CHAPEL END CHARLIE

You see the thing about sanctions is that those in authority to impose them are under a moral obligation to use their powers in a calm and impartial manner, or not at all. I must say the impression you have left me with re this sorry episode shipmate is that the real reason you've decided to ban someone is not because what has been 'dished out' is any worse (or essentially different) from what has been received, but rather because you don't happen to agree with a particular view expressed. When you start prohibiting people from expressing themselves because their views are unacceptable to your way of thinking ... well ask yourself is that a road you really want to go down?

I believe this site is still described as a 'forum' rather than a cheerleaders club therefore it seems to me perfectly in order to discuss subjects such as a managers perceived body language or the impression fans have gained of his real commitment to the club. As for demanding some kind of physical evidence to support what is afterall just a fans opinion .. well that's just silly isn't it? What are you asking for, a statistical analysis of how long MP has remained rooted to his seat over the last month?

He's done well here, but it looks suspiciously like he's thinking more about his next job rather than this one, and his team are concentrating on their summer holidays rather than securing the last few points we may still need. This is not a ideal situation. Indeed, a few more results like today's (utterly predictable one) and a season that promised so much could easily turn ugly.

I see Hollywood has decided, in its wisdom, that the world needs yet another addition to the long running 'Terminator' film/tv franchise: http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/terminator/29378/jai-courtney-confirmed-as-kyle-reese-in-terminator-genesis I first saw (via a VCR) James Cameron's original 'The Terminator' way back in the mid 1980's and loved it beyond all reason. So when Cameron returned to the subject (with a vastly bigger budget) with his truly epic 'Judgement Day' in 1991 you can rest assured that I was there queuing outside the local cinema on the opening weekend with my like minded sci-fi devotees. As a movie going experience that wonderful film (like Blade Runner and Alien did a decade or so before) just blew me away - even all these years later I still think these are among the best movies I've ever seen and that era as a veritable golden age of cinema sci-fi. Later Terminator versions have sadly conformed to the iron law of ever diminishing returns to differing extents and I'd be lying if I told you I'm expecting very much from 'Terminator Genesis' either. It's not that they are necessarily bad films per se, but rather the lack of originality implicit in the squeal format is bound to disappoint however hard the film-maker tries to avoid that trap. That's not to say however that when 'Genesis' is released next year I'll be able to resist the temptation of attempting recapture a magic moment in time that is quite beyond repeating ...

I agree. The manager well knows he's now in trouble with much of the fan base because of the manner in which we exited the FA Cup. He must also be aware of the danger of his team losing its sense of motivation now that we have little left to play for this season. Therefore he preforms this sudden 'volte face', blatantly contradicts what he said only a few weeks ago, and the Europe League is now an important objective we are supposed to believe. I can easily see why he attempting to peddle this transparent lie, but as we spend our lives constantly swimming in a sea of bullsh1t anyway MP deciding to add his two pennthworth seems a drop in the ocean we could do without if you ask me.

The managers stated opinion of the Europa League from just two weeks ago: http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/10993958.Poch_is_a_Eurosceptic/

You remember a few weeks ago when our manager said that the Europa League was rubbish and not a competition this club should be involved with? Well it seems MP was being "misquoted" (sic) by those duplicitous press types and we really are massively keen on it afterall: http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/11026731.Saints_target_Europa_Cup/ Oh and rumours that our season is effectively over in February are without foundation in fact ...

I can easily see us losing this one - West Ham will be up for it, the Cup game will surely have damaged team moral, and lets face it even our manager's commitment to the cause seems debatable at this time.

I much admired the 'The Hunger Games' film so when I was lent the Suzanne Collins novel upon which the movie is (very faithfully) based I was happy enough to give it a go, despite the fact I'm not really in its supposed youth orientated target audience. I must add that as a rule I don't much like teen fiction (such as Harry Potter for instance) as I prefer books aimed at what you might call a more mature readership - as is befitting a man in his early fifties! I won't bother recapping the plot here because I dare say most of you already know something of it. But do try to overcome any preconceptions you may hold and read this book with a open mind because I reckon that you (like me) will be hard pressed to spot many signs of immaturity in it. A book about the future that is not really a work of true Science Fiction. A book with its fair share of action, but yet is far more than just another adventure story. 'The Hunger Games' is a subtle and nuanced novel that has much to say about modern society, the indomitable nature of the Human spirit, and the grave danger a return to the totalitarian style state of the last century would represent to us all. Whether you happen to be a spotty Californian teenager, or a grumpy old man in Dorset, this is a book that anyone and everyone should be able to enjoy because good writing is not only timeless - it's ageless too.

Well the 'paint pot' is not exactly one of football's more prestigious trophies, but it was a bloody good day out at the time.

