david in sweden

...well thats difficult to say - especially as we scored most in the league, but if we use the logic of assessing only those goals that won actual points- it becomes more interesting. Of course beating Coventry 4-0 was a great result, but in truth Billy Sharp's first goal (the 1-0) was enough to get the 3 pts. - the others were a " fun bonus ". Likewise the second goal in a 2-1 win, or the third in a 3-2 were actually the goals that WON the 3 points. Looking back over the season, you can see the goalscorers who actually got us the points. Rickie Lamberts 27 goal (Championship record BTW) actually won us " ONLY " 28 pts. Guly's 10 goals (though nearly all were before New Year) actually netted 18 pts, in 6 games. Adam Lallana scored 11 goals, but were "winning goals" in only 4 games.(12 pts.) Billy Sharp's final 9 goal tally actually earned us 10 valuable points.....but using this same formula you might claim that ; Jos Hooiveld's 7 goals ..earned us 10 points in 4 games ..including FOUR points from WEST HAM (!). without those particular 4 points, we might have ended BEHIND West Ham instead of watching (with some glee) how they may fare in the play-off's. Well done everyone, but particularly Jos !

very close to my own assessment. except that Butterfield already has an extra one year signed recently - although I expect a new RB to " appear " before August. If that works -perhaps a loan out /free for him in January. AND..If he regains any sort of fitness...Connolly -an extra season. (learn the lesson sof Kevin Phillips at Blackpool).

we finished strongly and Liverpool didn't have such a great run-in..if the season had been two weeks longer..we'd have overtaken them.

Amen to that Winner. what a pity that TV technique wasn't available then - as now. I'd love to see a few minutes of the in-form Sydenham and Paine from that period again. However, with the 4-1 win over Man.Utd. clip on U-Tube, you do get to see John S. at his very best.

quite a few people on here seem to be comparing Connolly and Sharp (!)..although I am definitely in favour of keeping a FIT Connolly ..for ONE more season, but they are not the same sort of player. Firstly because Billy is much younger and faster, and Connolly is not upto 90 minute games any more - especially if its at a higher level, but I'd have him on a 7 man bench - every game. He has so much class, and putting him on as a " change player" with 20/25 minutes to go could be invaluable in some games. I noted that 39 y.o. Kevin Phillips has spent a lot of time on Blackpools bench this season, yet has still managed to score 16 goals (!). PROVIDING... he can get /keep fit, he could go on for another season - if used in short doses.

.or the ONE point at Reading(A). SDR scoring that individual effort when we were already down to 10 men in the last 10 mins.

well not quite Turkish. We won that game 3-0. One penalty more of less wouldn't have made a difference to the result.

I have to go along with that one, too. Sorry ! .but it was a basic error that any schoolboy keeper knows about. It cost us 2 points.

I go along with those thoughts, too Colin. Too many fans condemn strikers who doesn't score REGULARLY, or are injured a lot without realising that some of the goals they score are real points-winners. In David Connolly's case he started really well and actually out-scored Ricky Lambert in the first 5 League games before his injury. amongst the 4 goals he scored in the first month of the season were enough to give us 6 points that we wouldn't have had - if he hadn't played. I hope that (if selected) he can contribute and maybe..." do a Torres," and show that he can a make a comeback. After his injuries I hope that we can give him ONE more season, so that in the event of promotion, he might get a taste of the top flight - one more time.

you got your wish..the BBC will televise it instead..and from the forests of Sweden, I'll be glad to watch it.

oooooo

after the defeat at Brighton, NA said " we had about a dozen injuries /suspensions " (at the time). If the injury cases hadn't recovered so quickly, I'm sure we'd have seen alot more of Falque. Just because he hasn't played doesn't mean he's sh*t ..BTW, we have a very large squad at present. IF ...Falque is looking good in training expect NA to try and get him from Spurs... for a song...

I made the very same point several weeks ago, and it got a very unpopular response. Fonte is / has been a good player for the last two seasons, but since coming back from his injury in the Autumn, he's been very poor. Make or break decision time for NA ..last game of the season. I wonder if he's considering it ?

has anyone on this site watched him play ...REGULARLY?... Glasgow Saint, maybe ?

