Tom28

Was at the game. Otsemobor was utter dog****e. He must have been told not to leave his own half because he only broke forward once (although we did nearly score). He was really poor though. Fonte looked dominant and assured. Good signing. Seaborne looked ok on the ball-hit the long ball too much but probably thru lack of options. He was dreadful in the air though and was second best all game long. Holmes took a while to settle but he was class on the ball-like Lallana-and delivered some great crosses. Glad to see him back in there. Missed Hammond when he went off-Wotton was anonymous. Schneiderlin to his credit did his best when effectively on his own. James was abysmal. Slow, and crap. Did nothing. Put him back to right back or get rid. Lambert and Lallana up top worked hard but were pretty isolated and ineffective. Antonio was surprisingly good up top-worth trying up there again. Overall, didn't deserve a draw so will take it. Awful game. Worst I've seen since Burley. Pards had clearly told them to be reserved and protect the new back four. Millwall away is a good point all things considered. Where was Connolly though? He wasn't warming up but was on the bench? Didn't see him. Might have made the difference. Lallana definitely needs to play in midfield. Otsemobor really was gash.

Jobi McAnuff. I would take him regardless of what we need. He tore Liverpool apart at times the other night. Just think what he could do to Huddersfield. I'd use all the money we might use on Danns, Stock, and Jackson combined and get McAnuff on board.

I like whats been done in the window. Pardew has looked at what we've been doing and will know that scoring goals is not our problem. Our problem is conceding too many. So his top priority this window would have been to sort our defensive problems and I think he has done that. I think Seaborne is Trotman's replacement, who can also provide cover for Harding, and Fonte is an addition that improves us. Otsemobor is the natural right back we've been crying out since Murty proved to be injury prone. However, whilst generally the pattern has been that we've ben scoring a lot, and conceding too many, against the better sides, we've had trouble scoring (Leeds, Colchester) so I think we do need to add someone - either a goalscoring or creative midfielder, to give us the edge over the top teams in the division. Jobi McAnuff anyone?!

My Norwich mate said: Interesting. Otsemobor has got loads of gas but always seems nervous on the ball and can make some terrible decisions. He was terrible last year and he never got on very well with management!

Ward.

Next transfer announcement in 10 minutes - Saints Twitter

Jon Otsemobor on loan from Norwich? Or have the Echo completely fabricated another 'rumour'?!

Darius Vassell

This would be amazing but could it be Vassell?! Aliadiere would be another decent one who fits Pards' description. Nathan Tyson? I reckon it's a striker he's talking about.

Who is Pardew talking about then? Maybe worth a new thread. Possible names...ward? Healy?

Fonte signed!

Zak Whitbread gone to Norwich - SSN

Really? Quick, someone get a message to Pardew and Cortese. If they don't sign someone significant in the next week, trousers is going to be pondering. NO-ONE wants that.

Nobby Solano is trialling with Colchester - might be worth a punt for 6 months this season.

Moritz Volz please. What is it about that guy that no manager in the Championship or League One has snapped him up? No injury or history of injuries, he was well liked at Fulham, no attitude problem that is known of. He's 26. He would instantly be a long term solution to our right back position, has played Premiership football before so if we were to get promoted, he would be likely to be kept in the Championship next year. I cant understand why no one has snapped him up. Anyone know anything I don't? (smart ar*e answers need not apply)

I would go with... Bart James Perry Jaidi Harding Antonio Hammond Schneiderlin Lallana Connolly Lambert I was tempted to say Trots instead of Perry to add pace to combat Beckford, and to try and accommodate Wotton for a bit of steel, and also Waigo because I think he is deserving of a run in the side, but consistency is usually best and I think we should impose ourselves on Leeds rather than allow Leeds' threats make us change the way we play. Thoughts?

I like the fact that Saints conduct their business in private. Its professional. The Echo acted unprofessionally, and therefore they've been cut-off. The Echo needs Saints more than Saints need The Echo at the moment. Cortese realises that and is laying ground rules; I like it.

Adam Le Fondre looks a quality striker at Rotherham. They only signed him in August though so might be difficult to sign him. He has 17 goals already this season which is a decent return and some his finishes have been class. Only 23 too so he's a decent age. I dont think we need a lot - if we can tie up deals for Trotman and Antonio that would be good, extend Mellis, and maybe add one long term signing, it'd be a decent January. Moritz Volz - find it strange he still doesnt have a club - might be worth a trial at least. I don't think James, Murty or Thomas are long term options at right back.

