Fitzhugh Fella

While its admirable you are defending free speech there should be questions asked when what is being preached is potentially dangerous and irresponsible. People are still dying of Covid having been persuaded not to have the vaccination. (Oh and falling off a high horse can be painful as well).

Does anyone know if the impasse with Swansea over compensation has been sorted? Apologies if I've missed it.

I think the fact he came "armed" with his own photographer so he can paint himself as a man of the people tells you all you need to know about him as a person and your worship of him tells us all we want to know about you! Happy New Year.

According to @reluctantnicko (I know) we are "on the verge" of signing 18-year-old Joe O'Brien Whitmarsh from Cork City. A six figure fee has been mentioned.

It'd got to be related albeit indirectly

"Comfort zone crap". - I like that

Well said. A lot of fans think if we win then there's no point talking about the performance. While we all know, ultimately, the three points is the most important part of any game, our performances remain unconvincing at best and sooner or later we will be found out. I caught a lot of the Ipswich game last night and they are different class to us. I am yet to be persuaded Martin has what it takes - despite a 10 match unbeaten run n- and I know a lot of fans are not enthused about the football we play and they all go to every game and many away.

Well we needed a striker and Leeds won the race for Piroe so we had to do something but I am pretty sure we wont see the best of Stewart until next season probably. With Adams off in January (hopefully), we could do with a back up striker.

Agree with this

Yep I think we are all as one on this. There is Larios of course but why we let Perraud go beats me unless Martin thinks Manning is better?

In what positions would you see us making or needing signings?

Yea I';d agree with this. Yet to complete a full game for us this season (the most he's played is 76mins). He is very frustrating.

Portsmouth should be stripped of the FA Cup. Most of the players who turned out in the Final (and previous rounds) were purchased with money they didn't have.

There is no country in the world that doesn't have an element of corruption or lawlessness but the three countries you mention are at least acknowledged to be democracies, although how much longer the US stays so is anyone's guess. Also, as far as I know, the leaders of those three countries don't personally order their henchmen to bludgeon to death pesky journalists and then cut up their bodies with a bone saw and all done in plainsight of their embassy. Presumably you are quite comfortable with all this? You and David Beckham, I guess but the only difference is he'll be trousering £25m

Or Iran?

I have mixed opinions on this. Part of me says the only place to be is the top-flight as that's where it's at in terms of money, exposure etc etc. But football has sold its soul (WC to Saudi is just the latest example) and money talks loudest, which means the PL is simply not a level playing field any more. Clubs like Saints will always struggle and who wants to spend their Saturday afternoons (or whenever Sky decide) watching a struggling side who rarely wins (2022-23)? The fans have been shafted by the powers to be. There is no integrity in football and the PL in particular, the officials interpretation of VAR is killing what's left of the game and the players feigning injury has reached pathetic levels. Ticket prices have put the game beyond many, clubs have become corporate entities with fans now regarded as dispensable and problematic if they dare to have a voice (Celtic fan pro Palestine stance a case example). I love football, it's been a drug I can't shake off but i have no warm feelings towards the modern game and its corrupt and greedy administrators.

Adam Blackmore very enthusiastic about this having worked with him "in a previous life". Says he's one of football's nice men.

Apologies for the 1894-1994 error. My mistake. At least it proves someone reads the articles!!!

We really didn't "play well". Rotherham (apart from their keeper) were awful to start with but our negative tactics made them grow with confidence and mount a decent fight back. It was awful game management. Leicester without a doubt would have won 5-0 but all I can see on here are fans patting themselves on the back while claiming we played well. Jesus our standards have slipped alarmingly. If you are satisfied with what you saw yesterday then good for you but in the circles I mix in there is a lot of disquiet at the direction the club, under Martin/Wilcox, is heading.

Very much this. It seems our standards have dipped alarmingly with people describing yesterday's performance as excellent and then using the "if Smallbone had scored" argument. The fact is we were held to a draw by a team with an atrocious away record, who were suffering from a long injury list and little resources compared to us. We had them on the ropes after two minutes and because of Martin's obsession for "possession without intent football" we let them straight back into the game. Indeed they could have even nicked it. That might have shut a few of the Martin apologists up.

I beg to differ, sorry. The first half was "ok" - no more no worse. We got the goal after Rotherham twice gave the ball away near their area. After that we were comfortable (without scoring) against a team who have a shocking away record and loads of injuries. Describing that as "excellent" is over the top and I sense a little bit of a desperate defence of a manager who then at half-time told the players to retain possession, even if it meant allowing Rotherham to regroup everytime we approached their half. The amount of times we got to the half-way line only to immediately turn back, sometimes without even checking there were forward options, was indefensible and frustrating. I do not think Martin's tactics are the answer. 3 of our wins have come against clubs now in the bottom 4. His cautious build up play is a turn off in terms of spectating. Yes he has his apologists, (of which I sense you are one) but he is alienating large swathes of the fan base. Around me in the Kingsland yesterday there was quite a bit of discontent. In the pub afterwards there was 7 of us and we all were critical at the football being played. Some are more forgiving, choosing the Adam Blackmore route of appeasement but the writing on the wall is getting clearer to those who have been around the block a bit. Unnecessary sideways and back ward passing is a turn off, it will not get us promotion and its mind-numbing to watch. In a way Martin is not to blame. Wilcox decided what style we should play and appointed Martin to carry out his vision. Unfortunately this stupidity has divided the fans. You only have to read this thread to realise that.

That's nice writing off your fellow fans as brainless. You might like crop circle tip tappy constantly turning back football but quite a few brainless fans think it tedious. Yesterday was the first time Saints showing any attacking intent and you immediately triumphantly emerge from the woodwork to castigate those who have dared to criticise.

They were the chancers that nearly bought us (Thanks to Leon they didn't) who then went on to damn near wreck Coventry.

He really has lost the plot. If I didn't know better I would reckon he's taken a bung from the club.

Depends how old you are