david in sweden

.....like Jay Rod was last year - you mean ?

Mmm.? ....some weeks ago, there was a similar comment (but in the reverse). Cortese /Reed wanted to buy another keeper (even bid for Butland), but said that NA liked KD... and wasn't too bothered !!!

No!... of course you're right .... it's a nationality. BUT in every country, there are people of different ethnic backgrounds, and religious / philosophical beliefs who become the butt of " racialist type comments " and are blamed for various problems. IF Artur was the target of religious bigotry, or his ethnic background - those responsible should hang their heads in shame. There is certainly has no place for this in society, or a football arena. Hitler found one such group which he blamed for the " ills of the world ", and those who remember Viv Anderson's first appearance for England take no pleasure when still seeing similar behaviour from racist sections of the crowd - in " some other European countries " - even today. It's difficult to condone " the bottle " incident, but it's clear there must have been some real provocation for him to react in such a manner.

I really couldn't see that either Kelvin and Gazzaniga were viable choices as Premier League goalies, and (dare I criticise?) - as a former keeper - NA should have seen that. No disrespect to either player, but.......KD probably found his level last season.. and TBF half a season in L2 was not good preparation (for Gazzaniga) to come into a struggling Prem.side. This is not hindsight on my part, as I wrote about this more than a year ago ....you only have to look to see that most Prem. sides have AT LEAST one international keeper - some more than that. I really admire NA for his tremendous achievements (back to back etc) .but a certain naiveté on his part to think we could go upto the Prem. with half a team of L1 players...and especially a goalie.

Many strikers go thrrugh droughts of one sort or another. Sure they can be good -when on form - but looking at the top men historically you can see that very few were consistant ALL THE TIME. For me the yardstick is always Ron Davies (1966-1972) who netted 37 league goals scored in 26 diff. games including equalling a league record by scoring in 10 consecutive matches. (Ironically in the prev. season 65-66..his strike partner Martin Chivers had scored 30 goals by end of Feb.......but failed to score in the remaining 11 matches:( In Mick Channon's long career - even at his best - he barely scored in half of the League games, and frequently went 5 or 6 games without scoring at all. One of our most consistant scorers (in a relatively short Saints career) was Ted Mac Dougall 1975-78 - who managed 42 goals in 86 league matches, and frequently scored in 2 - 3 match sequences .once 14 goals in 11 games. Very few players score on a "regular basis " and even MLT's enormous goal-haul had long dry spells. In 1995/6 he went 16 games without scoring - and 5-6 match " droughts " were not unusual. as you quoted James Beattie stats..it's interesting to note that ....in 2000-01 (actually 11 League goals) but 10 came in a 10 match period, and in 2001/02, he'd scored 10 by mid january...but his best season that 2002-03 season was remarkable in the fact that JB went the first 9 games without scoring at all.... and then scored 22 in the next 24 starts ! Rickie Lambert is one of our most consistant scorers in recent years, but be grateful for the likes of Marian Pahars and Billy Sharp who took up the slack when the main scorer had " a dry spell."

Exactly, good point well made. What do people expect him to do in " the Football after-life " ?....go back to being a packer in the beetroot factory?

....especially if England don't get a convincing result v. San Marino.... Pack a suitcase Rickie.... .and expect a phone call from " Woy " , and be on the plane for Tuesday's game.

Intersting that the fee is creeping up all the time. A month or so ago it was £10 miil.....or was it £12 mill? ...and where do they get those figures from anyway. Do they ask Chelsea / Spurs how much they'd be willing to pay ..and then leak the story,? 'cos I'm pretty sure that Nicola Cortese isn't the sort of person to twitter to other club chairman and start an auction ............ah......do I hear £18 million anyone.?.

Calum Chambers seems to be quite versatile. Every time I read a report on him, he's playing in yet another role in the team. Even putting him at RB...... England U20's couldn't find a striker from " a big club " who was capable of scoring a goal. Why didn't they try the U18's Ryan Seager?...........18 goals this seson so far.

Good news and a real boost for another "oldie " in the squad. Not too many Prem.sides would give a striker of his ilk another 3 years, but it's good for club morale, too. I don't expect him to be playing 40+ games / season in 2016, but like KD...his presence around SMS is a psychological boost for everyone.

.....and a better ground ......and better fans!

with the World Cup next year, surely he ought to be looking to use the best striker(s) he can get for this particular game? (thats RL of course) Playing San Marino is like Prem. side playing a club in the Conference. .or L/L2.... at best.. but I bet England make hard work of it. All of England's " pretty football" will amount to nothing ..and probably be played on a pitch looking like the aftermath of a wet day at Twickenham. This is just the sort of game where a man who spent most of his career in the lower leagues would know how to score goals....but NO!...Hodgson will continues with the " English-style " ...whilst the opposition might even score a rare goal...and if RH persists this way, it's going to be tough trying to teach Welbeck to shoot on target all the way to next summer. OH yes .England will win ..(maybe 2-0 .....after a hard battle ...with 25 shots to 2 ).... but I'm sure Rickie would have a field day out there...

