Frank's cousin

Hi Think you have both misunderstood me a little. I made the point that to fans these things ARE important, but from the perspective of where we see ouselves NOW - our history is what has created the spirit and culture etc... but these things are never static but evolve. I was trying to make the point that for NC and ML, there is actually an advantage to not carrying that weight or burden, because they can try something NEW as a path to success , precisely because they dont feel obliged to follow in past footsteps. Sure there is a potential danger that this will conflict with our expectations of a the way a club operates within a community and with its fans, but ultimately as most fans have always said, the judgement is based on the end result. I am not convinced by the 'this is England' argument, could do a Gordon Brown on that comment, as it does not help. We want success and we want it quickly, as do the owner and NC. We want the club to grow, attract more fans and capture the imagination of the local community and a wider fan base which we will do through success...as do ML and NC, we want to see SMS full with a great atmosphere with fans who are fully engaged with the club...as do ML and NC... its justthat fans see the only way to achieve this by the 'traditional principles of running a club in a community' whereas the new owner and NC see alternative approaches. We may find them uncomfortable, but we should not dismiss it. Its diferent to what we are used to, but that does not make it bad or wrong and has nothing to do with 'franchise FC' ******. It also seems a little ironic that on the one hand soem are saying that its the fans, the history that make /are the club, yet there is concern this can be arroded by the clubs management? As I see it, if teh club IS its fans and history, the style or approach the board take in seeking success should have little impact on the culture etc because that is driven by the fans...who are the club. Hense, for me., I 'm sitting back and enjoying being driven in a direction that different but has the same aims - a hunger for success and growth... Is there really a problem with that, or are we making one as its different to what we are simply used to?

Er... start putting the installment money away in March each month as you have done every year till now... not really that hard to grasp is it? Its called saving for something you want.... most of us have families,kids, mortgages so hve to make sacrfices on several fronts if you want your ST...

Club A in Prem - living within its means despite pressure to spend on players to ensure Prem survival - borrows 30 mil to invest in a new stadium/infrastructure for teh long term future - can maange this mortgage because its a well structured official loan with credible FSA regulated lender. Problems arrise later following relegation, and despite the club having been cautious and including wage reductions in contracts, new owners spend 7 mil (a little stupidly) ina do or die effort to get us promoted - it does not quite work and following teh return of previous board who do implement futher cost reductions, keep paying the HMRC and, are shat on by Barclays depsite the reduction in the overdraft facility and are placed in admin. Club accepts in punishment which cost it a possible promotion under new owners. Club B. On promotion to the prem begin a spending spree for new players each year under the watchful eye of Sir Harold the peoples manager. Sir Harold claims he asked and he got and it was not is job to worry about affordibilty. Mr Hans Christian Storrieteller grants his wishes based on the fact that a new Owner has 'gifted' the club huge sums and promised more (although this turns out to be loans and for land/assets etc), clubs is sold several times to various types who were all welcomed with open arms by club B's worldfamous 8 million fans of who 8000 go to games when not in the prem - Beacsue they are RICH and Arabs etc who also gift money to the club - which they dont actually do, but HC Storrieteller pretends its all true and so lets Sir Harold continue to spend like they are Real Madrid or something buying players that give them a huge advantage on wages that dwarf their income, which allows them to beat Millwall in the FA Cup final which places them as a global brand attracting more Arabs with huge wealth to invest in teh club... only they dont... yet Storrieteller keeps spending even after Sir Harold has left the club that is in his blood asthey push on for teh champions league... only, they have now not paid a lot of bills - some 40 mil worth and yet.... instead of cutting costs and selling players, they conmtinue to spend until these debts have reached 135 mil and they reach another cup final because of teh players they still have but cant afford ...but what a fairytale, is it not nice that they reach teh FA CUP final again despite being relegated because afterall its not teh fans fault or teh players on huge wages, butthose evil owners and directors who granted them a FA CUP win and no one had a bad thing to say about them then... only when teh **** hit the fan... and the charities and small businesses were complaining about not getting their due... There you go, bit long but sort of sums it up ;-)

