a regular starter. A 5 year contract is a hell of a commitment too. Hope I'm proved wrong, but something just doesn't feel right.

What's the issue here? He's gone to meet the squad, who also have with them the OS and PR guys. They'll do photos and interviews this morning and load it all up later today.

Solomon Kalou? That would be pretty exciting.

We couldn't have asked for a more perfect fixture to start with in my view. Any pressure of this being our first game back in the Prem will be gone. No one, absolutely no one, not even the most delusional Saints supporters, of which there are many, will believe we can get anything from this game. Man City dropped 2 points at home all last season. Go and enjoy it I say. If the players get anything from the game, they'll be heroes. Nothing to lose.

Has Forecast got ANOTHER season with us?! Christ, he's like a cockroach, can't get rid.

Davis Butterfield Fonte Hooiveld Fox Guly Schneiderlin Cork Lallana Lambert Sharp Bench: Bart, Harding, de Ridder, Hammond, Barnard - no point in having Martin on the bench for this one - need game changers in case we come unstuck.

Tomkins or Davies M Phillips Whittingham plus Gary Hooper Plus a keeper.

Some sentencing guidelines for ABH: STEP 1 - Determine the offence category Category 1: Greater harm (serious injury must normally be present) and higher culpability Category 2: Greater harm (serious injury must normally be present) and lower culpability; or lesser harm and higher culpability Category 3: Lesser harm and lower culpability STEP 1 HARM AND CULPABILITY FACTORS HARM Factors indicating greater harm Injury (which includes disease transmission and/or psychological harm) which is serious in the context of the offence (must normally be present) - Yes Victim is particularly vulnerable because of personal circumstances - No Sustained or repeated assault on the same victim - No Factors indicating lesser harm Injury which is less serious in the context of the offence - No CULPABILITY Factors indicating higher culpability Statutory aggravating factors: Offence motivated by, or demonstrating, hostility to the victim based on his or her sexual orientation (or presumed sexual orientation) - not that we are aware of Offence motivated by, or demonstrating, hostility to the victim based on the victim's disability (or presumed disability) - as above Other aggravating factors: A significant degree of premeditation - no Use of weapon or weapon equivalent (for example, shod foot, headbutting, use of acid, use of animal) - yes Intention to commit more serious harm than actually resulted from the offence - unsure Deliberately causes more harm than is necessary for commission of offence - unsure Deliberate targeting of vulnerable victim - no Leading role in group or gang - no Offence motivated by, or demonstrating, hostility based on the victim's age, sex, gender identity (or presumed gender identity) - not that we know of Factors indicating lower culpability Subordinate role in group or gang A greater degree of provocation than normally expected - unsure Lack of premeditation - no Mental disorder or learning disability, where linked to commission of the offence - no Excessive self defence - unsure Looking at this, I would say he's falling into category 2. Then in terms of sentence: Category 1 Starting Point (Applicable to all offenders): 1 year 6 months' custody Category Range (Applicable to all offenders): 1 - 3 years' custody Category 2 Starting Point (Applicable to all offenders): 26 weeks' custody Category Range (Applicable to all offenders): Low level community order - 51 weeks' custody Category 3 Starting Point (Applicable to all offenders): Medium level community order Category Range (Applicable to all offenders): Band A fine - High level community order STEP 2 SERIOUSNESS FACTORS The following lists are non-exhaustive Factors increasing seriousness Statutory aggravating factors: Previous convictions, having regard to a) the nature of the offence to which the conviction relates and its relevance to the current offence; and b) the time that has elapsed since the conviction Offence committed whilst on bail Other aggravating factors include: Location of the offence Timing of the offence Ongoing effect upon the victim Offence committed against those working in the public sector or providing a service to the public Presence of others including relatives, especially children or partner of the victim Gratuitous degradation of victim In domestic violence cases, victim forced to leave their home Failure to comply with current court orders Offence committed whilst on licence An attempt to conceal or dispose of evidence Failure to respond to warnings or concerns expressed by others about the offender's behaviour Commission of offence whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs Abuse of power and/or position of trust Exploiting contact arrangements with a child to commit an offence Established evidence of community impact Any steps taken to prevent the victim reporting an incident, or obtaining assistance and/or from assisting or supporting the prosecution Offences taken into consideration (TICs) Factors reducing seriousness or reflecting personal mitigation No previous convictions or no relevant/recent convictions Single blow Remorse Good character and/or exemplary conduct Determination, and/or demonstration of steps taken to address addiction or offending behaviour Serious medical conditions requiring urgent, intensive or long-term treatment Isolated incident Age and/or lack of maturity where it affects the responsibility of the offender Lapse of time since the offence where this is not the fault of the offender Mental disorder or learning disability, where not linked to the commission of the offence Sole or primary carer for dependent relatives Looking at those, I would say it's falling into the lower end of the spectrum of seriousness. The range for category 2 is Low level community order - 51 weeks' custody, so the low end of that scale is low level community order, so I'd expect him to get a community order if he's found guilty, based on the things we know from the case.

Personally, I think we've had outstanding production and performances from full back this season. I can't understand this obsession with thinking we are weak there. The stats I think prove it; 30+ league assists from players playing full back and third best defense. Thinking of the long term future, I think with Shaw and Stephens we've got full back covered for years to come. Shaw looks amazing. Stephens very good, but isn't he being looked at as a centre half now?

Considered. And, rejected. Utter nonsense. What's more, you know it's nonsense, and you know that you would have had this reaction. I don't know why the rest of us play along in your attention seeking games.

Stats talk - Richy Chaplow - we lose when he doesn't play, simples.

To be fair, Butterfield has played three league games and we've won all three by a total of 7 goals to nil. Not the end of the world if we lose Richardson and can produce those results.

Excellent!

Probably a separate thread required but Adkins' contract expires at the end of next season; I would like to see a statement of intent and Adkins signed up to a long term deal very soon after this season ends, preferably with a nice hefty release clause for when Liverpool come asking after him.

I must have been watching a different game because in the game I watches, Giles Barnes was comfortably their best player.

Didn't look like a pen to me but whatever. Don't care! Great win. Can all those people on here banging on about Guly playing ahead of Sharp please wind your ****ing necks in. Didn't notice Sharp was on the pitch; Guly was a man mountain!!

Why is everyone crying over the fact we're playing Guly instead of Sharp? Guly knows the system in side and out. He has scored one fewer goal than Sharp in the league so you can't question his goalscoring credentials. Sharp has hardly set the place on fire when he's played. Also, Hammond ahead of Cork...anyone questioning that should watch the Adkins pre match press conference for an explanation. Stop second guessing, support all 16 of them, let's stuff Millwall!!!!! COYS

I don't like the idea of Redknapp rating Adkins or raising his profile like this in interviews. At the end of the day, Redknapp will almost certainly be England manager. When he does, there's a gap to fill at Spurs. No doubt Levy will canvas opinion from Redknapp for replacements. Adkins will get mentioned. Would he, could he turn down that role if Spurs were playing Champions League?