um pahars

It's Ajax's legendary youth coaching strategy and stands for Technique, forgotten, personality and speed (just found that th the I is for insight!!!!). There was a really good documentary on Ajax a few years back, and there's also a great DVD set called Heroes of the Future (or something like that) that gives an insight into how Ajax work.

Don't worry, I'm not shooting you!!!!! Just laughing at the idea that we are the British Ajax and Jan, Wotte, Hockaday and Henderson are implementing the TIPS model.

Have to giggle whenever I see the Ajax comparison. People need to go and understand just how big Ajax's operation is (across the globe as well) because you will then see just how ridiculous such a comparison it is. It's up there with bracketing Poortvliet alongside Wenger, Scolari, Benitez and Mourinho just because he is a foreign football manager. I think the idea that we will continually churn out enough quality players to even play in this league is somewhat fanciful.

So much depends on where the others are going to go in my team. True right wingers would have to be Paine or Channon, but MLT also played wide right (especially under Nicholl). If I go for Paine, then MLT and Channon have to go up front, but that causs problems for including Keegan. Therefore Paine is my RM, Matty gets a CM free role and Channon up front with Keegan

And if the 8 game form continues then we will be down with Charlton and Derby;). However, I think the best form guide will be over 46 games, but as that involves 23 games not yet played, then people are entitled to hypothesise. My main concern is that a few of the teams might well get stronger as a result of the January window, whereas I fear we will get weaker.

I'm no headhunter!!!!!!! Have to agree with what you say, in that someone should be out there looking, but the problem is that those in charge didn't (and still don't) show the slightest inclination to look further than the stagnant gene pool of the major shareholders. Looking back to those Runnymede minutes, it was all about divvying up the jobs between the big boys, with no one (including Crouch) showing any nous to look outside and think about who would be best for the job as opposed to who can we shoe horn into each role!!!

Jan, what was the second half like??? As a few match reports I have read is that we were still fairly average (good in the odd patch), but did manage to score two goals.

I think you'll find that this little story has been doing the rounds for a while now and Berkhemstead is one of a few who has obviously been tapped up(or he has spoken to those who were fed this line) . I also understand that a certain manager in Leicestershire has got word of this story and is rather non plussed at the accusation. Of course, the originator of this story could always go public, but I very much doubt they would. They're just happy to spread unsubstantiated tittle tattle In a way it's actually a criticism of the current regime as it's actually a recognition of how poorly we are doing. As rather than being able to say we appointed Poortvliet as we thought he was a better option (and his results have justified that decision), they are trying to justify the appointment as having to be made because Pearson walked away. Pearson was a dead man walking the minute Wilde teamed up with Lowe.

I think we actually agree on quite a bit (at least in that we both accept there are alternatives out there), but we'll probably have to agree to disagree on what would be a better appointment, as I think your critique of Lowe as CEO is somewhat more generous than what mine would be!!!!! I don't think I hold him in as such high regard as you seem to, but we're all entitled to our own opinion. I don't think lowe would ever be convinced that someone could do a better job than him;). The case would have to be that those who support Lowe would need to change their position on whether he is the best man for the job!!!!!!

The stats site I use (Football 365) has current form over the last 8 games. On that one, Saints are ranked 22nd, with Donny and Forest at 15th and 16th respectively (Norwich are 18th and barnsley 19th). Charlton are bottom, with Derby at 23rd and being sucked in, which makes tomorrows game interesting!!!!!!! Watford who were in the mire a few weeks back are 10th, so it shows a string of results can lift you out of trouble. However, will we put that run together or will it be one of our rivals???? My worry is that although I think Donny and Forest will stay down this end of the table, two of our rivals, in Derby and Charlton, do have the parachute money which could be useful come January, whereas we are only likely to get weaker. To survive, I think we need a Barnsley, Norwich or Blackpool to get sucked back in.

Probably almost every league Club will have a CEO/MD running the show. They're as numerous as managers!!!!!! And just like managers, I presume there are some sat twiddling their thumbs who we could look at, there are probably some working in other roles who we could look at and of course there may be some currently employed who we could look at. There are probably other indidivuals working in related industries who could also do a decent job. They of course may end up doing a worse job (although I'm not sure just how worse!!), but there are alternatives out there. Going to an extreme, does this Club just fold when Lowe finally retires??? Totally agree, but saying that it looks very difficult to get a new man in is a totally different argument to saying that there is no alternative out there. If the will is there amongst some of the cabal for change, then change might happen, but until that point Lowe is in the boss seat. Whilst a shedload of money would undoubtedly improve the situation, I don't buy into the idea that without it any improvement is impossible (otherwise we might as well just give up right now). Even with our tight financial constraints there were (and still are) a number of different strategies we could have implemented. The most obvious would have been to retain Pearson. Whilst it would have been no guarantee of success, it is a perfectly valid example of how we may have done things differently.

