david in sweden

so too has Lallana and Guly has scored 4. Lambert is good, but like all strikers he has dry spells. Last season he got quite a few from set-pieces and penalties. I'm fed up quoting it ...but in 2002-3 James Beattie went 10 games without scoring, and then got 23 upto the end of the season. Last season RL was exceptional, but you are in a minority if you think Lambert is not good. He'll come again, but meantime we need someone scoring every week. Lallana is out for who knows how long...Guly has got some form now, but no-one is certain of Barnard future - except the judge and jury .. so YES ..I think we need some extra options if we are to maintain our current form and league position.

well not abuse, but you are being a bit unfair to Jo Tessem. Could play defence or (preferred midfield) had one of the best strike rates for a MF attacker of anyone who's been at the club and his goals frequently won a point and occasionally all 3). His downfall (in the eyes of some fans) was when forced to play striker ( 6' 3") in a period when James Beattie was injured. Experienced Prem. defenders frequently played him offside, and he became the butt of some fans criticism. Good player in my eyes.

You missed the point Dronski ..I wasn't referring to the " 0-0 bore draw " on Saturday, but the injured absentees, who may / may not be available in the next 2-4 weeks ..or if Lallana's injury is serious ...the rest of the season. Do you want to play the same midfield as finished with on Saturday - for the rest of the season ?

winning the game in hand, which is one of several outstnding AWAY matches (BTW) isn't the problem..it's who will be fit and on-form for the next 3 months. Lallana ?...Chaplow?...Hammond...? AOC ?

Thank you Alps, someone understood my point. I didn't mention the 0-0 draw, and it wasn't in my mind when I wrote the original thread. My point was... good as he is Lambert isn't going to get anywhere near 30 goals..or even 20 on present form. Barnard is v.g. IMHO , but his future is in the hands of a judge and jury !...will we go up , if he goes down for any period of time? The absence of Lallana may be more serious than NA was letting on..if indeed he knows for sure. Hoping he (AL) is back sooner than later ..could mean 3 months instead of a year if serious (as Oakley had years ago). Hammond is also out, and we know that Holmes (who was getting a bit of form back) was inuured again, and won't be available again this season. Chaplow went off ..injured ? ..if so , how long before he's back ? one week? ..one month ? Only the media seems to think thay AOC is on his way..(according to comments) ..but what happens if he goes , too ? We have hit the crop of injuries that inevitably comes sometime every season, and I don't think we should come out of an FA Cup tie v. Man.Utd with even more injuries...and be running around like headless chickens on 30th january, trying to fill the places.

....then think again. I was one of those few who wrote (a few months back), that we needed more additions to the squad. There were torrents of criticism (if not abuse) suggesting ; our squad was good enough already, new players would upset the harmony amongst the regulars, and some would want away as a reaction. YES our squad is good (if they're all fit ) . New signings are unsettling sometimes..it's called "competition for places" . Now we see that Rickie Lambert won't have a 30 goal season again. Lee Barnard (one of our most consistant players) has off-the-field problems, the outcome of which - he has no control over, and it's still not clear to anyone if Puncheon will still be a Saints player come 31st january?.. as no-one has met the club's valuation of his services, PLUS the media fracas over Oxlade-Chamberlain..will he go, or stay? With three midfielders out - even temporarily, we've lost that synergy that was so briliant in the last month. IMHO We need to sew up those " quiet deals " that have been muted by NA. I don't mind the lack of publicity about signings - it's better than a lying newspaper journo's fanticising - but if we are to sustain our recent momentum we need reinforcements NOW - if we are to stay in the top six... Not to mention the psychological effect of the Man. Utd. Cup game on the horizon. Do we really want to win it..YES, but not at the cost of more injuries or having to field an under-strength side and lose because of it. WANTED: One striker + (at least) one, even two new midfielders.

I think you'll need more than a tin helmet..why not dig a hole in the ground? IF.. this deal were anywhere near "on" then according to the gossip it would be £5 mill.up front and the rest based on performances. Judging by the Walcott scenario, it'll be at least 2-3 years bfore he's a regular in the Arsenal side and probably another 2 years beyond that before he reached the requisite caps for England. Chances are - even - if he stays injury-free we wouldn't see more than another 1-2 mill. in the next 3 years. If that sounds a lot to you ...it is the salary for two players on 10K (not a lot in CCC) ..for ONE YEAR ! If Arsenal do that deal - then we've screwed ourselves ..AGAIN ! You don't really want my opinion - do you ? Think you ought to reply before the MODS close this one down.

