derry

He is a superlative shotstopper. We don't know who is the best keeper in this league. The criticisms regarding commanding his box and his lack of positive distribution is valid.

What has got lost in the passage of time is that I was the OP on a thread saying I'll put in £2500 does anyone feel the same way. That's how it started and nobody had to come forward unless they wanted to. I happen to have enough money to do whatever I please and understand that others don't. I have no doubt the debt will be paid, however this thread is about the lack of accountability and transparency and my account was an example. It does beg the questions, how much raised and how much is still owed to suppliers etc.

It wasn't my little scheme. I would have put the £2500 in when required, however that's history. I did make other donations towards the end when there was no chance of that happening. When somebody rings up to borrow money with a promise of repayment in a week I expect that to be honoured. I wasn't involved in any way with the concert but lent them the money as they had run out and needed supplies. This wasn't a donation and as a matter of principle is going to have to be repaid. What I do with my money is up to me.

Both the people dealing with this are decent people. Nick Illingsworth called in over a month ago and promised to sort it the next week but I've heard nothing since. I've sent a couple of emails in the last week to the other person but have had no reply. It's the Saints Trust who hold the money so it will have to be resolved through them.

I have no problem there and have the necessary evidence, emails, invoices, delivery address etc. I have now given them a deadline after which action will be taken. I feel sure it will be settled as promised.

There is a big difference between giving a donation and being phoned up and asked to lend the money for a week. I made my donations to the club and this was a loan that I expected to be honoured, and yes I will get my money back and if I have to involve a solicitor and go to the SCC it will cost them more.

Have lawyers been engaged on this one John?

It would indeed. I lent over £200 to the organisers to purchase blank CDs, cases, and a CD writer and was promised the money back within a week. After chasing it up eventually Nick Illingsworth called in a month ago and told me they were waiting for the club to pay them and that he would sort it the following week. That was a month ago and I am still waiting. There are questions that need answering.

It may not just be the work permit. He missed the last two months of the season I believe with a knee problem and was released.

It will need a team to come in for him, pay a decent fee added to his enormous wages. If he doesn't take a pay cut he may well be staying. I don't think he will take a pay cut unless it is one of the top CCC teams. Same with Saganowski.

He wants £3m a year. Even the Premier clubs aren't interested at that price. Raziak will have to take a pay cut if he wants to move. I bet when push comes to shove a transfer fee plus his wage demands will put off CCC clubs. Saganowski probably the same.

Two big forwards, and bloody narrow formations allowing the opposing defence to compact and freeze them out. Eventually the penny will drop, to cut through defences we have to have players playing down both the touchlines and crosses from the byeline. The three goals we have scored have come from wide, A Murty throw in v Millwall, two crosses from the right. We have created nothing down the left. Because there is nobody playing there.

I was told today another player has been checked in yesterday at the same hotel as Lambert. Presumably the de Vere. Anybody able to check it out?

Because Nicola Cortese stated the club is now debt free. Secondly the figure paid to the Administrator was an all in figure of approx £12.5m, finally when we went into administration I spoke to Mark Fry about the amount needed to clear all debts and buy the club, his view at that time £15m would be more than enough. We are probably the only club in the country with a clean slate. No debts, no mortgage, good gates and self sufficient.

Pardew has said that the cup competitions are important and is going to play his strongest side.

I heard last night they did double his money but that he wasn't on big money at Bristol Rvrs. Saga, Raziak, and Thomas are on much more than him. If either of the Poles go we should go for another striker with a similar scoring record to Lambert. Lallana, White etc are going to have to settle for filling in and developing, but Paterson could well come through as a substitute.

Having seen Saturday, until we get a wide right specialist I would bring Holmes back wide left, play Lambert and Raziak in the middle and play Saganowski wide right as he did in the Euros for Poland. Not great pace but plenty of craft and power. A right midfielder and a dynamic central midfielder is a must, that together with a big centre back would make us one of the strongest in the division. Pace is for me a vital ingredient and it is something we have to introduce over time. It really has to be a criteria for future signings and the academy. Without pace we can't compete at the higher levels. Players like Lallana who are undoubtably skilful on the ball will always fall short unless they are quick thinking and powerful. MLT wasn't the quickest but was immensely skilful with a lightning football brain and was big and strong.

We all rate his ball skills but it is one thing praising him but if he doesn't deliver week on week I bet Pardew will not hesitate to put him in the reserves to consolidate.

You may be right but it won't be at Southampton because we have moved on.

Our first team is going to be drastically overhauled. Powerful players are going to be brought in. There is going to be no position available to any player that isn't delivering results. Once the money has been spent there is going to be a demand for results. That in itself means unless Lallana delivers an end result, the best he can hope for, is improving in the reserves and cameo appearances from the bench in games we are on top. I can see him out on loan at some point if he can't come to terms with the reality. We haven't spent more than £1m on Lambert to use the first team to bring on talented youngsters. We are obviously going to give it a go.

You know your football.

If you read this one without prejudice he does make some valid points. It would be better to give some credit if there is validity rather than disregard everything because of dislike.

His performances just do not justify playing one up front with him as the second striker. We have to mainly play two up front and the only reason most people talk about a withdrawn striker is they know he couldn't cope with the big defenders piling in. We saw yesterday how difficult the centre backs made it when we only had one up front and anyway Lallana hardly threatened from anywhere. He needs to return to the reserves and build his confidence plus coming off the bench in the first team. I'm still not convinced that he isn't thinking of a move away from this league.

The points made were valid. Maybe if MLT had got a professional to do due diligence for him on the Pinnacle consortium, instead of taking it at face value his name may well have not been used. If it is true that immediately excusivity was established, he realised there was no funding, why was he still saying well after exclusivity ended, that the takeover was close to completion? There is certainly no doubt that the exclusivity cost Markus Leibherr close to six weeks, time that may well have seen us with a team ready to compete in league one. MLT is not being criticised for anything other than a lack of judgement in business, not an area in which he is known for his expertise. There is little doubt that the bid would not have got as far as it did, or that Crouch would have got involved, if the MLT endorsement had not been there.

To allow Schneiderlin to flourish he must have two wide outlets and two strikers together with a dynamic up and down footballer alongside him in midfield not a pale imitation of an arm waving italian cop on point duty. Wotton seems to think sitting deep, running in ever decreasing circles, giving a good proportion of his passes to the opposition or dropping his own players in it, is what makes a holding midfielder. He is part of the problem and nowhere near part of the solution.