angelman

I do usually like to talk from experience, but alas this time I have to be a little narrow minded and say that there is no appeal.

You're not exactly going to publicly say that you need to sell a player or two are you??? You do that, and you deal from a position of weakness.

Rather you than me, but I have a rule that I don't eat cock (or balls)

We've got Danny Fox to come back off loan

Dune, do pipe down. I am sure that the mods would move if they deemed it necessary. Your banging on about it, isn't going to help. As it is, the goings on at Man Utd have both an influence on out playing staff and management (via the management merry go round that is likely to happen).

Immediate one, as you say, might be van Gaal going to Man Utd instead of Spurs, so Levy coming in for MP. Would you want to work for Levy though?

I guess we should be grateful that we aren't like Spain where clubs negotiate their own TV deals. There, we all know how unbalanced the league is, with Barca/Real so far ahead of everyone else, with the occasional interloper. I can see that happening one day here, and that then will be that. But as it is, TV revenue is fair so long as your team is televised. We are hardly ever on, when the top 6 are on every week. That of course is more natural, but it is taken to extremis. I am not sure Stoke v West Ham is that enticing, but even so, Sky/BT coverage holds little interest for me. Maybe I old fashioned, but I have little interest in watching other clubs playing if it doesn't involve Saints. I don't want Liverpool to win, because I would prefer the established order to be maintained just to highlight the imbalance of it all. When we were 3rd, a lot of people were saying it would be good to see another club like us be in the mix. Everyone knows it is a busted competition, but few voice it as they are blinded by the money. I believe Mick Channon never earned more than £750 a week. Compare that to today. But all is not lost. FFP may mean no big money signings, but there are plenty of good players available. Lovren is an example, and I imagine his value might have doubled. There are others on Bosmans and at the end of contracts. Clubs in CL can only have a certain size squad. As it is, I don't want Saints to go out and sign £30m players. I never wanted Osvaldo, but would have preferred another JRod. It might not mean success but at least it would be more honest (although this may well not make much sense).

£150 is a bit cheap. These guys are £204 plus some bogus charge for collecting. http://www.sportsevents365.com/event/?q=eq,174839&a_aid=52a2ed6f08473

I think it all rather depends on what happens with Manchester City later this week, when UEFA report on their spending. If they get slammed (esp when ridiculous sponsorship deals are excluded), then the whole situation changes, and even the likes of Man Utd might be pushed to balance the books if spending £200m. But let's not be naive about things. There has been thoughts about a breakaway European super league for decades, with the top 14 clubs playing each other. There was never any mention of relegation/promotion so those "elite" clubs would be by themselves for ever and a day in a closed shop. This cabal hasn't gone away although obviously this has never come to fruition, although the financial rewards of the CL go some way to keep the "elite" elite. These clubs seemingly only see the PL as a way to the CL, and therefore CL in their eyes is so much more important. I find it interesting to see in the media that so many commentators think it so important that England has a strong league and clubs that can compete in the CL. That to me is all wrong. While I might be in a minority, to me it is important to have an open and competitive PL with the CL being of secondary importance. We don't have that, and I suspect never will. The PL likes to sell itself around the world, and desires that the top 6 are filled with the same teams year in year out (obviously this year being a little different). I am not sure that they could really sell a PL title decider in Thailand if it was involving us and say Swansea. There is a risk of us older supporters (and I'm only early 40s) becoming so disenchanted with football and the uneven playing field favouring the big clubs, that we will just walk away from it all. I know quite a few who used to be season ticket holders and/or regular visitors, who have lost the passion, or had it ruined for them. But back to Samuel's article. While he might have picked us out, he could well have picked every other team in the PL apart from the obvious usual top 6. It could have been Everton or Newcastle. He mentions that Wet Spam could have been something big but won't now. Basically the PL is pretty boring and the most interesting thing, and what I take more notice of, is who is going to be relegated. The top is the top - predictable, staid which leads it to being boring. Maybe for the newcomers who cannot remember the days pre-PL it is fun and exciting, but me, it is actually a pretty boring competition. The press know it as well, hence why they seem to be saying that all neutrals want Liverpool to win it (which isn't true as I don't want them to win it, but I guess it will be different).