Sorry Weston, I meant to quote Gio's a swell but struggle with the multiquote thingy ;-) I points I would add though are these. Markus Liebherr is known as a solid and successful businessman. He is also as I understand it a private person, a religeous man and from the joy on his face at Wembley, its clear that he loves his football. Now IMHO, the best business approach and in most cases the most successful, are when the you recognise your own limitations - you understand what you are good at and where there are better placed folk + recognising what takes time and whether you have enogh tobe totally dedicated to it. Its on record that Markus wanted Nicola to take the role - without Nicola's agreement Markus may not have bought Saints. That is obviously a demonstration of teh TRUST that ML has in NC. Now alot has been made by some as to Nicola's style - his 'ego' or 'arrogance' and the way he criticised MLT and LM... now from a traditional fan perspective its difficult to reconcile... afterall we as fans are obssessed with history of our club, the legends and the glorys of past, it's what makes it what we are... so we struggle with these 'upstarts ' and their new fangled approaches... we expect them to show the appropriate respect to all things past.... ... but I have to say I am of the school of thought that says past glories/history means nothing... (I await the backlash) - but hear me out.... the past is what dictates WHAT we have become, and where we are now... its our CURRENT identity and for all the 'we belong in the Prem' ****** that so many clubs have spouted... it means nothing because, where a club is is a direct result of how they have played and been run over the last 5-10 years... that does not mean our history means nothing to us as fans, of course it does, and its important to us as fans... but given that owners and CEOs who think too much about that 'baggage' and have gone about their business based on dreams and aspirations of glory have managed to put their clubs in huge debt despite this being an era of riches in the game, says alot about the burden that this approach places on these inividuals. NC and ML came to us without that baggage, without the politics of recent times and importantly with a desire to do things their way - professionally. We might find tehm naive in teh ways of the media in the UK, and expect them to 'appreciate' thats how it is in the UK... but why? Why should they bow down to a system that is more interested in gossip and rumour, that is intrusive and 'old school'...why should they? There is no reason why they should.. its just us gans who are expecting it because thats the way its always been ... and I for one would bloddy well welcome a change here... where its the club that dictate policy and drive our decisions, not having weak minded folk who pander to the media, concerned more about the perception they gve in teh pubic eye than what is good for teh club... sure there can be a happy medium, but before you can arrive at that, the new ground rules need to be established... now that might seem arrogant and egotistical, but is it not ironic that nearly all criticise the media and the part they play, yet at the same time expect NC and the club to 'be more aware of it' and 'understand it'? Sorry, But I am glad NC is bullish on this. Its a new way of going about the business that is football, and make no mistake it is a business, because without that accumen, a club cannot survive on 'community spirit' alone. It also means NC has taken the responsibilty - he has put doen his marker that its his way and his decisions. Sure in our eyes he will make mistakes, everyone does, but the judgement will come in what is achieved over the next 2-3 years, not on whether some historical figures from our past feel sorry for the manager because the media have hyped up a situation they dont understand because its different to what they expect in the traditional sense. Some have suggested that fan and media pressure helped save Alan's job.... Total and utter ****** (and again somehwta ironic given that the we have accused NC of being egotistical) - nothing 'saved' Alan's job, but what will have provided NC with the positives(speculation), to ensure he wanted to continue as planned and not make a change was Alan's response to the challenge - the form and effort during those last 15 or so games as all parts of the team bedded in. Its also a bit insulting to Alan to suggest that he is only still here because of anything other than the results his hard graft and effort has provided. He is here because of that, not despite it. We need a change in mindset - we need to stop bleating on about what we as fans want and expect based on old school 'traditional expectations' and embrace the new era with an open mind.

Seems to me everyone is reading way too much into all this... and I am not sure what motivation you have behind this? It is not unknown for managers to become tired, emotional etc after what has been a long hard season in which they have been under tremendous pressure - So what if Alan was undsure of what might or might not happen going forward - whatever pressure he was under, he showed in no uncertain terms that it worked... the team and Alan gave it everything and the form table was second to none - a fact that will not have gone unnoticed by NC which is why at end of season review they talked about next year and going forward... but if you want to see this as negative, nothing i can say will change your opinion - The problem is everyone is still obssessed with 'how diofferent football is from other businesses' etc - which is a complete load of co*k. Football is in a complete financial mess despite it being teh richest ever era precisely because its been run and owned by folk who think its a special case - different from buisness life' - now that may well ahve been true in Lawries era, pre sky millions, but look at the financial mess so many clubs find themselves in because they have been run without the necessary business acumen that they need in the modern era. FFS I am pleased we have someone who has brought some professionalism to the game, yet some seem more concerned about poor old Lawrie and Matt - who whilst undoubtedly great servants of our past, need to understand that they dont help the club if they are responding to media gossip and paranoia. We need to understand that this is the new regime... focussed, hard working and direct with a clear plan and teh investment necessary to remove any excuses for failure - Alan has my respect because he has the BALLs to work under that pressure and will know exactly what awaits if he fails. The old approaches saw us relegated, feck up the finance, get relegated again and go into admin and other clubs such as pompey, leeds and host of others on the financial brink... sois it not about time football saw the light and started to bring in the professional approach that the game now needs? For me we need to move on. Whilst under ML's ownership and NCs Direction, we will get promoted and be financiallly stable and well run... managers may come and go as they always have depending on results.

