Big Ron fan

Agreed. I wasn't implying he will be agitating for a move. But when a decent club (say, Fulham) comes in and offers a 'reasonable' amount (£2m plus add-ons??), the board will want to sell and if it's somewhere where he'd have a reasonable expectation of first-team football and earn a lot more, I'd be very surprised if he didn't go. Just for clarification, by 'reasonable' I mean what the board would see as reasonable given our financial position. I also think things would be different if we were in with a chance of promotion but, given the way this season has (IMHO) been mismanaged I, sadly, can't see us anywhere other than near the bottom of the table.

For me, the saddest thing of all about watching Saints at the moment is knowing that there is little chance of Lallana being a Saints player after January 31.

Anyone any idea if any other Saints player has been sent off on debut and, if he has, was it as early as Lancashire?

I'd probably go with something like Davis James Cork Perry Rudi Gillet Lallana Surman Dyer John Peckart Surman must play in midfield and Dyer and John must play (IMO). I wouldn't wish injury on anyone, but I really don't rate Holmes (unlike most posters on here) and think his absence could be a blessing in disguise.

Made me laugh!

With respect, my 8 year-old's side are pretty good, used to playing with each other and pass the ball well, but if all of them were put in Saints first team at once the results would be a lot worse than if one or two of them were!

Believe it or not, I've just spent 45 minutes typing out a very long and articulate answer to this point, but unfortunately got 'timed out' on my connection and have now lost it! Just two or 3 salient points, as I can't be bothered to write it out again... When we finish below the likes of Doncaster and Blackpool, it will be because of football decisions taken by the chairman and 'head coach'. Two main examples are appointing a head coach with no track record in senior, let alone English, football and assembling a squad with no recognised full-backs, but there are many others. Whoever was in charge, a lot of the young players would have had to be given a chance (something I myself called for at the time Dodd and Gorman went). There is no evidence that Lowe has done any serious cost cutting that wouldn't have been done by others (inc. Crouch). Cost cutting is the relatively easy bit in business. The difficult bit is raising revenue. No-one has yet answered the point I raised a couple of weeks ago: how is Lowe's strategy going to increase attendances/corporate hospitality/sponsorship? As when Thatcher said it, 'There is no alternative' is nonsense - there is always an alternative!

I don't see how this is relevant to the comments I made.

Because Perry, a good player in the past, is a slow 36 year-old who spent last season in a poor League 1 side, Wotton is so good that Plymouth let him go on a free and Spiderman is nothing more than a promising midfield player who will get torn apart by a decent forward at this level. There's no panic on my part though - I'm resigned to the situation. Oh yes - and the other youngsters mentioned have not played a senior game in the league.

Correct.

Yes

...your boys took one hell of a beating tonight!! [sorry, I'll get my coat.]

If you read it again, that's not what I said. I said "outplayed for large parts of the games". I am specifically referring to the 2nd halves v Cardiff and B'ham and most of the match v. Blackpool.

Pretty much what I would expect for a team that has won one out of 4 in the league and been outplayed for large parts of those defeats. Far too many people around here wearing rose-tinted specs I fear!

Agree entirely. Personally, I would have Dodd ahead of Claus. A much more consistent player who played for longer, even if he wasn't up to it as a caretaker manager.

Sad to say it, but he was at least partially responsible for 2 of the goals we have conceded in the earlier games. It was not just a blip.

Svensson is one of my favourite Saints defenders over the last 40 years and I admire greatly his efforts to overcome injury. However, I must say that his performance on Saturday was (Callum Davenport excepted) one of the worst two centre-back performances I can ever remember in a Saints shirt. (The other was Alan Bennett v Palace at the start of last season.) I don't think it had any redeeming features whatsoever. Based on reports and goal highlights on Virgin/ITV, it looks like he has been at least partially responsible for 2 goals conceded in other matches this season. In short, though it pains me to say it, the first real test of JP's management may be whether he's got the balls to drop his captain. I haven't seen Cork yet, but I'm sure Thomas would be a better bet than Killer these days.

If JP really is happy with these signings, it explains why he's spent most of his coaching career in the lower reaches of the Dutch League!

Very informative. As anyone with any business experience knows, cutting costs is the relatively easy bit of management. The difficult bit is raising revenue, particularly in difficult economic times. No sign that Lowe has any plans on that front.

One of the more sensible posts of recent weeks. Though I'd love to be able to say otherwise, I have seen nothing to make me revise my original prediction of 24th this season. Derby might be worse than us at the moment, but they will sack Jewell soon.

On OS now

I think you'll find the earlier comment was very much 'tongue-in-cheek'.

lmfao

Redknapp screwed the club for less than a year. Lowe did it for several years and has come back and done it again. Lowe by a mile for me.