suewhistle

Don't reckon so. I'm overseas and see few games a season, hence my wry comments in my report on the Thun game about not knowing who was who. Definitely didn't see PW, even if I didn't know who Callum McNish was! My personal opinion is that the training camp was organised in advance, and games and signings are of secondary, or perhaps parallel importance.

Normally I only make critical posts about bigots, but Alpine; I'm really not being abusive here, but you strike me as incredibly obtuse. I've never jumped on any soddin bandwagon, whatever that means, but really: "1. Its a myth to say I am never positive. However, bandwagon jumping is so much easier, isnt it ? 2. It speaks volumes for those of you who feel compelled to abuse my every word just because it comes from me, despite any validity it may have. " I'm really not obsessed enough to go and gather evidence (DBP might..) but I'm the mildest sort of person you could meet. I don't take kindly to DBP/SRS's posts because: well, do I need to expand? But you, you really have this blind spot about how you are perceived. Have you really never considered why? Frankly "it speaks volumes" that you think everybody is marching out of step except yourself.. People don't abuse you, although their impatience may occasionally be expressed, but people don't abuse your "every word". And if they did, have you never considered why it's more than the odd individual? Maybe you love being the oppressed individual, but I think it's you that is the problem, and not the rest of us forum banterers. All in agreement say AYE!

Hmm. Difficult one. Don't know who you mean for starters : If I've guessed who I think you mean correctly... welll. Shrek is bit too much of a sympathetic character, and intelligent, to boot. Um.. a bit like TCWTB: obsessed with his footie team, but a bit backward socially. Are we talking about the same person?

Yes he does. I teach little kiddies English and I don't use the local language even though I'm fluent. I use English to do various stories. I haven't done the story of the boy who cried Wolf!, but that's what Alpine does, and it's actually given me a great idea for a lesson plan! He does make some reasonable points, but they are so obscured by his general attitude that people ignore them. His leading questions and one-sided points of view are really tiresome. If he were occasionally positive it would be a relief for all concerned and we might take him more seriously.

Um, I thought that was based on them getting £15m for players. Mwahhahhaahaa. Perhaps the creditors should look a their cash flow projections again!

I'm with you hypo. I'm on FB but limited to rellies, close friends and mainly musician aquaintances. I'm a teacher and have never had colleagues as friends and in any case i'd limit myself to uncontroversial statements like "Hurrah, it's the end of term". Never have mind, but you see what I mean. As I teach English perhaps I'm a bit more circumspect in my use of words such as "friend". I wouldn't consider a friend anyone who betrayed a confidence. What if you vented in the pub to such a person, would they then pass on the information? Foolish but not grounds for dismissal from the evidence at hand.

That SAlaw article is interesting on many counts, this one for example: "HMRC may seek to claim that as (100%) beneficiaries of the Football Creditors Rule they are claiming a lien over the Club (especially the TV money). If that’s the case then the insolvency regime defines a “lien” as a form of security. i.e. secured borrowers. Secured creditors should not be voting alongside unsecured creditors under a CVA. Oooops! " Plus the last line of the article referring also to the football creditors rule: "How many of the current incumbents of the Premiership would be considered a credit risk if both challenges were to be made (and succeed)?" Discuss.

Just another thought. I can't help thinking that we should be a very attractive destination for loan players. Decent stadium, manager, pitch, crowds, team colleagues, training set-up, back-room staff and even some interesting continental games if they end up playing occasionally for our reserves: the only thing we couldn't guarantee is a minimum number of appearances. The loaning teams are still sorting out their own squads so availability won't be known until later, but there could be some interesting players available.

Well...if I had only seen "who is disappointed in our transfers ?" I'd have made a correct guess as to who wrote it... On the replacement for Ant and Papa from what I saw at Thun I'd say Alex OC could step up to the mark, again on the basis of coming on as sub. Worried about his youth and the fact that he probably hasn't finished growing yet but I have every confidence in the backroom staff on that aspect. I'd hate to be a tiring full back with that pace coming on against me, I can tell you! As has been pointed out the problem for the other positions is balancing between recruiting a good enough player and not being able to guarantee them a place. In my report about the Thun match I was maybe a little unfair on McNish, for example, and against most L1 teams he'd be OK and perhaps there are other players who may also step up to the mark. I think I'd prefer Martin to Jaidi from what I saw but maybe on a heavy pitch against a brute CF the latter would be the one to choose. I'd rather wait and not be disappointed in who we signed than have signings already who are disappointing.

