david in sweden

?? How can that be true? ..lots of people on here have clearly stated that he's rubbish. Are you suggesting that these " experts" are wrong ?

.......it was indeed Anders' last game today and Elfsborg finished their season with 4-2 win, but sadly only a poor 4th place in the final league table. His career with Elfsborg began over 20 years ago ...and was bisected only by his 5 year stay with Saints in which he played in 140 games (10 goals) until leaving in 2005. His total record with Elfsborg shows him having played more than 450 games and netting over 70 times. (A fairly impressive career of +/- 600 games bearing in mind the Swedish top division is only 30 matches a season). Anders is the most-capped Swedish (male) player of all time (148 games and 21 goals) ....and is the most capped outfield player in European football history. (Details of winners and losers on the Overseas Saints site).

Last game(s) of the season saw Norrköping winning the Swedish title. (Allsvenskan), and it takes the Swedes a lot of thinking back to recall when that last happened. Norrköping have had a good season and never been far off the top places, which have changed almost every week since the summer. (Older fans will remember that Saints played Cup Winners Cup matches against Norrköping back in the 1970's ? ....and they haven't had much glory since and were even down in Div.2 only a few years ago). Gothenburg who looked so convincing when they beat Jos Hooiveld's AIK side last week, only managed a late goal to get a 2-2 home draw v Kalmar and ended up as runners-up. AIK's fine season fizzled out but they finished a creditable third place, and a crack at some sort of Euro qualifier next year. Anders Svensson's last game for Elfsborg was a convincing 4-2 win, but they finished a poor 4th....11 points behind the new champs. Worse still for Malmo - who won successive titles only a year or so ago, but they only finished 5th, and weren't helped by a 2-0 home defeat and TWO red cards. At the bottom...Michael Svensson's old club Halmstad managed a win at the last, but it wasn't enough to stave off relegation together with Åtvidaberg who have become a sort of yo-yo club (up and down) in the last few years. Next years newcomers will be: Jönköping South (travelling Saints' fans who took a Swedish holiday and saw our friendly there - after the 2003 Cup Final will recall the ground which is on top of a hill). They capped a good season with some excellent results and go up together with what will now be the most northerly club top tier club - Östersund.. (anyone playing there when the season starts next April will see snow on the pitch when arriving at the ground). With such a thankfully mild Autumn, (so far) we may have to wait a few more weeks for the first snow, and look forward to next season's surprises.

no joking, I think he could contribute a good 60 minutes to the National team - even today.

No it's correct, but living here it always seems that Elfsborg promise so much but often seem to fall at the last hurdle..(bit like Arsenal). Yes there have been some successes (I overlooked), but in Sweden the Swedish Cup sounds great, but isn't held in such high regard and has about as much glamour - as the JPT (yes I know we won it ) ....but it's not like winning the Prem. title (in this case Allsvenskan).In that respect I feel sorry for Anders and the Elfsborg club. The one title win in the last 9 years really is a shame for a team that promises so much, but nearly always seems to fall short of the honours. ........

Yes OK....if you like, it was "dreamed up" to give validation to players who don't actually score much in order to show how much they contribute to the team's success. Anyway, I think I've had enough of this for now.....More important things ..... I've got to go and change my grandson's nappy.

OK Vectis - whatever you say ...I'll put away the OS map now........

OK........but Steven Davis hasn't kept as many clean sheets as KD did in our Championship season .......

Actually I did, but can't understand how you differentiate between " one assist and another "...which is why I posted #721. I've watched back at the match highlights - enough posted around on here - Do you really think that Gaston's pass didn't assist the play....and eventual goal?

Of course, it's great to see young talents emerging ....and the U18 squad has a few more now.... (it's not every season that produces a Bale, Oxlade-Chamberlain or Shaw.) but Johnson .....together with Olomola and Calum Slattery look really good prospects at this age group.... .......remains to be seen if they make it to the First Team squad in a couple of years ...or "burn-out " and end up in the National League (South )

.....think I'd go along with that Vectis, except it's unfair to compare A. Svensson with M. Svensson as they had totally different roles. Anders .. a high-profile critic of the current Swedish national side, (which is pretty abysmal compared to previous years) said ......(in TV interview some years ago) about his time at Saints; ...... that Strachan ignored his natural position as playmaker behind the front strikers (his great success in the Swedish side ) and that on one occasion told him and Fabrice Fernandes....that " he couldn't play them both in the team as they were too much like each other ?."... also () said that 'arry Redknapp..." knew nothing about football " and that his Dressing Room pep-talks were practically non-existent. Go out and play ! Judging by the varied comments on this thread, many people find it hard to agree on his worth to the Saints side. I really think that he came to the wrong club...(us) .....his 148 caps for Sweden speaks volumes for his ability in a Swedish side that tried (unsuccessfully) to find a suitable replacement for him for over 5 years. Since his return to Elfsborg (from Saints) Anders has been the mainstay of a side that " never quite " won anything...it'll be hard to replace him, but Saints fans may recall his better games at SMS .....rather than those where - he didn't quite fit in. Met him several times (here and at SMS) and is a straightforward " ordinary-type of guy " always willing to share a few words and knew the value of good PR. (My daughter still has a pic. of them together - we took after a match - when she was " much younger ") I've no doubt (like Henrik Larsson) he'll find his way back into the game via management, and he may bide his time until the Elfsborg manager eventually moves on. Elfsborg (who play in Borås) was his first and last club (aside from Saints) and I can't see him moving away too quickly .......

