CHAPEL END CHARLIE

How is a fan supposed to be "balanced" when (in my honest opinion) a certain player continues to underperform and yet some on here insist on constantly heaping any amount of undeserved praise on him? If for instance I said that Benito Mussolini was a warmongering Fascist bastard, but he made the trains run on time, would that satisfy your balance criteria? Balance is very overrated if you ask me. It has been in the past, and it will continue to be in the future, my posting policy to express my opinions in a honest and forthright manner. Frankly I just don't give a damn if you think that criticizing this player makes be prejudiced - because I'll say what I think without fear or favour to anybody.

Why not? Because money is always a finite resource and £Xm on Butland means that much less money is available to spend on others areas of the squad that could also do with strengthening. If memory serves we spent £3m on Mayuka and have hardly used him - £3m that might have got us a better keeper that the three we now have and seen has less perilously placed in the table.

I wasn't impressed - what do you think?

So in summery, should another fan dare to express an opinion about a player that differs from yours, you can see no possibly, other than prejudice, to explain this anomaly. Do you entirely dismiss the idea that fans can sometimes disagree about players in good faith? You have quite a high opinion of yourself don't you?

I thought Shaw did very well (again) today, what a mature player for his age. We might be in trouble if he gets injured I suppose, but signing another LB need not necessarily be our top priority at this time.

I see so you consider those who don't happen to rate this player must be prejudiced? Can you expand on this argument and provide some/any actual evidence to support this serious allegation?

Oh I'm quite sure you are capable of looking that up for yourself. Please tell me if you are satisfied with this players Minus One goal tally?

Wrong on both counts. I have never criticized this (or any other) any Saints player in front of the lad, I save that kind of thing for you lot - you lucky people. As for the reality re his contribution to the team, you are seeing things that just aren't there. In other words your 'king' has no clothes. In this fans opinion Guly do Prado has no place in a Premier League team, and I can only credit our other players for overcoming such a heavy handicap and achieving such a creditable result today. Minus One.

A typically sophisticated and well argued reply that does you credit.

As I said, the boys remark came entirely unprompted. Are you saying that a forward player who's goal record for this club (in the last year or so) now amounts to minus one, is your type of player?

But Guly does 'stand out' - in the sense that it's outstanding obvious he is not of the quality required to play in the Premier League.

Oh yeah? My 6 year old told me (entirely unprompted I might add) that "Guly is rubbish" - out of the mouth of babes as the saying has it. Now if a mere child can see this obvious truth why is it that grown men come on here after every game reciting the same tiresome old tripe about how great he supposedly is? As for this team being better without Adam Lallana ... well that would be another opinion I can't agree with.

No. All my posts have been entirely clear and consistent.

The trouble with 'early business' is that this often means 'paying the asking price' business - I'm not so sure that kind of generosity is really the Don's style.

Based of previous experience I doubt very much if he'll say anything all that noteworthy, and as you're so keen on staying on-topic, what the hell has a rumor of Newcastle signing a player got to do with Davide Astori anyway?

This reminds me, I have it on good authority that The Irish Times only narrowly avoided a near calamitous error that very nearly made it past their elite team of proof readers. This esteemed journal of record was just about to print for all to see: "John Smith, the rapist" - instead of the intended - "John Smith, Therapist" That, let's face it, would be rather a serious typo ...

Ha! But I still look up to you my friend from my relatively humble mount

An enlightening (if rather underhanded) piece of selective quoting. But if you really want to pick my posts apart then it is better surely to look at the full picture. With that in mind, the following is another of my contributions to this thread (post 20) - one that you forgot to include for some reason: "It seems to me questionable that Nigel Adkins is in that happy position here". This seems quite clear does it not? I am expressing a doubt I hold and not making any claim to have inside knowledge of the relationship between the Chairman and the Manager. But if you see some more sinister meaning then please explain. In Post 32 when I wrote that the views I have expressed were quote: "my reading of the situation" do you find that in any way an ambiguous statement? The intent (IE that I was 'reading between the lines' or expressing my interpretation of events) would also seem plain enough I would have thought. Now if you need any further clarification of my view on this matter then please don't hesitate to ask, but if you are going to object every time someone on here dares to express what is their opinion, then I'm not so sure that any Forum (Noun, a meeting or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged) is quite the right place for you.

Well I have read the above post most carefully, and I'm still mystified as to what it is exactly you feel I need apologise for. Do try and assembled your thoughts into some sort of cogent argument in future. The current state of play seems to be that (almost) 24 hours on and you have still only produced a mere two of the supposed Lambert doubters this thread is aimed at. So I will repeat myself then - that seems to me a pretty slight basis for anybody to form a argument on. For that matter the whole thing would appear to be your archetypal 'storm in a teapot'

When he missed that sitter you just knew it would end up costing us because this game seldom forgives ineptitude on that scale - I'm almost surprised it was only the two points thrown away rather than all three. As for that miss costing us not just a victory in this one game, but our Premier League survival ... well it's just too early to say right now. The grim possibility of that is however starting to play on my mind.

Why should you care anyway - you're a Mendiola Utd fan

Yes, when I take the trouble to pepper my posts with tell-tell phrases such as "I suppose" and/or "it is questionable" this is indeed a subtle indication that I'm engaging in speculation - well done for spotting that Sherlock.

And a happy new year to you too. Oh I don't really care that much, but it is a bit silly is it not starting a thread on grounds quite this slight? If I was to start a new thread every time I saw two posts on here I didn't happen agree with ... well let's just say I'd be quite busy.

This number of people would appear to be two out of two thousand. But keep on riding that High Horse anyway ....

Well, you've had plenty of time now and the count still only stands at 2 out of 2000. So unless you can at least make it to double figures then the great 'Lambert Out' movement on here doesn't seem to amount to very much does it?