david in sweden

YET....

I'm sure a lot of this is depending on MP's future...... . if I were negotiating with him for a new contarct, I'd tell him how much he had to spend for next season, but if the talks genuinely haven't progressed that far......it still open to conjecture. secondly....it must also depend on the " futures " of Osvaldo and Ramirez. To be fair, even thinking positively ....it would be hard to speak more than two sentences in praise of either of them. If they both left... it would loosen up the budget strings a bit, especially when you consider the size of their salaries. It's not just the size of the fee, but the long term commitment to a big earner.

His HOME debut YES he did. He'd actually come on as sub. in an away game at Chelsea two weeks previously. .....but few people recall that Arsenal side finished 6th in that season (i987-88)..... 24 points behind Liverpool. After which Shearer's career made very slow progress. Following season; 8 starts + 2 subs - no goals ). 1989-90 19 starts +7 subs. 3 goals. 1990-91...34 starts +2 subs. but only 4 goals...not even looking like a regular, let alone future England CF. Only after 13 goals from 41 starts...did he become " interesting to other clubs " and Blackburn paid a record British fee for him. New young talent needs a lot nurturing and patience from the club and the fans.

Agreed ! a few (a very few) players take the League by storm as an up-and-coming teenage star. Wayne Rooney was one, so too Trevor Francis (if your memory is long enough) ....but looking at our own goal-scoring legends.....Mick Channon, Alan Shearer and even MLT....made very slow starts to their careers.....and in each case took one to two seasons to even get on the team sheet regularly - let alone score consistantly. James Beattie was a Blackburn reserve when he joined Saints (aged 20), and it took over two seasons before he started to score goals on " a regular basis ". How a player develops depends a lot...... on his new club .....his new manager... and how he adapts to the new environment. There would be a lot of red faces on this site..... if we looked back to see some of the early criticism laid on Jay Rod's first season at SMS, and called him a waste of £7 million. I haven't seen enough of Danny Ings to make a real judgement, but he looked pretty useful in those games I have watched.

It isn't just the close geographical proximity to Eastleigh that's interesting......(I mean you can drive across the city boundary into Eastleigh without hardly noticing it) .... but having a higher league status means that their standard of football will be higher.....and it turn may mean a better chance for some youngsters to get games if they are stuck in the Academy, ....or on the way back from injury lay-off. Recent seasons show that many teams promoted from the Conference have often done just as well in L2.....and a few teams (like Crawley) have made up to L1. Of course Eastleigh will be looking to strengthen their squad properly to get cover BUT if they can continue to maintain their recent good form.. there could be some real benefit for both clubs in the future.

everyone says it's a straight choice between Cork and Wanyama, and although Victor looked really good in the opening games, he's not reagined that form since he's come back. Jack Cork took his chance well and although I was abit unsure of his consistancy last season, since coming back he's looked as good as he ever has. Having paid out the £12 million for VW.....so how could we accomodate both?.......one thought maybe be as an extra CB. I think Jos (bless him) may be on the way out and we need more cover there. laugh ? Victor at centre back:?.....well perhaps the tough midfield role in the Prem. isn't really his style but having his type of physical play...especially alongside / in front of Lovren might be one solution... NO! .I not suggesting we dump Jose Fonte, but we're if planning longer term .Victor (soon 23) has quite a few years on Jose who is already past 30. Either way.. I wouldn't want to lose Jack Cork on his present form.

Mmm.... interesting comments, though he doesn't seem to rate Wanyama much (I certainly think Cork is a better footballer)... but has anyone else considerd that Victor might be better playing as a CB ?

.......and he can cycle and drink a cup of tea at the same time ......but can he play in goal ?

..........and a lot younger than our second choice keeper (KD) who is already 37.

I think a lot of us are " happy " with Boruc, but as soon as he gets an injury, we're back to KD and Gazzaniga....neither of whom is Prem.quality. If he were seriously injured we'd really be in the sh*te. We were on that great run of form when Boruc broke his hand at Chelsea and in the following 8 games ..we won only once, whilst trying both Davis and Gazzaniga. ....after Boruc came back.... we lost only three times in the following 12 games. Those stats. surely proves the point in question. When we were promoted from the Championship..... MY first buy would have been an international keeper. KD (great club servant though he is).. isn't Prem.standard and having Gazzaniga as his back-up was an idiotic choice. (Sorry Nigel but you really underestimated that). NOTE; Almost every Prem.club has, at least one international keeper, quite a number have two.....and several have three quality keepers.