What amazes me is the 'analysis' everyone seems hell bent on doing – (including me ;-) we are in effect doing exactly what is played out in the media... making assumptions about personalities, experience, knowledge, arrogance, attitude, based on 'from what I heard at the club' etc.... Matt and Lawrie who without doubt only have the clubs interests at heart (although in Lawrie's case his ego must be itching to get him back in the public eye)... THEY RESPONDED TO THE GOSSIP when asked by the media - and it’s that response that perpetuates the rubbish - which is what NC is critical of - like he has said, its simply a distraction from the real work and should be ignored.... if the Echo or other local media and ex players and managers are serious about supporting saints, let NC and Alan get on with it.... Matt and Lawrie are rightly held with great affection by fans, but they also need to recognize that the club is serious with its ambition, has owners and execs who are more keen than ever before to see the club progress rapidly, which surely they must love to… so surely even if they don’t fully agree with the style or approach NC takes, it’s not in the clubs best interest to perpetuate the gossip? I have absolutely NO IDEA what was agreed between NC and Alan in Jan... What targets were set etc... But I can pretty much assume that expectations were raised in line with approval of spending - NC who if you read the actual quotes has merely stated that promotion was the target as far as he was concerned, and Alan may have had a wider perspective - Differences of opinion that is NORMAL FFS. yet blown out of all proportion by the media and jumped upon by those fans who for some totally bizarre and inexplicable reason seem determined to force their paranoid opinions of strife and grief upon the rest of us...Jeez, Alan and NC may well disagree about shed loads of things, but what is important is the things they DO agree on. When we have an owner that shows ambition by having HIGH expectations backed up by investment ...some of you moan..... The same few that moaned when we had an owner that was tight, complaining he lacked ambition... which way do you want it FFS? Pards will KNOW he is under great pressure to deliver... he will know the risks to his job if he struggles or fails - but the bloke has the BALLS to give it a go and do his best - he knew that pressure would be there because he has the responsibility after spending MLs money... and he wants to make it work with us... I suspect that because of that NC has a far greater respect for Alan than some of the fans think... Pards is no naive schoolboy, he will know exactly where he stands. And yet, we have fans who are questioning NC because he is a hard taskmaster? Its feckin typical of the attitude in this country at times... we seem to always want things to be easy...' it’s not fair' - the war cry of the ineffective... So FFS, get behind Alan, the team, NC and Markus, love our legends and just hope they realize a bit more when the media is setting them up, and get promoted... the paranoia and fear /muck raking is just madness..... Rant over

What he said!

MLT and LM: I think its fair to say they both have no malice and the clubs interests at heart... but, I think as others have said, by reacting to teh media speculation in the way they do, tehy perpetuate teh rumour and provide further copy for those that started it. I know in both cases they were being supportive of Alan, to their credit, but by responding as they did, they were potentially adding weight to teh speculation, which is unhelpful...look at all the fan frenzie about it! Its simple, had they simply said they were sure the club would do the right thing in both football and business it would have been a non-story... and I think that is NC's desire, to quash this speculation by providing no comment. I think the best example is that will MLT and LM now comeout publically and state: 'I have to say, I misjudged that one, having responded to rumour/gossip, and now we see that NC has everything under control and is working with all at the club and Alan in what looks like a really great future for the club. My only comment would be to urge fans to recognise how lucky we are and ignore any further nonsense or speculation... I will certainly be more weary of commenting in future now that I see there is often no evidence behind the story' I dont really expect it, but I doubt they would get a call from the press asking for a POSITIVE statement in support of the club anyway... positive news does not sell papers as we all know...

Will look alot better when stitched rather than printed... the 125 wont look so in your face when sown... will look good on a shirt I think

Jeez the Echo is a pile of crap... lets speculate like we know everything...FFS these 'reporters' are just pathetic... thing is whilst folk buy it, they will continue to print this sort of ****e...

