david in sweden

oh ye of little faith ....

........and a manager who speaks English. (and he's volunteering to have some more lessons).

At least we can see that he knows how the kick the ball(s).

No more than any other club. An interview, a month or so back, cited that the average lifespan of a Prem. manager was only .......13 months. ** Impatient Chairmen everywhere. but for Saints ...since 2009-10 Alan Pardew (14 months) (sacked for some sort of "disciplinary reason) ", Nigel Adkins (27 months) then sacked. (difficult to argue) as I thought he'd lost the Prem. League plot somewhere before Christmas. Mauricio Pochettino (16 months) .....then quit after seeing pastures new - and a bigger stadium. Looking at the recent history of some other current Prem. clubs... we're a bit above the average. However, perhaps rather more of a " Golden Fleece " than a poison chalice, I think. Because it's interesting to note that all three " fell on their feet " so to speak, as all found new employers quite quickly. Alan Pardew is currently only part way into an 8 year contract at Newcastle. Reading will certainly continue to support NA, who only missed a play-off spot on goal difference. As for Senor Pochettino.....I await with baited breath to see how much of his 5 year contract he'll serve before Mr. Levy tires of him..

.......it's all part of the media hype that feeds the bookies, but never mind the suckers - it's all show biz. Some of these stories seem to have little or no foundation in fact, but after the journos " create " a storyline, the bookies take over and people start betting on something that was never even a race. Go back a few weeks ....and we read about Lallana and Shaw up north house-hunting, whilst others trying to prise themselves away from SMS ...now that their favourite uncle Mauricio has jumped ship. ....but today, " unforseen circumstances " mean that such-and-such club has moved their attention away from (the above-mentioned) to another player, who likely isn't going to sign, either. Right now, SFC are (according to some) a club in crisis, ready to implode with all the top players fleeing to pastures new ....and the bookies are already quoting odds for our impending relegation, without having played even one game. Man Utd, meanwhile, are being toted among the favourites to win the Premier League ...and regain some CL football, with " Superman " van Gaal and his £200 million war chest for new players. How gullible do they think people are ?

agree with some others. Yoshida may not be rated as World Class, but he is a good team player and a safe defender. He had an uncertain start when he first arrived, but was only used as an alternative full back covering for injuries and didn't shine, but much as I like Jos (as a personality) I'd choose Yosh at CB every time.

Let me guess......I bet they have parking privileges for their spacecraft in the car park at SMS.

me too.......especially for £15 million..........

philosophising only .....I think I stated my preference, but I always like to have a viable Plan B in every situation......

I wish I could quote you where I read the quote, but I can't find it... but it related to an item about Englands latest U19/21 ..and I think and said that Targett was " a better prospect at 16 ..." but got injured? Had Shaw not been SO outstanding this last season, I think we'd have seen one or two other candidates for the LB spot getting an outing.....but it's purely hypothetical as we've only seen Luke in that role.

A good game NOT to play in. Firstly, most people accept that Luke Shaw is only along for the ride, but what a great experience for him at this age. He'll only play if Baines get seriously injured. I really did expect Lallana to start instead of only coming in at the death, whilst Roy plumped for his Merseyside / Manchester team selections instead.....(am I glad that Milner didn't get to come on, too) Like many fans, I still think of Rickie Lambert as a Saints' player, (at least until he starts his first game in a Liverpool shirt) .....but would loved to have seen him play. On recent showings, I'd have chosen him in front of Welbeck...(or even Rooney for that matter) - after all we did start with Sturridge AND Sterling who would have seen the benefit of Lambert's service. Some players may forever be tainted with the memory of the result.... but then my mind went back to a time in Mick Channon's career in the early 70's. It really was Mick's heyday and he was scoring for fun but was suddenly was left out of an very interesting and prestigious England fixture. Many Saints' fans were upset and disappointed. England lost dismally...in retrospect ...it was a good fixture NOT to be involved in. Mick went on to play more England games, whereas one or two of those chosen that day had played their last international game. Perhaps we will see a few changes for the next game.... if Roy has the courage to change it.

.....the likes of Shaw and Lallana....and even Lovren. It's only the money. but also provides good capital if we are to sign a better class of international. For a start, just those two/three potential transfers might bring in £50-60 million....which isn't the sort of easy decision you can reasonably make over a pint in your local. Their stock may never be higher. All three have had very good seasons ....age is on their side...and with them also going to a World Cup ....it's difficult to see us saying NO! If they are to stay (persuaded by a new (as yet unseen) managerial team, then we could go on from strength to strength. Replacements? .....well Saints homepage said Matt Targett was (originally) rated above Luke Shaw, but wasn't in the right place at the right time and had an injury...just when Shaw came on strongly. We've seen a quick glimpse of a few others - who didn't look entirely out of place, and if we're looking to our Academy as an ongoing breeding ground (and not one that was " lucky enough" to have a handful of players in the same generation who just came good at the same time)....then we'll need more faith in the system to continue producing them. Personally?......I'd like to see them all stay for another 5 years.....but it will make life much harder for those newer recruits to get a look-in, or expect to get regular game-time. The next World Cup is another 4 years away - what then? ......Age may still be on their side, but will they be as a good - or better.

