david in sweden

I think some people still have last seasons " bunker mindset." WHY ON EARTH SHOULD WE NEED / OR / WANT TO SELL ANYONE ? ...are we suddenly short of money ...? I don't think so !

Quite right - well remembered! ...and the eternal " pub quiz" question: Which former Saints junior made his first team debut 20 years after he left the junior side. ANSWER : DENNIS WISE !

Why on earth should we want to sell Lallana..or anyone esle, Do you think we need the money, or ...? IF... he wants to go ..(doubtful) and the bidding gets upto £4 million .. I guess NC might look at it, but even then WHY sell anyone we want to keep?

AND RL could have signed Didier Drogba.. ......but didn't like the (then) young lad, because he thought.... he had " a bit of an attitude " wonder whatever happened to him ...?

Most of the players you mentioned were successful as Youth players. Few had any sort of first team career at a time when we were at a higher level than we are now. Academy is for teenagers and with exception of Walcott and Bale few make any real impression until they are around 20+ and its slow progress. Guthrie was an rather unimpressive loan, Williamson came too us as a 16 year old and was always out of loan and (at that time) not good enough for first team. Successive managers ignored him, preferring to use established players. Matt Mills is another. McG, Best and Blackstock (who you failed to mention) were usually 3rd or 4th choice strikers, and eventually went for quick money. Which is the main reason the club sold them. I don't know anyone who can tell me which of our current crop of youth players will end up in the Prem. or even become an international.? but odds are they'll be one or two. Some players are late developers and do well after they leave. Kevin Davies (Bolton) and longer ago... Andy Townsend (Norwich, Chelsea and Ireland) are two such. I agree it's sad to see them go, but decisions have to be made and some are catastrophic. The worst (best) example I can think of was when Newcastle released a 12 year old goalkeeper named ..ALAN SHEARER. The unhappy lad moved south and became a striker in Saints youth team...the rest as they say ..is history. Years later it cost Newcastle £15 million to get him from Blackburn. At least we haven't made a bloomer like that ...yet !

I don't have a short list of my own, but I have a couple of suggestions. 1) ANYONE with connections to a previous club managed /coached by Pardew, Wilkins or Downes. 2) ANYONE who played well against us this season ..Puncheon was a good example.. If you have those two clues ...who's on your buy list then ..........?:confused:

Duncan , I've heard crazier suggestions of late, and I am always someone who talks up the value of experience but I'm wondering - if he might want to stay playing at a higher level ..Prem or CCC but if we were talking about Saints as a CCC side ..then maybe ....but sadly it wasn't only Strachan who thought he tried less than he might ...when he was here. He's a Northern lad and I think (from memory) he's happier up there.

I think you do Papa Waigo an injustice. He is the sort of " heavy" we need up front, and many African players do look very "laid back " in their playing style. He seems to have the habit of scoring half chances and knock-ins and though he'd hardly win goal of the season ..they all count... and we wouldn't have got anywhere near Wembley if it hadn't been for his contributions in the JPT.

I'd agree with most of that but anyone for the idea of bringing back the out-of-favour ANDREW SURMAN....? After all, it was a move forced on both him and us..and he is a So'ton lad.

can't agree Alpine. They change a game as sure as if they write the script themselves. after watching 10 man Liverpool lose by 2 penalties to Benfica, with players being blatantly fouled from behind. At least two Liverpool players taking high kicks IN THE FACE - without a yellow card to any Benfica player ... and another player getting red carded for only raising his hands... I don't think I've ever seen any player take as much stick as Fernando Torres did last night - without a yellow card to any Benfica player. Don't kid yourself that bad referees only exist in the lower leagues.

zzzzzzzzzzzzz

AND the Sky News commentator said that the ref. didn't see it.. but took it from the linesman's flagging for the offence.

of course now you have sussed AP's scouting theory. everytime an opponent plays well against us - we sign him ! great idea :supz:

agreed - at least it's a good start..anyone else would be a bonus.

Don't anyone say that we don't need left sided players...!

That said, I agree with you that should we make the play offs then we have a great chance of going through*. * providing someone else knocks out Swindon... I've gone on record that 2 of the top 6 will lose it before seasons end. On current form... thats Colchester and Charlton and Huddersfield are slipping. Provided we can pick up wins and they continue to waver then we have a good chance.

-some people really are sharp - aren't they ?

Thats a gem ... Well done British Rail ..didn't anyone tell them what was happening ?

Wow, he was obviously the smart one in the class !

Yes, the bench was a bit special, too Bart, Perry, Connolly and James had all featured in prev. rounds Nice touch of AP to put Perry on at the end - especially when it didn't really matter anymore.

I think that Nicola Cortese has done a fantastic job in restructuring the club from bankruptcy: In retrospect AP's appointment seems to have been an inspired one. Despite the -10 we have seen a remarkable turn round since the first 10 games. After the magnificent show yesterday, all can see what fantastic support the club has. I only hope that NC doesn't apply the same rules to SFC as he would a normal banking investment. Otherwise......COYR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was remembering interviews with the 1976 cup winners, when they talked about "having your name written on the cup " . Both Osgood and Rodrigues used this phrase and recalled being 0-1 down in the 3rd round v. Aston Villa at The Dell..and Hughie Fisher scored in stoppage time (FT 1-1) and we won the replay a.e.t at Villa Park starting the journey to Wembley 4 months later. On octber 6 2009, a paltry 9319 fans watched Saints go 0-2 down to TORQUAY (then near bottom of L2). The fight back started in 59 mins with one of two goals by Papa Waigo. FT 2-2 then on to pens. (winning 5-3) The start of the journey to Wembley 5½ months later. An odd paralell I thought but FA Cup of JPT....but it means just as much to those who lived through both.

even after 50 years as a fan, you can't take away the feeling of joy at yesterdays fantastic result, especially when you consider that we were without 4-5 of our regular first teamers, it shows the depth of our squad. I recently reminisced on the ups and down of that period. promotions, cup wins (and defeats,) international players and a new stadium, too. OK we know, it's not Champions League or FA Cup but after the trauma of the past 5 years, it is a real pick-up for fans. I only wish Messers Liebherr and Cortese could look back over the period that we have as our history and draw as much encouragement as we do. I am not criticising NC /ML at all (though some seem to be) but this type of investment is not like a normal business deal. Marcus Liebherr spent his last years " fun money " on buying the club. As all hobbies you expect to invest your time /money without any real return. We can only hope that AP and the squad he has built on can be allowed some real time to bring us more success. CCC here we come!

perhaps he lacks CONSISTANCY because he doesn't play first team football CONSISTANTLY. Getting thrown in just for JPT games doesn't lead to better understanding either. He hasn't played for half-a-dozen games and was injured in between time. I think he's got great potential and his pace will be invaluable in the faster games in CCC...he just needs a bit more coaching. Might save us ANOTHER million buy in a year or two's time.

nice pic, but someone tell me ..where was the problem filling THOSE empty seats. Very poor excuse Wembley. You robbed thousands more fans the chance to see a Cup Final game.