Fitzhugh Fella

Patred used to post on here didn't he? Seem to remember getting some interesting pms from him too.

I think there is going to be a lot of disappointed postees out there come May. I hope I am wrong.

Trousers - the allegations which NC apparently made to fans at a recent dinner and subsequently relayed on this forum were - if true - potentially libellous towards Begbies. I would be surprsied NC made them to be frank as I think he is a more cautious man than that. Don't think they should be repeated in any format on a forum. However there remains a lot of inuendo/gossip surrounding the whole takeover saga which will remain until the truth comes out one day. Is it relevant? I suppose while key characters are still "on the scene" it does have relevance plus of course it is always satisfying to get to the bottom of any story, especially if you follow the club's history.

They are taking a long time deciding whether to charge him are they not?

Don't sit on the fence lad

I think the mods did remove it or edit it. If NC said it then it is he who will not let sleeping dogs lie and I don't blame him because IF it is true then he came to the table very handicapped. Without that handicap and with more time last season could have worked out quite differently. There is a lot of crap been swept under our carpet over the last decade, some for good reasons and some not. I take your point but crap does not nor should not always remain hidden to spare the guilty.

There was some interesting but libellous allegations made on this forum yesterday that suposedly were made by NC to fans about the behaviour of Begbies during the takeover. While obviously you have to be careful the allegations were serious and if true should be investigated because the very future of our club was at stake at the time.

Taking fond memories of the Brentford game into another week. Aaaargh!

Is this an exclusive Dell Days - I thought the reasons AP was sacked are still ranked state secret status - a bit like Barnard's hernia (or not) operation?

Again - if we are 2-0 nil and looking like we were getting nothing from the game why not throw on the youngsters if only to give them a bit of experience? And don't forget we had nowt on the bench because for whatever reasons we have let a few go on loan to clubs in higher divisions. Puncheon is being missed. If he has misbehaved then ship him out but not BEFORE we have a replacement. Relying on the fitness of Holmes was poor judgement. Oh and while I am at it is Barnard recovering from his hernia op or hasn't it happened?

My point was to have a debate on a FORUM? As for Strachan I agree, but you got to admit his comments were quite interesting and this one was way OTT.

Do you honestly think we have? I can't see a lot of difference. Maybe my expectations were higher after AP left which is clouding my judgement but I don't see us any further forward performance wise. Sorry.

Yep brought a smile to my face too

And for me they are very worth using and I do!

Len - the club weren't too keen on a pre war ITN - on account of what they reckon would be little interest, so that idea is suspended for now. We are currently working on a massive who's who from 1885 - to date, hopefully published this time next year, if my editor David Bull can get his finger out. After that to use some of our pre-war stuff maybe a complete history of Saints in the FA Cup and maybe a coffee table type photographic book. We have plenty of other ideas ie Saints at War etc etc.

Gator you wont get too much wisdom from me but to try and answer. Eloquence? No not really - that you rarely get in football but it would be nice to get something that just makes a little sense. His comment re the game in my OP was nonsensical. Also the bit about Barnard was just bizarre. If he didn't want to tell anyone the state of Barnard's fitness just say I'd rather not say. We would all understand. (Do us fans have the right to be kept up-to-date with the players' injuries?) However I do concede if he had us playing decent football and we were consolidating a top 2 position I would cut him a lot more slack in my own mind and if it guaranteed promotion he could talk Swahili for the rest of the season. His intellect was something that was made a lot of at the time of his appointment and indeed he may well have plenty up top but it doesn't seem to be used in his post match analysis. My criticism is probably not fair and I hear from those that have met him that he's a really nice genuine guy. Trouble is nice guys don't usually make good managers. Time will tell but in football there is increasingly less and less time. Maybe I built my hopes up too much when he arrived because his CV looked good but after 3 or so months I am just a little bit underwhelmed. 3 months is a pitifully small amount of time when considering how long the managers of the past got but is about the length of time modern day chairmen expect to see some improvement. Maybe we should wait until the season's end but that would not suit NC's schedule.

Well as I am keeping "In That Number" up to date I always look to get a comment from one manager as it helps describe the game. It was interesting that Scott the Brentford manager regarded the away win as the "easiest" this season. So the answer to your question is Yes. I have found so far NA has not made one quote that is meaningful. Might as well not bother asking him. Let's hope he communicates better with the players

Gordon Strachan was brilliant with his after match comments - these were the ones he made just after we lost to Arsenal away in one of his last matches. He was asked if his criticism of a linesman would get him into trouble - this is how he replied “Have I said anything out of turn? If you call Tony Blair a liar about weapons of mass destruction then it’s quite easy for me to say that I have history with a linesman”. He then went on to complain how hard it was to gain access to match officials after the game. “You can’t get near to officials, it’s easier to get to the Pope! If I’m in London next time and I get mugged, I hope the same amount of people turn up – there were 6 police officers, four stewards, and a United Nations peace observer”. Now that is class - pure class. None of this "in the building" nonsense.

In tonights Echo Brentford manager Andy Scott said "of our last 5 away wins that was probably the most comfortable - we could have scored a couple more. It was excellent team work, we created good chances. To come here and win is a fantastic achievement but we thoroughly deserved it". I looked for something from NA to sum up the match but instead the Echo highlighted this pearl of wisdom "I thought there was enough out there to try and get something from the game". Can anyone translate this as I am not really sure what he is saying? And then we have the Barnard situation. Has he had the op or not? Or are we still trying to confuse Walsall and not tell anyone? Are we allowed to know - have we the right? Hoping for clarity from tonight's Echo, NA says this about Barnard "He's had 2 little things going wrong in the groin area. We were hoping to get one settled and the medical team have tried to do that and we've had to go down another pathway and it's frustrating". I am sure it is Nigel but it is pretty frustrating for the fans not knowing what the hell you are talking about. Whatever your views on Pardew one area he was good at was communicating with the fans - I am not so sure NA is. Fans appreciate straight talking especially after a defeat. I haven't lost faith in NA and obviously he needs time (if NC is prepared to give it) but Saturday was a bit of a jolt and when the chips are down a manager needs to say the right things. Not talk gobbly gook.

I think this just boils down to the fact that Schneiderlin and Hammond are just too similar and there is only room for one of them. If I had a choice I would go for Hammond because of his slightly better temperament but ideally I'd get rid off both. Hammond gives his all but is no more than Div 1 standard while S is an enigma all round. Looks elegant but that is it.

Worked well yesterday then. If Barnard is telling fans he has had the op it is hardly a trade secret.

On another thread there is a poster who claims Barnard had a hernia op last week. If it is true I don't know why we can't be told?

No go to all home games and quite a few away inc Walsall next week.....unfortunately. Sorry that was'nt us just playing badly yesterday that was a team who had no organisation or nous - in short we looked like a team who haven't got a manager. The last time we looked so inept was at Bristol Rovers under Dodd and Gorman.

which just goes to prove stats can be very deceiving. apart from one game this season at home (Tranmere) we have not gelled. Something is not right - even both Cup games we flattered to deceive. I am no tactician but the two central "crabs" posing as our midfield must be the source of a lot of our problems. I'll say it again; under Pardew he had us playing a lot more "organised" football after just a few couple of months. Yes Adkins must be given a chance to bring in his own players but as a previous poster quite rightly pointed out he did inherit a more than decent squad who finished last season as the best in the League.

That was shambolic today - I think even Adkins would be critical of himself today. It looked like none of the players had ever met each other before 3pm. NA must shoulder some blame for one of the worst performances at SMS for quite a few years.