Daft Kerplunk

Because... Enlighten me Professor Roger

Key thing is that during the last two windows, we haven't had Cortese blowing smoke up people's behinds or telling them we'd be playing Champions League in a 50k seater stadium soon, or a football legend like Ronald to help get deals across the line. Probably a good thing as both those people mentioned above weren't a reflection of who we as a club can afford to be or have ambition to be. We've signed some decent players, some will move on as soon as they come good, some won't work. Any spin from the club worthy of the word spin is when we look at the players coming through the academy, many of whom aren't showing themselves to be good enough for a top half team with ambitions of regular European football. Most of us have been watching football long enough to realise that.

Hopefully being level on points with Watford, below Burnley, Stoke, WBA, West Ham, Everton (who we were well ahead of, right?), just 1 point ahead of Bournemouth in February (it's not December when we are always rubbish apparently anymore) will be a little reminder to the first team squad and coaching staff that they to keep up this #wemarchon thing. We may be taking one step back to take two steps forward next season and a cup win would certainly be very welcome but league position is where you measure a team's progress. That was always going to be hard after last year's good fortune in finishing sixth but surely 8th place was a minimum required for this season?

Be good to read and the telegraph is a known mouthpiece for the club and what it is thinking/doing/wanting to portray.

Best thing is it highlighting that our second string aren't good enough. Needs some investment to add depth.

How many major finals have we lost wearing yellow? It's two since winning one. Not a lucky colour really

It's nights like these that you remember that whatever you feel about the way the club runs and is managed, and by whom, SFC means the most to fans. SFC will always have people run, or work with the club with their own agenda but they can never ever replace the fan for whom supporting a club runs deeper than they can imagine. My love for Saints knows no boundaries, whomever is in charge or working for the club. It goes back to beyond a century of family support and is never going away. Tonight is for us and the players who got us to Wembley. COYR!

As they'd said in Liverpool, dat was boss dat

Coming through the tv coverage well. What it should be like every match. kingsland, Chapel, Itchen, you need to join in and make it happen. Other than that, what a night!

I'd have one...matt finish works a treat too. Well done for your taste in vehicles VVD

Looked decent but as others have said, impossible to judge him fully after playing a Leicester side bereft of ideas. As with all CBS, needs games and experience doing good and bad things against a range of opposition to develop into the player we all hope our young players can become.

Good news and now up to him to kick on and force his way into the team as a first choice starter

Just a matter of time before the Chinese investors are confirmed then I guess...

Armstrong's version of OWTS was played at the end yesterday. The Shane long song is fine, maybe our embarrassed fans should spend more effort to try and get fans singing than worrying about 1 minute's worth of music that the players have put together. More embarrassing for me is that SMS is a generally quiet and couldnt intimidate a group of 6 year old majorettes and that loads of people leave matches really early. Those are bigger fish to fry in terms of atmosphere!

Apart from the VVD situ, much more positive day at the office for the players. Looked to be trying to play with more verve as well. Keep up the good work.

Good point, I'd say there was a falling out between him and the power/business side of the club, not the football side. Good luck, thanks for the memories and contribution to our story

Any thoughts on the other points?

Let's not rule it out just yet. Maybe Les' words about it letting Fonte go without a replacement being ready won't refer to internal candidates.

I appreciate your opinion, and I know you're uber positive but he will leave in the summer. As it stands with those in charge, that is absolutely inevitable, regardless of contract length. The only way it won't happen is if we get a stack load of money to invest in the team from our new Chinese investors/owners once that happens. If it doesn't, there is little way we can hold on to an asset like VVD with the football business as it stands versus the sort of football businesses that will bid for Virgil.

The telegraph is where you read Saints news first, we clearly give it to them first so this is the way it is. I doubt there will be any replacement for Fonte this window, and if Yosh and Stephens (and Gardos if he ever comes back) do okay, then no need for replacements. When, because let's face it, it's inevitable, VVD leaves in the summer, wonder if we will get anyone else in or whether Turnbull will return and do a job saving us a stack of cash.

End of an era and that's the entire promo team gone. Wonder what the next era will be like

Dreadful performance overall, was bored stiff watching that but we won.

Exactly. The club said they offered him a longer contract, Fonte was adamant that they didn't. Basically comes down to who to believe. If things are going well, those among your best players who've been here whilst plenty of others have left don't hand in transfer requests midway trough the season.

Club has played this well again. Some/many fans will turn on Jose saying he just wants more money but he's stayed through thick and thin and has been a leader for the club. Didn't he say he wanted to finish his career here? The board want to cash in whilst he has value I reckon, and whilst that might be okay in some respects, it does nothing to add to team spirit or give fans heroes. Sad indictment. He should be here and get his testimonial. Things must be bad for him personally with his relationship with the club for him to want to go.

I can't bring myself to blame Puel as he is the man the board wanted. Les said they had 3 interviews with him, and all the famed due diligence would have taken place too meaning he was the number one choice based on the Board's criteria. Watching the Under-23s in the Checkatrade Trophy showed a similar type of play too so Puel is playing a risk reduced style of football that is in the style of the club, which is against risk, but without risk there are no rewards. I could only bring myself to blame Puel if he was given a decent squad to work with and ours isn't on top of it's game this season so far. I recall Les saying we had the best midfield options in the country earlier this season too but the midfield is the problem as they rarely play balls forward to the centre forwards who are then not having much to make use of. Buck stops with the top for me at the moment and they need to back the coach they picked with a squad that gives him a chance to show if he can make it here. The board should also learn to understand that Saints fans like attacking football and always have done.