SW11_Saint

True LOL, 10 years is probably a little quick to expect him to pick it all up!

Of course we would have been - pretty much anything would have been preferable to the situation we are in now, but investment, sensible leadership and decent young manager like Coleman, and after a worrying finish last year like us, now sitting comfortably in mid-table and building sensibly. Yes please. Coleman was talking the other day on R5L about how good it was having a supportive Chairman, who also knew the game.

I think we got the answer to that, didn't we!

Erm, different team manager, different coaches, different team blend, different tactics, use of previously discarded loanees... Guess what - different results! To be ignorant of one's ignorance is the malady of the ignorant.

I remember some discussion on the boards, but nothing more than that - certainly nothing you could describe as a "fan backlash"?!! In fairness, from the rumours I had heard at the time I thought they were going to appoint the Dutchies, and I remember being elated that they'd instead gone for Burley (who was just off the back of his incredible start with Hearts). Does seem incredibly bad form by our board "making offers" to both candidates - surely you decide who you want, act very swiftly, and if that doesn't pan out you immediately go for your #2 choice? (as Wotte correctly points out). Perhaps this hints at Lowe overstepping the mark and 'making promises' he wasn't able to follow through on due to a split boardroom. Although he also hints that Lowe was complicit in the Burley decision "Rupert told me his motivation...". Some of the remarks on Lowe do worry me too - although not sure why, we should know him by now! - for instance, seeing the Acadaemy Director role as "more responsible" (presumably than Team manager?). I'm not disputing that the production of young players is important, but at any football club THE most important person has to be the Team Manager. That Lowe seemingly doesn't understand this is no real surprise, but still very worrying. Wonder if Sir Alex has to go report into the United Academy Director each week...??!?

I don't think it's got anything to do with "hindsight" - rather common sense, and having a modicum of knowledge of the CC Championship. Sadly, and rather incredibly, our board seem to have neither!! You'd hope that its abject failure will have taught them a lesson, but with Lowe, I suspect not (in fact, given how deluded he is, it wouldn't surprise me if he saw what Wotte is doing now as some form of justification - even though it's almost the polar opposite of what Lowe originally intended!).

I think you've stumbled across Lowe's latest 'strategy' there...

Thank God someone has finally explained to 19C what proper "succession planning" is!!! Loved his use of the phrase "you've risked it all" - I can think of no better description of Lowe's M.O. !

Been thinking about this - how to show our total support for the team during the run-in, yet also get the point across to the board that we have had enough? What about a concerted effort to get everyone out to every remaining home game - I'm talking about getting our gates up to c.25k+ for every game left (if we can get to 30k so much the better). We can publicise this via local media so that the board understand it is a clear show of support to the team (and a reminder of the potential of SFC IF you get it right) and is in effect a positive protest against their running of the club. We could even do something around the red cards etc. as the board take their seats for the second half... Worth a thought?

Rick Parry is looking for work...

All of the above I suspect. Actually, these resemble some of our recent AGM's and/or board meetings... PS that second South Korea pic puts me in mind of a Madness album cover, but can't remember which one...

You took the words, and the haslet, out of my mouth...!

I'll resist the temptation for further comparison...

If we scrape through this year, then gates next year depend on what is being offered - a bit of ambition and the ability to move forward. I can't see that happening under Lowe, certainly not where he continues to jump into ill thought out "strategies" that have us moving backwards. His future will ultimately be decided by the shareholders - and his tenure is effectively reliant on the less than stable Wilde. I can see change happening, but let's get this season over with the deal with the problem. PS shouldn't you be getting back to more pressing issues, like 'pork haslet'??

Shareholders, season-ticket holders, fans/customers, rather than "powerless individuals". Most Chairman/CEO's would take their duty of care for these stakeholders seriously, but you're probably right about Lowe, given what we've experienced from him, he probably does hold us in total disdain. More fool him. Quack Quack!

