SaintDonkey

Anthony Pulis signed a 2 year contract on August the 29th 2008 this expired 4 days ago. Why have we no news about a new contract for such a key player? http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10280~29616,00.html (frivolous I know but I'm fed up with everything else)

A shameful performance. If we don't get a new man in quick to kick the players up their collective backsides our season is over before it's really started. Extremely ****ed off with the situation.

Away from ticket news what sort of squad do you reckon we'll see tonight? All out for a win or rest a couple of players? Personally I'd go for a strong attacking line up - or at least as strong as possible with Lallana injued - but rest a couple of players at the back. ------------------Bart Butterfield---Martin---Jaidi-----Dickson ---------------Hammond --Puncheon-----Guly-----Mills ---------Lambert---Barnard I think the performance tonight will be critical in terms of resolving the manager situation. Thrash Swindon and Wilkins will get another game or 2, anything else and all systems go to get a new manager at least watching from the stands on Saturday.

Insane.

Jaidi hasn't really got the legs any more but his reading of the game is probably better than Fonte's let alone Martin or Seaborne. Having said that I'd like to see Martin phased in over the course of the season. He's going to get games as Jaidi can't play twice in a week and by the end of the season he should have made the place his own. Seabourne needs to fight to reclaim the 'number 3' slot back from Martin - and I think that's healthy competition.

Your mate needs his eyes testing then - Craddock came off the bench and scored in Luton's last match! Apparently he was angling for a transfer in pre-season hence being dropped http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Sport/Luton-Town-FC/Toms-back-on-track-says-Hatters-boss.htm

Third top scorer in the Conference National last season for Luton with 23 league goals in 40 appearences. One goal in 2 subsistute appearences so far this season. Not really that far off the boil then!

Probabbly about 6th - motoring along steadily but paying for our slow start. The usual suspects on here will be calling for Pardew's head after a home draw against third place Oldham. The refrain 'same old excuses' is thrown against Pardew's ascertation that we would have won it if we hadn't had 4 perfectly good goals disallowed, 8 exceedly dubious penalties awarded against us and been down to 8 men from the five minute mark.

Normally I would say rest players for a cup match we don't really need. But we haven't clicked into gear yet so the only change I'd make would be to bring in Guly - although I'm in at least 3 minds as to who he should come in for!

At half time on Saturday I was saying that he was playing awfully and Pardew should get him off sharpish. Second half he came out and didn't exactly set the world on fire but was a lot better and stuck in a couple of half decent balls into the box. I think one of the reasons he looked to have such a poor game was that he was always making himself available and a lot of our play went through him.

This! (which doesn't make sense as the quote didn't work for some reason ) Against Plymouth and Orient's packed defensive midfields Morgan and Hammond struggled in the centre leaving the burden of attacking on Lallana and Puncheon (who as noted wasn't having the best of days). I'd like to see someing like Davis Butterfield Fonte Jaidi Harding Schinderlinn Puncheon Guly Lallana Dickson Lambert

I'm very happy with that - seems to tick all the boxes.

Bugger NC will pull the deal now for sure

I'm not sure I share your confidence. Funds were likely earmarked for player purchases but that doesn't mean they would necessarily have been transfered to the club before they were required. You impatient? Honestly I never noticed I think there's something to be said both for getting them in quick (as we did for the fullback positions) and for playing a waiting game (as we're hopefully doing for a pacy right winger and a central midfielder).

I'm hoping that as you say announcements have been postponed out of respect. I'm sure our targets are identified by now, however I am concerned that perhaps with the ownership question in the murky world of probate moneys for transfers not already in the pipeline will be delayed. And with the transfer deadline approaching those delays might scupper well laid plans. I've previously been of the opinion that Pardew's softly softly approach towards transfers was a sensible one - wait it out for the best possible deals - but now I'm scared that circumstances have overtaken us and we might not get in the players we need to give the squad that depth it so lacks at the moment.

To nick Alpine's excellent idea from another thread I reckon "Win it for Markus" [clap clap clapclap clap] works pretty well WIFM (as Barry Badger said just before I posted this)

Hard to think about football at the moment but that's a pretty good draw. Winnable but no disgrace in losing, just what you need in a cup that isn't really a priority.

If we can get the attacking midfielders performing that would be a great line up. Still I think it's a bit harsh on Barnard to leave him out - thought he played well in the first couple of games without getting the breaks.

Before the Sun stuck it's oar in I thought that Cortese had made a bad error and should quietly back down from his position. But now I want him to stick to his guns just so the ****ing Sun can't claim credit for any change of policy at Saints.

I do think Cortese has mishandled this. While I agree it's an infringement of press liberty it is a potential revenue stream for the club and as such why not explore it. However the way he's gone about it has alienated the potential customer base, a simple PR move such as offering selected photos for free to local papers (while charging the nationals) along with some kind of guarantee of editorial independence such that photos won't be censored and the jobs a good 'un. Instead he's just put everyone's back up. Now he's dug himself into a hole and to be honest I don't want him to back down as then the ****ing Sun would hail it as their victory.

I want Saints to be concerntrating on a promotion push this season, the league cup is an unnecessary distraction. Going to out to one of the big boys - particulary if it's a close thing - means we can depart the competition with our heads held high. And I'd like it to be Arsenal at the Emirates because it's just round the corner for me and I'm lazy

Personally I'd like Blackpool at home. I reckon it would be quite winnable as a cup run is the last thing they'll be wanting in the face of a season long battle against relegation and it'll be a nice Premiership scalp for us. Then we can get one of the big boys in the next round (Arsenal at the Emirates please!) and be knocked out by a last minute fluke goal after dominating most of the match

Personally at the end of the day I am a supporter of Southampton Footbal Club. If all you are is a customer then perhaps you want to shop around for a superior product? That's not to say I wouldn't boo Saints - I have done in the past when they have deserved it. But after the first game of the season when we outplayed the opposition for all but 10 minutes during which they scored with their only shot all match? For large parts of the match played better against Plymouth than we did against Bournemouth - should we have booed the team off last night? For all the hiding behind "professional footballers don't mind boos" it's obvious from Pardew's comments that it does get to them, just as cheering can raise them. So let's cheer for now and save the boos for when they really deserve it.

Didn't we sign Rickie on the Monday and then he wnet straight into the team on the Tuesday? It was announced the Monday morning but with the current "announce things after the Echo's print deadline" I wouldn't be to surprised were we to pull the same trick...

The nationals have picked up on it and they don't sound too enamoured of the idea http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/aug/06/southampton-fc-bans-press-photographers