Professor

The 'not giving up' comment is fairly banal. How could you 'give up'? By not trying to win league games? Deliberately fielding a weaker side? The playoffs faded because of too many dropped points in games that were eminently winnable. The manager and the team did their best, but on those days, the opposition did as well or better. Despite the goal feasts against Walsall and Huddersfield it suggests that the squad is not quite as good as we hoped, but the team does now have a solid base but automatic promotion next year will depend on some close season signings.

When the JPT was set up in 2006 as the latest sponsors of the Football League Trophy, the prize fund was £350,000, with round winners receiving prize money and the Trophy winners getting £90,000. Unless the fund has been increases since 2006, it looks like Carlisle and Saints are playing for the £90,000 prize.

Some fans take the attitude that a manager is only as good as his last game, but on that measure, AP did OK on Saturday. Picked his best side, played an attacking formation, and used his subs to refresh the side towards the end. It should have been a draw, given that the penalty was not remotely justified. The failure to score was inexplicable, given how often these same players had found the net in the last two games, so in no way can AP be blamed for the result. It is disapointing that apart from the JPT, we'll be treading water in the league for the rest of the season, but even thats a big improvement on fighting relegation which is what we became used to for so many years. I plan to just enjoy the games and hopefully some more good results. Beating Leeds would be brilliant.

Saints have had some good strikers over recent years, Phillips, Crouch, Beattie all did well in their time here. Rasiak and Saganowski looked very promising when they first came, but neither did as well as expected. Even with Rasiak scoring two goals last week, it was relief that they weren't for Saints because you just know it will have been a 'blip' achieved by goal hanging. As for Saga, he seems to have done very little in Greece and its looking as if SFC were fortunate to off-load him. How good compared to their predessors, are Lambert/Barnard/Connolly and how well will they perform if they get the chance in the CCC. Appreciate it may come too late for DC but RL and LB are both likely to have their chance if not next season, then the year after, and both should still be in their prime.

The title winning form has generally co-incided with the team playing more attacking football. For some time Pardew seemed more concerned with trying to avoid defeats with Dave Merrington saying there was too much use of 4-5-1, but maybe that was due to being a quality striker short. Things changed, first with Connolly coming into the side until injured, and lately with Barnard up front alongside Lambert. Pardew has built a great squad but playing two quality strikers seems to have been the key that's unlocked the door.

Even the best team in a league can't win every game - there's too much of a luck element, over goal chances becoming goals or not, however well a team plays. Regardless of how well anyone predicts the results of other teams, maximum points from Saints is not a realistic prospect but as long as 6th place is mathematically possible the excitement will continue. Bristol Rovers, MK, Millwall and Huddersfield need to have poor runs, all four of them, and the odds on that happening to all four can't be too high!

We need to hope that the result will have unsettled Huddersfield because they had been unbeaten since 18 Dec. If we are to get to the playoffs, not only have Saints got to keep winning but the teams above us have to drop points. We have 2 games in hand on Huddersfield but if we win them both we are still 8 points behind them so we need them to lose a few more yet. They are unbeaten at home but have lost 8 away, so its not impossible, but then you have to look at Millwall.........

Do like the look of Barnard and don't think Ormoerod ever quite convinced, although to be fair, we were playing at a higher level when he was here. Barnard's second goal against Walsall was an absolute gem, goal scoring position, quick control and immediate strike, but Connolly has also shown premier quality striking. When Barnard missed a couple of chances in his first two games people were quick to criticise and as fans we tend to rate players on the basis of their last game. If he goes a couple of games without scoring, the doubters will let themselves be known, equally if Connolly gets a game and scores, people will be saying you can't drop him. What a great dilemma for a manager but I don't think you can ever say a player will always be first choice as form can fluctuate, sometimes just because of luck.

Questions after the Huddersfield game were much the same as the post-Walsall interview that set the hare running, and by the same interviewer from Solent. Difference was in Pardew's responses which were very positive, realistic and fair. He pointed out that reaching the play-offs is not in his team's hands but depends on results of other teams that have to drop a lot of points for Saints to move up. Being up-beat but keeping a lid on expectations was a sensible approach.

Could be the next Theo Walcott. Tempted off to a 'big' club by the promise of untold wealth while Saints are still Div1/CCC level. Recommendation - don't sing songs to individuals, or hero-worship players, unless you want them to get ideas above their station. Support the team.

Barnard has the shirt but Connolly will get his chance. If he puts a couple of goals away the pressure will go the other way round. They might also get to play together if Rickie gets a rest. A club needs three quality strikers to be sure of consistent performance. Absolutely great situation

There is a strong case for saying you want the manager to be under pressure, not from a Chairman who tries to do his job for him, but by a chairman who sets targets, and will tighten them when he thinks its right. It was the lack of management of Burley, and Redknapp that led to some of the problems. If Cortese makes Pardew perform above his level, in the long run AP should be grateful. Best of luck for the game tonight and we'll all be waiting anxiously for the post-match interview!

We're all entitled to an opinion, and to speculate, but unless you had seen the Interview, rather than just heard it, its hard to make a fair assessment. If there has since been a clear the air meeting, is that good or bad news? It would be good if it means they can move forward but on the other it would suggest there was a problem big enough to need a meeting. Whichever, we should be grateful for a lot of entertainment over the weekend and thats not only the great result, but some good banter.

