david in sweden

third clean sheet in a row and only 2 conceded in the first 6 league games........must be some sort of record? Yes we feel starved of goals, but you only need to score one more than the opposition, and today we scored two. I always say I don't take a serious look at the table until after 6 games....but after today it really looked good. Admittedly we haven't played many of the " big teams " yet (ex.Liverpool) but comtinue in this manner and it won't matter who we play..... MOM ? .......is it going to be Lovren EVERY game ?.. he really looks commanding and must rate as the buy of the season for almost any of the Prem clubs.

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third clean sheet in a row and only 2 conceded in the first 6 league games........must be some sort of record? Yes we feel starved of goals, but you only need to score one more than the opposition, and today we scored two. I always say I don't take a serious look at the table until after 6 games....but after today it really looked good. Admittedly we haven't played many of the " big teams " yet (ex.Liverpool) but comtinue in this manner and it won't matter who we play..... MOM ? .......is it going to be Lovren EVERY game ?.. he really looks commanding and must rate as the buy of the season for almost any of the Prem clubs.

perahps a little difficult to judge so early-season. last year was our first season back up and attracted extra interest. I don't know about Wigan's travelling fans, but Man U is always a big crowd, and of course televised games keep a thou-or so at home.

the interesting comment about this game ; (apart from the Clyne pre-interview about his time at Palace)... is Ian Hollway's comment about " Palace fighting to beat Saints " .. Um..I wonder how many yellow cards that will bring?. It's his pride at stake more than the 3 points, he never seems tio have got over that spat about loaning/signing Puncheon, and all the banter about NOT letting is sign Matt Phillips when he was at Blackpool.

Pretty sure you got that one right on the button, Turkish. Ostenstad signed a few weeks before that classic 6-3 demolition of Man.U , but as memory serves ......Flo didn't sign (for Chelsea) until sometime in the following summer ...(1997)

He 's team captian, surely doesn't have so much to prove, and in a " nothing-Cup " game against L1 opposition , it's the best way to see the youngsters come in ..(just as Adam did when he was 17/18).

My thought too Colin. Let the guys get this one off the shelves first and maybe they can persuaded...?....especially as many of those involved are still around for comments /stories. . Although those intervening years weren't so glorious, it's still part of the club history and some good things came out of it, and a special page with a full size pic. of Marcus must be included..

Is this the same Jeff Stelling who joined MLT in ridiculing Nicola Cortese over the Adkins sacking just 9 months ago? well, well..what a change of heart - now that our club has suddenly created bit of patriotic pride with the media..... I haven't heard any signs of regret from him for that outburst.....I hope that the club bans him from entry to SMS, at least until he goes public with an apology...

just about sums up my feelings. If Rickie spends two months on the bench and has only scored 2 goals by Christmas...then maybe some people might be inclined to consider the idea .... However, I don't expect either of those eventualities to come to pass and with a couple more England games under his belt....and a goal or two..and a prospective trip to Brazil..the question may never arise. When / If Osvaldo starts his whirlwind goalscoring campaign, he's still going to need another striker to back him up /cover for injury etc, ...and there's very little sign of that at present. If we put 5 past Palace on Saturday, we'll see who gets on the scoresheet...(most likely both the centre-backs again )

My thoughts too. The "bench /fringe " players get an outing when we play lower league sides, good for them (and good for MP to evaluate them), and of course not force regulars to avoid injuries and play two matches a week, but despite Sunderlands current league spot it won't be an easy fixture. Now that it's down to the last 16 ....can MP see the possibility of a trip to Wembley ?...or a future Euro spot?......Swansea and Wigan got in last season. Will be interesting to see the side he puts out, and how " interested " we are to have an extended cup run.

Despite N.I. low FIFA placing they still play against good /v.good teams in international competitions, and he gets that experience to learn from. Steve D. is N.I. captain and played over 60 times for them....no one has suggested that he is a top player, but rarely has he had an "indifferent " game for Saints, even if we don't win. I think it's hard on him not to have a regular spot in the side, even though he didn't cost £12 million, but given the choice I'd pick him ahead of " several other " candidates.

that's about right, although he looks good in Swedish games, the standard is a long way from Prem. standard. Can't say he's no good... because he looks spectacular at times, but then so does Tadanari Lee...

