Whitey Grandad

The evidence is there for all to see, so believe it.

Does Lowe still have his training kit with 'RL' on it?

I disagree. There was very little wrong with his performance yesterday, apart from not giving the penalty himself, that is. Another ref would probably have sent the keeper off but since it was the assistant's call he probably decided that a yellow was more appropriate.

Maybe he can't get to the ball because the Saints players are blocking him out? Every time that we defended a set-piece yesterday I saw a big clump of our players stading together on the 6-yard line with unmarked Watford players hovering 2 or 3 yards off them. Nobody was man-marking anyone. A well-drilled defence will commonly leave the 6-yard box clear so that the keeper can come to claim the ball.

Spot on! You took the words right out of my mouth.

It's symptomatic of the disorganization in our defence. Whenever we defend a corner we bring everybody back and there are so many saints players that nobody knows who should be doing what.

Didn't he insist on taking one in Jason Dodd's testimonial, and then miss it? (I wasn't there )

You're right. Somehow, no matter how big the tonking, just getting that one goal can make all the difference.

What I couldn't understand was that when they brought Pekhart on with 8 minutes left they were showing him a bit of paper and giving him tactical instructions. ffs with 8 minutes and 3-0 down wtf do you need to explain to him???

What?????? Surely no-one could be that stupid?

What do you mean 'still back Jan Poortvliet'? What really worries me is that I know that if he went we are in such a mess that it is unikely to get any better. Once the confidence has been punctured all that's left is a very poor shadow of a once-great club.

For the second time this season I was bored stiff watching us try to play, and that has never happened to me before, win draw or lose.

That's very perceptive of you, especially now that there are only 4 clubs below us and 19 above...

I find it difficult to see where the next win is coming from! I have just looked at the schedule and I make it: Watford Home Sheffield United Away Swansea Away Coventry Home Preston Away Bristol City Home Wolves Home Reading Away Plymouth Home Charlton Away I can't realistically see more than two wins and a couple of draws in that lot.

Good for whom?

Don't be silly - you know they'd be sold at the first hint of any talent.

Good football? Does that mean letting in more goals than we score? I agree completely! It's no fun watching amateurish defending, I've done enough of that myself so I know it when I see it. Despite that, I still think that it is much too soon to talk about changing the manager (make that 'coach') but I would like to see an acknowledgement that our defensive problems are the top priority.

I thought that he improved as the game went on, once the other players got him to stop hoofing it.

Shouldn't that be spelt 'in-patient'?

I think you may have started something there.

If I keep watching it it really would make me miserable! - and who on earth do you think was offside?

There was absolutely nothing offside about the first goal - it was abject defending, nothing less. Pretty much the same comment applies to the rest of the game and no amount of confidence could ever cover up for that. Look again at their second goal and see how McGoldrick 'marks' their scorer. We were wide open on both flanks and we posed very little threat going forward. There was a short spell where we passed it around prettily in the middle but apart from that we were soundly beaten and to pretend otherwise is to be living in a fantasy world - hence my comment.

Well said that man! This has been my view too. We shall never know what might have happened had Pearson stayed, but we certainly would not have thrown away several vital months of familiarisation with the club and players, both young and old.

If you think that was fantastic, then you are living in a fantasy world.

No, the club is worse off without him. We can't afford to alienate anybody. We need all the support that we can get and it's attitudes like this that drive them away.