Gordon Mockles

It's a good and interesting point which I have to say is a view point I share. I think we did play superb in the first half of the season but I was under no illusion we could not maintain it throughout the season, as Brighton could not (and we ended up soooooo close to winning League One) last year. I also felt we may have been over achieving and the drastic dip in form displays that. Saying that, I thought we played well at Brum despite some views and the shot ratio. We definitely need to penetrate more and work on the final third of the pitch, a common issue over the years. I like Adkins but I am still in judgement as to his tactical prowess. I think we have been sussed out to a degree but on our day, our passing and movement and ability for goals can be very encouraging and the bulk of the squad are a decent Championship outfit but still, despite remaining top for a prolonged period, far from a team able to compete effectively in the PL. Whilst it was refreshing to hear an honest and sincere, personable Adkins, on Solent Tues night (unlike the usual mantra of no meaning and clichéd encouragement - far from his lips Tuesday!), it was also a dramatic shift to his usual style. This could be down to disappointment, pressure from within the club, pressure from himself for personal standards or just ground down frustration for having his best tactics fail and having the team let him down. Only Nigel knows but I am conscious, without wanting to over egg an observation as we will hit form again and get 3 points Saturday, that Nigel has been criticising officials recently which is unlike him, as is bemoaning players with his "I praise them enough normally" comment followed by a criticism. He seems worried and anxious. I am hoping more from heart felt disappointment and sustained form loss (which is over, players are back, new players in, we will start winning again) rather than the inner wranglings of your stereotypical football club. After all, it has been a crap winter for us - plagued with injuries, red cards and bizarre decisions from officials and luck in general has not been our friend. 3 points Saturday and these words will matter little. COYS

Really? I honestly didn't realise that which makes it even more ridiculous there is no consistency in the leagues & we are limited to 5. Ridonkulous!!

One further thought, it's a damn shame we don't have the allowance of 7 subs anymore. Depending on tactics & who's already on the field, we could have any of Puncheon, De Ridder, Sharp, Lee, Barnard, Connolly, Chaplow, Cork, Lallana or Falque from that list on the bench. Not a bad selection headache. Damn shame we only have 5, not 7, options. That's fire power!! Now just to band aid that defensive frailty.

Really chuffed with that & it erases my doubts over funds not necessarily being forthcoming. Good goal getter at this level & we need a man who's there for the chances cos we create so many but don't always have a man who's always in the right place at the right time. I think he'll be superb alongside Ricky, in a Quinn type Philips partnership manner. We create enough chances. Sharp should bag up!! Good luck Billy & welcome to our humble club. We hope you like it down South.

I'd be well pleased with that because I don't feel we were ever going to get Hooper but Sharp is the perfect foil for Lambert and exactly the established goal getter that we need! Would mildly alleviate my cynical views on the accessibilty of our transfer funds and intentions for next season too.

Good plan. We could stick it above the forum. LOL

I don't know, sounds quite distrusting re-reading, but I still stand by my viewpoint. Maybe those tw*ts Askham & Lowe & their insidious actions have tarnished my ability to ever trust our chairmen but in the world of football & business at large, it's all about playing the customer. We'll never hear the honest true when it doesn't fit the agenda.

Alright choppy b*llocks! Our Japanese scout did very well. However, are you saying the other scouting assignments have gone well? If someone's been scouting Hooper a year & our back up (allegedly Sharp) does not happen, I'd suggest they're not doing their job very well. We wasted a window chasing Rodriguez & seems this time Hooper. Maybe we need to go for more assured targets. Pardew seemed a lot more successful in transfer activity.

A good point but, as you mention, running up blind alleys isn't of much use. However, on this occasion I am not so sure the funds are as readily available as the club make out. Anyone can bid without commitment.

Are you sure? What evidence suggests we have funds to spend? Actions & all. Why the continued failure to actually land our key targets? Followings Adkins U turn, Puncheon's return & what I suspect are rumours on a hiding to nothing, then evidence would suggest otherwise. Even with the Oxo money, I am yet to be convinced we have funds available. Players seem to be there for the taking, we've done it before (Fonte, Cork, Ricky, Lallana, etc.) & I would like to see it happen now. To reinstall my confidence in our owners & in our ambitions. I am not stirring, just expressing my gut feeling. I'd be overjoyed at a marquee or reasonably big signing. It would erase the combination of doubts I currently possess.

