Max

He's in the form of his career, at his peak, improving if anything, and you want to sell? I despair.

The team picks itself on the last performance, just Romeu in for Vic. Ginger stepson treatment again please.

Agree 100%. Good to see Cedric has that about him too. Shame we can't combine a bit more flair with hard work though, someone to pull the strings (forgive the cliche). P.S. Never my intention to compare Tadic to Le Tiss, no-one can, or will ever, compare to him. Best player we have ever had, and if El Tel had the balls to pick him for Euro 96 we would have won the tournament. In what universe were Wise, Rob Lee or sick note better options in that squad?

To be fair I can't remember Le Tiss ever tracking back! But when you're the most talented player of your generation you could forgive him that! Tadic drifts in and out but can provide the cutting edge which we lack as we don't play a creative playmaker in Davis' role. Ideally we should, but we need workers in this high tempo style so it's tricky. I'd like to see Honda in Jan but not sure he'd be the fix. I'd always go for a Le Tiss, Frank Worthington, Gazza, even Trundle (!) player over a workhorse because I love the excitement they bring, but we probably wouldn't win so much.

Look at the two footed challenge again. I honestly don't think he meant it. His 'standing' leg slips so turns into a two footer and looks worse than it was intended. Clumsy challenge, yes, but he's a great player, our best centre mid and he's only 24. He can tackle, win balls and break up play better than anyone we've had in years. He's had his head turned but enjoy him while he's here - can't imagine we'd be able to replace him with anyone near his ability. Stop the Vic-bashing, just because he doesn't kiss the badge doesn't make him a bad player.

We should beat them like a ginger stepson

Seems like standard venture capitalist move. He's got cash and status, they've got some software and a plan. Doubt he's risking a fortune on it but makes sense to try - money attracts money. If it succeeds he can sit back and scoop a big percentage of profits. Or more likely if it's any good a big company will step in and buy him out. With the amount of money even squad players earn in the Prem it seems amazing more of the players and ex-players don't try to actually do something with their wealth. What would you do if you had that much cash and that much free time? 1) design and build flying car (obviously, BTTF day and all that) 2) robot ninjas (male and female of course) 3) buy Kelvin some slippers

Could we tempt Brad Friedel out of retirement to help fill in? There are keepers who can still do a job in their later years, Schwarzer, Friedel, but sadly not Kelvin. He was only ever a decent 2nd tier keeper, never top class. Nice guy, but never as good as any other keeper we've had in the top flight. Even Brucie G was far far better. Bring back Bruce!

Surely it's a parody, right? The 'interview' with the two old girls could've been straight off Big Train!

Football has the ability to make you utterly crazy. I played the original Football Manager (then called championship mgr) back in 1994 and played as Walsall in the bottom tier. Started following their real results culminating in me travelling to Elland Rd to see them take on high flying Leeds in the FA cup. 2-2 after 90mins then Phil Massinga came on and scored a hat trick. It was a phase... I love saints but I've never travelled that far to see us play! Bonkers.

It is far too early to make that statement, I'm personally really looking forward to seeing Clasie, and the others are all internationals and will take a little time to settle in before being deemed failures, surely. Irritating as it is, we have to have a bit of patience, but I agree I would have liked to have seen at least two further additions.

I know we're all upset about the way the season has started, especially after last night, but all the players who have left us in the past couple of years have gone to teams who finished above us in the past 2 seasons. This says more about player's personal ambition and their agents, rather than Les Reed's ineptitude. The top 6 can offer more in wages, media exposure, and more European football, and funnily enough that appeals to teenagers and twenties more than club loyalty alone, particularly if we bought that player ourselves. Sadly, that is the way it is. New season, new team, good and bad to come. But we are Saints, the perpetual underdog, embrace it!

What was the score in the game you watched? Sounds much better than the one I saw! In my one we had no creativity and Targett was still not up to much, and its the first time that I've seen our players having a moan at each other. Quite sad. Big positive was RomVic combo.

We need Le Tiss circa 1995/6. That would solve everything!

