DuncanRG

In fairness I don't think anyone really believes we could reach or stay in the upper echelons, only that we might be able to capitalise on the very good hand we've been dealt and mix it with the bigger clubs for a season or two. There are a few outliers but on the whole most people think we have a shot at reaching the top six - short term - if all goes well. The Champions League/how can we win the title stuff is mostly motivational gubbins. The point about Pompey's overreaching is worth mentioning, but it doesn't really apply to us as we're not going for success at all costs. Perhaps financial sustainability makes it less likely we'll get up there, but it rules out the danger in trying. Krueger has been chairman for a month and a half. Have some patience! They've signalled that they want to communicate with the fanbase more openly than the Cortese regime, so let's give them a chance to do that. It's not like Cortese's lot put out press releases every week detailing what was going on at the club. We'll have a much clearer picture by June/July.

Moyes is very good but he would be an awful fit for Southampton. It isn't even worth thinking about, not least because his next job probably won't be in England.

When it's your first (and potentially only) game in months it's worth some scrutiny, but as it happens he was very good. He wouldn't be playing any games like that at the World Cup though! Chelsea effectively played a back six without the ball, with the traditional four squeezed into the middle and Willian/Ramires playing wing-back.

There was no indication we'd invest at this stage last year either. We just did. Let's see what happens and save the doomsday for if and when we know no money's gone in!

There's no way I can talk about him 'taking a young player aside' without it sounding like a morbid joke now, can I?

That particular post is fishing though, no denying it

Experience of losing is better than none at all and it's useful to have a cool head that you can call upon if needed. A match-fit Cole who'd been playing for Chelsea would always be valuable for his composure, reliability and dressing room know-how, but those qualities aren't worth taking a half-fit player for.

At home you'd expect the full backs to get forward regardless of opposition. Besides, at SMS it's only the full backs that really put the burners on - Lallana and Davis are quick enough to do their bit in midfield. It's a myth that we lack pace: we just don't play in a way that uses it much at home. Movement is the problem.

Eh? I know Mourinho's record's just ended but Chelsea are still pretty formidable at home... Mourinho away is one of the toughest fixtures in world football, no matter who he's managing Sunderland could have played all night and they wouldn't have scored if Chelsea set up like this, to be fair

I think he'd be a lot more positive than this...but I also think we'd lose.

*loud, incomprehensible roar*

It's only the Russian public's money that funds Chelsea, remember...

Who fancies Daehli at Cardiff then?

God, if there's one team that can pull it off though, it's Mourinho's Chelsea.

Sorry, just realised you were talking about England not Chelsea! No reason to play Lampard or even take him to Brazil. For me, at major tournaments you choose the squad which gives you best possible chance of progressing as far as possible in that tournament. No nonsense about giving people experience. Lucky for England there's only one eligible 'old guard' player who deserves to go on that basis, and that's Gerrard. Cole's played fine since I've been tuned in tonight, but this is a pretty unique Mourinho job and not what he'd be doing for England. Doesn't have to run the line or attack at all, which would be your main worry with him. When you're choosing a back-up for Baines (which is what Shaw or Cole will be) you've got to look at when they'd play. If Baines gets injured half way through the quarter final, it's 1-0 to England and the opposition are throwing the kitchen sink, do you want to throw a teenager in there? On the other hand, if England need a goal and Baines goes off, Shaw might go some way to replacing his attacking threat while Cole doesn't stand a chance. The way I see it, Shaw's a confident lad and there's a chance he'd be able to step up defensively and offensively. Cole would do his job defensively if he stays in his own half but doesn't have a hope of offering a threat going forward in the way Baines and Shaw would. I'd take Shaw.

I suppose Lampard's more experienced than anyone in grinding out a 0-0 the Mourinho way. I wonder if he's put Ramires on the right because he might go on a little run and score like he did at the Nou Camp in an equally negative display.

Amazing, isn't it? In fairness they did try all they could to get Rooney and Cavani (maybe others? I forget). I suppose you could say there's no point spending for the sake of it if you can't get your preferred target...but that doesn't sound like Chelsea. If they get Costa and he lands on his feet they might take some stopping next year.

Just tuned in. What's he done?

I said they stayed!

Nope. FC Four-Twente?

+++Make a cup of tea instead of responding to this post+++

Neither can unless the club accepts a bid. Indeed. I try my best not to give in...

Arsenal bid for Schneiderlin in the summer. The bid didn't get to the point of Morgan turning them down himself because the club rejected the offer. No clue what his view was. This was confirmed to me off the record by a well-connected journalist, along with an equally compelling tidbit that Adkins wanted to buy Kaspars Gorkss from Reading when we were in the Championship. Believe me or not. Shaw I'll admit I don't know of a formal bid but it's generally believed that Chelsea picked up the phone with some seriousness in January and the club told them to back off. He's known about that interest for two or three windows and not agitated for a move. When your club rejects offers, agitating for a move is all you can do and he hasn't.

First few I could think of: Suarez, Gerrard, Bale, Modric, Shaw (did not respond to serious interest in January), Schneiderlin Some of them left eventually, some of them might yet. But Suarez stayed at Liverpool because, after some convincing*, he believed they could break into the top four, and they did. Of course that's far, far easier for Liverpool than us but players don't always jump ship at the very first opportunity. The fact is that our players want to play for Pochettino and want to get Southampton into Europe. That's their ambition and they believe they can do it. If that's matched by the club and the club can prove it, they'll stay. At least one player, Morgan Schneiderlin, has said exactly that, and he's one of the players we're most at risk of losing. If that doesn't work out a year or two on and the big clubs are still sniffing then they will probably leave. What's important this summer is that the players and club see eye to eye and both do their bit. If they do we'll keep the squad together, and the same thing will happen all over again next year. *I'm sure money played a part but he could have earnt as much or more at any of his mega-rich suitors

I wouldn't be surprised if someone brings this up when Gallagher blossoms.