Le Timmier

Stick him on ignore, I've found it massively improves your web experience...

Agreed.

Sorry for any confusion mate, my previous post was in response to KRG (the post before yours) In terms of what you say about U21's - yes absolutely - and there's most probably bags of talent besides in those leagues worth scouting, just as there is in the Championship.

Plenty would, I agree. But I also think plenty have a more short-sighted view & would rather see us linked with players from (e.g.) Brondby or FC Utrecht because of a perception that they are playing at a higher level than the Championship and not having to make such a step up.

The thing is, how would people feel about a signing from (e.g.) the Dutch Eredivisie or the Danish Superliga? They're the top divisions in their respective countries, but is the overall standard actually much different from the Championship? Maybe their Champions League representatives are playing at a higher level, but what about the rest of the league? It just seems to me that fans are ready to place more faith in a foreign signing from a 'top' division than we would in a Championship signing, but the standard of league is arguably similar.

He's only 29 and would have been my vote for our motm on Saturday.

I wouldn't want to have Laudrup. But if Spurs are still keen on him and he's available for free in the summer, then it increases the chance that they'll leave Mopo alone.

Barry Glendenning was talking about this on Guardian Football Weekly back in January. He reckoned clubs could decline competing in the Europa League but would probably be slapped with some UEFA sanction if they did so. Also that if a club had won the FA cup and then opted-out of the Europa League, it would most likely be banned from taking part in the FA Cup for at least the following season.

+1 I'd respectfully suggest to Paddy that the use of 'gaffer' doesn't really fit the intelligent tone of the rest of his article, as Charlie says it's outdated and trite.

Didn't Spurs want to poach Laudrup before they decided they'd rather poach MoPo? If Laudrup's still available in the summer it could be good news for us...

Would not bet against Swansea now!

Garry Monk is the new Tim Sherwood

Time to bring back Hummel then...?

I find it baffling that anyone stills thinks Saints would be in the market for a player like this. Firstly, he doesn't fit the profile of the type of "young & hungry" player we sign. Secondly, if Mopo and the club didn't think we had sufficient cover then they would not let Fox go without lining up a replacement. Thirdly, if this bloke's not good enough for WHU then why would we want him?!

Done. Got a lot of time for Cov fans. Good luck.

Spot on

In every career people move jobs for more money and better prospects, it doesn't mean they don't have good & happy memories of a former employer.

OK, so if you compare expectation of him with what he has returned, there's no denying he's been disappointing. Hopefully he will still deliver and meet those expectations. But even if he never does, I will always LOVE the fact that we signed him. Remember Liverpool fans up in arms that a player of his calibre would chose us over them? Remember Lawrenson on MOTD declaring "Ramirez to Southampton will never happen"? It was the first signing we had made in a very long time that made fans of the top clubs jealous of us - and that was brilliant.

Give one of the Champions League places to the FA cup winners, that'd revive it overnight

The article this links to appears to have been written by Sinead O'Connor...

I quite like watching games via internet stream that have foreign commentary. Despite being able to understand very little of what's being said, it still makes about as much sense as the some of the utter nonsense that the likes of Andy Townsend comes out with. (Townsend is my personal, stand-out hate figure in any commentary box, despite his Saints background) You obviously still get the crowd noise and atmosphere through the commentators voice - and if you buy some cheap lager and use a bit of imagination it has the added advantage of feeling like you're in a bar on holiday somewhere.

Isn't he simply saying that he believes 'Britishness' is defined by the general public being happy to watch a local sporting event where none of the participants are British? OK - so he's got his facts wrong in that there was not an 'all-foreign' south coast derby, but there's nothing derogatory implied in his comments at all, if anything he's using it in a positive way to paint a picture of a cosmopolitan and multi-cultural society. Had he said all people who watch football on the south coast have no teeth, play the banjo and enjoy the company of sheep I could understand people getting upset, but whilst his facts are incorrect they aren't exactly anything to worry about! Maybe he meant to say 80% of the players were non-british, or maybe he meant to say Arsenal v Chelsea.

Mate please come them coming, they're tremendous

You forgot Cisse!

You forgot Cisse!