SW11_Saint

Or perhaps the decision shouldn't have been his since we had to endure 2/3 of a season watching us fail time after time (despite sometimes being "pretty"). Let's hope we've left enough time to continue the Great Escape. Well done to the lads - and to Wotte - just shows what playing a sensible formation for this league, and a mixture of experienced pro's and promising youngsters can do. Why didn't we think of this sooner...?!

Thanks for the correct quote Um, thought it was something along those lines. It does indeed seem that dear old Rupes has finally seen the light, Europe-wise, and now sees the benefit of a bigger market and the potential for 'cheaper' labour. Can't remember him coming out with a similar "I make no apologies for giving Dutch coaches with, at best, mixed track records a start to their English league careers". Perhaps he was just thinking it to himself in that press conference? As you say, does beg the question why was Pearson seen in such a different light to Wigley, given the checklist you mention? I too share the suspicion that this may well have been a petulant move to "get one over" Leon Crouch and again stamp his authority on the club (well done Rupes - nothing like cutting ones nose off to spite ones face (and everyone elses!)). Of course even though Wotte let slip the timing the other night, there was the convenient "cost-cutting" smokescreen to push through the BOGOF deal for the Dutchies. Shame one of them went off too soon and had to be returned...

Thanks for the correct quote Um, thought it was something along those lines. It does indeed seem that dear old Rupes has finally seen the light, Europe-wise, and now sees the benefit of a bigger market and the potential for 'cheaper' labour. Can't remember him coming out with a similar "I make no apologies for giving Dutch coaches with, at best, mixed track records a start to their English league careers". Perhaps he was just thinking it to himself in that press conference? As you say, does beg the question why was Pearson seen in such a different light to Wigley, given the checklist you mention? I too share the suspicion that this may well have been a petulant move to "get one over" Leon Crouch and again stamp his authority on the club (well done Rupes - nothing like cutting ones nose off to spite ones face (and everyone elses!)). Of course even though Wotte let slip the timing the other night, there was the convenient "cost-cutting" smokescreen to push through the BOGOF deal for the Dutchies. Shame one of them went off too soon and had to be returned...

and they didn't even show it on The Championship... (not that that surprises me).

and they didn't even show it on The Championship... (not that that surprises me).

Comparing Leicester to a CCC team is like comparing us to Man Utd.?!?? Please... GET REAL! Ahh... but there's such an important distinction isn't there between "nearly" and "did"...? (let's not underplay it, eh?)

Comparing Leicester to a CCC team is like comparing us to Man Utd.?!?? Please... GET REAL! Ahh... but there's such an important distinction isn't there between "nearly" and "did"...? (let's not underplay it, eh?)

Well said!!!

The Eurosceptic bit is interesting... I recall a quote from Lowe at the time he was defending his appointment of Wigley - "I make no excuse for supporting young British managerial talent" (or words to that effect) I wonder why the same didn't apply to Pearson? And why - for Lowe of all people - have this incredible volte-face and decide it is better to support (not so young) foreign talent at the expense of British talent? 'Cheaper' European labour taking "British jobs" - whatever must his chums from the Referendum Party think?!

Now you have me thinking... how about our next manager is appointed via an "It's a Knockout" type game! Rupert has to cycle - wearing flippers and a snorkel - with a huge effigy of McMenemy (holding the FA Cup) on his shoulders to a circular swimming pool. He then swims out to a greased platform in the middle and Wilde, Askham, Cowan etc. (all blindfolded) throw beach balls to him with pictures of various managerial candidates on them. Which ever one he is able to catch and hold on to (without slipping off the platform) by the time Stuart Hall blows the whistle is the winner, and is appointed our next coach. They then all troop off to a press conference to talk about our new winning "strategy".

But that's the 'genius' of Rupert! It's truly astounding the scenarios his devotees will dream up in a desperate attempt to put him in a better light...

Sorry, too many words - you're losing me again... There are pro's and con's to all of our players - the key thing is understanding the value of them, rather than just pushing them off the wage bill (ref. Saga, John etc.) - and as any layman will tell you, having a blend of youth and experience will always outweigh just throwing a bunch of kids in (because they're cheap) and hoping for the best. Me and my quotes again - "A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing", Oscar Wilde. Cynical old Rupert...

Merely trying to provide some balance to your very one sided view of the statistics dear boy. I'm reminded of the Prodi quote - "He uses statistics like a drunk uses lamp-posts, more for support than illumination."

Ah stats, don't you love em! Still leaves the obvious point though, that under Crouch (using your figures) we were getting 20k+ gates, while under Lowe we're down at 17k or less. In absolute terms - given our league positions are similar - we were 17.6% better off gate-wise under Crouch. Agreed?

Appointing a "back room boy" is hardly a revolutionary fall-back plan now is it?! Start Gray? Steve Wigley? Been done before - you seem to be dressing up the appointment of Wotte as some incredible feat of strategic planning. Where else was he going to turn?? All we have done now is do what the fans were screaming out for in the first place - play the better experienced players (including those immediately farmed out on loan by Lowe) and blend in the youth. It was hardly rocket science if you know football, but that was never part of Rupert's strategy. PS "spin it" - you said it, not me

Lordy... I've never seen so many words used to make such a minor point. All this proves to me is that we have some of the most loyal fans in the country - still turning up week on week, despite the dross we have been served up and the calamatous stewardship of the club by sucessive boards. Nothing more than that. As for the point about supporting Lowe as a way of ridding the club of him... "Born and bred in the briar patch. I was born and bred in the briar patch!"

In fact, how do we know that Lowe didn't actually insist that we appoint Guus Hiddink, and wanted to play a mixture of world superstars, experienced pro's and youth players. It was the Bank that forced him down a different route using alternate Dutch resources. My God... I'm starting to see Lowe in a (hypothetical) new light too - he's a genius!!!

I think this lauding of Lowe as some sort of strategic genius for simply replacing a (yet another) failed manager with one of the backroom staff is ludicrous. It happens often in football, rarely with much success - certainly not where Saints are concerned. Let's hope Wotte can be the exception to the rule, but let's not attempt to turn this into some form of strategic work of wonder by Lowe - he simply turned to the only other internal option open to him. If we stay up, we'll be happy - but Lowe will still be judged on his appointment of Poortvliet, and failure to act sooner when things were going so badly awry.

Exactly. IF, and it's a big IF, we do stay up - then fair play to Wotte, but it will only be redressing the ridiculous first 2/3's of the season, and Lowe's flawed plan. I just wonder what would have happened if Lowe had put some faith in Nigel Pearson and let him carry on his work this season, playing the more experienced guys, and blending in the younger ones (as Wotte is now doing)...?

We'll need them all right! COYS - Pride of the South, ALWAYS!

Yawn.

I don't think anyone sees him as a "lost genius" - just a genuine, hard working coach with good experience of the English leagues and who, however close, kept us up last year and seemed to have won the fans over and had built the foundation of something potentially promising. Of course, then along comes dear old Rupert - kicks it all away, and inflicts yet another "revolutionary" scheme on us. Ho hum.

It will indeed. If I was a betting man I'd put money on them making it back to the Prem before us...

Yes! You've lost me on the McMenemy point. Good luck to him indeed. Shame to let him slip through our fingers, and embark on another bizarre gamble, still what's another couple of managers paid off eh? I will get behind the team, but reserve judgement on Wotte. From what I have seen has little of the gravitas of Pearson, and none of the humility. We'll see...

Is that next years Pompey kit he's sporting? It gets gaudier every year... (mind, it needs those CCC badges on the shirt-sleeves).