david in sweden

Rangers ?......Sounds OK ....he should be able to handle that. I don't think he'd be scared of the " physical side " of Scottish football........

admittedly.....he's not shown up in any of the games he's featured in, and so I'm not surprised. Maybe the Black Box needs an MOT ... He's ambitiuos and wants to keep his career going, but I can't believe we'd be so dependant on his sub. apps by the end of the season. He should go back to Spain on loan, and if he does well, and if we get a good bid, maybe sell him back in the summer. Selling him now - is admitting defeat.

Season 1981-82 SAINTS were top of Div.1 (pre-Prem.) from the end of January until mid March......but then won only 3 of the last 10 games and finished in 7th. place Unless Jamie Vardy can re-discover his earlier goal spree, they could end up losing games ...by the odd goal and even suffer the same fate.

Oops ! I missed a preposition ...should have been "saw us through to the first season back up... " I was thinking of the squad in the Championship season; Butterfielld, Richardson, Hooiveldt, Cork, Chaplow, Harding, Puncheon, Hammond, Guly, Connolly, Fonte, Lambert I haven't made any calculations, but I wonder if that lot together cost as much as either Gaston or Osvaldo did? Certainly they all DAJFU at some point in that season.

Sunderland ?....maybe not .....might also depend on which league they are in then.

Shrewd bidding by Leicester, but it's fairly clear he wants to return to Italy..and if he has a good Euro 2016, then his price will go up..and he'll return as a National hero.

Aside from the fact that he was keeper when were relegated is a sad story, though not all his fault by a long chalk. His L1 and Championship seasons more than make up for that disappointment. The fact he's never really made it as a Prem. level keeper is not his fault, as he found his level in those seasons and DAJFU when it mattered. He is (according to gossip)...a good club man and a role model to many of the younger / newer players in the club. A testimonial?......of course ! Why not?

Just read Echo item about the total cost of Cortese's catastrophic spending spree during his time at the helm when he held the cheque book. Estimated cost £50 million. Just as well we have the new TV sponsorship money on the way, because for any club outside the Prem. that could certainly spell financial disaster.... Most of the team that saw us through the first season back up were bought for between £100K - £250K with only the Lambert and Fonte deals topping £1 million. Precisely why Cortese negotiated those three deals..at such a cost..for so little return?...only he can answer. Strange it was through his Italian / Swiss contacts. It goes to show that accountants who know how to manipulate (sorry, balance).. the books doesn't qualify them for an extra measure of football nous. Although we've spent more than that on players since, it can be said that most of them have given value for money so far. Even Shane Long's critics are quieter now.

I agree it looked good on paper - because it ended up with a promotion - but the last half of that season was one of Lambert's worst goal droughts ever.... ** Rickie scored in just 2 of the last 8 games, whereas Billy Sharp scored 8 goals in the same period. Without his contribution we might never have been promoted. At the start of that promotion season the strike duo was Lambert and David Connolly, and that worked well until Connolly's absence through injury. Between September and Christmas, Guly scored 10 goals in League and Cup, whilst Rickie managed just 6. Once was a hat-trick (v. Forest)..and 3 others were penalties. It was ironic that Guly's super goal touch deserted him, just as Sharp arrived even though he still got game-time. With hindsight it was good that Adkins signed Sharp. Jay Rod's long absence is sad to say the least, so we can hope that he re-discovers form, together with fitness. An Austin / JayRod partnership could be truly awesome. (The saddest parallel to that must be Marian Pahars attempts to return. After his long injury time out, goals deserted him, but fans never forget the Great Escape years).

yes - but that was after their defenders had runs themselves into the ground for an hour or more. A similar thing last season - when Shane Long couldn't get a start place - but he came on several times and scored late on.

well you can't stop a maa with ambition - can you?....and if he leaves Spurs....then they'll know what it feels like eh? Of course, Abrahamovic will certainly be able to top anything Daniel Levy can offer......and then when Poch is sacked in ayear or two's time.....he'll be even richer, ......as will his coaching staff who have followed him to every club he's been at. I don't mind what he does...he's history as far as I'm concerned, but it'll upset Daniel Levy's no end ....especailly if Poch starts to poach Spurs players, too.

Mmmm..but how was he on his other 46 appearances?

well at least we've been spared that one ...regardless of what the Mirror says ......now he's someone else's problem .

When arriving at SMS, Gordon Strachan said that (Delgado) was " a done deal " before he took over as manager. (Put that one down to Rupert Lowe's enthusiasm) There was also story(?) ..that Drogba /or his agent...... actually spoke with Saints, when he first appeared on the scene and discussed terms. Rupert Lowe (apparantly) didn't want to pay him more than £2K /week and offered less, and that he didn't like Drogba, because....he thought he had " an attitude :lol:" ......and we thought Cortese was an amateur.

