trousers

No, I'd have wanted them to win.... Hypocritical? Perhaps. It's a paradox whichever way one looks at it but it doesn't mean Long Shot's viewpoint is wrong. It's just a different opinion. Doesn't make 'him' or anyone else a 'bad' fan if they genuinely believe it will help the club in the long run....

Usual apologies for a new thread but this question looks like getting overlooked in Long Shot's thread.... Would be interested to hear what Duncan had to say as I miss his insights on here. Thanks

And therein lies the paradox....

Yes, of course we all want the incumbent management to do well but it was widely recognised that Steve McClaren was doing more harm than good but, like it or not, it usually takes a failure to inject new impetus into a situation - that's just a fact of life. If England go on to win the World Cup in 2010 you will be able to trace the seeds of that triumph to Steve McClaren losing against Croatia in November 2007. It's a head and heart situation. Of course noone wants their team to lose in their heart of hearts but sometimes the head is wiser than the heart. Take away human emotion and the logic is sound.

But, IF what Long Shot says is correct then you are advocating the demise of SFC.... All a bit paradoxical IMHO

+1 Anyone got a transcript that we can all argue over?!

Devil's advocate question coming up.... Were you happy that Steve McClaren lost the England manager's job? (I'm assuming you're also an England fan here...)

Phil - I respectfully disagree (at a general principle level) Take away the irrational emotions that many people who enjoy watching a game of football exhibit (and I'm not saying that that emotion is a bad thing, it just interferes with rational thought) and what Long Shot says is a perfectly understandable viewpoint. Analogy alert... Burning back old vegetation allows new shoots to grow. Amputating an injured leg can save the life of the patient. England not qualifying for Euro2008 gets rid of Steve McClaren. Long Shot makes a valid point whether people agree with him or not. (and I'm not declaring here whether I agree with him myself...just respecting his opinion)

Hurry up....I want to be the one to do '69' on Rupert

Surman to Stoke? Been thinking about this one. Is the answer 'coal' ?

Well, Nigel loved him enough to give him a hug every now and then...

p.s. I thought you were starting to describe your average Saints supporter there.....clinging onto the hope of back-to-back victories....yeah, you're right....will never happen....

So it's safe to take off my strait-jacket then?

I wish them well. "Break a leg" and all that....

I wonder if Drew thought we drew too or if Drew thought we won?

Sorry(ish) to sound like a scratched record but how come Svensson's likely no-show for the game on Saturday warrants a full page OS article yet last week Schneiderlin's (supposed) injury didn't.... "And the needle returns to the start of the song and we all sing along again"

I was just thinking the same...

Sorry...I meant "supposed" as in there was nothing specifically mentioned about it on the OS (or any other 'official' bugle)....it was only 'reported' as such on here (as far as I'm aware) Not that I'm suggesting for one cotton pickin' moment that this forum isn't a rich vein of corroborated information of course!

Alas, this is deja vu time....there was an almost identical trail of OS articles in Lundekvam's last season....sadly...

Don't know if this came out at the time but have just spotted that Hoddle's Academy last week secured significant middle-east funding shortly after his academy team (supposedly) played a 'behind closed doors' game with Saints. Any conspiracy mileage in this one? http://www.arabianbusiness.com/537360-uae-bank-launches-football-investment-fund UAE bank launches football investment fund by Andy Sambidge on Thursday, 06 November 2008 Banking giant Emirates NBD on Thursday became the latest Middle East institution to target the global football industry with the launch a new investment fund. The Hero Global Football Fund, which has former football stars Alan Hanson and Glenn Hoddle on board, will recruit mainly young players from around the world but especially from Africa, South America and the Far East. It will then seek to make a profit by selling players’ registrations and other economic benefits, such as image rights, to professional clubs. The Fund, which is planning to raise $100 million, has been set up by Emirates Investment Services Ltd, a subsidiary company of Emirates NBD, and will have a life of five years. Rick Pudner, CEO of Emirates NBD, said: “Middle East investors are seeing the value of the sports industry, in general and the football sector in particular, and we’re excited to build on that. "Now, through the Hero Global Football Fund, Emirates NBD can show its clients that you don’t have to be a billionaire to invest in this booming industry and, at low minimums, you too can participate in the transfer market which has shown itself to be a huge growth area of the game.” The minimum individual investment into the fund will be $100,000. The fund targets a minimum internal rate of return (IRR) of 10 percent, and, although returns are likely to fluctuate, Jamal Bin Ghalaita, general manager for Consumer and Wealth Management at ENBD, stressed that the success of the Fund is not linked to finding a star player. “The business model is realistic, assuming that two thirds of players will not become professionals. Of those that do make it, many will join second-tier clubs," he said. "The financial success of the fund does not depend on finding the next David Beckham: rather, on producing a steady flow of competent, professional footballers,” he added. The fund aims to attract and recruit players from across the world and will also deal with clubs worldwide, although a prime focus is likely to be European clubs which are keen to recruit promising young players from Africa, South America and the Far East. Deon Vernooy, Head of Asset Management at EIS, says: “We believe we can generate above average returns from a fast-growing sector with little or no correlation to the wider economic climate.” The fund has also made a private investment into the Glenn Hoddle Academy, a specialist academy set up by the former England player and manager for young players who have been released by their clubs. Hoddle and his team of full-time coaches will nurture and develop their talents before releasing the players to clubs around the globe. Also on board with the initiative is David Davies, OBE, the former executive director of the FA, and David Elleray, the former top-flight referee. In addition, as part of its commitment to invest in the development of football in the UAE, the fund has reached an agreement with the Al Ahli Club to identify promising players for further training and development through the Fund and its associates. Alan Hansen, who is a member of the advisory board to the fund added: “In the current financial climate, it (the fund) will provide a vital source of funding for clubs worldwide to keep and develop their talent. "As well as this, the Fund’s partnership with the Glenn Hoddle Academy will make a huge contribution to nurturing young players and give them a second chance to pursue their football careers.”

You join us at a key moment in 'hypothetical corner'....over to Trousers who is at the scene.... If Matt Le Tissier did a Niall Quinn and became our chairman would people still have qualms about the chairman 'being interested in' (aka 'interfering with') team selection? i.e. is this a matter of principle or does it depend on the type of person who is chairman?

Are you suggesting that Rupert might come down my chimney? (if I ask nicely)

I've got a little German in me....

I would disagree that it's "nothing like" buying shares. Agree that it's not an 'investment' in the sense that shares are (or rather, are supposed to be) but there are certain philosophical synergies - i.e. Both involve buying into something at a certain price in advance. I wasn't trying to advocate that they are the same in the holistic sense.

The OS match day article than mentions squad injuries etc is written in near real-time as the match takes place, so the timing of this doesn't work as an explanation....