Red

F O with the "I know something you don't, but won't say" - say it if you're going to (rumour, opinion or just thoughts), or go back to play school and play your make believe games there. Less than 1% of the ITK are correct. Fact - we will appoint a new manager at some point, who will not please everyone - £50 to the first person that can PROVE this is does not coem to pass!

Oh do grow up!! NC could earn a lot more, with a lot less grief, in the financial world. Look back to all the info around the take over and it is clear ML would only buy us if NC run it for him - it's all the power he ever needed - indeed ML mentioned several times, NC ran the show and ML just enjoyed the ride (recall the watch story?). Seems NC even "over ruled" ML to save AP last season. Please read (or re-read) the only bit of fact we have on the AP sacking - the official statement on the club website - NC is very clear in that he has not done this lightly and fully understands changing managers does not help achieve success, but clearly something happened (my guess is a row over transfers, which also high-lighted massive differences in the overall longer term strategy between the two) and NC decided to make the change. IMO this was not pre-planned, hence no immediate replacement, but also not gross misconduct - just a final straw incident of a simmering wart. So however painful in the short term I believe NC made the right call, but it does not matter what I or anyone else thinks - NC (backed fully by ML's estate) own/run the club and can do whatever he likes. I think this will prove to be the right move in time, but even if not, I remain grateful to NC (he lead ML to us - without him ML would have moved) for saving our club! What short memories we have - were you really this despondent when we only had a day or two to exist as a club before NC saved us? If it takes us one more season to get out of this awful league then so be it, despite hating the prospect it is much better than not having one ! Get the F off NC's back - wait till you know the facts around the AP sacking, and how the future plays out - then judge him - and even if things don't work out, would you rather he did not bail us out????? Gratitude is so easily forgotten.

this. Actually Fonte in the end dithered and did neither. He was at fault for the goal, and KD should have easily saved it! Very edgey - need a strong manager in quickly!

+1 AP has gone for whatever reason. In reality it does not matter - main issue appears to be that AP and NC could not work together ( slow burner or major incidence what's the difference in the long run?), so best to resolve it and as NC is the boss (and our saviour along with the ex ML), bye bye AP. Now the key thing is to get someone (better or worse than AP in CV terms) to get the team motivated, employ at least some basic tactics, and achieve promotion. I for one believe NC will achieve this for his ex dear friend ML. Trust me, in Europe the financial markets are recovering and NC could earn a shed lot more for less hours, abuse, and criticism than he would at SFC, so I for one am desperate for him to stay and for us for to show some support (if he leaves we are again really in the mire). BTW for anyone that thinks NC is a real c u n t – please re-read the official statement very very slowly and carefully, and ignoring any conspiracy and Machiavellian theories, he is clearly pained at having to make the decision he did but he felt (as our effective owner) there was no other choice !

Punchy on left, new lightening quick winger on right (Dickson, Oxo, Holmes - when fit - as back up) - simples :-) Could Barney, DC also cover at RM?

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11700_6345974,00.html

Great result !!!!! League wise we are certainly improving - lose, draw and then win in successive games - what next? Win by ever increasing goal margin :-) ..... and more players to come seemingly - life is good at the moment, so let's enjoy !

but's that's what they have been told to do !!!! (see my earlier post)

I think the answer lies here: http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2128146,00.html Kelvin talking about RL and his return for today's game, particularly, ".... we will keep looking to supply him ....", which I take to imply we will hoof it to Lambert (ok maybe not just hoof it), but just look for RL all the time! KD is the club captain and a senior pro so his lead will come from AP, but surely he, AP and the rest of the management team must realise we are not a one man team???? What happens if RL is injured, has an off day, does not score? .... well I think the evidence is there for all to see. Yes RL is probably our best player and when on song will win a lot of games for us, but we have a hugely talented team and should have the opposition in knots about who to mark etc. - instead they put two men on Ricky, and job done ! This is solely a tactics issue, and therefore largely AP's issue - surely he must see that? I don't want him out, but he needs to show he has the tactical knowhow to win with the best team in the league by far - if not how will we ever cope in the higher leagues, assuming he can get us there. And finally, no two games is not too soon (if you ignore the pre season and end to last season that is), it's like saying we can always win the game late on - which we rarely do!

