saint1977

The deduction and lack of pre-season is a fair point and Pardew was quite rushed in having to get his targets in August. That said, Norwich did have a lot of disruption and were really poor too early season. The difference with Norwich is the attacking threat - we are too reliant on Lambert and need to keep playing Barnard until he scores, however ugly a goal. Lallana has scored a few to be fair but they have Martin, Holt, Hoolahan and even Doherty has regularly chipped in from set pieces. Morgan hasn't looked like scoring bar Oldham and Hammond has only got a couple and Waigo's goals have mainly been in the cups although I'm very grateful for them. Connolly made a big difference when fit but I think we won't see him much now.

Steve, chances are he was treated by my paternal grandfather who was an Army medic in Monte Casino and also served in Dunkirk, El Alamain and Malaya in the 1950s in a military career spanning almost 30 years. His final posting was Royal Victoria Hospital. Maternal grandfather served in Burma and as a POW on Burmese railway sadly he did lose a leg. Sadly, my paternal grandfather's reward was in his final months to have his property broken into by scum whilst he was there and rather than stopping at nicking household goods and scaring an old man (bad enough), they chose to steal his war medals. Hants Police were incensed and launched a big media appeal and a few months later the medals turned up buried in the bottom of a garden in Bittterne. Senior officers paid out of their own pocket to have the medals restored as the case had touched them but sadly, my grandfather died just weeks before he could be re-united with them.

Excellent effort from all the players today, all of them. Perry needs replacing but gave everything, Lambert looked class today and if Lallana can learn to finish, we will have a super player on our hands. Hammond has helped us since coming back and Antonio continues to develop. Put Fonte, Seabourne, Connolly (if he is ever fit again) and Puncheon in the side and we'll win a lot of games. It's never nice to lose to them but only in the last 10 minutes could you tell there was a difference in division. Unlike 2005, we have a strong, united club and we won't have to wait long this time for hegemony again given our neighbours' difficulties.

Shows you how unsure they are of their future that beating a "A Third Division" side is such an event. Let them hang onto this as they are not going to have many, if any, good days for a decade at least, assuming they survive winding up. We have had two 30k gates in a week - compare that to their half-empty garden shed - and are moving forward as a club with NO debt. Just need to start performing for more than 45 minutes in League 1 now and we'll begin punching our heavy weight there too.

Yes! This must be sung tommorrow.

One thing is for sure, we have got to play FOR 90 MINUTES! We have a been a 45 minute team all season bar perhaps MK away first leg or Walsall away. We have to really rally the lads if they start to doze off or lose focus. I also agree on those who want to play 2 strikers and Lambert shouldn't have to take corners, his workload is already massive. About time some of the other lads in the midfield and forward areas put their hands up and established themselves in Saints folklore.

Oh that was hilarious! I was sat in Itchen near MK fans and he was really copping flak and getting very angry. Quite funny that MK have even got their own plastic "hooligan" as well as plastic everything else!

Eh? OK, so it would be great to have 30,000 every week but Jeez, we had 18,000 for Stockport who brought far less than MK last night and I hardly need to add that the 3,000 so-called extra Saints fans on top of your figure would not exactly be termed "plastics". I went last season and I don't want a medal for it. Walking over the Itchen Bridge last night and listening to the singing and cars with flags was a joy. Just enjoy the journey and let the whole Lowe/Askham thing go because they are history. The fans are returning because the atmosphere is getting back to what it always was (friendly and fun) and the unpleasantness stemming from previous seasons and regimes is gone.

Thomas should be an automatic pick at RB, simple as that. Adds power, strength and leadership. Yes, he boiled over a bit last night but he wasn't the only one. MK's cloggers were moaning and whining all night, their number 9 had such a bad tantrum at not winning a corner at the Northam end that I was fully expecting him to collapse to the ground and see a straight leg kicking as he bawled his eyes out! That Gleeson is an awful player, can't control the ball and constantly late, not to mention his moaning. Amazed Ince plays him. Great to see Thomas giving Ince some stick right to his face. Ince liked to bully people as a player but looked petrified and genuinely feared Thomas might lamp him one when Wayne told him exactly how it was right into his face. Let's face it, you wouldn't spill Thomas's pint would you?

