david in sweden

....or putting it another way, players who CDAJFU when needed. SOMEONE will (eventually, but hopefully not TOO soon) even replace Ricky Lambert .. We can still only have 11 players on the pitch at one time (unless Sepp Blatter has changed that rule), so starting on the bench is not a sign of being second choice, or not good enough for a place ...these days it's tactics and the "impact players ".

so the question is .. does he want to move somewhere and play , albeit at a lower salary , or spend his time on the nightclub circuit ****ing it up with Tommy Forecast. He's not without talent, and didn't come cheap but happens to be cover for other established players who are on good form. A career choice..if we hadn't wanted him at all he'd be on the transfer list, if someone gets long term injured, he could find himself playing a bit.. but I agree he won't make the 25... as it is now.

I agree with your statement, but maybe not in the way you mean... I think that Sharp took some time to get himself into the right mindset after he arrived, and I don't mean just losing a few pounds and getting "Saints-fit". TBF Lee looked red hot from his first game, and as it was after his unfortunate injury that Billy Sharp did what a good squad player should do, namely go on and DAJFU. For many seasons past, we've had a "goal scoring saviour " who delivers goals at the end of the season - when it matters. Agreed some of Sharp's efforts were a bit scrappy but (when the ref. sees it) those that go over the line count as goals, and though we can be thankful for Ricky Lambert's fantastic efforts throughout the season, it was Billy who got the important goals in the last couple of months. Very few strikers are consistantly good all the time. Lambert has been for three seasons, Channon was and Ron Davies and Martin Chivers before him ..since when even MLT and James Beattie had embarrasingly long "dry spells" when they were goal-less week after week. Thankfully Billy hit form when we needed him most, but he might never become as prolific as the other mentioned above.

I agree with you on this one. Carroll wasn't even in the England squad two months ago. He wouldn't have gone on the pitch if Rooney had played from the first game (except perhaps the last 10 mins. as a sub). YES, he looked a bit lively when he was on, and his one goal looked good .. but he isn't England class on those showings. I'd go as far to say that if Liverpool hadn't parted with Torres (to the only Prem. side that could afford him) and left L'pool with £50 million burning a hole in their pocket, then Carroll would still be at Newcastle, and be what he was before.....an exciting young prospect who had one very good season behind him and came down to Earth last season. It'll be a long time before Liverpool fans admit he was a good buy..for ONLY £35 million.. even an FA cup win is no replacement for Champions League football.

Interesting thought..... but perhaps we ought to wait until we see who's in the squad (come August ) before we start handing out numbers .....

I'm agreeing with you The 9...... ...as it seems clear that the ambition of people like NC and NA knows no bounds and goes places where no-one had previously thought possible ..perhaps they are looking forward to the day when Saints field 11 home-grown players, or even 11 Academy graduates?.

Why does this sound so crazy? I mean Saints (are supposed) to have bid £6 million for Butland..! OK... maybe he's another Peter Shilton ** - in which case it might sound a good deal. But the combination of the Liebherr inheritance, and the reaction of fans who've had (what is by Prem. terms) a miserly £4 million transfer record for over 10 years, tends to make me think that we are lacking a little balance in our responses to all these transfer rumours. If we didn't expect it before, now we are in the position that every second-rate, second level "footballing genius" we are being linked with (up around 20 on last count) suddenly means that sums like £6 million are tossed around like we were a lottery winner just buying a round in his local. IMHO we would be very daring to suggest bidding so much for a talented yet clearly untried 'keeper and unless NA has talked the hitherto very cautious NC into making such a bid, I can't see Saints making such a deal, for such a sum.. for this particular player - even if he is a future England prospect. If I'm wrong, it wouldn't be the first time but I do think that the media and the influence of agents' enthusiasm goes beyond boundaries too much nowadays. ** for younger fans who only know the name and never saw him play: Peter Shllton was a teenage reserve keeper at Leicester (then a top side) in the period after Englands 1966 WC win, and replaced England keeper Gordon Banks (he later moved to Stoke) and Shilton went on to become England's most-capped player, and continued to turn out for various sides even when he was past 50.y.o. Only time will tell if Butland becomes another Peter Shilton ..or a Tommy Forecast.

.well when did you last decorate at home ....it is surely .......MATT

I came to the same conclusion, but I still expect ANOTHER striker ..(for some reason) but no-one expects us to sign 6 players .but I do expect to see 3 or 4 more go before sept.1 (either transfers of loans)

..and Claus Lundekvam as the "other CB " .

my own alternative suggestion, but he only ever played at left back.

How about .....Gareth Bale ...is he good enough....the next worst suggestion would be Patrick Colleter ?

I think I detected a slight Essex dialect on the ends of some sentences. If he didn't actually take elocution lessons, then he must have got some advice and worked hard to rid himself of the obvious dialect that everyone seem to suggest he had in the post WW2 period. He certainly spoke slower and formulated his speech so as to sound a little more "classy ". This is no criticism BTW....but a lot of people do the same in.... different situations. I thought he great leadership qualities and was obviously unique as manager of an English World Cup winning side.

I can recall seeing training sessions in the Dell car park, but I think they eventually built a small gym behind the West Stand ...sometimes in the 1970's....although the outdoor training still carried on until more permanent facilities were found.

...being of a generation that can recall all this; it was a lot of fun watching - and listening- to Ramsey and others on football in the 1960's. Of course we can all smile; at the kit they wore, the style of play, the state of the pitches and Alf's wonderfully " ethical stance on unfair play" but it's a history lesson in itself, and I for one am glad you found it . THX.

oh ..in which case we shouldn't repeat the story about Rupert I not signing Didier Drogba - because he thought he had a bit of an attitude!.

Find me a few more examples and I might change my opinion. Unfortuantely, I think it unlikely that there are too many more "Niemis " around, and playing in one of the top sides in Scotland is no real measure against the general standard of the Premier League...is it ? If indeed we do sign him, I hope you're right, and if there is anyone capable of signing a good keeper for the Prem....it surely must be Nigel Adkins. Antti Niemi came to Saints aged 30, with around 250 games behind him and had been capped 40+ times for Finland since 10 years before. He was later described as being one of the best keepers in the Premiership (as it was then called). He was one of the best Saints keepers I ever seen.

.....are you comparing Niemi with Forster, Turkish?

I don't think I said he was a bad player. He has had a lot of injury problems, and has fallen out with a number of club managers, but that's par for the course with some players - isn't it ? Yes, he does have good goal scoring stats. Hence my point about his potential as a top goalscorer with Barnsley next season. .and yes I'm also disappointed that much of this thread has been highjacked by the name of a division- when it is about a player who ..might...at one time have played for Saints.

I might have guessed that had I put a comma in the wrong place ... it would have been you who spotted it......The 9 and you're very good at it. My reference to the Championship was based on items I'd read in the media, and heard on a couple of match commentaries, namely... that the highest number of goals previously scored by anyone in the Championship in one season was 25 ... and that Ricky Lambert scored 27 last season. The original item on #1 was about Mido, and I will be interested to see how many goals he will score for Barnsley in the coming season. btw; when did you last start a thread?

just a little nostalgia mixed with some Swedish humour, I think. Anders is soon to be 36 and clocked up his 130th cap in the England game. (most ever for a Swedish outfield player) He still has a good passing-style, but has slowed a lot and might only be good for the first 60 mins. in the Prem. , I'm sure.