david in sweden

Swedens Qual.match in Ukraine was an entertaining but tough affair throughout, but with the score at 0-0 as the match entered the final moments, (mainly due to the spectacular acrobatics of both keepers) when Swedens captain Anders Svensson playing his 117th game made a killing pass to set up a surprise win for the Swedes. Anders played a long probing ball through the static Ukrainian defence catching everyone flat-footed - except for striker Tobias Hysén who sprinted into the box and slid the ball under the advancing keeper to score with ease. This gave the Swedes a deserved win and ensured their qualification (along with Holland) to next years Euro finals.

I think they know that too, but Warnock has picked up a couple of free transfers who doubtless will have high salary demands as well as a "signing-on fee " .. and the thought of actually paying " real money " for a player might be the stumbling block. Fans who think that getting someone on a " free " is a good deal just don't realise the above costs involved. If a player doesn't request a transfer and is sold by his club then he is entitled to 10% of the fee.. (maybe more by the time his agent has a cut)..but someone who is out of contract ..or has been released by a former club doesn't get anything yet may demand a similar sum in order sign for someone else...or it comes over in the form of " moving costs /re-housing subsidy.".. etc, There aren't any FREE transfers in the football world....sign someone for (say) £1 million and he goes on £10K/ week...but the guy who comes on a " free transfer " may demand 25-30K week salary..the net cost is much the same.

..don't know if he will TBH. He still fancies himself as a Prem. player (and perhaps he is ..for half-a-season at least), He must surely be keen to get away and will be glad to move to anyone who will pay the transfer fee.

you can forget all these other names .. Leicester are buying them all.

..think you were a tad over-zealous with that particular comment Turkish. At least he looked a darn sight better in the evening.

Actually, I have written to NA pointing that out .. although I'm sure he knew about it already, but no-one has learned to do it yet.

me too ...+1

..know what you mean, and to be fair Hudds. were worth a promotion place more than P 'boro'... but now I'm back to looking at results for regional clubs. Having " lost " Swindon, hope that Yeovil and B'mouth can stay up in L1.

He'll be in demand right up until the transfer deadline, and some club who are suddenly struggling after 3 defeats will " find the money" somewhere. Sure, he's not doing anything here but if he's on L1 wages then it won't cost us much to continue paying him x? K / week.. and if all else fails, he'll go out on loan again...and someone else will have to pay his salary. He's had a lot of attention, so clubs know who he is ..and the terms of sale... NC must be a good poker player, so he'll just wait.

Fire, eh ? I was on hand to take shots of the old pier burning down in the 1970's..whilst Ken Russell was filming " Tommy " .

if we were to buy it - why not pull it down and turn it into a park...(all grass and trees)...and forget the Fratton part.

Of course. FIT means they're not injured anymore. It's stupid (and unfair) to brand a player " injury-prone " because he's been unlucky in the past, and deny him the chance to play. I'd like to see ANYONE say we shouldn't play David Connolly because he has a past history of injuries. The guy is pure class .

I'd go with most of that. ..except that I don't think Barnard is fully fit yet. So I'd play Guly up front with Lambert. People should understand that we will have changes for Cup matches .. and we don't have JPT games anymore. If this is our " second XI " I know...wrong sport...then it's still pretty strong and ought to take care of an L2 side in a home fixture With the exception of De Ridder, all the above played at some stage last season and we can surely put one or two " regulars" on the bench....and maybe even a couple of new faces from the Academy ranks.

TOUGH GUY ?... He'll make you an offer you can't refuse..ask Arsene Wenger.

I'm disappointed to see repeated comments from contributors saying .. " don't play him - he's injury prone ". Most recently aimed at Lee Holmes and David Connolly. True ...some injuries take longer than other, especially those to knee and ankle, but both players mentioned have shown real talent when they were played, and no manager would put someone on the bench if he wasn't match fit. ANYONE can get injured ..anytime and no-one knows the extent of the injury lay-off. An injury can be cleared up in a week, or become a career breaker. Towards the end of their time with us..both MLT and Marian Pahars had serious injuries, but I heard few voices suggesting they shouldn't be selected because of that. Gordon Strachan refused to select £3 million signing Agustin Delgado) ..I suspect because it wasn't his player, but even after a knee op. and prologed lay-off.... " Tinman " still went to the 2002 World Cup and scored for Equador. Longer ago, Ron Davies had repeated injuries from brutal defenders' tackles, (when players weren't " protected " so much by referees as they are now), but still turned up to play and continued to score regularly. Matt Oakley was out over a year before coming back, and released by a manager (who ?) didn't trust " his recovery". Argueably, Oakley has had a better career after he left Saints ! Lee Holmes seems to have got an "honourable mention " for those games he has played, and had a good time on the Swiss tour apparantly. David Connolly has (according to an NA quote in April ) been fit, and on the bench since March..but unable to get in because of Lee Barnard's good form. It was a good thing he was after LB got injured a month later, as DCs goals were invaluable in the run in to end of season. NOW it's Barnards who still isn't 100% fit, but no-one is saying we shouldn't choose him, because of that and who can deny that David Connolly is a class act and deserves his place on merit? So let's quit this "injury-prone " hoodoo comment. If a player is selected and plays well enough .. he's worth his place...as long as he is fit enough to play!

