david in sweden

When you're winning, you can go to matches (and be interviewed) wearing a suit and tie and be cool, calm and collected. When things are tough , the " track suit image and unshaven look " suggests you've been out long hours on the training ground trying to make your ideas work... When (Saints) players said he spoke enough English to communicate, thats not difficult to believe. The vocabulary required isn't difficult to communicate to players who may have struggled with their GCSE's, where MP had the upper hand was his demand for an interpreter who could sanitize his Spanish expressions, into " English football-jargon " that people could accept. Levy's (obvious) insistance that MP uses English betrays the fact that MP didn't bother to pursue the opportunity to take any English lessons, or he would have certainly improved much more than he has. With his team struggling, he now has difficulty in explaining that (in interviews) and hardly seems more coherent than when he first arrived at SMS.

surely ......if we had only scored 4 v Sunderland, we'd still have got the three points and still have been second in the table. Goals are nice but we still get three points a game - even with 1-0 wins.

It's quite impressive, (considering it's Saints), but if we still have the same (best) defensive record after the New Year, we can really be impressed....along with all those doubting Thomases in the media ......

I'm trying to recall the circumstances of that one, but I don't think it came anywhere near the potential for a criminal prosecution.....

perhaps he didn't have time to learn all those continental names as the Allied forces advanced through France and the Low Countries after D-Day ?.....

.....which maybe equalled out by the rumour that he's going to get Inigo Idiakez (SFC 2006-08)....on his new coaching staff....

my spanish isn't that good, but I got the impression that the translator had a number of standard replies to standard questions and seemed to make the rest up as he went along, whilst Poch smiled...ah well.

surprise, surprise. ......whoever thought that one up? What do they learn at journalist school?....that " so-called " reporter would be better employed selling the advertising space in his paper that he filled with that junk (lying) story.

Er ..was he well-represented in court ...?

whilst I agree with the sentiment, I often wonder what is "an ideal world?" There are limits which should be tolerated, but IMO...a club employee (player) who is paid many times more than his customers (fans) who pay a lot of money to watch 90 minutes of football twice-a-month... really ought to be aware of his social responsibilities, and guard his behaviour plus the fact that all players are, in some way.. role-models for younger players/fans and the community they live in. At least, that would be the case of someone at SFC ....not sure about attitude at Sheff.Utd..or other clubs?. I'm sure I don't need to name names, but some older fans will recall a number of younger players (in the past) who crossed that line, and were promptly shipped out to pastures new. Few of them changed their habits and their careers, for the most part, ebbed away in the fullness of time. Many years ago...One of my first bosses, (never someone to call a spade a shovel), always warned.....never sh*t on your own doorstep. Wise words that clubs might heed when employing troublemakers.

another boring item citing Spuds double deal for Jay Rod and Schneiderlin .....for a measly £35 mill.... If Lallana went for £25 million......does that mean that Schneiderlin isn't worth just as much as AL?....or, are they only valueing Jay Rod at £10 mill? I hope both players stay and this is only more journo space-filling gossip, but were they to go....I can see MS as at least £25m..and JayRod nearer £20 mill....and NO, we we don't need Townsend.

...be nice if we get to see a photo of him with his Mum - after he wins his first England cap.

looking at those "rejects " that Spuds have already spent £30 million on .......would a mere £25 m. seem be giving MS away?

.....this seems to be more of a moral question than a legal one. The old adage about ...." having paid their debt to society " (when he eventually does, that is)....will be little consolation to his victim who will surely find it difficult to "turn the page and move on". By their nature, footballers, pop stars and people in "the public eye " seem to feel there are "special circumstances " surrounding their lives that make them exceptions to society's hatred of violence. The real question is ..IF he comes back, and becomes " a local hero " by scoring a few important goals ..will society's perception of him (and his poor victim's)... suddenly change? ....Mine won't.

I go along along with that rhetoric cambsaint, unfortunately your last line comment awakened the pedants on the site and they lost track of the rest of your message. I have a dislike (dare I say hatred?) of a few clubs, but Spuds come close to the top of most lists. Their " superioity complex " is unbelieveable, when you consider than many of them would need to talk to their grandparents in order to hear stories of their former " glory, glory " days. Daniel Levy carries all the responsibility for their present situation and his record of "culling" managers, in an attempt to buy success is almost on a par with Abrahamovic's. His latest recruit (MP) may find that life in North London is much less comfortable than he ever imagined, and he shouldn't go flat-hunting there too quickly. The thing that really amazes me in all this is Levy's " blind faith " in Franco Baldini who seems to have made some of the the worst possible selections since he arrived. Is he Levy's brother-in-law ..or ? No-one doubts that the Bale deal was a real coup..£85 million for ONE player, but to squander it on the replacement players he did...is totally amazing. The signings of Lamela, Soldado and Paulinho alone took care of the Bale fee ...and still he went on buying a load of misfits. It's hard to see exactly what their pedigree is, or how their previous performances could qualify them to fit into a Prem side. Given the ongoing situation at Spuds, possible new ownership, uncertainty at Board level, next managerial change ?...... Paul Mitchell might ponder the prospect that their planned ground removal would put him back in a portacabin for the next 3 seasons.

