the saint in winchester

I've seen him play! Really, I have. He played RB for the reserves vs Salisbury (7-1). Didn't impress at all. All the play went down the left side - Pernecky throwout to Molyneaux who passed down the line to Holmes. Cross over to Jamie White and ... another goal. Maybe one day we'll know the story behind the deal but at present its more of an Ali Dia deal.

Ne dada, Juan. We're both saints fans and we like a bit of banter. Yeah, maybe my question was a statement of the bleedin' obvious. I hadn't realized it was only a week's loan. OK, back to the game. Surely a goal soon?

Thanks Beatle. I've read John B's postings before - he has a way about him. Indeed, I had a feeling it was only a week, time has flown by. A week's a long time in footie - beaten by Brizzle then we hammered the Gills. Welcome back, Bart, sorry you still can't get a game. :-)

Bialkowski? Is he back from loan already?

Really? 3rd favorite??? You're 'avin a giraffe. Leeds. Charlton, Norwich, Bristol R .... surely if we get paired with them, we are underdogs?

well, obviously. You could add a 0 to that for the FA Cup. I'm not saying 'don't take this seriously'. What I think is we should be able to put out a team of fringe players that could beat Torquay so as not to risk injuring our first choices for Friday's game and beyond. Later in the competition - if we're still in - then bring the big guns back. A bit like Wenger does with Arsenal, I guess.

That's my thought too. We keep talking like we're one of the favourites to win this silverware. Hardly. Leeds and Charlton should be favourites and we about 10th in the list of possible winners.

Are you just plucking names out of a hat? Ever go to Staplewood and see any reserve games? Molly plays really well with Holmes down the left side. Jack Saville is solid, Boyle looks ok. Neither of the keepers dominate but they are probably adequate reserves, as is Gillett and Lancashire. My only confusion is that I don't see why AP is bringing in other clubs' youngsters when we have our own. Calum McNish, for one, looks like he could break through, given the chance. But we seem to be back to "too many mouths to feed" as in previous seasons.

Pourquoi? Holmes can still pay on the left flank; this guy plays on the right.

Haha, good one. Who needs studs when you can wear killer stilettos! :-)

A Villa reserve player? Hmm, I think we blotted our copy book with Villa when we took O'Halloran on loan last term then didn't play him. I seem to recall O'Neill was pretty cheesed off. Maybe he will reason it's a new regime, however - new directors, manager etc. I'm still not excited. Don't see why we should use Villa's reserves rather than our own. If we need another striker on standby, Jamie White has been playing well for us. But I'm not sure we do - Lambo, Papa and Lallana look the part now.

I must admit I would have given fringe players a run out but AP is clear in his interview (on Player) that he will field "a very strong side Tue night", so I'll predict : Davis James, Trotman, Perry, Harding (someone who kicks right footed), Wotton, Hammond, Holmes Lallana Lambert

I didn't want to appear TOO ambitious, but yes ... 6, win playoffs in May 7. selected as wildcard entry for automatic promotion direct to the Premier League (Aug!) woohoo! And Cortese had a 5 year plan - wuss! In my world we made it inside 9 months!! LOL

Yeah, agree. That's what I planned to post. :-) 1. Get to 23rd place (ie off the bottom) (Oct) 2. Get to 21st place (out of relegation places) (Nov) 3. Get to midtable (by xmas) (Dec) 4. Attract some good loanees in Jan sales! (Jan) 5. Push on to playoff places by the end of the season. (Jan to May)

I'm mystified by this story. Why would Spurs sack him when they are 5th in the table, the highest they have been in years? Seems to be something to do with HMRC OR he wants to go back to Pompey? (based on comments to date)

Yes, I have made a couple of posts earlier in this thread, and at time of writing I hadn't realized he was speeding to this degree. I must admit that fiddling with an ipod AND driving at 124mph is pretty reprehensible, and does change my earlier comments. It's an accident if driving at 30mph and taking your eye off the road momentarily. To be driving at that speed in itself moves it away from accident to consequence. Then add in fiddling with your ipod, it becomes an inexcusable consequence. Sorry Jordan, you must now recognize the consequences of your actions - speeding plus driving without due care and attention (or dangerous driving). (shakes head in disbelief)

Another very good post, LeGod. That would have been a good solution all round.

Exactly so, SoccerMom. I was left thinking that I, myself, change the cd, I sup coffee, I get a mint from the shelf ... I don't concentrate 100% .. but this has made me more vigilant and i will learn from this. You are right to remind the group that although he did a stupid thing, he held his hands up immediately, he rushed back to the scene, and he was remorseful. Maybe deliberately you didn't complete your sentence above - "unlike some". We know to whom you refer and yet the day he was arrested on the M3, having tried to outspeed the police when driving under the influence, many came on here saying "you can't criticize (name), he's a Saints legend". Sorry, I don't buy that. I have more time for JR's actions on the day of his misdemeanour that I do for (name)'s actions, allegedly not the first time. OK, maybe he'll be out in 18 months, but this will haunt him forever. Yes, maybe rightly so, but I think he needs an arm around the shoulder now, not spitting bile. Alright?

I think Ewell (above) is right. Bit surprised with some of the harsh comments on here, inferring he is a murderer. There was no intent to kill. He did a stupid thing and will pay for it forever, not just over the next 32 months. How often do any of us change the CD in the car stereo? I commute to work alone so I can't ask anyone to do that for me. However, this tragic accident has made me think and I won't do that again. I feel desperately sorry for the family of the dead man, and although I can't approve of JR's actions, I do feel a bit sorry that he will never forgive himself. So before any of you answer me back, think about yourself - do you never take one hand off the wheel to adjust the radio/cd or your eyes off the road while supping coffee?

Again, S F C, you are right. At The Dell we usually played into the Milton End in the 2nd half.

I think you're right, S F C. I can't do with any more nail-biting and nervous tension. We have to turn SMS back into a fortress by making lots of noise, getting behind the team until the 96th minute. Admittedly, I sit in the Chapel and that sort of thing doesn't go down well, but let's do that in all areas of the ground. Are you with me?

Testing [ B ] 1 2 3 [/ B ]

No mate, there's nobody here with me in my boudoir that I can ask how to bold phrases, and as you have given me no indication on HOW to do it - just bolded it yourself - I am no nearer knowing. It's not right-click, is it? Care to share your knowledge? If someone asked you HOW to bake a cake, would you simply give them a cake? Cos that's what you have done here. ;-)

These paragraphs stood out for me .. "The people here have big plans for this club and I am going to be asked to deliver fairly quickly," said Pardew. "Being debt-free is a nice feeling but my over-riding emotion at the moment is that the team needs to improve." Pardew has noticed a lack of what he calls "nuts and bolts of football". He is talking about good technical players lacking the work ethic and discipline to succeed. "Just recently I did a talk to the players, I told them they must play like every game is their last. Potentially it is - one injury, one really bad performance and they may not play for the club again," he said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ If I knew how to bold phrases, I would bold "lacking the work ethic and discipline to succeed." That for me is the problem - we knock it around but there's no urgency about our play, no desperation to win (like I see with Man U and Chelsea). The players need to get it into their heads that Pardew is right, that is he going to be here for a long time (not here today, gone tomorrow as we have seen in recent years) and have that hunger to succeed, to win games, and feel proud.

I wouldn't sack him at all. I still believe he is a good manager - probably better grade than we could get on the open market. I think there is more likelihood that he will choose to leave us, if we spit bile at him the way some posters are doing already. I don't know what the answer is, I really don't, but i don't think showing Pardew the door is the answer at all.