Kevin Davies (bought for 750K from ..Chesterfield? ", and eventually sold to Blackburn for £8 million ...? Dean Richards (God rest his soul) was a Bosman / Free from Wolves and sold to Glenn Hoddle's Spuds for £8 million. Crouch's move to Liverpool (£6 million) should have netted more - but we don't know exactly as it was one of .." 'arry's deals " and it would have been - had we not been in the relegation zone at the time. No-one mentioned James Beattie's (6... or was it 7 million fiasco move to Everton) ....sorry James but you were best when at SMS. ..and yes ...the Walcott deal was very good considering he could have signed himself and we'd have got nothing. One positive thing about RL's deals was the increasing use of the " sell-on clause ". How I wish we'd have had that in the contract when we sold Alan Shearer to Blackburn (1992) for a then record £3.6 million. (later sold to Newcastle for £15 million?)

--and speaking of tribunals..is there any news of our " compensation " after Gobern's move to Huddersfield ?

Mmm.. actually it's ..39 years ago Eastander! (quick bit of brain fade there when you reckon in decades).

Quite right ! It's no-one's business except those who are directly involved with the deal. It may be " nice to know " what we paid /or got for " a player when they sign but it does help bargaining if the other club doesn't know whats in your bank account. I assume that Cortese will fend off such ridiculous deals with a stern comment about our £13 million deficit over the last 2 seasons, and not having " money to burn ". Personally, I'm past the stage of calculating things on the strength of " the transfer fee ". The real costs of signing a player, for say £750K and paying them 10K week and little different to signing a " free transfer " player and then paying " a signing-on fee " and then paying them 25K week. For those who think seriously about such things .. I read that Rudi Skacel's transfer back to Hearts netted the Saints £1.6 million - now that I do call... a good deal.

Actually ....the thing that is most satisfying to me is winning the opening game of the season, which used to be a regular event - in the last millenium. Also that it was Leeds on the receiving end, which is some comfort to those who can still feel the pain of the drubbing we got at Elland Road in 1972 !

Popularity..by it's very meaning suggests something that is current and (sadly) it's almost 10 years since MLT last put on a Saints shirt. There is a whole generation that have never seen Matt play for Saints - except maybe on DVD / Video - and only know him as a TV soccer pundit. For my generation . we were equally inspired by the likes of Paine, Sydenham, Ron Davies and Mick Channon...most of whom are already pensioners. but are nevertheless heroes of the first level. MLTs "popularity / fame / success " will be forever sealed in the memories of those who saw him play. I might suggest that most of those who sing at matches maybe the younger generation who have seen seen the heroes of past in their prime. It's good to have a variety of songs - in my days it was a continous chorus of WTSGMI... and I still love it today.

a sobering thought after a good win on Saturday and amidst impending transfers in /out was to think about some of those who have " departed " from Saints ranks in recent years. A quick scan of first games from Saturday saw; Doncaster's side included Simon Gillett, but not Joseph (Fish) Mills who is back with Saints (even if it may be temporarily)..but the name of Wayne Thomas didn't appear anywhere in the Donnies line-up. Donny lost 1-2 , and a certain Billy Sharp scored their goal. David Mc Goldrick played 55 mins. for Notts Forest before being subbed in their 0-0 bore draw with Barnsley, but Dexter Blackstock wasn't in the line-up. Martin Cranie (now Coventry) was in the side losing 0-1 to Leicester. David Prutton scored a goal in Sheff Wed.s 2-0 win ..and John Otsemobor (who could forget a name like that) coming on as sub.in the last 5 mins. Late sub. apps also for Callum McNish for Exeter and Lloyd James for Colchester. Yeovils new captian Paul Wotton was one of 4 players booked in their 0-2 defeat v Brentford (now being managed by Owe Rosler ) ! Ollie Lancashire played 90 mins. for Walsall ..and wasn't booked at all ! Aldershots latest signing Anthony Pulis spent 90 mins ..on the bench. We look forward to his debut game for the Shots.

I'm sure a lot of fans would go along with your sentiments Chez, but to my mind .." not a sellng club " is a phrase from the Dark Ages now. IF a club is strapped for cash, then they have to sell ..to survive. If you have a player who is worth -- so much - and you have a suitable replacement then it's good business. I can recall the uproar when Martin Chivers was sold to Spurs for a British record fee (£125,000 in 1968) but his replacement was a young lad from the Reserves called ...Mick Channon. Then again Alan Shearer's record transfer £3.6 million in 1992 was an offer you couldn't refuse - especially as no other club had that sort of money to fork out and buy him. People forgot we paid 675K for Kevin Davies but the £8 million that Blackburn forked out was another offer we couln't refuse. IF a player of Walcott, or Bale's potential appears, then it is unreasonable to expect them to stay playing CCC level football - if they are genuinely Prem standard. If that is the case with Alex (and we won't know until.... ) I only hope (IF /when ) he moves then he does succeed. One sobering thought is ... that both Walcott and Bale took almost two years to become established in their new sides after they moved. If the same happens to Alex, then he may be anonymous in the Arsenal ranks ....until he turns up in the England squad for the 2014 World Cup.

well, I see that we are about to SELL big, but who will we spend that money on I wonder ?