david in sweden

I don't think any of us is looking to get someone to replace Fonte (or Hooiveld) but we do need some short-term reliable cover in case of injuries /suspensions or (most importantly ) loss of form. I think?.... in our last season in the Prem. 2005 ?..we had SIX defenders injured at about the same time and it was only Chris Baird who held the back line together. Our only other available CB (at present) is Dan Seaborne who (thankfully) has recovered from his night club escapade, but the sum total of his play last season was about 6 games ending in Sept. 2011, you couldn't say that he was even a proven quantity in the Championship ...let alone be Prem standard. Adding Yoshida to the squad is a good sign, but as we can't buy again until January 2103 - another 16 games away - I for one would like some extra experience on the bench in the meantime....just in case.

it was on BBC and SSN sites and several other paperrs follwed up on the story...

Graffiti ?..Grafitti....?...this is an art form, don't let council vandals ruin it !

I guess this is now passed (hopefully)... but I'm sure some idi*t will call out from the stands with a suitably stupid remark but it's interesting that another player in the news...... Rio Fredinand was also banned from driving on the same day, although it didn't make quite as big headlines as did Guly. Rio (apparantly) drove over the speed limit on multiple occasions before the police finally decided to prosecute. Was he yellow-carded first, I wonder? His argument was ...that he needed the car to drive his children to school .......obviously he walks... or cycles to the training ground?... I suppose it's very nice for those who have cars in which they can do that, but meanwhile..if it's a taxi for Guly, then maybe we can say to Rio ..on your bike.......and don't forget your helmet.

A campaign began in the Swedish media to replace Anders Svensson in the national side .....in 2006. ....then 30 years of age, they wanted to make room for the up-and-coming Kim Källström - the only problem being that (with rare exception) the aformentioned KK never seemed to produce his brilliant club form in international matches: Anders continued to play his midfield role (sometimes as sub.) whilst newer talents came ....and went. Källström never seemed to click, and Anders continued to play. Last week, Sweden's manager Eric Hamren decided to leave Anders out of the team - (especially as there are now 3 or 4 other "budding talents " on the up). Anders was naturally disappointed, but said that if he was to be 4-5th choice... then he might as well pack it in now..having already passed 130 caps ..he is in the reach of retired goalie Thomas Ravelli's record of 143 games. Now 36 years old Anders sat on the bench (last night) read Tuesday..whilst the Swedes struggled to beat Kazakstan - who are even lower in FIFA placings than Wales - and even a 90th minute goal (FT score 2-0)..... didn't stop the Swedish fans booing their team off the pitch after the worse 90 minutes of non-football seen here in many years. With the 2014 World cup in sight, it looks like Anders may still be around....... if the Swedes can't find a suitable replacement for him by then.

Frannie Benali scoring a goal......and MLT missing one !

of course, I don't deny that. No-one reasonably expects that to ever happen .....except perhaps NA and NC in their wildest dreams. These two guys are totally nuts - aren't they....I mean who on Earth would think that a bankrupted club...starting off a season in L1 with minus 10 points could possibly get to the Prem.in less than 5 years? One thing is for sure....if we continue to turn out Academy lads at the rate we have done in the last few years, then this seasons' " quartet " is just the start. Whilst everyone brags / highlights ..those names; Walcott, Bale and Ox-Chamberlain (ad nauseum), let's not forget some others who left the club for much humbler fees, but nevertheless made a decent career; Dyer, Surman, Best, Mills and Blackstock are the first to come to mind. Almost certainly, we will always have a few foreign imports in the club (thankfully) and competition for the remaining places will be very tough. Those who don't make it may still go onto other clubs (even if not all Prem.) and make a career for themselves. Quite ironically that (as a fan for many decades past) .......I can recall a time when the " foreigners" in the team were; Scots ..and even Irish !

although he was over the limit (and therefore gulity - of course) I'm glad that he didn't register over 100 ......especially at 4 in the morning. There are quite a few people who might have got away with that -if they hadn't been followed by a police car. Never mind Guly...pay the man and get on with your training.

.he's already in a BIG club. It's just that most of the others just have big egos and big reputations ....and little else to show for it. Even moving to a top four club, he wouldn't be playing half the amount of games he'll get at SMS.

....you mean England should have chosen one old idiot .....instead of the other!

.in retrospect .......a good game NOT to have taken part in- or more correctly.... a bad game you should be glad to have been on the bench for. One of the worst England games I've seen in a while..thank goodness Lampard can still score penalties! I thought Cleverley was very poor in the first half, could easily have had a hat-trick. I was expecting him to be replaced in the second half but Roy (thankfully) wasn't courageous enough to debut Adam. Could be a blessing in disguise. IF RH has gone as far as to praise Adam and pick him, maybe he'll get a bit of playing time in the coming matches.

so what you're saying is ......we've bought one of the star players... in the 5th ranked side in the world... for a mere £12 million?.. I can't understand why some people ...who've probably never seen him play ...think he's waste of money - can you ?

an England cap would be a nice " Birth-day " present though - wouldn't it ? if he gets to play on Tuesday.... and it's a boy. ..he could call him ROY !