Do you really believe it is in their efforts? The fact that Adkins initially alluded to us being active in the transfer market, the movement for an established/bigger name signing & the comments on the Hooper interest. Unusual antics since the club usually remain tight lipped so why suddenly intimate we're interested when it's highly unlikely Celtic will sell for a sensible price. Is that the club's best efforts? Bidding for an established striker at Celtic who is key to their title run in. I'm happy at our ambition if I believed the transfer had legs or a possibility. I sadly, however, do not. Puncheon was not wanted & Adkins clearly had ideas of players he wanted to bring in. In fact, he touted Puncheon as being up for sale... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16550877.stm Then Adkins went full u-turn this wk about further signings, contrary to his statements around Xmas. Also, the Puncheon fiasco ended this week despite Twitter comments criticising Cortese. I don't think anyone would have got away with that previously unless something behind the scenes made it in Cortese's best interests to repent & for the club to recall Jason to the first team. Further evidence no further transfers seem likely, particularly judging by Puncheon's return. Adkins also spoke about players coming back from injury & totally played down his initial comments. Smacks of funds not available & things may have changed despite the Oxo money. Or, Cortese is continuing his alleged transfer policy of a derisory offer, a follow up & then zero negotiating. Take it or leave it attitude. Not surprisingly, many of the clubs "leave it". I can't substantiate this other than disgruntled manager's comments in the press. I remember Barry Fry of Peterborough confirming our interest in CMS & the recent comments from Neil Lennon. You're not going to get the club admitting they've deceived the fans but the new regime have not been overly keen on keeping the fans informed so it strikes me as suspicious when this tight lipped policy is suddenly lifted. Less trusting people could label it manipulation. Making bids you're never likely to win to win fan favour or at least appease the fans into thinking we're active but regardless of rumour, actions speak louder than words. So far we've brought in a kid on loan who has had very few first team starts at previous clubs & Lee (who was a freebie) from Japan who I'm excited about but is a risk & isn't the established striker Adkins intimated. I'm not being negative for the sake of it. I'm just not so blindly faithful as you. I'd like to see us make a shrewd bid for a key player that we actually win. We've been linked with way too many players yet failed to sign a significant number in relation to requirements & whilst some may be rumour, I don't believe all of those are. Which brings up the question, why is a club in our position in the league, facilities, academy & backing failing to attract the quality we require for the next phase? To me there is 1 over-riding factor & that is money. Billy Sharp may have wanted to stay up North & Jay Rod loyal to his club but there must be a more systematic failure for us to repeatedly miss out on improving the quality of our squad. We did so in the summer & it looks that way now. That is, if the intention is for promotion this season. If it isn't, I stand corrected but I'm fairly sure Nigel & Nicola mentioned winning the Championship. If they're to do that, they certainly need improving the quality in key areas & if promotion is on the cards, we'll need significant change in the squad because if they think the current squad could compete in the PL, they are sadly mistaken.

In a word, no. I believe we have a few that may cut it in the league above (Ricky, Fonte, Cork, Morgan & Lallana) but the remaining squad fall short in my view. I believe Adkins also had the majority playing to the absolute peak of their ability hence the significant dip in form (plus injury, we've been playing poor since Nov) so, to me, that signifies an extensive overhaul. Unlike many of this board, I don't believe we have a squad anywhere near competing at the next level which is why I am both shocked & disappointed at our lack of decisive transfer movement. If the club have a different belief, then if we were promoted, I fear for a rude & embarrassing awakening in the PL.

I agree but that's not quite the impression the club are trying to give the fans, is it? I would say, if we haven't signed the established name the club have alluded to us seeking, then we have been duped & I question if we ever had the intention or this whole flurry of rumours, breaking of media silence & playing the media was all part of an elaborate hoax emanating from the club.

If the Billy Sharp bid came off instead, I would happily been proven wrong. In fact, please prove me wrong. I am so keen for us to sign an established goal getter to play off Lambert (as well as Lee). We've needed it long enough. I like Barnard but more pace is desperately required.

