Whitey Grandad

Perhaps the crowd was booing the other team for their time-wasting tactics?

He's still settling in. Once he gets a few games under his belt with players around him that he's familiar with then I think we'll see his true quality.

That's a very interesting point. Having too many players dilutes the coaching effort We are still several games away from knowing our best first eleven, and nothing beats a settled team. Once we have a compact squad that have had enough time to build up an understanding then the results will follow.

I firmly believe that we must now stick with Pardew through at least two seasons and that may very well mean a spell in League 2. What I cannot accept is that we are not allowed to critcise or comment on performances or players and that we should follow the team like a herd of sheep. It is quite apparent that the coaching team at Saints have not been preparing the youngsters properly in the basic footballing disciplines of holding your position, staying onside, finding space, working the opposition, striking the ball cleanly, tracking back, getting to the goal-line before crossing, marking at set-pieces and so on. Of course it is going to take time to rebuild the club from the bottom up, but part of the rebuilding involves constructive criticism from those who have had to suffer the last few seasons.

I agree completely. He was carelessy offside on at least three occasions when we had a good attacking position. He is has no pace and no physical presence. It drives me mad to read this 'he is only a kid learning his trade', 'give him time' and so on. It is this approach which has got us into our present situation. We cannot afford to have apprentices out on the field. We need seasoned hard-nosed professionals now or we shall continue our slow predictable sinking down the leagues. If they're not good enough now, then they aren't good enough.

Has anybody yet worked out the signals he gives with his arms?

I didn't want to write an essay, but the point is that there is no pace on the ball when it arrives so there is nothing for any attacker to work with. In the same vein, James crosses from too deep which makes it easy for the defenders and difficult for the attackers, the angles are all wrong.

That was my comment to my neighbour, but I'm in the Kingsland, half-way line, and it was all very gloomy by then, in every sense.

We shall never score from a corner so long as Lallana is taking them. There's no pace on the ball and all it does is float into the keeper's hands.

I've had enough of giving kids a chance. We had Blackstock trotting around in a daze with his mouth hanging open. Then it was Leon Best, then it was McGoldrick. We cannot afford to train youngsters in the first team. Bring them in as substitutes at the end of the season when we're safe. Until then, we need proper professional footballers who know their trade. Today, Thomson and Patterson were worse than useless. We would have been better off without them - and I am serious.

Even Poortvliet was given more games than that.

I think that the conference may be his level. Too slow, too lightweight. Offered us nothing. Even James had a go at him.

Never argue with a clean sheet. At least the defence seems to be getting there. If only we had a strike force..... Patterson: go away and learn how to stay onside. Lallana: go away and find someone else to take the corners. James: go away and learn that you must never cross the ball from 25 yards deep. Thomson: go away and don't come back.

Phew, for a moment there I was worried!

Whoever wins the toss has choice of ends only (and will kick-off the second half). It's a club choice and by convention visiting teams will go along with the home team's wishes. Normally the away team kicks towards its fans in the second half.

Even without the -10, we would still be bottom of the table. It's not realy acceptable, is it, but there's a long way to go yet.

That would improve with more experience of playing together.

We are a Premiership club. We just happen to be playing in a lower division.

I agree. He did what was asked of him, when it was asked. He's gone: now move along please.

Thanks. It's nice to know that somebody is in the know.

Just imagine if he'd played from the start instead of Leon (not the) Best

Ta but we are not Premier League (yet) Sometimes the other leagues are different.

Sorry to be so thick, is that midnight end of Tuesday or midnight end of Wednesday, in other words do we have the whole of Wednesday as well as Tuesday or is it banged shut at 00:01 on Wednesday?

We need it all sorted soonest so AP can get on with securing the players he wants. When does the window close? 17:00 Tuesday 1st September?

'Every little helps'