Gordon Mockles

The 9 & S-Clarke. I'm the doofus! I owe you both an apology after my sarky tirade. I got completely muddled with players & meant Joseph Mills the slow one (right wing), not Thompson. My bad! Too many kids. All blurs into one. Did think it strange with the quickest player comment. Sorry! *bows head* ;0)

Thompson does NOT have pace. To use it, you need to run...quickly! He can't even put the ball past his man and beat the defender to the ball. Or, he puts it past, then gets a mediocre shoulder barge and pushed off the ball/falls over (like most of our young players). Have you spent your time watching midget football or something?! To make the statement "Thomson is one of the fastest players I've seen..." is, frankly, absurd. Unless you truly have only watched over 60s football/Saga league or some sort of midget league in which players could look fast compared to say...a tortoise. Thompson constantly gets pushed off the ball or tries to round a player, failing to get back on to the ball in time (against slowish full backs - happened in the Hearts game amongst others). Motivation and effort is a severe problem from the games I've seen. However, your natural pace doesn't drastically change all that much and we are known as having a squad without much pace. Simple as that. We ball watched, had no desire and were like statues but that's digressing. Thompson is slow, like many of our players. Worryingly, many of them are young so they should be at their peak for speed, slowing with age. Doesn't bode well.

Don't let a bit of sensationalism blur reality. Worry about problems when they DO actually occur and then deal with them, not before. Life would be pretty tedious if we pondered on potential problems that hadn't even happened!!

Whilst Holmes is a decent option and offers a good cross, I think the word "pace" was mentioned. Something he, Thompson, James and most of the squad seem to lack!

Wrong! How can you possibly purport Wotton created more than Lallana when he struggles to pick out a pass to his team mates (he was by no means the worst tonight but also equally guilty as most on the field) We were extremely poor but, along with Harding, at least Lallana was trying. He doesn't stay wide & often cuts inside but he was running & chasing & trying to create. More than can be said for most (particularly Mellis). It's just most players were static, ball watching or out of position. The rare balls Wotton won, along with our centre backs, were headed or pinged straight back to the opposition.

Just home. The less said, the better. Pardew picked a poor squad & changed it much too late. Lack lustre performance. Even the catering was diabolical & fans crap & super *****y (although they had reason to moan). All I can say is, West Hams fans moaned loads at first, then he got them promoted & they changed their tune. Whilst I am dismayed (esp. the efforts & journey I took to get there, amongst many others no doubt), It's early days & AP is still working out his squad due to very little prep. He selected a poor squad & poor shape tonight. Castigated by a clueless squad - idol, sloppy & statuesque. Harding, Murty & Lambert have hardly been poor acquisitions although these uncommitted, featherweight, lack lustre kids need a lesson in movement, discipline & desire to compete. To compete to win. Forgetting the defeats momentarily, football fans are fickle & people need to let their emotions subside. It's early days & Pardew had so little time to prepare. He knows what to do. It's just the squad don't yet. If we get Hammond (a much needed replacement for Wotton!) & 1 or 2 more in a restructured squad, performances & subsequent results should improve. I do believe I, along with many more fans, got deluded by this feel good factor & this season is not going to be as easy as we possibly expected. Teams will come at us & we will need to battle & fight for every loose ball & become much, MUCH more physical. Players like Mellis need to fight for the cause or f*ck off. Chelsea or not. He showed a total lack of commitment. Not even pacey as expected. Patterson, Schniederlin, James, esq. get knocked off the ball wayyy too easily. Lambert needs support & playing 1 striker with a cluster f*ck midfield is clearly not working. Back to the drawing board...

Decent game. Liking the look of Lambert a lot - Strong, good team player bringing other players in, good positioning & not easily knocked off the ball & a brave header to start his goal tally Stronger 2nd half & pleased with our progress. Charlton didn't so well! COYS

[To the tune of Run Rabbit run] Run Lambert, Run Lambert, run, run, RUN!!! Bang, Bang, Bang goes the Lambert gun Stick another goal past the opp-o-sit-TION!! Run Lambert, Run Lambert, run, run, RUN!! ***************** [Verse 2] Run Lambert, Run Lambert, run, run, RUN!!! Bang, Bang, BANG goes the Lambert gun Jump, Head, Sprint, Run or break into a stroll He’ll still put a hat full in the oppositions goal! (Work out the verses yourself) Bit lame but it’s the best I could think of. Does he have a nick name, Lamby for example? Easily substituted for “Lambert”. Could work. I’ll get m’ coat!

SUPERB NEWS! I actually did a shimmy. Oh to be signing players who IMPROVE the squad and to have a board, manager and chairmen with brains. SUPERB NEWS! I'm loving this bright new dawn. Well done to all concerned. We may potentially have a new legend at St Mary's!!