...interesting comment from Peter Shilton interview (see todays BBC site).....saying that he thinks (at 26) ......Joe Hart is still young..and prone to mistakes ....well everyone makes them of course, but in 50 years as a fan ..the number of top-level goalies I've watched who were consistantly pretty reliable ....could probably be counted on one hand, and Hart is (argueably) the best English keeper. I've seen Mannone play some good games this season...and then.. games like the other night. Thus my ongoing comments about young keepers. It's good to have a prospect, but IMO central defenders and goalies take the longest time to develop properly. The best goalies I've watched have been 30+ ....and then a bit more too......so Mannone (not really) ......I'd prefer ....Fabianski ..or David Marshall.

........looking back on the phenomenal start we had to the season, it was obvious that we had a great start eleven, and everyone also seemed impressed by newer players coming in and doing well. ...what wasn't obvious was that beyond that ....the quality of our " bench players " was far below that required when called upon to cover injuries / suspensions. Already in December some contributors (on here) were saying that our " double-trained " players were beginning to wilt and wouldn't last out the season, (and there is some truth in that). The notion of using " reserve level " players in cup ties against lower-grade opposition isn't new, and in the past some clubs have been fined by the footballing authorities for playing " weakened sides". Sadly, although "the Reserves" often DAJFU in such circumstances, itcame unstuck in the Sunderland match. Having watched that game on TV, it seemed clear to me that we didn't have the defensive cover, or the strike power needed from those chosen. This is the result of having; " sub-Prem. standard " players who are still here on long contracts...and promising Academy lads who haven't yet made the grade. In attempting to give our " first-choice " players a well-earned rest, Pochettino must have thought that the "Reserves " could handle the job against a relegation-threatened Snderland who had already been cannon-fodder for a lot of teams. Whilst some of those individuals had DAJFU when called upon earlier in the season, putting out half-a-team of such players simply lacked the "grit " of the the first teamers, and it showed. Whilst fans were disappointed ..Pochettino will (hopefully) have learned two lessons from that game. (1)....His bench players are (in general) nowhere near the required standard to be Prem. selections. (not entirely their fault as some were bought when we were in the Championship - and even before that), and were never capable of becoming regular Prem. players. ....and (2) he made the error of putting the FA Cup on a lower level than Premier League ambitions without realising that whilst many " lower-placed " club sides can reach the Final (Wigan last year were a prime example) .....many fans (outside of the top six)....see an FA Cup victory as more important than a Champion League dream. Not entirely his fault, as the Cup competitons in many other countries have a much lower status that winning the League title, (which very few clubs are capable of anyway). As a club, we are on a steep-learning curve for a team who have constantly changed managers over the last ten years, been bankrupted and then promoted up through two divisons - and survived at the highest level - there are bound to be some errors and misjudgments along the way. Hopefully, we will remember this in the future. Everyone makes mistakes, but it's a fool who repeatedly makes the same mistake over and over again. I don't believe MP is such a person - but time will tell.

better late than never I suppose. Just got back from London, and sadly having watched the Cardiff game......one of my few " live games " the result was disappointing to say the least, but it was great to take in the atmosphere at SMS. Everyone around me at SMS said.... it was the worst game they'd seen in a long time and that I ought to have been there to see the Newcastle match..... We effectively " lost the game" in the first half. Having had so much possession when the Cardiff defence held off and looked like statues. After they scored, they pepped up a bit and we began to panic. Definitely missed Jay Rod (as we will until he's back - no matter who gets the 9 shirt).. and why oh why did we play Gaston up front.......as he kept drifting back into midfield. I would have tried Guly for 45 mins. (at least he can make a nuisance of himself), but by the time Sam G came on it was too late. Anyone who wasn't convinced of Gazzaniga unsuitability before the game should surely have seen it by the end. Not his fault, of course, but he just isn't up to it. Really think he was no better than Bart was at the end of his time...... and speaking of Polish keepers....I was encouraged by the recent " rumour " of maybe....signing Fabianski - if there's any truth in that.? Don't see us getting too many more points until Boruc is back, and until we can get someone up front to shoot on sight... rather than making three passes inside the box before making an effort. and whilst we're at it .....we ought to look at David Marshall -( if Cardiff go down). I made him MOM and he earned them the points.

I'd like to agree with that but I'd say Lovren instead. You need a toughie at CB, and although I agree Fonte has had many outstanding games...when he's good, he's very good, but on bad days - he can be b-...awful. IMO Lovren would be more difficult to replace.

