washsaint

and maybe, Alpine they're not playing because they're not good enough? Skacel has been absolute crap for Saints and is not interested. Thomas is very poor and injury prone - was he not played last season because Saints could not afford his appearance money? So what if Thomas can play RB (badly) - we have a young lad there who is growing into the role quite nicely and another promising one behind him (Hatch).

Looking at the Reserves side last night only Bart (who will probably never play for the first team again) was over 19. Yet the side looks strong....this can only be a good thing as when (not if) we lose players like Lallana then we'll have replacements for them. With the youth team now looking like it's getting back on track the futures bright, the futures orange.

Cheers FtF....I meant to say 21 shots not 21 on target. John Smith - the reason I raised the 'stay aways' comment was because this team deserve far better from us fans. They are starting to gel, give 110% and to see the vast swathes of empty seats is disheartening. On the plus side, every home game this season has seen tremendous support from those fans that do turn up. There has been none (or very little) of the negativity that has been present for a number of years at St Marys (from the crowd).

ummmmm......we did not play 4-4-2 last night. It was the usual formation as far as I could see. The good news is we are starting to look far more solid (but not watertight) at the back.

For the 10 outfiled players that started last nigh the average age was 21.......and we only had 1 player over the age of 22 (Perry) with 8 of the 10 being under 21. Quite incredible that we were able to win..................the performance last night exceeded any of the play from the whole of the last season. We also started with 6 Academy graduates. In the same way we were not the worst side ever after 2 defeats (despite what many on here said), nor are we promotion material yet. But the young lads are learning quickly, are mixing their style of play and there is true competition for places. All has to be good....plus the worry that the nippers would be bullied by CCC bruisers is not coming to pass. Norwich tried to kick our lads all night long (Mills expecially) but we gave as good we got. Certainly gettiong mroe pleasure from watching these lads grow into good players and playing the right way than the mercenaries and has beens we have had for a number of years

Great performance...stay aways are missing a treat!

Would this be the same Merrington whose plan B at Blackburn was to take off 2 strikers and put Neil Maddison up front on his own when we were losing? Or played for the most boring 0-0 draw imaginable at the Dell against West Ham (the only time I have ever left a game at half time)? Still that won't stop you hysterical, pathetic T***s from your witch hunt behind your keyboards. Perhaps some of you ought to get a REAL life....w*****s!

Times are a changing. For people with families, or those on low income football will start taking a back seat. In todays current economic climate and with concerns it will get far worse, people will (and are) cutting back on things that could be described as 'luxuries'. Football in general could be in a for a very rude awakening.........if you noticed for some games at QPR the ticket prices will be £50.....totally and utterly ridiculous. About £18-20 for an adults ticket and £7 for kids would be about right. Having said that, I don't personally believe that lowering ticket prices now will result in a dramatic increase in attendances....for the Blackpool game there were cheap tickets galore yet the crowd was very poor. Overall, attendances are dropping pretty much everywhere - if you look at the stats for the CCC right now, most teams are averaging about 80% of capacity and although we are 2nd lowest (after Sheff Wed) we are still 14th in terms of highest home average attendances in this league and QPR are managing an appalling 77% of capacity with an average home gate of 14,700.

What do you suggest then Alpine? What's the answer? You seem to know everything......

Cannot believe how many f****n muppets there are around on this board! We're playing OK, the lads are still trying and I'm not quite sure what the 'told you sos' expect? We have no money and there is NO OTHER OPTION other than to do what we're doing right now. Do you thickos think last seasons team would have played as well as the 10 lads have? Do you think last seasons team would have carried on battling after going down to 10 men? Pathetic bunch of tossers!

sog...... Unfortunately GB's managerial track record is one of a great start followed by completely losing the plot. Something that happened here too.........in the play-off season he did well (having had more money than anyone else in the division) but then quickly ran out of ideas. Not a great manager but not a completely terrible one either.

Well, I have always been very dubious about Wilde from the moment he came on the scene. However, the answers to the questions put to him were full, frank and open. It would seem that he is a good example (with Crouch) of why a fan is not always the best chairman of a club. The team that wass put in place was terrible and we're now reaping the 'benefits' of that. Also a big dig at Crouch & co (and Fulthorpe) by stating that the club will only enter formal negotiations with interested parties once they prove they ahve the funds in place. What the hell were the last lot and Seymour Pierce up to and how much money was wasted on wild goose chases.

