Roman

All we need now is for Cortese to start posting on here as Tommac Mk 2.

“Rejoice! Just rejoice at that news,” to quote a certain politician celebrating 907 deaths in the South Atlantic. By the way, to all the simpering Tory boys: who exactly was it that toppled this supposedly “greatest leader of all time” from her perch and reduced her to a tearful, humiliated wreck? Surely not anyone in the Maggie-is-our-hero, how-dare-anyone-say-a-cross-word, Tory Party…

I think he means administration. As to the second question, who knows? To be perfectly honest (and not that it matters), I'm beginning to think that all that can be said, has been said - on administration, Lowe, Wilde, the fate of the club, etc. For this and other reasons which I've explained to the mods, I'm not going to be posting here any more. I'll still go to as many games as I can, and keep hoping we find some way out of this desperate quagmire that leaves everyone at least a little happier. Bye!

I hate to bring this up, but Pompey's richly deserved misfortune could effectively rebound on us. They won't be the only ones in the prem struggling to cope with the pressure of debts. And this will mean a depressed transfer market in January. If it's Lowe's ambition to sell off Lallana, Schneiderlin and/or Surman at top dollar to stay one step ahead of Barclays, he may be sorely disappointed. If we lose them, it could be very cheaply.

No, I don't think he does it out of spite either, Nick. I think he does it out of short-term business necessity, but is seemingly unprepared to look at the longer term (which could be just the end of this season) damage. Nor is he prepared, evidently, to heed the warning from his own coach. He could also be selling them as their values are still rising - in other words, we'll miss out on something like their real worth once they've had a half-decent run in the team (well at least with Lallana and Schneiderlin, anyway) It is, in other words, a junkie mentality. Get the relief from the quick fix, and the rest can be put off until tomorrow.

Well unfortunately I suspect we're going to be able to test whether you're right or wrong in a very practical way, if Lallana, Surman and Schneiderlin are sold in the January transfer window. My hunch, based on the fairly uncontroversial theory that they are three very talented young players, is that we will suffer badly, possibly terminally as far as the CCC is concerned. Personally, I'd rather we didn't get into this little chemistry experiment because I can hear the 'kaboom' from here.

I think you have to look not just at the fact that other clubs do it - which clearly they do - but the extent to which we do it, compared to them. There's a hard, quantitative difference between sales made by, say, Cardiff or Crystal Palace, and us. We have tended to use the academy as a production line for 'asset sales'. They have not, even though they've had to part with the most talented of their young players. The question for many fans (and even, quite explicitly, from JP) is: when are we ever going to have a team settled enough to start looking upwards towards one of the top-six places, rather than bumping along with yet another batch of new faces that have to be integrated - a process that Wotte perceptively said 'takes months'. Come January, I fear you'll see all too clearly what I mean, given dark the mutterings associated with the release of the financials the other day.

This kind of thread makes me nervous. For reasons unfathomed, higher-ups at the club seem to read this forum (and appear overly sensitive to certain things said on here). When they're making noises about 'asset sales', and at a time when Surman, Schneiderlin and Lallana are starting to emerge as a golden midfield, I fear it gives them some unnecessary ammunition for selling one or all of them - and very soon. We have to keep hold of these players in January - somehow, anyhow.

I think his first name is Wayne.

Not necessarily so. I'm old enough to have seen Ron Davies at my first Saints match, and I voted Bridge. It's such a shame he's wasted years in the Chelsea reserves, because he was absolutely superb for us on that unbroken run of appearances.

Another vote for Cork, who is a top Prem player in the making, without question.

I'm willing to bet with you that the same thing happens to Terry Paine as happened to his career during the 66 World Cup (although I'm sure it'll hurt him a little less). Not that I don't think he was both a great player and a Saints hero. But let's save this battle for later - should be interesting....

Let's hope that's the case, but we simply can't know until the end of the season. Relegation would be just as disastrous financially as it was the first time around - if not more so.

Perhaps we can have a full fixture list of teams we want to win and lose against?

So, as I thought, included in the 'other lot' is the present lot. In fact, you're going further - and saying that the WORST offender among the other lot is one of the present lot. Thanks. Just checking.