CanadaSaint

Ooooh, get you! Don't be such a B-i-t-c-h.

Or there could be a "problem" with Cortese or - more likely yet - a problem with both of them. Managers need a competitive edge and need to protect their vision for the team and its style. Chairmen need a broader vision for the club. There are plenty of points where those two visions will rub noses, and high sensitivity (on the manager's part) or a rather interfering or impatient nature (on the chairman's part) will make it a painful exercise. This stuff often happens when you put talented people in the same room, which is light years away from where we were not so long ago.

Good point, but sometimes people who don't fully understand the difference DO get involved in it - because they have the money or because they are the link to those who have the money. NC is, I suspect, an impatient and rather impulsive man, and a DoF might be the ideal way of keeping his strengths without having to live with his weaknesses - in Weston's words "a buffer".

That's a great comment IMO. I would be inclined to add Pardew's skills to the list of positives because, even though he's made - and is still making - some tactical errors (by most accounts), he's signed some excellent players and he's transformed the playing side. Introducing a "buffer" would enable us to see the best of NC and AP - and better cohesion between the two.

I don't want to be outed - if someone of my very modest football accomplishments qualifies for "outing", which I highly doubt. I didn't exactly run away to Canada to get away from the publicity.

Toadhall and I sorted it out with PMs at 4,500 miles. We're cool now.

Sorry, Freemantle, but that's utter crap. Having sat near many of your so-called experts who actually attend games I'm far from convinced that being there offers any advantage at all if you know SFA about the game. Some of the comments made about players and incidents are laughable, and there's a long list of Saints players for whom history has been a much, much kinder judge than many of the 'supporters' of the day. I have no comment to offer on today's game because I wasn't there but I can certainly develop credible views by watching it online, which I will. This "You can't comment if you weren't there" snobbery is childish and misplaced. Many a time I've had a much better idea of what happened after watching it on TV than I ever had during the game.

I see where you're going, but you've already proved my point. No need for you to go back for seconds. Let's step aside and leave the others to have a mature discussion. Have a nice night.

Absolutely.

Yes, that's fine. And I was dealing in facts when I said you are a moron. You happy too?

Of course it's speculation - that's why there was an "if" in the sentence. You didn't "find it" divisive - you made it divisive with your muppet comment and with other comments aimed at other people on other threads. If you don't like it, either ignore it or put forward a counter view but FFS don't deny people on a discussion forum the right to speculate.

Shut the forum down! Only facts are welcome. That would have been a better first post but it's too late now. Yes, it was a great win but it matters little if there's bad sh*t going on in the background.

Reversing lights on! I mock you.

Yes, speculation. What discussion forums are for. Most people with half a brain understand that, which explains why you're having problems. On this and other threads. Back in your bedroom if you don't know how to play.

I was simply joining the speculation about what might be bugging AP, that's all. Keep you insults to yourself or get it back in kind, you moron.

Well done, Plumstead. Getting the club on the case is almost certain to be the most effective move.

Merrington was critical of AP after the Wycombe match so perhaps AP's got his own little anti-media thing going. And I have no doubt he got it in the ear from NC for the Wycombe result. Tense times at SMS I suspect.

No, he's going to be a smashing player, but I'd gladly trade that goal for some of the chances he missed in tight games.

That's nonsense. My replay was as follows: We are aware of the interruptions to the commentary of the last fixture. This is being investigated to ensure that this gets fixed for the forthcoming fixtures. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience caused. Stock reply but they've acknowledged the problem is theirs.

Did anyone else e-mail customerservices@performgroup.com about Saints Player? I already have a stock reply but at least they've got the complaint.

This Saints Player bullcrap needs to be permanently resolved. Commence fire: customerservices@performgroup.com

I didn't (or didn't mean to) suggest there is. I was walking about the backlash that could happen if he fired Pardew, given the frustration about the previous merry-go-round.

It wouldn't surprise me if Cortese's first move, if he's not completely happy with AP, is to hire a Director of Football. I think Cortese is aware that he doesn't know enough about football yet, and he doesn't want to risk a fan backlash. I don't think he'll flat out fire AP at the end of the season unless things go poorly from here.

That's an excellent post. Please pay yer five quid and keep posting.

Based on the match commentaries, the online highlights and comments from people whose opinions I value, I think we have a team that could do quite well in the Championship but I'm far from sure that we have a manager or a team capable of getting out of this division. And there's little reason to believe that next year will be much different to this year. As I said on the post match thread, every year there are (tops) two teams like Norwich in this division and about 15 teams like Wycombe. We won't win promotion unless we can beat the Wycombes consistently - that's what the good teams do - and we haven't even come close. Playing on crap pitches and playing against teams raising their games for us - they're all part of the challenge. Millions of pounds later, our glaring omission is STILL the midfield leader who can pick the team up and carry it, and demand the best out of those around him.