Micky

Not too sure why anybody hankering after Keanes services should be branded a wally to be honest. I'm pretty sure that the guy who suggested Sunderland go for him (untested) whilst they were lanquishing lower than we currently are in the championship was not branded as such. Seen more as a master stroke by most I would think. That said, I wonder how many fans would forgive him the goading that he gave out on our last premiership day, I wonder.

The problem remains, what is good investment? We refused the deal that Coventry City eventually accepted, and whilst I know nothing about the details, I am led to believe that they had little option in accepting the 'so called' investment. But where has it actually got them - I see little signs of them actually benefitting in any spectacular way. Much was made of the investment at QPR - again - not really setting the world alight right now are they? My point is that the level of investment required to guarantee an 'instant fix' (promotion back to the Premiership) would be very, very high. Given that the investor then becomes responsible for our already outstanding debt, you begin to see that it is unlikely that the investor will make any gain on their outlay for a quite considerable period of time. Further risk is added because there is no real guarantee that promotion would be achieved. Even if it was, I go back to my original point of Premiership wages and running costs - they are exorborant compared with the CCC, where we are currently barely keeping our heads above the water. Yes investment would be welcomed - but it wouldn't necessarily fix the problem. Promotion would be welcome, again it could bring more woes than benefit. The club needs to be run within it's means, any investor needs to be in it for the long haul, and perhaps expect not to have a return on thier dividend for some considerable time. Failing that it's back to the Sugar Daddy with pockets so deep you could drill for oil in them...!

Sorry but the argument doesn't stack up for me. Really cannot see this being an issue for any potential buyers. It's hardly as though the players that are likely to be sold are in the 'Theo' mold. I could see a manager perhaps not wanting him to be cup tied, however whilst our current youngsters are promising - there are no diamonds in there. If they are wanted by other clubs - I doubt very much that that clubs manager is worried that they will not be available for FA cup games.

Sorry to answer a question with a question, but the first thing that we should try to establish is what do people actually want. An Investor or a Sugar Daddy? The former will generally be looking to make money from their 'investment' and currently we, and a whole host of clubs are a long, long way from being a viable money making aquisistion. The later are very hard to find - there are not too many 'Roman Abramovich's' in this world, and when they do appear, then they will generally make a beeline for the 'more fashoinable' acquisistions (a la Manchester City). As for an investor getting us into the Premiership - that's all well and good, but it does not automatically end our funding problems. Premiership status requires the requisite quality of player, which in turn demands very high wages (some clubs spend in excess of 80 percent of turnover on wages alone). Full houses at SMS would not necessarily ease the financial pressure, look at the capacity of the big clubs now, most revenue at Prem level is generated outside of the grounds. Therefore, even with investment, and with Premiership Status we would not necessarily be financially sound. Yes, I agree - life would be a little better, but investment / sugar daddies and the premiership are not the 'be all & end all' of football and would probably not solve all of our current problems.

Shows how much I know about football - FA....!!!! Great result, well done boys... why oh why are we so inconsistent....?? I'm off to digest large lumps of humble pie... have a good evening all...!!!

Tend to agree - this current crop of players probably wouldn't be suited to a complete 360 degree turn and change of style. But I wonder - at the end of the day (season) will it transpire that this total football was a mistake and perhaps a more direct approach might have bore more success. Time will tell I guess.

Some interesting points raised in the thread - I like many have only seen the televised games and frankly am underwhelmed by what I have witnessed. Sure there have been times when we knocked it around pretty well, but apart from the Lallanna goal at QPR (which at the end of the day counted for nothing) I have seen little end product from this so called total 'football'. I have said it before on here - at this level, most teams will allow you to play pretty stuff in front of them - they'll love it, they don't have to defend FA. We rarely appear to get behind teams and make them defend - it all just peters out to nothing. We are totally ineffective at finishing from range (come back Stern) and so pretty damn easy to defend against. As for defensively - well from what I've seen from highlights and live games - pretty farcicle, a little comedic, men with guide dogs would probably be more adept in most situations. All of that said - don't get me wrong, I'm not giving up on the lads (hoping for another 5 - 6 Preston like performances and results...!). But, our style of football appears to me to be pretty much ineffective, this time last season many were saying that they wouldn't want the likes of Billy Davis here because of 'his' (Derbys) style of football - I wonder whether many would now change their minds and settle for 'effective' football over 'pretty' (and lets be honest - ineffective) football?

