david in sweden

can't argue the stats. perhaps but does that mean you sack the strikers?.........or sack the manager?.

yes they are VERY different players, but in the present formation they are vying for the same place in the line-up (as are Lallana and Ramirez) ...the only difference there is that when bringing GM on we have to sacrifice Stephen Davis every time.

Agreed, there were times yesterday when I thought he looked as good as he has all season -so far. But his style is too much like Lallana's and he's too easily shoved off the ball, and though his passing can be a bit " hit and miss" I was encouraged - despite the bad result.

well actually, they would have had a better chance in ..1984 when they were unbeaten in the last 10 games, but finished only 3 points behind Liverpool (who finished the season less gloriously). If there had been two more games ?...we might have genuinely won the title. **NOTE : 3 points for a win was introduced in 1981-82 season .

well it depends how you categorise " speaking English "? He stands no chance of getting a GCSE, but (apparantly) he knows enough English " football jargon /chat " to manage on the training ground, but I suspect.....certainly not to " handle " tricky football journos asking provocative / awkward/ stupid questions in a Cockney / or Geordie dialect. Hence the use of a translator. PLUS... not every word is easy to translate (with the same meaning)....even for the translator.

..WOW .......has that solved our problem of finding another keeper....or ?

Great news. As long as he keeps scoring for Juve........we have a good chance of getting our all our money back ........

playing one style..... one formation is about the full extent that most managers can manage (except those like Mourinho), who have a squad large enough to change out in every game. .........although watching some of the current (Prem.) sides ......it looks as though some of them don't even have a Plan A

two memorable seasons alongside Claus Lundekvam in central defence..though it may have seemed like "Glory, Glory" when Hoddle tempted him to Spurs...... he was never the same player afterwards. A real 100%-er who was never afraid to spill blood for the cause. Nice memories, Deano... RIP

apparantly through his Irish grandmother..... ....but a bit different from Tony Cascarino who played 88 international games for the Republic side - and never even had an Irish grandmother........

......and you mean a club with a French manager ....... like Arsenal ?.....

going back far enough .....in the 1980's? ....or whenever - wasn't there a preliminary 40 man squad named at one stage?

I actually did the stats. on this some time ago. There was confusion over " McMenemy's English players" where (during one season), we fielded 5 players who had actually captained England at sometime, and they weren't all current internationals at the time, and not all (of the 14 who did play for England ) were capped whilst with us, and clearly ....weren't at the club at the same time, either. Shilton rarely missed an England game, which explains why he is Saints' most capped player. (49 times). I think we did have 3 players on the pitch at the same time on at least two occasions, in that period and that would (most likely) have been ; Shilton ......PLUS a combination of (either)... Armstrong ... AND/OR Steve Williams... AND /OR Mark Wright. If I get time...... I'll check it out just to stop me from staying awake trying to figure it out.

At least we know that Roy H. hasn't avoided our lads (and for once) an England manager has the media on his side....but there is a l-o-n-g way still to go before the plane takes off for Brazil. 11 Prem. League matches PLUS Cup games for some of those chosen....and injuries, loss of form will play a big part now .....until Roy has to make a definitive choice of his 23. Still... it's good to see FOUR Saints players in the 30. Interestingly......looking at the Prem's. eight leading goalscorers...(between 11-23 goals ) only ONE...is English ....(Daniel Sturridge) However, looking to the next four strikers (Jay Rod and Rooney have 10 each ) ....and in the next grouping ...Lambert and Welbeck,( with 8 each).... then Lallana with 7. Surely we ought to get at least 2 of those 3 on the plane....?.

Surely isn't ....always play your best in-form players? .....aside from Rooney (who barring injury) will certainly go .....I've not been over-impressed by many of the others in recent months. Having played a load of friendlies during the last year . I can't see how they can raise their game enough to play the top sides in Brazil . The display in Greece on Tuesday was one of the worst I've seen from any English side in many-a-year. David Moyes has some serious planning on his hands this summer with Vidic and Ferdinand on the way out, I can't see Jones, Smalling or Cleverley as a viable alternatives......and for all his " so-called " passing skills I think Carrick is a waste of space.

Calum has played for the U19's a dozen times (or so) and is team captain. As Targett, Gallagher and Reed have now been called up; perhaps he's there to help them get established in the squad.? He's undoubtedly capable of moving up to the U21's on a permanent basis and I'd guess that there will be a lot of changes in the England set-up, one way or another....AFTER the World Cup. IMO....the " 100+ cappers " like Cole, Lampard and possibly even Gerrard will disappear, as the next " serious " competition is the Euro. Championships in 2016 - they will definitely be too old for that. Like Luke Shaw, Calum is a great prospect, so I don't see any mad panic to move him up right away - he still has a bit to learn.

the really interesting thing about this fixture is that .......it is the first of the 6 (of our remaining 11 games).... where we play teams above us in the League. I'll leave the optimists to predict stats. of how many of those 18 points we'll pick up .........and where we MIGHT finish ....if we do well. Did I hear .....12 ? Of course .....as MP continually says ...." we take one game at a time " ....but it's an intriguing prospect... especially if we don't lose too many of the other games against the struggling sides.

interesting thought that Man.U are showing " occasional " signs of "imploding " despite their star-studded personalities, and only a few months before a World Cup:scared: Rooney is their only real (English) star this season, but if I were Hodgson (thankfully not) .... I'd be having serious misgivings about some other " MU names " who have regularly appeared on past team sheets.

.....had exactly the same thought .

perhaps .......an example of Nicola Cortese's " lack of respect " for the club's (previous) history, and its former players.

Getting released by Saints..... (that must have been a borderline decision)..... has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Our midfield talent is pretty strong, and he'd likely only be getting a bench place with us - if he was lucky. He's had regular football at MK Dons., scored TEN goals !..and now an international call-up. Just another example of the success of our Academy....Good look Ben.

True....... .... and it could depend on how many oils wells and wives you have to support, but I'm sure we could eventually put a decent squad together without spending a fraction of that, particularly if most of them were Academy graduates.

True, but they could be useful to have around in the event of a change of management to help keep morale up - don't you think?

I knew that much, but handing in your resignation ......because you can't get your own way - isn't " getting the sack " - is it ?... It's petulance of the lowest order.

I'd go further than Shroppie and say ...:scared::scared: etc, etc,.......Er ..how many can you get in Wembley stadium nowadays?.