david in sweden

........and a valuable few goals in a very short career span with Saints. only 4 goals from 8 games and few sub.apps. but they were enough to lift us off the bottom at Easter, and end up with 16th place. Bad luck that he lost his form at the start of the following season just as KEVIN Davies came good.

tbh...... .we don't know that he's even L2 standard yet, but as his almost "eternal" contract actually does go out in the summer, I don't think it's worth discussing too much.

I do visit the UK periodically and watch games, but I didn't see all of the games last season via computer either. ...... but some foreign channels often feature a variety of games that SKY chose not to show - if you don't mind Chinese or Russian commentaries. BUT...Turkish ? .....is my contribution to this thread troubling you ? ....if you want to call me a liar ..please do so, and we'll know where we stand.

I seldom listen to the radio..... but have good streams to choose from every match.

actually Badger, I recall he used to call them " road-sweepers " .....but never mind. Certainly Rickie is " first violin " ....but I think the other place is up for grabs....Rodriguez?...or Puncheon, maybe Lallana when he gets his old form back.?

Nice to see that Dan Seaborne is playing for a " top of the table " side. After last night's win....Bournemouth are top of L1.

I was very impressed with him at the start, his injury record was unfortunate and not his fault. If we'd started the season better ...he'd likely have had a few more games......but not now ...unfortunately NOT......but I will always remember THAT goal !

yes he was.... but sadly not Prem.class.

If he were to go to Juventus or Milan, he'd get a higher salary.....they seem to be able to print their own money......is that why Italy's economy is in such a state, I wonder?

if you're counting apps. YES....but until last August those were in lower divisions than the Prem. and whilst recent performances have been very encouraging it'll take bit more to make an impression on the top half of this division without some depth of real experience. Aside from Boruc, Steve Davis and Yoshida, the rest of the team has barely a handful of international caps between them. Compare that with the top six sides who have several hundred caps in their squads.

...that much-vaunted phrase I can recall Ted Bates reciting over-and-over again..... MANY years ago, and his way of creating a " balanced side ". Back in the late 1950's, Ted had his own " youth system " which started with young talents like Paine, Sydenham and Chadwick....and with the stability of " seniors " like Page, Traynor and Reeves. In the 60's, blossoming talents like; David Webb and Martin Chivers came into sides that were steadied by older heads like; Stuart Williams, Peter Rodrigues and Tony Knapp. the 70's saw the emergence of Channon, Steve Williams, Malcolm Waldron and Nick Holmes, coupled with the experience of Alan Ball, Chris Nicholl and the Boyer / MacDougall combo. The 80's were McMenemey's " finest hour " ....and his particular brand of " old heads and young legs " and building from the back with legends like Shilton, Watson, Keegan and the evergreen Channon, new names like Wallace, Wright, Stokes and Moran also became " household names ", before the advent of MLT, Shearer, Kenna, etc, etc, ..well we've heard all those names before.. ..and yet after all those struggling years in the 1990's Prem.days.. ...it almost seems that we forgot about that " balance " that Ted always talked about. NOW..we have what is surely the youngest first team squad most of us can remember.....but suddenly we see one or two " senior figures " suddenly emerging as the new-look " old guard ". Rickie Lambert is more than just a talisman to the team, and Artur Boruc showing a new lease of life at 32 .....and with Fonte and Hooiveld knocking on 30 ..suddenly we have a steadying influence to the side that is still mainly composed of players in their very early 20's. It will be interesting to see in Pochettino brings in some "older heads" when he gets around to buying in his own choices at the end of the season.

if people go on Facebook, or twitter or whatever, they really should consider the eventual consequences...especially if they are trying to " make news" or be contraversial. it may be fun to read, or question someone, but does it REALLY matter. If they were doing what they're paid for....they'd be too busy to write such stuff. Best advice - forget it and get on with the job.

I'd thought about just that. It doesn't follow that because NA has gone that Cortese was disatisfied with the Academy / Youth leaders, too. They've performed very well- so far. I think Pochettino's priority is the first team (full stop). He'll obviously take note of those lads who are coming through the system, but don't think there are so many likely to make the move upwards -yet.

Gazzaniga is playing because Cropper was sent off in the last game (handling outside the area.) Martin needs games - he got none at Palace during the wasted Autumn. JWP needs to get up to strength again, as he's likely to be a regular on the bench again now. I really think Forran isn't up for it yet..maybe he has extra training? (like a pre-season). The Norwegian season finished in November!

....the truth of the matter was that they made defensive errors... and got punished.....precisely as we did at the start of the season.

...it seems that ...(for Northern fans).....getting beat by Saints ..is the bottom of the barrel. There is much more publicity about Citeh's defeat than about Saints' win....which took my mind back to another time when Saints unsettled fans in that " wet city" up north. 1986.....we drew Manchester United in the 3rd round of the League Cup at Old Trafford. Backs to the wall, a good defensive display got us a goaless draw. REPLAY (at the Dell the next week)....Starting with a goal from George Lawrence, right on HT, we went 2-0 up through Danny Wallace, and then...in the last 15 mins...enter a cheeky, 18 y.o. sub named Matthew Le Tissier ...who proceeded to score TWICE. First one by lobbing the keeper, and a second a header (yes-header) from a corner. (This is how I like to remember him) Even a late United goal could'nt save manager Ron Atkinson - who got the chop back at OT. two days later - So where does this lead.? Well I don't expect to see Mancini thrown out onto the street this week, but if Citeh can't put the Leeds cup tie to bed this week with some degree of style, then he could be feeling rather uncomfortable, having been seen to have thrown the towel in on their chances of winning the Prem. League title after Saturday's mauling. Having some good memories of former glory days when we regularly took Liverpool to the cleaners, and stitched up Man U. a few times, can it be that some Northern clubs just don't " travel well " and always seem bring the " wrong colour of shirts, " or just have " a bad day at the office ".... whenever they come South?