Completely agree Minty....it actually feels like OUR club again (at least to me) because we have so many players that have come through the ranks rather than those looking for one last big pay day. And we're trying to do it the right way by playing attacking attractive football. It was also interesting listening to Radio Hampshire last night when someone phoned in to say Lallana turned up for a charity event on Saturday night even though Saints lost and he was gutted. That speaks volumes for Adam and also the way these youngsters have been brought up by the club and their parents. Compare this tale to the ones in recent years of players out on the lash all the time, making a nuisance of themselevs, etc. Since our younger players have started this season I have not heard any lurid tales of their behaviour (aside from BWP and Dyer months ago).

Some, like the charlatan ST David and others, I woud totally agree with. But there were a fair number of the saner posters who also had pretty good information and have been proven right in several instances (e.g. nickh, weston).

To be fair, he was not good. Does not mean he will not be good though. I remember Lallana making his debut under Burley at home and he had a similar experience in that he was ineffectual and was pulled off at half time. He managed to overcome this poor start and I hope, and believe, that Jamie will too. Perhaps it's easier for some of these younger players to make their debut away from home where there is less expectation and pressure. Jamie WHite has bags of talent and his time will come.

We can't afford to lose Kelvin. He's been immense so far this season.

With nothing having seen the light of day for months, do you now consider any takeover, from what you've heard, dead in the water? With Fulthorpe, we were led to believe before the EGM it would happen, then a few weeks later, then a few weeks later and now a few weeks later. Not a loaded question, just interested in your views.

Unlike you eh Wilko who is gods gift? What a moron! I based my opnion on my opinion....doesn't mean it's right, doesn't mean it's wrong but I said it how I saw it. John has no pace, falls over a lot and misses plenty of chances.

I thought James did pretty well as did Perry. Svensson was shocking! James got no support from White in the first half and the general play just wasn't there. It will be interesting to see hwo the team react to this.........it's the first real setback since pre-season and hopefully JP and co will elarn and we'll come back stronger. In the same way we weren't world beaters after beating Derby we're not rubbish after losing to Blackpool. I think too many people are doing Blackpool a disservice...........they played well and, certainly in the 2nd half, outplayed us with sharp, passing incisive football. In short, what we did to Derby last week.

I just don't get it...............people seem to wet their pants over John yet today he was total pants and McGoldrick was superb. Mcgoldrick held the ball up well, laid it off nicely and looked a real threat going forward and in front of goal. In short, everything JOhn was not. John is yesterdays man and every time I've seen him play in pre-season and regular season he's looked terrible. I hope this new loanee is good!

I felt he was a bit gimpy.....he never really leapt into headers and, when he did jump, seemed to land on one leg.

There was no booing aimed at our players. The booing was aimed at the ref, the linesmen and the terrible time wasting from Blackpool. Plenty of encouragement for the lads again but it just wasn't our day today.

http://www.thisishampshire.net/sport/saints/display.var.2436515.0.lallana_signs_new_saints_contract.php This just shows the great spirit in the camp but also the fact if we had had any decent managers who knew what they were doing they would have used Prost's tactics in the first team a long time ago. After seeing Saints in pre-season it was clear they were playing the 'Prost way' and were extremely comfortable doing it. Thank goodness we have consistency now throughout the club in terms of style of play. IT just shows the very poor standard of coaching in thjis country that the older, senior pros struggle to come to grips with the 'total football' of Prost and JP. Georges Prost - we salute you!

I don't get it....the lad has not played a game for us yet but he's been consigned to the 'hes crap' pile. By the same people who said Gillett was no good because he wasn't being picked by the drunken Scot and went on loan and struggled to get a game. And no doubt said the same about Strachan (I know I did!) and players like Marsden et al. Perhaps JP can get the best out of him - I hope so, and if he does, he'll be a good addition to the squad.

If Davies didn't want to leave why was his agent desperately trying to get him a move away (as per JPs comments)? And Davies' remarks about how he wants to play in the Prem (for one season mush then you'e back)?