Memories, memories ...if every one of our " young-er " fans watched this, it might go someway to understanding just what we raved about for decades past. several nice touches ...the phrase " family club " used way back it the late 1940's. A bit more footage of Ron Davies and Terry Paine, Chivers and early-Le Tiss and even a few moments on the late Steve Mills. True, we lacked consistancy in quite a few seasons, but when we hit real form we were almost world-beaters. Our record at The Dell v.Liverpool was always outstanding - even when they were Euro Champs.

Aye lad, it's tough up north ..... .as it is he 'll be slipping down the pecking order, and not getting games wil only make it worse for him. Good chance to impress.....someone ? IF Leeds give him a run-out for a few games and he DAJF them, then maybe he'll rehabilitate himself back at SMS, but I think he's at the crossroads and needs to know what his future is .....

.......or, finding out what the players' pre-match playlist in the dressing room is ...........more disco?.....less Indie-rock?.....or ?...

back to stats.....more stats and da*n lies.....and I'm someone who keeps stats. I think the over-riding factor here is that " the favourites" for title, namely the big teams presently (still in CL) have, for the most part, lost a phenomenal number of points (by their own standards) for a time so early in the season. Chelsea clearly have little opposition to winning the title...(unless Mourinho quits in a bout of anger, or an earthquake hits Stamford Bridge) but several of the others will need a miraculous change of form, (and may be eclipsed by a recovering Newcastle side:lol:...but even a " recovery " such as that would mean their final points title will not be anywhere near as high as it has been in previous seasons. I don't have stats. to hand, but I'd warrant few of them have ever lost so many early season points and went onto qualify. Even with an average of 2.5 points /game...80 points would seem a monumental task.

I think Ronald Koeman is smarter than to go for the job - at the moment anyway. He was clearly interested in the job earlier in the year... and several legendary Dutch names tipped him, but the Dutch FA decided for Hiddinck instead. It wasn't too difficult to see that RK was a bit miffed (when asked about it in Saints' interviews), but is clearly "happy" to let the Dutch FA stew in their own juice (having rejected him previously.) There is a good time... (and not so good time) to take up a management job. Moyes eagerly took the poison chalice at MU after Fergie quit, and subsequently paid the price of failure. The Dutch national side, which looked so adventurous in the WC, is now in tatters. Their problems won't be resolved overnight either, and it is a good moment in time NOT to go after that particular job.

one factor is missing at present ..having not won anything... yet. But that will come. When you have a good team that has won something and is still playing together - that's something to be glad about. YES, I know it's early days, but it's also fun just thumbing down the league table to try and find those "Big Clubs" who spent £100+ million in the summer ....and who still can't make it work. Even if we don't win a trophy, we may qualify for " something Euro " by the end of the season, but meanwhile ...every day I can look at the Prem.table ...and see us above Spuds and MU....is a good day.

....knowing his history, and his love of his home city, I think he'd willingly have played for Liverpool for half of what we paid him. For the glory. Pity for him his present manager doesn't see his value.

Never go back ...is the perfect axiom for footballers, who have moved on. Surely most fans have wonderful memories of RL and it should stay that way. Given the chance ..he'll show ...what's left of his old form for Liverpool. A return to SMS....nice for the nostalgic value only, might only turn sour and spoil the memory.

of course now we see ..what many of us knew before than Suarez was the Liverpool side last season . Sturridge meanwhile was free to score whilst most opponents put three men on LS. Rodgers seems to have bought a lot of name players without looking at them as a team. I know if I'd bought in Lambert and Lallana,(who were the success men in our set-up), I'd play them TOGETHER. .........and not leave them to hold hands on the bench, and then blame them when they can't pull his irons out of the fire when subbed on in the last 10 mins. Instead of catering to Balotelli all the time, BR should start both L@L togther and play them until, they start to gel again . It worked for us - not apparantly not L'pool.

looking back at your OP Turkish, (55 years as a fan)..... I think I can say......it feels that we are more of a club.....than we've have ever been.