hutch

We could play all 3, and still win! But we'd have to go back to 4-5-1 against the 12-12-6

In a roundabout way, yes. I was born in Scotland. Paisley, home of Saint Mirren, also known up there as the Saints. Parents moved me to Southampton when I was 10, and I've been a "proper" Saint ever since, now more than 40 years. COYR

It ought to be. He is, after all, one of our full backs at the moment.

I'm eternally thankful that the cold war was history before we got George W.

I don't mind losing the first 3/4 of games any more. I know that we'll still run out winners after the full 94 minutes.

Yes, bl00dy annoying, isn't it, when we know that SkySports is showing Saints live, and we get some or other Portuguese game on DSTV instead. It happened a lot when we were in the CCC. There's no chance in L1. On the upside, when we get back to the Prem, DSTV show around 7 of the 10 PL games each weekend live, and the others are shown in full, but delayed. Roll on the Premier League!

A risk-free chance to try out a few alternatives to what is already a pretty good side? Different RB? Some say LJ isn't good enough. I don't agree, and he needs all the practice he can get, but give WT a game to remind us all how good LJ actually is? Different starter in CM instead of PW? Probably worth a try. Maybe Hammond, Morgan & Mellis, with Hammond in the deeper role. Or put Holmes on and drop AL back a bit. Try to get the opportunity to let MS break his scoring duck. I'm sure there are goals there when he gets the confidence. Left footer to take corners on the right, and vv? Harding & MS. And maybe (and being controversial here) Bart in goal to blow away the cobwebs. All IMHO, of course.

When's he going to get down to Oubaai for a round of golf?

The other one

Merrington's not sure if Alan Pardew will want to persevere with 4-5-1 for the second half. Apparently, the opening goal is the difference between the sides.

Subs before HT?

Well, I've looked all over Luton. I can't find bl00dy Orient.

Lived in Swaythling for a while. Went there often. I've seen Eric Martin & Jim Steele in there.

I suppose, at the moment, I'm technically a Pretorian.

Sad day. I can remember him fielding on the boundary for Gloucs. at the old County Ground on the Common. He was a good laugh, and quite a character, before he became an umpire. RIP

If they let us play another 36 games, that would give us a much better chance, in my opinion. Everybody else is only playing another 32

And if they do, we'll still be the same number of points off 6th.

I'm actually looking forward to the game at Elland Road in December. That's the first real opportunity, in my ipinion, for us to see just how far we've progressed. And there would be no real disgrace, or setback, if we lost up there. Whatever you think of them, there are only 2 proper PL-standard clubs in L1 at the moment, and Leeds is the other one.

That was the year Leeds went down. Son & I were on the train back from So'ton as far as Oxford after the game. The train was going on to Leeds, and was packed with them. We beat them 1-0 and they all knew they were going down. Never met such a miserable bunch in my life. But can you blame them? Champion's League to third division in the blink of an eye. Even I felt sorry for them.

They won't have to. Seems to me, in a nutshell, that the sk8's are using next years income to pay last years debts. If that really is the case, then it's only a matter of time, and not much more of that.

And that NZ are neither.

What, both of them?

The same 11 we started the last 2 games with. But what do I know. I'm not the manager, and don't profess to know anything about football management, so I suppose my real answer is whatever 11 AP thinks are most likely to win the game for us.

The OP was about starting 4-4-2 We haven't done that in any of the last 4 games we won. The change in formation half way through the game might be contributing to the result. Whatever it is, I like it, so stick with it.

Isn't it 5 if you count the cup game we won 2-2?