Bailey

I think some of the criticism is a bit harsh in truth. Am I the only one that thinks Lancashire looked pretty solid and composed up until his moment of madness?

Yellow card for me. Nothing more. Thought he looked pretty good up until that point. Fingers crossed Poortvliet sticks by him and gives him another chance when he's back from suspension.

Have heard Lancashire is set to start in the heart of defence. Also hearing that Skacel may be involved but a final decision is yet to be made. With 7 games in 21 days, there will be changes to the squad and alot of them will get their chance.

I think some people are over-reacting about our defensive 'crisis'. We have . . . Svensson Perry Thomas Cork Lancashire and then we have the option of using . . . Schneiderlin and Wotton. So when you think about it, we do actually have plenty of options.

After the defeat to Blackpool I'm hoping the players will be out to prove a point and bounce back in style. However, my head says we will struggle and I think the best we can hope for is a point. QPR 2 - 1 Saints Love to be proved wrong mind.

I'm always very sceptical about teams tampering with the design of their club badge, with QPR being a prime example of how not to do it! Whilst I like MLG's design, I don't think our badge needs changing and it should be kept as it is. Nout wrong with it in my eyes and as the old saying goes, if it aint broke don't fix it! As for the 125 year suggestion, I think a special kit to mark the occasion would be a great idea, and no doubt the fans would buy into it. As well as being the team strip for a season, it would also be a nice bit of memorabilia to have. With that in mind, it would probably prove to be a good money-maker for Saints should they do something along those lines too.

Before the Blackpool game there were a few question marks as to whether Svensson was fit enough to play, with some reports suggesting he was feeling his knee. His poor performance in that match suggests he was struggling somewhat. I just hope that this is just a minor injury and nothing more, although I have a bad feeling. As another poster has said, it could explain why Saints put a bid in for Anthony Gerrard on deadline day, but fingers crossed we're reading into things a bit too much. Also, it's no coincidence that Lancashire wasn't playing for the reserves the other night. Expect to see him in the squad, if not starting. The same applies to Mills too.

Best performance since we beat ze Germans 5-1. Theo was outstanding, as was Heskey believe it or not. I thought Capello got the tactics spot on too so full credit to him. After today, what are the odds we stutter to a 1 nil win against Borat and his boys?

I, like many others, am struggling to care about England these days but I'm sure a win against Croatia would go some way to getting the fans back on side. Anyway, for those that DO care, what do you think the starting 11 will be? I'd imagine J.Cole will be recalled after his goals against Andorra, but can we expect any other changes? If it weren't such an important game, I'd be tempted to make some drastic changes and really raise some eyebrows. I'd go with the following . . . ---------------- Green --------------- Johnson -- Ferdinand -- Terry -- A.Cole Bentley --- Barry --- Bullard --- J.Cole ---------- Rooney --- Walcott ---------

Post of the day.

I'm still shocked after reading there was a Prem club interested in Bradley. Surely it was one of the promoted teams just getting desperate?

Niemi was one of, if not the best keeper ever to play for Saints. There have been so many highlights from his time here, but for me, hitting the bar at Fulham will go down in the memory. Will never forget the moment he went up for that corner, only to smash the woodwork and for Killer to nod home the rebound. Top bloke, fantastic keeper and I wish him all the very best in the future.

After watching Svensson against Blackpool I have to admit that I was a tad concerned. He seemed very off the pace and was beaten to almost everything in the air. I suppose Killer will have some off games due to spending the best part of 4 years out on the sidelines and it is fair to say that he may still be finding his feet again. Not only that, but Burgess put himself about a bit and really used his height and power to both his and Blackpool's advantage. Fingers crossed this was just a blip and I hope to see Svensson back to his best against QPR. Maybe the international break has come at just the right time for MS.

Saints to win 3-1 IMO. Having looked on the Blackpool forum and read their local paper online, it would seem they're predicting a relatively easy win for them! Somehow I think they may be in for a bit of surprise.

It's hard to say whether this would be a good signing or not, but it does sound promising. Another youngster with a point to prove can't be a bad thing if recent form is anything to go by. If he's as good as Schneiderlin then we'll be laughing! Fingers crossed this spells the end for Euell and Skacel too. It would be a good move for Saints if we could get them off the wage bill.

I doubt Watford would be able to send him back to us as I would assume there is no clause in the deal enabling them to do so. However, it's not the most serious injury in the world and he'll be back soon. I fully expect them to keep him in truth. One problem though, is that he's not in the shop window for any potential clubs that are interested in signing him!

Cracking photos! Cheers for them.

Lowe took a massive gamble by appointing Poortvliet and adopting a new style of play. Whilst I think it's too early to be saying it was the right move, there are certainly alot of positive signs indicating that we could be on the verge of seeing something special. I never thought I'd say this but should a takeover be forthcoming, then I'd be absolutely gutted if it meant the end for our 'Dutch revolution' with the emphasis on youth players. Finally, I feel as though we have a club where everyone is pulling in the right direction, everyone believes in what we are doing and there is a desire to succeed. I don't remember the last time I've seen a Saints side play with so much passion and commitment to the cause.

Agree completely. I think the fans are warming to him partly because he gives an honest and open account of the game. Not to mention the way Poortvliet has dealt with players (Dyer and Viafara) and off the field issues thus far.

Oh Michael Svensson, you are the love of my life. Oh Michael Svensson, I'd let you **** my wife. Oh Michael Svensson, I want ginger hair too . . . (repeat) That one by any chance?

I'm missing the game as I'm on holiday. Gutted about it too, especially after today's result. Thankfully the game is on TV though so at least I'll be able to see it.

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/?page_id=10484

All sounds very promising. I'd be interested to hear any other views from those at the game today. Lets hope we can take this positive result and get another 3 points against Blackpool.

Top website, great work. The Derby forum is making for interesting reading this evening!

Agree entirely. Like I've said in other threads, it's just a shame that we've had such a tough start. The football we've been playing has been very exciting at times despite not getting the results that maybe we've deserved. If we contine to play in the manor that we have done thus far, then I feel we could be in for a very entertaining season. In no way am I jumping the gun and saying we will get promotion, but like you've said, we may just feel proud watching this group of players over the coming season.