Whilst I dont really want any club to suffer - afterall it is ultimately true that fans do not ahve a huge influence on these things, you can ONLY blame the authorities and your management if you accept that your success was only possible BECAUSE of this mismanagement - this is not envy or jealousy, but the fact remains that because the authorities did not intervene, the clubs owners and management spent like loons to achieve success - had they spent within their means its arguable whether they would have stayed up several seasons ago... nothing to do with 'imature myclubs this and yours is that, but simple facts that increased resources tends to drive your success - now many pompey fans respond with the counter argument at nearly ALL clubs in the prem do this, which is true (and should be outlawed), but two things, in most cases the debts are serviceable and for those that it is not, they will eventually be in the same situation as pompey, and 2) just becauses everyone else is at it does not make it right....

Its not the 'pee' that is the problem... that afterall is a relatively good anti infectant.... its the fact that in a public toilet 1000's of blokes have touched their c***s - and then touched door handles etc... so it depends on how 'clean' these gentlemen are .....

Thing is the maths DO add up - if you take a four year plan with 138 mil of debt as your starting point: 4 year Revenue: 48 mil parachute payments 20 mil CCC TV + FL funding (3 mill per year TV, 2 mil per year FL) 32 mil Gates and Commercial assume 8Totalmil per year 10 mil PLayer sales (year 1 only) Total £110 mil 4 year expenditure 17 mil football debt 15 mil Chanrai debt 5 mil players (football debt) 20 mill (20p in £ creditor repayment) Total £57 mil Net revenue for 4 years £110 -£57 mil = £ 53 mil £53 mil divided by 4 years is £13.25 mil per season That would allow for approx £8 mil wages per season which is not bad for CCC, so provided they get CVA agreement and the various parties agree to the way the debt is structured, eg Chanrai etc - its a perfectly serviceable situation. So financially they will be OK if all that is agreed Points wise is another matter - Based on the above is Footballing debt is paid and CVA agreed, no further points deductions. However if the debt repayment is structured so that not all the Footballing + Player debt is paid before the season starts, the FL might consider this unpaid and impose a deduction...who knows... What is unclear is this issue of the volutary liquidation in 9 months time and what the FL will make of this... Either way they have been very Jammy... the -9 points this season had no real impact - most agree they would have gone down anyway - if anything its possible they scored more points because of it as it took away the pressure, Fortunate that they get relegated the very season the Parachute jumps from 23 mil to 48 mil.... so in effect written off approx 80 mil without any real penalty....

The 'commercial' rumour seems most plausible - possibly if the way images etc may have been used in ads? The reason for the legalese response from the club, is possible that maybe there will be some legal claims as a result and thus this is necessary to avoid compromising any future claim?

Thing is you really ahve to look at what has been achived AFTER that money was spent - not over the whole season, eg at the start when the squad was quite different and the starting 11 over those first 10 games now almost unrecognisable... If you look at what has been axchieved say since the end of October and certainly since we got passed the 0 points marker we have averages over 2 points a game which is championship winning form and won a cup... Yes its possible that had we ignored the cups etc, and pards had done this or that, we should have made the playoffs but in any other season we would have and this season went against us as the teams in those positions had equal good runs... so IMHO, it was not the odd slip up, which is what most are blaming it on, but the period of rebuilding that led to a poor start that is th reason we missed out... Now, I also at times have questioned Pards tactics, but thats the naure of football fans, but for me his achievements warrant another go, football logioc dictates continuity so deserves another go, but in the end it will all come down to what he agreed with NC... ... the question really is, what is the REAL scenario, the silence we have at the moment indicating the dissapointment and friction, or the hugs alround at Wembley?

I suspect it will be passed though.... eventually.... money talks...

I know no one responded to my boring figures post but It did highlight one thing... they do not need a new buyer... if the CVA is agreed and Chanrai is happy to wait or have his share split over 2-3 years, they can ride it aout and have reasonable funds for playesr and wages relative to the CCC. Ironically its the FL who have in effect given them this lifeline by approving the additional parachute payments which enables AA to structure a CVA over 4 years... ... The odd thing is still what happens with this so called liquidation of the old company and asset transfer to a new, and why that is necessary for a 'full forensic investigation'? (unless that ensures the new company is is in effect secure from any prosecution, but allows HMRC or CPS to pursue inividuals?...and what if any punishment they would get for doing this from the FL. Finally, that hint/story that the PL were 'doing a deal' is most likely the way they have agreed to structure the parachute payments eg getting the 16 mil in one hit for year one soon, to enable them to clear the football debt BEFORE new season (normally teh second half would not be paid until after Christmas, thus allowing Pompey to ensure they avoid a points deduction for that at the start of the CCC?

