Gordon Mockles

There was nothing wrong with Bellemoor's English teachers when I was there! Very good teachers imho. Gone down the pan since we left though! shame!

I'm going to Scotland tomorrow. That's near enough to Plymouth innit?! Welllllll, I'll give him a lift!

Really? You’d favour Kelvin Davies or Bart over Richard Wright then? Ok! Furthermore, although not a big fan, Rasiak does get goals and Saga would serve a purpose (certainly with our total lack of firepower currently). Safri was a useful player and marshalled the midfield well and had good experience (I rated him with Davies as the other of our best players and our squad clearly looked weaker for it when he was out mid-season). Although not a great player, Licka did enough to warrant a place and can’t have been a pricey player. Lucketti came along and clearly made a difference and helped keep us up. Bizarre to totally dismiss that side. Even though Idiakez had his injury problems, he was often the only creative part (bar Surman who was largely absent end of the season) of the midfield and often the only forward thinking player (in the centre) that fired balls forward for attacking impetus. Not 100% but on a good few occasions which people seem to conveniently forget – Bristol Rovers being an example despite him being subbed and a p*ss poor performance) Just thought I’d give my ten pence worth! WHAT? Thrashed like Cardiff and Birmingham?! Performing like “that” ? Agreed, they were often poor but a good portion of our squad’s total disarray was down to a certain p*ssed up, demotivating manager (not forfeiting blame to the players either) and Pearson came along and made a big difference. Not adverse to an overhaul? How can you be so blasé and, as a well placed post yesterday stated, happy clappy (i.e. happily swallowing poor decision after poor decision, making out it’s not bad when clearly to the vast detriment of our club). That’s the same demented ethos as those Deal or No Deal people that lose 250K and comment “It’s alright, It’s alright – I’m not upset!”. “YES YOU F*CKIN ARE! YES YOU BLO*DY SHOULD BE!!! YOU’VE JUST BLOWN 250 GRAND FOR THE MEASLY SUM OF 1p! How can you not be p*ssed off? Stop being in denial - ADMIT IT!!” LOL :smt119 That hypothetical example, young Nicholas, is a bit wide of the mark.

Completely agree. I have actually changed my opinion from past seasons in that Kelvin is better than Bart, not that I'm a huge fan of either but best of a bad bunch. Kelvin was showing better form last season prior to Wright's arrival. Having had more time watching Bart, I can safely comment he isn't up to much imho. He's shakey and doesn't fill me with confidence (It's probably his lack of decent positioning in the box and general reactions/reading of the game - key assets of a keeper - that worry me). He just doesn't look that great and I believe the earlier hype was just that...hype. Leaving just the inexperienced pair, Bart and Forecast, is extremely dangerous and YET ANOTHER suicidal move in relying on a youth heavy squad (now looking 95% kids). Not against kids having their chance (liked some of the movement) but the percentage we have gone and seem still going towards seems ridiculous in this league (with very few older, more experienced and stable heads for when the long slog gets tougher, come crunch times around come Feb/March - May. Remember kids tire more than players at their peak – say 25-30yr olds). Maybe we’ll get some more loans cos we’re so desperately thin on players (forget the finance talk for 5mins!) Let’s hope we have some luck and very few injuries this season. I am bricking it!

As I said previously Nick...Why the stiff upper lip? Things aren't good, are they?! Yet you continue to wobble on that fence. Why????? http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=736 You may have missed this thread. Really curious as to your stance on Saints so please could you answer?! Seriously - I am bemused as to your care free responses, continually defending the club. Is it a talent, an autocue, or just plain mental?!

