Article: Talk Sport - Sunday Supplement | Football Southampton

Bit unnecessary,we always condemn violence.

We're not Millwall you know

 

Any Championship side would love to have Lambert..everything you want in a player. Stable temperment, can take instruction (hence why he's still improving at his age), team player (can hold up the ball, provide service to others) and, above all, a born striker.

 

Not at all surprised that Southampton are up there. I said several times before the season that I thought Adkins was a quality manager and I'd be very surprised if you're not promoted next May.

Leeds are now in a very good position - 13 points from 15 like Simon says and we're top of the form table, just outside the playoffs with a game in hand against Birmingham which - if won - would take us into 4th. McCormack and Snodgrass are looking deadly up front and Keogh's hard work is a good foundation for our attacking play. Danny Pugh has also come in and looks like he'll police the left wing very capably along with our pacy left-back Aidy White. Nice to see our defence doing well too - oh and did I mention that we beat Doncaster with 11 British/Irish players on Friday night? I hate how Bates has restricted Grayson's ability in the transfer market and I think we could be in the auto places if we'd invested sensibly in a couple of players, but SG's coped very well under the conditions. My only worry where Leeds is concerned is how we'll fare when luck goes against us. The traditional slump from February onwards will probably hit us hard.

I also said Leicester would be up there and judging by their recent form (they're second in the form table), they will be soon enough. I suspect Southampton, Leicester and West Ham will be the three teams fighting for it most of the way through the season. Derby and Boro are flashes in the pan in my opinion and will return to mid table or below.

Best club we've played so far? Easy. Southampton. One team I think might come good would be Forest. I'm sure they'll be in the top half at the end of the season judging by the squad they've got.

Could McCormack and Lambert make it in the Premiership? It always depends what kind of service you're getting and which players you have around you. If the mood was right then I think either of them could get 10-15 goals. But if it weren't, they might only get a few and be written off as the sort of player whose ability ceiling is at the top of the Championship.

And sadly I think Man U will win the Premiership again, not that I want Man City to win it either. It's gonna be one of them though, isn't it?

 

Yeah but he's no McCormack or Becchio is he?

 

Rather have Lambert than anyone.

 

Well in my opinion Becchio, McCormack and Lambert are definitely the 3 best strikers in the league.

 

I didn't know that - impressive

Although Doncaster were terrible, Leeds looked so in control it was unreal. McCormack is unstoppable at the minute and Pugh is a great signing for your left wing.

At the minute you'd say both Leeds and Hull look good to be up there at the end of the season. A lot can change though...

 

should we take birmingham city seriously after todays win against leicester with their games in hand or could the europa league be their downfall.

a chance tuesday for leeds, palace and ipswich to close the gap with Ipswich v Pompey, Leeds v Coventry and Palace v Bristol City. all sound winable. one of saints/hammers will drop points.

 

Still nice to hear it though.

 

Todays results in Italys top league

Atalanta v Udinese 0-0
Cagliari v Siena 0-0
Cesena v Fiorentina 0-0
Chievo v Juventus 0-0
Genoa v Lecce 0-0
Novara v Bologna 0-2

6 games, 12 teams, 2 goals

Give me English football any day

 

Championship and Bundesliga are surely the two most entertaining divisions in the world in terms of quality and competitiveness (i.e. not just ruled by a select group of TV-backed clubs). Maybe with Ligue 1 close behind.

 

You think? For me that's just Serie A with more evenly matched teams.

 

I very rarely if ever watch it, but judging by some of the players there and how evenly-matched it is like you say, I'd have thought the football would be quite entertaining. Do they tend to play negatively?

 

Leeds 18 - Have to agree with you about the championship. still any of 16 clubs could win it and many more enter the play off race.

Great quality football, great teams with huge traditions - (leeds included in that statement), great attendances and atmospheres - its got the lot.

Having said all that would still like promotion at the end of the season.

 

To me, it always seemed very similar to Serie A. Not necessarily negative but there never used to be many goals in it (I've just checked this weekend's results though and there were loads of them ), and the big name players were never really there unless they were ex-French internationals coming towards the end of their playing years.

It seems like the league as a whole has picked up in the past few years, since Lyon finally stopped winning everything.

 

one team that has had a mediocre start nearly always come up on the rails and reach the play offs, who do you reckon that team will be ?
also someone in the top 8 will fall away when it matters, who wont last the pace for whatever reason.?

 

I can't see Hull or Brighton making the Play-Offs, and Derby aren't the best side. Leicester (definitely) and Birmingham (likely) will be top-six by the end of the season.

 

mine for the top 6 would be ..
brum
boro
saints
west ham
cardiff
foxes

in no particular order...

 

I'm sure Ricky Lambert would fancy leaving Southampton for Hull.