derry

One of the real big problems is the stinking apathy and know it all arrogance from this seasons central characters. The team management is poor, the performances in terms of demonstrating knowhow and football ability are dire. There is no evidence of real talent, only superficial, no evidence that the many years spent in the academy have been worthwhile, the level of knowledge and basic football skills demonstrated is poor. The tactical awareness of the players is non existent. The fans haven't liked this, have dispaired of ever coming out of it but have supported the club magnificently. They are in the main, the only reason for trying to save the club.

Reading between the lines, I understand what Duncan is on about. If you were a well educated clever multimillionaire along with equally well breached associates, turned up at SMS to quickly move the bid forward, and found the whole thing snarled up with a collection of tyrekicking flash Arthur Daley types gumming up the works, and nothing able to move forward until the logjam is sorted, you might well take the view that you need this like a hole in the head.

Mike Osman rang me earlier and I've just spoken to Kevan Roberts of SOS. Mike is going to ring both of us at 9.45 live on air, as neither of us can meet at that time, which is the only slot available. We'll see if that leads to anything else. Yesterday Wave 105 rang both Kevan and myself and I see there was a little bit in the Sun today. Wave 105 have put the web address on their website. I'll try and get the Echo and the BBC to put it on their websites. It's really a little bit at a time.

The Echo have printed an article on page 52, more related to the input from saintsweb, and giving the correct website address. http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/saveoursaints if anyone asks. Today I had a bit of luck I bumped into Hugh Fisher from the 1976 cup winning side, he has kindly agreed to be one of the independent authorizers/signatories for the secure account, if we ever have to look for money. He is also going to contact a couple of saints legends to see if one of them will join him. The other two would probably be myself and one from the original save our saints group. That should guarantee the integrity of the account. The other person I bumped into on the first tee was Mike Osman, he is phoning me later and has invited Kevan Roberts who he knows, and myself onto his BBC Radio Solent show tomorrow morning. I'm playing golf early but hope to make it. Mike is very keen to publicise the initiative. Steve Grant hopes to have the website up and running maybe later today.

You could fine them under contractual rules if you could make it stick, however if you don't pay them they would be entitled to walk away with a free transfer for breaking their contract. In addition you are opening the door for the league to get involved and deduct points.

General Patton once said something like two generals in a battle feel they can't do any more and nothing is going to work, the one who doesn't stop, wins. Kills and wounds lot of people but wins. Don't give up.Ever.

Roy Keane, what I said. Believe me no comfort zone, Clough style. We would benefit immensely from that approach.

Seriously, it could possibly be that someone will buy SMS, somebody else Staplewood, another Jackson's Farm, and a completely different group would buy the club and leaseback the facilities. It is to be hoped that the rediculous settlement figure plus the debts and buying the club is perceived to be a once in a lifetime chance to buy a club with a Premier infrastructure and a potential long term windfall 40 acre development site at a knockdown price. We are in a down cycle now but there will be an up cycle and then if the new owner gets a decent manager and a team to perform and moves the club upwards it will be valuable.

Ring me, tomorrow morning they would be at the training ground training at 8am and by 9am all of them would be in intensive care or hanging over the railings being sick. At 12pm they would be back for another dose, with another session booked for monday evening 6pm, to be cancelled if they win. It might not be inspirational but they would be bloody terrified of the bruisers I'd have in the background.

£300,000 fee. So we paid Euell a £200,000 signing on fee each season and £10000 a week, what a bargain.

Davis was a bit vulnerable and panicky today. Surman was better at left back than in midfield, swop with Skacel. The formation at the start was poor. The marking at set pieces set a new style, stand anywhere, hands on hips. Wotton means well but contributes little, Scneiderlin was a disapointment but he needs us to play 4-4-2. James did his job but too many hopeless balls into the box. Why oh why don't they play Smith on the left and BWP on the right, McGoldrick, Euell and Saganowski were just picking up scraps. Just don't get me started on the manager, last saturday was the worst performance I've seen from a manager in fifty years. At Watford and Wolves the selections were bizarre. He doesn't seem to be aware, standing on the touchline is stupid, he'd get a much better view from the stand. For me the team selections are obvious. Davis, James, Saeijs, Perry, Surman, BWP, Euell, Skacel, Holmes/Smith, Saganowski, McGoldrick. Skacel could attack and Euell could defend, Holmes is probably good for 45 mins only if fit. Keep the ball on the deck and attack down the wings. About 50% of all goals are set pieces, put all throws down the line and make ground to win a corner. Saeijs takes all the free kicks in range, and at corners put Euell in to run intereference on Saeijs's marker. Used to do it years ago, interference picks up the marker and gets between him and Saeijs causing him not to be able to get close. We don't have a bloody clue.

There was a lot of stuff in the Echo that was not really relevant, no mention of the influence of the saints web or the contributions from here. It didn't mention it was a back up initiative, however I have contacted the Echo and I think there will be some more tomorrow with the correct information. Worst of all the wrong website that can't be used. The address if anybody wants to know, thanks to Steve Grant. http:http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/saveoursaints

Thanks Phil, you'll see on the MP thread, I've said no MPs and no politics. We hope we are not needed but waiting was not an option.

moving it up.

Talk is cheap they'll be able to put up tomorrow when the appeal is launched.

Whitewash alert! The quoted plc is not subservient to the league as under law it cannot give up it's right to sue the league. The private company gives up that right as SFC did, but it's not in administration. The reason we are set up like this is that in 1997 the FA/league would not accept SFC as a public company and insisted they set up a separate, independent company subservient to their rule of no legal redress only grievance procedures. The league have set up the enquiry to duck making the decision that their lawyers after a week of studying the rules have concluded. When the independent lawyers come to the same conclusion as their lawyers and the administrators/club's lawyers have already come to, they can hold up their hands in mock horror and promise to close the loophole, forgetting of course that they and their rules caused the problem in the first place. If they try to pull the 'make it up on the hoof' scam they will be sued by the new owners because of the financial implications and they know it.

They won't want to be sued either.

As a matter of interest Royston Smith of the Southampton City Council was in SMS Monday about 4.20pm with Leon Crouch. I saw him.

If it's any consolation Steve that is my recollection too.

He's barking up the wrong tree, LT was/is not a plc. The same rules don't apply and SFC is solvent and not in administration. I think it's a case of ' Don't confuse me with the facts'

Just to muddy the waters a bit the mortgage is secured against future ticket sales. Isn't that a buggers muddle.

And that's fine but positively no politicians whatever the colour. There is a bigger mess out there for those buggers to get sorted, and they are getting well paid to make a proper mess of that.

Just moving it to the top.

We are positively not mounting a bid for the club. We are creating a fallback position, taking pledges as an indication of possible support, and creating a viable infrastructure if all else fails to try and save the club. Alternatively assist a worthwhile bid in the event it would otherwise fail and the club would go down. It's damn easy to come on here and pontficate under an assumed name and castigate people who are at least trying to make positive suggestions. Incidentally the Saints Trust are organising a bucket collection at SMS on monday. That could raise if there are enough £5/£10/£20 pound notes donated between £50k to £100k if the majority of adults contribute. I suggested it to David Luker but he told me the ST were already doing it, fair play to them. As an afterthought, this money goes to the football club not SLH/administrator.