DuncanRG

It's driven by media. Carragher, Neville and Hansen start heaping praise on Saints and everyone else will do the same. We seem to have a growing global presence as well - more and more people are getting involved across social besides Kenyans, Japanese etc with links to specific players.

As I've said for all of our tough/away fixtures this season: anything is possible. Two defeats wouldn't surprise me, two wins would be pushing it but we are capable. Let's prepare well and hope the international break goes by with no injuries and a few confidence-boosting performances.

These policies are seriously outdated.

More than anything I'm afraid of Cortese and/or the Liebherrs leaving the club - that could spell trouble. Long as they're here, I think we're in safe hands. As for this season, it's inevitable we'll go on a bad run at some point. What matters is when and how long it lasts.

I'm expecting call-ups soon.

To be fair, this has come after a couple of weeks of media circus...

We do know Jay to be capable of that...

Poor game but we're competing just fine. Lallana on for Lee at some point and we can start to turn the screw

Was there not a cross on there? Has to hit the target if he's taking the shot.

Sunderland playing a strongish team, more first-teamers than ours. Mannone; Celustka, Brown, O'Shea, Bardsley; Ki, Gardner, Colback; Johnson, Altidore, Giaccherini

Hard to believe it's only been a year. He's played like an experienced pro since day one.

Not the worst article in the world. It's been written 800 times in the past three weeks, however.

Keegan's got one, and Lawrie Mac wrote an interesting diary of the 78/79 season.

Hear hear

The Conservatives matched Labour's spending plans in this period. They both got it wrong.

Our worst performances last season were West Brom away, West Ham away, Arsenal away and Sunderland at home. QPR at home was the worst result.

Starts contribute to finishes

I don't think they're too far off what a seller would be after. Obviously we wouldn't sell for those prices (if any) but if we wanted to sell Shaw, Lallana etc then that's probably what they'd go for. Dalglish's Liverpool would have spunked £23m on Adam though I think we'd all like to see it, but as with all our players it depends on the level they reach and whether we can match it.

Of the opinion of Garth Crooks?

Our songs have been pretty guff for a while to be honest. Not too concerned about anti-Pompey stuff but it would be nice if it were next to some creative/well paced Saints chants. We can still make a buzz but the only time I can remember a good song lasting particularly long recently was OWTS at home to Liverpool last year. That rang around the ground nice and slowly, more of that please!

We've won our last three, if I remember correctly. Fulham, Reading away, City at home?

We don't know what our 'mini league' is yet. Give it til Christmas.

Strikers need games, but balancing them is difficult. See also: Jay Rodriguez. Adkins wanted him to 'earn his place' and put him on the bench every week; Pochettino comes in, gives him a run and he starts performing. These are judgement calls that managers can make better than us but Osvaldo has far too much quality to be left out for any significant stretch after 6 games. It took time for our entire squad to get used to the Premier League - they all talk about it in interviews, 'understanding' the league better after a whole season. Why should this one player be any different?

I agree, but that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Lambert's been our focal point for years and Osvaldo's come in from another country. Luckily we can play the two together and have done in all but one game where they've both been available. The evidence of Osvaldo so far is not evidence worth trusting, and before tonight Lambert wasn't having a great start either. On Clyne: assists? Chances created? He's a great player and defensively rock solid but doesn't offer as much going forward as Johnson, which is why I'd choose the latter for England. Clyne will be there soon though, he's not too far off.

He's been a joy to watch. I never thought of him as one of our best players after we left League One but he certainly is now. Full fitness is doing him a world of good.