dronskisaint

Er - that would be us? We've not played badly even during the December run but have had key players not at their best which makes the results harder to come by. Would you be wanting to play us at the moment? Game was dire on Saturday but in the previous three league games we've been playing our preferred kind of football...with RK's new system. NB - RK=Ronald Koeman, manager! ;-)

You jest, surely?

'He hates P*mpey' :-)

CTH 6 for me...stuttering but there

Probably Ricky's last goal at St Mary's? :-(

I guess Kevin Phillips will have mixed feelings about this...on the one hand he won't get to hear the 'She sh***** Brett Ormerod' chants but on the other hand...Brett will have time on his hands and some tempting sandwich fillings....:-) I liked him...real trier, not blessed with great skill but would never give up..Happy retirement!!

He got here at last, He got here at la-ast Charlie Austin He got here at last

I guess because Gazza played Monday night - he ought to be ahead of Sooper Kel on Saturday I guess as Stek's out.

Are you in Block 39 Chez? We seem to get the same view of games!

Quality definition of too many people inhabiting these portals' outlook :-)

The fact that he's a quality prospect seems to have gone under the radar here - I've seen quite a bit of our youth games over the last couple of years and he's looked a consistently good performer. Sh*t at the Norwich game but they all were! Still think the story is ****** though.....

Just buy the shirt, chap, you want you pay...!

Mane will be in, Vic's suspended - not sure what that will indicate?

I don't boo Saints players - Mane appears to have problems with his timekeeping and general approach to life and it is essential, in my opinion, to be on time for the final team meeting. Surely this would be the one where roles are reinforced, opposition weaknesses are drummed in...effectively the last chance to drum in what has been worked on in the run up - for 17 players to be there and one not be organised or bothered enough shows disrespect to the other 17 as well as the manager and misses the chance to ingest all that information. I agree Vic has not been the same player as last year...part of that, again in my opinion, is that he's not got one of Europe's top DMs alongside of him but whereas he got away with a slightly lackadaisical style and some random passing last year, this year it's him who is supposed to be 'the man' and he's being shown up as not ready for that yet. He can do it as the Arsenal game showed but I suspect he's always going to have a bit of a liability streak in his game - the fouls yesterday were both unnecessary...the second whilst on a yellow - downright unprofessional. I'll support both as long as they wear the shirt - when we went one down against Spurs Sadio was the one on the half way line geeing us up for the restart - I don't think he lacks motivation, more organisation. Wanyama...not so sure....

This is the game I watched...Norwich crowd were dire is all I'd add.

Are you Turkish in disguise?!

Often happens after a run that more losses follow...and we're not actually playing crap ...

This - we are still playing good football but the understanding between new players and current squad is taking longer to bed in this year. Also we looked f*kt, burnt out for the last 6 weeks of the season under Poch...expect Spuds to suffer similarly only they have a bigger pool of quality players to rotate (thanks to the Bale money, fuggit) but hopefully the first signs will be on Saturday!!

Aside from the tyrolling nature of the post I think you do the club an injustice regarding recruitment...Mane, Bertrand, VVD, Wanyama, Tadic, Pelle have all proved to be excellent buys. The jury is still out on Cedric, Romeu and Juanmi and the regular knives are out for JWP and Targett. Many clubs who have similar budgets to ourselves would drool over the quality and potential amongst those. No lack of effort or technique in recruiting or developing there then. It's often said that we are punching above our weight and that will always be the case whilst the FFP rules are in place, it's effect (whether intended or not) is to maintain the status quo by allowing those who have spent and can spend to continue to do so while capping clubs like ours. We're currently mid-table and having a dip in our results of the type that happens to all clubs during the season - it's football but I think our board and backroom staff remain focused on where we are going and how to achieve it without living beyond our means...take a look at the evil-smelling end of the M27 for an example of what doing that brings! On the youth and Academy side - I saw an absolutely awful U21 performance the other night but on the flip side I've been lucky enough to see both U18 and U21 sides a few times this year and have been as impressed as I was unimpressed at the Norwich match..it's the nature of development squads to experiment and to lack consistency but the encouraging thing was that they play football like the first team...it's a philosophy that's good to see and can't fail to bring youngsters through when they're ready and it's the italicised phrase that fans seem to have problems with - it happens at different speeds! Finally...the buzz appears to have gone from where you (Alpine) are...I think that may be the problem. Get over and see some games, we may have got over our blip and you'll understand that things feel better amongst (as in within the crowds) where it happens.

Weird...

Now I really do smell fish...flat fish, bottom feeding fish....

The voice of reason, so would I!....Plus I have faith and expectation of an improvement in understanding between the players, it's taken longer for that to manifest itself this year over last but, in my optimistic opinion, will happen.

Dreadful post...we have a developing player who is obviously rated by all the managers that he has played for and will only improve with time on the pitch and in the gym and the usual detractors wade in with their 'expert' views. Get behind the lad like those who attend games do, he is one of ours who will go on to be a great player for us.

Unfortunately our defence and goalkeeper saw fit to copy it a little later...I can forgive poor but not just giving up!

Well that was just embarrassing! On that evidence Seager was the only one who came out with any credit....for defenders read spectators, not often I'm unable to find some hopeful or creditable things to say about a Saints team but I'd dock their wages and get them in at 6am for extra training...I can forgive individual errors but the pathetic surrender and abregation of responsibility is hard to take - there were no leaders, no fighters - if Norwich wanted the ball they just took it, if they shot then Isted watched it go by him. So, no, we haven't got anyone ready for first team football aside from Seager..I've watched Hesketh, Gape and Reed in the past and thought them worth a go but not after this. They should hang their heads in shame for the surrender...lack of fight for the shirt is unforgiveable!