david in sweden

I think they must have the League record for most attempts to win promotion. Although I can't pinpoint the exact seasons, I think they went out in the play-offs about 3 times before getting out of L1, then had a similar fate for a couple of seasons in a row in CCC before getting up to the Prem.

OK! OK! ......but when does Rudi Skacel sign ???

with Stoke's poor defensive record, maybe they should have tried him before now ...?

agree with that part, but I'm glad I didn't have to choose M.O.M ....'cos he wasn't the only one... by a long way !

I admit I sounded a bit pedantic there. He was first (back) on the bench in the Brighton (H) game. Thereafter he got on, and then came on 3 times more before being injured AGAIN. He started the first MILLWALL cup game, and was sub in the second. More recently, he came on in the game v. Donnie and Blackpool. I haven't counted the minutes, but your right that it hasn't added up to be HOURS and HOURS! ..maybe it just seems more. But having got used to De Ridder's goal-scoring sub. appearances it would be nice to think that an established player (such as LB is) might have popped in a goal or two when he got the chance. I'm first to admit that it takes time for an injured player to re-discover his form, but if there was ever the time to do it - it's surely got to be now !

.....he still has a " newish" 3 year contract signed last year.

.a couple of sport sites have quoted an interest from saints to sign Matthew Upson in the summer. OK I can hear the " critics " now He's 32 and can't get a regular spot at Stoke, but the man has 21 England caps to his credit , and even for a couple of years would be very useful addition to the squad when /if we are in the Prem.

hear this Billy..the way back and into Saints legend-status is to score vital goals against POMPEY ! You may not score in every game - no-one does, but goals against " the old enemy" are remembered by everyone forever.

At a point in time when we are all hoping and praying that Rickie Lambert is fit enough to play out the rest of the season and get a few more vital goals...when Billy Sharp is still finding his feet, David Connolly on one of his injury sojourns and Tadanari Lee is back on the plane to Japan until August (maybe not literally)....whilst Guly is showing his amazing in and out form (as only he can do) .....we still have Lee Barnard. Injured LAST April, he has made numerous sub.apps. in recent months after his prolonged injury period and yet - when he comes off the bench ...seems to disappear into the mass of players.....and almost becomes invisible. Few people who recall his previous goal-scoring feats would say he is without skill or talent, but somehow he doesn't even seem a shadow of his former self. I've lost track of the details of his court case..has there been a verdict yet?, or can this be affecting his attitude to life and the game ? If ever there was a time for him to recover some form - it is surely NOW. I sense that some fans are losing patience with him too, so let's hope he can get some form going in the last 6 games and get some goals to help us "over the line ".

Embarrassed NO ! ..disappointed YES! I think I would've thought twice before broadcasting that to my frinds and neighbours when faced with an away game at Blackpool, and I would have been satisfied to have come away with one point (and I suspect too, so would have Nigel Adkins). However, we are still top of the league and we have no Divine Right to win every game. IMHO such a poor result is expected once in a while and will surely go a long way to proving to the players that - we 'aint quite there YET !

it seems that the £30 million ..went to pay off the debt, or convert them to shares, or whatever " financial side-stepping " they did. I get rather confused by the media telling us we are the third richest club in the League (or whatever it was), however, I did write that on the basis of that sort of info. Whilst I admit I wrote those figs. at the time I don't think I actually said that we would spend £30 million on players in January - did I ? My original thought was that a lot of that would go on the much-vaunted expenditure of the training ground (which many others were calling a " bluff " at the time) and has since been approved, and then having signed two strikers for less than £2 million, I was pleased and surprised at such a low outlay, when I expected a big sum to be laid out on the likes of Hooper, or Rodrigues. HOWEVER, I am (surely) not alone in stating that I don't think that a considerable number of the present squad are likely to see a Premiership career with Saints - do you ? We already have around a dozen on long term contracts, so I do expect to see big money spent on at least 2 or 3 top class players...whether or not that will run up to £20 million or not... I don't know. But with Cortese's deals - who knows WHO we might get on a " free " next season.

.must surely be obvious to even the most critical contributor (and there are a few of them) in the light of recent games. Lambert (hopefully).... might be fit enought to see out the season. Lee (sadly) had a freak injury which needed surgery - out for 4-6 months? Barnard (if fully fit ?)....hasn't shown a spark of his last season's form ..yet... Connolly ..still injured. Date of return - unkown ? Sharp...still finding his feet, but did score twice last week ..(has everyone forgotten that already ?) Guly ..surely the most in and out player of the season. One week he plays like a BRAZILIAN, the next ...like GODZILLA ! When the sun starts shining ....he'll start scoring again! Having said that...any one of them fit enough to play on saturday... might score a hat-trick! any other names worthy of recognition - please apply.

QUESTION .... Are we all discussing the same Billy Sharp who scored 2 goals last week ? He had a bad game yesterday....along with about 8 others in the side (btw).......so let's sack him NOW !

At least one of the sites has heavily hinted that Dan Seaborne will be in the squad - if not playing - on Saturday. Whatever the circumstances of his injury, I'm sure fans will be glad to see him back fit again, I can only hope that we don't get a stupid wave of criticism before he even laced up his boots on Saturday. He's been out for a L-O-N-G time, and if he is being considered for the Blackpool - he must surely be " Saints fit " otherwise NA won't pick him.

