derry

A lot of people on here seem to think that it was Reed interfering with Pardew's responsibilities, if anything it was the other way round. Pardew was old fashioned and didn't buy into the technology etc available to the club yet he did try and dictate how the development teams should play. It sounds like this is a much more valid reason especially as there have been reports that some of the development employees threatened resignation and cited their inability to work with Pardew's interference. It seems that the structure put in place feeds through Cortese and neither Reed's or the Manager's departments are connected except through the higher authority. As there is a stated ambition to play an attractive brand of football it is this which will connect the clubs development side and first team together so that the style is all important and initially the manager will promote that style but should he go there will be no change in emphasis as another will be brought in to carry this on. There will no longer be the ability of each manager to introduce a new style and so have to have a big turnover of players to accommodate the change. What Cortese is trying to do is perpetuate a style if necessary lose a manager but not have to change the squad.

I didn't like the style of football that the team regularly reverted to. I liked Waigo for his pace and unpredictability, Pardew didn't rate him. I didn't like the emphasis on passing back to Davis followed by 20 players trooping to the far corner and Davis launching it. I didn't like the narrow set up of the midfield along with the lack of mobility of the central two. I didn't like the lack of movement at corners and nobody positioned off the back post for overhit corners. I didn't like the goalkeeper staying rooted to his goal line at defensive corners which allowed the opposition to swing the ball into the goal area which was difficult to defend. I didn't rate Pardew as a manager and was underwhelmed when he was appointed, his sacking from his previous jobs plus the fall out from Charlton was hardly a good reference. I have nothing against the man from a behaviour point of view, nonetheless I am relieved he has gone. I hope that we are going to get in a manager that believes in the sort of mobile attacking football I enjoy watching.

Well at the very least talking about them.

Deppo was one of those sending ITK pms it could well be a cryptic clue. O'Neil Saints Manager. I prefer to wait and see.

Bill, I think people are looking too hard for scapegoats. I put the question of this scenario to the CEO of a massive company yesterday. He said if the manager wasn't co-operating with the structure being set in place he would have to be dispensed with. Cortese is trying to build from the bottom up and the manager needs to buy into the structure or go. At the Plymouth game I was told he didn't want to stay and would be gone by Christmas, I asked why doesn't he just go then, the answer , simple, compensation yet again. That's three sackings in a row for Pardew, some CV. From what I've heard the interference wasn't Reed over Pardew it was the other way round.

Bert, Adkin has been around a long time he is only four years younger than Pardew but as far as I can tell a whole lot smarter.

Operation support manager?

To be fair to Cortese it sounds to me that he did his best not to sack Pardew and realises that constant change isn't good. There are lots of candidates but very few that could fit the bill, Adkins is the sort of intelligent manager that probably could. I'm not sure that Phil Brown would.

I can't believe some of the crap from people that talk about names but clearly have absolutely no idea about their qualities or history. If it was down to most people on this site neither Ted Bates or Lawrie McMenemy would have been given a chance and they were the bedrock that created this club managing for 30 years. Like O'Driscoll, Adkins has a good reputation for loyalty, yes, loyalty, and playing proper football. He was caretaker manager from Nov 2006 after 10 years as physio and immediately won div one and was made permanent, relegated then promoted again and stayed this time in the NPC. It would be well to remember that a physio took on a first division club and did the double when the FA Cup meant something.

I have every right to dislike the way Pardew set up his teams. If he was as good as you obviously think, he would still be here. Get over it, he's gone and good riddance.

Except that last season I thought he joined after the loan window opened.

Waigo isn't in the Fiorentina first team squad of 28 for this season's serie A.

Waigo and Antonio and Puncheon got to the byeline and provided decent chances at times last year.

Rochdale beat us because they worked us out and defended well. Then they had a decent skipper that kept things going and was decisive in midfield unlike ours.

I've never understood how they can be allowed to be so one dimensional. That run was unusual for him but it should be the norm, as you say Hammond is another matter.

I'd sooner it was now rather than halfway through the season. At least we have time to recover.

It will only be the lunatic fringe led by the lunatics the great majority won't want to know, especially once a new manager arrives and we recruit some more players. Cortese isn't going to let this season drift away.

I was involved with the appeal on here, a couple from here were with me, Nick Illingsworth asked me plus three from 'Save Our Saints' group that we had combined with plus those named. Chorley, O'Callaghan, McMillan and Foley were the SISA people who had organised the meeting. It was when they wanted to arrange a fans buyout, I told them to go to hell which I think just summed up what everybody there thought so nothing happened. I think it's just the four of them and this is an attempt to rabble rouse and lead a revolt. Like I said they can go to hell. What idiot would contemplate following those idiots anywhere.

Looks like it was only you, me, Weston and Clfford that saw that.

Lawrie McMenemy, Leon Crouch, Mary Corbett, Alan Whitehouse, Soton Councillors etc were there, it was embarrassing.

It's because we play the Pardew way, narrow, attacking the central defence with frontal assault and two sitting midfielders. Until we get to the bylines and turn the defenders whilst the strikers try and decoy the defenders out of the centre with the other three midfielders driving into the penalty area we will struggle to beat teams at home.

I know from one of the players that he still has a groin injury, isn't fully training so a little overweight. Have you heard about possibility of an op or is that just a guess?

Why don't we win at home it's a no brainer FFS. Lambert isn't fit - leave him out until he is fully fit. Play the wide midfielders out on the touch lines and go for the byeline. If necessary until Lambert is fit and Barnard is back play Puncheon up with Connolly purely for the movement. Whilst the wide player is going for the byeline the strikers should be trying to pull the central defenders out of the middle and simultaneously the two central midfielders and the wide player on the blind side should be driving into the goal area to try and overload the defenders. Our biggest fault is the slow buildup allowing the defence to mass then trying to batter the door down by attacking inside which compacts an already massed defence. The away team strategy of nullifying our pedestrian attacks is working, we have to strike quicker and turn the defenders.

Never mind the comparison with LA Tim. The real genius bit was the simplicity of the analysis which is what football strategy is all about, something SFC haven't a bloody clue about, either now or in the last year.

Wasn't it just.