mitch01

5 goals in his opening season isn't too shabby. His performances, however, were below the mark of someone we paid that amount of money for, even taking his age into consideration. That being said, it really wouldn't surprise me if he had a great season next year - he clearly has fantastic technical ability and he just needs to learn how to best apply it in this extremely difficult league. If he's still faltering a year down the line, that would be the time to sell him in my opinion.

Never in doubt. He has been staggeringly assured at LB since he came in vs QPR.

He was fantastic before his injury at Bristol City, possibly even heading for a player of the season shout.

Glad I got 6-1 on this a couple of weeks back. Looks like a great signing too.

I've only been a fan since 2001, and mine is a draw between Niemi and Rickie.

Our run-in is pretty mean. Hopefully we're nice and safe by then.

That last finish is genuinely class. Hope he forces his way into the team this season.

But can he supply the bite to our midfield?

Niemi was staggeringly good on a consistent basis. MoM display after MoM display; he's probably still my favourite Saints player of the modern era. Worst for me might have to go to Jason Euell (big wages, big reputation, endless inept performances) or Andreas Jacobsson and Michael Nilsson, who looked hopelessly out of their depth.

6/10. Excellent in some games, poor in others. Clearly has fantastic technique (as shown by his finish vs WHU for example, when he just wrapped his foot around the ball after shaping to put it to the keeper's right), and that bodes well. Sounds like a cliche, but he will benefit from a settled pre-season and I suspect he might just be one of our best performers next season. It is hardly rare for a young South American to struggle to hit his best form in his first months in a strange new country, and I've seen enough to suggest he could be a very fine player for us. I think he'll score 8+ next season, and be a much more consistent performer.

Palace has always been my favourite away day. We never fail to make good noise in that old stand.

FA Cup, absolutely.

He will leave us eventually, unless we miraculously make the step up to the Champions League, but I don't think it will be for a couple of years at least. The way the club is run now is very different to past regimes; I believe there is now conviction to back up the big talk. But when the time comes, I think it will take a significant deal for the club to sell. Considering we sold L1-tested Chamberlain for £15m, I think we would be expecting a similar amount if not more for Shaw (as defenders usually go for less). To be honest, though, I am more impressed by Shaw than I ever was by Walcott, Bale or Chamberlain - he just has so much natural composure and intelligence, not to mention his physical attributes at only 17.

I'd be very surprised if we let him go in the next 2 years.

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead - Brilliant, spiralling drama starring Philip Seymour-Hoffman and Ethan Hawke as a pair of brothers who decide to rob a jewellery store. 25th Hour - Seymour Hoffman and Ed Norton, directed by Spike Lee. An excellent drama about what Norton does with his final day before serving a 7 year jail term.

The National have just put out another album - Trouble Will Find Me. Well worth a listen, although I probably still prefer Alligator, Boxer and High Violet - all of which are completely brilliant.

The players gave KD a mini guard of honour as they came out for the lap of honour, its in the behind the scenes footage. Could be an acknowledgement that he will be at best third choice from now on.

I can't believe we were watching the same game. Lallana was excellent, although on a couple of occasions he slipped once he had beaten a man. Begovic only made one more save once he came off, although Puncheon wasn't bad at all.

Quite some season. In some ways just as good as the last two. Hoping for more next year.

Shouldn't have taken Lallana off, he was excellent. Good performance until then.

Best news possible for the club. Cortese is key to our future, and it could be exciting.

And now Schneiderlin says every player would consider their future were Cortese and Poch to leave. Talk about a show of support for the chairman. I hope the Leibherrs see sense.

I thought Lallana was good again today. Puncheon has deserved more pitch time though.

I have absolutely no reason to believe otherwise. In addition, I see no evidence of a 'language issue' given that we know from numerous sources that he gets his point across to the players just fine in English, and will have the summer to improve more. Furthermore, what I know about Cortese suggests to me that he is not the kind of man to make an appointment like this only for him to see him manager leave at the first opportunity. I also think that, with the resources we have and the facilities being built, we are an exciting club to be a part of. I also think that his tenure at the club so far has been, at the very least, promising, although it is true that we haven't pulled away from safety quite as easily as we had hoped. Pochettino may or may not work out at SFC, but 'glaringly obvious' that he will leave it is not.

How is it glaringly obvious?