Lighthouse

Amazing how Boro have dropped like a stone in recent weeks. I never thought they were that good anyway, but it shows how much can change in so little time. I think Reading and Wham will be our closest challengers. I'm not writing off Cardiff or Brum, but I don't see them being as strong. Not sure what it is about a great cup result which seems to derail some teams. 2 years ago Leeds were top, then knocked Man Utd out the Cup at OT and couldn't buy a win for weeks afterwards. Last year Brum were a mid table Prem team, won the League Cup and got relegated. Now Cardiff are in the final they have 1 point from 3 league games since. I'm not saying that form will extrapolate accross the rest of the season, but they've certainly had a bit of a hangover from the semi against Palace.

http://www.bigbustycoons.com Wow, those guys run some seriously good bus companies.

How often have we had to replace goal keepers during a match? Jones for Niemi in the cup final is the stand out one. There was Bart in that cup game at Newcastle and I think Poke replaced Davis in a game at Wolves a few years ago. They're the only 3 I can think of in 10 years of supporting Saints. Worth the risk? Depends how much faith you have in an outfield player to DAJFU. This 5 subs rule is sh*te. It completely f**ks everyone's youth team up the a*se and means you have to sacrifice someone like De Ridder or Chaplow just to keep a sub 'keeper on the bench. All done to satisfy clubs like Portsmouth who don't bother with a decent youth set up or can't scrape together 18 players on a match day. Why can't we just let them play with an empty bench.

I'll go for a compromise and say 'let's smash them a new one'. I'd stick with the same team apart from 2 changes. Puncheon and Hammond in for Guly and Schneiderlin. Would also like to see De Ridder and Chaplow on the bench.

[video=youtube;L-2GrwnBOUA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-2GrwnBOUA

Force India Ferrari Not sure even a mother could love that.

I suggest taking the law into your own hands Jill. Go around to his house and either steal the cats back or take garden furnature of similar value as a hostage. Seriously, trying to do this through the courts will cause a lot more grief and expense than £500.

Awesome stuff. Such a shame that it's pretty much the end of your career if you try something like that in any aircraft.

Obviously I'm looking at it purely from a selfish POV, sure it would be a right royal pain in the kahoolies for everyone else.

I would take a pp for this one actually. Now isn't really the time to be playing them, plus I might actually be able to get to the rearranged match.

Football fans being peppered with a bunch of kn*bbers is hardly news. We're as bad as each other, and most other sides in that respect. I don't think we should be quite as dismissive of Brum's style of play though. They certainly aren't hoofers and are a much tougher prospect than the team which didn't turn up at St Mary's a few months ago. On the other hand we can give anyone a game with the players we've got. With Lambert, Sharp, Puncheon and Lallana we've got danger all over the park. Plus they wont have a clue what Tadanari is about. I anticipate a tough but fascinating game, shame I'll be missing it. I'd take a draw, but I really couldn't call it either way.

Mainly down to injuries it has to be said. With injuries to Barnard and more recently Guly, not to mention Lambert's suspension, DC has been in the team pretty much by default. I can see that changing with Lambert, Sharp and Lee all back in the squad fully fit, with Barnard and Guly coming back to full fitness over the next few weeks too. I'd loan him out TBH, HCDAJF someone in League 1.

True, but a lot of fans from other teams said that about Lee Barnard last season. As unpleasant as it can be sometime, you need a player with a bit of a dirty streak in your team. If you constantly harass and irritate an opposition, they will lose patience and make mistakes. Miller definitely left his shooting boots in Cardiff though, some of his efforts on goal were comical. He should have had a hat trick really.

The MP4-27 Looks totally unremarkable, I dare say there will be a fair few differences to the car at the first testing session.

I think Barnard could be very useful when fit. I really don't get people saying he isn't up to it and that League 1 is his level, based on absolutely nothing. Give him a run of games to get fit, then make a judgement. Connolly I just don't think is that good. He plays well when Saints are playing brilliantly and dominating the oposition (Forest, Boro) but in any other game he just goes missing. Wouldn't get on the bench for me when the others are fit.

I'd probably go with the same 16, except Sharp in for Connolly. Possibly have De Ridder in for Falque too if he is fit. I'd take a draw in this one, it's one of those 'must not lose' games really.

