derry

I didn't welcome him as the manager as I wasn't impressed by his recent record and the way his teams played. At West Ham he was given two of the best players in the world, Tevez and Mascherano and didn't have a clue how to use them. the rest is history and they sacked him as did Charlton after the fiasco there. The team for long periods in the last two games was a shapeless mess. And now excuses which are par for the course. The trouble for him, is he's had his season of bedding in and if he doesn't get the results going and start demonstrating the 'Southampton' style he will be gone. I hope he gets it right but I'm pretty sure he won't.

IMO it's the manager, if he communicates excuses and pressures, the players will respond that way. item 2 - definitely.

I've just seen today's Echo. Pardew is saying the team is feeling the pressure of being early favourites. Now I know the man is an incompetent fool. Last year we had all the excuses trotted out, no preseason, poor squad, -10 points, the team effected by the negative points etc, now FFS we are the favourites with a bloody good squad, good gates, no debts, one of the few clubs not in debt and now this poor imitation of a football manager now wants to be cut some slack because we are too good but can't cope with the pressure. I thought that was his job to sort that out, up to now all we have to show is a complacent, low key pre season, that has left us unready for the combat of the season, one point from two home games, and out comes the stupidity. Well for me Alan you have run out of time, either get on an get this collection of talent playing or go, but don't insult us with inane excuses.

Put this up in lights and stick it on the front of SMS. It's where we are folks.

Hammond and Schneiderlin are unfortunately one trick ponies who between them add up to one decent midfielder. Hammond, scores the odd goal and defends but can't pass, Schneiderlin passes sideways and backwards and doesn't score. Both of them need to step up to the plate and get out of their relative comfort zones. Hammond needs to be more dynamic and start passing the ball and Schneiderlin needs to start getting forward and running beyond the strikers. Holding midfielders are a luxury we don't need and we don't need the wide men in the middle trying to do the running up the middle that Hammond and Schneiderlin should be doing, they are our attacking and passing outlets and it's no good if they aren't wide to receive the ball. That's how we become the shapeless mess we were for 70 minutes yesterday.

Regarding Pardew, why don't we just wait and see. If Cortese is happy with the working relationship and the achievements Pardew will stay, on the other hand if the relationship isn't working or the achievements aren't satisfactory as perceived by Cortese Pardew will go.

As a matter of interest Bolton who we play on Tuesday have had a decent start. They had a six week pre season and played 8 first team matches in the middle four weeks, 3 in the US, Rochdale and Oldham, then to Scotland against Falkirk and St Johnston who were well ahead in their preparations, finishing up with a game against Osasuna. We on the other hand played Thun and Sochaux early on, apart from Barnet and finally Reading our other games were non league stroll outs. All the games were played with virtually two teams the second of which was made up of youth/young players who, apart from OC will probably not be seen again. Until the Plymouth game the first team didn't play together as a team because of the 45 minute mix and match. Apart from inclusion playing the kids detracted from the preparation. No wonder we have had a poor start it was a poor preparation.

I wonder how much influence Les Reed is having.

True or not I haven't a clue but the word 'disillusioned' has been mentioned. The answer to my question 'why doesn't he just go then if he feels like that' was 'compensation'.

I don't know but it could be. The point however was that he was playing in Fiorentina's first team. I wish he had stayed here but Pardew didn't want him, anyway I don't think he was that keen on staying with Pardew as manager.

The person who told me thought the game mentioned was European, as I said not verified.

Firstly, we looked a decent team until Orient equalised, with a pretty decent shape and a lot of confidence, the ingredients of a good performance. Then what happened, for over an hour we were a shapeless mess. Lallana and Puncheon narrow and crowded out, Schneiderlin totally unambitious playing the obvious square ball or pass back, Hammond - did he play? So that takes care of a totally impotent midfield. Up front Lambert kept getting dragged out of the middle where we needed him but questions needed to be asked whether Barnard and Lambert are a pair, as well and as much as Barnard tried. The Back four was reasonable but Davis is giving them nightmares despite his obvious only abilities to shot stop and kick it long. Secondly everybody said this summer 'no excuses this season', for me time has run out for Pardew, today we desperately needed intervention, instead we got a spectator manager. The team was obviously struggling with no width, trying to kick the door down, hitting plenty of Lloyd James type crosses from way out, mostly to the goalkeeper but pretty inneffective. So what did he do first, FFS he put Barnard who has no pace and doesn't take people on wide left and put Lallana inside where he had been for most of the second half anyway. If he wanted to put Lallana up the middle he needed to bring Oxlade-Chamberlain on wide right and Puncheon wide left. When he did make a change with a few minutes left I wouldn't argue with Hammond off and Puncheon in the middle and Connolly for Barnard with O-C wide right. Thirdly we may be close to seeing some signings. I heard a rumour that there are possibly three in the pipeline, and with Pardew's refusal to comment rather than making the usual bland remark about hoping to strengthen the squad, it wouldn't surprise me if there wasn't some substance in this. Then again we need to get the players we have, playing as a team. In the absence of obvious new signings I would like to see some radical thinking. I would like to see some changes. Bialkowski given a run, Seaborne at centre back beside Jaidi/Martin with Fonte as a central midfielder with Puncheon, Lallana and O-C wide. I can't see past Lambert and Barnard or Connolly. I like the way Fonte bursts forward, we need to be getting the two midfielders running beyond the strikers instead of just passively sitting deep. I have been really impressed with Eddie Howe and find Pardew inneffectual by comparison. One big criticism, we had an option to purchase Waigo but Pardew didn't fancy him. I was told today he is playing in Fiorentina's first team and laid on a goal this week. Not good enough for Pardew but good enough for serie A. We could have used him. (I haven't verified this but the source is reliable)

