david in sweden

....sounds like a dream scenario......but what would your team sheet look like?...... and who would you drop?

....or a crap, falling-over Croatian defender ...

...of course, but if Saints drew either of them AWAY in round 3 (if they survived that is)..... they'd surely move the game to SMS.....

a timely reminder of some names "for the future". A bit more recently " someone on here " quoted the (now-departed) Jason Dodd.... as stating that the next Academy graduate to make the first team squad would be ...U21 striker Ryan Seager.

be fair. He may have been born there, (not his fault)...but it's not as if he's played for them......

three ?

hardly likely.... svetigpung, what a good job most English contributors don't understand Swedish But I saw an interview where Svennis is managing the national side in CHINA (!). Doubtless only for the money, as rumour has it he was cheated out of his fortune by a false investment scam. He also said he won't stop working as he " needs football "...and the year he took off .....after England sacked him..... was the worst year of his life......

as always ......we take one game at a time. we can't predict results, or know who will be available, injured ..or even suspended. If we are without someone for a short, or longer period...someone might step out of the shadows, or come off the bench ....and become a game-changer hero. It's certainly more exciting to know.....that even if a bad result comes, we won't have to look to see who's under us .....at the bottom of the table.

wrote this before, but.... he does look the part, and is very dedicated and comes over well in interviews. His dedication to training, and of set-pieces etc, has been well-publicised. Captaining a young England side above his age group is a good recommendation, and he doesn't look out of place despite being ....just 20 (now in Nov.). If he gets back into the Saints side soon....and continues to improve....he might even be an outsider for a seat on the England plane to the 2016 Euros.

don't joke - you maybe right. There has been a bit of media coverage on " some African countries" who issue passports with " dubious birthdates " on them and some " very mature-looking" players have turned up in U21 sides. The "lad" mentioned is a hit with AIK (Stockholm area club), and he's scored a few spectacular goals, but the general standard of Sweden's top division is not better than Championship standard.

good point ! although - not to their credit - they seem to discard their youth players so easily - even the better ones who go onto other clubs. Cork and Sturridge are first that come to mind.

You're right ART...probably closer 17½ y.o. (on quick reckoning).....Mick was born in late November, I think? as a matter of interest, I saw quite a lot of Reserve games in that period (was stupid enough to get a job that meant I had to work some Saturdays) and remember well many of the " young stars " who burnt out and didn't make the cut at 18. It's tough having to let a player go, when young and unproven, but surely worse when he makes the grade with another club. Kevin Phillips was a prime example....and **Dennis Wise, too. NOTE: ** It's a fun " pub-quiz " question . Which Saints player made his first team debut ....20 years after he first played in the Reserve side? HAHA

ABSOLUTELY CORRECT! Aside from the " Big Six " ( I won't say the " top Six " because some of them aren't up there yet this season,)........but in every " small club " ...there are one or two " big fish ". Sometimes they stay with the club, (MLT did with us) ..but more often they must be sold on the one of the Big Six in order for the small club to buy new, or worse to cover their salary bill. Inevitably, big clubs can afford NOT to play these people on a regular basis, or leave them on their bench....but in effect they rob the smaller clubs of their talent, thereby keeping them down-in their place. The " Euro rules " governing clubs' economy seems to be based - not so much on investment - but on the limitations of the club's income. Therefore ....without filling a 50,000 stadium (which we don't have) every game, we'd need to sell £100 million worth of players every season - to create the same sort of income. Even if we qualify for CL....and do well (not necessarily win) we won't create enough " big income " to balance the books - if we want to match the £100K salaries that the Big Six regularly pay players. Unless a Saints' player REALLY loves SMS, he must ask himself -if a big club makes a bid - would he swap his 40k salary (with Saints) ..for 100K /week with a " bigger club ". Surely a no-brainer.

.......Am I totally alone .......in being amazed at the " love affair between the media and Jack Wilshere "? .. I really do not rate him above several others in the England squad. Maybe I don't see enough of his Arsenal matches to judge .....but I fail to see how he warrants so much praise in his England games, based on those I've watched. Certainly, he laid on a nice pass for AOC to score last night, but he's out of the action for long periods in many games I've seen, and his passing game seems little better than average.

I was quoting from memory when I wrote the above, but some other people seem to agree with me and the long section on Andy Townsend in the recent ALL THE SAINTS publication includes this : " Nicholl (who had inherited him (AT) from Lawrie McMenemy)... had never hit it off with Andy......". " Nicholl sold him, and the move suited both parties ". Nicholl needed the money, and AT was keen to leave ..., though not necessarily to Norwich". If you want to dispute that suggest you take it up with David Bull, Gary or Duncan...they wrote it. AT must surely have seen his move as beneficial. In three years with Saints he started 89 games +12 subs. and scored a mere 5 goals. He was certainly good at Norwich . and won the first of his 70 Irish caps only 6 months afterwards. He then moved on to Chelsea, and later Aston Villa. I've had the dubious privelege of hearing his commentaries (many times ) on televised games, and though he only occasionally mentions his own career, I've never heard him comment on his time at Saints. However, the gist of my comment on #26 relates to his " adoration of Jack Wilshere" - an opinion I do not share.

