5string

I like this, but it depends on how 'Puel' he's going to be. Is MP2 more attacking? Hope so. How about Austin on instead of Yoshi, up alongside Gabbi? Ooh, a risky-looking 3-2-3-2. Do it! My expectation is that he'll start with 4-3-2-1, with Davis instead of Tadic to strengthen the DM areas. Isn't Davis skipper? Ok, prediction: 2-1 Saints

I prefer Hojbjerg so I REALLY hope he steps up this year... and learns to shoot! Much potential there. Clasie has many positives, but seems to have struggled to really make his mark on a regular basis (Puel's fault?). Scored some good goals.

"snicker" Light humour & sarcasm/irony always have a place in my world.

My bet would be Clasie (pity, I like how he plays but he's not quite made it on a regular enough basis) and, in time, Davis (purely due to age - he's still very influential for us). Quite excited for this new signing. Positive intent?

My favourite of those is the Atkinson goal. Did the decent thing & voted for LeTiss, though. Edit: Twice! Haha, once on my phone, once on my laptop. Do it!

Gabbiadini

A European place earned, whether from league position (I think 5th, most likely) or cup run. Hojbjerg, Romeu & JWP to have magnificent seasons. Hoj in particular finds his shooting boots. Barca buy Cedric: he becomes the first £100m defender. Media lose interest in VvD. Stephens becomes the new media darling doing a 'Sutton' & converting from centre back to striker due to early-season injuries to Austin, Gabbiadini & Long. Boufal wins PL Goal of the Season for a 'full Boufal' run & shot-from-nowhere against Liverpool. MP2 brings excitement & goals back to St Mary's. I return from cloud-cuckoo land. Well, some of it may come true...?

His second in that game is my all-time favourite goal of his. Ever.

There was an artistic creativity about the way he played. Looking at things in a different way and coming up with ideas that work and can be physically accomplished by the 'artist' - that's where the physical ability comes in. Not trained (eg. most professional players), not 'practiced' (eg. Beckham), but a natural ability to think differently. Unfortunately, a moody nature is the side-effect (however it manifests itself: temper, apathy, obsession, etc). Very few people have it, let alone footballers. I'm sure someone will make a list of other footballers they think have/had it (and probably for another thread), but allow me to sow the seed: Pele, Best, Cantona, Platini, Cruyff, Bergkamp, Zidane and ... controversial one coming up ... Di Canio. That's pretty amazing company. Le Tissier is definitely 'one of those'.

With Coutinho now strongly rumoured to be heading to Barca, Liverpool are being touted as a 'selling club' Will this affect any potential (yup, I said 'potential') move for VvD to Liverpool? Surely he wouldn't want to join yet another selling club?

Rod Wallace. Overshadowed by LeTiss (rightly) but still a dem good player. And... George Lawrence, if only for being shouted at constantly by Shilton! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Would be a good move for him. Good luck to him if it goes ahead. He'll score against us.

I'll go with this. Hard to let JRod go (and he'll definitely score against us at some point), but Gallagher looks good thanks to his time at Blackburn.

Airdrieonians, man! The mighty Diamonds. http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Scottish_Football_League/Airdrieonians/Airdrieonians.htm

Good shout.

Welcome, Mauricio, and good luck. I hope we have many successes with you.

Manolo looks a bit like a young Ivan Golac here, especially in that shirt (which I like a lot). Aaaah memories... THAT goal....! Not sure about the stripey away kit - it's ok, just not floating my boat just yet.

Well, there it is.

I have (all on VHS): Season review 1988-89 Season review 1989-90. 'Match of the Day - Southampton FC' by BBC (1991) 'The Saints Millennium Video' (1999) Not sure how 'official' the last one is. Not very comprehensive, I'm afraid.

I quite like the way he plays - he has creative ideas that most of our midfielders don't have (or don't use). Yes, he has off days and his off days tend to be more 'off' than most. Also, wasn't he being linked with WHam? I'd rather not sell him at all & hope the Liverpool link is a wind-up.

http://www.empireofthekop.com/2017/06/11/liverpool-express-interest-in-13m-southampton-star-who-would-be-keen-on-move/ Mucked up on VvD, so they go for... ... Tadic. Bahahahahaha :lol:

I've changed my mind... ... keep him. On his day he's creative & different - we need that. I still hope he can link well with Gabbi - slide a few balls in on the floor, an'all that.

Sounds like it. Here's a Wikipedia quote: "Nicholl...kept the Saints in the First Division but despite having players of the calibre of Danny and Rod Wallace, Alan Shearer and Matthew Le Tissier in his squad, he tended to be too cautious." Sounds a bit like this season. Ok, we don't have Shearer, Rodney & LeTiss, but we do/did have Gabbi, Redmond, JWP, OR, Bertrand, VvD, Cedric. These are quality players (scorer, dribbler, passer, tackler, wingback, defender, runner) who should be scaring opposition teams. With JRod, Austin, Long, Hoj, Sims, Tadic, etc on the sidelines, surely we should have a top quality team? But the players seemed lacking in too many areas that matter (ie. in attack). Too cautious?

Agree with this. He misses Pelle, I think. Seems to work better with someone who can hold it up so he can make an 'unexpectedly slinky run' somewhere up the inside channel (oo-er!). Austin is the only player likely to do the holding up job, and he's very different to Graziano. Regarding his shooting: he doesn't stand out as being bad because nobody has really been that good this season (Gabbi & Austin both had a 'hot' patch). He's probably somewhere just north of Long in the 'shooting quality' list, though. Unless we get a proper target man I think Tadic's days at Saints are numbered. Shame, really.

Shockingly bad.