derry

Without doubt Kelvin Davis is a first class shotstopper but is deficient in most other areas. He doesn't dominate his goal area, looks tentative under pressure and when the ball is passed to him, his distribution is appalling and he only belts it long, the very thing we are trying not to do and only adds to the hoofball. We need to build from the back, last night in the second half we hardly passed the ball at all. We need Davis to get his act together and start passing/throwing the ball to defenders who have to come looking for it, which doesn't happen, as he almost always delays and ignores options, to kick long which mostly gives the ball away.

Weston summed it up nicely for me. I was delighted with the team picked mainly because of Thomas at right back and Harding restored, together with Hammond in midfield. The best thing was the playing of Waigo who in my opinion was easily the best player on the pitch in his natural position, that together with Antonio on the right gave us pace up front. We played them off the park in the first half and could have been out of sight. What I didn't like and in my opinion was the cause of the second half negativity, was the tucking in of Antonio and Lallana forcing us to hit balls straight at the front two which put us back to square one. The manager, probably because of the criticism picked for once a team that wasn't a compromise which was great, but he should have left it to continue instead of going safety first. It is this compromising and negativity that is stopping us from being the side that we could be.

The premier league automatically, on the club entering administration, dock the 9 points. In the same way Cry Pal were deducted 10 points by the FL immediately.

I saw that, but one only has to look at the way United cut teams up, down the lines with runners through the middle overloading the defense in the penalty area. For the attack through the middle there has to be wide options. The difference is exceptional pace, once the wide player gets behind the defenders the defenders are dragged across and can't double bank. It's only with conventional players passing the ball that gives the defenders time to double bank, real paceand a direct approach upsets this concept.

I would expect the wide players to track the full backs as it is always done. I would prefer the wide players to stay up and not track the full backs as it wouldn't be very long because of the pace that the full backs wouldn't go forward at all. I would of course like a stronger midfield and at the moment like to see Gillett given a go. The other thing that Pardew does and I think it is a major factor in conceding goals from corners is bringing all 10 outfield players back. Nobody will ever convince me that Waigo, Antonio, Lallana indeed nearly all attackers can mark effectively at corners. All it does is put fifteen or sixteen players in and around the six yd box, leaving congestion and little chance for the best headers of the ball to have the room to attack it without being baulked. If we left three up the opponents would have to leave four back to cover. Two more would have to drop outside the area, one has to take the kick, that only leaves three to attack the ball. Two defenders on the posts, three marking tight and the two best headers of the ball free with the room to go for the ball. It would also free up space for our linebound goalkeeper to be able to be more proactive in taking crosses.

If we had Puncheon, Waigo and Antonio plus Lambert in the same team it would make it much more difficult for teams to overpower the central midfield. Because of the pace the defenders/midfielders would have to be much more defensive. This applies even more away, as the tendency for home sides to be more open would make them even more vulnerable.

We needed a good central midfielder, a right back, another centre back and a natural quick left midfielder. We didn't get the first, the jury is still out on the second, the centre back reinforcement was good and allegedly we signed the left midfielder. Pardew played the left midfielder up the middle to accommodate Lallana, and Waigo who was brilliant up front v Stockport was wide right. I felt these were bad decisions. Gillett despite performing well at a higher level was out of the squad and James was shoehorned in. Antonio who was part of the good attacking performance with Waigo was dropped. It is this tinkering, playing players out of their best positions, preferring to pick certain players every match and putting them in somewhere, that as much as any thing is contributing to the poor performances. Compromising when selecting a team and putting in players that don't mix always leads to poor performances.

One of my regular golf partners went to dinner the other night with a well respected ex director (I'll tell you who tomorrow evening). He was quite open about that and confirmed a figure which Ron had already mentioned to me. In general terms a pretty good lottery jackpot.

Bristol Rovers, Northampton and MKD were good examples. We matched Norwich and got a draw at full time. As you say home advantage and poorer opponents sure helps.

I talked purely about results in the league, it is an exact precis results wise where we are now. I've just told you why we were better in the one offs, we gave it a go. It's the league that is the issue and Pardew is being assessed on that. The cups are a side issue and probably a distraction we didn't need despite enjoying the run.

To put a bit of perspective on this, yes we have won 11 games but 10 were against teams in the bottom half of the table. We have beaten only one team in the top half. In fact we have picked up only 10 points against teams in the top half whilst 34 points have been achieved against the bottom half, that really says it all. On Boxing day we were 7 points off the playoffs, 5 games later we are 15 points off the playoffs. If the playoffs weren't deemed achievable on Boxing day only 7 points behind and half the season to go then there was no ambition. I can see exactly where Cortese is coming from, he is absolutely right, from an ideal position we have just about blown it despite unbelievable spending and support. If we had been playing good football there would be some defence for Pardew, but it has been unadulterated rubbish and Cortese and Leibherr can see this as well as anybody. They are not prepared to spend millions on a project and have it ruined by a manager who is a self confessed middle of the road pragmatist. This statement is a wake up call, either get it sorted or I will. Pardew has been negative instead of going for it. In the cups we have had to give it a go and except for Ipswich and Torquay we have upped the tempo and got results. We need to up the tempo now and give it a go if we don't get there at least we will have seen what we can do. What we are playing at the moment won't do it next season either.