well ....they were both tough defenders who were good at giving away free-kicks, but got the job done. If we're looking at international experience?.....I'm more impressed by Koeman......as for results ...ask me in a years time.

a blast from the past..... Quite some years back ... can recall some rumour that we were looking at that Croatian keeper ...Pletikosa ??....but think there was some EU work permit issue at the time.??? 112 caps later, he's now 35 .....so maybe not the best long term investment.

think I'd agree with that. Adam Lallana evidently had enough time at B'mouth to have a sell-on clause in his contract but Walcott signed at 11. Bale did come later and now we boast first-teamers who were signed aged 8. By defintion I think 16-18 age group is the one we boast about and whether they came as teenagers, or age 8 isn't the real issue. There are a lot of 8 year olds who haven't progressed as Mum/Dad hoped.

yet again, Lens was one of the " suggested signings " after we came up from the Championship...we signed Jay Rod instead. At least that was a good move.

too old and too costly. Great in The Spain game, but in two years ?? USA or Japan leagues for a million a game.

......hardly paranoia ....just a longer memory.

In over 50 years, I've noted a love-hate relationship in the media, some of whom have always regarded us as South Coast upstarts who were really only fit to be goal-fodder for " the big city " teams. It was easy to start a rumour about about some " big club " buying our growing talent(s) at the drop of a fiver and a drink/chat with an agent. " Forcing a deal" and then claiming praise and glory for developing a gifted player who....just happened to have been a youth player at a South Coast club.. What a idiotic media joke that was. When we look back at last season and see how many of the media " predictions " have come to reality there will be proper chance to evaluate where the truth lies. Did Lovren e-mail his transfer request, and Shaw ask for a move to MU and will Adam Lallana really move to get CL football......and all because their beloved manager left? - maybe so. Some people on here have been accusing Les Reed of " lying " about bids / enquiries for players, and breaking promises that were clearly designed to win over one person ..(who has since left the club) and prefer to believe the Daily Liar when it prints stories about a mass exodus, agreed transfers to clubs who haven't made offers, house-hunting players with promised enormous salaries elsewhere. At least spreading such " rumours " goes along way to making the bookies ...(who are a big investor in the media) - a lot richer doesn't it? The one exception I make to that is the Lambert transfer. More has been written on this site in praise of Rickie Lambert that I could say BUT after MP " jumped ship " it was clear that such statements need not be honoured, as a new manager... building his own side would almost certainly start RL on the bench in the future, and we'd see the memory of his great career fade back back into the Championship and L1. when he has been an excellent servant to us. I hope that whatever is left of his career is full of glory and I won't begrudge him a minute of it. The final word is back with the media. Having spent a season cursing MP for using an interpreter, they grew to love him and now he's joined one of the " big London clubs ":lol: they'll love him even more, and try to rub salt in the wound by reminding SFC what they lost every time we lose a game next season. A love-hate realtionship? ....(choose your own phrase) but the media have to have someone to kick when they're down and we've always been an easy target.

get him to name the Man.City players he's thinking about. Don't know if any Club had an " Academy " (as we know it) back then. Lots of teams had "youth schemes" or whatever you call them, but if we mean "players who cam through the ranks " then doing our list isn't so hard..... but how many games would qualify for such a list?. Lots of lads have had " debuts and sub apps." but few of them ever got past a dozen outings.

FIFA (read Sepp Blatter)'s refusal to use available technology for more than just the occasional goal-line decision leaves every game open for even bigger mistakes. At this level - it's utterly disgraceful. For Two BILLION people to have watched the Brazil v. Croatia game and see what REALLY happened whilst the ref. had his own script is so farcical it defies any sort of excuse / explanation. Blatter out!

listening to Les Reed, it sounds a bit more like .....it's we who are taking our time to get the right man....(suggest less panic, more patience) .

I don't think there is any " unnecessary delay " in finding the new manager, and the time it has taken must indicate that the Board is being pretty thorough about the appointment. I also think that they were taken unaware a bit and didn't expect MP to jump ship at the last moment....and the number of reported applicants must have surprised a lot of people and sorting a short list of even 10 can't be so easy. I'm pleased with what MP did for SFC - whilst he was here, but now that he's gone ..to the club he's gone to...it has only increased the distaste I've had for Spuds.. over the last 30-odd years. The one thing that disturbs me (and others) seems to be the mounting uncertainty (supposedly) being aroused amongst some of the players. The bottom line (as always) is ....yes they have a contract.. but if they really don't want to be at SFC anymore ...they can s*d off ... just as long as we make their new employers pay through the nose.

Oh, I wish I'd said that ! It's cheered me up no end, Jeff.

Home and (especially) AWAY.