shurlock

Fact is that Saga has enjoyed more goodwill from Saints fans than most other players. I've been amazed how quickly some arguably decent players have been slagged/written off while Saga's been seemingly untouchable.

My theory is that name-calling and personal abuse are more likely among fans who do not go to matches. Their reliance on the forum means that the relationship with supporters becomes more and more abstract, neglecting that we're all in this together. Instead forums become what they're most notorious for - places where you can say what the f uck you like without the normal accountabilities of face-to-face contact and posturing and point-scoring exercises where people boast how big their d icks are and how far they can hit a golf ball.

If Connolly stays fit (a biggish if) and current form (Saga's confidence is shattered, Rasiak's a give-a-f**k mercenary while Lambo's star is on the way up), everything says Lambo and Connolly. On paper, they're not even far behind Saga and Rasiak in terms of international goals scored - one area where Saga and Rasiak should have an advantage (based on faded glories of course). Will be interested to see what kind of understanding Lambo and Connolly strike up - but it has all the hallmarks of a great little and large partnership. And its not as if Saga and Rasiak had anything much going- they rarely played together. Its just incredible that there were Championship sides in the summer that wanted to buy Saga and Rasiak together off the rack.

I actually think we could "flip" him today and make a quick, tidy profit. To be fair to Rovers, they're not the biggest team in the world and Lambo is showing he can perform on a higher stage (yes, we're in the same division but there are added pressures and expectations playing for us). On the playing side, I also think he's improved since joining- it seems that previous clubs were willing to tolerate his curry and chips lifestyle whereas Pards has cut him no such slack, working hard on his fitness. Southampton FC Ricky Lambert is alot sharper and more agile.

Any form of cheating, however minor, to gain competitive advantage in a game is worse than MLT's boneheaded exploits.

From the Echo around the time of the Lambert transfer: 2002. Nathan Ellington. Bristol Rovers to Wigan. £1.2m 2001. Peter Thorne. Stoke to Cardiff. £1.7m 2001. Graham Kavanah. Stoke to Cardiff. £1m 1998. Barry Hayles. Bristol Rovers to Fulham. £2m 1997. Chris Coleman. Blackburn to Fulham. £2m I wonder what £2m then is worth in today's inflated monopoly money. £1m is cheap as chips by comparison.

Was thinking the same thing

Not the first time he's cut in from the left Is he a naturally left-sided player or does he run both channels? Yesterday, he seemed to hug the left touchline alot.

Can we go sliding through and play the ball and the man;)

St.Will does have a point, though. Even a perfectly valid point about loanees -and I agree with alps in principle- is overstated. Thus he states that 3 or 4 of our loanees are key players. If true, that's a big deal. But I don't think apart from Trotman, any of the others -Papa, Mellis (i don't think we have a 4th loanee)- come into this category just yet. And when talking about squads in the division, lets not forget that most other clubs are just as, if not more, reliant on loanees and thus face similar or greater risks.

Agree - just look at recent history: we were up sh*tcreak after Jack Cork went to Watford, even though it looked like a virtual certainty right to the final week he would be returning/staying. And to a lesser extent, Pearce's surprise recall by Reading left a hole, though we ultimately found JPS. Can't leave anything to chance. Always good to own your players, especially if they're young and improving. Match experience can raise the value of the player no end; yet with loanees, having made the investment and provided them the opportunities, you ultimately enjoy none of the return on them.

Completely agree. We need one more experienced, powerful midfielder.

MK Dons pace and movement might cause a few problems for our not always mobile CBs.

I don't we have enough in midfield, especially a decent holding player. And a pacy CB wouldn't go amiss.