What has concerned me is the slide since Boxing Day in league performances but particularly results. We have only been at best a 45 minute team all season but were regularly winning games 3-1 pre-XMAS and looking more threatening. A sloppiness has crept in amongst the players - yes, Millwall, Brentford and Exeter are tough places to go but look at the pathetic goals we conceded each time to drop points. These teams also showed much more energy than us in the second half which makes me wonder if our players are fit enough. At Brentford, we would have lost heavily but for a wonder display by Kelvin and them hitting the woodwork twice. Pards has brought these lads in and should have time to sort them out but I don't think we'd go to Hartlepool now and win 3-1 and we have gone backwards despite spending £2m last month and I think this is part of Cortese's point. He's not saying I'm thinking of sacking him but doesn't want lazy habits to continue to creep in on Markus's cash which is fair enough. A few of the players seem to think it is ok to vanish for large chunks of games (Stockport home first half is another example) but as some of the best paid players at this level and more than many CCC players, they are expected to play for the full 90 minutes.

I agree with this and the point Ponty has made, the major A roads need covering by this as well. A34, A3(M) and A27 are bad offenders for this, mind you some motorways have a bad issue with this, particularly the M11, M5 Northbound and M6. 3 points and £1000 fine should be enough deterrent. It's about time we looked at intermodal transport more closely as someone said above and got 50% of trucks off of the road. Ban mopeds from main A roads like the A27 and A3 as well and pedal cyclists don't belong there either - they are very fond of dicing with death on the A27 from Chichester to Emsworth when they have a very cycle-friendly road in the A259 to use.

A lot more shrewd than Murray. Murray is just a local hack at a poor paper owned by a faceless US corporation and I really don't care about what the Echo and it's fifth rate staff think. It has no stake or interests in local people or local issues. Cortese saved our club and whilst as fans we reserve our right to praise or criticise, he has my total support as a paying fan on this one. Moreover, as a businessman Murray isn't fit to tie his laces and ought to mind his Ps & Qs. The Echo has stayed quiet when far worse has happened at SFC so they are hardly guardians for the fans. In fact, don't get on their garish website and give the Echo any more oxygen.

Exactly my view. Davis had far less to do than Tuesday (where his display was stunning) but I'd like to see the communication develop with the back 4. Seabourne and Fonte did th job and Seabourne was much better today. Mills was dreadful but Ostemobor showed improvement. Waigo changed the game totally - Morgan was transformed as was Holmes. No excuse for playing Wotton, he wouldn't get a game at Salisbury and no excuse with Gillett on the books, even with Hammond injured. Wotton is firmly in my worst ever XI. Antonio in my view is coming along very well, best outfield player Tuesday and for first 60 minutes today. Still some raw moments but look at his starting point and where he is now. Barnard looks a bit overawed at the moment, hope he gets a lucky goal to get him started and settle him down. Lambert was Lambert and led the line with little midfield support bar Antonio. Puncheon should add to the side and also when is Hammond expected back? Will make a big difference IMO.

Hants have a class side for next year now in both batting and bowling. Griffiths has a real chance to break through and push for an England spot and will learn a lot from Simon Jones. Ali was bowling seriously quickly at Worcs when fit last year and Corky is still 83-84 mph and lethal in the early season conditions when the ball moves around. Mendis should confuse most county batting line ups and Dawson should grow as an all-rounder. Pothas will contribute well as ever and encourage from behind the stumps. Dimi is an excellent skipper with a great cricket brain. Lord's was fantastic last year. Can we taste more success in 2010? There's a good chance.

People are right to say don't sing pay up Pompey as on Tuesday night it did sound a bit like the version they sing (their only song). We could instead reply to it with "Bye Bye Pompey, Pompey Bye Bye". I liked the Pompey going down with no money in the bank chant at Brentford though.

Shame, he could be a world-beater but probably on good wages and never fit. The Oval decks and D2 batting line-ups may prevent richer pickings. Bowled really quick at the FP final but those sort of performances have been too rare. Best of luck to him and you never know, England need at least 2 properly fast hit-the-deck bowlers for Oz so him and Finn could be on the plane if they have a good summer. If we go the ordinary attack we took to SA, we'll get murdered. Can't pick any more than two from Jimmy, Onions and/or Broad. Sidebottom is well past it.

Storrie is a proper dodgy fella - listening to this guff on SSN. Him and Harry were the "experts" and Storrie is only whining because he can't (allegedly) carve up another deal with Harry over Kaboul. Some desperate postings by the Skates but actually I think the more reasonable ones know this is really dire. I mean Lowe, Askham, Wilde, Hone et al left an awful mess but (statue apart) even they didn't humiliate us like Pompey did to their fans with the website today. Surely this is breaking the law - clearly an insolvent company trading. If that player they've signed on loan from Spartak plays against us I will be livid with PL - that embargo should NEVER have been lifted. They are probably paying him £20k a week when their local suppliers struggle to survive in this recession. At least we won't have to face Dindane who is going to Brum. When you think Palace were put in admin when the full Moses fee probably would seen them OK as they had firm payment plans with the other creditors, it's a bit cruel. Granted, Jordan could have run them a bit better but still feel sorry for Palace fans.

