Lallana's Left Peg

Anyone else see the Saints fan there who was on Celebrity Juice - the chap who has Keith Lemon tattooed on his leg He was down at the front during the warm-ups getting autographs and pictures.

I didn't think we were hanging on for 20mins at the end at all. Perhaps we weren't as threatening, but neither were they. Today was a very impressive performance and Seabourne was very strong in the air and kept things simple when defending. A great spirit shown on the pitch and some of the football was superb. Players disappointed to be subbed which means they are enjoying it and want to contribute.

Net spend of £0 though, but wage bill significantly increased.

No reason why Dickson couldn't be backup on the left-wing, especially if Puncheon goes. Can't assume Holmes will always be fit as a backup.

It is Danny Fox.

Absolutely stunning deal for the club. Cortese has done really well here. I look forward to seeing how we improve the squad.

Pretty sure the the action and sound is taken from this:

It wasn't that long ago that the French U21 Manager (or a member of the national team stuff at one of the age group levels) was giving Schneiderlin grief saying he needed to be playing at a higher level. Do we think that the Championship will appease that requirement because I hope he stays - would be good to get his contract sorted before the start of the season. 12 months left on a good players contract is a dangerous thing for the owning club.

Accept your point but wouldn't be surprised to see him leave and no-one come in after him - especially as De Ridder has been signed.

I obviously do not know this, but I wouldn't mind betting we've already accounted for him leaving this summer. Whether that means the fees / wages for Cork and De Ridder eat into the 'Puncheon saving' or if it just means we've not spent it yet I don't know either but I don't imagine the club saw a situation where Puncheon would stay.

I wasn't aware his spell at Doncaster wasn't great. I don't think his time at Middlesbrough was good either judging from the number of appearances he made. When he was at Sheffield United he looked very good and strong. Anyway, someone with his attributes would be ideal as Fonte is a decent sweeper.

I agree that the perfect partner for Fonte would be a CB who attacked the ball in the air. Jaidi is good but old, and Martin has promise but there are no guarantees with his performances. I do not know if he is available but someone like Matthew Kilgallon at Sunderland would be good. Experienced in this league, aggressive, rated at this level, and attainable for a club like us if he was willing to spend time on loan at Doncaster last season.

What is the threshold then? Can someone who plays in a lower league not be considered to have a better 'football brain' than someone in a higher league purely because of the level they play at? Walcott is like a headless chicken at times and he is a very good player when he has to act on instinct and has no options to think about. With players ahead of him and the ball at his feet, it is atrocious at times. I see the composure and maturity in Chamberlain's game that I didn't in Walcott at the same age. Then again, I thought Walcott would go on to be brilliant and quite frankly he is a slightly above average player which is a massive comedown from what was expected of him when he broke through.

Nice. Plus £100 for an U11's season ticket is good.

Makes sense for Saints to do that. But might not make sense for Chamberlain to do that unfortunately.

Unfortunately if he stays with us this season next summer he will only have a year left on his contract which puts Saints at a bit of a disadvantage when demanding a high transfer fee. I understand how selling him may be for the greater good in terms of next season, but with respect to the long-term keeping him has many benefits off the pitch as well. It creates the right impression of the club in terms of having to sell all our best players, it shows how determined we are for our Academy graduates to have a career with the first team and not just be used as fuel to run the club, and it helps attract other players to the club when they see how we are growing and keep our best players. Chamberlain is a potentially important milestone the new era of the club. On the other hand if he determines he wants to leave then we need to let him go - but only on our terms.

Well if we can only base our opinion on what people tell us personally we're all in a world of trouble, aren't we? Adkins clearly hates him (there was a telling interview after the Charlton away game), plenty of rumours flying about but I don't think a player is made to train with the youth team unless there has been a big falling out and a sign of disrespect shown to either the club or the Manager. Puncheon's body language is atrocious at times and when push comes to shove, I'm far more inclined to support Adkins over Puncheon any day of the week. Luckily, the club feels the same way too. We know that team spirit is something Adkins rates highly so if Puncheon doesn't fit - either through his actions or he may be a bit of a loner in general, then get him out.

I base my opinion on the fact he told Adkins he wasn't 'mentally prepared' to play in a game for us when he came back from Millwall on loan and the speculation about his future was rife. So yeah, I think he is a *****.

We are fortunate enough to be in a financial position that we can take this sort of stance with talented players who have bad attitudes. Many clubs, including us for the majority of my life, have had to put up with it because what they offer on the pitch and not froze them out as we have with him. Long may it continue.

I don't want *too* much change though - team spirit is good now and we don't want to be starting again. Need the right balance.

"John Motson...was a bad choice."

Well if Forecast has the same impact on the team next season as the Waterboy did in that film then I think we'll be just fine!

I believe the Fonte award is the one we voted for as fans. I certainly e-mailed my vote to the club (as instructed by the club) and received acknowledgement that my vote had been registered.

Given we all think spirit and togetherness hasn't been this good for several years, I see nothing wrong with this trip whatsoever. A chance to celebrate together as a team (WAGS not going I believe) to ensure through thick and thin next season - and there will be little runs where we don't do well - one thing we won't be lacking is togetherness.

The blooding of youngsters is extremely important as it helps us attract talented kids in the future. Saints don't just pay lip service to their Academy - they genuinely view it for the purposes it exists: to provide players for the first team. I would definitely like to see some kids make the jump to the senior squad next year and make a contribution, but it isn't without risk. Championship football is physical and competitive, the circumstance has to be right.