Chez

was that to the skates?

sorry but I think you are talking a load of rubbish. Surman is worth £3m on his own. He has been excellent all season and at 22 he has plenty of time to improve - and will. He has matched Cork and IMO been our best player this season. You mention some tosh about corners. We've actually scored two goals direct from corners this year. I can't remember a season since Ruddock was here that we did that. Not sure if Surman was taking them or not but to be honest it matters not. Lallana has been a revalation. 23 starts for Saints and you are happy to see him literaly given away? Jesus he could well be in the Ramsey class and he went for £6m. Yes we are in dire straights financially, but selling Lallana for bobbins ain't going to keep the wolves from the door for long. If they are boith sold I will accept that, because I know needs must, but there will be no excuse for selling them both on the cheap. With the early payments for Theo and Bale we have already done that twice.

agreed, the longer failing managers stay the better from our point of view

As I understand it Nigel Clough has already said he would be interested in managing Forrest at some point but he would not be considering leaving Burton until his kids had finished school.

essential that Saga and Stern are offloaded/loaned as soon as the window opens to strengthen are bargaining position. If those two look likely to stay then Lowe will have to take whatever is offered.

I mean hang on to our CCC place. Does that help you understand?

John and Euell must be available (right now) on a free. If John comes back along with Saga and we can't offload them then I would guess that will force the sale of Surman and lallana. John's wages will be maybe £300,000 alone till the end of May. Saga's wages will have to be paid right through the summer as well so that could be another £300,000 or so. These are serious sums when crowds are as low as they are.

so we have to just hang on for two years and then all promotion sized wage earners will be off the books and everyone else will be on wages much more in line with income allowing us to move forward without increasing the debt.

its the 6% stakeholder that bosses the 16% sharholder though ain't it? Perhaps its time someone started talking directly to Lowe's other backers. How 6% is enough to pull the strings is beyond me. Perhaps his dad might disown him?

First season playing at this level regularly though barring one or two previous outings. McGoldrick is a Saint, the other two are not. Unless they are doing well straight off whats the point in keeping them. By the time they find their feet it will be time for them to go bak to their own clubs. I'd rather see McGoldrick and Patterson than Pekhart and Robertson every day of the week.

thankfully, for our bank balance, they are stuck with him.

Good post. I'm a big fan of Cork and Surman in the middle but there is a lot to be said of Gillett's workrate when we haven't got the ball. Defensively he offers a decent shield in front of the back four and I believe that has been overlooked by JP. Gillett is by no means a top player or in the same class as Schneiderlin, Cork and Surman in possession, but I think we have missed him and the unseen dirty work he performs. We play two wingers yet other than Holmes we don't have a winger in the squad. If we are to persit with three up top then he needs to get fit quick. Schneiderlin's long balls have been the biggest miss. Not missed his lack of tackling though.

because some players take longer to reach their potential than others, besides Walcott and Bale were phenomenons coming through as such tender ages. Just because you're not playing for your national side at 18 doesn't mean you won't come good. Scott McDonald anyone?

If JP is not going to play Euell then I could understand it from a financial point of view, but when fit he should be in the 16 without question IMO.

Surman, Walcott, Bale, Lallana, thats a bloody decent list IMO. In terms of quality I think the Academy can't be faulted. Without it we would be in administration. As for the next batch, McGoldrick, James, Lancashire, Mills and Patterson all deserve a bit more time to find their feet. Anyone writing them off after half a season (some less than that) is a fool.

Alex WHO? Am I missing something here, is he some sort of ITK? I certainly do not want to see another McCant down here. He is poor IMO. Barmby is way past it. No thanks. Can someone tell me more about Humpherson.

I've never been a JP fan, I described him as clueless earlier on here, btu he has certainly improved he decision making and team selection. I got the feeling Jan was employed because he cost about 50k a year. If that is our budget then yes he probably is the best we can do in the current circumstances. If he's on £250k a year then I'd have to ask why the hell Pearson was not retained. Again I raise the question, with this crop of players would any other manager have done a great deal better? I mean Wotton, James, Lancashire, Robertson, Smith, Pekhart...they're pretty poor even by our own low standards. Note I say that with the asumption that JP did not scout them. From what I have seen he has got them playing pretty well and it is only a lack of real talent that has prevented us obtaining more points. FWIW I'd happily take Ince here so long as he was happy with less money than he probably was earning at MK Dons.

Rasiak's loan is a season long one. I think John's was until Jan 1st.

They have spent a fair few bob in the summer including Kitson £5.5m, Olifinjana £3m, Abdula Faye £2.25m, Andy Davies £1.25m, Higginbottom £1.5m???, Sonko £2m, Soares £2m, and Michael Tonge £1m???. The TV money will cover those fees and the increased wages. I wonder what debts they had to pay off. I wasn't aware of any so perhaps they still have cash to spare.

I can't believe Surman, an England Under 21 International is worth less than £3m. I know there are several deluded soles on here that don't rate the guy but he is quality and it would be daylight bloody robbery if he was allowed to leave for less.

Spurs effectively spent £5m on players. With high ticket prices and sold out stadium I get the feeling their is plenty of coffers available but Spurs don't want everyone to know this. Lets hope ****flaps takes Johnson and Crouch from the skates.

I think there is a sizeable difference between the CCC money and the League 1 money, although obviously this is not comparing with Prem to CCC

McGoldrick brace I tell ye

I get the feeeling the 5000 lost fans will only ever come back when we are riding high at the top of this league. Even if Lowe left, Saga partnered John up front and no one was sold in the window I doubt we'd get 500 more on the gate if the results didn't change. Fans have got out of the habit of going and it is going to be very very hard to get them back unless we start winning every week. Rasiak, Saga and John won't stop us conceding goals like we did at Burnley...

Lowes a bit of a ****, but I'm much more interested in the football than the politics that has strangled the club over the last couple of years. There is sod all we can do about it other than stay away, but I want to watch my team so that isn't an option.