Wayne Thomas isn't the greatest player we've ever had but blimey, he's like Cafu compared with Ostemobor. Ostemobor has been awful in his first 2 games - did anyone see his positioning (or lack of) at Brentford? Ask any Norwich fan what they think or indeed any Saints fan that was at the Norwich home game. Yes he's quick but when I think about some of flak Antonio gets on here it makes my blood boil. Antonio is doing grand, this is his first proper pro season. Ostemobor has probably played the best part of 200 League games and is 26 yet he can't keep his positional shape and has no idea what's happening in the game. For those of you that haven't seen him yet - which must be those posters saying he should be first pick - I'd describe him as a poorer quality Olivier Bernard.

Totally agree, well done Luker et al. Could not have thought of a fairer alternative and makes the club money as well.

Don't think Saints do need a local paper with the OS and also they can reach fans via key people such as forums as this. The Echo is a dismal paper run by dismal people and overall a dismal company (Newsquest). Look at how the Guardian has gone downhill since they bought it. If we do need a local paper, we don't need a faceless US corporation to provide it.

Other bigger sides have struggled at Griffin - Leeds drew and Norwich lost - so not a disaster but if we are going to win this league next season we have to win at places like that. I was staggered that Thomas wasn't picked and Lambert was kept on far too long when it was obvious that he had run out of gas and we needed more pace to stretch Brent ford a bit. Credit to Brentford, Pardew's excuses about the pitch were pathetic as Brentford popped it about with ease and at pace and in addition to making Davis so busy they smacked the woodwork twice as well. The simple truth is that for all the millions spent, their midfield has better footballers in it than ours. Davis 10 - Brilliant penalty save and 4 others that were just stunning Ostsembor 1.5 - Attention defecit problem, Fonte was constantly telling him where to position himself, a 26 year old with 200-odd career league appearances shouldn't need mothering. Get rid now. Mills 6 - Should have cut out the cross for their goal but can't be too harsh when Lallana is too lazy to track back all the second half Fonte 6 - Solid first half but out of character poor distribution Seabourne 4 - Can't head the ball and feet shaped like 50p pieces James 8 - Great goal and shame he got injured Wotton 0.5 - Pards forgot to remind him we weren't playing in red and white stripes Antonio 7 - Worked very hard and gave us an outlet Lambert 5 - Clearly needs a break Barnard 6 - Lots of hard work but what a miss! Lallana 2.5 - I've defended him on here recently but apart from one unlucky effort hitting the woodwork he offered nothing and couldn't be bothered to help Mills out either Morgan S 3 - Pedestrian, laboured, didn't want to be there Holmes 5 - Not much chance to do anything as Brentford swarmed all over us Waigo - not on long enough to judge, should have been on far earlier Mr Pardew

Makes sense in terms of the earlier rumours about a DOF coming in and SFC is a huge organisation to run if one person is making the bulk of the decisions and creating the strategy - Rupert Lowe found that out for himself and Cortese has now steadied the ship and will be getting good calibre senior managers to take on many of those duties. Cortese will still be overseeing though I would imagine. As a final aside on the Echo issue, why didn't the paper send a reporter/photographer from one of it's sibling papers? With their circulation (and those of the industry generallly) and Saints revival, it's not a fight I'd be picking in their shoes. Personally, I'm just looking forward to Brentford tonight. Hope the view is OK from the terracing.

Spot on. It would be good for the city to have a non-Newsquest paper that was far more articulate rather than a fourth-rate version of the Sun. The paper is playing a dangerous game, this regime is popular and the paper will go bust. A friend of mine did some work for them recently until he joined a more professional outfit and they were not impressed with now people conducted themselves inside that newspaper.

Yes, that's a great one to get all of us singing. Also, "your support is f*cking sh*t" given their gates have been half of ours.

I can't wait! Cortese will be licking his lips as you can bet the gates shoot up for the next few games before as the scramble for tickets gets underway, plus it will be on TV. Pards will find out what a real derby game is like. Players won't need reminding how vital a game it is. We need Hammond fit though, yesterday's midfield would struggle. Some chants/taunts for them: Waving £20 notes at them Skates are going down with no money in the bank Town full of Pikeys/Wheels on your house go round and round Does the Social know you're here? Going Down, Going Down Let's all have a whipround And we've still got money in the bank There's only one Sol Campbell