kitch

HAHAHAHA! That's the first time I've heard that!

Not Tadic! Either JWP, VVD or Bertrand for me. J-Rod's done fairly well in the past for us from the spot too, IIRC.

He's basically been here 5mins. If we'd had no positives since the start of the season, then maybe I'd also be thinking of wetting my bed, but there have been plenty of positives. Easily enough to give him a full season at the very least, possibly two. He's clearly a clever guy, I reckon he knows what he's doing too. The only problem I think is that our attacking players struggle to play in the defensive systems he operates in. Koeman played quite defensively, but looked to hit the opposition quickly on the break. When Puel wants to break, it seems the solution (one of his words) is to try and pass it forwards. I do that on FIFA17, and I get bored watching myself play! My only concern is that the last manager who tried to pass it around without an end product was Roberto Martinez (to my mind). Now, he couldn't set his teams up to defend, and Puel is good at that, so it's not a mega-worry. It does sit in the back of my mind though. But he has EASILY shown enough to be given a full season at the absolute minimum. To even suggest it's his fault at this stage, to me, seems crazy. Besides, it's probably in his contract that we have to have a **** end to the year. It's standard procedure.

I think it'd be a nightmare. The only reason VVD looks immense when he charges forward sometimes, is because he's a defender. You don't expect him to do that, but where Romeu fills in for him quite fluidly if he charges forwards, he gets the option to do so. I think he'd be blowing out of his arse after 60mins up front, and though he's the best player we have and very good attacking for a centre-back, I don't think he's as good up front as, I dunno....a striker. If all else fails and you're 0-1 down with 5mins to go, by all means send him up there and play hoofball, but we just get little snippets of him there. We've no idea how he'd perform trying to get into/create space, his finishing when pressed etc. It's not like he went up there last night and Shlong went back to defend, it was just an extra attacking option at a time we needed it (and he got it spot on). I think of VVD as my wife's Ford S-Max. It's a big people carrier with the 2.5T engine from a Focus ST. It's big, it's heavy, it's actually very, very good across a wide range of criteria and it costs a lot to run. And lots of other people want to buy it from us (I'm lying about that bit). But, it's not a sports car. It might go OK, for an MPV (0-60mph in 7.5secs or so, 220bhp for all you car bores), but it's still not a 'fast' car. If I rocked up to a sprint at Goodwood in it, I'd get slaughtered by a Clio. It seems like it's fast when you're expecting it to be just a 7-seater MPV, but in the league of fast cars, it wouldn't work. If I was running a team of race cars in some sort of endurance event, and with 10mins to go all my sports cars were running out of fuel, I might send an S-Max out to do the best it can, but I wouldn't do that all the time, especially when it's so good at what it's employed to do, like ferry kids around or go to the shops. Or play in defence. Ooops, the acid's wearing off. Bare with me, I'm off to the fridge....

Can't agree with that (but then we're all allowed different opinions). I thought he showed fight, was composed on the ball and kept possession well, and showed a range of passing quality that others were struggling to achieve. Neat, tidy, one of the only ones who tried to go forwards with the ball instead of ****ing sideways or backwards, and I think he's another player in the Davis mould, where it's not immediately obvious how important he is. He doesn't dictate the flow of the game as much as Davis, but I think he did ok tonight and though he has had some blunt games since the season started, he's doing ok. I honestly thought he was one of the better ones tonight.

**** poor. Before they'd even scored I was thinking if we went through, it would be by luck not merit, and that we'd have got knocked out at the next round anyway. Though PEH and Davis did well enough, showed some grit. Yoshida had a good game, made an important (not that it turned out in the end) block and nearly had a hero moment. Cedric trying to do what he could. Bertrand had an off day, and I thought Romeu was in fits and spurts. Redmond? **** knows, but he must have something on Puel. When Tadic came on I said to myself I bet he take Sims off, not Redmond, and behold! Seriously, Redmond was hopeless. Didn't seem to have a clue, which is gutting as he looked bright at the start of the season. I like CP, I'm sticking by him for now, but we've seen some seriously dross performances recently and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned slightly. There are no easy games any more, and we don't look like a side that can score enough. Up until tonight I thought all this talk of needing a new striker was just daft, but it's true, we really do need one. Either that, or way begin to play to Long's strengths more as the poor bloke barely got a touch of the ball.