Looking at some of the examples quoted on here of clubs with a DoF it looks like the role is mainly to represent the chairman where there is a chairman who isn't hands on himself. The new SFC seems to have a very hands on chairman which doesn't leave much space for a DoF.

Sorry, but 2 above is not correct - the negative attitude by AP was there from the start despite easy friendly questions, but its clearer if you see it, rather than just listen to the soundtrack. Try Saints Player: http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/articles/2...9398~1,00.html

In case anyone hasn't seen Pardew's interview but has just heard it, the pictures add a lot to the words. If you have a Saints Player subscription try the link. It will help you make your judgement as to whether all is well. http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/articles/20100227/saints-outstanding-pardew_2264122_1979398/0,,10280~1979398~1,00.html

Don't agree at all. The interview started with AP staring down at his shoes and hardly able to look the interviewer in the face. Q1 - Was that as enjoyable for you as it was for everyone else? AP - Well, it as just an efficient perfomance. Q2. What particularly pleased you, was it the best perfomance of the season, it was certainly the biggest score line of the season? AP (still avoiding eye-contact) Best performance was away to Norwich Q3 - I was going to ask you about Harding and Hammond back to their best, but Jason Puncheon playing well, and Rickie Lambert, ahrd to pick one isn't it? AP - No, there was no outstanding performance today - everyone was determined to show we're a good team.... then the 23 games stats. Sorry, Nick, there was no change during the interview, it began negatively and down beat from the outset and continued.

Even without the 10 points deduction Saints would be 7 points below 6th place and although they have two games in hand, those are games not points. For anyone not focused as closely on our team and the poor start, as we fans are, the evidence is that the top teams have pulled clear from the pack. The season is now two thirds gone and saints are 17 points away from 6th place. For that gap to close not only have Saints got to improve on recent performance, which are actually quite good anyway, but teams in the top six have got to drop more points than they have been. If Saints finish 5 or 6 points below 6th place, that may be about as good as we can hope for.

As this is a Pardew appreciation thread it isn't the place to post negatives about him and he's already shown many positives. Every one has strengths and weakness, including football managers, even Fergeson, so there is no perfect replacement for AP. He's built a good squad, possibly the best in L1, and on yesterday's evidence they can wipe the floor with any team in the division on their day. If AP can have them playing like that every game, the unbeaten run could go on and on. Cortese has to walk a thin line between keeping the pressure on Pardew to perform without demoralising him too much. Its good to have a chairman who is managing the manager and wants a return for the money being spent, so all very promising.

Two points: (1) The interviewer said nothing that could have 'offended' Pardew, on the contrary the questions were soft and invited obvious responses along the lines of didn't the team do well, but AP chose to give negative replies. Whether he intended to create a public impression or didn't appreciate how it would be viewed, we can't know, but it has started a hare running. (2) The OS has reported the Pardew interview under the headline 'Gaffer Ecstatic', possibly the most dishonest bit of spinning since 'It was the Sun wot won it'. What would be interesting to know is whether that is Pardew trying to undo the damage of his interview, or Cortese trying to placate him. To know that you need to know who the OS editior is answerable to. Whichever it is, it probably hasn't shot the hare.

The frame of mind displayed by Pardew in the interview doesn't look right when he has to prepare the team for Tuesday. He was actually rude to the interviewer and in effect to the audience. On the other hand, they certainly did well enough today, whatever the manager's problem is. Unless Cortese already knows the reason, must be likely they will have a conversation about it. Question is, will we find out more?

While this is true, and very few people would argue with his signings, even the reservations expressed by some about Otsemobor and Seaborne look mistaken, but a manager has to do more than just build a team, he has to make the players perform, has to get his selections and tactics right and has to use his substitutions to good effect. Those are the areas where Pardew looks weaker, whereas he looks strong on team building. But he's got some good advisers in Wilkins and Downes so hopefully together they can get more consistency.

Agree 100% with Delldays and JohnB. There would be no point in changing the manager this season. This squad is not suddenly going to perform really badly, even with Pardew's defensive approach to selection, but if it did, NC would not gain anything by a manager change this year. Despite the talk of 18-months, Pardew will be under pressure from the word Go next season because of the money spent already, not to mention the probabilty of one or two more signings close season. For AP to be completely safe, I'd say it has to be top two by October. I'm not suggesting its fair, but football management is a hard world.

Can't see the Play-Offs as the make or break for AP this season. The team have stalled in mid-table and even with a winning run, the play-offs are now too far away to be a relistic prospect any longer. But if we carry on unbeaten, or mostly unbeaten, even with more drawn games, its hardly conceivable that Pardew would be sacked. What may be more likely is that he could be an early casualty next season, short of his 18 months, if we aren't in the top two come October. Pardew's approach to the game tends to be defensive and negative. Even at Wycombe he took off an attacking wide player (Antonio) and replaced him with a defensive midfielder (Wotton) and then removed one of the strikers (Barnard) who had scored two goals on Saturday. This approach is refected in his preference for 4-5-1 and unless he starts being more positive - which may not be in his make-up - he may not get the results to keep his job next season.

In the light of the Wycombe performance it is worth going back and reading some of the reports on the Norwich game. The press were saying that the result was not unreasonable on the overall play but that both goals came from doubtful situations and that the Norwich sending-off was a bad decision. Not a ringing endorsement.