Few people would deny that Saturday's performance at Anfield was something special and that (on past form) it only happens once every decade, but the real proof of our intent to finish top six will be results from the games above. If we can repeat the Liverpool form...is there a chance of taking points v. M.U?....(questionable perhaps), but with the exception Swansea most of the other games are against teams currently low down in the table and although 18 points seems like fantasy football results, we ought to get at least 12 points from the above - if we are to be seriously talking about " success" and possible Euro football.

I go along with all of that CB, but I really expected your contribution to this thread to be pointing out that it isn't Saints-related ?...or ?

MAN OF THE MATCH......? depends who you read. Saints' fans overwhelmingly voted Lovren MOM, and few would deny that, but having read through some online journos reports of Saints' performance at Anfield, they have differieng opinions ; Lovren YES, but others named Boruc, and another Lallana. On any other day Boruc might have got the vote for his blinding save of Gerrard's free-kick, which was (if not in the Banks class) is (surely) one of the best you'll see this season. (A view of the crowd behind the goal shows the upraised arms of hundreds of L'pool fans screaming " goal "- before you see Boruc's outstretched hand pushing the ball away). .....and Adam Lallana had his share of praise and was voted MOM by another newspaper, whilst Clyne got himself a good mention in another report. Were we all watching the same game, you might wonder? YES, but it's a real credit to all those players who were outstanding enough to warrant the attention and get their name in print.

We've got different colour shirts this season ...(years ago people used to criticise when they changed the colour of team socks ! (stripes, part red / part white).. so let's move on ! Lallana, like many midfielders, does a lot of running, (especially off the ball) and was back defending in the 6 yard box at one stage on Saturday, he uses up a lot of energy for someone so slight in build. There's no reason to play someone 90+ mins. just to prove a point, and a fresh pair of legs in midfield around the hour mark is a good tactic, (as is subbing a striker whose not in the game), .......the longer a player is on, the more likely he is to tire and make mistakes. I'm just glad we have the likes of JWP and Steven Davis who can come on and DAJFU when it matters. .....not to mention the fact that (as a former Academy graduate) ... he is (at present) keeping a £12 million international player out of the starting line-up.....

You have to take every game on its own merits. We looked good enough to get 3 points off Wham (but for Jaaskalainens's super show), and had it not been for Lovren's goal and Mignolet (who also turned in some great saves), then we might have got more goals yesterday. I don't apologise for bringing stats. into the discussion, but the (Prem.) average striker gets 1 goal every 3 games ...if he's good. Look at the " name " strikers who haven't got off the mark yet (5 games). Whilst we boast about possession and completed passes etc, consistancy is the one thing that eludes the majority of goalscorers, and they often suffer long " dry spells " ...and then score in bursts. I think Lambert, Rodriguez and Osvaldo have lots of goals in them, but we may have to wait a bit longer before we can see that in figures. The Palace game is a sure test for our strikers to prove their salt, and after that we can start to talk about " form and who to drop ". Let's just hope the Palace goalie doesn't play a blinder on Saturday.

EXACTLY - the sign of a really class player is...... he makes those around him look better, too.

and he was so grateful to the club for signing him in the first place.

it's different sort of game.. against an L1 side. For a start - expect to see most of the same squad get a run-out (as in Barnsley game). though I agree Osvaldo getting on the score sheet would do his confidence a world of good...despite the opposition.

......and that means we shouldn't even discuss the idea?. Is there a chance MP knows him (personally) already? wouldn't be the first time we've pinched players from under the noses of " the big clubs "

agree - in principle, but yesterdays win was anything except "boring " -was it?

...if you play against a team with a good class international goalie...you shouldn't expect to score every time. Yesterday's game surely proves that point.