verlaine1979

Actually Pires wasn't that quick really, not compared to the man he replaced (Overmars) - Pires's game was mostly about close control, which isn't as easily eroded by age. He could also pass the ball brilliantly. The idea that Pires couldn't walk into a creative role in any side in League One or the Championship and instantly be among the most dangerous players in the league is ridiculous. You only have to remember how Merson and Prosinecki played for Pompey to see how genuine class tells in the lower leagues well beyond a player's top-level sell by date.

Really, you think two promotions over the next four seasons is now completely unreachable because we've lost the guidance of Alan Pardew? If so, I'd respectfully point you to the performance of Norwich last year, who if I remember rightly, did fairly well despite an early change of manager... not that I didn't like Pardew, but with a squad of this quality, I'm not going to be jumping off the Itchen Bridge any time soon, regardless of who is appointed.

Surely the Hart rumour is just some Pompey wag taking a chance and feeding some misinformation, in exactly the same way they put about that obviously fake 'we see the value in taking the brand global' line from Paul Allen back in the day?

A very sad day. From his every interaction with the fans he seemed like a genuinely humble guy who shared in the enthusiasm without giving off any sense of privilege or aloofness. And how much sadder a day for the people that knew him. Auf wiedersehen.

I remember reading this at the time: and thinking that it was among the clumsiest p*ss-takes I'd read about in quite a while. There is no Southampton 'brand' any more than there is a Brentford 'brand' or a Burnley 'brand'. The level of credulity was embarrassing.

This is genius. If a player with the speed, agility and control of Torres played in League 1, he'd win the golden boot on penalties alone.

Is it rude to post a link to my football blog on another man's thread? Ah well, http://www.seagullsfollowthetrawler.com - I'll accept the ire if it comes...

If anyone fancies it, I posted some thoughts about the significance of the JPT on my football blog http://www.seagullsfollowthetrawler.com

Only saw the game on tv - played well, and really only undone by good finishing and the kind of pace and control you don't find in League 1. Nothing to be ashamed of.

Pace and finishing, I guess that's what you go bankrupt paying for.

2-3 Leeds

Leeds 2-2

Ahh we might not have won championships, but we had Le Tiss, and at the end of the day, in comparison, league titles are ten a penny...

Because he's left-footed, happy playing as a winger, and because Lallana seems most effective playing in an advanced central position to me...

Swap Puncheon and Lallana and you've got a deal.

Swap Lallana and Puncheon presuming Puncheon is a left-footer?

The repeated mentions of Jackson's Farm as our eventual financial salvation during the admin saga made it sound a bit like this forum's Watership Down... 'Don't worry children, one day we'll sell Jackson's Farm to a rich developer and we'll never have to be frightened again...'

Is the idea that there's a huge pot of gold for reaching the premier league a bit of a daydream? Looking at the most recent breakdown of profit and loss I could find (admittedly over a year old) it basically sounds like nobody outside the top four/London is making anything other than small change in profits, regardless of the size of their debt. Obviously, most aren't even making that. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/oct/22/premierleague The most recent Deloitte football finances report put the wages/revenue ratio of premier league clubs at 62% on average, though this is skewed heavily by the turnover of the larger clubs. Additionally it mentions that each increase in television revenues to the league has been met with an equal or greater increase in player wages. It appears the pot of gold only exists if you win something - you don't get rewarded for sitting mid-table.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/8451004.stm Too good to drop to League 1, but would be outrageously dominant on the left if fit.

Thank you Mr. Nuance.

Ahh y'see, I didn't say anything about where I feel investment is most needed in January, I just said that if we were thinking of spending a couple of million on Beckford, I think Jackson would actually be the preferable investment. However, by my count, there are 4 teams that have scored the same number of goals as us or greater, and 5 teams who've conceded the same number or fewer, so our achievements in both categories are much closer than your estimate. Being sensible is easy when you look at the numbers, provided the numbers have something definitive to say...

It would be better to spend a couple of million on Simeon Jackson than Beckford - he's scored fewer, but is younger, quicker and probably has less of an ego at this stage in his career, so would be less likely to rock the boat.

I doubt anyone will be regarding us as the Man City or Chelsea of anywhere while we are trying to get promotion out of League 1 - this level of the game just doesn't get the attention for comparisons like that to have legs.

I think my point was just that I've never heard any other chairman/owner type in Saints' recent history given the 'Mr' treatment... I don't know, it just seems a bit servile and unnecessary.

Is it just me that finds addressing them as 'Mr.' Liebherr and 'Mr.' Cortese on this board kind of weirdly sycophantic? After all, no one is calling him 'Mr.' Pardew. The whole cap-doffing to the wealthy owner thing is surely a tad over the top?