derry

Ever since his U21 exposure he has been pretty inneffectual. If he isn't picked in his favourite position, he shouldn't be picked at all. Trying to fit him in somewhere is rediculous. The time is here that everybody either performs or they are out. We can't afford potential luxuries.

That diamond wasn't bad, I know I was very sceptical Ron, but it sort of worked, the lack of width was masked a bit by the good work rate. Against Sheffield it was a different kettle of fish, they were playing pretty flat, no high work rate, with McLaggon wide left but narrow on the right. After they were down to ten he was supposed to play wide right but Wotte kept signalling him to get out on the line, whilst he was a bit better, he kept coming inside. I do blame the coach, but he should have taken him off at half time. He had a pretty poor game. He doesn't seem to have a lot of appreciation. There was yet another long cross that cleared the defence, he was on the near post with the mob. It would have been ideal for anybody hanging back on the far post. I think our position makes it impossible to make excuses for players who are not cutting it.

The game is simple, that is how I learnt it and learnt and applied coaching. The professionals I've talked to always treated it that way. Maybe I was just lucky. Danny Blanchflower was my best example of a proactive player. What really hacks me off is the way that old time players seemed to understand the simplicity of the game but the present generation seem to know nothing. The way some of them play, and the way the coaches don't seem to know either how to play, or what is their best team. When players are not playing appropriately the coaches never seem to pick up on it. At half time Brian O'Neill was moaning about the lack of width against ten men and the need to get BWP on wide. What surprised me was we didn't play him wide right. For me the simplest team in the country is Man Utd, Ferguson is ruthless and the players either do it his way or else. I think I may have worked out who you are, is there a lane with your name in it near the old football ground. Did you go to the old Tauntons?

Does anybody sit in the Northam? I can fully understand the frustrations fans feel about players not performing. For example, now we are playing two strikers, When McGoldrick has the ball Saganowski is in close support, the other way round McGoldrick is miles away. Lallana doesn't like wide right, roams all over the place and looks at times that in his eight years at Saints he has learnt nothing about the game and the importance of width. The manager picks teams that defy common sense, we have only one player on the right side that hits virtually all our crosses in from barely into the opponents half, we never get to the byeline on the right side and rarely on the left. Players that are playing badly are not substituted, and better ones are, substitutions are not made, or better players are kept on the bench. When Henderson went off we should have immediately gone wide but didn't until after half time. Lallana didn't even appreciate the importance of trying to pull the ten men wide and persistently came inside despite being told to play down the line. One defender marking one forward v Sheff Wed, Nobody up when there are corners against us, better last match. Players never gambling or going on decoy runs, the ball crossed deep and nobody on the far post. I could go on and on. All these things are bloody elementary FFS. Yet we see them time and time again, small wonder we are bottom of the league, nobody seems to be aware that these things are basic and win matches. The supporters can see and appreciate all this but the so called professional players and coaches seem oblivious of these fundamentals. No wonder the frustration boils over.

FFS people the club is a mess, never mind the infrastructure, the people running the club are the problem. The average supporter only has his views and believe me all but a few are fed up to the back teeth. Lowe has tried to be unique, and he has succeeded, in football terms his plan this year was a bridge too far. The finances are a mess, the club is a mess, the team is a mess, the fans who support the club feel that the club is vested in the directors to act in their best interests. The directors and ex directors have allowed their egos to ruin the club, to the fan that is unforgiveable. Lowe and Wilde are on borrowed time, Crouch has some sympathy and is not viewed the same way. Until Lowe is gone the club is in limbo. Nothing can be done and by the looks of it, it is going to get a lot worse.

Unfortunately the club is divided into camps, boycotters, vociferous anti and pro Lowe, and most importantly the silent majority that are getting more fed up by the day. Until Rupert Lowe leaves, this club has no future, he is the one single impediment to moving forward. Division is his trademark. His arrogant micro management is damaging this club and bleeding it to death.

The coaches don't seem to know how to get the best out of very quick players. Dyer, Thompson and now McLaggon all have pace, however they all try and dribble around opponents, and run with the ball close taking a touch every couple of paces. Really fast players need to run without the ball to take advantage of their speed. John Sydenham was great at this. Either the ball is played early behind full backs, or the player knocks the ball 20-30 yds down the line and then races the other players utilising speed. Our three don't do this. I once coached an ex GB Olympic sprinter at a semi-pro level. He wasn't a bad footballer but wanted to dribble. I demonstrated to him in a couple of sessions that he really wasn't using his speed. Once he started knocking the ball well past the defender he was devastating and almost unplayable. Unfortunately he had a serious injury about twelve months later that finished his football. If our three learn to do that, they could be very dangerous wingers, at the moment they are pretty ordinary.