How do you know what ML wanted? And why do you feel the need to be informed about the club's every activity? BTW the reassurance you assume, is just standard corporate spin (trust me I know - not SFC INTK, but other experience).

As I posted on another thread, we played well BUT assumed RL was on the pitch. We are tactically just inflexible - if things go well, we are awesome, if they don't we can't seem to change it and try something different. Not having a dig at AP, but surely we should be able to change things? As an example, we had some many corners in the first half that were totally wasted - hoofed to the far post / side, and no one there to pick up the loose ball (us or opposition) - why not have someone trying to anticipate? Much better than KD coming for up for the last ditch corner. I spotted this within the first 5 mins, so what the feck are our management doing? Granted after half time it was much better, but then we went asleep at the back?? We have a great squad (even without RL and AL), I feel we just lack confidence and imagination, and most importantly adaptability - for example, the ref was ok, but like most in L1 let a lot of things go - Plymouth realised this and got stuck in, we just moaned. Adapt to the situation and exploit it - or we will be in this league for some time yet!

well I can't prove it so am not going to BS (unlike some):-) It's only food for thought, and a positive outlook on the AP/NC debacle!

I have a theory on this – read somewhere when AP was first appointed that he was not the first choice, but as we could not get the first choice AP was the second. Now imagine that the first choice decided he was again in the market (around 2 to 3 months before the end of last season, when he started thinking about returning to the game), and we were doing ok but not great, so NC sounds out the original first choice and gets some encouragement? So some serious thinking about ditching AP, but not totally sure, and also Mr. first choice is not a ****, so only agrees if AP is not shafted (wants to leave, gets DOF etc. etc.). NC / AP cannot find a solution, so Mr. first choice goes to Bristol City – QED AP keeps his job and is the 2nd best candidate, so problem solved, until end of this season if he fails to get us promotion. Very difficult to keep all this quite, and in my view that is where the AP sacking leaks came from. Fits the scenario, but only NC knows if it’s true!

I think we will still be ok, and an opening day defeat is nothing new for us - no need to panic just yet. What concerns me most is that we once again failed tactically - ok so RL was injured, but we still had a very good team out there, and by the 1st half domination it showed. The real problem was that we played as though RL was still playing; the amount of crosses particularly from the left was awesome, but aimed at RL who wasn’t there?? Why did we not adapt the play to suit two other equally great forwards – and they are equally as great, but just play differently. The obsession for finding a RL back up seems to indicate we can only play one tactical way, and if so we will never be a great side – a great side can adapt to its strengths not the other way round. Also, why on earth did we not have a player on the far post for corners etc? For most of the first half we over cooked the corner / pass and there was no one to cover – I spotted it within 5 mins – what the feck was our coaching staff doing?? If we fail this year, it will be due to poor tactics and management (not having a dig or calling for a cull), not due to lack of signing more players. Let’s face it 90% of the teams we play will adopt exactly the same game plan – can we out wit them?????

Interesting spin - I adore SFC, love ML, like NC and AP, but as others have commented why the BS. In this age of technology, internet, player power etc. etc. - do they really think we can be "1984'ed" (George Orwell)? http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2108597,00.html http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/8307093.Dickson_fee_set_by_tribunal/

"NC was going to sack AP" - this is the bit I struggle with - if NC is as ruthless etc. as most are suggesting then why did he not just not sack AP at the end of last season?? ML has said many times that he does not have any part in running the club, that is solely down to NC, so it is completely contradictory - either NC is a ruthless c**t and does not like AP so sacks him, or he does like him, or he is not a RC - can't all be true?? Personally I think it is a "suitable" arrangement - not a great happy arrangement (AP do what you like, you are untouchable as we love you), but get the results and you are fine. Let's face it which club has a romantic relationship like the past - can't think of any, particularly in the PL (maybe Arsenal is the closest?).

Absolutely true - which is why GS left as he was not allowed by Lowe to take us to the next level ! Just imagine where we might have been if even half the transfers GS had agreed (not rumoured) had gone through - we would have been much wealthier (due to massive profit on selling these players - sadly would have moved to the mega clubs), and better as we could then afford decent replacements. Still RL paid the ultimate price for error in judgement - just goes to show how narrow the margin between success and failure in life (not just football) - will the present lot get it right - possibly, hope so, but certainly not guranteed. I would be much happier if ML was personally more involved - fact that he is not means it is not that importnat to him - if it suceeds (what ever his criteria for successs), all well and good, if not what the f*#k it was only £12M and the publicity was more than worth it (assuming he can sell the club to cover the rest of his expenditure, which I am sure is easliy possible).

