Alain Perrin

I've been mostly away from this site for a couple of seasons, returning a couple of weeks ago post Ings to see any gossip. 1-1 against a team that spends £65m for fun is a great result. Must be a disappointment to the suicide squad here though ...

I can't blame him really. Criminal he didn't get a chance at the Euros and probably thinks a higher profile club will help for the WC.

JV probably suits Leicester more than us as one of their tactics is to play long balls to the willing runners incl. aging Vardy vs. our high press. JV's passing would be a useful weapon for them, perhaps his lack of pace being less of an issue. I don't see them being all that, especially if Madison is off. That's said, Rodgers is a good coach (although not one I particularly like).

He's not Jonno-quick but looks promising

That Alain Perrin bloke was insightful. I miss him.

I don't dispute that the media spins the crap out of the smallest detail, made worse by the blogs written by people with no journalistic ethics looking for clicks. However, I do think people oversimplify transfers. There are so many more factors than wanting a player. The board is but one factor (willingness to pay), selling club (willing to sell), other club (selling a replacement to selling club), player / players wife wanting to move, player thinking he'll be first choice (hard in a settled team), unsettling the dynamic of the team... Etc. Etc. Personally I don't think the board is much better or worse than any other club, they're all out (bar sheiks and Russian mafia) to make money.

Layman's accountancy doesn't work. The quoted figures aren't ever accurate (inflated by the selling club to soften the blow, low balled by the buying club to show they got a steal). Plus agent fees, taxes, bonuses, loan fees, percentage salary's subsidised on loans. I don't know what facts and figures are published as a private company but the leaders of the club have stood up in a fans forum and said we are self sustaining and I believe that to be broadly true. Is Gao pumping money in? No. Is Saints a vehicle for him to get money out of China? Yes. Are Kat and Gao in this to make money? Yes, undoubtedly by growth and dividends etc. Is it some kind of secret plan? No.

I feel they have forgotten the reason why offside exists - to prevent an advantage The forensic analysis with someone being offside by a heel etc. is just bonkers and just breaks up the game. Focus on feet position with a tolerance of 10cm / assessment limit of 60 seconds and it becomes a lot easier and hopefully reflects the need to prevent advantage better.

Hojbjerg can be great but is also prone to a blind pass that puts us in trouble. Personally I would rather have him than not. I don't get the Stephens love in. He may have been good today but he's another one who gives the ball way needlessly far too often. I really struggle to rate him. Cedric gets himself out of trouble - but he is wasteful in attack and weak in the air. Personally I think we need a new CB for Stephens and a striker who can hold the ball up and bring others in (Pele / Lambert). That said, a crucial three points.

.. But have you seen the thread you wrote in that alternate reality that slags Cedric for closing James only for Mata to score... There are plenty of flaws in Cedric's game but this situation isn't an example of it. If he'd kept James on his left foot, Mata would have been open to shoot or square. Cedric is comparatively poor at crossing, and in the air - but overall defensively he is probably a bit more solid than Yan Valery hence why he was selected over him.

With Liverpool seemingly out of the Champions League and the Premier League title in the balance, I reckon we will miss out on a significant payday. Lovren, Lallana, VVD, Mane and even Clyne have all featured this year. I wonder how much their deals would have totalled to in add-ons? Pity. On the plus side, at least we'll have a few minutes silences and a charity single to look forward to....

Confidence is such a key factor here. We have a recent history of conceding later goals - therefore it plays on player's minds and they perhaps play a little deeper and then history becomes reality. A few years back the opposite was true, we saw out many games when the pressure was on. Having a quality CB partnership (e.g. VVD + Fonte) helps install confidence that flows through the rest of the team.

A lot of effort here on a argument with little point.... Welcome to the internet.

