um pahars

Didn't realise Rasiak got a four year deal!!!!!!!!!!!

When do their contracts run out??? I assumed we would get no money for Rasiak as thought his deal wouldprobably be three years, which would expire at the end of the Watford loan. Saga, I presume he still has one or two years left???

And therein lies the crux of the problem for me, in that I find it very difficult to trust individuals who between them so spectacularly fkuced it up last time around. The manager, players and Club will get my support, that's always comes without any reservations, but that doesn't mean that I don't have massive doubts over those in control (and for very good reasons IMHO).

I would like to think that most people now understand the perilous financial situation we now find ourselves in, but there also has to be a balance between slashing & burning and getting the mix right. I could could get you a team with a wage bill of under £1m, which would solve the Club's financial problems (in the short term anyway), but their results would make Derby's Premiership points score look mammoth. Any fool (or accountant) can cut costs, but those that are worth their corn will ensure that the company has enough not only to survive, but to propser going forward. The big question is have the current lot got the nous to do the latter?

I think he meant the Saints Charitable Trust (as he also mentioned workign with the council), not The Saints Trust.

I don't think that's fickle, if anything that's being consistent. Being fickle would be thumping the keyboard last summer saying, "Why are they ****ing around, sign him up now etc etc etc?", and then this summer saying, "No great loss, he was only playing for the contract etc etc etc".

I was never a massive fan of Davis, but I do think he is way ahead of Bart. For all his great shot stopping saves, I do fear that Bart has a tendency to flap, does not command his box and does not communicate well with the defence. Losing Davis will IMHO be a big blow. I have no problem with plying talented and up for it youngsters, but I think they should be augmented by a strong spine of the team, starting with the keeper. Maybe Forecast will be the oe to step up, because in Bart I see Ivan Katalinic.

Absolutely spot on. The fickleness of football fans knows no bounds. I would love to be able to have a look at the sign Saga thread from last summer when people were thumping the keyboard. The only consolation is that exactly the same thing has happened with a number of players over the years. As for Saga himself, we really should be asking why having spent a million on him the manager never really played him. And like some of the other players, I would imagine your motivation might be affected having been clearly told that you will be shipped out.

Think the smileys etc have been rumbled!!!! Tried HTH a few times as well, but now need a new way of winding up some of the posters on here. CBD.

Let's be quite clear that I had no problem with JP whatsoever. My beef was with the stories on the OS (and The Echo which were close to be toal ******), and the fact they were treating supporters like idiots. I have no idea whether he will be good or bad, results will be the judge of him and I am more than willing to give him time. As for JP himself, I warmed to him when I heard him in Solent not long after he took over. Came across as very confident and self assured. Also heard him close up after the West Ham game in the corporate suite and that reinforced the positive view of him. He definitely has a presence (in the same way that SCW had a presence when I met him). Hopefully it can translate to the players and into results. He's an unknown quantity, but that doesn't mean he will be good or bad.

That's definitely what he said (he is working three days a week). I like Cowen and have to say he answered all the questions really well and even took some personal blame for the boadroom shennanigans. Interesting to hear Wilde definitely declined the invitation (didn't go down with the audience).

I think he actually said hypocrity (sic) which meant I missed the next few minutes. Quite like the sound of Poortvliet, and I don't just mean what he is saying but how he says it. He seems to know what he wants to say, but sometimes struggles with the lingo and comes out with a cracker. i.e. his bit about feeling sorry for teams who are relegated.

I don't think he implied that at all. And having heard Kelvin talk about the new set up, I don't think he is unmotivated. The simple fact is that anyone on a decent wedge was told ages ago that they could go if they found themselves another club because their wages were too high.

LMFAO. I'm not the one claiming it would be stupid to get rid of a manager at the start of the season (i.e. JP v Shearer), yet is only to happy to make excuses why it was OK to do it a few years back (Sturrock v Wigley), all in one ****ing thread. At least do it on different threads on different days.

