david in sweden

well I might think twice about him. Yes he's tough in the tackle, but I saw him sent off in one game and he always looks like he's one tackle away from a red card. On his day, he can be OK but when the red haze comes up before him, he's just an accident waiting to happen.

Newcastle did fine him, but he also has an EIGHT YEAR CONTRACT. If they did get rid of him, it'll cost them a fortune in compensation.

.....if he could handle his players in the same way he handles the media.....Newcastle would win Champions League.

Error duplication .

Agree totally, but when was the last time that an England captain was sent off in a Premier League game.? If ever.

.....and eventually got a yellow card. I wonder if the " sorry Adam " after the final whistle was apology enough ?

Mmmm......possibly?..... ..but Chris Baird had a pretty dodgy record, too. Don't know if we came out ahead when he played for us. Some players are just plain unlucky with deflections and can't get out of the way.....but it not the same as Gareth Barry at SMS last season ..playing the ball back to an invisible Joe Hart and into his own net.

Absolutely correct kpturner. I've spent the last 30 years in Sweden helping to teach English to quite a few different nationalities, in different professions and often very specific skills. Providing you can build a suitable vocabulary, you can explain yourself simply....and even make a short speech, or presentation with just a little intensive training. BUT getting yourself into a Q&A situation with someone who is a "mother-tongue speaker" and has different vocabulary to you and who may speak in another dialect is a nightmare of the first order. I've met people who are highly-placed in many areas of work, professors and politicians who are highly eloquent, but barely have tourist English when it comes to answering questions and explaining things. I'm sure that MP will " get around to it " eventually, but right now I'd prefer him to spend his time on the training ground ..and not in a language lab. He does OK with the translator, who doesn't have a huge English vocabulary himself either - especially as some of the Spanish phrases are difficult to translate AND vice-versa.

I have to agree 100% with that Glasgow. Discussion even conjecture is normal, but it does seems like some of our contributors work for the bookies and trying to drum up business. Will he go? ...will he stay?. Will Shaw go .....etc etc. Some of the tabloid journos who come out with scandal tactics really ought to be locked away. This sort of " psychological waterboarding" isn't helpful to the club.....or the game we all love. I don't think any manager..or player should discuss the future before the end of the season, and if KL has done her job.... I hope she has she will move heaven and earth to ensure he stays. From MP (his) point of view...he's not getting the results he wants, but must have great pride in seeing 4 of his first team squad picked for the English national side ....even if they're NOT Argentines. Disappointing as it is.....our recent record doesn't qualify him to manage Real Madrid...and as he sees he has such a good set-up at SFC, I think he probably has an open mind on the subject. Various sources published have spoken about his fervour for the game, the club and his ethical stance. I think this type of wasteful conjecture doesn't do anyone credit. We should leave the man to decide his own future and not create an atmosphere where he might feel unwanted or unappreciated. .....but then again..... bookmakers make their living taking people's wages on junk issues like this - don't they, so (sadly) ...we may have to live it a bit longer. I wouldn't bet on an issue this - better buy something for the children, or the important people in your life and don't help the bookie buy his next Porsche.

This is typical of the sort of game that often causes Saints problems. A side struggling against relegation ( NO!... THEM not us ) but also can come unstuck. For the first time this sesdon; I saw a lot of disappointment on faces after Liverpool's 2-0 goal ...and signs of fatigue. Now we have almost ALL of the regular choices involved in internationals, and they're all likely to be involved ...and even if they don't play a full 90 mins....the travelling will take it out of them, too. Come Saturday, a lot of the squad will have played twice this week already, and so MP is on a hiding to nothing. If he plays the same " tired " players, they might not last the 90 mins. and if " does the sensible thing " and uses some of the Academy hopefuls / bench players ....and we lose .....he'll get even more stick from the fans.

.....but at 30.....if he wants to have a career in the future, he may have to.

This might not be so strange as it sounds.........I just opened a thread about Jos' " possible " departure (published on a couple of sites) Considering that Calum started as a midfielder and has moved around a bit .....before finding the RB spot ( in lieu of Clyne's injury) ...WHY NOT ?

....and probably hoping that the FA will consider that " punishment enough" and just send him a letter of warning. No chance. I think he's in for a long sojourn away from the bench sitting in the stands, although I don't know what more they can do to him .......? Anyone ?

Me too !

GOOD. I've read a lot dummer suggestions than that on here recently...and one or two of our other "promising talents " could have a loan too -that's if they are likely to be included in next season's plans.

