adelfas31

If you like the peatiness of Bowmore, try Laphraoig from the south of Islay. If it's your thing, you won't ever want another whisky.

Do I have the only 'Paterson 17' in existence? To my credit, I didn't pay for it. To my shame, I pulled it quite forcefully out of the grasp of a 10 year old when the players threw their shirts into the crowd at the end of the 1-1 draw at Carlisle under Pardew. I hid it safely under my anorak until I got back to the car and then looked to see whether it was Lambert's, Lallana's, Schneiderlin's. No disrespect to you, Matt, un-used sub that day, but I was a tad underwhelmed. Still, I wished you well and hoped you'd make it big. To be honest, Forest Green Rovers on loan wasn't what I had in mind.

Anyone beat 4 names? Alexi Cher Ed Nick Or 3...Inigo Idi A. Kez...David Conn Olly

I have missed 2 aways in the last 3 years. I couldn't get there until this pm so have missed out. Ho hum, I'm just one more ordinary fan but I'm really disappointed that the club couldn't bother to ballot this one as is the norm. Dear Mister Cortese, that's a bit **** isn't it and in retaliation I'm not going to buy any more hot dogs that, er I don't buy anyway. It's pathetic being a football fan. Your dealer can treat you like dirt and you just come back for more.

Beattie did enter SMS via the players' entrance today. Is that significant?

Bulmers and Magners are the same thing, aren't they? Bulmers has been around for years in Ireland and just got marketed in the UK as Magners but the same stuff is poured into both bottles.

Best was Orient - hot and sunny, great atmosphere and a decent performance. Brighton, despite the action being so far away produced a great finish, and luckily it was down our end. Worst - Tranmere - again. As predictably awful as last year. Only thing of interest was to compare Jennings and Chambo on the same pitch and Jennings won that one on the day. Birkenhead is no loss to our schedule. I missed 1 away game. Which one? Oldham, of course...perhaps I ought to stay at home more often...

Thanks for the update, David. I'll be making my annual pilgrimage to Sweden in late July and look forward to clocking up another couple of games. I've so far managed to visit the Rasunda and the olympic stadium, Gefle, Helsingborg, Malmo in the fabulous Swedbank and Kalmar in their title winning year. Hope to get to one of the Goteborg games or Elfsborg this year and back to Helsingborg. There's something I like about the atmosphere at Swedish events, music or football or summer events. They seem to manage passion without the hint of aggression that is often not far beneath the surface in the UK. Some may see it as dull but it suits me.

And 'we can't see you sneaking out' in the fog at Col U. Except they were singing it. 'He's got brand new boots, he's got brand new boots...' for Papa. And 'One Luke Chadwick' when he was given MOTM at MKD after they had hardly had a kick and RL had scored a worldie.

Best Hartlepool - great fun Walsall - team performance Carlisle - fans performance Worst Brighton - awful view Tranmere - awful performance Colchester - only fun when the fog moved in

If you look at most fan opinion, it is based on very short term views, yet all players come and go. Even Matty had his quiet periods - everyone does. But no-one who has seen all games last year and this, can deny that Adam has progressed. He was terrific until Hartlepool this season and has been relatively quiet since. But doesn't the form of all young players come and go to some extent? Give him some time and he'll be back. His touch is top 4 of the Prem good, he reads the game well, he retains possession better than anyone else in the team. If he had pace, he wouldn't be here. But he'll be back - just give him some time.

Trips to Carlisle, Hartlepool, Huddersfield, Walsall, Oldham, Bristol R, Stockport, Orient etc. and competitive almost everywhere have been so much more fun than being 5-0 down after 32 minutes or whatever at Everton and the like. Interesting places to go, friendly clubs and friendly fans, good support from Saints fans, mostly attractive football and at sensible cost - this year is terrific. If we keep winning, it may get even better. If not, then more of this next year in prospect without the -10 and the lack of pre-season. I wouldn't swop with anyone.

I was an 11 year old from Norn Iron seeing Saints at Old Trafford in April '72 on a school trip. I had no idea then that I'd move here later and become a fanatical Saints fan. Saints lost 3-2 and it was the only time I got to see Ron Davies, Mick C et al. I wasn't a Saints fan then - I had no reason to be, but luckily all 5 goals were scored down our end (3-0 to Man U at h/time) and I remember being more impressed with Ron D than George Best (who scored a pen if I haven't made that up), Bobby Charlton, Ian S-M and all the Man U so called stars. The next Saints game I saw was April (I think) 1989 - anyway, last game of the season at The Dell and Saints beat Man U 2-1 to stay up - or so I remember it. Historians will no doubt correct me if my memory is playing tricks. And while I am humble in the presence of so many lifelong Saints but can anyone beat 17 years between their first and second Saints game, (not that it is something top celebrate)?

I got his shirt at Carlisle where Matt was an unused sub, when the players went all giddy and threw their shirts unto the adoring masses, most of us drunk on the euphoria of a magnificent 1-1 draw with a crack Cumbrian outfit. Barcelona will be his next move I thought and this shirt will build me a new house. Torquay. I must admit I'm a tad disappointed.

