ErwinK1961

Probably would be 5 points better off as well.

Football loves to throw up a surprise... would have thought a man in your position would have known that better than anyone.

I think JWP puts a good ball in the majority of the time - I think finishing has let us down. In the Europa league alone I can think of several chances (mainly VVD!) where we've missed free headers / volleys from his set pieces.

Great minds and all that SS

Reckon it will be:- Forster Cedric - Fonte - VVD - Bertrand Romeu PEH - JWP Redmond - Austin - Boufal Personally would rather give Sims a go in place of Redmond, as I think NR's been pants the last few games.

The way the media is building this up about possibly being Pardew's last game, you can just see them nicking this in a dirty 1-0.

Enjoyed Chamberlains debut against Huddersfield. Not old enough for Shearers debut, so Sims wins hands down for me.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11700/10675738/five-southampton-academy-stars-who-can-match-josh-sims Apologies if posted elsewhere already - nothing earth shattering, but interesting coming from fellow team-mates.

Seeing as he wasn't the manager at the time, that would have been impressive!

"an evident difference in each half's displays so far" - sounds familiar.

100% this.

Best thing he can do is stay at Blackburn, keep getting games and experience, then come back next season ready to compete for a place. No point in him being here now, he wouldn't get the game time he needs.

If true, you would expect a replacement has been sorted.

They're due a bad result, right? Please?

Gets down slowly to shots, doesn't command his box and is slow off his line. He's not a bad keeper, but wouldn't say he's one of the best around either. This lacks of saves argument has come up before with Gazza and Stek - we must have one of the highest shots to goals conceded ratio's over the last 2-3 seasons.

Only other thing I can think of is Yoshi has been promised the EL matches, or they are easing VVD into a captaincy role, with a view to him taking over next season?

Absolutely loved he had the mineral's to confront the dirty, cheating, penalty spot scuffing b*stard's last night. Lad.

Wouldn't mind seeing a few 'tactical' withdrawals from international squads with 'injuries' - lets act like a big club!

Disagree - thought he was a pathetically weak referee. It's Europe, so I guess you have to expect players falling over and getting free-kicks at the slightest of touches (Redmond won us a couple of very useful ones like this to run the clock down!) but I thought he gave them quite a lot of cheap free kicks - one in particular in the first half where it looked like J-Rod (?) seemed to get fouled, yet he gave it the other way?! I also didn't enjoy him giving us 'advantage' for approximately 2 seconds then never actually going back to the original incident when we lost the ball. But then again, I do have my saints tinted specs on

Forster Martina VVD Fonte Bertrand Romeu Clasie Davis Tadic Austin Boufal

Maybe something to do with distribution? Plenty of opportunity to get forward down the right, but no-one seemed confident enough to play the ball, so maybe VVD moved that side to help with that? Plus you're right, probably to cover Martina! I thought it was interesting that Inter targeted Martina over an academy graduate whose been converted into a full back - guess that's a big compliment to McQueen!

Disagree with this - thought it was noticeable that Austin gave us an out-ball option, held it up and linked up well with the midfield, giving us the opportunity to get forward more as a unit. J-rod just looks completely devoid of any confidence, wants to take an extra touch, decision making off and seems to want to shoot on site wherever he is on the pitch. Sad really, but the days of him taking on and driving at a defender seem to be finished.

If the structure, set up and personnel remained the same, just with a bit of extra cash to spend on wages and transfers, then don't see an issue. However, it's never that simple is it. As Doddsy says, has there been a good Chinese owner yet?

True, though will the new person have much time to change anything in such a short period? I guess we'll see Thursday just how much their players have been t*ssing it off so far this season.