trousers

Are we playing 4-4-2 in the reserves too now?

Is it me or did Ipswich have some decent chances and a fair amount of possession in the middle section of that game? I know highlights can be deceptive but it didn't seem as one sided as everyone (including Jim Magilton and the Ipswich fans) have made out.

I have a question that's bugging me.... Who introduced Poortvliet to Lowe in the first place? (a) Wotte ? (b) van der Waals ? © "someone else" ? We know that Lowe wanted to give Wotte a crack of the whip 3 years ago before turning to Burley, and that Wotte fancied the job at he time. We also know that Wotte didn't want the 'head coach' job this time around (for some unknown reason) but I assume Lowe offered him the job again this time last year whilst hatching his comeback plan. So who suggested Poortvliet to Lowe as an alternative head coach to Wotte? (I doubt Lowe knew of Poortvliet directly)

Ok...arm twisted....I'd swap Wotte for Hoddle or Strachan. Coin toss for Dowie. No-one else springs to mind

Too early to judge objectively

And to provide a "seamless interface" with the first team (Michael Wilde's words last spring, not mine)

Just to clarify, were your misgivings about Wotte, per se, or the tactics that he helped implement during the first 2/3rds of the season? My misgivings were about the tactics that I thought he might carry on with so no need for humble pie now that Wotte has ditched them. IMHO of course.

Share price back on the rise...slightly. http://www.londonstockexchange.com/en-gb/pricesnews/prices/system/detailedprices.htm?sym=GB0007922114GBGBXAIMI0792211SOO Oh happy days are here again

I used to watch tractors when I was a boy. I don't like them any more though. I'm now an extractor fan.

Our average age is still around the mid-20s mark though, give or take

Actually, looking at the negativity amongst Brum fans on this messageboard: http://boards.footymad.net/forum.php?tno=69&fid=9&sty=2 I've decided to ditch the open-minded thinking and agree that we should stick to our guns and go for it! COYR!

Some would say that criticism, constructive or otherwise, can be character building. Seems to have worked a treat in Paterson's case if last night's cameo is anything to go by....

Or maybe Lowe and Co will still be in charge having learned a painful lesson...? (It's ok...I'll stop this balanced open-mindedness one of these days.....)

The question is....who rattled who's cage first? i.e. wasn't the chronology as follows? 1) Saints playing badly 2) A section of fans get fed up and protest 3) Wotte reacts with provocative comments which gives rise to a siege mentality and unity amongst the players and manager 4) Saints start winning again Some might argue that it's the very fans that Wotte rightly or wrongly 'had a pop at' that acted as a catalyst to the current renaissance. Just a theory which no doubt will be shot down in flames for resembling something close to an opinion.

Perhaps Fulthorpe's still got Shearer up his sleeve.....?

Will Wotte be at the Birmingham game tonight?

p.s. will still be interesting to read the reaction on here if we get tonked by Birmingham. I'll go for 4.59pm for the first "why didn't Wotte do his tactics homework on Birmingham?" post....not that I'm suggesting we're a fickle bunch of course....

Ok. Fair point. As I say, I'm in broad agreement to keep things as they are. Just being open minded about it, that's all. Guilty as charged m'lud!

An interesting angle. Wouldn't the job he ended up with have paid less though?

IMHO? I truly believed him continuing with the 'experiment' he helped implement was the most likely scenario. Ok, it turned out to be the wrong assumption but I disagree that it was less valid than the opposite assumption. So, neither 'side' on this debate is right or wrong. Again, just my opinion.

Mssrs Redknapp and O'Neil are probably the best people to answer that question....

Why change? How about if Birmingham typically play in such a way that would negate our current 'formula'? As I say, I'm more in the "don't change" than "change" camp but I still believe Wotte shouldn't rule it out if, after doing his homework, believes a slightly different line-up would work better against a different style of opponent (not that I have a clue one way or t'other whether Brum present a different challenge to Preston, Cardiff and Ipswich - just speaking from a matter of principle).

my heart says stick with same tactics but my head is nudging me to say "replace McGoldrick (attacking midfielder) with Wotton (gritty defensive midfielder)...."

Ah....ye olde reverse psychology tactic....been tried before....IMHO of course

Interesting that they are praising our 'young team' when we now think we've got a better balance with the older players getting more of a look in. Different perspective I guess