team-saint

Lallana was a pretty unique player for us in our recent history. Anyone trying to rewrite history now he's left is wrong. Last season he was really outstanding for us and the best player we've had in the 12-13 years that I've been watching us. However, having watched Tadic in all our games now... I'm willing to make the assertion that Tadic brings more to the team than Lallana did. Lallana's main strength was his dribbling, whereas Tadic he is a better crosser, has more of an eye for a pass and crucially his decision making in the final third is better than Lallana's in my opinion. So overall, both great players for us, but I'm willing to claim that Tadic is an improvement

I thought he looked decent on saturday without really been tested at all defensively. Tonight he really confirmed that, won most things in the air and on the ground, much quicker than you might expect, and did a good job of defending the box along with Fonte once we were under a bit of pressure. Didn't mess around with it in the way that Lovren sometimes used to do either (e.g spurs away). Overall very promising

Didn't notice Chambers coming across, but Chamberlain certainly did. Boos for Chambers were harsh as well IMO

Got a spare ticket for tonight for face value (£10). Text me at oh seven nine 1 four three 1 eight oh three one if you want it, I can meet you outside, block 23. Tom

Had some good games in the prem, but I think this debate has been done to death now. He'll be a good signing for Norwich.

So you've got racist, anti-semitic, sexist and homophobic texts on your phone then??

While it's worrying seeing so many leave at once... we just got 16m for our second best right back

did you watch the game on saturday?

Not true though is it. In the premier league era 10 English teams have participated in the champions league: Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City, Spurs, Liverpool, Everton, Newcastle, Leeds, Blackburn Man City and Chelsea have both broken the top four within the last 10 years. Obviously it takes significant investment to become established in the top four in a way that Spurs, Liverpool, Everton and Newcastle have been unable to do, but it isn't impossible to qualify. In any case, who is to say we won't ever attract a super rich investor to fund our way there?

That's just not true though. Suarez hardly scored any for most of his first full season at Liverpool and even after finding a bit of form at the end of the season only had 11 league goals. I think we have 3 good strikers who all offer us something different. Osvaldo is a box striker who gets in the right place at the right time and will score goals. He's scored 3 at home having started 4 games and come on before half time in another, plus a few briefer appearances off the bench, which is a decent record. Away from home I agree he has been poor but that's because he is far more suited to home games where we are dominating and pushing the opposition deep. I don't think Poch has really worked out when to play which striker yet but I think we he does we will look much better. Playing all three away from home obviously doesn't work. Osvaldo cannot lead the line away from home, but looks much more likely to score than Lambert when we're at home. I'd start Rodriguez whoever we're playing, but rotate Lambert and Osvaldo depending on the game. When we're chasing a game Poch seems to like having all three on at once but the team looks unbalanced when this happens as we usually sacrifice someone who can deliver a ball and end up hoofing it.

I seem to remember that we would have lost this fixture without Gaston last year, as he made and scored our only goal. He is our best player at unlocking defences when he is on form and wins a lot of free kicks in good positions. I would say this is exactly the type of game we need him!

1) He mostly played very well yesterday 2) It was bloody windy of course he might overhit a few free kicks especially as there were all from the right wing where he was kicking with the wind 3) He scored the goal and it was a solo goal! The only other saints player who arguably had anything to do with that goal was Boruc with the original kick! Without him we would have lost 1-0

Welbeck is the new Heskey

So I am planning on taking the woman to see this but I have never been to The RAH or to see this production. I'm hoping some of you have done one or the other or ideally both and could advise me on where to sit for the best view. Any help is much appreciated. TS.

The Verve

The linesman clearly gave a corner and then changed his decision. Was a very clear save.

From what I've seen of him he looks a bit lightweight. I think NA is trying to let him settle in gradually which is the right approach. Remember Guly took a while to adjust last season. De Ridder will come good but he shouldn't be pushed into the team and expected to be a world beater.

Turkish vigilante group attacking youths in Hackney

Exactly, no-one is condoning the behaviour of the rioters but there is a reason why some boys become angry young men.

You must be having a laugh? Only Brighton have conceded less than us. Jaidi has been one of our most important players this season.

The bird near Basingstoke is an immature White-tailed Sea Eagle. It is the same bird that was present in the New Milton area from early January.

Good post, completely agree.

Jake from winchester: "Nigel Adkinson is not going to get us to the premiership; we need someone more consistent like Phil Brown":facepalm:

I thought the lad looked off the pace tbh, and that was only in the warm up.

jack Whitehall and james corden