Got to win home games. And at least a draw away from home would be good. A Walsall 3 points H Tranmere 3 points A Leeds United 0 points H Exeter City 3 points A Colchester 3 points H Huddersfield 3 points A Millwall 1 point H Swindon Town 3 points 19 points from the 8 games I reckon. I think we'll get spanked at Leeds and then go on a run for 10-15 games without losing and conceding very few with a few 1-0's along the way.

Sorry, no. Of the 9 games, 4 of the teams were top half, 5 were bottom half. And we dropped more points against the teams in the bottom half in that run of 9 games (Brighton and Orient). Suffered very few injuries? Lost our goalkeeper (can you get a more key injury?) and been without right back for most of the season. I'll also re-iterate a point I made on a previous thread. Injuries won't be exclusive to Southampton Football Club. All teams in this league will get them. However, we have a very big squad already that can cover any injuries. Our bench against Hartlepool contained 7 players that would walk into the starting 11 of 18 of the 24 teams in this league. We have cover in every position. Davis/Bart Murty James Trotman Thomas Jaidi Perry Harding Molyneux/Mills Wotton James Schneiderlin Mellis Hammond Gobern Antonio Waigo Connolly Holmes Lambert Saganowski (yes he is still here!) Also not mentioning: Gillett Forecast Lancashire Paterson McLaggon Thomson Boyle Preen Doble McNish Martin Just in case we get a freakish amount of injuries....Granted most of those simply aren't good enough but Gillett, Lancashire, McLaggon, Thomson have been known to have at least one good game at Championship level so you could expect they could do a job covering injuries for a short period of time in League 1. I'm just saying that we don't need any more additions unless we lose one or two.

Gotta disagree with you. I really dont think we need to strengthen. We're averaging 2.22 ppg in the last 9 league games. That form would get us to about 80 points which would comfortably get us into the playoffs. Supposing we win our next two, we could be going into the Leeds game in the top half of the table. Hartlepool are 11th on 23 - only 4 points above us. If we can start the new year at the bottom of the top half, we'll be very hard to stop.

If you look at the maths: Circa 75 points required for playoff spot based on previous seasons. We are currently on 16 points. Therefore we need another 59. We have 28 games left. 59 points from 28 games is 2.11 ppg. From the last 8 games (when we appeared to finally get it together) we have yielded 17 points - an average of 2.13 ppg. We played 4 teams in the top half and four teams in the bottom half of the table in those 8 games. Basically, my point is this: if we continue showing the same form we've shown since Bristol Rovers at home, we will be there or there-abouts come playoff time. I think the depth in the squad will actually generate even more points than the 59 we need (based on my assumption). All teams will get injuries, we've had one key one - Murty - for a while and we've covered. We've now got another key one, and we have a good replacement stepping in. Whilst a lot of you moan about the lack of depth and 'we need extra cover here, here and here', we are actually a lot lot better off than most of the other teams in this division. Take a look at the bench against Hartlepool. You could take those 7 players, give them to any one of 16-18 teams in this league, and they'd all start. We'll be in the playoffs. And when we do get there, Pardew needs to be given a 5 year deal.

Working from home today and a bit bored so I stuck on Sunday's game on Sky Plus and paid close attention to Lallana's positioning given its what everyone seems to be raving on about. Got to say, I was mildly in agreement - the perception of Lallana is that he drifts and wanders. But, actually, watching the game back, his positional play was actually really good. He hugged the touchline consistently, he was nearly always an option for Harding when Harding was in possession, he tracked back down the flank and helped out defensively with Harding. He also, hit the box when we got the ball wide right in a crossing position as a wide left player should do, and in possession he would bring the ball in-field more often than not, but I don't see that as a problem because most times he did that, it created space for Harding to overlap. So, sorry, I actually think Lallana's positioning wasn't to blame, and I, like others, have probably been guilty with assuming he's not doing his job, when actually, I think he is. Trotman switched off THREE times in the build up to the second goal by the way. No wonder he was whipped off.

Tell me about it, I was literally just saying after Bart made that save and Thomas cleared the ball back out to the Charlton right wing, that it would be good to finally get a clean sheet. Winger whips the ball in, goal. Oh well, there's always next time....

I'd let Alan know sharpish. I think he thinks you're free all of May and was planning on the playoffs.