Have you been fed that by Cowen by any chance (or by those who have chatted to him about it)?????? Pearson was acutely aware of the financial constraints he had to work under. He was aware of how the youngsters would have to play a bigger part in the coming season. He understood that many of the big earners would have to be offloaded and he also understood he would have to use a few loan players. He went away on holiday to Malta convinced he would be returning to rebuild for this close season. He wanted to stay and had no problem working under the obvious constraints. Lowe activated the break clause, not Pearson. The little story being peddled around that Pearson was not prepared to work under certain constraints is absolute nonsense (and if Mr Cowen reads this forum, I suggest he rings up Pearson and repeats that little story to him LOL). Many people (including the SOS bods) were aware that Pearson was a dead man walking months before Lowe got rid of him.

I totally concede that we are stuck with Lowe until one of the major shareholders in his cabal has a change of heart. I think it should be a case of going out and getting the right man, but it appears that the 42% gang think they already have their man, which is arguably all that matters!!!!!!

Deary me. A classic example of how platitudes, soundbites and promises are not worth anything in football.

Rewind a few months and ask yourself the question, Did Lowe come with any cash and what were his ideas? How did he measure up against the criteria you are now setting for a replacement? The idea that Lowe is the only one who: a) wants the job, or b) could do the job, or c) we could afford is/was risible.

He didn't say that!!!!!!!! Did he?????? LOL

Goodwill, just like pretty football, does not put the ball in the net, nor does it earn you points. I totally agree that that this is all subjective and completely hypothetical to compare individuals performances, but you seem to have forgotten that it was you who went down this route with your line of "I reiterate once again, so far, better than Pearson and the driver from the wacky races managed to achieve". It is totally impossible to substantiate such an argument. The best you could do would be a points per game basis, and on that basis you're claim does not stand up to scrutiny. You're quite right, you're no statistician. No one knows or could prove it either way, which makes your initial line that Jan has delivered better than Pearson totally hypothetical, sbjective and unable to be substantiated. Not really sure what the relevance is here when you are trying to prove something that is to impossible to prove. Alot of words to say nothing really! In amongst all your waffle there, I think I probably read something that sounds like "in your opinion". So it takes a load of waffle to finally reach the line that this is in "your opinion". At last. Of course you're entitled to hold and espouse your own opinion, but please try and steer clear of then enshrining it as fact. And as crowds have shown, people have gone elsewhere, in big numbers, driven away by what has been delivered by this new board. LOL, compared to the vitriol and hatred you displayed towards Crouch (and others), then some of the "hatred" towards Lowe is playschool stuff! Most of the posts on this forum that express disatisfaction, angst and dismay at current events are totally justified and often very well reasoned.

I really don't get people's logic when they say "what difference will a new manager make??". If that's the case, why have managers at all if they don't influence anything??? It's the same perverse logic about changing the CEO/Chairman, as if there is nothing that anyone else could do!!!! Mind boggling. That's not to say that a different manager would definitely achieve better results, they could of course make things worse, but to suggest that the dice have been rolled and our fate is determined, is ridiculous.

Would have thought it was north of that yesterday (would also be interested to know what Palace's was, as they also had some youngsters in their team).

With you on this one all the way. Pearson's end of season performance wasn't exceptional, but considering what he inherited he did a pretty good job. I thought he instilled some pride, spirit and unity in the Club and was expecting us to push on this season with him at the helm (even if we had to restructure in the summer). I was really positive until the dark shadow of Lowe reappeared over the Club. I didn't go on the pitch last season as I found it hard to celebrate the fact that we just avoided relegation (I was relieved though), so forgive me if I'm not overjoyed at the halfway point of this season, particularly when I fear the situation will get worse.

There's some serious rewriting of history on this thread, or people are just making things up to to suit their position!!!!! His contract was not up, Lowe chose to invoke the break clause. Getting rid of Pearson was a conscious decision by Lowe, in order that he could bring in this "revolutionary coaching set up". Many people were aware of the decision to change the manager well before Lowe & co got their feet under the table. It's a distinction that some people choose to ignore for some strange reason. Complete rubbish. Pearson was acutely aware of our situation and made it clear to Lowe that he was happy to work within the constraints before he went to Malta on holiday. Pearson was a dead man walking the minute Wilde joined forces with Lowe.

His contract was not up at the end of last season. There was a break clause that could be invoked by either side, a subtle, but very distinct difference. Lowe took a conscious decision to activate it, effectively sacking Pearson. HTH

Don't believe the hype!!!!!!!!

You can reiterate it as many times as you want, but it still won't make it right. Pearson managed 16 points in the 13 games that he really was in charge of at a Points per game rate of 1.23 Jan has not even managed a point per game, and stands at a paltry 0.96 PPG. Pearsons record was nothing to write home about, but that sort of makes Jan's record even more derisory. If you can't even get the basic facts right, then it's not even worth driving a coach and horses through the rest of your tirade.

One of the problems of scoring those two goals is that it papers over the huge cracks we have in our team (although of course it is a bonus for our goal difference!!!!) and it will allow the blind optimists in their rosey specs to try and convince us that we are so close to turning the corner. We need to face facts and accept that we are in a huge relegation battle, and regardless of how good we play in patches, we are the shyitt big time. As you say, I think we will be weakened in the January transfer window and what worries me is that one of our rivals, in Charlton, will get stronger as they do have the benefit of one last parachute payment. Halfway through the season is too far gone for the "we're turn this around", "we're close to being a good team", particularly when prior to every game we get the usual trotted out by the manager and players, omly to be let down miserably. My half season report would not make pleasant reading!!!