I can only assume those people who think it's a derby game ... must be Bournemouth pensioners, because it's 60-odd years ago since both clubs were in Div.3 (South) as it was called then, and Bournemouth was actually in Hampshire (before some boundary changes to Dorset) and we played them for 7 seasons in a row. I suppose that with the exit of Yeovil from the Championship - Bournemouth fans looked at the map and decided that the geography made it a derby game....Ah well. How did we fair against them 60 -something years ago.? Saints were relegated from Div.2 in 1952-3 and in the first games against the Cherries (season 1953-54 ) the two league games were played on successive days - Christmas Day and Boxing Day... Ronald Koeman would have loved that . We came out on top much of the time....winning 7 of the games and drawing 4.....there were 3 defeats all at Dean Park (as their ground was then), and they actually finished marginally above Saints in the league on two occasions. Saints were promoted in 1959-60 and the two sides only met a few times in Cup games since - whilst Bournemouth were fighting to stay in L1 or L2 much of the time. Of course we did meet them again for the one season (in L1)... the season when we did the double over them and went back up to the Championship. Eddie Howe has done a miraculous job at Bournemouth - which no-one can deny....but in all honesty I think we'd need to see them staying in the Prem. for a few more seasons - before we start using the word " derby " game .

surely a goal is a goal wherever it's scored from...? Yoshida might not have got past the Villa defender had Gaston not been there to pass to, but Gaston's one-two pass was lightening quick back into Yoshida's path. After that it was all Maya's own work... so do tell us how do you define... an assist? Is it by distance from the goal......how close the player is from the goal? Seriously. I'd be interested to hear an explanation.

um...Liverpool have a game every 4-5 days..which probably explains the size of their squad, but they'll have a big problem in the varying quality on their bench.

thanks for info. It's always been a mystery to me when they say " sold out " when we know that there have been larger crowds. Obviously season ticket holders have their regular place, but it would take a group of 10 non ticket holders / occasional fans to book a box for themselves. Most unlikely.

consider that Yoshida struck his shot from outside the penalty area. Would it qualify as an assist had they both been inside the area when the pass was made?

....Er..... I hope you're prepared for one of his convoluted replies ......

Mmm...maybe we saw the game from another perspective. You were lucky enough to go to the game I expect, whereas I watched a streamed link with 6 following replays. I have noticed that we don't always share the same opinion " 9 " - you and CB Fry are my favourite critics. Would be a boring world if we all thought the same though.

Now Now..... you have to be very careful when making common-sense excuses for a player who was condemned by many as rubbish - even in his first season. Gaston has been with us since 2012, and (TBF) was still " a boy in some respects " when he came. He's not the first (or the last) young import to struggle in the Prem. His first season was hampered by successive injuries, and his inability to show up better than Adam Lallana who (argueably) had his best season with us - did the rest. If he was starting out now, I'm sure he'd show up better, and Koeman would show more faith in him, but unfortunately it's a bit late now. He has grown up since and is a better player now, but it's the £12 million fee and the £65K / week salary we paid out that have helped make him look the part.

Hmmm......seem to be more people upset about the team selection than there were about celebrating the win. Playing a cup game against the bottom of the table side is not such a big challenge, although the Villa players were trying to impress their "next" manager, I suppose. Admittedly, the first half was a bit flat for Saints, but that's because they don't all play competitive football alongside each other every week. Romeu has only been a bit part player up until now. He didn't have so much to do, but came through OK - without his regulation yellow card. Ramirez playing for his future. Unlikely to still be here after next summer, but he's out to impress anyone watching (Everton did I read?). Did OK and showed skill. Juanmi's first real game, and looked good at times, but there are Prem. clubs who've made dearer purchases than him who look a lot worse. He'll improve in time. Targett and Caulker are second-choice players who came in and DAJFU - as they were expected to do. Yoshida (some people's MoM)...looked very good. Koeman says openly that he is a good player and a good professional, and his goal was a bit special. He is undoubtedly a better left-sided player, but like several (historical) players before him ..is/were willing to play anywhere the manager asks him to, and suffers the anger of fans when they don't turn in a MoM performance every time. Last night, he proved a lot of people wrong. Koeman says we have a stronger squad now (true) and everyone must get action at some time or other to keep them fresh ....and the incumbent on their mettle. As for the rest ...(of the regulars). Look at back at the match replays and see why Steven Davis splits the fans support. He upped the tempo after coming on, and his 40 yard crossfield ball onto Tadic's foot, set up Dusan for the centre and Pelle's exquisite goal. Nicely played by all three from start to finish. Wanyama and JWP both had games they'll want to forget. Few people deny JWP has talent, but he still can't find a proper role in the side - who does he replace? I hadn't forgotten Stekelenburg who made a couple of vital saves by punching balls clear, when there should have been one of our defenders there first. No chance with the penalty, which wasn't a penalty at all - (if you watch the replay from the camera behind the goal) but if you're a striker - and get tackled inside the box - of course you go down. Onto the next round - and Liverpool. Let's do it right next time.

you got your wish , Whitey ....

don't know the total capacity of the hospitality boxes?, or how many there are...but if they each hold 8-10 people each?...then it needs a good gang of people to fill them all. think some of them maybe company /organisational reservations and perhaps some people don't make it to evening games for various reasons. ....or? Certainly the lower ticket cost was an incentive for the " occasional fan" to see a game, and if they had been " normal price " - there probably wouldn't been half of that attendance.

well at least a chance for Stephens to make a name for himself, he's is the start side for 'Boro's League Cup game at Old Trafford

SAD!.. but even the pathway from Staplewood isn't always paved with gold .......

good example of what can be done. Mind you... a loan deal between Cardiff and Newport only means taking a bus in the other direction.