The Left Back

Good atmosphere and a pretty good game against a side who are obviously well-oiled and playing with a lot of confidence. Diallo my MOTM (and my son's). I thought Alcatraz looked excellent, he is going to be a top-notch player (hopefully for us). Mara is developing really fast and played well. I was disappointed with Orsic, he seemed a little lost on how to play that position for us. I was surprise KWP was matched up with Joelinton and Salisu with Almeron. Would have had KWP at LB and Lyanco on Joelinton. It was great to hear our fans singing with such gusto and variety of songs for a change. Armstrong should have scored with his first touch, which would have meant no handball, but otherwise played well when he came on. That's two games in a row where we've survived an onslaught, got on top and then conceded against the run of play. It gives hope but is really frustrating Clearly we weren't clinical enough but to fair nor were they. They overloaded us on both flanks and could have scored more. The tie is not over. Jones will send them out next Tuesday to have a right go. I'm just hoping some toon complacency and a Man City repeat will see us make Wembley.

Fair play to you for owning that. There’s not enough of that sort of honesty on here (not just about Brexit).

“Smartest statement ever” is not the smartest statement ever.

If I had to guess I'd say Lavia more likely to go than JWP in the summer (can't see either going this window). My thinking is that: a) the club have been clear about the pathway, and are buying on that basis. As soon as a player attracts the attention of a big 6/7 club they'll be allowed to go. Out of the current crop Lavia is the stand out too be plucked early. At the moment we've bought loads and sold none; I'm assuming the strategy from this summer will be more one in one out. b) we need a core of senior players to retain momentum and stability. JWP is top of that pile. I guess if a top 6/7 bid for JWP in the summer came in he/we would have to consider it, but I think that is less likely than Lavia getting bought back by city or raided by one of the others. I'd love Lavia to stay for at least one more season after this but I'd be surprised.

16 days without a drink now. Not really noticing any difference to be honest, but not missing it

No need to call them out. They’re all over the first 35 pages of this thread.

Mara is 50% so perhaps he’s the answer?

Anyone expecting Jones to behave in the ways being suggested in this thread is going to be very disappointed. He's short and Welsh*, so already a chip on both shoulders. He's had to scrap his way for everything he's got so he's bristly, chippy and ready to fight anyone. Add to that he's a football manager, which means he's obsessed and permanently stressed. He reminds me of Gordon Strachan. I hope if he gets a period of success with us, we'll see some Strachan-style humour to go with his confrontational style. I expect him to keep having a pop at anyone who crosses him. For now he feels slighted by (a section of) the fanbase so he'll keep attacking that until he feels he's been vindicated. I don't worry about him bearing a grudge. I imagine he'll polarise us unless/until he's universally regarded as successful. As for the narrative about our form, there really is no point analysing the rights and wrongs of what he says. He is building a narrative, principally for his players, that he believes gives them the best chance of performing in the future. In many ways he is the antithesis of Ralph who I sometimes thought was 'too honest' and not protective enough of his players. As a human I'm not sure NJ is someone I will warm to (but then I didn't really to Koeman or Strachan), but as a manager if he can turn us round then it could be very exciting. Personally I still don't have a clear feeling about whether he can be successful here. From all that I see though, Sports Republic are serious players and we should have higher expectations in the medium term than we had under the previous regime. Finally, although agnostic myself, I quite like the God stuff he references. It's one thing being a believer, it's something else to wear it publicly as a badge of honour, so fair play to him for that.He sticks he chest out and dares people to have a pop at him. I like that. * I realise this might seem racist, or at least stereotyping. I'm biased by one of my closest friends who's short and Welsh, and also by hanging out a lot with Welsh Rugby fans, who are powered by the same anti-English venom that Scottish football fans seem to have in their veins.

