Fitzhugh Fella

Sorry I missed this somehow - anytime you are near Otterbourne give me a shout on 07818403122

I think in the old days the two clubs always requested not to be home at the same time, because way back then there were people (myself included) who would take in each other's game in. Those days are long gone methinks. I wouldn't be seen dead in Farton Park these days

Wise words Toomer but somehow Burley and Skacel aren't in the same League in terms of class and ability. Fingers crossed he will be a massive boost to us but we still need some bog standard old fashioned Premiership defenders and, dare I say it, some pace out wide. Far too one-dimensional on Saturday.

Daft surmisation

We are now grateful we are getting decent rumours? OMG!

How long should we "track" a player before making a move and why wait until the last moment? Its all a tad bizarre tbh.

Well I tell it how I see it and who can complain as to what has gone on in the last two years. I really don't care who runs our club as long as we are doing well. Believe it or not politics is 2nd to football.

I know Norm and I take your point, but a sense of perspective is surely required here. I wouldn't be surprised if the guy was just putting 2+2 together like most of us are on here. It is what us fans do. I am sure NC keeps things pretty tight to his chest - in fact last week it seemed that NA was semi in the dark. The sooner this wretched transfer was done and dusted the better.

Manji just lives for threads such as this as it gives him (presume it is a him) the chance to hurl his "bed-wetter" insult. As soon as I saw the thread GITR I opened it in expectation and I was not wrong. Some things never change.

TBH - he has hardly passed on information that most of us who have been following this thread haven't deduced already? Its a bit of a poor state of affairs when a guy who works at the club on the retail side of things can't pass on a bit of gossip. Back in the day that was what supporting the club was all about - a week of rumours and gossip in the town about the players. Now we seem to be living behind an iron curtain.

I think we remain a good Championship side but we certainly are not a Premier one. The only significant improvement on last season is the addition of Clyne but we know we need a lot more in other areas. (Can't judge JayRod yet as he is being played out-of-position.) People on here are saying yesterday was a wake up call but to be frank we shouldn't have needed a wake-up call to know what the Premiership is all about. Wigan aren't a good side, remember they have just sold their best player, but they handled us with ease once they got our measure. Their finishing was clinical (why does Lallana always want to take that extra touch?), their movement slick and we lacked the guile or skill to cause them too many anxious moments. Come April we may well rue not picking up a point at home against a side who will be relegation rivals. Yes we have 5 days of the window remaining but under the circumstances of us needing to hit the ground running while we bed into a new league, why oh why do we always leave things to the last moment? Some other observations from yesterday I thought Guly worked his socks off but he is not a Premiership player - if he was there is no way we would have been able to sign him when we were in League One. No NC in the Director's box - was he in the crowd? Or maybe chatting a few chairmen up? I hope he has a few rabbits up his sleeve. Thought Davis had a good first half - tidy and busy. Their keeper did not play a blinder - all his saves were ones he should have made. Hooiveld looks really uncomfotable with the ball at his feet but he remains our best defender.

I really don't know how the BBC can continue to report the situation down the road with a straight face let alone a degree of gravitas.

This really has been the most painful of drawn out transfers. This guy looks class and could be a defining influence in our season. I can't see any other club at this late stage gazumping us or bringing Bologna to heel but if Liverpool or Spurs do pull something off, perhaps that will tell us something about our modus operandi when it comes to transfers. I have believed us getting Gaston was going to happen but am starting to think the sands of time are running out now and the shame is we have wasted time and energy on a transfer when we could have been looking at other targets. I think in future I don't want to know anything until it actually happens - as they say its the unrequited hope that gets you in the end!

Don't want to rain on the parade but according to some Italian Saints on the List, the owner of Bologna has just been interviewed on Italian TV and said the two clubs are some way apart in agreeing a fee. They are asking for 20m up front (Euros) and we have only offered 15m spread over 3 years. Also he is angry with Ramirez for some of his comments and is considering fining him.

This is a plaster being administered to a gaping wound. It might stem a bit of beeding for a short while - and give Birch credit for keeping a dying man a short reprieve - but all of this is just throwing good money after bad, a last desperate fling of the dice if you like. A month from now this car crash will hit its final brick wall. It would have been interesting had ML not materialised whether our administrator - whose name temporarily escapes me, was it Fry - would have managed to have kept out life support machine on as long as Birch has managed. I am starting to have doubts re the integrity of the FL however, esp as Lampitt is now all of a sudden a creditor.

But St Charlie, with respect, the trouble is..... the longer we go without signing proven Premiership players, esp defenders, the doubts will grow and a sense that something is not quite right will inevitably increase with each passing day. Yes there well may be a spate of big signings yet to materialise and I am sure the club are working hard irrespective of when the chairman takes his holiday, but there is no denying it would have been better to have got them bedded in before the season starts. A heavy defeat on Sunday will not be ideal (I would bite your hand off for a 1-0 defeat right now). I talk to a lot of fans who live in the town etc etc who don't use this forum and there is a growing sense that things, as they stand, could be healthier. We are all excited to be back, we are all 100% behind Adkins and impressed with what he has achieved, but football is a fickle business and right now everyone in their heart of hearts are doubtful the squad we have as of today are capable of staying up. I have been smoking a Hamlet since the Coventry game but the inactivity of the last few days has started to unnerve me a tad.

The trouble is..... the longer we go without signing proven Premiership players, esp defenders, the doubts will grow and a sense that something is not quite right will inevitably flourish. Yes there well may be a spate of big signings yet to materialise and I am sure the club are working hard irrespective of when the chairman takes his holiday but there is no denying it would have been better to have got them bedded in before the season starts. I talk to a lot of fans who live in the town etc etc who don't use this forum and there is a growing feeling that things, as they stand, could be better. We are all excited to be back, we are all 100% behind Adkins and what he has achieved but football is a fickle business and right now everyone in their heart of hearts are doubtful the squad we have as of today are capable of staying up.

Both good reasons to wear a mask in a city that has no shame or class - today Mr FM has been another cracking day in the history of this forum, and to think when you passed the original info over to me 3 years ago it would lead to a cottage industry which includes71662 responses.

In a word No - I only venture in PO territory for the odd fishing expedition and I always wear a mask

Surely the best option for the trust now is to use whatever funds they have to fund a phoenix club. Trying to replace Chanrai and keep the club from liquidation would just eradicate what funds they do have without ultimately ensuring survival. If I were a skate - and thank the lord I'm not - I would be begging TB to switch of the life support machine and then get to work on forming a new club.

Terry Paine and John Sillett - check my original blurb at the top to find out more re the signings!

Oh Yes big time - we are publishing a massive whos who in 12 months time that is going to blow the Alphabet book out of the water. It is called ALL the SAINTS and is going to be 600 pages and dare I say it the most comprehensive and well-researched "who is who" book ever published. We have "done" the pre-war players and are now working on the post-war players but no stone is going to be left untouched. I am very confident this will be the best ever historical book on any club. Me Gary Chalk and David Bull have spent years on it. Cheers and thanks for asking

If Plymouth cannot blow Appy's babes out of the water I would suggest they are in for a tough season.

2m does seem a tad excessive though - I mean what has Birch actually done?

Get in touch when you return - I shall miss your contribution to the Pompey thread though, I am becoming ever more reliant on your sleuth like activities. Have a good holiday!