Favourite Saints XI all-time?

Yep. Had to have him in my squad.

RIP

 

Danny Wallace was my first football hero. To show how times have changed, when he was about 17, I was in the car with my dad in Southampton and we saw him at a bus stop - we pulled over and asked where he was going and offered to give him a lift to training! This was when he was a top star for using the 1st division.

Forgot about Channon too - how could I miss him out!

 

Being ½ Indian and ½ Italian I have

 

Footballers aren't the same now. Some are. We certainly have an "interesting" bunch of players in our current side to example. Hassenhuttl has done incredibly well to be fair to him. Hughes isn't a good manager, but managing the prima donnas in the Premier league is very difficult for old school managers. Hassenhuttl is old school and still finds a way which is very respectful of him. Hope he took you up on the offer of the lift.

 

He didn't - but was so polite and said that his bus was due any minute and he was meeting up with some of the other guys on the way - this is before mobile phones by the way. He did sign an autograph that I will dig out if i can still find it

I was so in awe of him... I was 12 or 13 at the time - to think he was only 5 years older than me, but to me he was a full fledged adult superstar!

 

Yep, I suppose Danny should be on my bench, he was a genuinely fast exciting player that got fans going with his direct running at defences. The way that he has dealt with his very unfortunate illness with dignity is laudable too.

 

Oh those were the days! Think Terry Hurlock looks a bit lightweight in that company.

 

Yes a lovely guy. And he gave us this moment too that was goal of the season:

A real "Was there moment". Miss the Dell sometimes. Then I remember I am old and St Mary's is more comfortable

 

A great goal which I always remember because of that fantastic pass by Frank Worthington.
Yes, I know it's odd to remember it that way, but everyone remembers goals and nobody remembers passes. So I've always tried to remember bits of genius everywhere on the pitch.

It's why I don't just remember MLT for his goals. He was a genius passer of the ball too. Then again, why should he bother? But he did occasionally, and when he did, they were usually on a sixpence.

Oh yes, nearly forgot - Mark Wright. Mostly out of picture, he passed to Worthington, then sprinted upfield like an idiot to get into position. He must have broken some personal record to get there.

 

Nice to see Schneiderlin get a lot of love on here. Might be easy to dismiss him now after his failure post-Saints but I loved watching him progress from a timid French teenager wearing an oversized Umbro long-sleeve shirt into a glorious footballer.

 

I read it as having one centre back called Wright Dyck head...

 

And for those of us that ever saw him, the genius that was MLT was this. He looked lazy because he was so good. Oh and a bit lazy. But with that talent he could do stuff on the pitch I have never seen before/after.

 

Him and Rodney miss out on my list to Raymond. Legendary story on how he got his contract in the first place. Worth a spot

 

You’re not necessarily wrong!!

 

Plus he’s hot and speaks with a sexy French accent

 

Bale made my side for what he did in a saints shirt.
Yes he didn’t play for us in the premier league, but he was winning games from left back and I’ve never seen a player have such influence on football matches from full back.

 

The random movement of Wright, appearing at the back post is something that I like seeing from defenders.
Even if they don’t get on the end of a pass or cross, they are causing a problem for defenders who have to decide who to pick up, thus creating uncertainty and space for others.
You can see similar when a centre back decides to run with the ball, through the midfield, when opposition midfielders have to decide whether or not to step forward to stop the run, and risk leaving a gap behind themselves, or stay put giving an opportunity for a shot.
This is why I like seeing our full backs arriving in the penalty area, adding to the numbers.

 

You've never seen a more influential full-back than Saints-era Gareth Bale?

 

Schneiderlin peaked playing for us. It's sad to see the drop off he's had. But it is what is it. Early peaker.

 

He did absolutely stand out as a teenager in the Championship tbf.