VectisSaint

Depends, we weren't very often in the bottom half of Div3 South, although I am sure there were some times that we were. The comparison is perfectly fair.

Better yet, forget playing him at all. He needs a spell in the reserves. No end product, no good having a box to box midfielder that cannot pass to a team mate. I would expect AL to be one of the causalties when we have our full team available.

Do you know if he was offered a chance to stay? I doubt Herr Lowe would have ratified it following relegation. I agree that he did not relish a drop down to a lower division as I said, hence he left Wolves. But that was 5 years ago, and he is now getting on a bit. Personally if there was any legs in this story (and I doubt there is) then we should bend over backwards to get him to sign. One of the most exciting players to grace SMS for Saints ever.

What would you have changed? Thats just about the best team we have. The only change I would make would be Mills for Lallana, but given Mills is returning from injury I think AP is sensible not to start him. Would have preferred to see Gillett on the bench.

Mills on the bench, no room for Gillett though.

He left us because his loan expired. But it is true that he refused to play for Wolves when they were relegated. Things have moved on now though, at the age of 32 he is not the player he was (though more than good enough for us) and would probably take a drop if the money was OK, after all at the moment he is unemployed. By the way we would have to wait for his work permit application to be granted of course.

I think you are very very wrong as far as Alps is concerned. Can't comment on TDD.

That is a gross insult, some weasels have a great deal of integrity.

If so then Bevan will play instead. Might actually come down for this, gives me a chance to see Torquay, they have always been my "second team" but have never actually seen them play live.

Kenwyne could do 100m much faster than 20 seconds, but thats not to detract from Henri. Kenwyne was a real athlete.

Our decline while he was here and since he left is indeed testament to the job he was doing, or rather not doing. We were left with the most unfit, unmotivated team ever. His apparent success getting us to the playoffs was largely down to the input of Snodin, when he departed it was all downhill. Burley continues to live on his success at Ipswich and to a small extent Hearts, sadly for Scotland they have discovered what most Southampton supporters knew at the time he left. He was and is a spent force. Why anyone would think it was a good idea to get him back defies belief, especially when we have such a decent manager now.

Although I suspect you are expecting things to work faster than they do in practice, you have also left out one important stage: Day (0 minus 14): Jaidi sends work permit application to Home Office. I don't think we have reached this stage yet Once that happens then everything will swing into action and will proceed as swiftly as a stunned slug.

Is Morgan out as well? It seems unfair to me that we have to play with players away on international duty, I understand that you can only apply for postponement if there are 3 or more, and I am guessing that we have only 2 out in this case.

There is a huge difference between caring about the issue, integrity in sport, and villofying MLT for one very minor misdemeanour, which in fact led him to realise that integrity was important, a lesson welll learned. I'm afraid I already question the motives of much in sport, the more that big money comes in and pervades the game we all love, the more correupt it is. But this is nothing new. Players were suspended for life in the 1950s for match fixing allegations, there have been scandals involving Lou Macari and as well know Brucey, and many many others. To read some of the patently silly remarks on here by some holier than thou goody 2 shoes, you would think that the idea of a betting scam had been invented by MLT. Nothing could be further from the truth. This sort of thing was clearly rampant, in the 90s when spread betting became popular and before the authorities clamped down. The thing we have learned from this is that MLT was so naive that having tried this thing once, it scarde the **** out of him when he realised how much he could have lost, and never got involved again. That is the salutary lesson others should be picking up on, and possibly why he mentioned it in his book. Matt wasn't even the instigator of this as far as I can tell, more ikely it was Flash, but almost the whole team were in on it, just a shame someone forgot to tell Shipps. I can't believe some of the nonsense being written on here about MLT, and role models (or even roll models). My hero in the 60s was Micky Channon, he was my role model, hence I turned to drinking when I realised that my heroes of the day were all out on the lash every night (not just Mick, but ossie etc). And if you believe that about me then you would believe anything. Because MLT made one dodgy bet does not make him any less of a role model to youngsters today, it shows he was human, and got involved in the sort of things that 99.9% of people get involved with at some time. The role model point is that he saw the error of his ways very quickly and learned that this was not the sort of thing that should be done, teach your kids to learn from their mistakes and you will have taught them a useful life lesson. If you want to get hung up about corruption in football then pay more attention to the likes of things going on at Chelski, real corruption, not just financial but also corruption of a minor.

Yes you are guessing, and guessing wrong. Please read the book and you will see that it happened once, and once only. It is because people guess, and believe sensationalist tabloids that things get out of hand. If you don't know the facts, or are not aware of the facts as reported in a reliable source, then don't guess and make things up. Leave that to the rag reporters.

Someone else? You mean MLT.

Have I missed a league game, or are we only playing 45 this season?

Clearly you have not read the book. The bloke does not like a bet, thats the whole point. He says this was the one and only time. It is also quite clear from the book that Matt was involved but he was only one of those involved, seemingly everyone but Shipps. Purely coincidentally I read this chapter last night. This is a non-issue, it is not match-fixing (putting a ball out for a throw does not constitute match fixing), and just highlights what stupid things Bookies do to try to make money (and that there are stupid people who place bets on this). What people should be more concerned about is whether there are still stupid things like this going on, I suspect from what little I know that there aren't, although I was surprised when talking to a guy working on my house recently some of the bets that can be placed while a game is in progress, and the seemingly easy ways to make money. I dislike intensely this whole betting culture with regard to football/spread bets but anyone who thinks that MLT is tainted because of this one silly event many years ago clearly is barking.

The game is at St Marys

Here Waigo, here Waigo, here Waigo...

You've been peeping in the showers again Is Molyneaux still at Saints, I thought he went on loan or on trial?

Today is only special if you are taken in by the Sky hype. It is only a big deal for Premiership clubs. Signing out of contract players can continue at any time, and it would seem there are plenty in that situation, and signing loans can start again next Monday for FL clubs. On the positive side apart from Poke going on loan (whcih is good for him and good for Torquay), at least no-one left. So we still have Spiderman, Saga, Gillett and Holmes (and Lallana but I was trying to be positive) all of whom were rumoured to be on their way out.

Has Skacel signed yet?

Didn't have to be done by today, he is a free agent I believe so can be signed anytime, as long as no-one else has snapped him up. Wouldn't be surprised to see some loanees coming in as well. The problem with Deadline day is that it is something hyped up by Sky to boost ratings, in practice the deadline day only really applies to the Premier****. The emergency loan system allows signings to continue and this is when you will see Prem teams loaning out their fringe players.

You do realise he is nearly 24 don't you? A bit old for the Academy. I don't think being in the Reserves at that age is very promising either, unless it is for match fitness. Not an excuse, and I didn't see him, but its always more difficult to come on as a sub late on and play accurate passes, especially as it was unexpected (due to an injry rather than tactical). Better to judge on full games. In the past he has looked more than capable, but it seems Pardew thinks a bit like the OP and isn't seeing the player that we saw last season on occassions. He still seems to me to be more suited to this division, but needs to up his game if he is to succeed.