Nick - Are you now an official ambassador for the club?! Do you do match day hospitality as well?! Maybe you should. Seriously. I don't know many Saints fans that are so tolerant as you. Not so much in this post, you've barely said much but I'm talking about your general posts and your bewildering defence of the current management regime. Just pondered the point. Even in the most adverse circumstances (in which 99% of fans would burst a blood vessel and give up and go home due to the actions of our club) you somehow manage to defend the club and put on a brave face. You do not let matters effect your own, personal standards for the club, You accept the actions of the Chairman/Directors and happily plough on, rarely getting emotional or overly concerned about our continually spiralling, downwards plight. Seriously - why? I am not sure whether you are one of those people that just accept what you're given (on the pitch), whether you're easily pleased, whether you're fed up but sit on the fence for an easy life, whether you don't have much ambition (or do but just don't show it), whether you truly believe all you type in favour of the board or are swayed, whether you're actually happy with current events - the remaining departures of any discernible talent (in current form anyway) and you DO believe we will succeed?! I don't know. I hope we do survive or succeed somehow but I don't seriously believe it (not with having lost every senior player of worth bar Svensson & John). Where are you coming from? Seriously - I started the penultimate paragraph tongue in cheek (no, not like that! I'll leave that to the forum plants! LOL) but I am honestly unsure as to where you're coming from at times. Do you not think of how far we've fallen and find it totally unacceptable? I know I do. Surely we should set our standards higher but this worn out "we have no money line" is the now obligatory excuse for dismantling our club before our very eyes and sending us to oblivion (despite signing some kids). In all honesty, I am starting to give up caring. It saves the heart ache. I just truly hope none of these actions are of spite from any faction. Anyone with sense must realise, kids can do so much but with no senior players and established talent/experience we are condemming ourselves to first division football, then look at the gates vanish along with our club. Thanks a f*ckin bunch guys! **** up FC!

You're right. He did have a poor game and was muscled about second half (along with most of the squad bar Svensson and Perry) and didn't seem to be on his game. He didn't make much impact. I'd have subbed him if we had cover but we seriously lacked any attacking impetus anyhow on the bench which was Poorvliet's first crucial mistake imho. We need to be more dominant in the centre of the park. Early days to judge Morgan but I'd be keen to see Wotton play, merely to compare with his CCC experience and age. I hope we don't pass flank to flank the majority of the game, leaving holes in the middle again with no forward men available for penetrating balls/crosses. We seriously lacked shape second half against Brum and had no spearhead of attack (or striker). It was like an H formation, Mc Goldrick was even sitting back for long periods as Brum powered through our obvious weakness (full back positions). Early days I know but we've not much time to learn, we need results to breed confidence or it's all incidental.

Wilde did nothing but f*ck up, Burley too. How Burley got away with it for so long is down to Wilde amongst others. They ALL have a lot to answer for: Askham & Lowe started ALL THIS, Wilde, Hone, esq. Crouch... 1.3 million - Derisory. Take away agents fees, lay off time and other costs – very poor business (disregarding idiotic baiting comments like from that insignificant Scooby weirdo) and we’ve lost our best player. I truly hope there was a contract clause but I doubt we’ll be graced with much information. Game, set and match. Reserve team FC will struggle with inexperienced heads against journey men and strong, physical matches. Maybe division one if the agenda, pick us up even cheaper. Especially now we’ve got rid of one of our greatest ball winners and strong tackling/no-nonsense defenders (especially seeing as we’re critically weak in EVERY area, but more so defence) Good business Lowe! What a sad, SAD day for SFC. How anyone can react positively to this is beyond me – this is the final nail in the coffin and an absolutely ludicrous risk with Svensson (you knew it from the Echo hype instructed by the club) and the frequency & succession of games in this league. Suicide. The bank wants money?! Is this the worn out line we get after every p*ss take decision?! Have the f*ckin directors and shady share holders fund Davies – they’ve made enough from the club (or is the plan to make that little bit more?! Lowe’s axis of evil) Complete joke! Surman will probably leave too and we’ll be left with Burley’s Blunders on great contracts. That man has a lot to answer for. I hope the late nights out drinking, letting the players party and not train (while out chasing women), were worth it!!

Lighten up! I don’t think Long Shot was illustrating a direct comparison – more a grave matter in football equivalent terms. Obviously managerial decisions do not compare to warm crimes – but they are almost criminal negligence and incompetency in the world of football. I’d say with our club, the paraody works as a euphemism!