Just back, overall I'd say it was a pretty promising night with a lot of possitives. 1st half we were pretty forgettable can't remember us actually troubling their 'keeper although how Lambert didn't win a penalty for being wrestled to the ground I'll never know. Their goal looked like just sh*t defending from a corner. Looked to me like Kelvin had a flap at it, but I couldn't tell from the back of the Northam if he was fouled. Second half we were all over them and by far the better team, but f**k me we weren't half predictable at times. Our final delivery let us down, every time Richardson with the slow, high floating ball to the back stick. Sometimes Lambert got on the end of it, but then Cardiff won the second ball. Other times it just went straight over everyone for a throw in. Our corners (about 10 in the 2nd half I think) were sh*te too, Cardiff's were much better. We dominated possession at times, but Morgan needs to adjust his sights a bit. His crossfield passes were way off at times. I felt defensively we were pretty solid. Kelvin didn't have his best game. Lambert was my MOTM, but the problem was nobody was close enough to him to feed off his good build up play. Thought Connolly was pretty crap again, although it was encouraging to see Lallana, Puncheon and Lee playing well. Player ratings: Kelvin - 6 Spilled a shot I think Bart would have been crucified for. Can't tell if he was fouled for the goal or not, couldn't see. Richardson - 6 Good defensively, but his crosses were predictable and there was no variation. Fonte - 7 Worked well with Martin. Kept Cardiff's strikers very quiet between them Martin - 8 Looked very good in the air and a good composed performance Fox - 6 Good defensive, but a few crossfield passes went astray. Looked a but tired if I'm honnest. Puncheon - 7 Was everywhere first half, looked like he has a point to prove. Cork - 8 Ran the midfield Morgan - 6 His passing was off today Lallana - 7 Looking more like the Lallana we all no and love. Thought he could have used the spaces better at times. Lambert - 8 MOTM. We're just not the same team without him leading the line. Connolly - 5 Didn't really effect the game for me. 6th choice striker now IMO. Subs: Lee - 7 Very promising debut. Has an odd running style, but it seems to work. Quick, a good touch, good possitioning and not afraid of a bit of argy bargy. Hammond - Wasn't on long enough to make any judgement Overall I'd have said our team looks pretty promising. On tonight's evidence I'd say Cardiff really aren't all that, and neither apparently are West Ham The Brum game on Saturday is going to be massive. If they win that and their game in hand, they go above us. I fear them more than Cardiff and Wham if I'm honnest.

Good, saves you from having to huddle up underneath mine.

Starting 11: Davis, Richardson, Hooiveld, Fonte, Fox, Chaplow, Cork, Hammond, Lallana, Lambert, Sharp Subs: Bart, Martin, Morgan... Now the last 2 are complicated. For me it's a winger from De Ridder, Puncheon and Falque and a striker from Lee, Guly and Barnard. As things stand I'd have De Ridder and Guly but it's very hard to pick a definitive favourite from that lot. Holmes and Connolly are surplus to requirements IMO. We have far better options in the squad now.

I'd have said I was a bit Although not quite as black.

I think what football needs is a gay player who is thick skinned enough to say, "yes I'm gay, I like holding hands and shopping, sing what you want." I mean seriously, the stuff we've sung at Kevin Phillips and Marlon King this season is worse than the stuff we sang at Brighton fans.

Apparently Blackburn now have the Olsson twins in their team.

All Quiet on the Western Front

He signed for Aston Villa for about £10m then moved to Brum when they were still in the Premier League. At no point in any of this is he likely to have taken a pay cut, his wages will be massive. We have 7 strikers, 5 centre halves and 5 wingers on the books and a lot of players on big money. We really need to let a few people go and trim down our wage bill. We're in danger of repeating out 07/08 wage bill which got us into administration.

I don't actually think it would be an issue if someone came out in the modern game, I think the prejudice of football fans as a group is greatly exagerated. I know there will always be a few idiots, but I really can't imagine the whole Northam screaming homophobic abuse at a player. Singing silly songs about Brighton fans holding hands and shopping really isn't that much of a big deal. It's not funny, but homophobic really? It's like making a joke about ironing with a woman and being called sexist. It's not sexist really is it, it's a silly joke. Sexism would be not hiring a woman for a job because she is a woman, or paying her less etc. I think if anything a player would be applauded and supported by most fans for coming out. It isn't the 1970s anymore, St Marys isn't full of 20,000 Jim Davidsons every weekend. I'm sure a very small minority shouting homophobic would soon be reported/banned/arrested the same as anyone shouting racist abuse at a black player.