SaintDonkey

How do you 'rate' a striker? Ormerod scored 12 goals in 98 league appearences for us, mostly in the Premiership. A strike rate of one in eight would mark him as far worse than many on that list. Yet most Saints fans remember him affectionately and he probably won't make a list of the top 10 worst Southampton strikers - well perhaps not the top 5 anyway What do you think would be the top 10 worst Saints strikers? I'll nominate Uwe Rosler for the list.

Couldn't agree more. Pardew, the players and the staff he is bringing in are the reaction to an under performing relegated side. Noone could argue that the team he inherited would do more than struggle in League One. He has no brought in almost an entire new set of players and needs time to model them into a team. If we reach Christmas and are still only scraping by at a point a game yes he will be under pressure, but I don't believe for one second that we will be.

The problem with him is nobody has seen him play. In 6 years as a professional footballer he's played precisely 2 league team games for his parent clubs and 18 for various clubs on loan (including a whole 9 games for Grimsby!). 20 games in 6 years and he only started 10 of those. Nothing more need be said.

What's the betting that Lincoln get some young hotshot on loan from Stoke next? A little thank you from Pulis senior.

They are indeed - the record attendance (outside of the final) in the competition was them vs Leyton Orient. 24,000 at Saint Andrews. Anyone reckon we can beat that with cheap tickets a good run of form leading up to a match?

Bit late for Aldershot since Hereford put them out last night. But yes a nice easy ride to the regional area final please.

Very odd that Markus isn't in there. I wonder whether it's just becuase he's protective about his privacy so doesn't broadcast his worth - and being (semi) Swiss has very discrete bankers! http://fourfourtwo.com/news/england/23107/default.aspx

Now the when is out of the way anyone got any opinions on who we want? Personally I'd like Hereford at home please (and for Charlton to play MK Dons so that at least one of the Southern area favourrites is knocked out).

Still think that wins hands down. A classic football song and we don't even have to change the lyrics for it to be about one of our players.

I wouldn't be so quick to chastise Arizona's reading of our formation. It may have been a 4-4-2 on paper but Mills spent much of the second half forwards of Lambert (unfortunately drifting around ineffectively rather than running into space) as was Papa (to greater effect!). Saga didn't seem to know where he was supposed to be - or more likely didn't care. I don't know if it was a 4-2-3-1 but it certainly wasn't a conventional 4-4-2

Having seen Saga's contribution after he came on I can understand why Pardew started with just Lambert up front. Apart from him we don't have another striker worth the name (Papa shows the instinct as 3 bundled goals in 2 games has shown but I can see why Pards likes him down the wing). I thought Antonio looked good once he got his feet and it's a shame being 2 -0 down meant he had to be subbed. Much wringing of hands but we were desparately unlucky with the first goal (a rare Kelvin mistake? will have to wait to see the highlights before apportioning blame) we were totally in control until then and I think it would have been a totally different game if that had not gone in.

highlights now up http://www.fifa.com/newscentre/videos/player.html#ch=u20_09&id=1106782 very unlucky with the own goal!

Good to hear. I really think the lad has potential - if he can get his crossing a bit better.

Trinidad and Tobago lost thei first game (no great surprise) but Jake at least set up their consolation goal (and got himself in the book). "Egypt could have doubled their advantage five minutes later, but Samuel made a fantastic flying save to deny Talaat at close range. T&T then broke quickly through Jake Thomson down the right hand side. The Southampton man cut inside, beating several Egyptian defenders in the process, and slipped a ball into the path of Rochford, who finished well. " http://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/matches/round=253217/match=300090182/summary.html Annoying that you can watch the games live for free on Fifa.com, but not in the UK. Anyone know a Norweigan proxy server? Edit: interview with Jake here

Surely from now on the away fans won't be a problem because they'll all have left at half time after seeing Saints put ten past them in the first half

I'm not sure why this always comes up. The simple fact is that the Northam and Itchen North are the noisiest areas of home support because of the presense of the away supporters. What makes the Northam such a vibrant stand is the presence of the away fans - take them away and it just wouldn't have the same atomosphere.

Our record at Old Trafford is terrible - am I right in saying you have to go back to August 1969 for our last win there?

The more I hear from Pardew the more I like him.

I was thinking the same myself - keep Kelvin as club captain, but as matchday captain I don't think a goalkeeper is ideal.

On May 22nd at 3pm Liebherr made a firm offer to buy the club. Damn that Pinnacle bid!

Nearly lost Lallana to a Premiership side - AP talked him out of it by the sounds of it.

Very happy with that. Thought Hammond was superb MotM without doubt, the defence looked very solid (although Harding probably had his worse game), Morgan mislaid a few passes but his movement was best I've seen from him. Lambert always looks keen and the Yeovil defence didn't know what to do with Waigo. Downsides - Lallana isn't a winger, decent player but not a winger - Mills was much better when he came on, we need to find a way to use him or we lose him. James isn't a winger either but that's a whole different debate. Saga didn't seem to want the ball

Did he write his own wiki entry? Sounds a very astute hiring.

http://www.ex-canaries.co.uk/players/paul.htm "an untapped Michael Owen because of the way he finishes and the fact that he's very quick and very direct. " btw that's an amazing site, the guy must have incredible dedication to Norwich to have an up to date biography of a player who only ever had a trial at the canaries!

Well stop carping on about it then.