Always sad when someone dies but as usual football takes the level of pathos to a ridiculous level. There are too many minutes silences in my opinion. I blame Princess Diana for kicking it all off; they cancelled Liverpool vs. Newcastle and set an ever increasing precedent. I'd limit it to heads of state, club legends and maybe two or more of the Spice Girls.

Ahhh. Came here for the latest info, found a load of reactionary bedwetters instead. We have several players who can fill in adequately at RB and clearly Cedric was not first choice. He wasn't part of the plan so needs to go, similar although less importantly (and only if a replacement is lined up) is Austin. That's why we want to sell rather than loan.

Playing with a smile on his face this season - even when things aren't going 100% right. Does anyone know what the agro was in the second half that earned him a yellow. He was very angry about something an Everton player did?

A good chant needs to be short and sweet so our knuckle dragging fanbase can remember the lyrics and arise deep throated.... So I give you two options and a third for the gospel section of the Northam. To the tune of Wild Thing: Wild Ings. You make the Saints sing You score every game Groovy! To the tune of Old McDonald (for Elyounessi) Old Mohammed, plays for Saints Ely, Ely, O And for our team he'll score a goal Ely, Ely, O [Optional verse] With a left foot here, a right foot there, here a left, there a right, everywhere a left right. Old Mohammed, plays for Saints... Ely, Ely, O To the tune of the 90's classic - Something inside so Strong - Labi Siffri. (too long for a chant but what the heck) Whenever you give freekicks away, Up to the ball he'll run. You can't deny him, you can decide To turn your face away. No matter 'cause there's, someone in our side, Armstrong. I know that he will score it Cos' his name's not Shane Long. You thought that our pride was gone, oh no There's someone in our side, Armstrong. Oh, there's someone in our side, Armstrong. ---------- CDs on sale next to the ice cream van....

20m is a lot but clearly influenced by several factors: Competition - Palace were clearly after him; Wages - Wellbeck - his wages were s problem; Alcacar - perhaps no option to buy? I'd hope we'd have some condition in the deal that if he fails to appear X times we're not in the hook. That said, all parties must be hoping he does well - and Saints did need a striker. I wish him well but I feel we miss a hold up player - we've never replaced Pele / Lambert in my opinion.

To them obligation to buy has the same meaning as obligation to job seek...

100% this. Pele and Lambert's skills in this area are missed - Pele particularly.

We need someone who can hold the ball up like Pele or Lambert. We've really missed that and it hits our ability to bring others into the play. Everything bounces off Austin in comparison to those two.

To be fair that's a classic forum response. You said 'useless', I paraphrased to ****. My argument was you don't know **** (or useless if you prefer) about the reasons for Forsters form. Personally I think changing Watson without improving the defence will make no difference. That's not to say there aren't better coaches than him, I am sure there are, just that I don't believe pointing the finger with no real world experience of his coaching is naive. He may well be **** / useless / good / great but none of us know.

I don't think either of you (or anyone on this forum) can reasonably say what impact Dave Watson is having or not. Yet in true forum style you declare he's $***. Forster suffered from a huge lack of confidence last season, compounded by a flaky defense (that exposed two of his weaknesses - communication and coming for crosses). Does that make Dave Watson ****? No more so than Forster keeping clean sheets for 700+ minutes under Puel makes him great. Let's just accept that those working with the players/coaches day in day out have a better judgement than people with a keyboard and, at best, a season ticket.

Whilst not forgetting what Hughes has done for us this season, we should also be mindful of what he achieved at Stoke.... Hughes is a safeish pick but represents a mid table ambition from Saints. Like it or not we have tried to roll the dive on managers in the hope of finding another Poch - unsuccessfully as it turns out. If you put what happened at Stoke down to other factors, not just him, the Hughes for me is a safe roll of a 3 - you'll survive but not break into the top six. May be that s what the board will choose to do on the basis of stabilisation. Personally I'd try Marco Silva but suspect he a) might be tarnished goods and b) might be looking for a bigger fish.

Oops. Such a great post I posted twice!