Foxy

From Bale's PoV? A couple of million signing on bonus and £30k per week I would imagine. And from a corporate PoV premiership money versus championship. Mind you Spurs would probably be a lot worse off than us if they went down with their cost base

You could also argue he was going to have to gamble a bit either way. Jan could have waited for the weekend and thrown Killer in only for him to break down after 10 minutes, then where would we be? I guess he saw the cup tie as little more than the equivalent of a reserve fixture to allow Killer to test himself in a match situation. Perhaps he should have subbed him but if Killer doesn't say he's struggling and there are tactical imperatives he's always going to stay on the pitch. Hindsight suggests it wasn't the best thing to happen but some you win.....I just hope we have some of those soon. Meanwhile a little less overexcitement might be handy from us fans

Difference is that Wenger has the funds to have that choice. We don't.

Yep, and if we win the next two the majority will swing back again. Fickle buggers, us fans. OF course there will always be the minority at either end of the bell curve who will be unbudged due to their miopic hatred or admiration of some of the personalities. And even one or two reasonable ones who are a bit more measured in their approach - but those last are probably a statistical anomaly and can be ignored )

But was he in the same financial state for those seasons as we find ourselves in. I guess therein lies the challenge of considering records - I reckon I would do OK if given the reins at Chelsea or Man Utd compared to what Scolari or Fergusson would do with the Saints budget behind them. For the record I think Davies would do no better than Jan has done - we'd just be losing whilst playng hideous route one stuff. And before anyone says he is a master of the transfer market who'd bring in all sorts of experienced campaigners I'd ask what would pay their wages? It really is all down to money.

It can work or fail. No different from the HOOF approach really. At least it's better to watch.

Fair and reasoned argument but you miss the essential point. Leaving aside whether they are doign a good job, bad one or a reasonable one within the constraints they have to operate (which we've all done to death elsewhere) how and by whom would Lowe and Wilde be removed. They're the largest shareholder and the man representing a significant quorum of shareholders by proxy. So unless their alliance is broken and one or other sides with Leon, or they decide on a new exec structure we wont see a change. Either way we move from this years shower back to something a lot like last's. Unless we get some maniac wants to buy 'em out - which requires either someone to pay over the odds or the three musketeers to accept a big loss (which they might see as selling out at the bottom of a market if they sincerely believe they can turn things round). Again unlikely I fear. I'd love us to get a Man City type benefactor I think but if we're worried about the soul of the club and some fictitious bohemian ideal of the club as a community resource or some kind of collective in the Barca model that ain't the way either. I really can't see a quick or easy way out - not by having a change of coach (I don't think Billy Davies or Pearson - or Morinho come to that could do much more than Jan) so we're in for a long, hard run and the constants will be lack of finances and no change in ownership unless that long awaited white knight comes onto the scene. Sad but probably true IMO

Problem is that plan B is gonna be framed within the same commercial constraints as plans A and C. Unless it's to wish really, really had and hope the red and white football fairy leaves a large bag of money outside the stadium overnight

No, merged with Air France so they're safe as any airline can be as French govt will always bail out AF.

Administration is only for the benefit of the creditors. The administrator has no responsiblity to leave a going concern, no remit to build for the future, all he will be tasked with doing is recovering as much of what's owed as possible during the term of his tenure. If he pays of the creditors and switches off the lights it's job done. We can rely on the self interest of the shareholders to at least mean they will attempt to do have something left for the future.

Agreed. But frankly even if we wanted to go the CVA route I would be suprised if Barclays and Norwich Union would take a small percentage of what's owed. They can as much back every year in charges and interest so it would only be in their interest to allow this if we persistently defaulted and showed no likelihood of mending our ways. Administration is something that seems to be viewed in the collective consciousness of fans as being an endpoint. I think it's increasingly likely to be a staging post on the way to liquidation - no more SFC or at best an Aldershot-esque outcome. The opportunity to do a Leeds is simply not available to clubs anymore. Administration will no longer be the easy way out - it's going to be painful medicine which won't ensure a return to former glories, more like some kind of palliative care. It's not where we want to go

