CB Fry

Computer says yes.

Is that how it works in your computer game? Fair enough then.

I think it's bizarre you think he wouldn't have it. Solent have been Cortese's pet media outlet locally - he's tickled the tummy of the Mail, the Sun and Sky Sports too of course - for the last five years. Do you think they have been writing letters to each other all this time? It's entirely possible that Nicola Cortese has no intention of coming back and is trying to stop stupid rumours about a comeback getting everyone's hopes up.

I know you're heart broken that for the last three years you've been pompously claiming how the press deal in undubstantiated rumours and we do our business properly and all that rot....while all the time Cortese has been building a coterie of hacks, falling over themselves to spout of some Nicola pearls of wisdom. While you've been belittling the press on your hero's behalf, he's been all over them. So spare me the "really" routine. Blackmore could have easily rung Cortese. He's a frigging unemployed football administrator, not Kim Jung Un. He's probably sat by the phone right now waiting for his sweetheart Neil Ashton to ring him. Remember: real life. Not a computer game.

Blackmore has been as good a mouthpiece for Cortese as any in recent times. Blackmore not quite as sycophantic as some of Cortese's chums on the nationals who have reached Redknapp levels of hero worship, granted.

More or less, yeah. Far more likely than Blackmore ringing the SFC press office for confirmation of a story that is about their ex Chief Exec and a potential buyer, which was MLG's sweet little theory.

Jesus Christ, MLG. Blackmore's source is almost certainly Cortese or someone very close. You realise your hero who you used to pretend did his business "properly" and "privately" has spent the last week blabbing to anyone who will listen in the press like an evicted Celebrity Big Brother housemate.

Work it out you #*#*#* old #*#*.

Llambias has strong connections with a manager who is actually proven capable of taking sides in the top five, and playing European football.

I think we should play Lee Barnard. And probably kick two goals into our own net in the first five minutes. Waste of time when clearly the League is the only priority or something. Nothing will ever match that feeling ones gets when you finish eighth in the league and nothing but nothing should take our focus away from that wondrous prize.

Facts of the freebies? Do tell. Come on. Both sides of the story, mind. What court case? Saints paid Benali off on the courthouse steps.

"Who can really judge" he says... He also says this.... Plenty of judging there nased on nothing resembling "both sides of the story". Based entirely on your own opinions and guesswork, with a healthy dash of inbuilt prejudice. Or, if you like, lying. You're utterly full of it OldNick. So spare us the "no one knows the facts" routine. It never stops you normally.

I'd pick MK Dons. Harder than Wolves and Sheff Utd but would absolutely love to see them in the Prem. Potentially already have a decent manager who justs needs a bit of backing.

For saying we're not on for the Champions League? Or for saying we won't get relegated? For saying Shaw is more likely to get CL football at Chelsea than us? For saying getting seven million quid for 32-year-old Lambert would be pretty good return? Merson is a thick *****, and this is ghost written from him rambling o the phone. But most of his disperate points are correct. Listen everyone. We're not going to be in the Champions League. We never were going to be. Just an ego maniac trying to spend someone else's money. Stop getting upset when people dare to say it.

Reply about what? The club made the complaint.

Personal favourite: the away kit we could only wear at one away match. Runner up: Utterly invisible Sponsors logo on home kit. But yeah. The greatest businessman to ever wear trousers.

Media wide anti-Saints agenda, haven't you heard?

It is true that Cortese hadn't run a whelk stall before he took over Saints, right?

Luke Shaw's old man is the only sensible option. After Markus, the single most important individual in the club's history.

Not everyone quite on the right wavelength, though. Good old Strawlock.

Maybe we'll stay in the bright lights of ninth in the Premier League because we have never, ever achieved that level of success before. Not ever. No sir.

Correct. It's why Saints were such a brilliant bargain purchase in L1 - loads of potential, but actually not that much infrastructure/capital investment beyond the team. (also why the "we nearly went out of business" stuff is nonsence - we were a great prospect) Now, it is fair to say we are a decent, healthy club, but at best we are going to break even as a mid ranking Prem team. Unless some rent-a-shiekh comes in, but we don't have the glamour.

Enough mentioning the cranes in the harbour already. Decent article. Seems entirely plausible, and has been the official CB Fry theory on the future of the club since spring 2013. The Leibherrs were never going to fund a push for the Champions League. They'd spent quite enough, and once we were in the riches of the Premier League it was obvious that the club would be expected to a) at best fund itself or b) at worst be sold to some other mug. We've had a ton of free money and our "brilliant businessman" never quite had to bother to make any kind of books balance. He's had fun, we've had fun. We're a bloody healthy club and we move on in a strong position to remain a Premier League fixture for seasons to come.

Just out of interest, which players are you talking about here?

The gutter press seduced and spoon fed information from Nicola Cortese, yes?