kwsaint

This was bound to happen eventually. For the past three summers we have had our best players picked off by the big boys (Lambert, Lallana, Mane, Lovren, Alderweireld, Wanyama, Schneiderlin, Chambers, Shaw) plus also lost two excellent managers in Pochettino and Koeman. Last summer's replacements just haven't worked out as well. Puel was an uninspiring choice and appears to have lost both the players and supporters. The new players have not been as good as those that left. The football now is just boring. The frustration is that there have been a handful of games, principally the LC semis and final, when we played really well. Just not been very many of them. For me we need to get Puel out as soon as the final whistle goes on 21 May. Get someone else in who can support the rebuild and hopefully stop some players (Suarez, Bertrand in particular) from leaving. Ranieri is rumoured, although I would prefer Jokanović from Fulham if they don't go up. Fear is that if we keep Puel then the exodus will continue and we will be in a relegation battle next season.

I think most people would admit that walking out to My Way is somewhat tragic (I believe there was a thread not so long ago pointing this out) which got me thinking, which club has the best walking on music? I think for me it's Newcastle United with the theme from 'Local Hero'. Your thoughts (it can be past or present)?

We were late getting tickets for the Man City game and ended up in block 43, which was clearly the tourist section. Apart from countless people with mobile phones, I saw one of the oddest things I have ever seen at a game. When he arrived, the young Japanese gentleman sat next to me proceeded to get out a wet wipe and meticulously cleaned the seat. Even kneeling down to see better. Given that these seats are usually covered in netting they did not look especially grubby. What are the oddest things that you have seen at games?

They do look seriously impressive. Makes me appreciate the Southampton scouting team when you think that we brought him to English football.

Says the man who posts on average 7.5 times a day. Pot and kettle somewhat?

I was discussing with my Dad earlier this afternoon whether Lawro actually has any idea what he's on about when predicting football results. This resulted in me doing some trawling through the internet to see where he predicted us to finish for the past 5 seasons (since we were in the PL and including this season). Here they are (in case anyone is interested ) 2012/13: 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 (so far)

Trumpets?

I am all in favour of video technology - Gabbi's goal v Man U in the League Cup final would have stood. The issue is when it can be used and when it can't. There are times when video technology actually distorts things. In cricket they have problems with catches, where the catches have carried but the video gives the impression that they have not. They need to do proper trials of this and work out a sensible set of rules. Such as whether teams can appeal decisions to a video ref, and if so how often. And which types of decision can be referred and which ones cant. My view is that the video ref can only override the ref when it is obviously wrong. Like in cricket where certain appeals become 'umpires decision'. Rugby, Cricket and Tennis all use video technology to benefit the game. It's long overdue for Football to do the same.

Not since the fifties, when we were in the old Div 3 and they finished above us a couple of times. When I started going in the seventies and scores were announced, we used to cheer if Pompey were losing and generally liked to see Bournemouth winning. They are like your kid brother. Like to beat them to show who is boss, but otherwise want to see them doing well. The lot at the wrong end of the M27 are like the kid in the playground that you really don't like. So for me the real south coast derby is with the blue few, although goodness knows when we will next play them. Bournemouth is a bit more than a visit from Stoke or West Brom, so is a kind of derby, but without any of the nastiness of Pompey games.

Why don't we come out to OWTS and get everyone singing? Just a thought. Agree that the My Way song is dreadful

Having been at both games, for me the difference was in 1984 we went to Highbury expecting to win, had the better of the game and then got beaten at the end. That's what was so gutting - plus the Everton supporters were nauseous. Sunday's game was different in that I went hoping to win, but not actually expecting to. The disappointment was that we got so close to winning.

Only justification in my view for getting membership this season before the EFL final was the discount on the Europa bundle. Reduced the membership price effectively to £13. Otherwise I wouldn't have botherered.

They count. It's any home games, irrespective of competition

I wasn't planning on getting a membership this season, but only did so because of the discount on the Europa cup bundle. There was a £12 discount on games that I was planning on going to anyway. So it effectively cost me £13. Quite glad I did now! I don't have an issue in general with membership, just think that the price should be a bit lower.