...........do you think his " passion " should be measured by the number of minutes he plays " jack-in-the-box " in the technical area,? or how many times he swears at a referee?....or head-butts someone?. Maybe he should have an outbreak of rage and be banished to the stands for 3-4 games...ala Mourinho and even Ferguson. Is that what you want to see.... NO!.... I don't think so either. He's not an overly-demonstrative person OFF the field, (despite his own disciplinary record as a player,) I'm sure he feels just as " pi**ed " as you and I do when we lose - especailly as he chose the team. and like us - he sulks a bit from time to time.......it's only human. Do you have a successful managerial role-model that he should follow? .....Suggestions welcomed.

a couple of sites have stories suggesting that Jos Hooiveld wants a move away in the summer. A bit sad in one way, as he seems to be a popular guy and a good help to newcomers. BUT being 4th CB in line, it's obviously difficult to get regular game time unless someone else is injured, and now even Yoshida is showing better form and ahead of Jos in the reckoning. Unfortunately, Jos is a victim... .of our success. Coming, as he did , at the start of the Championship season, he put some bite into a leaky defence, and formed an immediate bond with Jose Fonte that limited Saints to only 2 defeats in 20 games that season. I think his vital contribution in scoring in BOTH games v.WHam (1-0 home win and 1-1 away,) gave us a 4 valuable points that meant automatic promotion .....and that made Wham fight for the play-off spot. However, as with quite a few others on our books at that time, he didn't make the transition to the required Prem.standard. Now at 30 , he's obviously looking to his future which I hope will be a successful one - wherever he chooses goes, as it would be unkind of Saints' to offer him an extension with only the promise of a bench place, until he's too old too play at a decent level. Of course, some people will only recall his unfortunate record of "own goals ", though in his defence I think some of them were totally unavoidable...and as he has netted 9 goals FOR Saints in 70-odd apps. and I think we have probably come out on the PLUS side of that equation..... BUT there's no disgrace in someone " knowing their limitations.... and admitting it. I, for one, think he deserves a vote of thanks for his past contributions and brave defending which often meant spilling blood for the cause.

What was it Churchill said? .....Lies, dam* lies and statistics. Of course I don't doubt you've quoted stats. correctly, but last season was last season..and which 18 teams had we played then, compared to the last 18 this season. Adkins had the benefit of an on-form Lambert last season.... and the partial emergence of Boruc ...(instead of KD who, let's face it) .... had a nightmare season. Few would deny that we had a dynamite start to this season, but that was before Boruc was injured and then Wanyama and Lovren, too. Most of our poor games came in that period. We don't have " ready-made clones " of them in the Academy ..just waiting to come into the side and take over.

quite right RL does look a bit slow in the 100 mph pace in the Prem. but expect a little bit more time when playing in 100 deg. F. heat. in Brazil. His (RL) passing is normally excellent (as seen with two assists for in one of his England games).

Agree with this part. For all the benefits of having high % possession, we 're easily caught out by a hefty clearance, or a well-placed long ball which leaves the striker one-to-one with the keeper. ala.. Aston Villa, West Ham ....and again yesterday. Like many others I love our attacking style, but we really must make far more of the chances we get. We often have far more chances than opponents - without converting nearly enough of them.

seems it hard to defend anything for a side that lost, but I agree this made us look worse than we were. Fonte got there at the same time and Suarez played his foot into Fonte's leg and was bound to go down. Of course it didn't affect the final result, but it always feels worse when you concede a goal to someone who cheats. Lord knows why he has to ...when he has such great skills ....24 goals.

NO! ...not at all. I agree totally. He is a good prospect who's had a good season - so far. But ready for regular starts in the Prem... he is not. His eventual development should be 15 minute "subbing" this season. I've mentioned in another recent post that historically... (I go back 50 years) almost all our legendary goal scorers who started as youth players ...Chivers, Channon, MLT, Shearer) all took at least one season AFTER their debut to even get a regular place in the side, let alone become the type of regular goalscorer that a Prem.side needs. Older fans remember Channon's debut game goal, Shearer's hat-trick game and MLT's 2 goals v. Man U in the League Cup match that got the MU manager sacked. However, closer look at their record in the following years..... made poor reading, before they " came of age " as a goal-scoring force. NO!. Sam is a good (possibly. great prospect)...but if we are still having the same conversation in March 2015 ...I won't be at all surprised.

Agree....he was one of the few stand-out players yesterday in a disappointing performance, but I'm sure Roy has him in his notebook for the " after World Cup " re-organisation that will surely come. It's still amazing to me that we have four players in an England squad, but too much to hope that Calum would come further....(when you consider that Luke is in his second season already)....and just got in. .and that Roy had the courage to select four players from a team that isn't even in the top 6. We can only hope that Roy's tenure as England manager is sufficiently long enough to let our present " starlets " develop into good class Prem.players...because IF he ( Roy) were to go...his replacement would be back to choosing the squad from the " big London clubs " again - even though they don't impress as well.

the PC phase is " phasing out ". Of course RL's not finished, yet and I still expect to see more goals from him, but clearly 32 is past the prime age for the average Prem. striker. A LOT of people were writing him off last season, but (even though it was down to fate)... he's proven that a game or two in the national side wasn't beyond him, but we need a massive talent to replace him and someone who will hit the ground running and not take 6 games to score his first goal and need time to " gell with the team" .....that's a real task. Has to be someone signed in the summer who can train with the squad for a while before season starts and get aclimatised to the Saints set-up PDQ. I haven't forgotten young Sam G. either....but 50 years as a fan has taught me that our young, and developing goal-scoring heroes of yester year.. going way back..(Martin Chivers, Mick Channon, MLT, Alan Shearer) all took a season-and-a-half to become established before they got to be a regular starter. I agree that Sam looks a great prospect, but don't anyone think he's going to become next season's RL.