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Hey there's a few of us in Yate! A girl who worked in the shop on Cranleigh Court always wore a Saints top- a tight one too! Anyway... Onwards and upwards for Saints. Rovers couldn't seem to handle Papa for sixty minutes tonight. Bodes well for the rest of the season I think. I still say Saints will beat a lot of sides at home this season with a noisy, largish crowd on their SIDE. 19,000 tonight- that's a thousand MORE than Pompous had at home on Saturday in the Prem- against Everton! Look for the positives folks.

By the way I'm 'In the know' - I have been a gashead since I was 9 (1972) and in fact only became a Saints fan in 1990 when working in the centre of town at Skandia Life. Lambert is a legend and is total quality, as you all know by now. The reason Rovers are doing better without him is that Lambo is no longer 100% of the focus for the team. The current side were built around Lambo and indeed Kuffours was bought because it was felt that Lambo needed a nippy, strong striker to feed off his knock-downs etc. This season Rovers have been using the wings a LOT more, with the full-backs getting on overlaps as well as the wingers we have. Both our wingers have done really well this season in particular Andy Williams who was on the transfer list up until last week having been out on loan after not really setting the club alight. Also Rovers have benefitted from a fit-again Danny Coles in central defence. He was injured all last season and would probably have played in the PL with former club Hull had he been able to stay injury-free there. He has worked well with 'Lord' Byron Anthony in the centre of defence, with Anthony having the pace and skills and Coles the strength and nous. I'd be very happy with a draw tonight having said all that. Cheers.

Got any spare stools hanging around? That be plastic ones btw, not the brown ones!

Sorry to say it, but it's that attitude that has led to the disappointments expressed thus far and will lead to further disappointments as the season progresses. Just because the Bees were two divisions below us last May doesn't mean they'll be a walkover. In fact, I'd have expected them to occupy one of the top six places by now as they have done, because all the sides that come up from L2 always make good starts. That's what a winning mentality does for a side, and that's what AP is working hard to achieve. So my advice to all fans with CCC expectations for our L1 side this season is to be patient, we need to learn to walk small steps as somebody above nicely put it, then once we can take small steps we can learn to trot. That 'orrible little dwarf at Bristol City - Gary Johnson - once said that he always divides the season up into four game segments. Then he looks at the next segment and decides which games he targets to get three or one point from. This is what we need to do. I still think we'll finish mid-table. Let's not panic, let's not get on the team's back or the manager's, and please let's not look at any games and think "we should win this one easily" because that's one surefire route to disappointment. Come on you Saints.

Here's a few more who've always caught my eye: Dwayne Mattis at Walsall. Very good midfielder. Danny Livesey at Carlisle. Good solid defender. Deane Smalley at Oldham. Good midfielder. Ali Fuseini at Millwall. Tricky midfielder. Over to you Mr Pardew...

What about Adam LeFondre at Rotherham? Would make a good attacking midfielder I've always thought. He has a great scoring record as well, trouble is he's only just signed for Rotherham.

I've just uploaded this to youtube. It's much better quality than other videos of the same goal on youtube. One of the best goals I've ever seen, Lambert hits it on the drop, on the volley, from 35 yards out. Amazing! I hope he continues to score goals like this.

I know everybody from all sides involved in this competition royally take the p1$$ out of this competition and always have, I can tell you that the further Saints get the more serious it will become. Birmingham City took 40,000 to Wembley for their final circa 1992. Both Bristol clubs have twice taken over 30,000 to the final as well. Bolton Wanderers took 25,000 to their final appearance, etc.

Murty's correct about conceding goals from set-pieces. About 70% of all goals in this league are from set-pieces. Pardew would do well to ponder that fact. Having said that I tip uddersfield for a top five finish this season and it's a notoriously difficult place to bring points from. Onwards and upwards.

That's pretty much it. Rovers were asking £1M, Udders Field said that he would be 30 by the end of his contract and worthless and were reportedly offering HALF that. As you can see he's worth every penny of what Saints paid for him. AND he hasn't scored any free kicks or long range rockets yet! BTW don't beat yourselves up about losing today. I've watched a great deal of L1 football and I honestly believe that Saints have played two of the best sides in this league so far. Millwall have Kenny Jackett- one of the best men ever to manage in the lower tiers. Huddersfield have LOADS of money having recently had a takeover and were outright favourites to get promotion last season, even before the takeover I believe. I was at SMS on Tuesday and saw enough in that performance to be convinced that Saints can get out of this league at the first attempt. A central defender would be top of my shopping list, preferrably someone like Izzy Iriekpen who unfortunately has just moved to Scotland and the SPL. I can't remember his name, but Crewe Alex had a great central defender when Rovers played them last season. Very mobile, tall and imposing. It should be back to winning ways on Tuesday at Swindle anyway. Cheers, Sladey.

Glad he impressed. I had a great seat thanks to the unreserved seating policy, right next to the Northampton bench in the third rwo. Lambo got a great reception, for me ran around a bit too much in an effort to impress an already won over crowd in the first 45 then paid for it with cramp after 84 mins. He actually came over to Pardew to ask to come off! Nice goal though, although I'd have expected him to side fot it in instead of trying to head it from two feet high! Still a goal's a goal I suppose. Should have had a pen in the second half when pulled down by Beckwith, who on the last two times he faced Lambo conceded NINE goals as Hereford went down first 6-1 then 3-0 against Rovers. Had a standing ovation and looked a bit sheepish as he came off. Job done. Proud of ya Lambo! Now for some sleep after the long drive back to Bristol...

By the way, the goal against Luton Town is ON THE VOLLEY. You can't quite see it from the youtube footage, but he looks like he side-foots it on the drop! One of the best goals I've ever seen and I still have it on DVD. Missing him already. But feeling glad that he's come/gone to Saints as they're my 'other' team.

I wouldn't be surprised to see him move to Saints, but do Saints have the money? I know Pardew likes him and he'd want a target man however, a target man is something that Rickie Lambert most definitely is NOT. He scores a few around the six yard box sure, but most of his goals for Rovers came from 25 yards or so, plus the odd penalty. Simeon Jackson is a real target man. Perhaps try to get Jason Puncheon for creativity? I know Pardew knows all about him. Trundle can't get a game at Bristol City, neither can John Akinde. Or why not get in some loanees? I live in Bristol and watch Rovers a lot. There's lots of speculation about Lambert, but I'm not sure Southampton is the club for him. It took Rovers well over a season to get him scoring goals, meanwhile travelling media writers were calling a waste of money!

Agree totally mate. We've had to endure some pretty thick sh1t in the last couple of years, not all of it on the playing side.

It's not unusual for trouble to happen with Cardiff fans- especially up here in Bristol where we get the worst because we're the closest English town to the border. Having said that it's a small minority and just a few idiots giving the whole club a bad name. I was in Cardiff working yesterday and a middle-aged Cardiff fan I was talking to said he hoped there wouldn't be trouble today. Prophetic words indeed...