Having seen all the names players, I wonder just WHO you are making comparisons with ? Genuine left wingers..good or indifferent ..are quite rare, and we have indeed had a motley crop over several decades...but I really think it is getting close to the bone to criticise John Sydenham 400+ games in a 12 year period...either suggests that Ted Bates couldn't find anyone better during that entire time ..or didn't bother to look ! One-footed... he certainly was, Yes - he might have scored more goals, but undoubtedly his speed and trickery was the best I can recall in a Saints shirt .

Really Bearsy, I don't think there on many on this site who expect us to blow away any of the aforementioned teams. I think getting one point from any of them would be regarded as a moral victory. IF promoted, we will be entering the Prem. with most of the squad we finished our L1 season with !. Unless they have hidden talents that haven't come to the fore yet, then we all surely expect to make some more experienced signings - just in order to finish safely in mid table. I think it better to consider who we might possibly get points off rather than looking for defeats in advance of the kick-offs. Looking at the present Prem. table, we see that the majority of teams are cannon-fodder for the top four/five. The rest are just pleased with survival. After 27 seasons of " survival " ..and an occasional good game, I'd just be glad to get back. If Messers Cortese and Adkins have something / someone else up their sleeves, it'll be a very pleasant surprise.

I'm pleased for these two guys for several reasons. Fonte (a class defenderer by any reckoning) made a courageous decision to drop to an L1 side two years ago from his position as a star-player in a settled Palace side, and hopefully his reward will be as a key man in our Prem. side. Hooiveld came to SFC (already labelled a Celtic reject - by some) and was seen as a last desperate effort to get some cover in the wake of Seaborne's injury. What a shock for his critics when he not only began to stabilise the defence, but even developed a good partnership with "rookie " Aaron Martin during the period that Fonte was out injured. I took a closer look at his career stats. and saw that he is indeed a winner. An uncertain period in his teenage period with several Dutch clubs, before he went to Finland and starred in Inter Turku's League title / and League Cup win, and was voted league's best defender - two years in a row. A move to Sweden carried on this success when he was part of the AIK "double winning side " in 2009. Naturally the move to Celtic was a chance but he seems to have been cast as the scapegoat for some defeats, when others may also have been at fault. " desperate last minute signing? " ...call it what you like, but he is steadily gaining popularity at SMS. Certainly if when - we get promotion his two important goals against Wham, ([b and those 4 points[/b]) ...might well be worth their weight in gold by May - when you consider who he scored them against. Jos has a real winner's mindset, and we need that in every player in the squad.

of course, we all breathed a sigh of relief to see Billy selected in the first place, and then net twice (without Rickie on the pitch - incidentally) but having watched the replays a number of times, I noted that Billy's first goal was a ** good header from a man only 5'9" ... to get above some other defenders, and the second - hopefully chasing a long ball (good punt upfield by Fonte).. and although the defender seemed to have it covered, it was very good technique to win the loose ball and beat the advancing keeper. ** there are more than a few clips of Billy in action on You Tube (under Billy Sharp) and I noticed a similar header in another game. What he lacks in height he makes up for with good timing. Nice one ..(sorry TWO) Billy ...more of the same please.

....... +1

------------------------------------------------------------ I think we're on the same wavelength, but having grown up with the fateful story of 1948/9 (nicely highlighted on here last week) I've always tried to concentrate on one match at a time, something that has haunted us a bit this season. I don't think that anyone thought we would go unbeaten the whole season (JOKE ), but after our whirlwind start and especially the results v. Leeds, Ipswich, Brum, Wham and Middboro'...who'd thought we would have come unstuck against Brizzle (TWICE) and Donnie (OK, I know Billy got their goal that day). Definitely, some humbling moments and a caution to keep feet firmly on the ground, which is why - with some reservations - I feel a little more concerned about our remaining home fixtures - rather than the aways. Staying focussed seems to be another favourite Adkins-ism that we might all do well to remember. I agree that the (type of) BBC Predictor can be a dangerous tool in the hands of some of the " chicken-counters " on the site.

I wrote on this several months back...and the Blackpool fiasco only underlined that. I'm afraid that Bart has never really impressed me . Even if we say that KD is worth his place, we see that the majority of Prem sides have one, if not two international keepers.

I'm not looking to discuss starvation in Africa ..I'll delete that part if that offends you - and don't you think Saints are an obsession for me ..after 50 years?...but we have to be philosophical at the same time. I just think we ought to keep some sense of proportion - don't you ?

from a 50 year fan who started supporting Saints when they were in Division 3 (the first time around ). It's football, its a game ! Sorry Mr.Shankley it's not more important than life and death. Some people are worrying that we won't get promoted. Others are worried in case we do! . IF we go up, we won't be a success - or if we do it will only be short-lived ..and then we'll be relegated again. The Liebherr family will lose interest and sell us off to some Russian oil mogul, or a mafia -type... STOP! GET A LIFE ...it's only a game, and people are dying in Africa. Listen to Nigel Adkins. We take ONE GAME AT A TIME...OK?

GOOD ! ..keep it that way. There's no-one on this site is going to be asked to contribute... so no-one should worry.