Crazy Diamond

I'm sure we'll find out more soon. The Echo will probably get their next 'exclusive' out of it. It's very disappointing to hear about this kind of thing, and it's equally disappointing to hear that some people will use any excuse to have a go at Cortese on this forum as we have seen above. One wonders if some people just enjoy complaining, and if they'll be celebrating with the rest of us if there's a good result today or at the end of the season - surely if we accomplish something they can't properly participate, since they picked holes in what essentially will deliver that success. Supporting this club means more than supporting the 11 players on the pitch. It means all the people behind the scenes too. If you can't do one out of those two, then don't bother with the other.

Has anyone yet mentioned that he's got something like five kids from five different mothers? On and off the pitch this lad does score, you can't argue with that.

Would make a great deal of sense. He trained with Bournemouth for all of pre-season, year before last, but they couldn't sign him owing to their transfer embargo. I can't imagine we were ever even remotely close to signing him, or ever will. Don't mind being proved wrong of course.

Well then, that's that. Glad to know my source is on form.

Possible formal announcement by Hereford tonight according to my chum, who describes Manset as having "Presence, power, pace and trickery" No club still anywhere near the £250k (up front) asking price. Deal has to include a lot of add-ons and a sell-on fee. According to the local rag in those parts, Reading are favourites and have tabled a deal worth over £440k, which would be Hereford's biggest fee received in a transfer if true. It's doubtful that he'll play against Accrington Stanley tomorrow.

He's apparently off to Crystal Palace. No one has met Hereford's £250,000 asking price, but Lennie Lawrence has gone from Hereford to Selhurst Park today and he's believed to be trying to take Manset with him. £250,000 seems an awful lot of money if you ask me...

I know the Hereford match commentator, who is also News Editor at FourFourTwo.com. I'll see what he knows. Says QPR, Burnley, Reading, Millwall and even Everton linked. They hope to sell him and retain him on loan, though it's unlikely. I think it was Dundee who were told they couldn't sell Leigh Griffiths and then loan him straight back, as it creates an unfair advantage in the league. Will report back if I hear anything...

As a journalist I'd like to add my two cents worth... The Echo's sports department smacks of lazy journalism, the type which gives all of us in the trade a bad name. I'm not a fan. The people there are paid to come up with original news stories, which isn't an easy task, but they could at least try or failing that, look like they're trying. The fact is however, papers of the quality and size of the Echo will always be the first point of call for someone like myself for when they graduate from a journalism course. Papers like the Echo are the first run on the ladder and once you've served a bit of time there, the hope is that bigger and better things are around the corner. I once asked if they actually got any original stories via their own means and didn't just rip off this forum - they were annoyed, but didn't deny it...!

Sorry, have you got an interview with Nicola Cortese regarding Alan Pardew's sacking, sale rumours, Adam Lallana, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and more? No? Didn't think so. As exclusives go, it's not that bad at all. We've not heard this level of comment from Cortese since he came to the club, so I wouldn't be so quick to slag it off.

Possibly, though I personally think it's a non-story that the club isn't for sale. We knew that when Mr. Liebherr died and not much has changed since. I think we should read into what Dan said on Twitter - this interview could be Cortese 'breaking his silence'. I'm not saying we should expect massive revelations or him defending himself against claims of this, that and the other, but we might learn a few things. One other thing I would add - there have been a lot of rumours over Cortese's running of the club, and I've spoken to one source who has told me that they don't think he's the best man for the job due to his decisions - such as alienating former club legends. Not a massive issue but it can be argued you shouldn't ignore your past. This source doesn't work at the club I'd like to point out but knows his stuff. He was once a director at a Football League club, albeit a long time ago now, but is still very much in football circles.

Spoke to Dan Roan earlier, he's very pleased with the piece. I imagine Cortese is a hard man to get hold of for an interview.

Hmm speaking of old screws...

Anyone know what he's doing now? I've heard so much about him as a player and he did wonders at Salisbury City. I'm in my final year at uni down in Bournemouth and am starting my final project which will be a documentary about life after football. If anyone knows a way of contacting him, or any ex-Saints for that matter, then please let me know! I'm thinking of getting in contact with Mick due to his successes with the gee-gees and wouldn't mind visiting Terry Paine, but believe it or not a student loan won't get me a return flight to America...!

It's actually BBC Two, for those wondering.

I'm also at pains to mention that a lot of people here in Bournemouth seem to think they were hard done by and that we didn't deserve to win. Best comment I heard yesterday with all the build up and very silly talk by their fans was that when we went a goal up, apparently we celebrated as if we had won the league and suddenly it meant more to us. I can't think of all that many times when I've heard something so utterly absurd. There's a lot of talk about us 'putting them in their place', and for what it's worth, I hope we have done just that. As I mentioned before, the sheer arrogance I've heard all week has been incredible.

