Pwoite

I'm liking this more and more. Saints appear to have done it again, so well done the black box. Must have had this lined up for a while, hence the easy release on Victor, okay we've known for a year, and the bluff of no replacement planned. Great. Also, from the comments above, sounds as though this man can pass, which Victor always struggled with that side of his game. Might also mean fewer cards, so less hanging on in case of another reckless tackle. Maybe we let Big Sam have Harry Reed for next season on loan, to develop him, rather than Matty Targett!

Excellent news, but is he good enough to drop straight into the first team, or one for the future? Guess he needs to be better than Classe or Romeu to get a start, or maybe just needs to wait till the first red card! Either way, sounds like someone we can develop and then sell on just after the kids have managed to spell his name correctly to go on their replica shirts, for a large profit!

Yes, we all like Ron, and we all want Ron to stay, but there is another angle. Koeman has a year to run on his contract. As it stands he is a lame duck manager, leaving in twelve months time, moving on to the promised 'bigger job'. The club has to avoid this last twelve months running down, in the same way it does with a player, though for differing reasons. So, either sign him up for a longer term contract, to keep him longer term or at least make it look that way, and thereby eliminating the 'lame duck', or move him on now. So, we've offered the apparently longer contract, but Everton have come along and gazumped us. We get some compensation if he goes, and we don't have a lame duck. We bring in a new manager when we are on the crest of the wave, sixth and Europe, whereas in twelve months we might be crashing and burning, with the manager, Koeman, moving out and players not committed. A new manager in today's position is coming in when we can bargain high stakes, but in a year our hand might be so much weaker that we cannot attract the same level of candidate. So, has Les Reed played a good hand here? Only he and a few others really know the possibility of Ron staying on for more than another year, but if Les reckons Koeman would be gone this time next year, then maybe he is playing a blinder. So, yes, he will come out with the PR speak, but, TBH, what else can he do or say?

How many of those mentioned will still he here next season? How many contracts expire and won't be renewed or even on contracts will be sold on or released? Not sure when our retained list will be published, but I can see quite a few disappearing club, especially if the general view is that our youngsters really aren't that good a generation.

E Apart from JWP and Targett, where or when will our much vaunted youths ever get a look in? There is Martina and Caulker to consider, as well, so what hope Seager, McQueen, Hesketh, Gape, Sims or anyone else? How good do they have to be to break in. Even Harry Reed is now about sixth in the peeking order. Whilst on one level this is great, we have strength in depth, on the other, aren't we supposed to have one of the top three academies in the country?

An excellent result but to what extent was it our performance that was better or the opposition that was worse? Whatever, we seized the opportunity, but overnight the failings of our back four cannot have disappeared. Midfield, Prowsie was better, but again, how come we can suddenly up his game after years of not quite being there? Up front a suspect the players had a real opportunity to play to their skills, but they were given that much more time. The question for me is whether the performance yesterday is a foundation to build on, or a flash in the pan against weak ten man opposition? Can the players produce that form against a Swansea or Spurs, never mind an Arsenal or Man City? I remain to be convinced, but it certainly feels a better place to be after that match than it had after Thursday's.

Total rollicking, but with a 'B'

Every time we bring another 'filler' in, it pushes back the opportunity for one of the kids. And Koeman was supposed to be pro youth! Sadly, it seems less like happening, perhaps there aren't any consider good enough.

We would have to buy three good players or keep Morgan and buy two to set eighth, especially with Europe looming. Suspect 14th is more likely.

Someone wake me up or take the mushrooms away. We keep going from strength to strength. Someone, somewhere has got something right!!

Having played some of the last two games, it would appear that Cork is ahead of both Reed and Taider at present. Okay, we may bring someone else in, though the clock is ticking, but Koeman is either getting more impressed by Jack, or very determined to shop window him. As he gave the man forty five minutes of a game we wanted to win, and brought him on as a strategic change, one has to think Jack's star is back on the ascendency.

Just re quoting previous comments from the Forum....lol Find you, I've still yet to find anyone playing for us that is good enough for the team in everyone's eyes - except perhaps Gastos, as he hasn't played so can't be slagged off yet!

Bit dangerous saying Lovren was made to look good by those around him last season, whilst saying Shaw is far from the finished item, Fonte is not really Prem material and Chambers was not a regular first team pick. I have to presume it must have been down to Jack Cork to bring out the best in them all. Or, perhaps, having Guly on the bench!!!

Interestingly money has bought us players that look as though they might be a team. Maybe it's the bigger the deal, the bigger the ego.

Interestingly money has bought us players that look as though they might be a team. Maybe it's the bigger the deal, the bigger the ego.

Whilst one game is too early to make too many assumptions, but here goes.... We should be comfortable this season The squad is probably as good as last season's was, overall We have more depth this season We might be too lightweight in front of goal Not many other PL teams look like overtaking us this season Can we therefore finish eighth again? And, if we do, can we then push on from there or will we go into meltdown again next summer with another generation tapped up by the top six? Will the top clubs have to always dismantle potential challengers to ensure their own status is preserved?

Whilst one game is too early to make too many assumptions, but here goes.... We should be comfortable this season The squad is probably as good as last season's was, overall We have more depth this season We might be too lightweight in front of goal Not many other PL teams look like overtaking us this season Can we therefore finish eighth again? And, if we do, can we then push on from there or will we go into meltdown again next summer with another generation tapped up by the top six? Will the top clubs have to always dismantle potential challengers to ensure their own status is preserved?

Exactly my view, and why he slipped down behind Davis and Cork in Poch's pecking order. His good points, I fully accept, but we need the near complete package. Now, if he can score ten goals a season, unlike Jack, then that moves him back up, but being articulate won't win us games.

Whilst Jack is one of those players who wears his heart on his sleeve, and therefore gets fans support, his all action play flatters to deceive. He cannot score, which should be a fundamental part of the game of a player in his position, and he does not control a match. In fact, his all action style probably is his downfall, as he lacks the steadying control of Morgan or Wanyama. If he could add half a dozen goals a season to his locked, it would increase his reputation no end.

Neither Fonte nor Davis will be guaranteed starters if we get in Rojo and Van Dijk, with the midfielders already signed, so neither is an ideal captain. Morgan would be a far better choice, but his recent behaviour rather rules that out. Who else is guaranteed a start? Neither Clyne nor Wanyama strike me as natural leaders. Who else speaks good enough English to do the job?

Any more news on the rumoured medical due today and where the patient is liable to be English, Dutch, Moroccan or Argentinian?

Now can anyone predict a table at this stage, when players are still being transferred? By this time next week I'd hope that our position, with players in, will be totally different from where we were a couple of days ago. Ings, Forster, Rojo and a couple more suddenly is worth at least five places in the PL. Add Classee (sp), and potentially better still. Currently I see us around 16th, but with the rumoured names in, up to tenth, and with a couple of good surprises we might match last year's performance. (I think the consensus is that we were actually better than our final placing last season, but just didn't deliver against the top clubs above us. Give Koeman instill that belief when Poch couldn't? Mind you, if we don't get these players in, I'm all prepared to put that rubber sheet back in place!

We could but it would mean any new purchases were catching splinters on the bench!

Has anyone thought that we have delayed announcements until after the new kit was announced? Makes perfect sense. Don't want incoming players lamely holding up an old scarf. Suspect there will be good news next week, and each and every one resplendent in the stripes.

Exactly my point. About ten from the o21s who we consider good, plus the kids, and that's why we will need about eight new faces.