NC has given his response to the BBC and he isn't.

What are you on? I personally rate Cortese and like what he is doing. Markus can do what he damn well likes. Pardew on the other hand is halfway down the greasy pole and unless he sorts things out, he will be sooner rather than later on his way.

I have no axe to grind, I don't like the way we play under Pardew. I don't rate the team selections and the way the players are used. I do know that Leibherr and Cortese don't like the way we play because Pardew has admitted it. I know Cortese isn't happy with the results. I feel the same way as we are only beating the mediocre sides in this league and have won once against the top ten.

He may well believe that the players are good and that if Pardew doesn't utilise them satisfactorily then a better manager would.

This is the basic problem. The team is always a compromise, players that pick themselves and a few sacred cows that have to be picked. The team has to be the best collection of players with the tactics tailored to get the best out of them. Not pick a formation and shoehorn the players into it.

The tipping point was the failure to hold the lead in injury time against Millwall. I was told that Cortese had gone ballistic over the fact we had brought in defenders to stop this happening, then Brentford and Exeter conceding from corners. I along with Duncan and Weston had been aware of the pressure mounting from Cortese. I think the performances are seen as not acceptable despite picking up points with the help of free kicks/corners/penalties. We have had recently some really awful displays, I just couldn't see how Markus Leibherr and Cortese were enjoying the performances. Obviously they weren't, as Pardew quoted yesterday admitted as much but stated he would continue to play pragmatically. I suspect that Cortese's public statement is a riposte to this. If Pardew doesn't produce a team that can perform and is obviously going to be the best team in the division by the end of this season, including having a blitz at the playoffs he will be history. It has long been my view that fielding negative teams and scraping wins against mid and lower placed sides from deadball situations whilst leaving talent out wasn't going for it. We really have to also be realistic about our worth as we haven't beaten 9 out of the top ten teams yet. I am pleased that Cortese has grasped this particular nettle.

A realistic assessment of where we are.

The good ones are easier to remember than the bad ones, the good players rather than the nondescripts. Ian White persuaded me into coaching after I broke a leg badly. I hate poor football even if it's internationals. The trouble I have is as soon as I hear the team I can say it is or it isn't going to work. Our team selection is almost always a that isn't going to work and it doesn't. I just wish I could say I like that but it isn't happening. I went to Springhill School opposite the Dell and have supported Saints since 1947 although I didn't go to matches until 1954. I would like Pardew to succeed but at the moment it is a that isn't going to work opinion from me.

Football is a simple game, I go to matches expecting to see the team play football but apart from a spell of about six matches after the BR defeat the football has been dire. I don't rate hoof it up to Lambert as progress, I've got nothing against Pardew but the evidence at the moment is he isn't getting us playing. If we continue to play like this he will lose his job and as far as I'm concerned unless there is a change in tactics I won't miss him. Cortese hasn't got any time for failing and I'm pretty sure will be ruthless if we fall short of his goals. If he sorts this out and the team start to play watchable football then I will support him.

It wasn't so much the changes of Managers, we had some decent ones that performed reasonably or well, Jones, Hoddle, Strachan, however it was the fill ins that caused the problem together with a chairman with wierd ideas culminating in SCW and HR, who should have known he couldn't work with Mr Micro Manager. If it isn't working, it is worse to stay with the problem than change. If we haven't produced a side that is the equal of the top two, irrespective of the finishing position, that with the addition of a strengthened midfield, is going to be the best team in the division next year, Pardew will have failed. We won't have time to build next year after the season starts. Cortese could well feel that before pre season would be the time to change.

I'll put you down for a 'don't know' then.

I didn't say that at all. We aren't performing, we are using a mix of players in two systems, only the MK Dons first leg was a decent performance as opposed to acceptable results in the last two months. The question is, why aren't we playing football as opposed to hit it up to Lambert? I have a view, I have had loads of disagreement, but nobody has put an alternative tactical point other than criticise individual players. It's got nothing to do with putting the clock back it is about our lack of a balanced team. The manager doesn't know the answer as we keep doing more of the same. For me the equation is simple. If players are available wide, immediately a central midfielder receives the ball it can be passed out wide then passed with support from the ajacent full back/midfielder/strikers and time used allows the midfielder/s to break forward. If there is nobody wide the ball has to go back or be hoofed forward. That is the problem and an answer. Furthermore because of the players wide it pulls the defenders over, keeping a wide player on the blindside also stops the other full back tucking in, this creates bigger gaps in the stretched out back four, giving more room for the runners from midfield to get into and pass the ball. How do you think we should get to a passing game from our present situation?

Pretty much says it all.

It is my understanding that Steve Coppell was on his way down to sign up but had second thoughts and decided to stick with his plan to have 6 months off.