Interesting & welcome news about the centre half if accurate. However, I still doubt the authenticity of the Hooper acquisition. I truly hope my distrust is misplaced. Everything points to the Hooper fiasco as being a fan appeasing exercise; cleverly strung out until Tues night (window shuts) as a smoke screen to cover the club's unwillingness to spend while making it seem as though we are. Same as last window. Puncheon move & total lack of early, decisive action & spending re-enforces that belief. Of course, many will deem that prudent business & intimations of the like but my instincts suggest otherwise.

If these rumoured are to be believed, and some must be since the club have nigh on confirmed the Hooper interest, maybe Cortese should, with all his business acumen, form a new committee - the player transfer acquisition department. Get some overtime in before Tuesday!

It's all club propaganda doofus! If we had the backing or ambition Cortese purported, we'd be decisive in the transfer market & not fanny around waiting for freebies, tapping up players that don't want to move in the exact same manner when we didn't fully bolster the squad in the summer. They talk the talk & deceive quite well but if we really wanted promotion & to assemble a squad capable of not losing every game in the PL, we'd have surely addressed this established striker need we've been crying out for since Pardew left & we would have acquired 100% quality with the Oxo money (let's not forget that) rather than the 50/50 success ratio Adkins seems to possess in the transfer market. We have over achieved & I hope we stay in the play offs but if the club had as much ambition, financial backing & sense that we were earlier led to believe, we'd not have brought Puncheon back & we certainly would have bid wisely & actually acquired an established, near on PL British striker rather than this f**kin' about bidding the club are purporting we have done. After all, why suddenly change their tight lipped, professional ethos? Maybe cos matters have changed but the public are kept in the dark. I have no idea cos the club don't respect the fans enough to keep them informed unless there is a financial agenda/benefit to the club. Maybe that's the morals of modern day sport.

Forgot to add, good to have a wide option back at the club as RW has been a weak link. It's great to read a genuine Saints article too. No dictation. No script. Just genuine, heart felt words held by a regretful athlete that loves our club deep down! Nicola's brilliant, he loves our club, he's never mean unless you're naughty, I was a silly sausage, I love the club really...or words to that effect! Lol No damage limitation or back peddling whatsoever! LMAO Excuse my cynical sense of humour but you have to laugh. Ultimately, it's about time something was resolved but sad it illustrates our lack of transfer funds available & I didn't realise Lee was a freebie. Great acquisition really but a sign that we're scrimping & the impression on our ambitions the club have worked very hard to create couldn't be further from the truth. Let's hope we just get back to winning ways but I'd love some defensive back up. Now, more so than a new striker. We look weak suddenly at the back. Sussed out in a phrase.

LMAO I can't stop laughing. Yes, you beat me to it. Still, as long as he rows and just doesn't "stick his oar in" we should be alright. Assuming he paddles in the right direction! What a turn around but welcome news cos we could REALLY do with Puncheon at the mo and he's a worthwhile addition. Let's hope it's extra motivation for an extra potent performance!!

Is it rumours put out in the public domain by the club? No? Is it derisory offers the club have made knowing the selling clubs would never accept? Like the supposed 250k for CMS! Or, is it unsubstantiated rumours and prevarication fed to the press to fool fans into thinking we have ambition? Really, all those knocking the doubters, wake up. We may still sign someone but it is clear that we do not have the ambition to which we purport. It's clear in Adkins' body language that he tried and failed and has gone back on his own words. He almost seems like he is hiding something.

To be fair, we have got a squad of mainly average players with Lambert, Cork, Fonte and Lallana being the core spine (Chaplow a great loss too). We seemed to have a decent ethos before. Buy the best players in the division, plan ahead for the next phase. We are not doing that at present as we are signing average players at best. I would say 80% of our squad are not capable for PL football and it would have been embarrassing and Sunderland or West Brom esque results had we managed promotion. We still could but I think it will be via the play offs but we may struggle for that if we don't strengthen. We had been lucky with injuries over recent seasons but we should not have ridden our luck.

I think your view is optimistic to say the least. The club are prevaricating. Well said. Exactly that and we have ridden our long long beyond what we really deserved if I'm honest. In a way, it serves the club right for being complacent. Oxo left, we have supposedly had money available but not used it when it mattered most. We are either lying about funds, or stupid...or both! (or just don't know how to effectively compete in the transfer market!)