Sorry to hear that. A tale I've sadly heard too many times. Luckily for us we have Guided missile back with us, pointing out the many benefits of leaving the EU. Apparently the 'sunlight uplands' are on their way, including. a 'massive trade deal' with Japan, the end of pesky EU laws, and 'if all goes well' 'within a few months', we can join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership even though we are not trans the pacific.

Why does it always rain in me? Travis i stood on the 17th tee at Hampshire today asking the same question. On topic ish. I think Essex Water didn’t need a hose pipe ban last summer because they’ve actually invested in some reservoirs. What a novel idea

Or the 2017 one. Both cracking games ending 3-2

A good time to resurrect this thread. According to Salmon Si around 80% of us should be dying about now. I had my first vaccine 2years ago (bloody hell time moves fast) so I’m apparently not long for this place.

I see what you are doing there but for me the metaphor doesn't quite work. Firstly the car hasn't suddenly burst into flames. It's not been working for a while. The new mechanic hasn't got it going yet (and his spanner work seems to the outside to be making things worse) but the company owners have backed their judgement with hard cash and are not prepared to write that off yet. Secondly a football club is not like a car (probably you didn't need me to tell you that!). We are supporters not consumers; the implications and our role is different. We need to do our part. How long did Branfoot get? Do we really want to be the new Watford? I agree it's no looking good and NJ has done nothing to convince me he's the right appointment. But our job today is to support as best we can and have some faith that things will work out for the best. Otherwise, what's the point? I know I might sound like a happy clapper; believe me no-one is more down than me right now. I just think knee-jerk reactions and stressed-based decision making are not what's needed now, neither is unfettered vitriol from the stands or on social media). We're not in a Mike Ashley scenario, nor an Ian Branfoot one (yet).

You're no fun. It's much more rant-inducing, scandalous and hyperbolic if we say £50.

Loved him as a player and heard very good things about him as a human. Very sad news. He was one day older than me, so a(nother) good wake up call on the precarious nature of existence.

Same old story at half empty Geneva airport this evening. Empty line for Swiss and EU passports. Backed up round the corner for 'other passports' 90% of which are Brits. Why can't they have a third queue for 'other passports who didn't vote for this shit'? On the upside, another lovely stamp for my beautiful black passport. The only surprise with the otherwise perfect document is that they haven't updated the crest to remove that 'honi soit qui mal y pense' and 'dieu et mon droit' foreign bollocks.

Diesel £1.71 in Tesco Milbrook, £1.75/6 most places.

Oh I don't know. It takes the edge off the pain for me.

I made a public commitment this morning to not drink for 6 months. Hoping to use this thread to keep me on track.

Merry Christmas fellow Saints Fans. Hope you’ve all had a peaceful day. The trauma/hope restarts tomorrow…

Or perhaps to say we’re a bunch of remoaning rear view mirror merchants who can’t accept the will of the people and move on to our bright new future. “More than three-quarters of UK importers and exporters say the government’s “oven-ready” post-Brexit trade deal is not helping them increase sales or grow their business, according to a new report by the British Chambers of Commerce. A survey by the leading business organisation also suggests 56 per cent of firms that trade with the EU face difficulties adapting to the new rules for trading goods.” The British Chamber of Commerce are clearly just a tribe of guardian-reading pinkos with quotes like this. PS Merry Christmas

Sog and Turk getting out of their trench and finding a measure of peace on Xmas day in a rerun of the WW1 football match

Serious question. Can anyone on here justify the privatisation of the water companies? And/or make the case for not renationalising?

I don’t think it’s as precarious as Spring 2018. The differences this time, IMO, are that there are no relegation certainties to rely on and we’ve got a young squad and an unknown (at this level) manager. It’s much too early to predict how this will play out. It’s going to be tough I reckon but, as I’ve said before, I trust the betting markets more than fans or pundits when it comes to forecasts.

No we don’t. I agree with you the Jimmy Greaves type comparisons are meaningless. I don’t think they happen as much in cricket or Rugby (not sure)? if we remove the comparison nonsense it seems like you and I agree. A moment to savour.