a couple of starts last season and around a dozen subs. in the last 10 minutes..not much to go on. Difficult to judge anyone on the strength of that, so I go with the majority on here. He's still young and needs games at a better level before we start to comment on his eventual Prem. status Historically, many of our best strikers who came through the ranks took time to develop and become regular scorers - even back to Martin Chivers in the early 1960's. Mick Channon popped up with that famous debut goal aged 18, but then only played a handful of matches in the following two seasons, before becoming regular, and it still took him time to get goals. Similar with Matt Le Tissier, his legendary League Cup match when we beat Man U. at The Dell was good enough to get Ron Adkinson fired, but MLT didn't establish himself for another season or two, Alan Shearer with his hat-trick v. Arsenal, but managed only 3 goals in over 30 games in the following two seasons...and only really got goals in his last year (before move to Blackburn.) James Beattie (admittedly not a Saints product) who came aged 20 ....had a highly forgettable two seasons.... before he began scoring and people started to take notice. Don't think we should discuss Sam's status /ability too quickly...and perhaps not even after his first full season. He needs time to develop and hopefully, the management will grant him that.

came on as sub at HT. Well-deserved after all his years with Saints. Now all our regular first team are have international caps.

Thank you ART, I don't normally get involved in the trolling about transfers, but I guess the JayRod /Kane /Townsend media hype just got to me for once, and I tried to get a wider perspective. I shall try to revert to type.

Er.....Chris Baird ??? and probably....Morgan Schneiderlin for France.

Brendan Rodgers still hasn't worked out is that the success of L&L at Saints was they were a partnership and .....that they played TOGETHER ....in the same side. Lambert rarely gets more than the last 10 mins. and usually when the game is already lost... OR.........he uses one to substitute the other. So much for managerial tactics, he's already used Plan K ..and still not figured it out yet.

No surprise perhaps, he's been found out...in a short time. Doesn't have Fonte around to protect his back, anymore.

another mystery target. OK, I know he's only 20..and Norwich are (reputedly) asking £8 million for him, but he hasn't impressed me in (the few) games I've seen him in. 7 goals in 62 games for Birmingham, but that was Championship, and the " rather flukey " long-distance shot that beat Saints 1-0 at Carrow Road last season is still the only Prem. goal he's scored. If were going to invest that sort of fee in him, I hope that the " Black Box" has more evidence to his advantage that I've seen. Good prospect ? maybe, but can't see him rivalling Mané for a team place.

Of course there isn't a lot of goal history to analyse, but since he was 18, he's had 9 different loan-out (all lower league) and managed a career total of 12 league goals. He seems to have a reputation for good solo efforts at almost every loan club, and came to fame with a couple of memorable strikes whilst on loan at QPR,..... and of course that debut goal for England. .......so I repeat he has scored a few spectacular goals, but 12 goals from 130-odd apps. isn't such a good return and certainly not for the valuation he seemingly commands. Overall . I'm not greatly impressed. Would MUCH prefer Harry Kane.

AGREE totally Sour Mash. I think Kane is a good prospect,and would be a good addition to the sqaud, but I've never been convinced about Townsend, although he has a good turn of pace and has scored a few spectacular goals - he doesn't look like a 90 minute team player to me) ......plus (as I have argued before on this site), rarely do London-based players seem to " settle down" to the mindset of life on the South Coast. Historically, the list of unsatisfactory buys outweighs those who actually DAJFU. IF we were to carry through a deal like that ..but it would be a win-win situation for Saints - even if only one was a success. Tottenham would take all the (financial) risk, but then again they seem to have money to burn anyway, and perhaps they " owe us a bit back" morally-speaking...for the Bale deal. The big question however, is not ours to answer. That is the fitness issue with Jay Rod. I do like him as a player, (even when he was at Burnley), and IMO he got a raw deal when signed by Adkins and was stuck out to rot on the left wing. His real success came in a more traditional striker role. No-one can doubt his class when you see his performances just prior to his unfortunate injury but now he must firstly, regain 100% fitness, and the form that he once had. Thereby lies the key to success or failure. Fans can be notoriously fickle - if a new signing doesn't show success from Day 1 (as could be seen with the "mixed reactions " on this site after Pelle's first few games). Everything takes time. I genuinely wish Jay Rod well (whether he stays or goes), but I think the success he's had was in part due to the side he played in..... rather than just individual skill / talent. Looking back 10 years, and the success and acclaim that James Beattie had....we all recall the rapid downfall that followed his disasterous move to Everton. I'd hate the same to happen to Jay.

Interesting that the versatile Chambers started out in the Academy U18s as a midfielder, but converted to RB last season when Clyne was injured pre-season 2013. Wenger now uses him as a CB. Few could have imagined how well he started with Arsenal, but (as Roy Hodgson intimated in an interview last year) lots of good young players show up well for a few games, but tend to lose their form after 6 or 7 matches. Although he started well, Chambers seems to have come down to Earth with a bump in the last couple of Arsenal games. No matter he still has talent, and will come again. Hooiveld, is another case of the " journeyman " signed in a panic who came to our rescue at an important time, and DAJFU when most needed. His own goals (not always his fault) turned fans against him. He has his limitations (as everyone) but passing 30 is not a good recommendation for such a player at this stage of his career. He undoubtedly has a few more good years in him, but sadly not at Prem. level. Chambers surprise £16 million move to Arsenal was certainly a good deal for Saints, but I doubt that we will miss someone who was never a " regular " in the side, even though vastly talented.