I rather agree with this. I would far rather a true supporter who goes to a few games gets the tickets than a friend of mine who has no interest and I would definitely go with the "even if I could, I wouldn't" bit.

Punch looks a bit of a bargain - scored again this evening.

Doesn't it all rather depend on what happens with Osvaldo? Juve are more than likely to send him back to us, and then what? As things stand, we have as strikers JRod - injured Lambert - no spring chicken Gallagher - I'm sure that he will come good, but not setting the world on fire Osvaldo - can't see him playing for us again Sharp - can't see him playing for us again, and no idea when he becomes a free agent. And I'm sure that there are some other youngsters So it's a pretty dire situation, and Osvaldo has really let us down.

One thing about Roy (apparently) is that he likes to get involved with all aspects of the England side, from St. George's to the development squads and upwards. He is more of a complete manager, rather than the flash foreigners of recent times who were only interested in the 1st team.

I see that in the Express he is now the "new Kaka" - surely something got lost in translation and they actually meant caca. http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/469465/AC-Milan-prepare-12-5m-bid-to-make-Southampton-s-Gaston-Ramirez-new-Kaka Whether he is into us or not, he just hasn't delivered so not point trying to flog this particular horse (to get playing well, which I am 100% sure he will elsewhere). I dread it when he comes on, as he is so lightweight and unsuited for the PL. Someone earlier mentioned being made of glass and agree with that. Davis or Ramirez? Easy for me - the less skilful of the two.

For such a smartass answer like that, I won't bother even clicking on your link.

Would love to see AFCB promoted, esp as I was born 1/2 mile from the ground. BUT the thread title is wrong as B'mouth is not in the New Forest (not that Soton is either).

Ah the benefits of Fawley. But give Portsmouth their due, it's pretty quick and easy to get out of the place. I recently took the ferry and I was away within a minute with direct access onto the motorway. Fortunately the port is also on the proper side of the city, so the prevailing wind, carries any smell away towards Brighton (which may explain why they dislike the Skates). As for football, do they still field a team?

Agree fully with this. Davis has been a real boost to the squad, and while he is not as "flashy" a player as some others, he is a real dynamo and to me, hugely under rated.

http://www.skybet.com/football/manager-specials?aff_id=9713&dcmp=ss_betlink_nextspurstab Seems MP is 2nd favourite to be next permanent manager at Spurs & Arsenal (although the odds are somewhat different at each) but only 7th favourite at Man U.

8 games left for them Rochdale (A) Newport (A) Hartlepool (H) Dag & Red (A) Bristol R (H) Northampton (A) Bury (A) Plymouth (H) Rochdale being top of the league, can't see them getting a point there. Newport are 7 points off the playoffs with a game in hand, Hartlepool are 6 off, and D&R are 5 off, so I guess that they will all be trying bloody hard to get into the play off spots. Bristol Rovers & Bury are a point above Northampton 3 points below. Plymouth are outside the playoffs on GD alone.

I can remember it coming through on the news. Shocking that it happened and shocking the way it has been handled. How time flies. Talking about time flying it's 30 years next year since the Bradford fire, which I can also remember unfolding.

You may as well add Gaston to the Outs as half of Italy have been linked with him.

As a banker and someone who was seemingly obsessed with details, I cannot for one moment think the books were in a mess. And as for libel, I think it would only be libellous if it was written or intimated that the books were in a mess on purpose, ie that there was something nefarious going on.

It would have been interesting to have seen what might have happened if we had signed a striker who wanted to play for us rather than Osvaldo, who might be considered to have slightly ****ed our season.

I'm rather hoping that these young players realise that the grass is not always greener on the other side. They are young, they are good, but the clubs that are interested in them have the resources to buy better and more experienced players. They may be in the CL but how many of the young will actually get into the team? The Ox has, but that was about it to start off with. Bale obviously did but at one stage it was touch and go. I sometimes feel that these bigger clubs buy players who show potential in order that their rivals don't get their hands on them.