PCFC will be liquidated in June and New Co will take over. The forensic investigation will begin with HMRC/court overview which will keep us going in the close season. In the meantime aren't the parachute payments to be used to settle the £22.3m of football debt frozen pending the HMRC v EPL court case? So if the football debt isn't settled in full where does that leave PCFC in the interim? In any event the £48m to be normally paid to a relegated club is first two years £16m each, final two years £8m each, however haven't PCFC already been advanced about £11m to keep them going? Wouldn't that mean that the football debt, even if the EPL win their case, can't be settled until August 2012, so how is that going to work regarding the coming out of administration. Just to make things a little more precarious, aren't Mandaric and Redknapp then Storrie in the Criminal court in October or thereabouts to answer charges regarding illegal payments to avoid tax?

Years ago we had a good education system. At 11 the brighter kids went to grammer schools, the remainder to secondary moderns. Then late developers were transferred to grammer schools and good GCE 'O' level results got them to the grammer school sixth forms. Most firms ran apprenticeship schemes and the professions had articled pupils with 5 'O' levels. The academic kids were catered for as were the practical kids but the Labour government wanted equality. It was better to have a crap education system than allow streaming. Which is where we are now. Parents sometimes can't afford private education for their kids but give up luxuries to send their kids to a good school. And anybody who can afford it would be stupid not to give their kids an edge. It won't happen but the old system was a whole lot better than the present fiasco.

I think the Leibherr family with their reputations and business ethics together with about £2500m in assets and no debts are hardly third division back street traders that seem to be attracted by PCFC. This is also the way the club is being run, free of debt with no borrowing allowed. As The whole thing was bought for about £13m, owns a nearly new stadium, building a state of the art training complex, owns 41 acres at Hedge End it wouldn't need to be asset stripped. Debt free it could be sold for a tidy sum. But I ask myself if somebody worth £2.5bn would really be interested in selling off a tidy little asset that could be worth a lot of money in a few years time. With the club's cash flow and comparatively low overheads with no mortgage or borrowings it is a very easily managed asset.

It wasn't meant as anything but a footnote. Still working there in the job she wanted. the comment was really I didn't know that NC's PA had left and thought she was still doing the job.

Initially he used Oldknow's PA, then last season he recruited one for himself who was brought up to speed by Oldknow's PA, who after Oldknow left, was treated really well by NC and given the chance to do a job she wanted. She speaks well of NC and is intensely loyal and doesn't discuss the club's business with anyone, even her parents who sit by me. I didn't know NC's PA had left.

Well he certainly looks like HCDAJFU now. Apart from Fonte he looks better than anybody we've got. I do remember him but he never had a real chance to play for us however he played for the Hungarian champions I believe but wanted to play in England.

Congratulations 'G', pure genius is always the simplest, but it still needs to be thought out. WIFM.

Oldknow was brought in by NC because of his previous with SFC. He also cleared his desk and left in a hurry. It would be a major U turn by NC. We all know NC doesn't do U turns.

If you want everybody in the stadium to sing it has to be one that everybody knows and feels comfortable with. Once the noisy side starts it off unless the rest know the words they won't/can't join in so it will just be the usual Northam/back of the Itchen north. There really is only one tune WTSGMI that everybody would sing.

The whole ground singing "The 'Saint' goes marching in". followed by his name.

I am very sad that Markus has died. Of course there are questions but as far as I am concerned these can wait until we have adequately mourned our loss and given due respect to his family. In due course and at an appropriate time the future will become clearer, until then I can wait. Rest in peace and Thankyou.