Agreed. Why don't we take up the 500K permanent claus on Papa's loan agreement - unless he has decided not to join us? He has pace to burn, scored about 70% of the time he started despite not being the main striker, can play upfront or wide (either wing) or maybe even in the hole and he is unpredictable (needed when things are not going our way, and we run out of ideas breaking down the opposition defence). He knows the setup (no bedding in, gelling, ego's etc.), and I am sure he will only get better over time and good coaching. Really cannot understand this one :-)

Maybe so, but looking at the goal compilation clip (thanks MLG) there are very few (3 at most I believe) goals that seem to have resulted due to his pace (lactching on to a long ball, one on one etc.). 6 pens (we are already well covered in that department). Don't get me woring - most of his other goals are good/great and he does appear to be a natural goal scorer, but they are not due to his pace, or being in position due to his pace as there are other team mates near or ahead of him and defenders, and after all as a forward he should be there or there abouts anyway, it's not like he has to make a bursting run from defence to be there. All 3 of our current strikers could have got those type of gaols (except RL when he takes the free kicks - still don't get that - we need him on the end of them, not takleing them :-)) So if the general view is we need him for his pace - my question is why? Just for the sake of it?? Does not seem it's going to add more goals. Ofcourse his pace may well have set up others to score, but then you need at least two players with pace able to get into the opposition half?? And with better players at Saints he may well make greater use of his pace. It's just that I am not totally convinced he is the answer to our pace problems - and indeed you don't need pace to be a master goal scorer (RL now, Ted McDougal past, by way of examples).

Let's not confuse England with Saints - totally diffferent, as indeed are most of the teams the England players play for! I do tend to agree that there are too many ego's etc. with PL players, but a hell of a lot of non English PL players are doing really well in the WC (as well as some who are not of course - Tores for example). England played as we did in our last relegation season - gutless, without direction, no motivation, and above all a belief that we are owned something (too good to go down - in our case - mis guided belief that Engalnd are world beaters for the national team). Maybe the players don't care enough - remember money grabbing A(rse) Cole sold his sole to Chelsea for 10K more a week when he was on 120K a week already - do these players really want to bust a gut for a lot less??? We were ok in qualifying (not great but much much better than we are now), warm up matches were an early signal that something was not right, and the group games should have sounded a big RED BELL, but no we plough on as though we are gods of the game. I am sorry but any England squad that includes Heskey, never mind plays him and worse still brings him on at a do or die moment, is not going to win the "kiss the ugliest bird at the dicso" contest, never mind the WC :-) Let's face it we are not good enough - let's get a good English manager (please god not Redcrap) - Roy H is a good shot in my books, and shake things up. Why the feck was Rooney playing when he was clearly not fit or even worse disinterested?????? Wonder if the Rooney Nike ad ever gets another airing :-) England, follow the Saints example and start with bright, smart, new owers and players proud to play for you - if you try your very best, we will forgive your losses (at least I will). Rant over !

Good job - well done :-) Nuff said !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry to post on here - however can not start a new thread :-) Clearly glad ****smouth lost today (although it did seem like SadCrap's deal with the Devil from his time at Sadmouth might still have been in place for most of the game !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Anyway, my main point was - how sh*t was the ITV coverage?? Complete and utther ****** - Sky are a million times better. Poor coverage (not enough camera's, angles etc.) - inferior technology (just how long if at all did it take to confirm the "non goal") - really crap commentry ("Uttaka by name, and he is a forward" - what the **** does that mean??) Why on earth have ITV got any rights to any major sports events after they have screwed up time and again escapes me (remember the missed extera time goal?).

Don't agree with AP being sacked - he hasn't been outstanding (I know that won't be popular but it's my view), but has done enough to deserve a bit longer. However, why on earth would you replace him with Hughes??? What has he really achived - even with buckets of dosh at MC??? Naw MH bit makes this sound like a non story!

No !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!