a1ex2001

that's a terrible blow to the lad it couldn't have come at a worse time for him he was at a real make or break time in his career. Hope he makes a swift and full recovery!

Our away following has always been funny the 'lads' in the league one days were a nightmare hobby little idiots who spent the whol game 'giving it large' to the home section! I've seen us away in every league and have always preferred to sit in my seat and watch the game sorry if my lack of 'singing' and 'laddish' behaviour offends you but I'm not an accountant and I was born in Manchester!

Sky couldn't care less about empty seats they will just turn up the crowd mic or use a tape to provide the illusion of atmosphere all they care about is subscriber numbers and they will probably go up with less bums on seats! The fan in the ground is fast becoming an irrelevance! Just you wait for the phone app linked to the stadium pa so you can click to boost the volume from the comfort of your own sofa!

he was looking good before his injury but he has yet to fully establish himself and with such a serious injury who knows what player will take to the pitch when he returns. Or he just chooses to play them as he doesn't have any real options! I don't think those futures will be long they must both be on substantial wages LaLa in particular so I can't see Liverpool wanting to hang on to them as bit part players

So far it looks like Clyne is the only player to have left us and done well even Morgan seems to be spending more and more time warming the bench! It certainly looks like LaLa and Lovren's time on Mersey side will soon be over.

Because in years o come they can support our virtual team that will be made up of 11 obese slobs sat in darkened rooms wearing VR helmets and bashing hell out of a gamespad!

Don't see why there is no chance you never know who will rock up for this sort of game.

So true, big gamble for Stoke! They have had a few come off lately so maybe they've got cocky but you never know he looked a decent player before!

There is no way on earth it will just be players from the two promotion years I would expect quite a few others to make appearances with the promotion players hopefully forming the bulk of the team. This is the real dilemma for me Skacel will he play or not can we please have a 200 page thread on it before he signs to play on the pitch at the last game of the season?

and even if Pelle is the worst forward they have ever had he's still a proven goalscorer at both prmier league and international level players like that with 18 months to go on a contract simply don't cost 5m quid! As someone else rightly pointed out if 5m is all he is worth on the market I'd run his contract down and let him go on a free if he won't re-sign his goals this season already are worth more than 5m!

Lol, got to love the intelligence on show in that post! He is one of Italy's first choice strikers he is worth more than 5m

This is what I don't understand he looked a real prospect last season but has hardly played this year even when Palace can't seem to buy a goal, similar to the Reed situation here there must be something more going on!

David Hirst? Rory Delap? Saints record signing is invariably crap.

Totally agree with this I still can't fathom how Schniederlin didn't end up there when it was clearly his favoured destination if they had added VanDijk or that Belgium knobber they would be strolling this season.

Good luck to him, didn't work out here but he has at least tried and not moaned unlike so many

Looks like he's played his last game for the club bbc confirmed the loan to boro good luck to the lad. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/35410308

You seem to imply that it was a sure thing that the money was wasted from the minute that it was spent and that it is possible to guarantee success in the transfer market? Yes the money with hindsight was wasted but at the time everyone though that both the Ramirez and Osvaldo signings were good ones it just didn't work out similarly other signings have worked out far better and on balance we have come up smelling of roses.

I've taken to just ignoring the fee and wages and judging him on performances and at the minute I'd have him in the team without doubt as his contribution is good, however if Liverpool or anyone else offered us a get your money back deal ie 12m then I would take it as I just feel we could do better for the fee and wages which isn't to say Long is rubbish. Classic case of the black and white polarisation of views on here it seems impossible for anyone to say he's decent players have to either be amazing or terrible bit like Soares and Stelk both have been solid they just aren't amazing but people instantly label them as rubbish hmmmm....

Simple solution then? Bring back the sash I for one would fully support that decision that kit also felt really good quality I'm so pleased I snapped one up.

One of our stranger signings in the days when we seemed to think every player from overseas needed to bring a friend with them, still I did hope that when he got over his injury he'd be better for us than Chala and bliedelis!

Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest I'm still not sure why he has been so poor for u a few years back he looked to be really going places.

and even that can be improved with the correct gym work he may never be lightning quick but his pace could improve with the correct conditioning. The challenge is doing the right gym work to improve his strength and athleticism without damaging his other attributes!

I'm always a bit dubious of players who get lots of under 21 caps I remember being very excited when we signed David Prutton who had made 25 appearances and that didn't work out so well! I still thing ward-prowse is looking good and can't really understand the level of criticism he gets on here! I don't think he is going to be a bale or a Ronaldo but I do think he will be a solid premiership/fringe of the England squad player which at least means we might get to keep him for a while. Next club captain for me.

interesting to note the positive comment about Steven Davis as well as the article says a much underrated player I'm still surprised we managed to snap him up from Rangers without any real competition.

There is no pleasing footy fans! We can't win by 6 or 7 every week or even every season! Sometimes we will be best for the first half sometimes the second, sometimes we will loose when we deserve to win other times we will get a 90th minute winner when we should be thrashed! Football is a great lottery and that's why we all follow it.