um pahars

And it wasn't that long ago that Lowe was talking him up and saying how he would fit in with this fast, attacking style of play and Poortvliet was telling us what a great asset he was. It just doesn't seem like much of a strategy to me, almost making it up as we go along.

And that for me is probably the worrying part. I presume this would be an area that Liz Coley would have sorted out in the old days, but not sure who is doing this now that she has been laid off. Failing to get international clearacce when Bristol City managed it in a day for their new signing seems rather odd.

Bristol City managed it, so why couldn't we??? Even if it was Aalborg dragging their feet, then I would expect us to be kicking them up the ar55ge to get it done. Considering we have recently lost two strikers (in the loosest sense of the word) you would have thought we would be jumping through hoops to get him in the squad for Sunday.

It definitely came to an end on 31/12/2008. We have known for over 4 months when the loan ends, so find it bizarre that we now have a striker on our books whose wages we are paying and yet we can't play him Sunday where he could score a crucial equaliser and earn us a million. Incompetence??? By us ??? Aalborg??? UEFA??? The FA??? Normal business??? Something else???

Bristol City seem to have been able to lodge the paperwork and get international clearance for their latest Slovakian striker who they signed today. http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10327~1506328,00.html He is available for selection for their game tomorrow. This just doesn't really add up to me. Either someone has ****ked up royally or there's another angle we're not being told here.

And welcome back Duncan. Watched this little clip with a mate earlier and it brought back such happy memories. Football seemed alot simpler then, although I'm sure there were just as many egos in play (methinks the lack of money around may have been one positive though). As for that train picture it really is small fry, irrelevant, off the radar and I'm sure Lawrie's ego is in play, BUT by golly for something so small fry and irrelevant it says soooo much about what is wrong with this Club at the moment.

So to cap off Professors grand claim that supporters pollute this site with their views, we now have that old chestnut that it's the supporters fault. It's our whining that's holding the team back:rolleyes::rolleyes: The views of supporters (positive or negative) are mere symptons of the situation we find ourselves in, and in this case it is the policies of those temporarily in charge of the Club that have driven us to this point. Many thousands still turn up (just look at the Notts Forest game), so methinks you need to look to the boardroom and the results of some weird decisions for the reasons why it is hard to go forward, before you blame the hard pressed fans who have put up with so much rubbish recently.

Wow:rolleyes::rolleyes: We haven't had that type of comment on here for all of about two days!!!!!! Posters on here don't hate Southampton FC, in fact it's their love of Saints that makes them so passionate and loud. But hey, ho, let's just dress up all the well held and well espoused views as pollution. Methinks you're the one with a low mentality if you continue to fail to distinguish the odd duff post (and poster), from the majority of well thought out and reasoned posts (and posters). I wantz Rupert7 out cuz hes possh innit.

Wotton was signed a couple of weeks after Jan had been unveiled as Head Coach. As for Holmes, JP actually claimed somewhere that he had seen him (how and where, I haven't a clue?). But then there's also those players who re-signed contracts such as Dyer & Gillett (maybe even McGoldrick) and you have to ask just how involved is Jan in these decisions, or perhaps more importantly who else is involved??? I just can't help but think that Jan is not his own man with regards transfer targets and keeping players on.

Didn't season tickets go up from something like 7,500 when he left in July to 14,000 by August???? That was something over and above the normal renewal pattern. It certainly didn't entice back those Premiership fans who walked away, but the last change of board appeared to help retain those fans who looked like they were not renewing that summer (particularly as many season ticket holders in that first season down renewed when we still had a shout of being in the top flight).

We just need to find out where the list of "out of work" or "available CEO's" is, then we could replace Jan and Rupert at the same time. Double bubble.