True... lets look at it practically... If their CVA is agreed, Assuming that the debt is as stated at 138 mil then they will owe approximately: 17.5 mil to other clubs 4.5 mil to players 15 mil to Chanrai (secured) 20 mil over 4 years to unsecured creditors. (5 mil a year) So in year 1 in the CCC Income Parachute payment: 16 mil - all withheld to pay footballing debt. Revenue gate + commercial interests - say 10 mil TV revenue 3 mil FL revenue 2 mil Player sales ? 10 mil? Total: 25 mil Outgoings 5 mil a year in unsecured debt repayments 5 mil remaining footballing debt Leaves 15 mil for the year (so 10 mil wages possible ) if Chanrai waits until year two Year two - could be back in the prem and Charai paid in full from Prem TV money Or Year two in CCC (will saty up with a 10 mil team) Income Parchute payment 1 mil (15 mil straight to Chanrai) TV money 3mil FL MOney 2mil Gate + commercial 10 mil 16 mil for the year If not promoted /relegated Year 3 in CCC Parchute payment 8mil TV 3 mil FL 2 mil Gate /commercial 10 mil ....so they can and probably will: Have no further points deductions Have written off 80 mil in debt Have a significant financial advantage over over Championship teams and probably get promoted This is the utter corrupt immoral stinking truth ... the only spanners are: HMRC decides to veto CVA - liquidation and relegation etc FL decides to add points deductions in 9 months when PCFC is liquidated and assetts transferred FL decides on further points deductions if it is shown that ativities at PCFC were against the rules But personnally they look to have gotton away with it.... unbe********lievable.... they should be ashamed, yet they will be lording it up at Wembley....

Can someone explain the NEED to liquidate PCFC? If they agree a CVA they will in effect become debt free in five years (assuming that they dont ramp up more debt in a stupid attempt to stay in the CCC) - I am confused here (stupid?) but this bares all the hall marks of an attepmt to avoid something or other - smells bad...

Ok summary time... someone please help me out because there are conflicting messages: 1. As i undersatnd, the club CANNOT be liquidated yet take up its position in the CCC as a new club would need to be formed, which would need to start in lower leagues? Or at the very least as no CVA was agreed they could start on -27 as with Luton etc.. What is reported on Solent seems utter tosh... 2. The club will only be liquidated if a CVA is not aggreed/approved. 3. If a CVA is agreed, then they will enter the CCC with no futher points deduction (as unfair as that may seem) 4. They will struggle in the CCC because: IN effect they will be using teh guarranteed 32 mil (+16 mil proposed) a parachute payments to pay off the footballing debt in full, the secured cretitors and the 20p in the £ to all unsecured creditors. Player sales will be necessary to bring wage contracts down and pay off further debt, but this will mean they will be trying to survive on virtually their gate.... reall chance of debts incresing again if they dabble in the transfer market, or cant get playesr off the books 5. HMRC - the potential spanner if they choose to fine pompey and thus increase their share of the debt and increase the CVA voting rights ...COULD vote against and this could lead to Liquidation and point number 1. 6. The club is sold after a CVA is agreed - to someone willing to inject cash and support a CCC promotion campaign - unlikely as no assets only 50mil of debts to be paid off over 5 years as set out in the CVA... 7. What happens if the club then defaults on the payments for the CVA during the next 2-3 years? 8.Seems to me they are fecked whatever happens unless someone very risch and very stupid buys them 9.