That’s a brilliant post! Echoes the sentiments of many (other than the plethora of PR plants and fence sitters on this forum). No offence to the genuine fans, I applaud your continual support against such trying times. I’ll try not to be too emotional and not use too many adjectives but, I fear, I will fail (as Saints runs deep in my blood and it will be nigh on impossible not to over-opinionated against such bizarre adversity). Sorry guys and girls. I must admit, I chuckled at the reactionary statement of the OS article by Poortvliet (Jan clarifies the situation – i.e. “Jan reads another autocue written by Heir Lowe”) http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/articles/article.php?page_id=10457 Perhaps, If Lowe and Wilde took less time reading this f*ckin forum and as much time caring and considering football matters, we’d not be in this mess in the first place. Forget the blame game, the egos and power control. They try and manipulate public opinion with pathetic press statements, sound bites and website nonsense whilst bad decision after bad decision is made on and off the field to the final destruction of our club. I thought we had reached rock bottom – nope! Pre-season optimism shattered in one weekend (mainly due to the Davies news – I can live with the result Saturday if we improve but it all hangs on tenter hooks, especially with Svensson’s health and no back up). Is learning banned at St Mary’s?! That OS article is almost entirely reactionary to most of the comments raised on TSW (which I read over the weekend). Laughable. Complete b*llsh*t too in my opinion. Insult our intelligence so more, why don’t you?! Fire fighting. I bet Jan will have to think twice before speaking honestly again seeing as that goes against the current remit of the in-house regime. Especially seeing as Askham is back on the scene. I don’t know about the rest of you but is anyone sick to the back teeth of the worn out line “getting rid of the high earners” ??? (i.e. reasonably paid professionals). I know I am. Davies was brought in later so wasn’t one of Burley’s ‘special’ deals and is by far our best player and the backlash may well be great, especially with Surman too. Nervous times. There are too many inconsistencies and I don’t understand why we have to sell the top performing professionals (for this example – Davies) whilst we are signing kids like Schniederlin. Ok, we farm players and ARE a feeder club but Davies could have attracted much more money himself. What we will lose from his sale will be far greater than a mere 200-500K profit (i.e. attendances and back lash). Maybe it will keep the directors expenses going at least until Xmas?! Maybe this was a revenge mission?! Who knows. I am not totally condemning the board but, be honest, cynicism isn’t unfounded. Just look at their track record. If the current board were that concerned about the actual existence of the club, seeing as none are short of money, maybe some form of personal investment could assist (like the elusive 2 million Mr “Words have no meaning from me” Wilde professed to donate to the club in the early days of his incompetent reign) They have many shares – it would protect their investment. Would that not be prudent in such dire circumstances?! Maybe not drawing a salary would be a start. No? Maybe they have another agenda – admin and a cheap club? Speculative but not a ridiculous assumption?! Enough politics anyway. I digress. I am deeply upset and disappointed with our board. Hugely. Bank requirements or not, I don’t trust what we are told and we are likely to have any contentious information swept well away with Lowe at the helm. I bemoan our management but love the team, the club. I always come back, despite saying otherwise. I enjoyed the first half Saturday but my fears came to fruition second half (check my old posts about full backs needed, being too lightweight and needing firepower – we had no strikers on the bench! Stupid imho and we showed it by trailing and having no player in a forward position. CRAZY tactics) I fear we haven’t fallen, we have burnt out. If Davies is gone, then so have our survival hopes. Sorry to sound doom and gloom but if you hold more optimism than me, you’re a good person to be positive but, no offence (meant in the nicest way), deluded. God bless our Saints and may they rest in peace (pieces).

Very well said although I now fear it is too late if Davies has gone. Shocking. Stupid. Suicidal. Sealed our fate. What a shambles!