Very pleased with the win. It wasn't a local derby, it was three welcome points, and living in Bournemouth I can confess to being very happy on a personal level as the locals' arrogance was starting to test my patience. Shame to hear that there were a few knuckleheads causing trouble, but I was expecting it, seeing how their 'fans' were giving it large last season in the pre-season friendly. The sooner they get over this desperation to have a local rival the better. Pathetic all round on their part. However, it'll only be a good win if it starts a run of good form - anything but a win against Tranmere and I will be extremely disappointed.

As I've previously mentioned, I worked for AFC Bournemouth last season. Bournemouth fans hate Southampton FC, its supporters and those associated with it. Part of this is due to our apparent lack of respect for them. Which I find laughable to be quite honest when the facts are considered, and quite simply they are a small club and possess a small club mentality. There were numerous occasions last season in which my colleagues and I were incredibly frustrated by the club's lack of ambition off the pitch. For example, at their new kit launch (which was delayed until many weeks into the season due to problems with their kit's manufacturer), the promotion of the event was so dismal, less than ten people turned up. Sounds like a minor gripe, but given the club needed every single penny and pride themselves on having a great relationship with their fans, it was a tad stupid. From my own point of view, I'd like us to beat them for the three points but also because their fans need to get over this apparent hatred for us. It's silly. Here's something to make you laugh. Their talismanic club legend Steve Fletcher threw his toys out of the pram last season because his picture wasn't featured on the side of a bin lorry, with Jason Pearce getting the nod instead. Oh dear...

Whilst Wednesday's form has been mixed this can only be classed as a fine result. The true test is whether this win can be built upon, so here's hoping.

Is it not the fault of the manager for picking an unfit player? Just a thought. Not going to say get rid of a player that is a proven goalscorer (and in my opinion, he most certainly is), but of course if there are other players that are in better shape, play them ahead of him until he regains match fitness. Sentiment won't get us promoted, which I hope is still a realistic goal for us this season.

I've seen a lot whilst supporting Saints, but I can say I've never been as embarrassed to be a fan as I was when Sky Sports News gave Richard Chorley his Arthur Scargill moment, spouting his utter tosh and promoting his '30 pieces of silver' incident. It was humiliating. That man didn't represent me, yet he felt more than qualified to say that as I supporter, I felt X about Y, etc etc. Chorley and Illingsworth ought to realise they are relics, and as such must be confined to the history books - frankly, they'd love that too, to be remembered at all, as I am fairly sure they do enjoy their exposure in the public eye that they receive when claiming to represent me and other fans. However it is near impossible for a media source to go and find the view of every single Southampton fan on the street and then be 100% accurate in their reporting, so I have sympathy when the Echo resorts to consulting a group claiming to represent a wide array of views when reporting. They though must realise by researching more thoroughly that these groups represent naff all people these days and that their views and actions should be taken with a pinch of salt. To be fair to the Echo, there is nothing that they can do to please us. A lot of the time they produce some pretty terrible stories or stories that get accused of being overly negative or not in the greater interests of the club they report on - but we'd just as easily be annoyed if they weren't doing what they were paid to do, which is churning out stories day after day. But what would I know, I'm just one of them, a filthy hack...!

Sounds like someone was on an eggo trip.

James Maw got that information from me by the way.

I'm currently stationed at a leading football magazine. (Sorry to add to the list of people who are supposedly ITK, but I am genuinely here). From what we can gather, it's down to two names, Adkins being the first choice. I've only got two posts left today as I don't have a full membership to the forum, so I'll use them wisely. There is doubt over the announcement being made today, I have been informed.

I hate it when a club appoints an assistant manager or a caretaker manager as their full time boss. It rarely ever works, despite some good stuff to begin with. I can't say I rate Brian McDermott's chances at Reading. In some ways its a blessing that Wilkins is doing a bad job so far, it means he won't be anywhere near contention. I firmly believe we need a manager with experience in this division and some experience in the division above. Ideal guy? I think Sean O'Driscoll, he spent God knows how many years learning his trade at Bournemouth, so he knows the division well. He also came so close to getting them into the Championship, missing out on the play-offs on the final day a few years ago. Then with Doncaster he transformed them beyond recognition, they missed out on promotion on the last day one season, then beat Leeds in the play-off final the year after. They then established themselves in the Championship and are building on those foundations. He would be ideal in my view, but he's on to such a good thing at Doncaster that I doubt he'd want to leave, and I really don't think Doncaster would let him go under any circumstances. Similar to O'Driscoll is Nigel Adkins in that respect, so I wouldn't be too upset if it was him. He's a very positive guy and I think players on the whole respond quite well to that. So with these things in consideration, Howe is way, way down on my list of preferences...!

Oh I quite agree, it's not a massive issue, just an observation really. As for the Paul Hart thing, it's just a desperate man out of football asking his agent to stir up some interest. There's a lot of it about - for example he himself only got the youth team job at the Skates in the first place because his agent wrote to a lot of clubs saying he wanted a job, Redknapp obliged. Last season, a letter came into the AFCB office for the attention of Eddie Howe from the agent of Gunnar Thordvalsson, the ex-Crewe manager, saying he was desperate for a job asking if anyone could help him get back into management. Howe's response was quite funny, featuring a few expletives.