Given what seemingly nigh-perfect owners we have, I'd be surprised if, having understandably swept away the good, along with the bad and the ugly of the past, they cannot see the value in cultivating a positive attitude to the club's heritage, which is bigger than any owner. FF is right to raise this issue, as every self respecting club owner ought to show due deference to the deep history that makes their club what it is. If nothing else, it is good business sense. Perhaps the owners could signal this by showing some interest in supporting any move to support Kevin Moore as a start?

I saw him play once. I was 11, on a school trip from Northern Ireland to see Man U v Saints at old Trafford in 1972. I wasn't a Saints fan - I had no reason to be. I wasn't a Man U fan either. I'd never been to a game before. It was just a great occasion for a kid brought up without any 'proper' football to attend and without a club to support. If memory serves me right, Kidd, Charlton & Best (pen) scored for Man U before half time, all down our end. Ron then scored 2 for Saints second half and left a bigger impression with me than Best, Charlton or any of the better known (to me) players. Little did I know at the time I'd come to live in the Southampton area and become a Saint. Now I'm so pleased I had this early connection to Saints and had the chance to see a legend to many of my now fellow supporters, if only once. Tiny memory, and insignificant compared to that of Saints fans of the time, but special to me.

I really enjoyed Forest at the end of last season. Despire our plight, Saints fans were fantastic, supporting the team to the end and the respect shown to Wotte and the team at the end was terrific. And we had one last pop at Roops. 'Down cos of Rupert, we're going....' For noise, Newcastle on a Wed night if my memory isn't failing me, the year of, 'I'd love it, love it...' and they were pushing United for the title. We lost 1-0 I think, but we couldn't make any noise at all from start to finish - you just couldn't hear yourself with their constant noise.

The only problem with this formation is that everything is coming from the right. Neither Lallana nor Mellis want to go near the left touchline and thus Harding is prevented from getting forward as he has no wide support in front and then little help defending when we loose the ball. Against BR and Gillingham, everything came from the right or down the middle. Presumably clubs will quickly suss this out and clog up the right hand side - where will we be then?

Well said Greg Hill. Crouch made mistakes in the Lowe/Wilde debacle and paid dearly for them from his own pocket. But still he put his hand in his own pocket again to keep the club alive when things were dire. He may then have made further mistakes in getting involved with Pinnacle and paid for that too. So, he made mistakes but despite the personal cost, he kept sticking his head above the parapet, because he had his heart in the right place as a true supporter of the club. Give me someone like that any day over people who talk a good game but who never put their neck on the block and then say, 'I never made a mistake'.

And who else would we play at RB with Murty and Thomas out? James has his weaknesses but he gives his all and never lets his head drop, even when it's not working for him (as at Carlisle). He's lightweight and sometimes puts himself in trouble with his first touch but he's a really good pro for a youngster. I'm never sorry to see him in the team - at least I know he will show.

I agree that Lallana is working well off Lambert. He looks comfortable in a central role where his movement causes real problems. But, he is not a finisher. Mellis clearly has great talent but he just doesn't want to be out wide. He seldom gave Harding options and got in Lallana's way a number of times by drifting inside. He also consistently failed to track back in support of Harding. Scheiderlin hits a lovely 40 yard ball, but he does it from wher it's easy - deep and in space and it doesn't hurt anyone. That's three very talented players we have at this level, but none of them are playing clearlt defined roles that they are expert at or that cause real trouble. It is Pardew's job to try to make sense of this talent. 4-5-1 at Carlisle and 4-2-3-1 last night didn't do it. What else should he try?

Mills from the right, James from the left and then right when Mills went off. Pretty much all corners were poor. Hammond took one near the end from the right which was the best corner all day. Crosses were poor too; from too deep and seldom near Lambert. Width is poor, we are wasting Lambert.

If anyone knows of someone who has previous experience of implementing a radical youth policy, delivering a new stadium, developing an innovative training facility and who has world class PR skills, perhaps, in the spirit of close geographical kinship, they could pass on contact details to Mr Al-Fahim. It would be comforting to think that they might then go on to emulate the recent achievements of their neighbours?

I went to Malmo v AIK last night. A very entertaining 0-0. Some lovely football from Malmo but all a bit lightweight - you can see why anders didn't really work out at Saints. Great atmosphere and the Swedbank Stadion is a beautiful stadium - would be perfect for us with our crowd sizes. 15,500 were there and great to see a large terrace for the home fans behind the goal. If they can manage it, why can't we? The few hundred AIK fans made a lot of noise with a range to songs to embarrass us thought a few seemed to be more interesting in showing how hard they were to the police. But a great spectacle - reminded me of Poortvliet football when it worked.

Are we sure that Forest haven't just got him mixed up with Kenwyn? "For Forest, the capture of McGoldrick would provide another powerful physical option in attack for Billy Davies"