Tomo

No Tinshe in this thread?

The attacking football? I think we have delivered that this season and then some.

After Christmas yellow cards go up to ten before suspension.

Yep and last year when I went vs West Ham, one lad behind me screamed give it to Oscar when the Brazzilian actually had the ball not once but three times.

You ain't seen nothing yet, one time I went someone few seats to the side was conducting a business meeting over the phone.

Your right, I apologise to you and whoever else I annoyed with that post, very poorly timed from me.

Im sure Mou is aware of that however last summer was about filling the gaping holes in our first team which we not only did but we done with the best options avaliable to us in those positions.

Im not generalising, im not saying every one does of course not, but in a combination of here, facebook (people on my friends list not in groups) and real life a lot have said Cech should return.

Tibo couldn't have done much about the goals he has conceded this season yet it hasn't stopped a lot of people clamouring for Cech s return. Infact apart from Term ans a couple of others not many were that bothered about Lamps going City until the truth started to unravel.

The bottom line is mate when people build a legacy at a club and become legends they get cut more slack compared to others. Dalglish s awful transfers and dinosaur management set Liverpool back years yet he is still a hero, any other Liverpool manager that loses at home to Wigan, WBA and Fulham in the space of a month would have got hounded out of An field. Shearer with Newcastle did a terrible job and relegated them but is still a hero. Even today if you look at the Cech thread it's relievely quiet despite the fact he shipped 4 vs a league one side, if Tibo was in goal today you and me both know he wouldn't have been afforded the same leeway.

Im sure Mourinho is looking for a CB, but at the same time isn't going to panic and get any player. Look at when he came back, he could have looked at our CM and ST issues, panicked and signed Capoue, Paulinho and Soldado instead he waited and we have Matic, Cesc and Costa.

Like Essien?

We back to the old "Mourinho loves this player he will never drop him" line? Wasn't Ramires one of them players?

Sorry but that is simply not true, of course he is going to get cut more slack compared to say Scolari because of his history with the club, the same way Cech has escaped criticism for shipping 4 to Bradford but you could bet your bottom dollar Tibo wouldn't have been so lucky.

Mou from 10 years ago lost 3-0 to Middlesborough.

Well those people who wanted youth to be given a chance should be happy

We're 5 points clear at the top of the league

In the summer it was all doom and gloom at St Marys, manager departing, player's leaving in their droves and all in sundry predicting them to head back down the league's faster than they came up, the reality however has been the exact opposite. Word is Koeman was more than happy to let those player's leave as he had cheaper upgrades in mind (he also apparently dug his heels in to prevent Schnedierlin leaving) and he was not wrong. Forster, Alderwield, Bertrand, Mane, Tadic and Pelle are comprehensively outperforming the players they came in to replace and 22 games in they sit above every single team they lost player's (and there manager) too last summer. When The Saints made the fast start they did which saw them 2nd in November while people were impressed, they weren't convinced by their staying power, with the lines of "they haven't had many big teams yet" and "this has happened before and like the rest they will tail off" and as December drew in that was starting to look like reality. The big test's came and with it defeats, both Manchester club's won at St Marys in a week with a defeat at The Emirates sandwiched in the middle, then followed losses away at Burnley and a shock at Brammall Lane, the bubble appeared to have well and truly burst. But then came the resurgence, since that defeat in the cup they have won against Everton, Palace, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle while drawing at home to Chelsea, that isn't just CL form that is title form. So no longer can the claim be they are still to be tested as they have been the past month, if it was merely a spell of good form it would have tailed off by now, they have a solid foundation aswell as a proven manager in Koeman so it begs the question, are Southampton going to get top 4? And even build on that? They have got quite a few of these "tests" were people thought the bubble would burst out of the way and still sit 3rd, with the exception of Chelsea and City away their remaining fixtures look very winnable indeed.

----------------------------------Cech------------------------- Azpilicueta--------Cahill-------Zouma--------Ake --------------------------Mikel--------Rami--------------- Remy------------------------Oscar--------------Schurrle ---------------------------------Drogba------------------------ If Salahs still here him instead of Oscar and put Remy in the middle.

I don't mind it actually, never stand still and all that.

If he just carried on the same way the squad could have got too comfortable and stagnated. Also Bayern winning the treble doesn't make the job easier for Pep, if anything it makes it harder, how do you convince a bunch of player's who have just won everything to not only go again but to buy into new ideas?

I have examples of managers going for more and coming unstuck.

Bayern 04/05

Not nesseserily, if the first half of the season is anything to go by one of us or City could get late 80's points and not win the league, in those circumstances you have to turn around and say fair play.

Your probably right, however he shouldn't be sacked, the competition for top 4 is going to be bigger than ever in the coming years never mind the title, we let Jose go and make another Scolari style error we will be in serious trouble.