Chewy

Yep, then all we will need is a bigger stadium

This would be actually bonkers if true. Maybe not quite at Keegan level but not far off.

Thanks, you too

By far and away the most important thing today is the colour of mopos tie ... Still, there has to be one negative for some people to find, even today.

Great start, and looking at the fixtures we have a great chance to really build some momentum. This is the most excited I've felt about saints for many years, and with the age of most of the squad, things really do look good for the future. Very happy.

Di canios crunch time is the end of October. Home to the toon and away to hull next. Lose those two after a poor start and he will go. Be surprised if he went any earlier. Think jol is a good shout, obviously depending on results. But the first to go will probably be mopo. Just because cortese likes surprising us.

Turkish and Glasgow

Yep, top scoring Englishman (joint) last season in the premier league. Just not offering enough i tell you.

Consistently the top scoring midfielder in the premier league for 10 seasons, virtually ever present til the last couple of seasons in a side that's won the league a couple of times, the cup lots of times, and been in the last 4 of the champions league another load of times. Yep, he's average alright.

Congratulations - chuffed to bits for him.

If I could choose three, I'd have carsick and Morgan plus either cork or wanyama (need to see how he fares at this level first) so yes, we do. Not quite got competition for Rooney, Hernandez and van Persie though ...

If signing a top quality striker will make him happy, I hope he has a very happy birthday.

Well, according to some signing Gary hooper would have made this a successful transfer window ...

How is starting the season with a much better back 5 and adding wanyama to a midfield of cork and schneiderlin standing still? I'd like a striker, and clearly so would the club, but we have evidently moved the squad forward as we have done every transfer window since cortese came here. You, and the rest of your ilk, are just plain wrong.

How has this thread - one of the most ridiculously titled bed-wetting threads in the history of this ridiculous bed-wetting forum - reached 6 pages? There is no inactivity, we just haven't sewn up the signing of a striker that almost everyone agrees we need. Utterly insane thread and comments. Arsenal haven't signed anyone of note including top target Suarez Spurs haven't definitely retained bale Liverpool haven't definitely retained Suarez Man U haven't signed baines, Fellaini, Ronaldo or fabregas (all allegedly targets) or definitely retained Rooney Chelsea haven't signed Rooney, or much else We are hardly alone in not having finished our business. And thanks to the activity in signings made and contracts extended, compared to last season we start with a vastly better back 5, a choice of 3 excellent midfielders and a front line that still needs improving. Given our proximity (points-wise) to a top ten finish last season I think there's every reason to be optimistic for improvement, and a quality forward would probably mean a higher degree of improvement. But ... If the choices available are no better, why sign them, and if the available strikers want a higher profile club and won't join, we won't get them. Extremely simple concepts to comprehend I would have thought.

Thought the same re Chaplow, and perhaps a bit unfair with Steven Davis too. Otherwise a pretty good summary

Different type of player IMO. I think the quote was intentional - maybe the asking price is too high and its intended to get them to lower it? We don't know exactly how skint Valencia are so maybe we will never know.

I assume if we only want one striker that benega definitely won't be joining then?

I was being facetious. Would love to sign him.

So he's getting worse each season, and struggles at the top level???

My expectation is that we will be in the middle third of the league. I think the top 6 are a given, I think the 3 promoted sides with stoke, villa, Sunderland and Newcastle will fight out the relegation spots, and Everton will join the rest of us in the middle. My hope is we will be near the top of that group, 7th or 8th, and I'd be a touch disappointed if we couldn't finish higher than 2 from Fulham, Norwich, west brom and west ham in that group, so 11th is my minimum target.

Rip Todd

Chelsea Man city Arsenal Saints 7th Palace Stoke Hull

Look, we only signed forren to prove we're a bigger club than Liverpool. And after coutinho disproved that theory his job was done and his days were numbered. Still, even if it only peed the scousers off for a couple of minutes it was worth every penny. Good luck to Chaplow.

Wow, watching throughout the 80s I never thought I'd see a Brit get into the second week, let alone win the thing. Has got me to thinking, I was born in 77. When I turned 10 in 87, given that we'd just lost the ashes, which of these sporting feats seemed least likely to happen: Brit wins Wimbledon, Brit wins Tour de France, Brit wins Olympic 100 metre gold, Brit wins Olympic 5000 and 10000 double, Brit wins heavyweight world title, Brit wins open (or any golf major), Brit wins gold at 5 consecutive Olympics, britain win hockey olympic gold, England reclaim ashes, England win rugby World Cup, english team wins league, fa and euro cup treble, England win football World Cup. Ok, so maybe the ashes didnt seem too unlikely at that stage, but by the end of the nineties it sure did. I doubt many would have put the football world cup as the least likely, though. unbelievable. And this by our most feted and well-paid sports stars.