There's me thinking you were a Saab fan

Didn't the team get booed off at half time last season again Everton? We went on to lose 3-0, but I think we were 2-0 down and half time and playing really badly. Was only watching on telly, but it sounded like booing at half time. Have never experienced it at the actual ground.

Good performance, did what we needed to do. All the defenders played well, including Rom and PEH. Reed and J-Rod both looked bright when they came on, as did Long. Redmond had a shocker from where I was sitting! I'd have taken him off for Long instead of Boufal. Another tough one against the dugout boys next time around, but I agree our lack of scoring is beginning to worry me. Not on the the basis of that game, as we did what we needed to do, but in general.

Losing Les Reed (and to an extent Ralph Krueger) is one of my bigger fears. I just hope the 'system' is ingrained in the foundation of the club now, and that it's more than just one man (i.e. Reed). We can survive player and managerial departures, but there's going to come a point where the wrong person goes. I don't know who that person is, but I suspect it's Les Reed. But then, if you can set up a self-sustaining model where the model repairs itself by adequately replacing (or bettering) anyone who leaves, then it's a very, very good model indeed. I really hope that's what it is, because personally speaking I love the way the club goes about its business, and in the world of Premier League football, where for most simple minded fans (and indeed some clubs) the solution always seems to be chuck money at any problems. I love the fact we don't, because the amount of money in the game almost makes me sick. Worst case scenario, the wrong jenga block gets pulled and it all comes crashing down one day, but I can honestly say I've enjoyed the last 2-3 seasons more than any other I can remember, including 2003. I just hope there's more to come.

Spoke to a guy who know who's a Wanderers fan, and he rated Gape highly. Jason McCarthy was rated very, very highly by the fans too, apparently.

Absolutely spot-bollock-on. The god squad footballers (and there lots) are probably one of things I like least about the game. People believe different things, fine, but dickheads being paid £100k a week to play football don't need to bleat on about it like that knobber Sturridge. Mind you, if I was being paid £100k p/w to knock a ball around, I'd probably believe in a flying spaghetti monster and all his noodly godness too.

So what's he given the yellow for then? If he's seen it, it's a red. If he hasn't seen it, it's nothing. Awful decision, and the type that kills games.

I KNEW Tadic would miss that. I like the guy, but he's not a great penalty taker. Always hits them soft and never right in the corners. JWP should have had that, or J-Rod. Reffing's been useless too. They should easily be down to 10. Right dirty ****er there, I was waiting (hoping) for Romeu to run in and lamp him!

Cuco. Boufal's was special last night, but you were expecting him to do something like that at some point. Cuco.....jesus, I struggle to believe it happened! Benali in third. Not the goal, just the fact it happened.

Boufal MoM for me, purely because he was the difference. We didn't look like scoring otherwise. Reed also did well I thought, and respect to McCarthy for carrying on and managing his injury. Never seen a CB deputising on goal kicks before! JWP - no idea what's happened there. Looked to have been getting better over the last few appearances, but wow; That was a stinker! Isgrove also poor, though I'll cut him much more slack as there would have been a fair bit of pressure on him too. Chuffed with the win, especially as it was mostly our reserves against a near full-strength XI from Sunderland. See who we get next

A better PA system!

You got your wish

Ordered. Better be good

Shame, I was hoping he might start and even do a full 90 tonight.

Spot on. It's the reason Austin is one of my favourite players in our squad. He's there on merit, nothing more. I really hope he has a belting season. Sure he comes across a bit funny in interviews, and I can see something in the rumours that he's a bit of an arse (could be completely wrong of course). Don't care though. Charlie Austin's red and white! And I want him to not only take the penalties, but WANT to take the penalties too

Should merge this thread with the 'Losing Interest' one so certain people can get a f**king grip!

Deserved? I think so. We're noticeably better if he's on the pitch. http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/20160914-pierre-emile-hojbjerg-player-of-the-month-august-3307422.aspx

Would a natural finisher (like Austin, perhaps) have been in the positions Long got himself into in the first place? That's his whole game - it's first class at making trouble and creating chances. He's not even 2nd class at finishing them though. He's more My Hermes