eelpie

But how much do we depend on Chambo to get us into an automatic promotion place? (playoffs are a lottery) A heck of a lot. In fact with our present weakened squad we wouldn't imo. How much is promotion worth to the club? More than ten million. Chambo's price will never get decrease, unless his career is cut short by injury. Walcott has repaid Arsenal their investment, so has Bale. So ten mill is peanuts in the big picture. Nothing less.

We could have negotiated better with Spuds. Was cash plus Tommy Forecast a bargain?

This is the second match running when the ball has seemingly not dropped kindly for Saints. Rubbish. It is up to the players to make sure that they - each individually - are first to the tackle and dominate proceedings. A successful run of good results and they think they have done it. Too complacent by half at present.

I agree that there is no place for Puncheon at Saints now, and that he should be docked wages for his attitude. This is a shame because he is a player that can bring a bit of spark, energy and aggression into the side. The team periodically becomes too self satisfied and complacent (read Kelvin's pre-match interview on the OS). A pity that he wasn't first choice to replace Lallana, because I believe he would have done a better job against Tranmere than the rest of the feeble lot that took to the pitch on Saturday. In fact I would have bet that we would not have lost.

4 nil now. We have bragging rights!

Succeeding against teams that we failed against last year is crucial now. Can't say more than that. No pressure, Nigel and team. Just do it.

I think it more likely that Ricky would lose his automatic place to Austin on ability to score goals this season.

I agree. And I wouldn't mind Surman returning too - whatever happened to him this season?

Relax - its just Fonte's bottle

http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/67680.html?CMP=OTC-RSS They seem to be getting Guly and Oxo mixed up, lol But interesting to wonder how much Guly is worth now he is scoring even more freely than Alex?

Yep. B****r! Can't make that date either! (My earlier post re my discontent that STH's cannot get refunds but others can when dates are re-arranged is still at boiling point) Deffo gamesmanship by Charlton to delay till their new manager is bedded in, and to increase our late season fixture congestion to their advantage. What reason did Charlton give? Saints should complain.

Sorry trous, your thread was off the front page when I started this, so didn't see it. Perhaps mods you could retitle this thread: 'Refunds if STH's can't make the rearranged Charlton game?' ta

The worst shocks happen during the last minutes of January. Roll on February. I'm happy with the squad! And don't want to hear that Alex has been tempted away in the last few minutes.

Good that this has been brought forward rather than added to the backlog. (except I just wish I could make it - family commitment prevents. I wish the club would refund ST holders when they are unable to attend re-arranged dates. If you are not a ST holder you do get a refund. Time for the club to look at this) Saints 2 -1 win!

He's done well. He will have negotiated a wage rise and may well now achieve promotion with Bournemouth (in the play-offs I hope). And Bournemouth's finances will creak even more which is to our advantage. So what's the problem? WE are no worse off. We know we can beat Bournemouth. And Charlton are still without the manager who would certainly have turned them into a bigger threat to us. That would have concerned me. Howe's decision won't effect our prospects.

meanie

Quite a lengthy match then.

Two things... Ricky doesn't seem to lead from the front these days and is usually seen doing a useful team job behind a forward striker, hence he is not so often in a good position for opportunistic goals. Guly does that job now and can't be left out.. And so the person to leave on the bench has to be Hammond, who limped off injured on Saturday.

As if he's never heard football chants before, lol. But to be fair Holloway made some very complimentary comments about Saints, so I (slightly) forgive him his frustrated outburst. ""I hope Southampton get back there one day but you have to earn that right. They have the right manager in charge and I hope they have great success..." Holloway was gracious in defeat while paying tribute to his makeshift line-up with half the youth team making up the bench. (Holloway did admit that Saints made changes too). "They have good players, exciting players. It was a great game of football and they deserved it on the day. Their second goal was worthy of winning any game. I know I shouldn't but I applauded it." But how satisfying to put one over the loudmouth. He was saving his main squad for Blackpool v Liverpool in the EPL. Coward. Bring on Liverpool in the next round. WE'RE not afraid of them!

Me too - at home!

How about some LeGod style bowing tomorrow then? Alltogether.......

Except that we were not promoted that season (1975/6). We were not promoted the following season either (1976/7). We were promoted in 1978 (1977/8 I believe Laurie is quoted to have said that we would never have achieved promotion with the squad that won the cup. We were promoted with only five players of the cup-winning squad (Turner, Peach, Holmes, Blyth and Osgood). Even Channon had left for Man City. It was generally a tougher squad that promoted us, strengthened with the likes of Chris Nichol, Ted MacDougall, Allen Ball and Phil Boyer. So I hope a good cup run will not be an omen for delaying promotion by two years again. Stick to potshooting ducks, mlud.

Terrific week, results wise. Have Saints ever had a better one in any league? However, we have a hard run of away games ahead, so lets enjoy today but be realistic of how tough it will be during the next few weeks. How we do aganst Charlton home and away will be the most important test of the season imo.

Lambo plays quite deep too a lot of the time and does a lot of foraging, drawing defenders and assists. We seem to be playing best with one forward upfront ( Gooly) and three midfielders (Lallana, Lambert, Oxo) closing up, with Chaplow and Schneiders or Chaplow behind. Though in truth there is a lot of movement, especially from Chaplow, and changing of positions. Seems to work, and seems to stretch the opposition. We also seem to get back into defence well now. I thought our back four, five and six completely stifled Exeter once the first twenty minutes were past. Against Daggers we succeeded despite a packed defence, too. Very satisfying.

We have nothing to lose playing against Blackpool. They have their new found (and deserved) reputation to preserve. I am looking forward to an entertaining game, and an opportunity to see how our sometimes sublime passing game matches 'pools Premiership bustling flair. The result doesn't matter. But we'll all be dead chuffed if we do win and draw a top team. Just so long as we don't draw.