I'm not sure you can grasp anything:rolleyes:

Don't even bother. Having to respond to these two makes me consider taking Sundance off ignore and praying for GM to take me off of his!!!!!!! :rolleyes:

Which is exactly what I said if you had only taken the time to read the posts. i.e. What happens on the pitch is the single biggest influence on attendances. If you can't even manage to read and absorb a post, then I suppose it's no surprise that you fail to grasp the simplest things on here.

Happy to take that. Obviously lose a bit of continuity, but for me that is a small loss compared to having his presence in the other games. Just hope this is a part of gradual build up, as opposed to it being that he will never be the same again.

The Sturrock/Wigley/Redkanpp et al was a reference to the entire debcle of a season, not all three of them rolled into one. The reckless bit was firing Sturrock two games in and after wasting the vital pre season and the transfer kitty. As you yourself said: Then the really, stupidly reckless bit was appointing Wigley, something we never recovered from. And for the record I called it a terrible decision at the time and was fairly open about it at a fans forum not long after Wigley was appointed. How you can have two opposing viewpoints in one thread is risible (is it OK to change the manager ealry on or not???)

It may have had an impact on revenues, but I doubt it had any impact on attendances, as you yourself have said, many of those renewals were die hard fans who would have renewed anyway. There's a totally seperate argument about prices and IMHO there was no way keeping the prices at Premiership level could be justified (not even with the extra 4 matches). And I don't buy that fans paying less is a problem, as ultimatley there is a limit to what we should pay. I would argue the problem lies with costs (namely wages) not income from fans. Taking it to it's extreme, then the £400 S/T should be the minimum price payable, but "really loyal" fans can tick boxes from £500 to £1,000 to show how much they care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (or have buckets at the turnstile at every match that we an throw extra money in to give Nathan Dyer a wage rise).

Massive, massive difference between a full takeover/change of ownership and a change of leadershp (and being honest I though you would have been able to discern between the two). There were enough dinlos around for the last two EGM's who couldn't discern between the two and were throwing out "change of ownership clauses" etc, when in fact for both recent EGM's it has been nothing more than changing the man at the top. A change of owners will fundamentally change our Club, we should not run headlong into it. But we don't know if they are taking away the debts, replacing them or adding to them. We know nothing of peoples plans. And you really need to think about who is saying what and why they are saying it. LLS and St David (as well as others) got played the last time potential new wners appeared on the scene. Everything depends entirely on what their proposals look like. We are up against it, but I wouldn't advocate taking anything that comes along. Agreed, but they will only accept what is in their best interests (and they may even think a new owner woudl not give them that, it will have to be judged on the proposals put forward). The banker has required paying ever since we dropped out of the top flight. The reckess bet was Sturrock/Wigley/Redknapp et al. Everything after that (including the changes we have seen recently) is just playing catch up following relegation.

There may be an element of that in the decision. BUT a full takeover is a massive decision and even though we are ****ed, I don't think we should accept any old takeover.

Agreed, and it is their decision and soley their responsibility . Results will be the judge of them. Well he was involved in the U-21's and worked with the youngsters at a number of clubs. And of course you know nothing of JP's past apart from an embellished CV and some big ups on the OS. Let's try and be slightly even handed shall we. I think the league will be the judge of their plan, not meaningless friendlies (whether results in those are good or bad, once again some consistency is missing in your insights). They may have hit the ground runing for this year, but were you as concerned when they launched their bid in the midst of a relegation fight? Well, can I suggest that you wait until something happens before you judge it. It might all be rubbish, it might all be good. It might deliver results, it might not. Funny how an untried "Total Football" system is given the thumbs up and massive approval, yet you are quick enough to dismiss another untried system. Once again, a more balanced assessment is missing. Which takes us back to the awful 2004/5 season, where such a terrible decision was made. A decision that we never recovered from, a decision taking by the man you are so quick to praise.

And who is to say they won't make more of a mess? By your own admission they both made a mess of it last time, and whilst that is not a gaurantee they will **** up again, I think it is something that concerns many.

I would have to agree. Any takeover would have to have some real substance about it if it meant change at this crucial part of the season. The decision to sack Sturrock after the pre season and transfer kitty ws blown was absolutely diabolical on it's own, coupling it with the appointment of Wigley was tantamount to commiting Hari-Kari. We should never repeat thos awful decisions.