The Kraken

You can try and argue it all you like TDD, but its fruitless. You're arguing with an opinion, not a fact, which is entirely pointless on your behalf. This is my opinion; it had been for some time before we got relegated to League 1. Disagree with it; that's the idea. But don't for aminute try and say its wrong or flawed logic; that's your opinion, not mine.

Not simple as that at all; in fact well wide of the mark.

Not necessarily. As I said in my original post, I enjoyed the Championship in the season we just stayed up. The season following that; well, less so because of the obvious financial issues and general boycotting of Lowe. Success isn't the only reason people prefer Champo football you know.

Dave, you really need to get to grips with this quoting lark.

The search, unfortunately, is still underway. Posters have now gone up around St. Mary's.

That's again true. Once again, the whole lopsided recruitment strategy must be apportioned somewhere; it wasn't just random that we signed the sum total players we did, and for the amounts that they cost. Someone was responsible for putting that strategy together; of budgetting for it, and identifying the targets required to fit the gaps identified. £22M for two reserve strikers and an attacking midfielder a step up from the one we had been grooming in a new central role throughout pre-season; while around £6M-£7M went out on a defensive midfielder, a centre back, a right back and two new goalkeepers. It clear where our priorities lay; they were in attack with two huge money acquisitions. Boruc and Yoshida in particular were last minute rolls of the dice intended to plug an obvious deficiency that hadn't been addressed. As I've said; I believe NA has a role in (sometimes) identifying which positions in the team require improvement. I would also tend to believe that's where his involvement in transfer strategy starts and finishes.

Without knowing the exact roles its obviously very tough to say who lies at fault ultimately. So we kind of have to go on what those in the roles have said before. Your last paragraph suggests one way it may be; another may be to suggest that NA doesn't get that much input. We don't ultimately know. We can surmise pretty easily that NA knew very little about the Ramirez transfer; when interviewed on it when in its early stages he was very clear that he knew little about it but suggested it sounded like a decent transfer. So, if that's our modus operandi for our biggest transfer ever, its perhaps fair to assume that it might be the case for other transfers too. Les Reed has said that he is responsible for player recruitment. He's said that the manager only has 3 coaches reporting to him, and he doesn't have to worry about anything else other than coaching the players. This was in an interview with Reed so its pretty clear that, aside from sitting on the transfer committee and identifiying areas that need improvement, the involvement of NA from there is limited. If what Les Reed said is true of his role, then at least the bulk of responsibility must be his when set targets are not hit. Or even when the whole summer of transfer activity is as totally lopsided (as I believe this one was) as to leave gaping holes in squad strength, most notably at least one centre back down and totally lacking in any realistic backup of the left back.

Well, in that situation you could really, couldn't you. Les Reed's job is head of recruitment. He's not head of trying to recruit players; he's responsible for getting them through the door. Its a bit like saying you should only judge Nigel Adkins on trying to win games, and if we don't actually win them then he is blameless and you can't suggest NA wasn't doing his job. Reed was doing his job; and he failed in what he was trying to achieve (or at least failed to bring in the positional targets that the manager identified). That's the art of recruitment; you identify your targets and achieve success by bringing those targets in with suitable candidates. If we weren't able to bring in 20 different defenders then that would indicate there was a problem with the realism of the identification of candidates; again, Reed's responsibility.

Barely anyone is blaming Yoshuda, Dave. Simply pointing out that he's not a full back; at all. And given that at left back we had a number of other options other than a right footed centre back, it was folly to put him in the situation where he was clearly going to get found out. His inability to defend the left full back position had a significant input into at least 2 goals that we conceded; against a relatively average West Ham side who we could and perhaps should have taken something from.

From today's Echo....

He he, just had a lunchtime read of the Echo and saw that! Like it.

One place above relegation, I'm sure.

With that attitude, no-one would support non-league sides. Ever. That would be a thoroughly depressing scenario.

Dan Seaborne will be delighted at the news.

