david in sweden

repeating myself a bit here.....but why are some players "type-cast" according to the first shirt they put on. Claus Lunderkvam started as a full back and played midfield before settling in as a CB (and made a good partner for at least THREE other centre backs)... Monkou, Richards and M.Svensson. Jo Tessem was a very versatile player who willingly played wherever he was put...and had a pretty good goal tally for a midfielder, but finally got the bird from some fans when he failed to score when he played at CF..... for an injured James Beattie (!)..that was hardly fair criticism at the time . One of my boyhood heroes was ex-Everton legend Jimmy Gabriel, who played for Saints in the late 60's at the time of our first Div.1...(read Prem.)..exploits and played 5 different positions during one season, including CF .....(and even half-a-game as goalie at a time when there were no goalie subs.)... and didn't look bad wherever he played. If Clyne has the two-footed ability to play on either side, we should use that talent.....and besides ..I didn't think Richardson disgraced himself at RB yesterday either.

NO !.........I made the point that Bale was also criticised that ......despite his tremendous left sided runs, he wasn't the ideal choice to be a defender and play at LB. (that's not just me BTW - several hundred others must have made that same point at the time). What we see now......is not the Gareth Bale who went to Spurs 4-5 years ago. Danny Fox had an incredible number of assists last season...11 or 12 I think(?)..., whereas he isn't my ideal choice for left back..either (not at this level anyway). Fox cannot be mentioned in the same breath if we are talking about Bale, (who now plays a different role for Spuds.)

looking at yesterdays start line-up we see the extent of the generation change taking place at SMS, and the continued influx of younger players. Gazzaniga 20 Clyne 21 Fonte 28 Yoshida 24 Fox 26 Schneiderlin 22 S.Davis 27 Ramirez 21 Lallana 24 Lambert 30 Puncheon 26 ....and we were without Jack Cork 23, but still had Mayuka 21, and Rodriguez 22 on the bench and then we brought on Ward-Prowse - amazingly still only 17 (!).. Of course we still need the experience of a few older players to hold things together, but the prospect of this young squad playing together in the next 2-3 seasons is awesome .

..as was Lambert 's little push into Puncheon's path (the Villa defender looked dumbfounded), I think JP should claim that goal. Although it clearly struck (Clarke).I've watched several replays and it does seem that JP's shot was going in that direction anyway. Their goalie was lucky to stay on the pitch after that push on Mayuka.

I'm sure that he would have wanted to have played much more often.....but it was his bad luck to be no.2 to a (at that time) v.g Kelvin Davis. However, I don't think he will look back on his time at SMS as entirely wasted.. he has had good coaching and is still quite young... .in goalkeeping terms. Good Luck Bart!

no names (I'm not ITK).. but common sense says....an older, more experienced former international defender.. .and not necessarily British! perhaps ....only a short-term contract, but another in the NC/NA mould of surprise signings.

....seems like Leicester fans appreciate the challenge of the first four games much better than some of our own have ! IF ...we turn round in November and are clear of the relegation zone say that.... we'd narrowly lost to Man.City (a)...Man Utd (h) and got destroyed at the Emirates... few people would raise an eyebrow or make any comment ...

I don't agree with that part. The scoreline v. Man.City, Man Utd and Arsenal were not a fair accessment of his ability - although he may (quite unfairly IMO)... blame himself for every goal. However, with the arrival of Artur Boruc, KD will undoubtedly take a back seat in the near future. Gazzaninga did... (the little he had to do).. very well, but a home game against a lowly-placed Villa outfit, (who didn't offer much fire power) cannot be reasonably compared with the situation of upcoming games at Goodison and Upton Park, whilst Boruc will fairly certainly take the no.1 shirt for a while, at least. According to other factors (possible injury, loss of form, etc) ...I expect to see KD playing again (at some stage) later this season. Gazzaniga passed the test yesterday, but he is a long way from becoming a Premier League keeper, but is definitely " one for the future"

I was thinking the same thing - especially after his great chance in the second half when he " took too long " and lost the advantage. In the Wigan match, he has several first half shots on goal - all of which missed / were squandered and might have changed the complexion of that game. No-one doubts his ability, or talent but the " weight " of the captain's leadership role is difficult to assess - unless you actually have the task. I don't think he's wrong as captain.....( though a fully-fit Steven Davis would do as well, I'm sure) ...but everyone goes through spells of good play, and he may suddenly come good in a week or two.