I don't believe that Billy Sharp rejected the idea of coming last summer, BUT he was quoted as saying " the timing wasn't right". ..we know that his wife was advanced in the pregnancy which ended so tragically in the Autumn. I don't recall reading - anywhere - that he DIDN'T WANT to come. (hence his comment above). Likewise..I'm not sure that Hooper didn't want to come, but had he asked for a transfer..he would have forfeited a chunk of the resulting transfer fee, and must have thought that the clubs would eventually agree a fee. As it was Celtic said they didn't want to sell and set an unreasonably high value in the player, which Cortese (sensibly) refused to pay. As it was ..they would have won the SPC anyway because of Rangers points Bankruptcy / 10 pts.deduction, and Celtic haven't played that well since, and so they won - by default. Last I read Celtic were still strapped for cash, and we may yet see Hooper sign , but at a considerably lower fee. As soon as he gets " Saints fit ", he will be another addition to our strike force next season.

well not SO many in Sweden... at present, but two names to keep track of ; Rasmus Elm (the best of three Elm brothers)...currently playing in Holland. Tipped to go to Man U for £5 million in the summer. John Guidetti (a product of the legendary Brommapojkarna nursery club in Stockholm). Signed by Man.City at 17 and star of their Youth side, then loaned out to Feyenoord (another Dutch side) and has scored 20 goals already this season and still only about 19 ..(I think). If he doesn't make the cut in Man.City's first team - would be an inspired buy ..are you listening Nigel ?

was that a serious thread or just someone's idea of a fun " space -filler " in the Sun football column?

Taking a quick look back to all those names that flew around early season (and we didn't buy) I thought I 'd see what they got up to... Craig Machail-Smith (from P'boro to Brighton) fee £2.5 -3.25 mill. to date 9 goals in 35 games Jermaine Beckford (Everton to Leicester) £2.5 ? to date 8 goals in 33 games Lukas Jutkiewicz (Coventry to Middboro) £1.3 to date 2 goals in 13 games Nicky Maynard (Bristol City to WHam) £5 mill.? to date 2 goals in 13 games Sam Baldock (MKDons ? -WHam) £ ?????? to date 5 goals in 21 games which makes : Billy Sharp (Doncaster to SAINTS) £1.8 mill to date 7 goals in 13 games .....look like quite a good deal. The ones who stayed: Rhodes (still at Huddersfield) unlikely to get up to Npc AGAIN! (tough on them) has managed 36 goals so far. Jay Rodrigues has scored 17 goals for Burnley (but has an unimpressive 31 goals in 104 games career figs. (very average strike rate). Gary Hooper (Celtic) has scored 18 times in 32 games Let's see who we go for in the summer!

I'd go along with that FF, except that it took half-a-season to convince most of the fan base that Rickie Lambert was "good enough " for the Npc, - let alone the Prem. The main problem is that Lee Barnard has hardly played a full game in almost a year....and that was in L1...and if we are playing Prem.football next season then he has a lot of ground to make up ...if he's to be considered a suitable striker to have in the squad.

you'll need alonger memory for the others...what about Paine, Channon and Keegan, too ?

Jaidi is retiring and will get a coaching job at SMS. I would expect Connolly to get another one year extension. I knows he's been injured again, but everyone agrees he's class and Kevin Phillips is still going strong at 38 - despite injuries. Butterfield has already signed a one year extension and has done himself no harm with his temporary sub. job for Richardson - expect the same formula next season, or until we sign an international RB instead. I go along with most of the rest - except Guly - somehow I feel that the NPc is beneath him a bit. I don't mean that he's top class, but I think that Prem. football would give him a new lease of life..where his skill can flourish.as it will many others like Schneiderlin, Cork, Lallana and Lambert. However, I do agree that we need a couple of other strikers (1 signed and perhaps 1 loaned). It looks a lot on paper- at present, but with Barnards future STILL uncertain, and Connolly's in and out injury record, T. Lee will take time to recover to the pace we saw in his first games...which leaves us very little cover on the bench. Heaven fordid..if Billy or Rickie were to be out for any period of time..we'd be at rock bottom for alternatives. I'm also in for... a top keeper to go with KD, another big centre half, and a " Jimmy Case clone " to toughen up the midfield.

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