Miltonaggro

As the window approaches I have a feeling we will see Gorkss from QPR with Puncheon going the other way, and Beckford from Everton if personal terms can be agreed. If those two signed it would keep the current positive momentum going until January...

That was a beautifully weighted through ball, and clinical finish...

Nice one! They are hoping to win for the LMFAO title by the end of the season, I wish them luck with that and feel that they could do it...

Well done to Nigel Adkins! It may be worth reminding the Brighton faithful that former Liverpool manager Bob Paisley was also 'just a physio' and he won six league titles and three European Cups...

The thing I like about Adkins is the psychological side, both in terms of giving our players confidence and always having a slant on the opposition - the comment re. Chaplow's sending off providing an exciting finale for the Barnsley fans is typical, and he provided a reverse psychology masterclass vs Poyet and Brighton last season. The fact that he has got DC fit and playing so well is also a testament, and another wise old head may be amongst the potental newcomers alongside the youngsters with ability we all crave. My personal take on this league is that we have nothing to fear, so far supposedly a major contender club at home and a very tricky first away fixture - six points and almost total dominance. Who knows how long we can keep up and where we will finish, but I can't think of another side in the league with our strength in depth and I have a gut feeling we may be the surprise package...

It feels like 1977/78 again...

After watching the reinvention of Simon Pegg as a matinee idol on TV last night (How to Lose Friends and Alienate People) I believe that anything is possible. For the wives and girlfriends of professional footballers, personality, poise, and GSH is everything...

Next! I couldn't care less about what happens to Chamberlain now, no interest whatsoever. If you listen to Wenger or Redknapp you would think that Walcott and Bale were products of their respective academies and not poached - Chamberlain will be just the same. The positive here is the fee, and very well done to Cortese for standing firm and getting a team building sum of money for a young player who has only ever faced third division opposition on a regular basis. The side proved during last season's run in that he was a luxury we could do without, and underlined it emphatically last Saturday. As Adkins has said, no one player is bigger than the club, and our club is what we should focus on. Onwards and upwards...

Having given this some thought, I feel that David Frost (despite his advancing years) would be good in a Davros style wheelchair - all his own hair, famous rock steady voice and a Saints fan to boot. His famous opening catchphrase could be adapted to 'hello, good afternoon, and welcome' (for usual 3pm kick offs, evening matches no adaptation required) and at half time he could go through the keyhole of a current / former Saints stalwart on the big screen - imagine getting to see the inside of Mike Wilde's three bedroom semi in Andover, or Gerry Forrest's collection of Morris Marina Coupes. Pure PR gold...

Can you give me an update on W******d?...

They should get Les Dennis, cheap and passionate...

Historically there has always been rivalry between the ports, with Southampton existing as a naval port prior to Portsmuff, this continued with commercial rivalry into the Victorian era. The posting above about 1970s youth culture and football violence is spot on, and from this the tag 'Pompey Scum' emerged - at some point this was hijacked by the blue few and reversed to 'Scummer' with some pseudo-historical nonsense tagged on as justification for good measure. The ranking of the Portsmouth hooligan element has also been hyped up over the years, and anyone who can remember 'Docker' Hughes and his .657 (bus) crew would vouch for much malnutrition, acne, 36 inch chests, and market stall Harrington jackets. There were many occasions in the 70s and 80s when the pubs of Millbrook, Lordshill and Thornhill, along with much of Southampton docks emptied for a home game and visiting 'hard cases' got the shock of their lives inside and outside the ground, and there was an element of that the last time we met the skates at St Marys - perhaps their Premier League sojourn softened them a bit more than they would like to admit. In recent years, my personal (genetically implanted) dislike has been fuelled by the continual stream of bullsh*t from both PFC and their supporters as they've been passed from one foreign speculator to another, like playing pass the parcel with a turd. In all of this they've managed to fool the national media, cheat HMRC, and destroy local businesses whilst acting like a poor man's West Ham United, which is pretty much what they are (albeit with half the support). For a visual reminder of the basis for the rivalry have a look at a picture of our respective 'super fans' - ours the late great Herbie Taylor, theirs the overdue, idiotic pastiche W******d. Thankfully natural selction always endures...

Agreed, I hope that Adkins pins this to the wall of the dressing room. There seems to be an incredible lack of analysis in these reports, and this is very much an annual 'trotting out' exercise for many London hacks (football experts...) - I wonder where they had Norwich placed last year? The Guardian report John B posted is indeed more reasonable, althought I would not tend to agree with the notion that our blue neighbours are out of the woods and stable just yet or that Birmingham will not be a basket case! I have a gut feeling that a couple of big time Charlie managers might struggle this season as painting by numbers always looks easier than it is in practice...

I think with Centre Backs experience really matters. Looking back at some of our best players in that position we signed John McGrath at 30, Chris Nicholl at 31, Dave Watson at 34 and Kenny Monkou at 29. Also, Claus played his best football for us in his late twenties early thirties. The real mystery is why Warnock wants to get rid, as this is a player who seems to have all the right attributes...

In his 'Championship Team of the Season So Far' (21 December 2010), Manish Bhashin of Football Focus/MOTD named Gorkss in the 11 and described him in the following terms: "Kaspars Gorkss (QPR): Certainly not a player you'd mess with, Gorkss plays like the proverbial brick wall at the back, but can also offer an option at the other end of the field at set-pieces. Nothing phazes him, he does everything you ask of a defender and is a great communicator on the pitch." At 29, could be just what we need alongside Fonte...

a size 5XL shirt must look like a stretch of the M3 from the air!...

I think that a salient point here is that once we are back in the top flight, we have a sporting chance of keeping our most talented youngsters (though perhaps the Bridges rather than the Bales), until then it is always going to be mission impossible. Given the unusual 'debt free' structure at SFC (in comparison to perpetual shareholder appeasement) we are something of a test case. Premier League money might be enough to pay comparative wages, a ground extension might bring us into line with the next tier of domestic and European clubs, but once the real big boys tap up a player it's always going to be incredibly hard to keep hold of him. Take Gareth Bale, we were all mightily p*ssed off when he went to Spurs, but now Spurs are in a similar situation with the likes of Real Madrid sniffing around, and the kid is still only what, 21! Turkish makes a good point in saying that if Chamberlain is big enough to tout himself to the red tops, then f*ck nurture, let the bidding commence so we can reinvest to get into the Prem ahead of the glorious five year plan. Long term, the only real English blueprint for a club like ours consistently punching above it's weight in Europe is Cloughie's Forest side, a different era, but never say never. His policy with wantaway players was to say f*ck 'em too...

Lol! There is always that risk...

This. The point being made is that Wenger can't have his cake and eat it. This is no reflection on his abilities as a manager, coach, or dream date - in any walk of life broadcasting the message do as I say, not as I do, tends to get up peoples noses...

I'm glad somebody posted this as I couldn't believe the gall (no pun intended) when I read his comments about Mancini. It's probably early onset senility added to the fact that it is coming apart at Arsenal. He'll **** himself in a post match interview next and blame Alex Ferguson...

Good post. When you think about that list, it's only Delgado (and his shadow Chala), who failed to make an impact. How about a striker in the Ostenstad mould for this league, he would tear it a new one!...

Emnes would be a very good shout...

and the award for Northern dinlo advised by chancer agent of the month, goes to...

Checked it out, and Beattie was 20 and 5 months when he joined (22+ before he started scoring regularly), Vokes is 21 and 9 months (if he joins), so well past it by comparison...

That looks mustard. The icing on the cake would be the away kit in yellow and blue, or light and dark blue (in homage to the Patrick Rank Xerox away kit)...