Agree with you on both points.

I 'm not sure that anyone (outside of the club) has any real idea of the cost of that fiasco....it'll be a shock. Wait until the accounts are published and see.

some good points, but they're not managing men, but boys. and some of them have only moved up this season.

don't think Ronald is likely to change his opinion much after last night's poor showing. Ryan Seager is their only established striker and it took 60 minutes to get the ball to him.

I know you're trying to like him, but in his first season (half Adkins /half Pochettino) he started 18 games (subbed in 13 of them) and came on as a sub. 5 times. In total he scored 5 league goals first season. 2 of those in games we lost ..and the other two in drawn games and we won one by 2-0 (so he earned us 2 points ). There are people on here who don't count " assists " as a statistic, but I do and I'm sure he made a few. I'm sure he's a nice fellow, it's a shame he didn't fit in. I feel sorry for him that he's had to take £20,000 /week wage cut, :rolleyes:so i hope he survives OK up North.

...and sensibley didn't stop ; I take it ......

Sorry Eric - but it wasn't. See post #28 (Tommy Mulgrew) Bobby Stokes' goals (v.Burnley)..were 14th and 25th minutes.

well not everyone..and those of us who've been around for a few more decades don't count chickens, or quickly jump to conclusions about new players, either. Everyone needs time to settle, and neither of these two did. If Charlie Austin scores one more goal this season, his deal is still a no-brainer because of his experience. tbh..I thought the Gaston investment (a club record, at the time)..... was pretty steep for a young player who only looked good in an otherwise poor Italian team. The fact that three successive managers have blatantly ignored him must go someway to highlighting the poor judgement of those responsible for the signing. Nicola Cortese had his hand on the cheque book, and presumably took advice from his own contacts in Italy....as in the case with; Papa Waigo, Guly, and Mayuka. Either Cortese's judgement was flawed, or there was a sinister background as to the reason behind these signings made from the same source(s). Likewise...only after he'd signed ....did we hear about Osvaldo's atrocious disciplinary record, something that didn't improve with his part in the touchline fracas at Newcastle, and then the infamous "Fonte Incident ", which was the last straw - even for Cortese who signed him. If you compare the other signings we made around the same time (and after)....few of them cost more than £1 million..some less and proved to be genuine successes. .......whilst the £25 million spent on these two misfits (without considering the cost of salaries) might have crippled our finances had circumstances been different. Interestingly, an interview with Mauricio Pochettino (published last week), highlighted his "so-called" success with young players, but where he admitted he'd made a huge mistake in thinking that he could rehabilitate Osvaldo.

Historically speaking - Away wins against Arsenal are almost as rare as those against Man.Utd, but we must hope that too may soon change. I was " privileged " to see one of those, but it goes back almost 50 years to the Easter fixure in 1967. Saints were without the legend that was Ron Davies (who had single-handedly saved us from relegation in our first Top tier season) and his place was taken by the diminutive reserve CF Mickey Judd.....but this match was to become a coupon-buster of the first order. Saints scored with a rare goal from right back Joe Kirkup (tbh - even Joe would have admitted it was more of a centre than a shot). Then came Mickey Judd's effort followed by a Terry Paine penalty (brought about by the frustration of the harrassd Arsenal defence)...and Saints ran out 3-0 winners. Man of the Match was Saints' Jimmy Melia, (who was unfortunate to be the butt of many fans anger at The Dell), but I wish they'd been there on the day to see his masterful midfield display. I won't be around in another 50 years, but I can only hope we can see a few repeat performances - starting this weekend.

As someone else has posted (Redslo)....we did score a few goals from Delap's long throws, but not nearly enough from the number of times it was used. Eventually Tony Pulis bought several ex-Saints players whilst he was later managing Stoke ..(Higginbotham and Beattie in particular)....and Delap's long throws became a very potent weapon in attack, and Stoke made far better use of the tactic than Saints ever did. There are two schools of thought on Delap's career with Saints, but as with his time at Derby County, he was a versatile type who could play anywhere. In his first season with Saints.... he wore 7 different numbered shirts (when shirts were numbered 1-11) and played almost everywhere from full-back to striker. He became every manager's "jack of all trades" volunteering to play anywhere when someone was injured, whilst never really nailing down a position of his own. His total of 135 starts (and 5 goals) is fairly reasonable for a four and half year stay, but he was a willing trier who always put in a shift but with too little recognition. His £4 million fee was a club record for a long time, and some fans considered he should have been more of a success - but it wasn't he who decided the transfer fee.(!)

judging by the spectacular manner that Costa fell and " feigned death " .... it'd be G.B.H for Merteseker ....and an Oscar for Diego Costa.