...and I admit ...I was one of them, too. I thought him a VG player, until his injury last season, after which, he never looked the same. He is good on the ball, but seemed slow and unsure and played a number of suicide passes back to KD - who was in no-mans land and who (many admit) ..is not famous for his ball distribution. However, many players look and play better when coupled with someone else in the CB role. I cite Claus Lundekvam, who was a perfect foil for; Ken Monkou, Dean Richards, and Michael Svensson and helped make them even better players than they were when they arrived. Yesterday, Fonte looked more relaxed playing alongside Yoshida (who I thought played very well) and hopefully it may have solved the backline problem - if only temporarily.

YES barney, I think most /many of us did. .....but watching Clyne play at LB in the second half..and now hearing of the signing of Artur Boruc......I think both problems may have been solved on the same day !

I take your point Norway, .but it goes back to a recent thread..and a subject that's been written on before.. versatile players who can play almost anywhere...and it's totally wrong to stamp someone with just one position. .....It was a good second half from NC (and he took his goal well)....and he goes into the Saints books as yet another FB who can play on both sides. I started watching games when a full backs job was to stand outside the penalty area and stop the opposing winger - one way or another. The thought of crossing the halfway line in an attack was almost unthinkable, so that seeing a full back who can overlap and create chances for others is exciting to watch (Fox's real contribution to the team - although he is weaker as a FB)....but the same criticism was made of another LB not so long ago - Gareth Bale. He looked world-class going forward, but not so hot as a real defender. If Clyne has the long-term ability to play both sides (?)...then we have " an extra player " at our disposal... in times of crisis, and for my money Richardson isn't the worst RB we've had in recent years.

if it helped his career as much as when I've seen him play, I suggest the rest of the Saints squad learn to do it, too !

agree totally, Adrians.... just the sort of keeper I wanted us to sign in the summer, when people were saying that it was wrong to diss KD. I don't think we've seen the last of Kelvin, ( a good club man by any standards), but if Artur is anywhere near as good as he was in his Celtic days - we've found another "match-winner " . I know that the You Tube clips are always showing their better sides, but isn't there a little sense of Antti Niemi about him?. I think so.

I'm not sure about that, but obviously Boruc will be No.1 man now, and Gazzaniga has seen himself as a future contender for that spot.

Adam YES, Yoshida YES, Clyne at LB ..def. YES! Puncheon......do that every week and you're in for the season, Rickie .of course ..is Rickie ... BUY Gaston Ramirez..... I watched him throughout the game.... whenever he passed ....it looked like Villa were playing STATUES ...great perfromance.

wow ! .....did you have any money on that , or was it just drunken guesswork?

..are you a little more convinced ......after today's game ?

Good debut game, but he didn't have so much to do - did he ? if he keeps a clean sheet against Everton, I'll change my opinion, but meanwhile...you can never judge anyone (except Ali Dia).... on just one game.

if we get results against a few more " ordinary " Prem.sides...like Villa, then we're get a truer picture of our real status... playing the likes on MC, MU and Arse. every week doesn't give a true picture of anyone's form.

...ah, you were saying ...?

....that was also my thought. I trust now that NA has realised that KD is fallible....even if he is not branded as a bad keeper. I noted that Rob Green had a terrible start to the season, too. However, suddenly finding a top drawer keeper who " just happens to be OOC " would be a miracle, but who knows?....it's a very big world and, as of late, we seem to be circumventing it quite a lot.

.......and for a million at today's rates....." a real steal ".

I think the only real difference is..... that no-one bid £6 million for Gazzaniga.