Lighthouse

I think wind up merchants go through several phases. First it's an oppinion. Then it's an obsession. Then it's funny. Then it's annoying. Then it's so old it's funny again. Then it's beyond funny again and just tiresome. You seem to have gone through all of these phases and now I haven't got a clue what you are. I'm so confused, I'm going to crawl into the cupboard under the stairs and rub marmalade into my nipples. I hope you're pleased with yourself.

Great effort from the team today. Can't really say any of them had a bad game, although a couple weren't at their best. Agree that Butters, Harding and Morgan were all excellent but my MOTM has to be Chaplow. Not just for a belter of a goal, but also a great battling display in the middle. We were the better team first half, no doubt about it. I was just standing there feeling disappointed that we had nothing to show for our efforts when Chaplow scored a belter. I went bananas. Second half... Well we all saw that coming a mile off but we can still take heart from the fact that a) we were the better side for an hour, and b) their goals came from momentary lapses of concentration. Other than that we were seldom too stretched at the back. Fonte had Gibson in his pocket and Bart, dodgy kick aside, put in a very mature performance. Not too many negatives really. A few spanners in the Utd end including marine distress flare man again, waving that thing around like a caveman who's just discovered fire. Nani too. He is a diving sh*t. Also im not going to sit here and pretend I'm glad were out, concentrate on the league etc. I'd have loved to have gone through but that's life. Onwards and upwards. COYS!!!

Christ I hope that's true. They can't even be bothered to turn up and support their own club, it would be pretty funny if they started turning up in the away end at SMS instead.

Didn't mention Bridge either. I doubt it's anything personal, he just named a few Saints youth products off the top of his head. I might say, "Utd have brought some decent players through their youth set up like Scholes, Neville and Beckham." Doesn't mean I hate Ryan Giggs.

Can't we just lock all the Austin threads now? This has got to be one of the most drawn out transfers since Skacel signed. The only difference is that actually happened. Threads like this just make Saints fans look like muppets.

Ferrari became the first team to show their hand with their 2011 challenger this morning. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the F-150 (No, not the Ford pick-up truck). http://www.vivaf1.com/blog/?p=5451&cpage=1 The main differences appear to be the exhausts being moved and the nose being higher than the F10.

Good luck to him, he always seemed like a top bloke and an excellent role model. Never gave up trying even when he wasn't playing that well, which to be honnest was the majority of his career. A small part of me is glad though, it's another one of Lowe's relics we've managed to offload. If we could only get rid of Pulis and Forecast.

Second the "Holloway is a muppet" and "this rule is a joke" notions. Maybe they will fine Pompey for fielding a weakend side all season.

Yes he was young, he was playing in a sh*t team, badly managed and signed on a free. In spite of all these excuses, he was still gash. FWIW I'd actually class Saganowski as being 'very average' that season along with Surman, DMG, Skacel, Wotton and Lallana. Not good, but not as awful as some of the others. Kelvin, Cork and Size are the only players I'd actually say were any good that season, but certainly not Smith.

I can't speak for others, but I've never scapegoated anyone and I have nothing personal against any player. Actually that's not quite true (Kenwyne Jones, Berkovic, Bagpuss etc) but I have nothing against Smith. That doesn't stop me thinking Smith is a terrible footballer. You don't get relegated from a very average football league without quite a few bad players. Smith was terrible James was terrible Lancashire was terrible Euell was terrible Molly was terrible BWP was terrible Lallana and Morgan were skeletons of the players they are now. Bag of nails hit on head. Hammertime! I'd say "as bad" and I do remember hin getting a fair bit of stick.

You paint a very romantic picture of all Saints fans being drunken hillbillies who want a player stoned to death because "he wasn't as good as Messi every week". Why can't you just accept that a lot of players who have played for Saints recently have been crap and/or had a sh*t attitude. The reality is the Smith was crap. A few tricks and clever touches punctuated some absolutely woeful performances and weren't enough to fool most people into thinking he was good. He wasn't booed or taunted by Saints fans, but we can hardly be blamed for noticing he wasn't very good. There aren't many "okay" players who get released on a free after less than a year at Leicester, Derby, Millwall, Saints and Crystal Palace, then end up playing their trade at Sporting feckin' Kansas.

No, he's too old.

And '03 technically.

Played for Nigel on loan at Scunny. Makes sense. Welcome aboard!

Premier League? You're 'avin' a laugh!

Remember when Arsenal went on that run where nobody beat them for a season and a half (except Man Utd, Middlesborough, Chelsea, Dynamo Kiev and Inter Milan). That run ended with a 2-0 defeat at OT and we came within 30s of beating them at Highbury the very next game. It's possible that defeat after a long unbeaten run can knock a teams belief like that. Now, can someone please help me grab these. Ta.

I just want to here some bloke shouting, "it's too cold in the deep end, get more corpses!"

Don't care if BWP takes Charlton to Champions League glory, he was still gash for us.

Poke Baird M. Mills Cranie J. Mills Lallana Sparv Surman Bale AOC Walcott About the best 11 I can come up with, with Dyer, Dex, Best and DMG the best of the rest.

Don't know anyone who can't get ITV on their TV. The coverage might be a bit crap, but it's on terrestrial none-the-less. You're splitting hairs here.

Same difference, it's on Terrestrial TV. Seriously? If we beat Man Utd you'd be moaning about having a midweek League fixture to deal with? I just hope it goes as badly as that grim midweek trip up North we had after the Blackpool cup game.

It says the explosion was at the baggage reclaim. At a guess I'd say they stuck the bomb in a suitcase and checked it in at some 3rd rate Russian airport with sh*t security, then flew it to Moscow. Pure speculation though.

How can anyone have decided Bart isn't the answer, based on the odd cup game every couple of months? Davis fine he's been a stalwart for getting on 5 years now, but Bart has never really had a prolonged run in the side. How is it really fair, sticking him behind a couple of inexperienced (although perfectly competant) centre halves and saying, "oooh, looks a bit nervy on crosses". That kind of thing comes with experience and confidence and they only come with regular playing time.

Can't believe the amount of apathy being shown towards this game. It's a cup tie against Man Utd for crying out loud. The most exciting game of the season by far. It's on terrestrial TV, not just on the beeb but accross the world. The League is ALWAYS going to be our number 1 priority. Go up this year and promotion will be next years goal. Go up again and we're aiming to stay in the Premier League, get into Europe, win the Prem, conquere the universe etc. I for one hope we put out a ful strength side and give it our best shot. We probably wont win, but if we do we'll be telling our grandchildren about it.

Fair point. Good though wasn't it.