Cabrone

If the sightings of O'Neill at St Marys watching Saints v Orient are correct then I'd imagine it wasn't a random occurence.

The only name mentioned that would genuinely excite me from all those suggested is O'Neill. Keegan would be fun too but I'd struggle to justify why he's any better than AP. Just shows what a difficult position NC has now put himself into. If he doesn't have a top name lined up the vast majority of the fan base are going to be disappointed as AP was already good enough. NC - you have put yourself into a corner, I just hope you can pull the rabbit out of this particular hat.

Crazy decision, I felt confident that AP was going to deliver top 2 so why sack him when pre-season has finished and this season's hostilities are just starting. When will we ever learn - stability is key. I just hope NC has someone better lined up, I'd like to see an out and out winner installed (like Lambert at Norwich was) , not just some razzmatazz name. BTW I wouldn't dismiss O'Neill out of hand, he's a bit of a maverick and might just be tempted to take on a squad already good enough to get out of this league and a decent infrastructure + transfer kitty in place. It might just appeal to his sense of adventure and give him a chance to really build something good at this club (and become a hero to boot). Commiserations to AP and if it's any consolation I think many fans will feel that he's been hard done by.

Great result and performance by the sounds of it, should do the player's confidence the world of good too. Also a bit relieved as I suspect Wednesday and Peterborough might be threatening to take off. This win + our game in hand should mean that even with our mediocre start we'll be right on their shoulders, ready to pounce when they screw up.

I do, we're all a little frustrated by the start we've made (I think the pre-season was questionable) but we have no other option than to be patient. Being self employed experience has taught me to only strike when the right opportunity comes up. Believe me, it takes a fair bit of discipline to hold back when you know you could instantly get a lesser deal and I'm willing to give AP some slack on this one. He might not even get it right but at least he's not wading into the transfer market hoovering up lesser players in a knee-jerk fashion. That's what we used to do and it cost us dearly. My patience is not inexhaustible but as many have said we are still in the embryonic stages of the season and we are creating hatfuls of chances. This team will come good IMO.

I agree with that, the dynamics of the transfer market have changed and the smart managers will be keeping an eye out for bargains to drop down into the murky depths of lge 1. AP is keeping his powder dry because he thinks that we can pick up some tasty goodies as squads are pruned. The reality is that we want top 2 this year and already have a decent squad (despite the hysterics on here). Therefore it follows that we have to sign better players than teams lower down the league. That means we have to be more patient as better players can afford to be more choosy - we are competing with Coke outfits in many cases. Being as one of APs biggest strengths IMO has been his signings why don't we just wait and see what he can get.

Alpine gives a team talk....... LOL.

On the plus side he's always been a model pro and I'd be confident that if he did come here he'd honestly give it his all, esp as we are looking to get promoted. Also he would be very good at this level, the legs might not be what they once were but he was never quick anyway. However his footballing brain would be a darn site better than the average lge 1 player. On the negative side, £20k p.w would be disruptive and is ridiculous for a player that is not going to feature any more than 1 season for us. How would Rickie feel if we parachuted a 35/36 year old on twice his wages? Not too chuffed i'd expect. If he could accept a deal based on appearances which would pay no more than Rickie then maybe he'd be a good piece of short term business but if it turns out to be a no-go I won't be too disappointed.

We'll be top 2 and motoring along, having clocked up 12 points from the last 15. AP will be manager and things will be looking good for auto promotion.

Blimey, not sure how we got him but yet another cracking looking signing! http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2131709,00.html

With a track record like ours you really have to question pre season at SFC, the whole point is to get the 1st team fit, gelled and ready to go yet we never seem to be anywhere near the required standard. I always got the whiff that this Swiss trip was a bit of a jolly to big up the players but wasn't really what they needed i.e. a set of fixtures in increasing difficulty that got the team ready fighting fit and match ready for the long slog ahead. I guess you could come up with excuses in years gone by but not now - no excuses whatsoever. It whiffs of a lack of professionalism\desire to me. On the plus side it's only 2 games and there is a long way to go BUT why do we have to instantaneously put pressure on ourselves when its a hard enough task as it is.

But by all accounts the team looked great up until they scored the goal then they fell away. That to me indicates that the performance was by and large the fault of the players - if they can perform well before scoring why can't they maintain that same level of consistency after they have scored? AP can't change their mentality during the game - they really do have to take that responsibility themselves.

A team with pretensions of top 2 simply shouldn't go into limp mode. You need heart and character to achieve top 2 - pussies do not get promoted. Whatever the result is the least I expect from SFC is heart and grit.

One of the best if not the best owners out there. Gutted, really really gutted.

Wow what a shock. I'd just like to say thanks, you saved our club. I just hope that someone in the family will keep on going with the club as it was doing so well under his ownership.

I wouldn't be so sure, I've always thought that O'Neill is a bit of a maverick so maybe he could be tempted. From O'Neill's POV it would be a chance to run an underperforming club that has has big resources and become a hero into the bargain. It just might be something that would get his juices going - much more exciting than premiership mediocrity. That all said, I don't think it will happen and I'm quite happy to stick with AP anyway, I think he'll get us out of lge 1 this season.

From what I saw in the 2nd half we didn't look like we wanted it enough. Doesn't matter who we have in the team if we are not sharp and alert in every game this will happen many more times over the next 9 months. We really missed Lambert too. If we want to get promotion we'd better develop some real hunger.

I reckon a determined Plymouth will pin us back for a 1-1 today. We'll still be top 2 by seasons end though.

I think we'll get auto promotion because I believe we have the strongest team in the division. One of the best keepers, top scorer (by a margin) + 2nd best scorer (now Holt has gone) + David Connoly, one of the best CHs - Fonte, strong full backs and a solid midfield with Schneiderlin, Hammond, Puncheon and poss Holmes. Sure we can always strengthen (and we may yet) but just about every other team would swap their players for ours in a heartbeat if they could. Fortunately the journos don't have any hand in running the club or playing\picking the team. They know no more than the rest of us and their opinions (good or bad) should be taken with a very large handful of salt. I reckon 95 points this season and an auto place.

If he could get back to anywhere near his England form (I always liked him in an England shirt, much better than the tarts that played for England this summer) he'd be a revelation in league 1. It would IMO be the lge 1 transfer of the season (but only if he can get his mojo back).

Irresistable

LOL at all the bile on here.....calm down folks, it was only a friendly. A sense of perspective please. I'm just glad no injuries were picked up. Its Barnet next as we continue on our journey to automatic promotion .

Agree with AP, we have a decent team now and we should only be looking to sign if we can improve playing staff. If that means it gets more tricky bringing in new players then so be it, give me quality over quantity any day of the week. Still hoping that we can get another quality CM before the season starts though.

I like LH and I'd like to see him take a big role this season. He has a very decent cross on him and is a smarter player than Papa\Antonio IMO - he does lack their pace and physical strength though. Maybe a lot more time spent in the gym? If - and it's a big if - he can stay fit I can see him being regularly selected. With Ricky on the other end of his crosses the goals would flow.

I'm quite happy with what we've got tbh. The only area I think we could do with strengthening is CM, I'd love to see Danns or someone similar in that role. Don't forget we already have a very decent team so we are not going to be buying any old tom, **** or harry. We'll be looking for quality additions and they can afford to be choosy so we all need to be patient. I'd rather wait longer for quality than buy instant mediocrity.