david in sweden

who is this new STRIKER ? ...Guly something ?

surely NA would say that's what a " squad game " is all about. When you have players, injured, suspended or " off-form " you need to try alternatives. If Guly has learnt what the offside rule means in Engalnd, then he'll be OK but the 'Boro defence is the best in this league and Mowbray is no mug , so we need some sort of a change around to crack their defence..at least for this game, and it may need more than a Ricky Lambert spot kick to seal a win.

Obviously some people have taken part of what you said out of context (a common problem we all suffer from) and it has been blown out of proportion. As a lad (in the early 1960's) much of my pocket money, and later a chunk of my miserable wage early wage packet went to following Saints and although quoting £££ figures cannot be compared nowadays - a good figure is always the % cost of your net income. For me and my friends of that period it was no small investment, even walking to the Dell... and buying a (then) programme, but we did it anyway. I totally agree about the relative costs that some away clubs charge, as I well recall on my first visit to Highbury (the old Arsenal stadium - as was).. BR train fares, and Tube tickets, too and then a quite expensive programme that wasn't a patch of the Saints model of the day. AT least my visit to Highbury produced a VERY rare win against Arsenal, so we came away happy and despite the cost, felt we had got our money's worth. Many other times it wasn't so.

and so now we've moved up from L1 to CCC..and you expected the prices to GO DOWN ? and...when we 're in the Prem. next season --everyone will get in for a £5-er..right ?

Most of us seem to agree, it's worth a try..we need some different formula to crack the 'Boro defence.

....and was it Roy Keane who got red-carded in the first 20 mins...? Ah ! who cares, it's 6 in the record books anyway....and according to In that Number..it was : 1-0 Berkovic 6 min. 2-0 Le Tissier 34 min. 2-1 Beckham 41 min. (who?) 3-1 Ostenstad 45 min. 3-2 May .......56 min. 4-2 Berkovic 83 min. 5-2 Ostenstad 85 min. 5-3 Scholes 89min. 6-3 Neville o.g. 90 min. (although we credited it to Ostenstad) ...in front of a then reduced record crowd at The Dell of (wait for it )....15 253 (!) DATE: October 23rd 1996 (15 years ago last Saturday ) all together... Happy Anniversary Man.Utd.

so perhaps he did everyone a favour by NOT signing..?

.....OR , perhaps he likes life at the BOTTOM end of CCC ..? who knows ?

on with well if I recall the interview correctly..(?)..he said a (maybe) to £100,000 a week..along with something about extending SMS to accomodate 50,000. Personally I don't think we should give Academy graduates that sort of money, especially as we've given careers to so many in the past. But seriously; I'd really like to hack off the top 4 in the Prem(when Newcastle have dropped down a bit) and let them go off and play in their own big stadiums, where you can't see anything from the third tier grandstand, and let the rest of us get some interesting Premiership games. May not be top European class, but enough to satisfy me, I think. )

Every new manager wants to bring in his "own" - even if they are on loan / on the cheap, so expect the next poor bu**er who takes the managers job to be told - they must sell in order to have funds to re-invest...so ..WHO DO YOU FANCY from those above ?

(sounds a bit tough) ..maybe he'll improve... after he turns...17 ?

I'd agree with that. NA obviously sees "something " in his style and being a forme Scunny player he knew him well enough. ..his turn of speed is a bit out of the ordinary, and he is that sort of impact player (to use NA's pharse) but I don't see him as a regular in the CCC... let alone Prem. Useful to have in the squad, but now we have De Ridder.... his days must be numbered.

ABSOLUTELY ! I wrote the same thought on one thread a few days ago. Guly looks to be a real handful, maybe a bit clumsy but has good ball skills and is highly unpredictable. It's a great chance to let him lead the line and show his talents. Connolly still has a place in the squad IMO and ought to do his " impact sub. role" coming on with 20 mins. left and scoring the winning goal.

......should have done better in the first half. CP text commentary said we were the best team in the first 45 ...? Forte ran through and beat everyone - except the keeper! and then were unlucky not to get a penalty when Reeves was brought down but the ref. ignored it. Sounds like their keeper (Price) took everything that came his way. I'm all for giving the 2nd XI types a game, but playing Forte up front with a youngster (out of position) was an unusual selection(?). At least we've seen most of the current alternatives in the squad, but I think the regulars can sleep soundly, but I feel a bit concerned that we have both Jaidi and Fonte out, and no real cover at the back..in the event of ....*¤/?

I have followed " Svennis' " career as much as anyone. He is an ikon in Sweden, and his record of successes in Europe is quite excellent. He certainly needed MORE time and he should have been allowed a season at least. He is a methodical person and has his own plan for forming a team..but it takes time and Leicester didn't give him that. The Leicester Board must be lunatic and they deserve everything that's coming to them. Many of his dozen or so new signings were players who knew him and whom he has known from the past, and they signed for HIM. How a new man will cope with them is bound to attract attention. I cannot believe that he would ever consider Pomp*y, as he doesn't need the money and would certainly like a club with patience and ambition. Wait till a few Prem. managers have got the push and he'll be back on top. Personally, I think they will self-destruct and it'll be one less club to worry about as promotion rivals.

IMPACT player, Dune..IMPACT player. If he'd have been on for all 94 minutes, Reading would have... sussed him out /crippled him and he would never have had the speed to counter and score THAT goal in the 80th minute..

+1....

Nice isn't it. Gone are the days when the sub. comes on to make up the numbers, but can actually become a match-winner.

I think I posted that thread..and the two highlighted games were League Cup matches, but you forgot " Jonno" Forte who came on and scored in the L. Cup tie v. Torquay.

at least we don't have to worry about losing 3 points and NA isn't going to let them take it easy either. Everyone has to start somewhere, so why not ? Remember those fans who said it was stupid to consider playing 16 year olds, like Walcott and Bale ... Ward-Prowse has had rave reviews for Academy nearly every time I've read about him. He deserves a chance.

when considering the ..TWELVE players who have already netted for us this season. Admitedly, we expect Ricky to be top man, Lallana has scored 5, whilst Guly and Connolly have 4 each (De Ridder3). Surely not so bad for someone who effectively plays a midfield role, and like yesterday, he has made a number of assists too.

Good point Dune, ..was thinking the same myself recently, and not just because of the hairstyle either... Chaplow shows the same level of commitment we saw from Marsden, and he's several years younger than CM was when he came to us (Feb.1999) when he was already 30 ..and didn't Dave Jones get a lashing from fans who saw the £800K fee as a waste. DJ made a few good signings and Marsden was one . Chaplow may become the new fan-favourite if he continues to perform as he has done recently..not a bad deal for ...£50K, eh ?

I agree. He is the only real option for a proven goalscorer with Barnard out (indefinitely) and Connolly not on his best form yet maybe DC should play deeper (as stand-in for Lallana) and play Guly as an out-and-out, old fashioned centre forward, that really would put the cat amongst the pigeons.

Think we'll see more than a few changes for the L.Cup game, maybe a few more Academy lads will be " blooded "...? but expect ...Holmes or De Ridder to start on Saturday and maybe even Dickson on the bench. With Harding back fit, might see him play and Fox move up to midfield to fill Hammond's spot. Injury list is building now... Barnard (hasn't played for 6 months !) ..Jaidi (op) Seaborne...Lallana...Fonte...(no more please).

BBC report said it was a magnificent one-handed save by the Reading keeper !