Miltonaggro

Unfortunately, the Dutch brigade brought in by Lowe and Wilde are chancers; and this filtered down to the senior players very quickly. In any walk of life senior pros can spot the difference between sh*t and shinola within seconds. Pearson during his short tenure garnered respect and stopped the bullsh*t, and like him or loathe him Billy Davies would have done the same, it would have been put up or shut up. The perennial problem is that Rupert Lowe has no understanding of football, or football people, and after a decade it's obvious that he never will. He is a sucker for 'innovative coaches' who promise him that they are able to turn also-rans into world beaters, nags into thoroughbreds - a skill tantamount to suggesting you are able to polish turds. A diminishing handful of fans see him as somehow credible, but as a leader he is less Wellington or Beaverbrook and more a combination of General Melchett and Terry Thomas. In his early years at SFC he was lucky - lucky to have found Askham as intermediary and bully, lucky that his takeover coincided with the rise of the Premiership, lucky to have players who cared, lucky to have fans that were tolerant and realistic, lucky to have a City Council that provided a plan B when his plan A failed, lucky to have had the chance to work with the likes of Strachan. His luck has know evaporated along with the goodwill of something like 90% of the fans. Admitting a mistake now, and appointing a Dowie, Ince, or Curbishley might give Saints a fighting chance to allow him and Wilde to resign with some dignity. Sacking the Edam Cartel and the inevitable attendance increase would pay the salary of a football manager. Whatever happens it wont save Lowe and Wilde...

Bally (dynamo, enough said); Case (the inspiration and mentor of so may good youngsters in Nicholl's side); Williams (grew massively in stature and got capped when made captain). That's some midfield...

Bristol City 2 Southampton 2...

I have it on good authority that Wotte is also partial to Dutch ovens! Coming to an OS near you, soon...

Lowe and Co. out of the picture, some investment, and an experienced 'minder' as his number 2 or DoF, and Matt could be the man! It's that easy...

My sentiments Greenridge; Do you think Wotte counts himself amongst the 'top Dutch coaches' denied by Premier League clubs!? Him and the revolutionary Hans Van Edam at Kaiser Wilheim IVVVV...

Terry Thomas in 'I'm Alright Jack' Insincere scheming spiv...

There is a rumour circulating that Wilde has become embroiled in an amusement arcade turf war with the St Brelades Massive - it's a war zone on the mean streets of Jersey. He has many enemies outside of football! Back on the mainland Hampshire police have taken the death treat very seriously and within 48 hours have narrowed potential authors down to 32,104 suspects...

Golac v WBA, from the Milton Terrace. Breathtaking...

Dear Michael, Happy New Year. Many of us understand that your reasons for extended residence in Jersey are both economic and beneficial to SFC (absolutely nothing to do with chronic bed-wetting or confronting disenfranchised football fans), in that you are scouting for talent on the Island. Given that it took over a century to produce a Le Saux, we can probably hope for promotion to the top prior to the next Ice Age. Please, have the gumption to admit that you were wrong to back the serial spiv Lowe, and act, before it is too late...

With his popularity fading fast, Rupert Lowe adds a new dimension to his existing Boardroom ventriloquist act with the addition of a mail order 'Mrs Wilde' dummy.* *Ebay: HKD$9.99