Good shout! I'll get excited when I feel less rough from Cowes last night!! FFS. ouch! 3hrs sleep but up & ready for the new season! LUSH DAY! Why is it always sunny when you're hungover?! COYS

Only cos the players were probably stealing from his secret Glenmorangie stash in the boot polish cupboard!

Anti climax alert...f*ckers!

As someone said, the new Darren Powell! The phsyio also love to give some of the players extended lay offs. Jokers!

WTF? Crowded?! What planet do you live on?! We're thread bare, from top to bottom (certainly of any quality). I'd not even bother counting Lancashire as he's useless as is Molyneux. Thomas out injured (again), leaving Perry in the centre (vital position - whilst he's good, he can't play every game of the season either). Murty's not signed. Mills is still a youngster and adapting. Lloyd James is more suited to midfield. Luckily we picked up Harding. Hardly tons a defenders. Especially first choice. Get an injury or 2 (as we always seem to with our physios) and we're in the mire. Central defenders being the key area.

That's by far your funniest post I've had a link to in ages (and adds light to a much maligned tenure of Lowe/Wilde). Best way to be, laugh it off, or we'd all despair. Fortunately, the Lowe Party's vice like stranglehold on our club has now been prised free allowing them to fall. A bright new dawn awaits us...

Indeed although I don't think he's as much of a "banker" as the previous incompetent incumbent!

Nope, as mentioned above. The shady ref keeping play running until Arsenal scored. Unbelievable! It's like the classic Old Trafford ref. I'd be more than happy with a tall, strong f*cker like Jaidi marshalling the defence. God knows we need it! Unless you're back from the Brighton weekend, I'm hoping you're meaning worth signing?! LOL Sorry, couldn't resist that. Tongue firmly in cheeky (nor further pun intended btw!). Saeijs and AN Another would certainly give us more options. I realise our squad is thread bare and weak but I'm quietly confident for this season. It will be a season of consolidation and anything extra is a bonus, being fair and considering the state in which the squad was left to diminish. Clearly, we do need a good start to prevent the inexperienced younger heads dropping early on and the mental fragility so often inherent in younger squads. However, too much emphasis on this may also be counter-productive. From what we know, we don't often give up (despite results) and seem to have some good foundations mentally. It's now just a case of realising the potential highlights of our young/reserve team squad, correctly nurtured by bringing in the more experienced and reliable professionals as so many (including myself) insisted was needed to avoid the subsequent relegation and reconstruction of the Saints squad. In Pardew we trust!

Fair point & I too remember that p*ss take of a big club influenced official...scandlous!!

Wouldn't the game actually finish at just gone 2:30pm, from a 12:45pm kick off?! Pedantic or attention to detail?! You decide... ;0)

So sad. A true gent & great ambassador to football. The nicest man in football, period. RIP Sir Bobby. Sorely missed, never forgotten! (Met him at my first England international at Wembley when he came to sign our autographs!)

No you don't. You love being smug! ;o)

I've amended your post for you! Typo! Once again, the old and unwelcome Lowe attitude of making barbed comments toward the fans. We're trying to flush away that arrogant scorn (down that toilet with the old regime and their fundamentally flawed & failed strategies!) so let it go. A bright new dawn and all that... As you say, waiting for long term success is "dependent on having a patient and supportive fan base". In my post above I illustrated the justified cynicism towards the old regime. They couldn't do much more wrong. However, like most of the club predecessors (boards and management), Pardew and Liebherr will be supported based upon their actions and decisions. It's only when poor decisions are consistently made, chairmen meddle in areas outside of their knowledge/competency and the fan base are disregarded and treated with utter scorn, combined with the poor, uncommitted and clueless performances on the football pitch...that's when the fans have their patience tested. FWIW, I think our fans have been incredibly patient and restrained considering the treatment over the past years. Only now are people uncovering (and revealing) the full extent of the blunder years - The disastrous tenure of Lowe Wilde and how they very nearly destroyed our once proud and great football club. [N.B. I am now adopting "The Blunder Years" as the title for the Lowe and Lowe/Wilde tenures collectively.]

Fair enough. Generally, there are exceptions but I'd say 75 - 80% are, as you state, probably cr*p. Whilst I have a point, I reflected on the 'British Players out of contract' and tend to agree with you that most are out of contract for a reason. Wages or ability mainly.

Yeah right! Quite annoying usually as there's a Press conf. thread every couple of days on here and I remember there being about...2% of the supposed claims that actually materialised. Generally, when there's a press conference, it's announced to the press (not just an internet blag board!)

Saw Stern having a rather light & healthy meal down Oxford St tonight & he must be wanting that new contract (has he actually signed yet? Forgot to ask!) as it looks like he's lost loads of weight! Bin Saga & Rasiak - get someone who can run/play off Stern!