However much " potential " we could see in buying in expensive foreign internationals has been brought into question TWICE now. Clearly Gaston isn't happy NOT playing games, but if he wants a move then reluctantly I'd say - let him go. He costs a lot of money and the salary would be better spent keeping / encouraging our best players. There has already been TOO much press about the Osvaldo fiasco, and he admitted in an interview (in Italy) that the English game was a lot tougher than he had expected. The South-American talent is obviously used to the open football and clever footwork , but Prem.defenders won't let them get away with that too often. It's unlikely that we could field a total British line-up, but when we sign "big-fee" foreigners - let's be sure they're good enough to be first on the team sheet and not an occasional name of the bench.

six months from now is early October.....which will be match number 7 or 8 next season AND does anyone expect him to start scoring as soon as he's back ? ...I doubt it. It took him a few matches to get going this season but his recent goal tally has been 15 goals in the last 27 League matches.....a really good average, and hard to repeat. we'd all like to see him back ASAP, but we can't go two months into a new season without a top class frontline striker, (and please don't let anyone start claiming Sam.G can't do the job.) Sam's a great prospect ....but surely no-one can see him taking up that role so soon in his career. He maybe tall, but he needs to get some aggression into his game - but without getting booked every match.

This season - so far THREE in the League, plus ONE. Guly scored his in a Cup game when Rickie wasn't involved, but there should have been more ..with better refereeing! Admitedly, that MLT tally looks along way off ...for anyone, but records are there to be broken - aren't they?

YES it is. They are outstanding debts, but not liabilities in the sense that we don't have the money to pay them. Perhaps a few more journos ought to learn how to read a balance sheet, instead of which they go for the scandalous headlines.

......surely it is good way to stamp out many of the dubious decisions .....in all situations.

interesting reading......but not just before my lunch time, though.

I thought the whole point should be we need an experienced international keeper.....not a lad....however promising he might be. Our problem began when first promoted back to Prem.... and NA thought KD was OK at the higher level, but he clearly wasn't. (No disrespect to KD) ..and many other Prem.sides had at least two international keepers. Problem further compounded when we didn't get Butland not such a bad miss in retrospect....and so we chose Gazzaniga instead, based only on the fact he had half-a-good season with Gillingham. If the idea was that Gazza sat on the bench for a year or two (and in case of the occasional injury) in order to get upto pace..... that idea went out the window in the first month...and he was clearly no better than KD. I was more angry with " NA and The Board " than I was with Gazza, who quite clearly wasn't upto the task either...not then ...or now. Thankfully Boruc was available, but now even he is beginning to show the signs of age with slow-healing injuries. ...and at 38 ...KD 's future first team chances are becoming less and less - even though he's likely to stay on and see out his 3 year extension. Many young keepers can look good when in their teens, apparantly Tommy Forecast did ......... but only one or two young keepers every generation make it to the top. 17 y.o. Peter Shilton replaced WC goalie Gordon Banks in 1967....and Gary Sprake was a sensation at Leeds in the 1970's...whilst still in his teens.....many, many others have fallen by the wayside by 21. Right now we have ; Boruc, and KD (both injured)...Gazzaniga of course.... and USA U21 keeper Cody Cropper (who has had a less than successful spell in the U21 set-up) then comes ... N.I. U21 keeper Chris Johns, and at U18 level we have signed up Harry Isted (recently signed -aged 17) and several others who have had trials in recent games.) Jed Smith, Gogic and White Will Britt has been with the Academy for a while, but is presently on loan to ...Bognor..!.... which ever league they are in? ....and so if the first three named aren't available....the choice from the remainder is grim. The fact remains that Boruc is the only reliable name in the whole bunch......when fit ! Now that's THREE roles we need to urgently fill in the Summer. A " clone of Lovren" would be good, an experienced international goalie ...and with JayRod's injury and the Osvaldo fiasco still to resolve, we need..at least ONE good (proven) striker to support Lambert up front - even though he doesn't play the traditional striker role any longer. It's sensible to continue integrating Academy talent into the squad, but there needs to be a stable team to begin to work with in the first place. Very few kids last for very long in their first season.

.....with Rickie's extended contract signing last year.....(another 3 years, I think). ..can there be a chance he might overtake MLT's penalty goal tally.....48 of 49.

I think Kiko is his dad, so Enrigue must be his younger brother ...?