I like him but he slipped up far too often, possibly wrong studs. Still he is for the future, impact sub this year.

Yes, I favour picking the team early, but not the one and only time we have done it, especially at a time you don't know who will still be there, specifically Skacel. If he was available he had to play.

I think, a phsychologist is a good idea. Also a classroom session on width, penetration, and depth in defence should be done. The positional play of our younger players especially Lallana is alarmingly appalling. It's like playground football.

I think Ron told me that McGoldrick was to be the 'main' striker.

The Echo ran the story last week before the mirror got it.

No it wasn't, it's where we are at right now, **** or bust. As soon as Wotte said he had picked the team on Sunday, I thought of all the weeks to do this with the transfer window closing on Mon, it meant he must have excluded Skacel anyway. The man is proving to be another prat. The time for experiment and trying things has gone. We are now down to the wire. Use the youngsters to fill in if we are short, better still get in a couple of experienced loans. I see Gillespie is unattached, he could possibly do a job for us down the right.

Last night was a nonsense. The selected team was never going to be strong enough. Lallana does not deserve a place in the squad let alone play for 94 mins. McLaggon is still only a sub, not ready to start. Skacel has been criticised on here, but a bit of perspective is needed, Lowe wanted him out, wouldn't allow him to be picked, he certainly was one of the better players even out of position at left back, he certainly rates a place in this side. Euell has shown effort and is far superior to Lallana, who lacks basic positional sense and is a liability in all departments. BWP needs to play, he is better and stronger than the alternatives. The team was lightweight, had no width, and James hit all but one of the crosses from the right from halfway inside the half. When they went down to 10 men, we should have immediately made a change, brought BWP on for Lallana. Euell should have been on for McLaggon after half time with Gillett RM. The team selection last night was a no brainer against a strong side. Davis, James, Saeijs, Perry, Surman, BWP, Euell, Wotton, Skacel, Saganowski, McGoldrick. We were absolutely reckless at the end, Throwing caution to the wind at the end and leaving one defender back was suicidal. It is an appalling indictment that these players seem to have no idea about tactics and what is required in certain circumstances. Most of the young ones have been ten years in training with the club yet appear to know nothing about the game and play only by instinct, their passing and awareness is basic, there is no clever positional play, or passing.

I am sure that is an unconnected purchase, Stelios at Easyjet controls his sisters shares, giving him about 43% I believe, but he doesn't have to make an offer.

Next season.

Wotte said he doesn't know what he has to do to win at home. After about 35 mins we were playing 10 men. We spent 10 mins playing the same narrow formation. I spoke to Brian O'Neill at half time, we said the same thing, BWP on wide, Lallana off. So what did Wotte do, Gillett off, Lallana in CM, Lallana was just useless and should have been taken off but no. Wotte then brings on Euell, for Lallana, no for McLaggon, who had been very average, Euell CM Lallana now narrow right roaming as usual. Wotte signals Lallana to go wide which he does now and again. The next change Schneiderlin for Wotton. The team still has no proper width, still knocking in crosses from deep, Skacel not even in the squad, Lallana is not even good enough for the bench at the moment, Euell came on late. Davis, Perry, Saeijs, Skacel, Euell, Wotton, BWP, Saganowski, Surman have to play plus McGoldrick, James. It is the only way we will maybe get out of the mire. Wotte is very slow to react and his personnel selections are poor.

14 Alex Pearce

But ours with the exception of Crouch won't do that. Somewhere I saw £13 for a ticket against our £24/28.

From Cadnam to Southampton and the M27 the roads are clear, It's raining here now and the snow is thawing and being washed away. disappearing. My cars and drive and the road outside was under about 4" of snow at 0900 this morning, without me doing anything the place is clear and the road/cars are just wet. I can see your point about travelling if it freezes but I would expect the roads to be salted from early afternoon. Why don't you ring HCC road engineers.

Morgan is out injured.

-------------------Davis --------James Saeijs Perry Skacel -------------------Wotton --------------Gillett Surman -------------------Euell ------------McGoldrick Saganowski If they play Saturdays formation 4-1-2-1-2 If 4-4-2 use the same players, but Gillett RM, Wotton and Euell CM, Skacel LM and Surman at left back.

I wouldn't have thought landing a helicopter at Southampton would be a problem. It's only the runway, taxiways and parking bays for aeroplanes that would be affected. ATC/fire cover would still be operating.

All season tickets are counted definitely whether there or not, so I would be surprised if sold tickets weren't counted the same way.

It's raining here now and the snow is melting, all the regular locals will be going as usual. Probably 13-14k.