Peter Shilton for me - but surely Casey Keller and Chris Woods must give him a run for his money - or are loanees banned from this poll...!!!

Saints - not a sausage...! V Wolves - double figures...? Dreading 4.50 tomorrow afternoon...!!!

Agree entirely, we have been here many many times before with the usual suspects (they don't require naming again) - but all have been proved to be nothing but tyre kickers. I really cannot be arsed to get into the old ITK and source arguments again, but suffice to say - if your going to throw 'bones' you should be ready to pack some 'meat' on when questioned. That aside - why anybody would want their team to lose games is alien to me. How LS thinks this will assist our plight in any way is totally beyond me. And before he comes back and tells me to see 'the bigger picture' - I can't - I'm not ITK, so please feel free to enlighten me and put some meat on the bones that you have dropped in previous threads.

Agreed - the Chelsea site is also pretty impressive as well, worth a browse at: http://www.chelseafc.com/page/Welcome

A point....!!!!! I don't think we'll get a kick let alone a point....!!!!

I think there is probably a 'that goal' question.... Can't remember too much about it but believe that he was about 20 yards out, back to goal, recieved the ball, flicked it over his head, turned and volleyed it in. Anybody else remember it - was it Frank? Who was it against?

With all due respect Andy - right now even I could make us harder to beat...!!! We are the leagues 'soft touch' - far too many babies in a mans world and it's falling apart fast. Next manager - don't know - but without improvement in form over the next 10 games or so, we could be in deep poo. By then asking any new man to try to turn it around would probably be toutamount to requesting a miracle.

Yep - 14 Feb 94 - Saints 4 Liverpool 2, first game that I took my sons to watch - bloody freezing, but great, great night. I think Craig Maskell scored on his debut, ohhh and a certain MLT scored a hatrick too...!!

Michael Svensson - we gambled, we lost.... not for the first time in recent years...!!! Agree entirely with TopGun though - in his prime he was inspirational - and those qualities could well be utilised towards our youngsters in a coaching role.

I wish I could share your optimism, having witnessed tonights efforts, at home, live on Sky, against a fairly average Bristol team - I don't think we could rip our way out of a wet paper bag - let only the league leaders...! However, as you rightly say, this is football - so I await in hope to be proved wrong.

Unfortunately though I tend to agree with Arizona - it has nothing to do with any Sky curse - we are just a very, very poor football team.

Home game, live on Sky, chance for them to show what they can do after a good result last week and we got a damp skwib of a performance. To be honest I dont think we would have scored if we'd played till Monday. I fear for these youngsters - they are not good enough to go it alone and need help. Next up Wolves and Reading - by then - any confidence that they might have could be shattered, and we could be languishing in a relegation fight - and I seriously doubt their ability to get us out of it. Sorry - but I think these are worrying times.

Nope - not in a month of Sundays...!!!

Sorry, but does this statement make any sence whatsoever...? The police are there to do a job - if you cooperate with them then it is likely that nobody gets to aggravated. As for wasting time searching people, lets just see how we like it when hardcore weapons (knives etc) start to appear at grounds again. Nobody makes a fuss getting searched in airports and the like - therefore there should be little complaint when the police are ultimatley trying to make football a safer place for all.

After recent events total apathy set in, didn't go on line, didn't check the tv, went shopping with the wife and kids (damn plasma has blown). Heard on the radio we were 2 nil down - no surprise at all. Ten o' clock tonite I check out the score for the first time and find I have missed a f*cking blinder. Just my luck - I don't know what happened in the game but I do know that to come back from 2 down away from home takes some boll*x Well done lads - I'll be back looking at the results next week and won't write you off quite so soon in future. Chuffed to f*ckin' bits - yeaaahhhhhh....!!!!

So conceiveably we could go up there - lose by 4, but still claim some level of success. My how we have fallen. The very thought that we are trying to guage progress by comparison of a single game played in different seasons is somewhat futile. The bottom line is the league table - it does not lie, not now and especially not at the end of the season. Remember that '4 team mini league' - lets just hope that we win it.

But what prompted you to pose the question in the first place and what analysis have you drawn from the responses thus far? I'm intrigued (intreged) to know...! For what it's worth 15000 or 30000 should make absolutely no difference at all - a pro footballer should be able to perform to the same level no matter what. I accept that this isn't always the case and as TDD has rightly pointed out - the crowd do play a part in a players performance - therefore I would opt for the largest crowd every time.

Far far to sensible and non-judgemental, can't be having that on here - get with the plot mate...!!!