Post of the week Um, in my humble opinion. Reading through this thread it still amazes me that some see Wotte's recent success as some form of vindication of Lowe's "strategy" - when it is patently the complete opposite. There is no point me re-listing the reasons for this as you've done that perfectly clearly. I will however say well done to Wotte - he has implemented some simple, yet effective changes (changes most of us having been crying out for all season!), but in fairness to him has clearly got the players onside and has instilled some confidence and passion in them. I wasn't happy with his appointment as I saw it as potentially "more of the same" (and we shouldn't totally ignore the fact that he was heavily involved in the earlier 2/3's of our season!), but since his original PR gaffe, he has for the most part said and done the right things. In truth I wasn't awfully happy about Pearson's appointment at the time either, but after an initial bout of whinging (about a days worth) decided to buckle down and just support him and his efforts. I will do the same with Wotte, as all other true fans will. If he pulls it off more power to him, he will deserve all the credit due to him (as did NP who achieved the same last year). If Wotte's efforts ultimately end up being fruitless, I won't blame him personally - he will have given it a fair crack from a desperate starting point (ignoring for a moment his role as JP's #2). Whatever the ultimate result this year, our board still need to come under very serious scrutiny for their role in this disaster of a season. The ridiculous gamble on the new coaching setup, when we already had a more than reasonable team in situ, had us plummeting towards League 1. They are very fortunate that JP finally did the honourable thing, that they were unable to offload Saga for the rest of the season, and that Wotte has, thus far, done the right things. This may get them out of jail this season (we hope!) but they won't just be judged on the final weeks of the season alone...

And wouldn't it be nice to be "doing well" - lest we all forget, we are still, despite 3 terrific wins, in the relegation places and facing the toughest relegation fight in our history. The work Wotte does in no way impacts the fans feelings about Lowe. It is his flawed 'strategy' that has got us into the godawful mess. Now Wotte has done what most fans have been crying out for (building on what Pearson started last year) - playing a sensible formation, mixing an experience spine with some younger players, and giving the players some belief. Fair play to Wotte (for now) but let's not see this as some sort of boardroom masterplan - Plan A died on it's arse and Lowe/Wilde etc. are accountable for that. Re. Lowe becoming invisible - on that we can agree, preferably permanently!

Only Le Tissier, Channon, Paine and Bates would qualify as "Sains legends" imo. Too many iconts to mention but Steele, Osgood, Stokes, Davies, Williams, Ball, Keegan, Moran, Armstrong, Shilton, Golac, McMenemy would be among them. Oh, and of course Ali Dia!

Okay, I will press no further, but hopefully you now see the point - Lowe "resorting" to the 'Kids for a Quid' thing is no better, or no worse, than Leon doing it. Some balance prevails. And for the record again, I think it's a good idea regardless. Re. the march - yes, I think the fresh air would probably do you some good

I'm not trying to undermine anything, just point out that your continual serenading of Lowe for appointing the 'next in command' (when his original choice finally does the honourable thing and quits) as some act of strategic genius is, with respect, bow-locks. As for Lowe 'appointing JP, letting him fail, then coercing Wotte into the role, which is what Lowe wanted in the first place' (?!) - let's not go there eh, you've been down that hypothetical hypothesis before and it doesn't do you any favours... Okay, you've lost me again - not sure where I've mentioned McMenemy anwhere, why is he being brought up? And where does nepotism come into it? Was Pearson Leon's nephew or something?!?

PS Still waiting for a sensible answer on this...

Lordy, what is this obsession you have with "succession planning"?! - surely the art of good management is even better evidenced by making the right appointment in the first place? You still seem to see Lowe turning to back room boy Wotte after JP's awful stint as some work of unparrallelled genius. If Lowe saw such promise in him, why not just appoint him in the first place?... then we might be in a better position than we are.

Not sure it's open mindedness Trousers, more blind faith, given his track record of "learning (from) painful lessons"!!!

No one will shoot it down for it being an opinion. They might not agree with your opion mind... I don't as it goes - from what I heard of Wotte after his original outburst he did a lot of back-tracking, and tried to pour oil on troubled waters, which was the right thing to do. His original words were clumsy, and he recognised that which is to his credit. I don't think for a minute the players have developed a 'siege mentality' due to his comments about our own fans. I think he's simply just got them better organised, has a better blend of youth and experience, has clearly done a better job of motivating them and the results are breeding confidence. Well done him, and them - I am happy with what's happening now (which most of us have cried out for all season - hence the frustration, culminating in the demo's), and long may it continue. Let's not turn the recent run of good results into a stick to beat our own fans with!