eelpie

I hope not. We already have 8 matches in four weeks scheduled ahead!

We now have some great matches ahead all coming within a short period following the home league 1 game against Norwich. Between 21st of this month and 19th December we'll have played 8 matches, ending with Leeds away a few days after playing the canaries in the JPT. So stamina, fitness and luck in not getting injuries during this period is going to be the key to our season. I hope the Northampton and Norwich cup games don't go to penalties. 8 matches within one month. How many can we win? 21/11 Norwich H 24/11 Hartlepool A 28/11 Northampton FA Cup A 1/12 Wycombe H 5/12 Walsall A 12/12 Tranmere H ?/12 Norwich JPT H 19/12 Leeds A Will the fixture overcrowding affect our cup success? Do we have sufficient strength in depth now? If we beat Norwich in the league next Saturday I think we'll really be onto a great run. Should we concentrate on league or cups?

New manager syndrome? I don't remember Pards benefitting from it? It's just a myth. We'll win ok, though BHA will try their darndest and score one.

Yes, thanks to tosser Lowe's stupidity.

I have a feeling that you could be right. Interesting.

Wait till we have played Norwich, Leeds and Millwall again, then perhaps we can realistically assess our relative strengths. One match at at time, and all that... But why not? We can do it!

No it's not, it's me (sitting down)

The purpose of Saints Trust shares were intended to gain a bigger voice at shareholders meetings and they optimistically expected to get a seat on the Board, I know. I bought my own fifty quids worth separate to my one ST share so that I could personally ask questions at the AGM's. All very pitiful I know, but it did make me feel that Lowe, Wilde Crouch, Burley & co could be put under some sort of pressure, however slight. I just didn't want them to think they could have everything 100% their own way without having to defend their policies. I always remember getting very angry at lowe's contemptuous attitude to supporters if they were not a shareholder. So futile I know, but it did make me feel better. I have no regrets at losing that small amount of money. It was well worth it.

I am wondering how fit Hammond is at the moment. Watching him recently, playing despite injury, for the last two matches he obviously hasn't been the dominant force that he usually is. Pards reckons Charlton have a very strong midfield, and they will be charged up following their humiliating defeat. So imo Dean's performance is crucial. I reckon a 2-2 draw.

Just got mine too. Never have I felt so good about losing fifty quid. Rupes must have got his too. Yippee!

Nicola must have been impressed with the Leyton Orient set up.

Ipswich owe millions.

It would be interesting to know your source and exactly when ML came onto the scene This is of historical importance (if you are correct.) Presumably Nicola had previously been making enquiries beforehand, but we know that Fry was getting some interest from a few tyre kickers. How would he know if Cortese wasn't just another one? Regarding Crouch, I am convinced that but for him paying the players wages the club would have been wound up. For good. (Even if miraculously we had survived in some form we would certainly not have Lallana, Schneiderlin and and Lloyd with us now.) Crouch's detractors have selective memories.

You make a very important point there. Fry's insistence that Lowe and Wilde resign was crucial. I do believe that the wretched man would have clung on to power if he could, and possibly a different administrator might not have been so decisive. The thought gives me nightmares.

Surely you're not suggesting....?

I agree with your sentiments, Duncan, and I doubt if we'll get to the truth of why Pinnacle was given exclusivity over Liebherr. But one thing that might have swung the vote in Mark Fry's favour in landing the award may lie with the judges first phrase above: "Begbies dealt with the emotions of the fans..." It is true that when Mark Fry was FIRST appointed Saints fans were impressed with his early statements of support, and we (well I certainly was) were encouraged that he might actually be able to save the club. He made the right noises. So Fry was so over-awed by club legend MLT's support of Pinnacle that he persisted in repeatedly favouring them over Liebherr. Was he not in contact with Liebherr during this time? He sounded doubtful that the Swiss were going to come up with an offer at all, after Pinnacle pulled out. There must have been a lot of dis-information and tough last-minute negotiating between Marcus and Fry? Whatever, it was a bloody close damn thing. We were very, very lucky. Right now, I can't care less if Fry gets the plaudits he does or doesn't deserve. I'm enjoying my football. And perhaps he'll go on to save the likes of others, like Southend. I hope he or someone else does. I can't care if he, or someone else, makes a very fat living out of saving football clubs by skill - or by luck. (It doesn't actually leave a nice taste in my mouth that the Insolvency industry profits so much from others' misfortunes.) So long as the fans benefit in the end. That's what matters. So good luck to Southend, and all the many other clubs who are going to find themselves in the situation we were in.

And apparently was man of the match according to Henderson. But this cup tie was a high profile match too early for him, as it turned out.

It also seems Oscar is doing well: "The Scot also had special praise for Oscar Gobern, who has just returned from a loan spell with MK Dons. "Oscar was the stand out performer for me. He did very well in the centre of the park alongside Tom Dunford and showed a little bit of class on the ball this evening. I had to shuffle things around in the second half and stick him in at left back late on, but that didn't faze him and he had a good evening overall." A possible midfield or defensive place in the first team later this season? Could he become the replacement for the aging Wotton or Perry? One of the interesting things about this season is that youngsters who were thrown into the squad too early in their careers last year seem to have time to progress and mature now. I reckon this is more relevant to us than how Marek who had his chances is faring in the Reserves.

True, but this view is negative and does not mean that we can't continue to produce top players. And many of our recent youth find their level in the Championship anyway, and are doing quite well there today. Where would we be right now without Lallana, even if he moves on eventually? Could we not have done with some of our CCC ex-youth at the beginning of this season? I wager not all of our ex-Academy players currently in the CCC would have moved on had our current regime been in place earlier.

Terry is a great character and would make a terrific DOF imo, but I guess living in South Africa could be a small issue.

I notice also that on the BBC's Southampton site they credit Lallana with 8 points including Cup goals, whilst on the League 1 stats they only credit him with 6 goals. Rickie's 11 goals also include a League Cup goal. (Mind, I am very happy for Adam's achievements to remain under the radar as much as possible with the January window approaching.)

If we begin with 4-4-2 would we finish as strongly as when we end the match with the same formation? Our history says no.

Sometimes the idiot is wiser than the village.

The poll should have included 4-3-3, since so many have pointed out that this formation is being played some times. But that might confuse the experts on here!!

He was fast as usual and giving their LB a torrid time, battling right up to the by-line and getting some amazing crosses between line and defender that didn't seem to exist. The problem was that he wasn't getting much support from Hammond, probably because Dean's injury was restricting his movement. A curious thing was that most of the action was crowded into the other side of the pitch for 70 minutes and Waigo was often having to drift into the centre to support Rickie, presumably to instructions. Orient defended in depth, were pretty solid and more organised than ours it has to be said. I believe that there were two significant reasons why we improved when the superb Antonio and Connolly came on. Papa had played a good part in tiring their defence, and 4-4-2 gave welcome support to the injured Hammond. It would be intersting to see how we fare if Antonio comes on first against Brizzle. Whatever, Papa and Michail are a potent combination on the right whichever order they play.