View from my Italian work colleague is that Cacares is class, but very injury prone so it would be a risk. Juventus had basically had enough which was why they released him. Don't think that we have much choice given where we are, as long as he can see the season out for us. Any news on him signing? My Italian colleague also said that Gabbiadini had a stunning left foot (before Saturday!)

I think that Puel will survive until the summer, then get sacked. Just hope we stay up. Its going to be a tough last few games

Apparently they're signing Donald Trump as a defender. Something about him being good as the wall during a freekick...

An Italian work colleague of mine thinks that we are mad. Says that he is very very good, but that he will be trouble. Always complaining, especially when left out, which will go down well with the rotation policy. Got half a dozen children from 5 different women. Sounds like a risk to me, but we are desperate for a striker But not as mad as Osvaldo, who is now a singer back in Argentina

I was at the game, and it was obvious once the team was announced that we were going to get hammered. But I really don't know what else he could have done. We have seven first team squad members injured, and a premier league game on Tuesday. Normal rotation would have a core of experienced players, but he didn't have any to choose from. It's also obvious from today that we desperately need another CB. Gardos was way off the pace, and Stephens suffered not having an experienced player along side as he did on Wednesday. Martina doesn't have a brain and Isgrove needs to move on and step down several divisions. Not convinced by Lewis either. Harry Reed had a poor game, although showed touches of what he can do. But the midfield was physically lightweight. One to forget

Dislike of Branfoot was there for most of the 2 1/2 years that he was in charge. It just kept on growing during that time. In comparison the current situation is frustration with Puel's tactics, and the inability of the club to sort out the issues that seem to be there. Nothing like as bad. Put it this way, no one has published a fanzine with Puel's picture on and the caption 'Hope you die soon'. Which was in incredibly poor taste, but a reflection of how bad things had got. I seem to remember the celebrations in the city the day that they finally sacked him.

Probably out of his depth as England manager, but getting Watford to the First division (twice) and nearly winning the league with Villa were superb achievements. But a thoroughly decent, straightforward man. One story is that a long term Watford supporter got married and invited him to be his best man, not actually knowing him personally. But he was down in Watford on commentary duty, did the honours including the speech, then hung around chatting. During his first term at Watford he insisted that all players lived in the borough, so that they lived with the supporters. Which was clearly a part of building up the team and the club. Top bloke. Will be missed

Fifth semi-final for me tonight, but three of them were in the eighties. Still haunted by Adrian Heath's goal at Highbury in 1984. But two semi-final appearances in major cup competitions in the past 25 years is not a great return (don't count JPT, fun as it was)

I was at the Dell in 1987 for the last LC semi-final, also against Liverpool. I remember a 0-0 draw at home (did a Liverpool player get sent off?). We then held them 0-0 at half-time in the second leg, before losing 3-0. They were a bit good then. Not optimistic at all for tomorrow. We might get away with another 0-0

Not so worried about this season, as we should be able to get enough points to stay up, although it is looking like it will be a pretty miserable second half of the season. More concerned about next season. I would give Puel to the end of the season. If nothing improves, then get rid then and reorganise. This has echos of 2003/04 for me. Imploded in the second half of the season, then struggled all the following season as nothing got sorted out that summer. For me, I am just fed up with the constant chopping and changing of the team. We need to get a settled side for the rest of the season, once we are out of the cups, and grind out some results. Also need someone short term who can score goals. As for who to replace Puel in the summer. Howe, with a good defensive coach, would have worked. But can see him going to Arsenal in the summer. Could do worse than raiding Celtic again and getting Brendan Rogers.

We have had threads about a railway station before, and I have posted on it before. At one point the council wanted to reinstate the docks line for passenger services, with a station behind the Kingsland (where the old Northam station was) and a station next to the old Terminus station (a site has been reserved). But operationally it would be very difficult, as the curve to to Central station has been filled in. So where would the trains go to? What would actually make much more sense would be to put a basic station on the main line just north of Northam bridge. Would have to be match days only, as SWT are really not keen on the idea as they struggle to keep to timetable normally. But regular trains and specials could use it. Unfortunately much of the site is now occupied by the train care depot. For what it's worth I can only see a review of public transport to SMS if the stadium was ever extended, which doesn't appear to be likely at the moment. And we have had lots of threads on that subject in the past.