Sound of Cinema: The Music that Made the Movies (BBC4 Friday) I'm much enjoying Neil Brand's look at a aspect of film making that is crucial to the cinema going experience, but sometimes overlooked as the viewer is captivated my the sheer power of imagery. Last weeks instalment examined how from the 1960's onwards Jazz and Pop music dominated soundtracks began to overshadow the traditional symphonic scores associated with the older generation of films. When you compare Bernard Hermann's (brilliant) original compositions for numerous Hitchcock films with the contemporary music derived scores for later movies such as 'Bullit' or 'A Fistful of Dollars' for instance and the change is both revolutionary and very obvious. Indeed, so eroticly charged were some of these new soundtracks considered to be that the sultry jazz style adopted in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' was actually censored in order to protect the public! Some modern Directors dispense with the orchestra altogether - Quentin Tarentino's infamous 'Reservoir Dogs' being a case in point ... the 'super sounds of the 70's' are here to stay it would seem. Both the 'old school' film music of the past and what we hear today can, at its best, be genuinely wonderful stuff - this informative (and surprising funny) BBC series has even inspired me to download even more of it onto my already overloaded MP3 player.

Fair enough. I can help but think however that the Victor Wanyama we had before the injury is - one way or another - going to make pretty damn sure that Gardiner is prevented from getting that strike in. Not something I can prove of course, just a opinion.

Watch it again and you'll see.

A much better question than 'what do we want' might be 'what does the manager want' ? Watch MP's somewhat subdued or 'low key' performances in recent TV interviews, observe his (seldom out of his seat now) body language during matches. As a keen people watcher it seems to me that ever since Don Cortese's unexpected departure our manager appears to be losing interest in the team he is running. Perhaps that apparent lack of enthusiasm transmitted itself to the players and played a part in yesterdays debacle. This fan would not be at all surprised to see him go in the summer.

An impressive midfield force who played a big part in our early season success I reckon - before his leg break that is. Post injury he's a mere shadow of the player he once was, as that disastrously weak challenge on the edge of the box that resulted in our exit from the FA Cup proved only yesterday. This lack of form will prove to be only a temporary blip I trust, but right now he's nowhere near Man City standard - frankly he shouldn't even be starting for this team.

Circumstances (IE no pay rise in God knows how long) dictate that saving some money is becoming an increasing urgent requirement for me. With that tightfisted objective in mind I decided my longstanding Virgin Media phone and broadband deal might worth having a look at. I phoned VM on their free 150 number and (politely) asked if a better deal was possible. I got nowt from their Indian call centre but was eventually put through to their UK based Retention's Dept. I spoke to a very nice Scottish lady there who had a look at my current contract but she told me I was already getting a great deal and there was nothing she could do. Sticking resolutely to my guns I then told her I was sorry but I'd have to give the required 30 days notice and then cancel the contract - I was put on hold - 30 seconds later she came back to me and said that (surprise surprise) 'Customer Relations' had decided that a £10 a month 'Loyalty Discount' was available after all, if that is I agreed to a new 18 month contract. So for a few minutes spent on the phone I saved myself £120 this year. I've also discovered that (although VM keep rather quite about it) another £68 pa saving is on offer if you pay up front for 12 months Phone line rental. The lesson is that all these company's are desperate to keep your business and just a little effort will bring its reward. I'm not by nature one of life's hagglers, so if I can do it anybody can ... many of you lot probably already have!

Yojimbo (1961) I rank Akira Kurosawa's epic Seven Samurai as one on the finest films I have ever had the privileged to see, but I must admit I'm much less familiar with the great director's later work. However Film 4 (god bless them) have come to my rescue and are currently showing a season of Kurosawa films every week. The plot is a nameless lone Samurai (played by long term Kurosawa favorite Toshiro Mifune) arrives in a isolated small town to find the retched place in a state of war as two rival warlords fight it out for control. Seeing a opportunity to profit from the conflict our hero skillfully plays both sides off against each other in order to further his own agenda. Now if that story seems vaguely familiar to you then you're probably thinking of the Sergio Leone's famous spaghetti western A Fistful of Dollars and the resemblance is no coincidence because that fine effort is derived directly from Yojimbo just as The Magnificent Seven is a near remake of Seven Samurai. So Kurosawa's influence on the Western then is obvious, but I do wonder if there is some degree of cross fertilization going on here and perhaps Kurosawa was a devotee of old American Cowboy films in his youth? Be that as it may, Yojimbo (Japanese for Bodyguard) while never quite scaling the same lofty heights that Seven Samurai achieves with such consummate ease is still a rewarding film to watch that remains quite capable of holding the viewers attention despite its somewhat cursory action sequences, great age, and the necessity for subtitles. Next up is Sanjuro on Thursday the 13th at 11am - my PVR is already set.

The OP is (as is usual for him) perfectly right. To finish this season where we are now would be a real achievement of sorts, but in a few years time no one will remember (or care very much) who finished 6/7/8th in the league. A FA Cup final appearance on the other hand is another matter all together. As for those spineless types opining that we have "no chance" of getting to Wembley anyway, well the 'old school' underdog triumphs of my 1970's youth do seem to be becoming much rarer events in the modern game I'm sorry to say, but that mundane fact seems to me a poor reason for us to abandon all hope already. Sunderland away in the Cup is, at this time, easily the most significant fixture remaining in our season. After all if a football pitch can no longer be a 'field of dreams' anymore then I say the game has lost something precious and wonderful that perhaps only those old enough to remember that one perfect moment in Bobby Stokes life can truly understand.