IF and a big IF, he was watching (often get players spotted yet no-one seems to have camera phone in such scenarios - odd!), he was probably watching Leicester. Can't see Sharp being too enamoured by that Saints performance!! We've clearly over-achieved up until now and Adkins has gone full circle on the b*ll*ocks he spouted to the press previously and I question what transfer funds we have available. Double cr*p really since we have the Oxo money to spend but have nowhere near replaced the quality we have lost. Strikes an umcomfortable taste in my mouth but we will wait and see. However, I certainly don't think we intend to splash the funds as readily as the club make out. I'd love to be wrong. This transfer window is decidingly feeling like Groundhog Day - just like the last. Bid for players we have a realistic chance of signing. I think we may benefit by consolidating this season but if the riches of the PL are there, why settle for 2nd best? Push on and at least have a go. Surely we shook off that dreaded lack of ambition and short sighted penny pinching with the past disasterous chairmen?! Time still this week but I have an uneasy feeling.

I hope you & I are wrong & this is not me being doom & gloom on the back of another poor performance but something that has been bugging me for some time. I fear you are right & I do get a bit annoyed by the babbling bullsh*t Adkins spouts. Never have liked it when managers deflect questions with pointless speech. Don't interview if you have nothing of substance to stay. We know you think they're "a hard working bunch of lads" & all the other well worn positive adjectives but we need a plan b for when tested formations suiting players injured are not present. "At the end of the day" the bus has hit pot holes & needs refuelling & omeone to help with the navigation. Sadly I think we have definitely over achieved. Our recent poor run confirms that. Maybe the anti-climax & fall out from the consecutive home winning record twinned with players having played to the absolute top of their ability since opening day is the reason. That's quite a slog & pressure doesn't dissipate. We're beginning to make the mistakes & throw away key games like we did last season. I just hope our good home record doesn't diminish further. I think Nige had the players performing to the top of their form for a while now. It was my only explanation as to how sh*t we have suddenly starting playing now. Proper class doesn't make you dip quite that much. We need to bolster the fire power as we have done for quite some time. We create enough chances, it seems crazy not to galvanise the squad with a powerful finisher. It concerns me greatly we still haven't added a prolific striker or pacey foil for Lambert. I can't help the gut feeling the big transfer talk is club based rumours like last transfer window. All talk, f*ck all action other than small stuff which is nothing near PL preparation. Fair enough if this season is for consolidating as, if we're honest, we wouldn't last 5 mins in the PL but don't b*llsh*t the fans please. I am most suspicious on our dramatic u-turn on our former tight-lipped transfer policy. Are we to suddenly believe Nicola & the club are all about keeping the fans informed & respecting the press' right for information? NO! Try for players we've a chance of actually signing. I occasionally question Adkins pulling power or the influence of this supposed committee & staff but I'm not sure. I'll be convinced when we attract or offer decent money to British talent. Not unproven cheaper imports. De Ridder hasn't set the world alight. No opinion towards Lee but these higher profile signings strike me as b*llsh*t. Why disclose transfer news when so previously tight lipped and justifiably so? Some may consider these manager & club comments are now, miraculously, in the public domain because the club want you to think we are bidding big with intent but in reality , the club may know we have little hope in landing such targets. Much like last window. We should have bolstered in the summer and the time before prior to Pardew departing but we didn't. Why? Was this partly why Pardew left? However, transfer talk wins the fans over. Cortese is no fool. The question is, are we? It's just a theory. Not fact but it has been on my mind. Hope this wk proves me wrong. I really do & I hope Lee arrived soon at the least. We need fire power.

Although I've a feeling most of your posts aren't quite sincere & poking for reaction, I'll dignify your response irrespective. A friend of mine has 2 original Daleks in his home, bought at great expense. One signed by Silvester Mc Coy when he was on the news with him for some story. Weird having a Dalek staring at you on a sofa after a childhood of hiding behind them (see what i did there!) lol He also did a rather good version of the doctor who theme. I used to love the Dr Who box at...was it Longleat? Back on topic: I think Rhodes would be an excellent acquisition.