vince

SaintsWeb highlight of 2011? The last server upgrade - well done admin/mods for sticking with it, it is a thankless job. Taking my 5YO nipper to the ML tourny, getting his name on the back of a shirt and setting the seeds of future support. Only downside was the look of disappointment the next game when the funfair wasn't there....live with the highs and lows son, it's Saints, mush. Taking Leeds apart day 1. Hoped we'd do well, knew we could thereafter. 2011 has given me renewed hope after several years of despair. Come on, the Saints! [/rose-tinted-happy-clappy-couple-of-glasses-of-red-wine-mode-off]

As Derby are in the 4th round as well, we could lose the tie and still have the game moved if Derby win there game.

ManUre at home, followed by a repeat of the home form that followed!! :^)

Probably get slated for the suggestion, but I wouldn't mind Scott Carson. He's had a while out of the limelight in Turkey and might fancy a return by next season.

Bulls Head in Dorking will have it on, I've had a word with the landlord - I'll be in there. Funnily enough, I was in the Famous Three Kings for the Reading game as well, as I had a gig to go to in town that night.

Certainly looked good on the SSN clips - looked like he was initially going one way and made a great one handed stop after having to completely readjust the other way.

Goals just about to be shown on SSN....

Don't know what he said, but on the highlights you can see him giving it the "in my pocket" hand motions that Chappers tweeted after the game that Taricco said to him and AL as he walked off. What a kn*b.

Just got firstrowsports link to work - superb.

It's showing up on the BBC site as a live commentary: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9637762.stm

Radio commentary is on radio 5 Live sports extra again tonight for those of you out of the area with a digital radio: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b016k893 They seem to be putting us on quite a lot, so worth checking the listings.

Worth reading just for this: "There’s a certain symmetry with the Skates getting stuffed and watching **** flow down the drain." Made me laugh. A lot.

Quite a few people have mentioned the first part of the bit I've put in bold, but the second part probably explains it. If he had slotted passes into empty space for no one to run onto, he'd have been slated for giving away possession, so to my mind, doing what he did was exactly the right thing to do. If, with the likes of Adam, Chaplow, Connolly, Rickie, LB all running into those spaces and he still turns round and does that, I'll change my opinion. It'll be interesting the next time he plays to see how he does.

I thought it was fairly even until the scuff that gave them the chance for the first. Forte was useless, nothing stuck off him and he didn't seem to get involved, and Reeves looked isolated as a result. I spent a bit of time watching Ward-Prowse in midfield, rather than follow the ball, just to see how he played and read the game. I thought he was very assured, making simple passes early on, keeping possession. It will be interesting to see his stats on completed passes as he didn't give the ball away that often (there was one hollywood pass as mentioned above in the first half that went completely wrong, leave those to Morgan, lad). His movement off the ball was good, generally finding space and not afraid to shout or try to direct play when off the ball too. There was one bit of play where Cork won the ball in the center, found himself carrying it forward, where WP slotted back into the vacant center half gap. I think he will become a very good player. And our support was fantastic - don't think they will need that many stewards next Tuesday, when the blue few visit, tbh.

I'm in London for a gig in Brixton tonight and will be trying the Famous 3 Kings in West Kensington, seems to be able to put different games on, according to this: http://www.sportspubs.co.uk/new_detail.php?pubscode=161 There was a thread on London pubs earlier in the week and this one was mentioned.

Just phoned up for a ticket for this and was told the next allocation has been delayed in the post and they are expecting then in after 5pm.

The game is going to be broadcast on Radio 5 Live Sports Extra tonight for those of you with access to digital radio.

Hearts and Feyernood - both good trips. Sutton Utd, not so cosmopolitan.

Logical after a fashion. Basically, completely remove the 2nd place team, they don't exist. Place us above the 3rd team, that's what you need to beat, as that's where we need to finish to be 2nd, since you've removed the 2nd team from history - you only need to beat what 3rd achieved, not what 2nd actually got. Averaged over the last 12 seasons, 3rd got nearly 82 points, beat that, and you're probably up. To get back to the original question, personally i thought we would start "ok" since we already had a winning mentality and had not lost any significant part of the squad. Oxo would be a thought, but he wasn't involved much in the run in where we were unstoppable, and we had added Jack Cork into that squad - basically, we were playing well and knew how to win. I'm pleasantly surprised that we are top, but we had momentum on our side. I'm going to enjoy the ride for as long as I can, it's been a long time coming.

Points to finish in an automatic place gives a slightly different perspective: 2010/11 2nd place 84 2009/10 2nd place 91 2008/09 2nd place 83 2007/08 2nd place 79 So 80 points has only been good enough to finish 2nd in one of the last 4 seasons. In fact going back further, it looks like mid to high 80's would be needed to *finish* 2nd http://www.footymad.net/football-league-tables/?divno=63&ssnno=141

apologies if this has been posted already, but there is radio commentary on 5 live sports extra of the game tonight for those of you with a digital radio.

It's going to be interesting to see how we respond to the first defeat of the season last time out and whether we have the determination and belief to bounce back straight away. In some ways, the manner of how we play is more important than the result. However, the way we've been playing so far, I'd expect us to win at home today.

I've always thought something for Connolly to the tune of REM's Orange Crush would work (sure you lot can improve on my first stab below): "Connolly, Dave Connolly, he'll get us goals, he'll get them in a rush, Connolly, Dave Connolly, he'll get us goals, he'll get them in a rush, We'll be scoring, fast and free, He's had his fun and now it's time to... serve one up to Rickie please, coming in fast, over me, oh, oh, oh, oh...... Connolly, Dave Connolly, he'll get us goals, he'll get them in a rush......."

Tuesday 3rd February, 2009, home v Sheffield Utd was the last league game were we had less (13,257). That was the only home league game that season with less, although I suspect Doncaster on Sat 17th Jan (15,837) may have been a contender, but it was probably twinned with the ManUre cup game. And yes, I'm bored and was curious!!

All our goals looked pretty good in the clips just now, long may it continue. Feeling quite pleased with my 14/1 on winning the thing and 175/1 e/w on Connolly as top scorer. Time will tell, but lets all have a disco......................... :^)