you maybe right, but if the half dozen before him are injured...then his number will come up.....let's hope that he does get a chance anyway.....

although I don't disagree with the main point you 've made....it has to be said that without his " poaching " at the tail end of last season..we might not have been promoted. tally in last 8 games 2011-2012 Billy Sharp..... 8 goals... in 8 games. Rickie Lambert ...3 goals Jos Hooiveld.......2 goals Adam Lallana......1 goal Jose Fonte ...... ..1 goal I think those stats. speak for themselves. Without his efforts.... we'd still be in the Championship. It may well be that if Billy clocks up 20+ goals for Forest that he may return and become past of next seasons squad, or more likely stay ...if Forest can pay the required fee.

looks nice in print, but why aren't the players named Alphabetically ? ...and why have they highlighted every name in red - except Adam Lallana?

..and about time, too. A shame it takes an injury crisis to get him in the squad though. I must say that without the " regular " faces in the squad, there have been some pretty dubious selections during the last year, but I suppose everyone will get a go ..sooner or later. Of course it's an honour to get picked anyway, but the real test is to get on the pitch and make an impact. Now let's hope that Adam can get a chance to play and show what he's really capable of ....

One for the future. Hopefully there is more mileage in Cornick than in the remainder of Owens' career....

the truth of the matter is that regardless of how good a player maybe, he's not going to get regular games - if the incumbent is playing well... Club history is loaded with " good players " who didn't get a look-in because the regular guy was playing well..and was just...a bit better. Rodriguez time will come, he just has to be " up to it" ... when that call comes....meanwhile he has to get some game time.

well I've been away a couple of days, too but now that the dust has settled a bit ....it was interesting to read the rather lengthy posts on this item. My own take on this is that "money " for the right player is always available. The fact that there are hundreds of players out there that we are linked with only makes rational decision-making more difficult. I noted that the Echo ran an on-going list of players that we had " been linked with ´" during the close season......I lost count somewhere after it passed ...60 (!). Some of these clearly came from more reputable sources (some ITK).others were some schoolboy view of someone that clearly was never even on Saints " wish list ". Thr remainder we will never know about. It is clear (to me at any rate) that our policy is to recruit...good young talent (Ramirez and Clyne) with a view to coaching them into our style of play ..(the Southampton Way?)...which clearly was both successful and entertaining in past seasons, although admittedly most of the personnel from that era had, fairly understandibly, reached their level of incompetence last season. I make little arguement against those who have survived. It's clear that Nigel Adkins - hitherto one of the most successful managers in the clubs history - was suddenly on thin ice when some people posted demanding his sacking after our epic display against the League Champions in an away game. I await a list of other managers who will be threatened with the sack when their team loses at Etihad during this season.(!) My own conclusions are much as they were at the end of last season. " Gazza " may be an excellent prospect, but there should have been a "better class " of replacement for Bart (who clearly has found his level in L1).and we are left with the dangerous possibility that in the event of injury, or severe loss of form / confidence, we have no acceptable stand-in for KD. Again, as many others have highlighted, the departure of Jaidi and rather premature out-loaning of Aaron Martin ( a good prospect IMO)..left us with the uncertain situation around Seaborne. Although not always first choice- even two seasons ago - he managed only a handful of games in last season's Championship before his " enforced absence". He may be performing well in training, hence the decision to keep him, but there remains a question mark over someone who has only performed regularly at L1 level. The signing of Yoshida is a big plus, and I hope for his sake alone that he may confound some of his critics, who have yet to see him play. In any event I am concerned that Jose Fonte has, sadly, been responsible for a number of the errors that have led to recent defeats. A talented and skilful player on the ball, he somehow seems to go into slow-motion - especially when playing "suicidal back-passes " - which have often left KD in no-mans land and created chances for strikers. I feel he is not half the player he was - before his injury last Autumn. We are presently still without Jack Cork, clearly an influential player in the squad, but I think there is a good enough mix to cope with the demands of midfield. Rickie Lambert has proved something to himself and a lot of his critics, but we have yet to see a regular run from the newer acquisitions (in which I include the recently returned Tadanari Lee), and I'm hopeful we will see them on the scoresheet in the near future. Unless we manage to pick up a OOC player of the standard of Owen or Del Piero, we are going to have to live with the squad we have until January.´ I have not ignored the former Academy prospects, of whom there are more than a few, and though we may see one of two sparkling performances, it is hard to see anyone (except perhaps JWP) who is likely to command a regular place in the side, at least in the near future. In short, YES we might have signed " someone else "- but if they are misfits to the system - then the money would have been wasted. Like many of our newer fans ...NA is also learning about life in the Prem. As a 50 year+ fan, I've seen this scenario before, but as few of that playing generation are influential enough and still around to tell the tale, I hope we ALL learn more quickly this time.

this thread (like many others) has clearly " lost its way " and drifted onto other totally unrelated subjects... but IMO, the answer to your original question (in #1) .....is NO ! Next question ...?

....?...or do you mean....valueless? or ..worthless?