david in sweden

of course their penalty was at the other end, but I agree that he did look nervous. I think that taking a penalty must have been the last thing on his mind before it happened. He'd obviously got used to playing "second-fiddle" in our front line, and saw Rickie score two penalties in a game just a fortnight before.... .....wasn't there some " incident " just before that ......a goal disallowed, or hit the post or something? Such things can upset a player's concentration. Howvere, I agree .....he just wasn't up to it on the day.

My understanding too, but I'm sure that NA would want to get his best 25 ....and then have the U21 kids to call on as well.......I don't think he'll be satisfied to only accept 21 and call it quits. A bad run of injuries, suspensions or loss of form could mean we'd have to use the Academy 4.. .as well and whilst it would be good to give them a run-out for a game or two, no-one has suggested they are " as good as " the people they would have to replace, and could DAJFU on a longer term basis, although it might be nice to think so.

Maybe a little hard judgment, I watched that game and the pitch was a mess before the start.....and even MLT missed one .

.....going back to my earlier comment on #11 and #19, it seems that a lot is still "open " ......awaiting incoming players. We know that some players have a favourite number...T.Lee and Lallana are two such examples, but having now signed two new players (Rodriguez apparantly will have 9....and Davis (number not known yet, though he had 8 with Rangers) ...I'm more interested to see who will stay and end up in the " 25 squad ".... and so my guesses are as follows; We will sign 2 goalkeepers (one international and one younger) .. only one will go in the 25. 1 genuine centre back, (possibly 2 - or at least one right-sided FB capable of playing at the back). yet another midfielder ...and yet another striker. (though not all necessarily first team challengers at present). as for the rest. Hammond and Guly will stay in minor roles as last season - as will SDR) Harding will move, Seaborne will go out on a long loan / permanent transfer. Chaplow will go on loan - if not, in part- exch deal, and Puncheon will move ...likely to a London club ...unless Holloway still wants him) Jonno Forte will go and Barnard will move to an NPC side (also in London). Forecast will go out on loan ...if not a permanent move ! It's not often I go on line and make predictions, and I don't have any ITK contacts and these are only accumulated thoughts based on " who-knows-what"

Don't joke about it Badger, I wouldn't mind a shoot out in a future FA Cup Final if we were on the winning end.

You're right Pilchards, ..this is more of an issue than many people think...and one of the reasons that England have failed in shoot-outs in major comps. Almost every club has its regular penalty-taker... and others (who get selected for international duty) never get a chance against top level keepers and we see the end result, it ends up with players with no such experience drawing the short straw...( in Saints' case it was Leon Best v. Derby in the play-off SF - wasn't it ?)

....having quickly skimmed through the previous 200-odd posts, it seems like this one caught a lot of people out .... Nice signing though ....

.....best remembered for his Saints debut as an 18 y.o. and his record of successive Prem. performances. Good luck Wayne.

Grattis Patrik och Fru, och till den nyaste Saints fan....

..Buttner should fit in very well then .........

.....and Alan Partridge.. and a pair free..... (sorry about that guys... close season boredom)

I think half the Prem. are, but a class keeper for years? .....that sounds like what Spurs told us when we signed Forecast - doesn't it ? NO NO, but we know he's better than that - don't we ?

if you mean ...can they score goals?. I think the answer is YES.

I read that it was ...£4 million. That's not a bid - it's a joke!

My analysis, too. MLG. I have a "sort of criteria " that I've followed in the last 50 years. (with exceptions for football geniuses who turn up once every generation). Any player who debuts as a teenager and can play 50+ games in his first two seasons **is a good prospect (for any position). Goalies...pref. 30+ Full backs ...most of them are rarely good at both defending AND doing overlapping runs consistantly well, so ..usually mid 20's-ish with a bit of pace. Central defenders... big and ugly 25-30+... if they can still tackle and are willing to die for the cause. Midfielders ..around 20....if you can get one and they meet the above criteria**. .............Alternatively an old hand who can control the middle regardless of age; ala Ball, Case, Marsden. Wingers (as that was the player in question). They are first chosen for their speed / guile, but a fast runner at 20 isn't going to hold his pace for more than 5-6 years then he drifts into a midfield role. Of course he can still be a valuable player, but you're left with the problem of finding ANOTHER winger. So get one young. 20/21. Strikers.....someone who can score goals consistantly regardless of age. Many strikers are notoriously inconsistant, and have lots of bad spells as well as good. There have been exceptions to all these categories, but in the main I think it's about right.

"apparantly" ...Guthrie stated that his decision to join Reading was " a no-brainer " . How (I wonder), did he decide to sign for them then ?

just bad memories, I'm afraid . there's a lot to be said for remembering the old adage " never go back ".

surely the conversation about the merits of Holt and Lambert are superfluous. Any successful striker is only as successful as the team tactics that allow him to score. Lawrie Mac's old adage about " roadsweepers and prima donnas" is a quote that comes to mind. Going back far enough - Ron Davies (no excuse for ever using him as an example) was a fairly average striker with Norwich in the mid 1960's but his later transfer to Saints and the subsequent service he got from wingers Paine and Sydenham, turned him into one of the best CF in Europe - (quote: Matt Busby legendary Man U manager) Current examples of players like Carroll and Torres show that without the support and style of play to suit them, star players can look " quite ordinary "- and vice versa. The only thing that Lambert and Holt have in common is that they both score lots of goals. I don't believe that either of them would be as successful were they to be in.. the others / another team.. whoever it was.

IF shirts are definitely going on sale with names and numbers on them. I expect to see quite a few " blank numbers " between 2 and 11.

anyway this thread is about Butland - isn't it ? Every site is copying every other one and reporting our (supposed) £6 million bid.....and that Brum have rejected that offer. However, at this time, BFC have not stated so. Manager Clark has said that only a huge bid of, "silly money" would buy him but neither confirms or denies the (supposed)bid - and of course Saints will not comment on this either (as they certainly want him and have already (supposedly) made a lower bid. This smells of agents PR to me...if there had been a bid of that size, Brum surely hope such a story might drive up the price to other interested clubs (whoever?) and therefore won't confirm the bid either way, but if no other club else is willing to top the offer they are stuck with whatever "lower bid(s) they have already had...like Saints previously (supposed) £3 million from two weeks ago. I guess we'll have to wait until after the Olympics. If Butland is the star in the GB team and we do well / win the title, he'll command a very high fee...if we find out he's lousy at saving penalties, Brum might have a problem getting the type of (supposed) fee everyone is quoting. With nothing confimed or denied we can rightfully ask .." when is somebody gonna' go on the record with this story ?** " ** from Jason Robards' portrayal of newspaper editor Ben Bradlee in " All the Presidents Men" - Oscar winning film from 1976).

OK ..we'll all hold our breath then .............