UpweySaint

I'd disagree. Has made the odd poor decision and looked to feel the pressure but who in our back five didnt at the start of the season? Made a few decent saves, had a bit of presence around the box and distributes well. So yeah that kind of sums up potential. Has shown flashes of promise but needs to iron out the mistakes. As others have pointed out he's very young in gk terms and has only had a one full season of being a first team regular - keep him learning from borucs and kds experience, help him cut out the mistakes and learn to cope with the pressure and one day he could be cracking. Are you really THAT sure he'l never come good?

This comes along with the same ideas as the football specific trains. I understand the logic but it does seem to rather tar everyone with the same brush as violent pi**ed up sods. Personally i'm not based in portsmouth a ten minute walk from fratton park so coming to southampton by train to sit and wait for a coach seems nonsenical! (should we ever get the chance to play them again!)

Congrats and thanks, always a good read!

In fairness Gillett was Donnie's player of the season and O'Driscoll took him with him to Nottm Forrest where i'm told he's doing well. Reeves does not a good run in a first team but football has had plenty of late bloomers. Im sure he's not on "big" wages and is, if nothing else, showing enough to be a squad player. Up to him to show he can do more, loans may be a good chance for that!

*Udinese C team, Hull and Brighton.

A good read as ever, thanks. Would be interested to see what wham and norwich fans think of their own position. Do they feel safe? I cant help but wonder, if it were us in their shoes i'd be nervous at the least!

Hypathetically if we're "sustainable" and others are not the uefa equivalent might mean we get european football at other teams success, five year plan

It might also mean ticket prices go up as clubs need to generate more revenue ... Cynical or what! We may not actually benefit from it in the short term but longterm the academy may allow us to compete and it'd be good not to see another club go to the wall.

He is too old to play a part in an egland squad yet week in week out looks like one of the best english strikers in the epl? What a nonsense!

To be fair to Carroll he has looked, imho, more then decent in an England shirt however I think he's not in form and Hodgson knows exactly what he brings to the table. It's a friendly, surely it'd be worth seeing what RL could bring to the set up? One would hope ...

A friendly, no real pressure, one of if not the in form englsih striker as it stands ... i'd love to see it and it'd make sense but im sceptical. Ok fine RL isnt exactly the future of english football but has he shown enough to prove he might be worth having in Brazil? I'd say so!

I expect he WILL be better one day. Even AL has talked about the quality he has and how great it is to work alongside him in training. Give him time. If he was twenty five, the complete product, a uruguay international, and aclimatised to the premiership how much do you think he'd have been sold for?!? I'l slate NC for plenty of other things but not for this signing. The lad has emmense potential and, if he doesnt fulfill it with us, I dont see us taking a massive financial hit. Consider it a strategic gamble.

Gaston and Mayuka both v young and loaded with potential. I'd suggest Ramirez was pricey but thats the going rate for an international player with his kind of potential playing in a big league. If we offloaded now we'd still fetch around ten million without much worry imo. Mayuka may turn out to be a complete bargain 3.5 doesnt get you a lot often in this day and age, yes there are exceptions to the rule, and if the media talk of his potential is to be belived it may be very good business for us. Samba is a beast, a cracking player, but its a gamble. They've gambled on staying up by spending big, we've invested long term.

Has dipped no question but first season, injuries, personal issues, a change in manager, played in a few positions .. who expected him to tear the league apart week in week out? For me he has shown flashes of brilliance and has, on ocassion, made the game look so easy. He will likely come good eventually and, if we start with jayrod punch and al instead, he's certainly one heck of a player to bring off the bench to turn a game!

Still think we could've done with another face especially with some of our fringe players out. Forren was a good buy and january isnt easy to buy in, dissapointed not heartbroken would be a fair summary.

Agree with some on here. Showed plenty of potential last season, not much this year. Could do with a good run of first team games to find his form, not likely to happen here. Out on loan would be ideal, we wont get a big fee for him and, depending who you believe, he was either free or rather cheap so no great financial hit!

No hate, just a realistic acceptance that he may not be good enough. Didn't look class in the league below and hasn't done much this season. I admit he is not terrible and has not done anything majorly wrong but he doesnt do anything to turn a game either. Runs well but how often does he beat a man then run out of ideas?

Have you seen Robben defend? He does NOT track back and that was a big part of the fall out in the Holland squad, players not understanding the concept of team. Bale is certainly one of the best. Ex saint or not he has taken some great sides apart and has not been surrounded by "world class" players all over the park like others mentioned. There is a reason the big boys in Spain are constantly linked and Fergie regrets not having him, and let me tell you it's not because they heard a couple of southampton fans thought he was not half bad!

The one thing you'l always get from le tiss is an honest opinion. It is a coincidence he works in the media and, as a saints legend, his views are often called upon about the club. Im sure, if asked how we felt, plenty of us would express these views without concern. He thinks Cortese is a tool, right or wrong, he's entitled to feel that way and say so.

Lloyd James, his name came up on another thread and was a real bolt from the blue for me, always thought he'd make it through into the first team ...

Yhep fair point, I know we didn't magic him out of thin air but he didnt play much for them and I'd say we can take a good deal of credit for his development I was angling for the idea of southampton as an "adopted home" sort of thing!

We can line up whoever we want but it doesnt always work like that. Loic Remy, Forren, Buttner ... deals dont always go as expected. For all we know we had an eight million pound deal set up and were talking terms with zaha at palace only for utd to swoop in and gazump us

Im sure the same was said about Baird, now fulham wouldn't be without him. Certainly not a bad player to have around if he's happy to keep putting a shift in when called upon and can kick on in training, no telling where hard work and dedication might lead him, some players naturally develop later.

I wouldn't want to lose him but if he said he wanted to move on I would nto begrudge him a move. Has shown loyalty and committment to the cause through and through. I'd hope he would be a one club man but, otherwise, a contract extension to at least secure a good price would be ideal.

I've said it before and I will do so again, I like the sound of my own voice, a player who can play down either wing with a bit of power and pace who will get to the byline and not run out of ideas (schteeeeve) ideally Phillips at blackpool but an equivalent will also do if he's too pricey or not available etc