I was thinking of going to Fribourg as well as the Thun game as it's a bit closer to me but I can't really afford it, and do I really want to meet some of the people who are going? Not you Steve Grant, remember you've got my fiver!

The photocopier is probably leased and the players' registrations are cancelled and they become free agents if the club ceases to exist or they don't get paid, which is another risk.

.. as I said in my brief report... :-)

Far too young for me and I wouldn't want to jeopardize my CRB status thanks!;-)

Well, I woke up from my siesta and remembered today was the day. I normally struggle to wake up but this has really worked!

Just a thought that occurred to me, but in view of the moaning about not telling the fans I reckon that the game was, genuinely, organised at the last minute. Sure the training camp was planned, but that was going to be an intensive and closed affair. Given the late news from Saints, even later on the Thun FC site and AP's comments about 'too soon' I reckon that this came up late in the day. No charge to the fans either, which there might have been if this had been a money-making exercise like Poopey's tour.:-)

Hmm, and what is "the lowest league" of which you speak? I can recommend the Portsmouth Dockyard League as there'd be lots of local derbies!

Didn't see anybody remotely looking like him. HTH

Normal for Poortsmouth. I noticed quite a number of the young West Ham players with squad numbers, in the figures published a month or so, were on £500 a week. The sort of players we ended up with after administration.

Nope, but their were some fans hanging around for autographs and the like so maybe somebody will pipe up later.

Well, he was on the coach and gave me a wave as I was parked up when they arrived. I then went for a lovely swim in Lake Thun and turned up a few minutes before the match. I thought I was mad to go to a pre-season friendly but there were quite a few nutters who came all the way from the UK. I think everyone would agree that it was a lovely place for a short break. Most of the Saints fans stood on the terrace on the lake side where some of the locals were buying them beers but there were quite a few of us sensible ones who ended up in the shade of the "main" stand; the people just in front of me were Saints fans living in Switzerland and there were others behind me. Lets face it, Saints fans are everywhere: Basel, Berne, Zurich, Italy...

I thought Adam played tonight, but then I realised that all that weight training wouldn't have increased his height so it was probably Hammond....

Bit of a drive back to Italy so I'm unwinding over a beer which I couldn't have earlier. I'll give you the benefit of my view but I'm completely confused by who is who these days, especially without seeing a teamsheet! I thought it was Forecast in goal for the first half: if it was Davis I dunno what he's done with his hair, lost a bit, looks like! It was a good work-out, make no mistake: Thun looked sharp and start their competitive season this weekend and they had a bit of pace throughout the side. Far better to play them (on a very good pitch) than semi-professionals like Havant & Waterlooville etc, and a team far better than pretty well all in League 1 if a little less physical. Dickson got skinned a few times and his passing was poor: as noted, he gave away the pass for the goal. I didn't realise it was Callum McNish playing, and he's not quite there yet against this level of opposition Different game in the second half when Schneiderlin, Lambert and Connolly all made a big difference. Connolly did look bright, with good movement. Oxlade-Chamberlain did _very_ well: pace to burn, still needs a bit of experience to make the right decision and the final delivery but the sort of player you're going to look forward to seeing coming on. He went off with cramp, but he'd worked very hard, including covering his full-back. I think all the planned subs had come on as they sent on Jaidi: gawd, he looks slow and could have been in the book in a non-friendly and in fact after the end of the game he was doing sprinting training with one of the coaches. Mills came on for Dickson and looked OK. A bit slow for raw pace perhaps but did a good covering tackle and looked comfortable on the ball and in his interpassing. Martin I think could certainly make it in League 1 if not higher, and has done well considering he came into football late via Eastleigh: he's a talker and I think has the intelligence and basic pace to improve. We played some good football and I'm reasonably optimistic, having actually seen the game;-). No need to cut your wrists on a first friendly, honest. For a first match I enjoyed it, and it was far better than some friendlies I've seen with some good interpassing. We obviously need to cut out some of the mistakes and improve some of the positional play, but nothing that can't be achieved. We've got a good team, especially if Lallana plays!

I've heard a few good things about how much more professional the set up is now. Whilst browsing the Thun FC web-site I notice they don't have a "reserve" side as such but U-21, U-18 etc, so this would fit in with the plan to play foreign sides. Anyway, I'm off and will be in Switzerland in less than an hour.

Could be me age but PMSL

Yep, rain here too after a steady build up of heat and humidity all day .. and just heard thunder again. Don't think I'll make Fribourg: need to find out first what the taxman here is going to sting me for on my pitiful earnings!