....it was hard for him to level any sort of criticism at SFC.. or anyone (Cortese).. after Saturday's performance, despite being "goaded " by the interviewers. Somehow, I do resent the fact that " the media " seem to see MLT ...as an SFC " spokesperson ". He's a fan now....like the rest of us ....and even his amusing comments don't make him a good pundit. I loved him on the pitch....off it? .....(not so sure).

Agreed!...those left wing crosses supplied 11 assists last season. He might not be first choice ahead of Shaw, but we need some decent cover and until we find another good left-footer....keep him.

I'd like to see Puncheon stay - at least for another couple of seasons. After all the earlier "problems " he had, he has surpassed my wildest expectations.....let's hope he can hold it together.

Good to hear, but unfortunately playing well at the foot of the Championship doesn't make them a good choice for a Prem. club. Last season's hero Billy Sharp found that out to his own displeasure, and even Lukas Jutkiewicz (ex-Coventry) struggles to get on the team sheet at Midd' boro...and they're still Championship.

with all the tears and tearing of hair that has taken place since NA's departure, I think it fair to say that amongst the MANY good things he can be complimented on ...one glaring error was his failure to get a quality keeper during the summer....as cover for KD. Adkins' " apparent refusal to buy " in an " established-name" goalie was noted by " someone " on an much earlier thread - as an issue that upset Cortese, and Adkins' faith in KD's potential to become CLASS Prem. keeper was sadly misplaced....something that many fans noted (on here) already last season. It seems everyone-including Brum-admit that we bid £6 million for Butland...(a good deal to have avoided), and I agree with others on here that I don't think that there was a great difference between Butland and Gazzaniga - at the time.. but goodness....neither of them is a Prem. keeper..or anything near it... which Stoke will find to their cost next season. Buying Gazzaniga was probably a good move, but he is inexperienced as some of his early games showed...and he must count himself guilty of losing us the extra points in the Swansea and Norwich games. In over 50 years .I've seen a very few excellent young keepers. Gary Sprake (Leeds) was one.....and he made his debut at The Dell and saved everything we threw at him that day. Peter Shilton was another ....and was good enough to replace England keeper Gordon Banks at Leicester even before he was 18 y.o.....Saints had Gerry Gurr who debuted at 20, (1967) but had to wait until Eric Martin was unavailable before gaining the no.1 spot... and held his place for over a season before sustaining an injury in training and sadly never played again. ...but these types of goalie come once in a decade.....and it says something about the state of the game when the England keeper (in this case Joe Hart) can get open criticism of his play...not just on Saturday... but several times through this season already. I grew up in a generation when keepers were " a bit older " than the average outfield player.....they knew the game, and how to play it, and having a keeper over 30 was seen as a good thing and gave stability - especially to younger players - in the back line. Peter Shilton (mentioned earlier) played in a World Cup for England when he had passed 40... and keeper Pat Jennings was still first choice keeper for N.I.- at 44. Now...we suddenly have spate of " young keepers" and even Alex Ferguson has found it difficult to decide which of his young keepers is the better, as they both have major problems. For SAINTS....Adkins should have put sentiment aside...looked at the stats. that show that most Prem. sides have at least two international keepers - and admitted to himself that KD's days were numbered and also that you can't put a young, L2 keeper in goal for a Prem. side......and especially not a newly-promoted one. Boruc is a God-send (of sorts), but we need " another Boruc " as cover-just in case. YES...Gazzaniga will come again - but IMHO -- not as soon as many think.

whilst I would agree that the first team " starters " looked very good on Saturday....the bench was bereft of almost any experience. Lallana?... OK - he's on his way back.... but we had two other " bit-part " subs... and two more who have yet to start a Prem.game. with the inevitable clear-out of the original squad names (Sharp, Seaborne, Forte, De Ridder, Barnard,) that we had in August, we need more strength in the squad after the season ends. ...another injury crisis just now could make life very difficult. Don't know if there's still a place for sentiment at SFC, but KD has done his share, but I don't see Gazzaniga as an immediate replacement....(even if he is Argentine !) We need to permanently sign Boruc..and get another keeper with international experience. Good YOUNG keepers come once in a generation ...Gazzaniga isn't the deal YET ..and even Joe Hart hasn't been without blame in recent months, even though he's England's first choice - by a mile.

EVERY player has faults in his game..Lambert lacks pace, Puncheon tries to take on one man too many. Fox......(oh I haven't got time to list everything....) Jos went off injured in the Arsenal game (at 0-1).. so he shouldn't be blamed for the other 5 we conceded that day, but his recent form is quite excellent IMHO. I really hope Forran fits the bill ....when he does eventually get his chance, but there were alarming reports (and YouTube clips) that showed a distinct lack of pace, so I hope they're working on that. It justifiable to drop a player.if he's playing badly but Jos is playing well just now and both he and Yoshida (another un-favourite player on here) had rave reviews in several papers after the Citeh game. For whatever faults he may have...Jos possesses that " do-or-die" defensive mindset that Claus Lundekvam and Michael Svensson had....." go for the ball first and mop up the blood afterwards...."

a lot of people on here can't spell long words Vectis.... you know that. Give them time.

well, hopefully YES....but if he can't......it was a big waste of money........