Lallana's Left Peg

It's hardly a wild assertion though, is it? Spurs are a bigger club in every sense. Paul Mitchell left MK Dons to join us. We're a bigger club in every sense than MK Dons. I can see why anyone would think Spurs are a step up - in terms of possible remuneration, scale of work you do, budget for signing players and so on. It is a good opportunity for him. Where I would question it is whether it is the right environment for him with the Levy and Baldini dynamic in position to undermine his work very easily. But that is the challenge you take on, and the risk you take for joining a bigger club.

I enjoy Carragher's work on Sky and his columns are usually a decent read but this is ******** - anyone who saw us last season will know that Clyne / Chambers / Shaw all bombed on and in no way can any other team claim to have full-backs who bombed on more than us. The difference is that we had Schneiderlin, Cork, or Wanyama who are positionally disciplined and knew how to cover which gave Fonte and Lovren some extra help. Liverpool's issues stem from no balance in midfield and no-one in there with a defensive instinct who is also capable of physically performing that role. Both Liverpool centre-halves are left woefully exposed and while Lovern showed signs at Saints that he is good at 'solving problems' when he has to make decisions to kill attacks, at Liverpool he is facing different pressures and is cracking a bit. Lovern would excel in a different system but quite frankly any centre half at Liverpool is on a hiding to nothing.

Am I going mad or doesn't Mitchell just have to resign and serve his notice period like Matt Radcliffe did when he left for Man Utd?

You have to hand it to Ashton, he is relentless. Whilst Ben Smith and Jim White have crawled back silently into their holes Ashton just refuses to give in.

You have to hand it to Ashton, he is relentless. Whilst Ben Smith and Jim White have crawled back silently into their holes Ashton just refuses to give in.

It was reported that we do have a fee agreed - around £7m I think. If he wants to stay then get it sorted, I can't believe a better club wouldn't have already been in touch with his agent.

Lloris!

A nice touch but don't like the way it starts with 'Saved Southampton Football Club'.

I cannot claim my opinion is informed and / or based on a great deal of thought. I principally hold the view that there is a problem - there is clearly too few black coaches / Managers in our professional game and there must be a reason for it - whether racist or not. Many arguments come head down the road of there not being enough black coaches / Managers and then someone asks how many of them have their coaching qualifications and it emerges not many do. But that cannot be an excuse unless we understand why not many black people have their badges - if they feel the game is racist and there is no point then the lack of coaching qualifications cannot be used as a reasonable explanation in my opinion. The Rooney Rule is a little divisive as it somewhat formally acknowledges that there is racism in the game, and that is something no-one would want to officially admit. If it comes into existence as merely a vehicle to encourage ethnic minorities (not just black people) to pursue coaching and Managerial qualifications then I see it as a good thing, even if I think the rule itself for appointing people is wrong. Something else I feel strongly about is that football really only ever reflects society - it is not something that exists as its own entity because as a sport it is so entwined with general life. Therefore if there is a problem in football with racism then it is because there is still a problem in society with it. If society continues to make strides against racism then football will as well - it is inevitable.

Any idea what sort of allocation we'll get for this? From memory Sheffield United usually give away fans the entire bottom tier behind a goal. At least they did the last time I was there (the 2-1 win back in around 2007 (I think!) with Viafara and Rasiak scoring and Beattie getting all manner of stick from the Saints fans )

He signed Pro terms in the summer of 2013. I'm not aware of how long it is for but 2-3 years seems the norm.

Potentially awkward situation for the club to manage - if reports are to be believed then in Matt Targett we have a player who is admired by bigger and better clubs than us and he hasn't committed his long term future to the club yet. The signing of Bertrand would put him firmly second in line to a starting berth at left-back, and he may be left with a decision - stay at Saints and be backup or join a bigger / better club that play more games where he may start, and earn far more.

17 seems reasonable considering all teams will be based at that campus. First team, Academy (U21 and U18's), U16's down to U8's, and Ladies Team etc. Considering Saints training ground will have at least one pitch of every grass 'type' that exists in the Premier League I don't think we can comment

Not great - it's very easy to get to the ground but parking can be a pain. I always park on Sir Stanley Matthews Way - there are several manufacturing / industrial organisations based on that road who charge the public to use their car park and also some wasteland which can be parked on. It can get busy and be a pain getting out but it's the best place I've found to park over the years. I always enter that road via the A5035 as well as it gets very busy around the ground.

Fonte, Barnard, and Puncheon in January 2010 I would say. I don't think we'll look to add to the squad this January unless anyone leaves (Cork, Yoshida etc.).

Better than signing a player who thinks his ability isn't up to much and has lucked out by joining Saints. As long as Tadic's attitude and application are spot on then he will get his big move eventually and Saints will make a handsome profit.

What makes you think that? I'm fairly sure we structure our deals exactly the same as other clubs do. In fact, didn't we head into this summer with £27m of transfer fees due for players already at the club?

Whatever gives us the best chance of qualifying for Europe. I suspect it's the Cup?

I was wrong about a few things this summer but the biggest is my view on Bertrand's ability. He's come in and played brilliantly.

What a crock of ****. It clearly took a deflection given the spin on the ball but how can anyone say the shot wasn't going in prior to the deflection as the deflection occurred a split second after the shot was struck. Peculiar.

Some of those revenue figures are surprising. I've no basis to challenge the Guardian's figures, but I am just surprised at many of them. That we and Norwich have the same matchday revenue as Everton and 40% (or so) more than Aston Villa. I suspect there are some differences in how clubs account for revenue.

He doesn't particularly have much pace which was always the worry when we signed him however its interesting to see the way and speed he has adapted when compared to a player like Ramirez.

I suspect the majority of them will win the war.

Think that ship has sailed with the signing of Long. Plus I suspect if he is available on a free in the summer then he moves to a bigger club in January for a knockdown fee or just waits until the summer to get a bigger wage etc. Could see him at Spurs or Liverpool.