Back from the game and buzzing. Am now rediscovering the art of looking forward to Sunday football on Sky, happy in the knoweledge that we've done the business for another week. A few thoughts: Needless to say, it was a great result, especially as we've now scored 12 goals in our last 4 league games and scoring was one of the big worries at the start of the season (see all the threads devoted to the subject). That said, there are still a few frailties - I never felt safe at 2 up yesterday, notwithstanding the chances to put Oldham out of their misery (compare with Southend, Stockport where I did feel comfortable). Maybe its just irrationality -the nervousness of the last few years but there are weaknesses. Lack of mobility at the back sticks out above all. Kieran Parker was a real hand full and moved in around the likes of Trotman, Jaidi and Wotton with too much ease. There were also moments of indecision and casualness at the back that the team needs to iron out *Am I the only one to think that KD is not communicating enough with his CBs?). Just looking ahead -say the MK Dons game, a quick and busy team, suggests that problems of pace could undo our undeniable progress in other areas (not least our ability to defend setpieces, long balls etc). Yesterday's best players were Hammond and Lambert again . Lambert faded a bit second half; but there was a spell in the first half, just after he got his goal, in which he was awesome (of course hitting the bar from just past the half-way line will cloud anyone's judgment - wouldn't have been far behind his Luton goal). To repeat, we look really dangerous in the air - setpieces no longer peter out or are a foregone conclusion in aimlessness and predictability. A nice header at the backpost from Lambo set up Lallana for a headed chance that was probably a bigger sitter than Schneiderlin's (though Lallana did have to reach his neck back to keep the header under control). I also think Hammond was excellent. In particular, he seemed to carry Schneiderlin and Wotton in the physical department. After they got their goal, our midfield was overrun not for the first time this season -not surprising after your opponents perk up- but the signs were already there in the first half. We are a bit too open at times: if we could bring in a holding midfielder in the mould of a Lee Carsley or Karl Henry and replace for the willing and, to be fair, improving but ultimately limited Wotton, that would be the final piece in the jigsaw. We looked dangerous down our right handside - James had a very good game, making himself constantly available for the cross-field ball. Waigo was hit-and-miss, giving the ball away that led to their goal. But these are still early days for Waigo and adjusting to the game, especially away from home, will take time- I doubt in Italy, players are brutally mowed down from behind as Waigo was in the 2nd half without the ref batting an eyelid Antonio looked good when he came on - a beast of a man or a kid, with some trunk of a behind, giving him a surprisingly low centre of gravity. He gets his head down and just charges at fullbacks; and if his trickery doesn't do the biz, more likely or not, his sheer physicality and power will. Brutal simplicity at its best. The true meaning of an impact player Connolly looked class when he came on - not just his deftly taken goal - the way he deliberately opened his body up, telegraphing that he would go far post (as the keeper and the rest of us thought) but instead coolly slipped the ball near post was sweet - burt also the composure of his play: his ability to slow things down, to look up before playing the ball, to smuggle into space. It was just what we needed when things were going a bit headless. I liked Boundary Park, the way its dug into the ground, like a decrepit soup bowl, a grotty northern ampitheatre. Surprisingly, very few balls went into the carpark - perhaps L1 isn't all that poor . Refs still continue to shock and appall - this ref probably thought he was hot sh*t and ultra-progressive by "allowing the game to flow" and not resorting to the book but there were a few incidents -a tackle on Harding in the first half, a challenge from behind on Waigo, a 2-on-2 on the edge of their box in the 2nd half to name but just a few- where the game was totally out of his control. Contrary to some posters, thought the atmosphere was pretty good - having some northern monkeys to your right is always a call to arms. The Lambo chant is diffusing nicely; we've decided to keep the Lallana chant nice and simple; and the Connolly chant is an easy, plug-and-play adoption of the Sunderland/Rasiak chant. All in all, a very enjoyable day - while I sound critical in places, shouldn't be too arrogant and think its all down to us. Oldham also deserve some credit and as their form suggests, this is a team that up until yesterday was sky-high on confidence.

Our yoof did their best to match them in that department. The parading up at and down the terrace -and at one point their rush for the exit, intimating they wanted to take "it" outside was comical. A bunch of queer thespians from Eton performing Football Factory could have done a more authentic job; if they're going to have a go, have a go - otherwise relax. T*ssers.

No.

no doubt with results like that, the FIFA lancashire is nowhere near the lad's f**king team.

Was he in the squad/on the subs bench? if so, I doubt with the travelling/jetlag he'll be ready for Saturday.

We were linked to him earlier on in the season around the time we got Dean Hammond = and nothing came of it. Is this just reheated old news?

True- Connolly changes things, meaning even more competition in midfield.

See Mellis has been in the goals for England U-19s. http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1825790,00.html Seen enough of him to believe that having started slowly, he's got better and better and will have a big few months for us. Raises interesting selection questions with Schneiderlin also enjoying a bit of form (Schneiderlin was much further forward against Southend, effectively playing Mellis role). What is our current best midfield? I guess with Waigo, Lallana on the upfront/on the wings, its 3 from Wotton, Mellis, Hammond and Schneiderlin. I would go for Mellis and two from the others. I also think Perry could do Wotton's job but that's another discussion.

Bearing in mind the team of the week accolade, will be interested to see if Schneiderlin starts against Oldham or if Mellis comes back in. Its three from Wotton, Hammond, Mellis and Schneiderlin. Personally, I'd like to see Perry try Wotton's role but failing that just start Hammond, Mellis and Schneiderlin, even away from home.

Seeing that the "happy clappers" are enjoying their 3-wins-in-a-row time in the sun; and seeing that all good things must come to an end and the "doom-mongerers" will sooner or later be back with their knives out, there's a simple way to settle things: why don't we just use the prediction league to see which posters -the alleged happy-clappers and doom-mongers- come out on top? Of course, both groups furiously deny these labels, preferring to see themselves as 'realists' and 'pragmatists'. Using the prediction league would at least show who's closer to the mark.

While he didn't have much to do on Friday, his lack of communication with Jaidi and Trotman was pretty worrying. Confusion and edginess in the box might have cost us another day. Perhaps KD is one of those keepers that needs to be kept busy and be making saves to operate at his best (why he was good in the CCC?). A concentration/confidence thing - who knows? His best Saints game to date was against Huddersfield when he was heavily involved but then has conceded 'soft' goals in games -Bristol Rovers, Torquay and Gillingham- when he has arguably had the least to do. Needless to say, L1 is going to throw up more quiet games than action-packed ones...