Mmm..mixing style with steel, eh ? ...very poetic Turkish, but I agree with your message.

well, "officially" it was 1988-89 season when we were top - after two games. A rather mediochre season when we finished 13th. The best time must have been 1981-82 when we were top of old Div.1 (now Prem.) from the end of January until mid March. (injuries to Steve Moran and Danny Wallace blunted the attack in the later games and we ended up 7th.) BEST SEASON, was of course 1983-84 when we were never dropped below 5th place after end of Feb. then went 10 games undefeated and finished 2nd behind Liverpool...even though we beat them 2-0 at The Dell and got a 1-1 draw at Anfield.

Ah, but there were lots of fun moments along the way .. don't you think ?

Amen ! brings tears to the eyes and give you goose flesh !

Interesting Hamster, but there is a big market in old vinyl and you may find it can worth quite a lot - if you find the right dealer.

Hi Norm, I know a lot has changed but the choice of ref. is still a lottery - isn't it ?

I checked this out some years ago and the origin of the song is quite interesting. The "original " is an American Gospel hymn, but the modern lyrics are credited to a Mr. Presley (NO-not him, though he did record it in 1960's). Luther G. Presley (1887-1974), a black musician from Arkansas USA wrote the words in 1937, and it was popularised by Louis Armstrongs Jazz Band. Later version were recorded by Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, also Elvis no relation (as above) but also by a fellow called Tony Sheridan, who was singer with a (then) unknown Liverpool group later called ..The Beatles ! Some of the older Saints faithful have said they can recall fans singing it when the post war football began (1946) and I recall we sung it regularly in my schoolboy days in the 1960's, since when it has been copied, and often changed it to ..(When the REDs / WHITES go marching, etc )..but for most people it remains SFC's theme song, especially as Southampton St.Mary's original name ...was abbreviated to " the SAINTS " about 100 years ago. Fun to see that Stockholm's Djurgården fans have taken it up - even if they can't keep time properly.

This sounds as if the part time journos on The Star had suddenly found there was a large space to be filled in their column. maybe no-one had read Arsene Wengers denial of this story on some of Fridays sites. .or is everyone playing their cards close to their chest ?

the very thought of Puncheon going ..(which I think he will BTW ) ...and Pulis staying is ...*!#*!!? ..ridiculous .

IF true, it would sounds like a sensible idea. Jaidi has (in general) been a good buy, and returning to the CCC as regular would be a nice honour for him to celebrate. However, even someone of his experience (35 ?) might well go down hill quickly and I doubt if he would survive another season... in CCC. It leaves us with a good crop of 23 /25 year olds CHs marshalled by Fonte, who undoubtedly has his best days to come.

Although we did win the Div.3 south title in 1959-60, we have never managed top spot even when promoted later on ; we went up to Div.1 (old Prem.) as 2nd in 1965-66 After relegation (1973-4) we returned to Div.1 in 1977-78 ..in second place whilst in Div.1 our best ever league placing was ...2nd behind Liverpool in 1983-84. I'm not all superstitious ---2nd place would be OK for me this time around, too. but of course (Champions) ..does have a ring to it, but it would be nice to go up and not have the albatross hanging round our neck ..next season.

storyline is on the Echo site Colin ..if we trust that ?

I saw it on vitalfootball.co.uk bournemouth site and they got it from the Echo...

is a big story on several sites today, but " whoever " it is ..what great timing by Nicola Cortese. Just as they lose a manager ..and need some capital to give a transfer budget to the new guy, NC can walk in the door with a suitcase full of unmarked notes. .no sorry!. offers them cash up front and it's a win-win situation ..(although hopefully our windfall will be better than theirs).

then you ask yourself..was it something he didn't learn..? or that his teacher forgot to tell him about irregular verbs !

If either Hammond or Lallana doesn't get back to 100% then we'll be a bit thin in midfield... For all his stylish play ..one goal every three seasons from Schneiderlin doen't make up for those " missing" midfield goals.

one game at a time..I 'll be glad for 3 points today ..