Village Saint

I cant imagine why the FA would be interested in our scientifically informed use of gel packs etc. other than perhaps to guide other clubs at various levels in the pyramid on best practice. The FA has no role in the way clubs in the Premier League behave other than when they have to deal with disciplinary issues brought to their attention by match officials. As you say they should concentrate on their actual role - such as dealing with the mobbing of referees and the constant whining to refs. Those are disciplinary issues.

No Fernandes early wild hack at Djnepo (eventually leading to his substitution) was the worst. It should have brought a yellow card and therefore later a red when Fernandes was booked for whining.

At least this forum means that rather than rely on the judgement of one of the country's top talent spotters watching the player live over several weeks we have people who can make better judgements about how good a player is from a 7 minute youtube clip from one game.

I don't think that we will go down but confident we will beat Everton in the semi-final and Sheffield United in the final. Okay maybe not that confident but there is no point in following football if you don't dream.

One of my first ever away games was in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup in 1960. We were a third division team and City I think top of the football league. We had a couple of young wingers who were pretty good and Derek Reeves (snatched from Bournemouth Gasworks) at centre-forward. But we had no chance; no chance at all. I am pretty sure we won 5-1 and Reeves got 4 though Saints best ever player (sorry Tiss but I think you know it is true) ran the game as he did so often.

Indeed he should. Some people do have weird expectations of our academy products. The academy has a really good record but there are inevitable fallow years in which we don't quite get Premier Division material coming through. Reed is another one. I don't think its a bad thing to produce players good enough to earn us a few pounds and have a decent Championship or Division 1 career. I understand Sims is a decent lad and I hope that he finds his level but he has certainly had enough chances with us and the sad truth is that he hasn't hacked it.

You have both got it right. I manage at a rather lower level of football but the problem appears at every level. Players who think being skilful, having tricks is enough. It really isn't. Indeed what make you a footballer is understanding the context in which to use that skill. Boufal - who has made me smile at times which is nice - just didn't get it. Compare with Le Tiss who was the ultimate team player. Extravagant goal on - yeh lets take it - but not on lets slip in Gordon Watson (yes Gordon fucking Watson!)

You really are being nit picking here. Of course, the ultimate arbiter is the Home Office but the applications are not considered by the Home Office unless the FA first provides a Governing Body Endorsement. This was introduced to cut out much of the uncertainty regarding whether or not a player was likely to get a work permit. It is in fact a very good idea.

Indeed. the point here is that Spurs clearly think that Hojberg is an upgrade on Winks so they should be prepared to let us have Winks and throw in a makeweight to match the upgrade they are getting - I guess we could live with Eric Dier - another player they don't seem to rate. Not going to happen but fun to put it to my Spurs supporting mates.

Steve I am sure you have had other things to worry about and indeed I may have missed an announcement about this but has the Prediction League gone by the board?

Yes but in those days we had to sell them all. Flowers; Shearer, Wallace, Ruddock were all gone in the blinking of an eye to balance the books. Wouldn't happen now!

They indeed have an illustrious history - three times German Champions since the second world war and 7 times runners up. I remember them losing 8-1 in Dundee in the 1962-63 European Cup and then pulling back 4 goals in the first hour of the second leg.

The club have written about his departure - that's ow we know about it. Very sensibly they have not intruded into Danny Rohl's privacy. As for the coaches, Dave Watson is respected by all informed sources a very good coach - hence Ralph's keenness to keep him on board in the new set-up. I know nothing about Kelvin's ability as a coach - i.e. exactly as much as you - but have no particular reason for doubting his capabilities. This is a complete non-issue.

Indeed it is - population 5794 - but great draw for me in South Brum. Two reachable by local train and you can park next door to the ground at FGR

Schindler would certainly be in my list.

The Super Cup transformed into the Full Members Cup - for teams in the top two divisions of the football league. This ran for 6 more seasons and the last edition saw Forest beat Saints at Wembley in extra time. Then the Premier League arrived and the cup passed on unmourned. It was, however, a great day out at Wembley!

Quite the opposite. Charlie has always struck me as a genuine blue collar footballer with a real respect for other people. He also actually appears to care about the result of football matches! The City fans were out of order; they were grossly offensive to Charlie. They are also participants in the game and their behaviour could have caused a riot if Saints fans weren't so passive. Presumably the FA are currently formulating the charge against them or at least the club they support who surely have a responsibility for the behaviour of their fans.

Not to mention Hollowbread, Reynolds, Charles, Burridge, Godfrey, MacLaren, Campbell Forsyth, Katalinic, Martin (I am sure I have missed some) who even adding their positives together were not as good as Forster. Because of the odd excellent keeper we have had (Shilton of course but also Flowers and Niemi) it is easy to overlook that for long periods we have had a crap keeper.

The right selection; good substitutions! Good performance; great result. People would really be weird to complain today

At least this shows the management have some common sense. Not spending ridiculous sums on someone like these who is going to get 6-7 goals a season is a good sign and maybe will lead to more focus on getting something better out of those we do have. In the recent past we have managed by getting gems who have slipped under the radar of the big clubs - Lambert, Mane, Pelle - but they seem harder and harder to find as the big clubs Have spread their nets wider.

Despite the enthusiasm to bite, this is (1) based on an article in the Sun which is (2) pure speculation saying 'Hughes' might be interested. He might but he might be working for Accrington Stanley for all we know. (3) It does not suggest an offer has been made; (4) the man has a long-term injury. It all seems pretty definite!

I can still remember a report from 1960 that began "What a great and glorious day it has been for Southampton" after Third Division Saints won 5-1 in the cup at First Division Man City. It was such writing that helped make a 10 year old a Saints fan for life. Didn't Derek Reeves get 4 that day? He was a sort of latter day Charlie Austin that I think we got from Bournemouth Gasworks but I might be misremembering. A sad day to see the end of the Football Echo. I will probably never read about East Cowes Vics again.

Long can barely walk at present so difficult to see what he could have added!

West Ham and Everton would be perfect but sadly neither of them are likely to be candidates. Even at this stage of the season it is difficult to imagine either Swansea or Crystal Palace escaping - both have too many limited players and the habit of losing. The third team to go down will I suspect be whichever of Brighton and Huddersfield plunges furthest when the honeymoon period wears off. If I was a betting man I would suspect Brighton.