dronskisaint

Freshest team at Wembley then! :-)

I'd be interested to know...my guess would have been around 3k but I'm not good at estimating!

Pretty poor quality game it has to be said..too many misplaced passes. Reading deserved to win on their second half performance and they have an enormous but very skilful bloke called Mette who our boys just bounced off...lesson too in pressure penalties. The good...Alfie Jones despite his awful penalty...soft and straight at the keeper...looks a calm and skilful defender, Slattery has the skills, Isgrove took his goal well but slipped in and out of the game and Harry Lewis is a good shot stopper. The bad...teamwise we were poor at passing, dreadful conditions but so many passes went astray from un-pressurised positions. And, dare I say - we didn't want it as much as Reading did? Not many/any ready to step up on that evidence but to be fair - the ones who are good enough in that age group have mostly already stepped up - ergo the system works!

Qualified out of the group stages Col...as I say not over-fussed, just enjoy seeing Saints teams play..as you'll recall from Kettering a few years back!

So it is doh!! I can go :-) - Thank you! In all honesty I'm delivering the boats that are on the truck to the South Coast but try and make my arrangements around whenever I can take in games....I enjoy watching the U18s, U23s et al and being up here it's not the trophy that's the draw...although I love that our kids have gone further than the Skates in it!

Had planned to be at St Mary's for the Reading game but fate in the shape of a delayed truck delivery has got in the way, Anyone know if there's a stream or commentary, youtube or anything for it? Cheers!

No!

Pushed the boat out ...A4 photocopy wall of gullibility!

A good news day all round! The boy has got some skill.. happy days!

Excellent - seemed to wobble a bit on his progress but that might have been to do with the Lying Dutchman - well pleased - South Coast boy too!

Jeez yes...I'd not thought of that in decades!! Also of that era...'Give it to Melia, give it to Melia On his hea-ad, shining he-ad' To the tune of The Troggs 'Give it to me'

Suspect Charlie would have had a field day...Boufal and Redmond creating plenty of chances...Bertrand on fire, another clean sheet...there are pluses out there, would have been nice to take all three points but give Stoke some credit for their ten man tenacity too. Roll on Sunday...

More pertinent is that if a player is determined to go it's very difficult to keep them....particularly if there is a big pay increase or signing on fee and that the club will look good on your 'played for' CV. I'd be very sad to see Jose go - he has been a massive part of the story of the last few years and has been inspirational as a captain and figurehead for the club so to see him leave on a sour note would not be what anyone would want...that being said when agents are involved seeing their own pay day it's unlikely to be that simple. I'd like him to see out his contract on enhanced pay then go to a top club in Portugal to play out his career...not go to another PL club but hey-ho...as long as we do our part as a club to keep him there's not much more to be done.

Are you mistaking me for someone you know?

I'd add that we've only been outplayed by Chelsea and Liverpool...we've been desperately unlucky to lose in Milan and Prague when we were the better team. The other teams that we've lost to we have been largely the team playing the better football ..even against Palace last week we were the ones playing sweeter football. I know I'll be decried because winning is everything BUT we have committed our teams at all levels to try and play in the same way, we are doing a lot of things right on the pitch and that's a very positive thing. Yes Tom - I'm feeling good...I stood at the final home match against Burnley when we went down to L1 and didn't feel positive at all. I know that those on here who throw big, brave internet warrior insults really don't have much else to say...I also stand in Block 39 with far more positive and knowledgeable people than post so prolifically on here, we're getting good gates despite the cost of so many matches..the blessings by far outweigh the negatives - I've counted!

Part of an era that was brilliant and constantly exciting for me as a kid - I remember his being signed - read in the Southern Evening Echo in those days! Commiserations to his family and friends..and thanks for his part in Saints first foray in to the top flight.

He's an excellent keeper who made a couple of bad errors today....so now we have to sell/replace/drop him??!! Forum collective bed-wetting at it's least admirable.

I remember being surprised when he was picked after coming back from the States. Nice story...nice for his family and a positive slant on a journalist for a change!

Because he wasn't for sale....? Just like Vic and Morgan he would have to wait until it suited everyone's agenda...bar the signing team perhaps but who give a sh*t about them.

Stream has been ok...better than most but had log in and password issues..hopefully solved...we'll see tonight! I have sportsnation hd too...again ok

And to stay with the subject....I think we'll know how well it's worked at the end of the season. I'm very heartened by the fact that (with the odd exception but that is football..) whoever slots in to the team whether squad or academy products manage to fit in to a system that is looking more and more effective as the season goes on. Sure we're not scoring enough goals but we're making the chances...I'd worry more if we weren't....and I have faith that these will come. I love the fact that the Academy lads have proved to be serious contenders for a place, not just a fill in because of injuries.

More negativity than a black battery terminal...

Way too young - condolences to his family and friends. What a last few years though in his supporter life!

Whilst not arguing with the general context of your post I'd question how booing your own team can be construed as support? I have booed referees, cheating play-acting opposition players, skates, ex-skates, dirty barstewards, linespeople, ex-Saints players but never our own team - it's that word support...I support Southampton through good and bad and have seen plenty of both but I support...the operative word being support...and booing is not a part of that.

Seriously...with that little knowledge of football??!