Positives: Stek was solid; Romeu and Wanyama are learning to play together and looked so much better than last match; Caulker slowly improved; Fonte was a rock; Cedric beginning to settle; Negatives: Targett still looks out of his depth (but Ryan will be back soon), Mane injured; Pelle annoyed; Davis did what Davis does; NO CREATIVITY!!!

I thought Mane and Vic looked a class apart from every other player on the pitch when they were in possession! And I thought Romeu was unlucky to be booked early on but then lucky to stay on with a couple of late tackles late on. Targett had a couple of promising moments but still a weak link defensively, bit to slow. Agree with you about JWP though so we were watching the same game!

He plays with passion (just look at his face when he scores), has strength, holds up play well, bit 50-50 on his lay-offs but doesn't give up, scored a good total last season and has done well (in Europe at least) this season. Comes across well, doesn't seem to be an ar sehole which is refreshing, and seems to want to be here. But you'd rather take a chance on some unknown, untried striker that would necessitate us changing our entire system to accommodate? Hmmm….

Midtjylland appear to be big, strong, but slow. Time to try something different, a plan B if you will, and use the pace we have in the squad up front. I'd go with… ------------------Stek----------------- Cedric---Fonte---Caulker---Yoshida --------Vic----------Romeu----------- --------------Tadic-------------------- Mane-----------------------Juanmi ---------------JRod----------------- Yes, Tadic has been poor recently but he does seem to play well in Europe. JWP on at half time if he's been 'quiet'.

There was an over-reliance on just pumping the ball up into Pelle, or constantly sending in crosses when other options were available. I think when we have a full strength team out and given a chance to gel we should show a little more creativity. This team is better than just top half: ----------------------Stekelenberg-------------------------- Cedric-----Fonte----------------VVD----------Bertrand --------------Wanyama--------Romeu------------------- --------------------------Clasie---------------------------- Mane---------------------------------------JRod/Tadic/Juanmi/Long -----------------------Pelle-------------------------------- Sign VVD and we have a great first 11. Chins up, only the second game. Lots to look forward to and get excited this season. However, Long, Davis and Targett had horrible games today and should not play on Thursday. Sun's out, half bottle of wine in me so far and the world has a rosier complexion. We March On!

"Pull up yer knickers and make me a cup of tea!"

As a relative newbie to the forum what I have found "so *****ing boring" is the amount of vitriol and abuse aimed at fellow supporters/posters. Yes, some are pedantic and some have opinions vastly different to others but we're all Saints fans supposedly. Truth is you'd probably get on great if you met in the pub and spouted loads of Saints related nonsense to each other, but when camouflaged behind the anonimity of an avatar it seems people try to find a reason to vent their frustrations and anger at each other… rather than address what they are really upset/angry about. So, starting with jasonb, in the words of Sigmund Freud, "Tell me about your mother".

Just realised I left Clasie out of my "at home 11' - oops. He'd go in for Juanmi on current evidence, but in the centre and shift Mane to the right. Afternoon beering on the Bournemouth beaches… apologies!

Away from home 11 ------------Forster-------------- Soares---Fonte--Maya--Bertrand -------Vic-------Reed-------- -----------Clasie----------- Mane---------------Tadic ----------Pelle------------ At home: -----------Forster---------- Soares---Fonte--Maya--Bertrand -------------Vic------------------- Juanmi----Mane------Tadic ---------Pelle--------------- Time for young Harrison to step up this season, and JRod will have to eased in slowly - he still doesn't look quite right to me in the way he walks/runs. His gait is showing signs of his left knee not straightening right. Of course, this point may be completely moot if it was his right knee that got injured. Which was it?

Wow, how long did it take you to think that one up? Absolute genius, doesn't make you sound pathetic at all! Take a bow.

Some of you have very short memories. Acting all 'we're such a big club, Bournemouth are small and pointless' despite the fact we were in League 1 and going out of business not long ago. They've done amazing to get to the Prem, and have the same manager who got them out of League 2 from -17 points! How anyone can begrudge them or try to build up hatred for them now they're rivals is pathetic. Some of you sound like the new breed of Chelsea and Man City fans who only remember the recent success, and they are scum. Don't become like them. Rise above it and congratulate a team on reaching the top flight for the first time ever. Well done Bournemouth!