Sympathy? Well yes and no... firstly I dont want ANY club to go out of usiness completely - clubs whoever they are are at the heart of the community and we do have a long and fine tradition in the Country about what clubs mean to the towns from which they come. I have every sympathy in some respects for fans becasue yes, its true that they had no influence on what was happening off the field - so taken in isolation I can be sympathetic to those claims. Hoevere a few points; 1. The level of advantage gained by the financila incompetance and downright stupity in spending on players and wages that was possibly criminally stupid, led to teh club achieving success that was way beyond the expectations of teh a club of Pompey's size - in effect this advantage was unsporting, unfair and is cheating. 2. The fans NEED to acknowledge this, they need to now show some humilty and agree that tehir success was based on nothing more thanfinancial mismanagement - for example, would saints have been relegated from th prem had we between 2003 (FA cup run) and 2005 racked up in excess of 100mil of debt on players and wages? I dont think so, we may even have qualified for Europe ona coupel more occasions - yet as soon as you can no longer manage the repayments it in effect becomes cheating - its why teh rules are there for all to see and why Granmt and fans should shut teh feck up about being hard done by and accept that this is the case, accept the punishment and get on with it... instead we have this hard luck story as if somehow Pompey dont deserve what happened to other clubs such as Leeds, Luton, Saints yet from the figures its seems like your club have been the worst possible example of all.... 3. Hang your heads in shame at Wembley - partying and gloating win or lose is not something to celebrate considering the cheating that has got you there - players that have played in the run, that were bought whilst insolvent -there is no other word fo this. 4. Acknowledge that fans ignored the signs 12 months ago, when debts were reported at 40 mil + - Fans should have been protesting and been up in arms to show their concern for what was in effect apalling managment 5. Redknapp - the darling once again of teh media tripe today after 'his attacking courage' and vastly supier brain (in his own mind) took Spurs to the CL - jeez is there no end to teh slippery nature of this man as once again he professes to be blameless by having no involvement in the 'finance' - yet HE won teh cup for pompey with players you could not afford... acknowledge that. Finally, have I been too harsh? Why am I saying this? Am i bitter and twisted? NO... I am just so angry that we have a football system in this country that is governed by greed, ignorance, stupity fuelled by a media obssessed only with the prem's 'value' as the 'best league in the world' which has fuelled the stupity of clubs within it... no lessons learned from Leeds, da nada, diddly squat, lapped up once again by the fans who claim ignorance when simple comon sense suggests that a club with pompeys revenue has no business buying players fro 10 mil plus and on 40-50k a week - unbelieveable. The worst of this is that they still have not learnt, the prem that is... and they will eb glad when they can cast pompey back to the lower leagues and remove bad smell undermining the 'best league in the word' BS that Pompeys situation brings to their glutonous table. Had Pompey been in the CCC or league below, they wouodl have been forgotton by now, ignored and blamed for their own mess... but because its the prem its all the owners fault, or the prems fit and proper failure. Fans? No one likes to criticise their own club, or admit that they cheated and dont deserve tehior recent success because it was built on a foundations of sand - but if you want any sympathy at all from the Just footbal world, that humilty and acceptance is what its going to take...

DM aside which as Scotty astutely pointed out is not far off a BNP w*nk mag, I dont normally have any problem with papers having and editorial bias politically - you know which is which and if you read more than one its often useful to get different perspectives on the same issues - BUT what I cant fecking stand about some of the Red tops on all sides is when they are used by owners to sway the ignorant voters - eg the Sun... it has absolutely no integrity politically because it cares not for a particular editorial political slant, but for whatever Murdoch feels will get him the best result for his own personal gain...I dont know who to hate more...Murdoch or the ignorant who are swayed by that 'The Sun Says' .... Politcal bias is one thing, the media having the power to dictate who is in government is a whole different ballgame and requires a level of responsibilty that is clearly missing from Murdoch's make up...

Pards has said strongest 11 as a thank you and he owes it to fans to give us a win

Well only Norwich have lost less games all season, by one... sure we have had a few few too many draws, but most of those were early season when we were on catch up... Dod we 'fail to capitalise on the situtaion at Christmas'? ... NO. IMHO...because we have done amazingingly well since we got past the -10 points barrier - From taht moment on we have average 2.08pts a game which IS league winning form... unfortunately we tend to look at the few defeats and draws in that time as failing to capitalise , when the reality is the earlys season poor form as the side was effectively re built + the minus 10 meant despite averaging over 2.08 since October it was simply not enough. Failing to win say 2 more in the first 15 is what we should be saying was dissapointing, NOT the odd hick up since October... we will have those next season as well but if we average 2.08 and end up with 95 points we will be automatically promoted....

I doubt we will here anything from NC... not the type to pay these media reports any attention... we do not know what wa agreed between NC and Pards when the cash was made available - if its true that it was conditional and Pards 'failed', I woudl not be surprised if he went because that strict approach may seem ruthless, but it ultimately gets results... having said that I also think NC is the type who will have learned VERY quickly that in football things are sometimes less black and white than in business and will no doubt seek further advice before any decsion in made...