I'm in agreement. Not a helluva lot else we could do. Unfortunate but we have to go for cost cutting - the alternative would be either administration (which puts us in exactly the same position but with Lallana, Surman and any other saleable assets gone) or, worse, liquidation. I would be as pleased as the next man if someone can tell me how we sign Messi, Canavaro, David Villa, Gerrard or Uncle Tom Cobleigh or indeed how (despite the probable points points deduction their continued huge contracts would mean) the bunch of clowns who nearly got us relegated would suddenly become world-beaters; or, indeed, what anyone other than a gazillionaire who wants to reduce the burdens of extreme wealth by taking on a botoomless pit into which he can fire his ill-gotten gainswould want to invest for. Meanwhile we find ourselves in a lose-lose situation. We're skint, we have to adopt a mighty cost control exercise so are unlikely to have the immediate success the fans (despite all reason) expect. So results are going to be tricky, we the fans add to the pressures, psychological and commercial by staying away or getting on the yougsters backs. It's too easy to see a downward spiral. Twist it whichever way I might the only way I can see out of our current predicament (short of arrival of the aforementioned rich mug) is to take pretty much the approach we are and hope to build slowly for the future. I'd love to hear an alternative, really would, but frankly I've not seen a realistic alternative on here, not come up with a sensible suggestion myself and not seen much in the way of alternatives suggested by media or anyone on the periphery of the club. Pearson, Burley or even Morinho would I think struggle to do much better than Jan has done given the circumstances. I'd even go so far as to say that since WGS I can't feel sure we've had a coach who'd not have done worse. OK, we can argue around team selections (I seem to remember that there was a strongcall for SJ throughout his absence from the starting XI but he turned out to be pretty ordinary) at present it's Rudi who's the magic fix, and there's some logic there, although he was not exactly a world-beater last term. But frankly it's all a bit conjectural. We are in a financial straight jacket and despite suggestions on other threads there's little enjoyment to be had from that. For my money (and there ain't enough of it to make any difference) the only thing we can do to make the whole thing work for us is a bit of expectation adjustment and try to enjoy such positives as there are - we have a young squad with some decent players, when playing well we play the most attractive stuff we have in a long time. OK this is small change in the losing-to-Rotheram-drawing-with-Barnsley-never-get-to-look-forward-to-a-trip-to-the-Emirates equation but is it any more profitable to froth at the mouth, look for scapegoats and march to SMS to claim our club back (mind you that would work if you take £30-40million in cash, bearer bonds or gold ingots and have similar stashed back home in the biscuit tin for running expenses, I would imagine). So, what's my point? Well, unhappy though I am about where we find ourselves, I am not going to allow it to prevent me from getting whatever enjoyment I can out of the fact that I am cast in life as a Saints fan. It wasn't a matter of choice, it just happened to me. I've enjoyed cup finals, beating the mightiest teams in the land and (for the first 25 or 30 years of my football supporting life) looking down on our local rivals. The wheel has turned now but my allegience is still there. I'm still going to be following the team in my old age, whether they're back at the top table or eeking out an existence in non-league. But one thing's for certain, I will always be doing it because I want to, because somewhere amidst all the angst, nerves, frustration and conviction that I could do the whole thing better I'm going to want to take pleasure from the experience. If I'm to do that (and maybe this only applies to me) I have to ignore the off-field shennanigens and support the team, buy into what's happening and try to take enjoyment from the positives. I will be as annoyed as the next man at lack of effort, bravery or commitment but if battling the odds with a bit of youthful flair and enthusiasm is what our lot is for the foreseeable future that's what I will be cheering for us to do. The alternative strikes me as being about as beneficial as tearing my hair out about my continued failure to scoop the Euro-millions. If course if someone can suggest a reasonable alternative I am all ears......

Even if we were I'dsay not thanks. You can keep yer HOOF

Well, I'll take that (providing we get 4 points from next two)

For 4 minutes? Impressive COYR

Yippee.

that'd be a start

Now I am all for giving youth a chance but I haven't seen many able to walk properly at 13 months FFS

Hmm, not entrely convinced but then I did wonder when I saw the title of the thread if the queen had invited him up for a cuppa and a couple of custard creams. But frankly if someone's willing to give us a few quid for SJ and get a big pay packet off the books we have little choice. and to be frank it's not the end of the world, he ain't a world beater, so we could get better in on less, I'm sure

Or possibly we didn't really rate him but Reading saw something.Or maybe we have others in similar positions we rated more highly. Or maybe Redaing bought his parents a house, or maybe he lives in Wycombe or Oxford and finds it easier to get to Sonning than Stapleford. Not heard of the kid so can't say I am unduly worried

And what if he's kerr-appp like last season? Ditto just about everyone else who played last term - I think you'd find your argument held more water had we been tearing up trees. Let's face it I'd not be making an exception to a policy of trim the wage-bill if I were the banker unless I could be pretty damn sure of the player. I actually rate Saga a fair bit - but a finance man couldn't/wouldn't ignore the evidence of last season. It'd be like allowing Rupes and Cowan to nip down the local Grosvenor and putting the Bale money on black

My sympathies, it ain't nice. However knee ligament damage is, from my experience and what I was told by the various specialists and physios I saw about my injury, is rarely, if ever an impact injury - it tends to come from a freak positioning and weight transfer and not in a challenge so it's no more likely to happen in a game scenario than in a friendly game of badminton or a trip to the local ice rink. My own suspicion is that the only real extra risk a game situation would create is when the player is really tired and becomes a little less well balanced, meaning the knee would be likely to get out of alignment. My concerns would be around either an incomplete recovery, which I just can't see as being likely - after three years surely killer would think ''what's a gameor two more - or some kind of secondary damage, for example if he's changed posture over a long period out, or timing and balance are a bit off through long absence. That said I am no expert and haven't seen any detail of killer's state of fitness so woudl know nothing more than anyone else on here Beyond that I think there's not much more risk than for any other player into their thirties

Am I alone in thinking that Asturius Sports sounds like a teacher in Harry Potter?

Having had a similar injury myself 4 years back it's no suprise that Killer has a bit of residual soreness. When you have a major ligament injury in the knee you wil also sustainsecondary damage, typically to the miniscus cartilage, something that is a bit of an accelerationof the aging process. This isn't something that will necessarily stop you playing but it's uncomfortable and means there needs to be a little rest between games. So, touch wood, not too much to worry about

Will be interesting. If we score first I think it will be fairly comfortable, but harder work if Exeter get something to hold onto. 0-2 saints to win at a canter