One of those games when the result leaves you with a feeling of general dissatisfaction although to be honest about it I can't see the two dropped points mattering very much in the grand scheme of things, indeed when it comes to the desirability of a Europa League place I'm as skeptical as MP clearly is re that matter. It's not that often we see our midfield bossed at St Marys but let's face it Charlie Adam and his mates came pretty damn close to doing that yesterday. Perhaps it showed that they needed the points far more than we did. Nevertheless we were (just about) the better team on the day I thought, but time and time again we tried to pick our way through the center of their defence only to find ourselves washing up against a rock known as Shawcross. I draw two conclusions from that: 1 - What a formidable combination Shawcross and Lovren would make. 2 - Sans Puncheon we really need to find some genuine width from somewhere. As for the principle talking points, at the time I put their second goal down to a superbly taken corner rather than a error from Artur Boruc - I'll watch again it on TV later. It seems to me our corners are too often 'lofted' into the box while there's were 'fired' in at pace, a lesson learnt I hope. On a happier note if Rickie's opener was a painting ... well they'd hang it in the National Gallery.

I don't mind a spot of hyperbole every now and then, but to state that Adam Lallana was not "remotely effective" during our entire stay in the lower leagues is a exercise in the rewriting of history that would make Stalin blush! Those of us who were there supporting this football club during those years in the 'wilderness' will be able to confirm that Adam was very clearly the best player on the pitch nearly every week.

*HERE BE SPOILERS* I dare say its small, but dedicated, fanbase will agree with me when I say that the final two episodes of 'The Bridge' proved to be extraordinarily powerful television, and I'm not just talking here about the eco-terrorist's ruthless plot to turn people into living bio weapons - terrible as that was - but also the consequences on Saga and especially poor old Martin. Martin (with his life falling apart) just had to kill Jens just to get him out of his head and Saga had to turn him in when she found out about it I suppose. But for just one brief moment I did start to wonder if she could overcome her 'Robocop' programming just this once and save the only true friend she will probably ever know - not to be of course. These characters are true to themselves to a degree you seldom see in television drama. How I will miss this splendid series and I must admit to my fellow 'Bron' fans out there in SWF land that the idea of being denied my weekly 'Hollow Voices' fix is actually a quite distressing thought. Tak!

Football is a simple game they say, and let's face it 'they' in this instance are not wrong. Surely one of the very simplest, and yet one of the most important, aspects of the game to get right is to make pretty damn sure that you secure the services of a (very) good Goal Keeper. I personally think Kelvin did brilliantly for us in our rise up the league pyramid, but in Artur Boruc we have obviously found the true Premier League level keeper any team looking to achieve some level of sustained success in this division will doubtless require. While most of the attention is focused on which of our many (excellent) English players will go to Brazil in the summer, it seems to me that yesterdays result at Craven Cottage was actually built upon the foundation of Boruc's outstanding work in the first half. It's a terrible old cliche but nevertheless still true - as long as you don't concede too often then you'll normally have some sort of chance in most games. With the reassuring presence of a keeper of Artur Boruc's manifest class in the squad, you get the distinct impression that there won't be all that many times when this team of ours won't find itself having some sort of chance of getting a decent result. Artur Boruc is worth his weight in gold.

I like what I've seen of him and I reckon he could make the grade, but there again I thought much the same about Joseph 'fish' Mills not so very long ago and I see he signed for Shrewsbury Town yesterday. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's far too early to say really.

Looking back at this sorry business the lesson I take from it is that if it takes months of painstaking negotiations to get a player to sign for you then the truth is he probably doesn't really want to come here anyway. Never mind their reputation, never mind the price tag, if they don't truly want to be here then (more often than not) you're better off without them. So farewell than Danni Osveldo, St Marys will remember that one sublime moment against Man City. I dare say we'll also remember the despicable way you choose to engineer this move ...

Finding ways to accommodate more quality players than we have starting placers for, when everyone is available, is one of those challenges any aspiring PL manager must face. Our early season success was built upon a foundation of a progressive playing style, bloody hard work, and consistent team selection. However would it have been better for the squad as a whole had the manager varied that (remarkably consistent) midfield more often and given Jack Cork some opportunities to contribute? It's hard to argue with the results we achieved, but arguably the answer to that question could be 'yes' methinks. I suspect MP parked Jack Cork on the bench because A: he doesn't rate him all that highly, and B: a conscious decision was made to try and push JWP on as fast as possible. Well okay then that's his call, but Jack Cork is such a manifestly able PL midfielder one can only wonder if that policy will be resumed once Victor Wanyama recovers from his injury. We not in anything like the same position re the strength of our squad as Chelsea, Man City, or Arsenal are in of course, and Jose Mourinho's are thin on the ground, but in our own (low key) way we too will have to keep all our better players happy - or risk losing good players we will surely need over the course of a long hard season.