I think a half-time " attack " of this nature worked better...than a calm, considered autopsy after viewing the video, and a " what went wrong " chat - after the crowds had gone home. (Adkins style) These guys are paid good money, they ought to be able to stand up to a rollicking once in a while.

....let's hope it lasts.

well Barry --did you mean me... .or CB Fry? at least I knew that much, and I'm in Sweden.

.......would you prefer it if he learned Glaswegian first ? I doubt if anyone this side of the border would understand him any better, but his facial expressions say he understands questions quite well. I think his English skills (if somewhat limited) are much better than many people think...and the media can't " manipulate him" so well when they have to go through an interpreter...(thats good PR).

Agree ! ....he's been one of my favourite (England ) players for a decade. Liverpool are going to be up the Mersey without a paddle when he does finish.

Am I alone in thinking that Rickie Lambert has a better chance of getting into the England squad? ...especially as Morgan Schneiderlin is FRENCH !

Agree 100% ...but of course it's also down to " the receiver" on the other end to do his part ...

It's taken some time, but I think we saw part of the answer yesterday. One goal and one assist, and NOW he is playing a more central role and Rickie is out wide. We are all very pleasantly surprised and glad (I'm sure) that RL has been so successful in the Prem. - especially as some on this site thought he wouldn't be able to cut it in the Championship . .and in many clubs he'd be past his sell by date. However....sooner or later he will have to finish and I think Jay Rod has taken a few steps toward taking up the Rickie-role, although I hope RL lasts a lot longer...whilst Jay Rod is still only 23 / 24 ?

It goes with his build I think, Viking. after all he is about 6'4" (I think).... and so we can scarcely say - he's overweight..and I don't think he's the heaviest in the Prem. - is he ?

I think very few "businesses " are "cash-rich" Barry. I don't believe that there is a pile of readies in their bank in Switzerland, just waiting for Nicola to walk in with his empty brief case. BIG money is invested - elsewhere, and only used sparingly in extreme situations. Sure.. the Liebherrs have money but that doesn't mean they will actually spend it- but it's there in the case of emergencies.

I agree with your positive comments ART, but we surely have to admit that the more direct all-out attacking " Pochettino-style " - whilst using the same players - IS more direct than the push and pass / hold the ball tactics we had used so successfully last season. Can't agree with your sustitution criticism though. The first (Hooiveld) was enforced and Fonte was the natural replacement. Surely no-one could have considered putting Forran on- in the middle of a game. Ramirez worked hard but still doesn't seem to have adjusted to the " English game " - well not for 90 mins anyway....and Steven Davis nullified the introduction of Lucas who bossed the game at Anfield. Lallana (took a knock in the game) had run himself into the ground by 80 mins. and Guly seemed a better bet (to me anyway) - than JWP or Puncheon - who.s better when he starts games (than as sub.)

strange how " the media " have noticed that even top teams just have " a bad day at the office " whenever they come to SMS..coincidence ? Seems to me that even in games where we've lost - we often play good football against good teams, whereas it's hard work against poor teams who concede lots of fouls and can't play " flowing football ". the spate of " Jay Rod criticism " came early-season, when he started off playing wide on the left with Rickie up front. He didn't seem to fit in and hardly got in the game on many occasions. Now, Rodriguez has looked increasingly impressive when he plays down the middle and Rickie plays out in the wide role. Those recent " ghost runs" he makes in the first few minutes have produced goals. Yesterday was one of his best performances, and he deserved more than just one goal, but his solo effort reminded me of the Anders Svensson solo in the famous FA Cup win v. Spurs (4-0).

.. goalies need a special type of confidence...as they can't go out and get involved in the outfield play, but then suddenly have to get into action in a split second. Whilst other players have to avoid getting their bodies - especially arms - in the way, whereas goalies frequently get blamed for goals when it is too often the fault of sloppy defence work. NOTE: when Lawrie McMenemy signed England's goalie Peter Shilton in 1982...( one of the best keepers in the World at that time ).....Saints conceded 18 goals in their first 7 League games. very few of those can be attributed to " Shilton errors ". Likewise..Boruc can't really be blamed for many of the goals we've conceded in his current run of games. Stats. can show that since Boruc got the no.1 spot....the most regular CB partnership has been Yoshida and Hooiveld.. and we conceded 12 goals in 8 games. (incl. 4 at Newcastle) whereas...the worst problems have come when Clyne was out injured and we were forced to use Cork and Yoshida at RB ... and when Fox has been on the pitch in the absence of Shaw. the intervening games we've had poor results were due more to the bad finishing, (not bad defending).. especially in those games where we have a greater ratio of goal attempts - but failed to score.