I see it as no more than Lowe viewing Dyer as a commodity who he believes will increase in value. He's purely just taking a gamble and believing he can get more for him being under contract (and requiring a transfer fee) as opposed to being out of contract (and getting compensation). The problem comes when you firstly consider the comments made by Lowe when Dyer signed a new contract, particularly the nauseating bits about the new regime. Secondly, it only works from a financial perspective if we make money out of him. We have probably coughed up a signing on fee and paid some wages whilst he was initially with us & no one is aware of what the net deal is with Sheff Utd/Swansea (i.e. are we still payng some wages etc etc etc). It all depends on what someone is prepared to pay in the future (against what a tribunal would have set) and what the net cost to us of this decision is. At the moment it is a gamble and no one on here knows the true cost either way. I wouldn't have minded it being a purely financial decision had the OS not carrid that nauseating and rather insulting piece back in July, but as we stand at the moment I think we've lost money on him.

No, but I'm sure I saw a Darren Moore go on a free to those mega spenders Barnsley. We should have targeted far fewer players than the 13 we did, and should have looked at a few extra older heads. Our scattergun recruitment policy has not benefitted the team in the long run.

Absolutely. If you only have a small transfer kitty and a small amount for the subsequent wages, then use it wisely, prioritise well, bring players in who will improve the team, and don't spread it thinly across mediocrity (even by our own lowish standards). We can but hope that this window brings as improvement, but following Cork's departure we are certainly weaker.

And that's the risk we took when we booted out Pearson, brought Poortvliet in and installed Lowe as the de facto Director of Football.

And therein lies the problem. he was no success in Holland.

He was probably saying the same thing when Wigley was in charge. I'm all for giving managers (or Head Coaches:rolleyes:) a chance and some time, but there are certain times when you have to be decisive.

But once again I think you're missing the point. This thread is about the strategy and the system picking up these players. I don't think people are slagging off the players, at worst they have been highlighting they are probably not adding anything to our strength. Most of the ire on this thread has been correctly channelled at the poor stratey we are following and the poor choices that would appear to have been made regards spotting players who can bring something to the team.

We have brought in something like 13 new faces since JP came in. Those that have contributed are probably: Perry Cork Then I would say the following have a good/average chance if they can shake off their injuries: Holmes Scheiderlin Those that have underwhelmed me are: Wotton Robertson Smith Pulis Gasmi Forecast Pearce Pekhart So, you're quite right in questioning our recruitment policy. Perhaps less of a scattergun approach would have been more successful. As with our time in the top flight, I believe a more focussed and tighter approach would be more beneficial. Bringing in so many new faces sort of blows open the idea that we have no choice but to go this way.

I wouldn't say he froze his image as he has been very effective at Leicester, thereby enhancing his reputation. In a way, he is the perfect foil for those who advocate we do nothing, as the appointment of him at Leicester shows what difference a good manager can make to a team. However, we will never know how highly Pearson would have been thought of this season thanks to the decision making skills of the person now entrusted to run this Club.

So, by that admission are you accepting that Lowe coming back has damaged the Club? If it's a yes, then why have you been defending his return? If it's a no, then what you have said above does not add up. With regards another change damaging the Club, then I'm not 100% convinced. I am of the mind that Poortvliet needs help or to be replaced, so that's some change I would not rule out. Additionally, if he does go, then I think change at some level may be required as (a) I don't think JP would go in the short term whilst Lowe is still here, and (b) given the poor choice last summer, I'm not sure I trust Lowe's appointments anymore.

And don't we know it!!!!!! Maybe you should have been posting last summer!!!!

Whilst I admire your attempt at humour during these dark days, I don't really think even dear old Nigel would have managed that. Then again, I don't think he would have had us in the bottom two either!!!!!!

I very much doubt any other Chairman would have sacked the incumbent manager who looked as though he would be able to unite the Club and replace him with a Coach from the Dutch lower leagues.:rolleyes: Happens all the time doesn't it;)

Not sure at all about Smith. Seemed a rushed and desperate loan when we first got him, and have seen nothing to think differently. At least Molyneux is an orthodox full back, and I suppose the jury will be out until he's played a few games. The idea that he is a replacement for Skacel was something that crossed my mind.