Absolutely unbelievable. I am livid. So, Safri gone. Now they've sold the last remaining player of noticable talent (not wishing to insult the other players but these 2 were the difference to our squad imho, bar Killer). In the alleged Andy Davies sale, we have lost our best player and the board have gone against all they have stated - keeping young, hungry, talented players. He was the epitome of committment and hunger, the untruthful words the board mentioned "the club were so keen to keep and develop". We all know their words are meaningless. They should just not speak, then we'd know they're not lying. I am astounded but not totally surprised. Lowe's Lowe and any player who is saleable will be sold. We knew that but feared this decision was too ludicrous for even Wilde and Lowe to sanction. I just fail to understand why when we have no back up and what help 500k is when we could get so much more for Davies. Svensson is risky (great to see him back today, must admit) and Perry good for back up. Thomas is so so. From a weak area of the squad (defence - today showed how frail we are at FULL BACK POSITIONS as I have continuously bemoaned but nothing is done to rectify the situation, the opposite), why weaken it more, not even considering our terrible injury record and our physio who seems to lay players off twice as long as many clubs. Ridiculous decision to sell and terrible timing. Cynical but astute (I feel) with the timing. Season tickets sold, season starts, (they've known he was going for ages, hence no appearances. Let us not forget, he only fractured a cheeky bone, not muscular injury), no friendlies for Davies, Davies SOLD. Unreal!! Massive risk on Svensson and a ludicrous gamble. Least they learnt from Delgado, esq. (Don't gamble on injury risk players) I am very concerened how the OS states Poortvliet didn't know about it which, again, brings up that worrying thought - who is meddling with affairs and transfers and WHY does the head coach NOT KNOW player transfer movements?! (esp. of his best players) If all is true. I suspect it is. Is Jan that laid back a yes man to not be concerned?! Has Lowe got some incriminating photos of Jan?! I don't understand how the management have this hold over Poortvliet or why he is happy to accept this treatment. I would be fuming and the fact that he is not (in the press anyway) reacting worries me greatly. The attendance wasn't great today and the camel's back has probably been broken several times with our shambolic club management but this will certainly add to the St Mary's gloom and discontent which (sorry to say) will inevtiably envelop our sorry club. What a joke! We could have got 4-5 million (more in the future as he's only 23) for Andrew as he's a quality defender, strong, committed, strong in the air and a leader (something we have lacked for too long) in defence and they are hard to come by, especially in the Championhip. I do hope the management realise the damage to the club this move has caused and the huge implications and expected aftermath. They obviously don't give a sh*t about the general fans, that much is clear. 1.5 Million for our best player is a scandal. I thought money was a problem so why are we selling the family silver for the first derisory offer that comes along!?! SHOCKING!! My pre-season optimism lasted until....today. I enjoyed some of our passing and movement today. Was a joy on occasions and we missed some good chances. Although, I disagree with Jan in that I thought we passed better first half, not second. Also, second half we showed our lack of experience, tiredness and didn't seem to have a centre forward (or no-one in position) or any attacking prowess which seemed crazy seeing as we were losing. We have strikers yet none on the bench. CRAZY! That final third thing again. We passed flank to flank, had huge holes in the middle of the park and lost it more often second half and seemed to get terrorised in the full back positions (esp. against Surman who may have been figured out now - not a defender, slow and not a natural ball winner). Not being smug but expected really, when you consider we desperately NEEDED FULL BACKS, are critically short in defence and have now, apparently, sold our best defender (bar Svensson which wasn't planned anyway). We need more experience and battling, ball winners who aren't out-muscled. We will improve but we don't have time to gamble, but we knew this already. I was pleased with the passing and movement in stages but we did confirm my reservations today, we are too young and inexperienced and frequently out-muscled and pushed off the ball. We need a takeover as this management team will finish our club off. Shambolic decision to sell Davies and the final 2 fingers to the fans imho. Very, VERY disappointed!

The vultures circling the rotting carcass that was once SFC.

that's amazing news! Hope she comes & she hears cheer, not sighing! We'd cheer for her indeed. You should get em to shout out at half time on the tannoy! We'd cheer!

Too quick for me Trousers. Do you live on this forum investigative, roving reporter? Ignore my post - Was told not to post info. up so shouldn't have been so quick to act. Don't read too much into it. Not an attention seeking post as you should know me better than that but was merely passing on what I'd heard but let's move on. Brum Sat - I'm going. Let's talk tactics & formations instead. Really keen to see the new kids, pass my judgement. Morgan, Holmes, esq.

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Well, I’ve been away in Marbella and now back and talking with people along the way (with much more money than me) and I feel something could well be imminent very soon. Who knows, neck on the block but something to keep people interested. Don’t shoot the messenger or ask for sources, just watch the press as I am just another nobody on an internet forum but….I’ve a funny feeling there’s more strength to these words this time. Merely my own meandering judgement! Got to use my posts wisely!