Lighthouse

I'd agree with this. I keep hoping Boufal will become the #10 we're crying out for but to little avail. Perhaps Gabbi could fill that role in behind and more physical striker. JWP definitely seems to be forcing his way into the side though. Right side of the 3 seems his best position as we have better options defensively.

I have similar feelings about Long's goal to orbit of Halley's comet ratio.

Yep. Not doubting that at all but when they start giving out extra points for 'running defenders ragged' and 'causing them problems' I'll start caring. Our next League game is on 31st January, exactly a year since Long scored in a 2-1 defeat at Swansea. Since then he has scored 2 goals and one of those was in a Turkey shoot against an utterly hopeless Sunderland team. That is awful, absolutely dreadful for a striker and I can never understand people who stick up for him just because he runs.

AM CS - JS - JB - RB ML - PEH JWP - MO - TD MG I wouldn't risk Hoot in this one as we're one knock away from Stephens and Bednarek starting league games. (Have a horrible feeling Hoot is Virgil's replacement in Les' mind). Romeu I think is nearly on a suspension.

Nope. Gabbi for me any day. Long offers nothing other than pointless running.

Was a decent performance for the most part. Tadic, JWP, Lemina, Hoj, Bertrand, Romeu and Hoot all looked good. I don't think JS is a Premier League defender, we need to replace Virgil Hopefully that miss doesn't knock Obafemi's confidence too much. Boufal looks back to his old self. Ball hogging, wanting an extra touch, no end product. A good result in isolation but given the other games we've failed to win, it's not really enough. On the up side, we're now above Everton, Brighton, Huddersfield and Burnley in the BBC's 5 game form table.

That's the key phrase here. Silva has at least shown himself to be capable, before the whole Everton saga. MoPe on the other hand is just Wigley with better hair.

Saints team from that game was Forster, Martina, Yoshida, Virgil, Bertrand, McQ, Davis, Clasie, Reed, Boufal, Long That's at least 8 first team regulars.

Fixed

The only top opposition he beat was Liverpool, who were on a poor run of form themselves. Yes it was great to get to a cup final but this is also the manager who lost 5-0 at home to Arsenal reserves in the FA Cup. He largely did a poor job. We scored 3 goals from open play in 16 home league games. That says quite a lot about about how we played under him.

Trying to think how many Watford players I'd take in our squad. Doucoure, Richarlison, possibly Gray... there's not much else I'd envy.

I was undecided about him in summer and remain so, however I am decided in my opinion of MoPe. Get him in!

Juanmi Batman, Juanmi, but I guess you knew that already.

2 of those were against Exeter and Accrington in the cup. Scoring his 4th league goal 5 months into the season is hardly special. Before kick off he was level pegging with Steven Davis.

Looks pretty ominous for Leicester. Even if they stay up, they'll struggle next year.

I sometimes wonder just how bizarre a troll can behave and still get bites of certain posters. This chap is clearly some form of deluxe alpine and still gets nibbles.

Fantastic how you read this one link, on talksh*te of all places, and instantly assume it's a done deal and that we wont be signing anyone else.

No way on Earth would Jay be daft enough to say, "you're black and you stink," to another footballer during a game. Doesn't seem the type of person to even think that.

Is that one of those asset strippings where you spend nearly £100m on players like Gabbi, Lemina, Hoedt, Boufal, Hojbjerg and Redmond?

Can you get promoted trying to sit back and defend a 1-0 lead at home to Burton Albion? This manager wouldn't get us promoted, another might.

According to Saints, Youssef Safri still plays for us.

And yet here we are.

What a drab, uninspiring team that is. 10 possession recyclers and Long running around like a chicken on crack.

I've got nothing against Jamie or McQ, who at least looked to be putting a bit of effort in. It's the likes of Claus, Fernandes, Beattie and Delap who went missing.

Osvaldo is just an example of signing a big name trouble maker and being a complete disaster. Doesn't mean MB would be the same but whenever he has played in England before I've always thought he was far more trouble than his talent was actually worth. I'm not counting his goals in Italy and France because I'm interested in his performance in this League, which hasn't been that good. He's had one season in a creative, title winning team where his goal tally was in Pelle/Deeney/ Austin territory and 2.5 other seasons when he has done naff all. This is all academic anyway, this just seems to be another rumour based on a tweet.