The Left Back

Dry, sardonic humour

Large scale sporting events, and connected Crowds to watch sport encounters, no matter how obscure

Inspired by cat shit in the lounge area of this forum (see small things that annoy you) and given how quiet it is on here during mourning, I thought I’d have a crack at starting a team of forum users based on their user name (or where they played if we get desperate). I’m assuming @The Cat was a keeper. You may have guessed I played left back. Who else might make up our illustrious squad?

Thanks for sharing. That was really fascinating and insightful

Hope not but the signs are not good. Coincidence that she's taken a downturn a couple of days after meeting our first anti-royalist PM?

Agreed, Peach was the first left back I followed and loved him.. I was happy with the line up apart from left back. As I've posted before, and hence my user name, we've been blessed with left backs since I have started watching us play and I struggled to find an 'average' one. Most on my mind are too good, some not good enough, for the average tag. Perhaps Derek Statham? But he was a legend at WBA so not sure he qualifies on my criteria. Actually, just seen Simon Charlton on someone's list. He'll do.

I'm translating 'average' into players I really liked personally, who did a good job for saints but were not particularly valued by anyone more generally: GK - Peter Wells RB - Frazer Richardson LB - David Peach CB - Kevin Moore CB - Claus Lundekwam DM - Tommy Widdrington CM - Matt Oakley RM - Paul Gilchrist LM - Neil Heaney CF - Lee Barnard CF - Brett Ormerod

I'm genuinely wanting someone to come onto this thread and mount some sort of defence for the current government, cabinet, tory party, anything really. The quality of debates recently has been pretty healthy on the forum and there are several very regular posters with right-of-centre political views. So could someone please come and take a stand for the people currently leading us. This is not a trap; simply the relentless onslaught is making me more and more depressed. I need something to give me some hope that the next two years aren't going to be worse than the last two/three politically.

I don’t think it’s fair to say we pushed Romeu out of the door. I’ve seen this narrative a few times and it doesn’t stack up with what either Ralph or Oriol said.

Surely, even with his new contract, he could go on loan, excel and then go back to Chelsea. Worked for Mason Mount? In fact it sort of worked for Broja, in that his loan with us probably lead to his new contract and the chance for some sub appearances for them followed perhaps by a start or two when Aubameyang gets bored and stops contributing.

What a classy human being. A great footballer for us, will be sorely missed. I agree he had a more to give us, but am happy he's left in the way he has. A bit like Steven Davis, I'll be watching out for him and wishing him well.

I am thinking this needs it's own thread as buy back clauses seem to be generating a lot of heat on various threads. It seems like this is a relatively new concept but at the same time a central plank in our strategy to buy 18-20 year olds from top clubs. Personally I think they will turn out to be a good thing for us, because I don't think we'd be getting these players without the clause. Which leads me to my question. In the history of buy back clauses have any actually been activated? Not just with us but anywhere? I am sure there must be but my knowledge of other clubs and leagues is not up to task. Someone help me out.. The reason I ask is I just can't imagine City buying these players back from us, it's not the way they roll. Take Lavia - they have Rodri and Phillips who play in that position. Both age 26, should be good for another 4-5 years there, by which time I imagine the clause may have expired and/or Lavia has attracted attention at a fair market rate from Chelsea/Liverpool/Barcelona.

Fair enough, can't disagree with any of that. Sitting in Kingsland south didn't give me the best view!! It's a current soap-box subject of mine, I've been fearing an unnecessary injury as a result of the new way of officiating and thought this was it. Happy to be proved wrong (though not happy about the injury of course - Hamstrings can be a bugger to fix)

Cracking night, amazing performance, brilliant atmosphere. It's almost all been said on here already. My grumble is about the clear offside and the linesman not putting his flag up until Havertz (I think) had passed the ball, causing the melee in which Lavia got injured. It was so clearly offside I just don't get the new directive at all and now as a result of that nonsense we have one of our best players injured for no reason at all. Big shout out for Moi as well, possibly his best game in a Saints shirt. Should have had a goal but otherwise was excellent and much more physical than normal. Helps to explain why the manager keeps picking him. I'm finding it hard to believe we are going to be signing more players. I wanted to see Mara on the pitch last night and Stu but no one was playing bad enough to get hooked. God knows how he's going to keep them all happy if we get 2-3 more.

No I'm not telling you that. This is the 'what is wrong with America' thread. Home of the conspiracy theory, where utter tosh is perpetuated by trolls right across the political spectrum, and lapped up by those who know no better. It's not a complicated concept. Please put the shovel down, the hole you're digging just gets deeper and deeper.

You’ve completely lost the plot here. Conspiracy theories are not a matter of right v left. You seemed to have a dug a massive hole for yourself, best put the shovel down

And Bill Gates hasn't sued for being accused of planting chips in vaccines, and Neil Armstrong hasn't sued for being accused of faking a moon landing in a studio in LA. The list goes on. Globally conspiracy theories are perpetuated by the trollest of the trolls and lapped up by the paranoid and the deluded. As evidenced by this very thread.

This tells you everything you need to know about the rabid right

People using this latest rumour to suggest we be rid of Stu should be careful what they wish for. Aside from his splendid hair he’s still a major asset for us. He’s good on the ball, dynamic with and without it, can play both 10s and also CM. He rarely puts in a poor performance and there’s usually a reason. I’m all for new blood but not sure we’ll get anyone better, particularly this late on.

Unless he can get a move to Forest? It’s the midlands destination of choice for literally hundreds of players this summer

Slightly older but Chris Wood? By that reckoning £30m is the right figure. maitland-niles would be a good addition in my view. A decent midfielder, can play in either fullback position and loves to press.

Strange to see us now joint 3rd favourites to go down, having been 6th favourites during pre-season. It's very early days for such a shift in market. It will be interesting to see where we are at after 10 games (which IMO is when we can get a first realistic view of everyone and how things are shaking down). I guess it supports the view of the other thread that it's harder this season to pick clear relegation fodder. I noticed Man U were 4/1 to win at home last night - can't think that has ever likely to have been the case before. Just shows you can't always relying on popular wisdom/betting patterns/bookies thankfully.

The idea that Mee/Tarkowski would be good additions for us shows a lack of understanding of what Ralph expects of centre halves, ie to be glued to forwards no matter how deep they drop. This requires pace and agility, which neither have. They’d be fine in more conventional systems (although Burnley didn’t do so well) but hopeless for us

Think you are being harsh on his finishing skills, for which he generally gets a lot of stick. As others have said, the second goal is a thing of beauty and not on a plate, the ball is actually behind him and he has to reach round to volley. But also the first one, it's a great piece of anticipation and spin while the throw-in is on its way. Then he has to hit it first time through a crowded six yard box. It's hit accurately and hard enough to beat the keeper and be too much for the defender on the line to adjust to clearing it.

I think that’s been explained by Ralph and made sense to me Dean Richards?