SaintBobby

Does the Hart rumour and counter-rumour/denial mean that an appointment is imminent? Today? Tomorrow? As opposed to the "weeks" predicted in the Telegraph or the "foreseeable future" which Dean Wilkins was asked to sign up to?

very helpful new thread lock please

It's a bank holiday weekend TBF And I think it's a fiver a year. But a poll on (a) pleased/displeased on Pardew sacking and (b) preferred successor would be welcome Echo has one on (a)

It may be coincidence, but I doubt it. I met someone from the club a few weeks ago who gave me good reason to believe AP was on borrowed time.

Still, its unusual to see such a discrepancy - even in illiquid markets...

Is O'Neill out to 33/1? Earlier today he was in at 5/1, no?

Are others as worried as me about the suggestion that it might take several weeks to find a new manager and that Dean Wilkins is in charge "for the foreseeable future"? I was rather hoping to be able to foresee us having a new managers within days...

Champions has to be the target. Second is acceptable. Promotion via playoffs is just about acceptable. Anything less is failure.

So hope it's Martin O'Neil, but he's not a great bet at 5/1 Until he formally rules himself out though, I'm holding out hope, however fantastical it seems. I think it's going to be Poyet or Zola...or some continental manager I've never heard of...

Here's my guess: 1. Pardew was nearly removed in the close season, but it was finally decided to give him a little longer on a sort of probationary basis. 2. Some things have gone badly since then - not necessarily visible visible things (although 4 points from 3 matches isn't great), but behind-the-scenes stuff (signings? dressing room unrest? poor training regime? evident lack of motivation?) 3. Cortese decided to act now rather than let things drag on. Having stuck with AP over the Summer, this transfer window is lost on a new manager (although just maybe an extra signing or two will happen with NC calling the shots) 4. There may have been a straw that broke the camel's back - some sort of blazing row in the last couple of days. 5. There isn't a new manager lined up just yet, but NC and others will have been thinking about possible replacements on-and-off for sometime, given that AP's position clearly hasn't been secure. I am not appalled by what has happened if the above points are broadly true.

It's going to be a foreigner, I'm certain of it. Poyet or Zola.

Timing very strange. But I am not that upset or even surprised by the decision. I wonder whether there has been a fallout over transfers. I have been told that AP was the block on some moves, i.e. the problem has not been lack of cash but AP been very particular. I wouldn't be surprised if we do now sign a player or two before the window shuts, even though it seems mad to do so without a manager. I imagine a lot of the problem has been a bad working relationship. But I hope it is really about ambition. I am reserving judgement until I know who the new manager is. If it is Martin O'Neill, that would be amazing...but does sound far fetched. I expect a foreign coach. Of all plausible options, I'd say Poyet is my first choice. I think promotion is now more likely than it was 24 hours ago, but this is obviously a high risk move. Let's hope it's high reward too.

Pretty much agree with this. I have been disappointed with how thin our signings have been this Summer, but there may be very good reasons. It's also worth saying that its not quite three full backs plus Guly. Butterfield is cover for full back and CM rather than just an RB. Dickson can also do a good job at LM. Nevertheless, I was expecting a bit more "stardust" and had hoped/assumed that Papa and Antonio were both likely to be retained. Overall, I think the squad we have today is a tad weaker than the squad we had in May. But only a tad. And I still hold out some hope that it will look much stronger in 48 hours time.

Last season, I was well up for the JPT from the start, as I reckoned we had a great chance of winning it and was sceptical about our promotion chances. For me, it comes a distant second behind the League, but is way ahead of the Carling Cup and FA Cup. I might care about a single prestige FA Cup game, but not teh competition as a whole at the moment. I dont think we should just use the reserves. But I think we should exploit it to develop the first team. If a top player is nursing a minor niggle, I wouldnt play them vs Swindon. Similarly, we might want to bleed in some players (e.g. start with Guly) I absolutely loved going to Wembley in March. I'm too young to remember 1976. But I think I would be less excited about us getting there in 2011 than I was in 2010.

I may just have a blind spot here. He just frustrates me. Which is weird because I always liked Fabrice Fernandes who had similar upsides and downsides.

I was gobsmacked to see Puncheon listed at MotM in News of the World. I thought he was very average. His shots on target were very weak and his decision making dubious. He did try hard though and his corners werent bad. But I'd give him a 6/10. To give him a 9 and Barnard a 7 seems barking mad.

Yeah, agree with much of this. Although I still say we were not at all good against Plymouth and Orient (whatever Claridge thinks). I suppose I was just saying what a shame it is that there are a handful of posters on here who seem to enjoy the negatives much more than the positives. Their loss, really.

I think that's the problem. Those who are just missing the 25 cut at Premiership clubs are probably in the sights of high end championship clubs.

No. I sometimes fear you act in a way that seeks to gain attention, so I'm not going to count up all your posts if thats okay. I think my point stands though - although perhaps its better to say "very, very few" positive thoughts rather than none. Certainly, the overwhelming balance of your posts is negative.

I dont think anyone thinks otherwise on the entitlement of posters to hold - and voice - an opinion. But it's also reasonable for others to ask why the opinions seem to be relentlessly negative. And no positive thoughts are voiced even in the face of very positive news.

We really, really need another winger then.

Laughable response (Im assuming its a spoof?) Lots or people have a range of reservations about the club. Check out some of my posts on the media policy, for example. What is surprising is that those who seem to have reservations or complaints about nearly everything seem to nearly disappear from view when Saints score an impressive victory. Why is that? Why arent any of the usual suspects posting, positive comemnts on a thread about a 4-0 away win FFS. They can't find anything positive to say even about a handsome victory. That's bewildering. Especially as many of them do seem to have the time to post endlessly on negative threads. I'm afraid it can give the impression that such people aren't genuine Saints fans, even if this impression is actually inacurrate.

Is Lee Holmes still alive and on our books? Does he perhaps play a more involved role until we get Lallana back? At least on the subs bench?

Is that really true? Do you have any names in mind? I'm not persuaded there will be rich pickings from the 25 rule, but hope I'm wrong. I know some f***wit on here argued we might get Craig Bellamy a few weeks back. Are there any more credible targets though?

Where are the whingers btw? Have Alpine saint and the other loons failed even post a "wow...what a brilliant result...that's utterly fantastic" sort of comment? If not, why not?