VectisSaint

I used to stand in front of a drummer at gigs, but then being over 50 AND a bass player, I think there have been enough insults on this thread already. A drummer is someone who likes to hang around with musicians Actually I have no problems with the idea of a drummer to help the atmosphere. Not an American idea, that would be playing an organ when the ball goes out of play.

Mr Trundle meet Mr Wilkins

Really find this argument a bit lame, and it seems like its just an excuse. The Polish manager already knows how Ras and Saga play, he has played them many times. They don't suddenly become useless because they play in L1 (unless of course they are already useless). Why are these two so concerned about their international "career" - it is their club football that pays the rent, half a dozen mainly meaningless international strolls a season. No, they may be saying they are worried about their international career, but in truth this is just code for "we want to be paid more and whether or not we actually get a game at a higher level thats all we are actually interested in" (and who can blame them after the shabby way they were treated last season). International career ********, more wonga thats the issue.

I know where you are coming from, but maybe its not so black as you are painting. Assuming Murty signs (I know its not certain) then we do have a 1st XI, essentially the team that played Hearts with Rasiak instead of John. So we're OK for Millwall, AP still has the resto August (3 weeks) to bring in some permanent signings to strengthen, we clearly don't have much else other than the 1st XI. Even after that we can still bring in loans, this usually starts in earnest once the Prem teams sort out exactly who they need in their squads. I agree its getting late, but I'd be more worried if we didn't still have Rasiak and Saga under contract. I expect both to leave, but not until later in August.

The question was "players", not crop circles

Well, as of right now Rasiak and Saga are still under contract to us, so there is no reason why one at least of them will not be in the starting line-up against Millwall. John was a different matter, he was out of contract and a free agent, so he has elected to go elsewhere. If a decent offer comes in for Ras or Saga I'm sure they will go as well, but I don;t anticipate they will do a Kenwyne and withhold their labour in the meantime. If one or both go I'm sure that Ap will bring in a replacement. So in summary as things stand we have 3 strikers, Rasiak, Saga and Paterson for the opening match.

Patently not true, just because ML bought the llot does not mean the debts are null and void. ML either paid off all or some of the debts, or he took them over completely. Problem is no-one on these message boards actually knows (some claim they know). The only ones seemingly who would know would be ML, AO, NC, DJ or Fry (together with Barclays and Aviya). None of these seems to want to actually put the record straight (though there was a hint from AO I think that the debts were paid off in full. In the end, while ML is still interested it really doesn't matter, it only becomes a problem if he loses interest and wants to sell on again. I would have guessed that ML paid off the overdraft to Barclays, and took on the mortgage (or part thereof) with Aviya, but others will disagree from the same position of ignorance as me.

Just a couple of points. First, to be pedantic, Saul has nothing to do with Christmas as far as I know. I'm not too hot on Christianity (being a Jedhi Warrior according to the last census), but I think Saul was an Old Testament King of the Israelites. Secondly, we have at least one more famous London Street, namely BAKER. There are probably others, but the fictional home of Holmes and Watson (Sherlock and Dr John, not Nick and Dave) is at least as famous as Carnaby. There is a Peach Road in W10, but I would hardly claim that as famous.

Will we have to pay Renault a transfer fee? Bellamy is surely a bit old now, he should stick to Compost Corner.

More like Ali Dia

3 Accept the deal, earn (say) £250k and sit on his @rse watching good football - there are usually 2 teams, hopefully most will play well against the Skates

How has he messed us around? he was offered a contract, he has considered his options and declined. Thats not messing anyone around. Messing some around is havig someone under contract and making it impossible for someone to honour that contract and shipping him out on loan to a rival. I suspect that what this might mean is that Rasiak is planning to stay and SJ realised that he was not guaranteed 1st choice as striker, because clearly SJ and GR cannot play in the same team (unless we are playing a team of slugs).

If Niemi can get a further pay day at the expense of the Skates then good luck to him, it does not reduce my opinion of him. It matters not a jot to me or most others if he goes to Pompey. Some of our greatest players played for Pompey as well, Davies, Channon and Stokes, then there was MacLoughlin as well (LOL). The main point is that all of these players played for Pompey after their best days at Saints, and it does not diminish them in any way whatsoever.

Doubtful, its rugby, not hockey, duck shooting or peasant plucking

LOL at the idea that "rugger buggers" cannot handle their beer :drinkers:

So, thats a massive saving then, because before it did cost us.

Any sign of Jordan Keegan coming on? I have this great image of a perm with no front teeth. I guess Channon Davies would be hoping for too much.

Not sure he has ever forgiven us for 76 though

Where is this consolidation stuff coming from? AP is aimimg for Top 2, and why not? Whatever else, we should at minimum get into the playoffs, once there it is a lottery unfortunately. Top 2 is probably optimistic ultimately, we should not forget that there are 4 Premier Clubs in League One this season, not just us, Norwich, Charlton and Leeds will be tough opposition, though I would tip Norwich to be the main contenders with us. It is clear that currently we may not be that far off having a decent 1st XI, the problem is that we have no strength in depth (apart from GKs, which is the one place you can probably survive without it).

Given that Arry is about the only one who has clearly understood how to play Twizzle, it is no surprise at all that they have linked up again. I don't give Arry much credit, but he gets the best out of Crouch, realising unlike others that Crouch cannot play as a lone striker, and is not a very good header of the ball. What Crouch brings is the ability to hod the ball up, to provide knock-downs for other players (such as Owen for England) and a much underrated ability with his feet. If you expect Crouch to score with his head often then you will be sadly disappointed. Benitez and Hart seem not to have realised what they had or how best to utilise him. Arry did.

Did we win on opening day 1989? If so and we won opening day 1999, then 2009 is looking hopeful

We had far far more European football pre-plc days, almost always earned by our league position (with one glorious exception), whereas the plc gave us one European foray via the somewhat dubious route of being runners-up in the FA Cup. If the Champions League had existed in its present form in the 80s we would have qualified, there is no way the plc ever brought us anything like the success of a non-plc operation.

Think there's going to be a new show on the telly where ALW searches for a new MF player for the Saints. How do you solve a problem like Paul Wotton

plc shareholders received nothing. Guaranteed. Like many other ordinary supporters I was also a shareholder. So for those that say this is irrelevant I think you should think a bit more. For the amount I had though I don't really care, it was a small price to pay to be rid of the leeches that put our Club where it was. I see others have stated categorically that we no longer have a stadium debt. What is the source/evidence for this. I would be very surprised if this was true, given what ML allegedly paid for the Club. In any case, why was there a need to wipe out the debt, Avaya would make more money if the debt remained. But it is a question that I would be interested to know the factual answer to, rather than the speculation. After all, if something were to happen to ML (God forbid) then we could be lumbered again. I think it is a fair question that the OP raised.

Are you sure, I know we have had a habit of playing left siders on the right and vice versa but I'm sure Holmes is a left winger