Colinjb

Yes, the events were linked. All part of the same sorry spectacle. A lot of money did appear for transfers when Wilde came in, I often wonder what would have happened if Rupert Lowe would have given Redknapp greater access to that same pot.

I'm not, I also acknowledge that he put into place the infrastructure that made us attractive when we were eventually picked up by the Liebherr family. It's a delicious irony in it's way. Nothing will ever be perfect but we are seemingly in a great position now. For better or worse the past helped create that.

So a process that Lowe played a part in beginning was nothing to do with him when it eventually resolved under his renewed leadership? Had he not overseen relegation to begin with he wouldn't have been ousted. Wilde wouldn't have seen the need to buy into the club and eventually gain favour with the shareholders. He spearheaded the PLC, he knew the risks, they didn't pay off and we all paid the price. As for admitting fault, Lowe was at fault, Wilde was at fault. All are culpable. This isn't a black and white issue hence why I specifically said I was taking Lowe's role in isolation when I initially commented.

Coventry are still run as a business. The political nightmare that is SISU are another matter altogether, they are just playing poker over the Ricoh arena. As for 'my own' Coventry, f**k me you sad sod I havn't accumulated the amount of posts on here for a f**king laugh! Sport does require an amount of speculation to accumulate. There is a balance though, go too far you overspend, be too conservative you neglect the team. We went too far to the later, spending money on poor players and ending up with a large and ineffective squad (Van Damme, Jakobsson, Nillson, etc.) and humoured managerial experiments (Gray, Wigley, eventually Woodward) at terrible times. Lowe put into place the core elements needed to be a stable Premier League club, but he neglected the club's reason for existence and went for cheap options to sustain the business end. It was a pity, because as we are seeing now, the foundations were all there.

Apologies if I give that impression. I of course do not know what was going on in Lowe's mind, if you are aware of any moves Lowe made to sell on the club or seek investment I would be intrigued to hear it. The fact is though that nothing came..... until Rupert Lowe (with Wilde's intermission) had seen us bankrupt at the foot of league one with dwindling crowds, revenue and unacceptable overdrafts. Only then did the infrastructue that Lowe pioneered make us truly appealing and for a song no less!

Buctootim. As I have just said Lowe was wanting to use the academy to financially support the club..... the self generated income. Lowe's goal was to simply be, that will never be a good plan in an environment that is by its very nature constantly evolving. As you say, it's less then the clubs we were competing against, it was self limiting. And the means to do it as far as Cortese was concerned was the Liebherr cheque-book, so we agree there. Without Cortese that cheque-book wouldn't have been initially available though.

No, but he was someone who did treat us as purely a business. Using the academy as a foundation to sustain us finacially. A nice idea in theory but one which was ultimately self limiting.

A bit rash Kraken. I have always been cynical of Cortese's ultimate ambition and rhetoric. He however did have a goal and the means to try and follow it, Rupert Lowe took premier league stability and grasped defeat from the jaws of possible (but not resultant) victory. I am also happy to say that Rupert did a lot of good, but he clearly had no idea of how to make the most of it. And Turkish, if you are going to paraphrase me at least do it accurately. I didn't say Rupert led us to disaster I said he ultimately was a disaster and that the potential he put in place was wasted.

No, at the time he wasn't criticised. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I would rather look at the perspective now. All circumstances have their good and bad points, so rather then compare to other chairmen I will just take Lowe's in isolation here. His chairmanship was a time when good things were done but the potential was wasted.... that set in motion the process that nearly killed us but ironically also made us massively sale-able.

I would put that down as wishful thinking i'm afraid. I have no doubt he did what he genuinely thought was best for the club but ultimately he was a disaster. Under him we were only ever destined to go in one direction, so it came to pass.

There is an extremely well regarded young female coach in our training ranks, can't for the life of me remember any details about her though.

A wannabie visionary who instead was found wanting and lucked into certain fortuitous things. His cheap appointment of Strachan paid off handsomely, as did his lucking into the St Mary's site. A focus on the academy was sensible but he was so conservative with the first team that it defeated the point. This then translated to our eventual demise as in the Championship the business model failed.

Charlton for me. I've converted Dad from being a boyhood Charlton fan to a Saints season ticket holder, I want to see how deep his loyalties now lie!

His cameo helped us to seal promotion from that league, the late goal at Brighton was crucial. Was always a shame that he ended up at Fratton.

Time to get out the 'We got a point' banners.

Nope, that was just a logistical cock up, it was in fact the Yeovil no 8 coming on for their 23. (Upson for Grant) Davis came on for Lallana.

Rain interfering with play.....

Gallagher!!! 2-0!!

Nope, at the Ettihad!! Astonishing.

Guly to take it....... GOAL!!!!!

Come on Saints..... (Ha! Watford winning at Citeh!!)

Can anyone remember when Lee (and for that matter Billy's) contracts are up?

Such a pity that Osvaldo's situation has come to this. Fingers crossed no-one chooses to turn on him (I know I won't absolutely no point in doing so.... I want the talent he has to be made the most of) should he play for us again. If it truly is an unrecoverable situation then yes, time to sell and reflect on a very interesting footnote in the club's history. Either way it would make any thoughts of selling Rickie totally daft.

That really took you ten minutes? Such incredible arrogance, conceit and ignorance of what people have actually tried to discuss. There is no point entertaining you any further.

It's not less valid. Crucially, no-one else's opinion has less or more weight then the other. What isn't valid is your insulting, demeaning and aggressive pursuit of anyone's view that you dissagree with. As an adult with children for heaven's sake that behavior should be beneath you.