That may be your opinion; in which case its best to express it as such as others have done. Rather than assuming on behalf of all other Saints fans. The Sky myth. Outside of the top 7 or 8 clubs I find the Premier League to be fairly average. Sunderland v West Brom; Stoke v Wigan; Reading v Norwich; Fulham v QPR. Not all that inspiring to me. I don't go to watch Saints to take pleasure from the visiting players. I go to watch a competitive game of football, and hopefully a Saints win. Seeing Robin van Persie lord it around the pitch makes little difference to my enjoyment of the game. It's no surprise; at least I'm sure for a lot of people it isn't. I predicted at the start of the summer that I wasn't particularly looking forward to the Premier League and would miss our lower league journey. That our results have been poor has been not been a shock at all, and mine (and seemingly a few others) find more from football than chasing the Premier League dream. To each their own; but for me, this it not it.

I preferred life in the Championship; last season, and even when we were a bit sh*t in the seasons prior to relegation. League 1 was a step too far, although good at the time to see some good old clubs and proper away days. I've been put off by the Premier League, its not why I go and support my team, its built for the casual armchair fan. Lack of 3pm kick offs, no real competition (the league is sewn up by 2 or 3 teams every year), and the aim of the game is survival where finishing tenth is a huge achievement. No thanks. Unfortunately my ideal situation isn't possible; playing in the Championship, winning (or reaching the playoffs), then turning down the opportunity of promotion. Call it what you want; lacking ambition or whatever; the bulk of supporting Saints happens for me with meeting for lunch in the pub and watching a Saturday 3pm ko. Everything else in between is just filler. I'd prefer to be in a league where we can compete; where finishing 12th isn't seen as an amazing achievement. Where being in 9th, 10th place you're still fighting for a tangible reward. Best league in England as far as I'm concerned, because on any given day any one team can turn over any one other team.

*reads tweet; sees it is positive* Brilliant journalist, great tweet, Simon Peach really knows his stuff.

That's now. Football fans are, by their very nature, extremely fickle. The same poll conducted on here after the Fulham game showed around 95% support for NA. A win against Tottenham and that figure will likely be back up to 95%. A defeat, and a heavy one at that; well we'll probably be looking at a figure around 50% - 60% and falling. I've been in the "keep Adkins at all costs" brigade. But that's conditional; especially upon him showing signs of being able to snap the team out of its current malaise. Playing our only competent centre back completely out of position at left back, dropping our best striker, and various other selection and tactical nightmares are doing him no favours when trying to deal with the abject lopsided transfer summer he was provided. All that said, I'd be mystified as to why Rednapp would come in under the same circumstances; and would suggest he wouldn't, that there would have to be changes behind the scenes to accommodate him if it actually happened (I truly can't see it).

Fair enough. I was responding to you what seemed you agreeing to the previous poster who said "It doesn't matter what any of us think, it come downs to one man's decision" and your response of "It's amazing how few people seem to understand that". Hey ho. We're on the same page.

You really think that any fans think they have an impact on whether the manager stays or goes?! Anyone would have to be mental to think this Chairman will do anything other than what he wants, no matter what the opinion of the fans. Alan Pardew being the only example you need. I think you're failing to distinguish between what people want to happen, and what will actually happen.

Leaving aside his previous stint then yes, he probably is. I just think his stay here under the current restrictions would be as pointless as his previous stint. He's not a coach, he gets in new players to replace non-performing ones. And then he'd want an input on who we bring in. I've heard more than a couple of people suggest that NA put forward a list of players we should bring in this summer and he got none of them.

And in reality it should be (before the minus ten kicks in anyway). Most of Pompey's team is made up of players that the majority of the division cannot afford; some of their players (Howard, Buszacky etc) only 2 or 3 other clubs could afford. They have one of the best squads in the division, even if it is limited in number to 20 senior pros. Add to that, League 1 is as weak now as it has been in 4 or 5 years, perhaps more. Clubs that have been promoted from it in that time include us, Norwich, Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield, Charlton, Millwall and Brighton. All solid Championship teams. The top 2 in L1 before today's games were Tranmere and Stevenage; the only other decent sized team in there is Sheffield United, plus a Coventry side on the brink of banruptcy. Pompey should be challenging towards the top, given what they're able to spend in comparison to their rivals and how weak those rivals are this season. Their form also highlights just how bad a start we made under Pardew.

Said from the comfort of his own armchair

He's not a wheeler dealer though. Fack off. Not sure what's worse about that video; 'Arry's petulance or the commentaors "oooooh nooooo!"

He's got unfinished business; last time the club was down to the bare bones with injuries and, with the players at the club when he arrived, they were going down anyway, no doubt. F'sure.