CanadaSaint

So do I. Well, annoying but not necessarily offensive because positive posts don't usually contain unwarranted insults about players and management and demands for firings. and three lines later:

I brought attention to a posting style that I - and many others - find annoying to the point of being offensive. You and Alpine are attacking me on a personal level for doing that - i.e., you're doing something that you're so damned quick to criticize others for doing. The two of you are so wound-up about the underlying point, so keen to defend indefensible posts, so cornered by the criticism from so many, that you've become what you both claim to despise. It's actually rather sad.

Yes, and opinions invite responses - that's the whole point of the thread. This response comes some six months after the fact, and it illustrates that some of the opinions expressed at the time were even more utterly ridiculous than they seemed at the time. I was highlighting the negativity, and lots and lots of people added the ridicule.

No it doesn't, unless they're so embarrassed about what they posted that they wouldn't post it again. The thread demonstrates that people may be held to account for their publicly-stated opinions. As an academic (I assume you are, based on your screen name), surely you don't have a problem with that notion, do you?

Vilify a poster? Not at all - I was vilifying the mindless negativity that infests this forum, and doing so without naming anyone. It doesn't come from just one poster, it comes from a number - of whom you are one. The fact that a number of people quoted Hypo is by the by - they could have quoted others. My point has been made - better by Wes Tender than by me. Tough if you don't like it.

My point exactly, expressed better than I could have stated it.

This from the poster who squeals like a little kid if anyone posts anything resembling a personal attack on him. You make the point better than I ever could.

You still don't get it, do you? It's not about me being right - not at all. It's about you being wrong with your endless negativity - again and again and again. Now that your buddy in arms, Alpine, has turned up, you're full of p*ss and vinegar again.

Most people were engaging in a reasonably civil discussion until you came along, but then I wouldn't expect you to like the subject matter. Why would a Mod lock it - because you don't like the discussion or the idea of being held to account for what you post?

My intention (whether he believes it or not - and he won't) wasn't to humiliate Hypo (because he's certainly not the only one) but to highlight the stupidity of the over-the-top, knee-jerk negativity that infests this forum. At least Hypo has the balls to visit the thread and stand up for himself. It's only by revisiting the past that we can improve the future, and I - for one - would like to see less of the negativity on here. We don't all have to be happy-clappy all the time, but FFS let's enjoy being fans a bit more, with all the ups and downs that it entails.

The reaction in some quarters to our failure to make some big signings really got to me yesterday, so I thought I'd pull up the last thread when I "lost it" with some of those who IMO are needlessly and/or excessively and/or perpetually negative. If you want a chuckle, take a run through this thread from last March with the hindsight of how that season turned out, and where we sit today: http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?28596-Walsall-1-0-Saints-Post-Match-Reaction&highlight

You said exactly the same about me not long back (I'll have to look up the post) but that all went down the toilet when I had the temerity to call you on your constant negativity. You really don't like it when people call you on that, do you? Every time someone takes issue with what you post, which is quite often, you start whining about the forum not tolerating different opinions. It's your security blanket and you wheel it out when you inevitably lose your debates.

You really need to grow up and start wondering why so many people take issue with you. It is quite a common thing, isn't it?

My reference to uninformed comment was more aimed at people like you rather than the Celtic fans, but carry on twisting what I originally said in that typical way that causes so many people to take a run at you. saintstr1 provided another perspective and backed it up with something other than bile and negativity based on seven games. Unlike you, I tend to look for the positive first - or withhold comment until I know a little more.

Yes because I'm pretty sure that there will be a fair few like you and our other negative posters among them. They paid a lot of money for him but he hasn't exactly played enough to warrant the kind of negativity they show - seven games. Just like you and me, they haven't seen enough of him to reach an informed opinion.

Thank you for one of the very few pieces of informed input on the subject - some sense among the uninformed childish negativity. Unfortunately, the people on here who should be "eating humble pie in a few games" are probably the same ones who will be saying "I knew he'd be a good signing". That's how they work.

Virtually all of us think we need to strengthen in the middle of the back - ideally someone with a good left peg. So far, so good. I'm not remotely worried if some Celtic fans don't rate him because the thing about central defenders is that they operate very much as a pair. As long as he can dovetail well with Fonte we could have a much better player than the one the Celtic fans are talking about.

I'm with you on this but LTC is right that he has oodles of skill. I'm also with you that I wouldn't see him as Sam's kind of player. However, Sam's the kind of manager who will either kill him or cure him, and if he cures him he's done a damned good deal. I'm still glad we're not sniffing.

I'm not talking about liking him, LTC. I'm saying I don't rate him because he doesn't produce often enough, and I suspect a chunk of the reason is that he rates himself too highly to offer the kind of commitment necessary. Does he have the talent? Yes. Does he have the commitment? Not in my view, and I suspect that's Harry's problem with him - too much of a floater. I respect your opinion but I'm surprised you'd talk about him in the same breath as Lallana, who has both those qualities - and a chunk of humility to go along with them.

I'm afraid my patience is now exhausted. I won't renew until this is actually sorted out because the promises never seem to come to fruition.

You have a far higher regard for him than I do. "On his day" is the key term, and from what I've seen of him those days are far too infrequent. If he was half as good as he thinks he is, he might be worth having.

The goal isn't just promotion but ensuring that when we arrive in the Premier we are organizationally and financially strong enough to stay there and eventually compete in the top eight or so. We've had an excellent start and there's good reason to think that we'll be there or thereabouts at the turn of the year. That, to me, is a more important window because we'll have a better chance of attracting Premier-standard players who can help us kick-on to promotion and also form a nucleus of a Premier team. I think Cortese and Adkins are playing this cagey and cautious - keeping their powder dry for later, and I think they're dead right to do so (especially with the crazy money being paid at the moment). I'd still really like to see a Fonte-complementary CB, though.

And Le Tiss isn't the only one who displayed loyalty to some degree or other, but if you "grew up on le tiss from the age of 7" you're likely to be a bit less conscious of the contributions they made. I just don't like seeing them forgotten when it comes to things like this.

I know some will view this as sacrilege but there are other candidates besides MLT. Perhaps if the idea were floated as a package rather than a single player it might fly.

That's exactly where I think this will end up.