CanadaSaint

It is these days - because it's such a contributor to golf course viability in a country where golf is only a 5-6 month season. But I'm not complaining - a set of golf clubs and an adequate supply of beverages gets heavier as you grow older. I've actually been watching England working diligently to self-destruct in the Test Match. Some things don't change, eh?

I'm not going to argue with that. Some of the best input I've seen on here has been grammatically inept, and some of the most stupid comments have been grammatically perfect. Wow, thanks! That's like a porn site for members of the grammar police.

It actually is a little too hot for golf - 32 degrees. A definite swing & swig day. So I'm contenting myself making infantile contributions to a somewhat infantile grammar debate! I'd be better off golfing.

Don't get us started!

No, that's my correct name, as shown on my birth certificate. I think "youe" are taking this a little too seriously, which places "youe" in grave danger of being a "T-wat". And here's a spare close-bracket - " - to make up for the one missing from your post. You're more than welcome.

And while you're out getting the apostrophe for the "its", see if you can get a two-for-one deal because you need one for your screen name as well.

As a partner for the famous FFS, I suggest WGAF?

I'm pretty sure that people who can't spell think that people who can spell can't spell. If you know what I mean.

NC, I suspect that MLT would love to have his time over again on this one but, of course, he can't. I don't know if the real story will ever emerge, but I do know this: People all over the world (including here in Canada) know exactly who MLT is and who he played for, and hold him in very high regard for his sublime football skills. His accomplishments reside in archives that will long outlast him and us. As Saints fans we can't cite too many of our players who have even come close to that kind of status. Nobody, apart from most Saints fans, know who the hell Pinnacle are/were, never mind Lynham and Fialka. In years to come, even Saints fans won't know who the hell they were. Regardless of when MLT knew about the funding problem and whether he ever chooses to speak up, I will never, ever allow his naive missteps with a bunch of opportunists in 2009 to tarnish some ten years of brilliant images in my eyes. True - I mean iconic - heroes don't come along too often for Saints fans, so we should be really careful about allowing (what time will judge to be) the relatively trivial to dim the truly iconic. Pinnacle, Lynham, Fialka et al. Screw the lot of them.

I hear you, Duncan, but nothing for me will ever diminish what he's given to this Club. The real sadness of the Pinnacle phase was their shameless use of a man who didn't deserve to be used. I'm damned if I'll let that lot dent my feelings for MLT. They've already done enough damage without hurting my regard for an icon. I don't blame him for being used and I don't blame him for not saying what he'd probably like to say right now. He will say it, though, in time. Only then will the real story start to emerge, if it ever does.

Thanks, Duncan and DP. This is what I'm talking about when I say I don't think the full story will ever be told. That kind of threat and intimidation takes a toll but it's really, really saddening if MLT was sucked into it. On the one hand there's the argument that there's nothing to gain by dredging this stuff up, so let's turn the page and move on. On the other hand it's hard to see how we can ever "start to heal", in DP's words, if this sickening (and apparently longstanding - WGS at Newcastle FFS) saga isn't fully brought into the open. But Duncan would have to have ginormous testicles to start putting pen to paper on this one.

This thread is pure comedy - and getting better by the minute.

It's not just that we lack offensive penetration if we play inside too much. It's also that we make ourselves vulnerable to width because the counter-attacking opponents encounter no real challenge until they hit our back four. Width is both a good strategy for offence and a good strategy for defence. Why in the name of God has this not been apparent to any of our last eight-or-so managers? I fricking despair over this one.

We'd love to know the truth and I think you're right - there's tons that we don't know, and some of it may be on (or over) the borders of legality. However, I'm doubtful that we'll ever read that book (or even read it in the papers) because at least one of the chief protagonists uses the fear of litigation as a way of constraining the story telling. It's all very well to say that the story teller has nothing to fear if he sticks to the truth, but even the smallest slip in a highly complex matter will probably result in a lawsuit that would be expensive to defend. We're just not important enough for anyone to take that risk so I very much doubt that we'll ever hear the real story. There's one thing that has intrigued me because I've seen this reference before: I don't understand why it would be a police matter if Duncan posted a controversial e-mail on here (which, I think, was what caused that intervention). Surely it would be (or at least start as) a civil matter. Duncan?

This is one of the critical weaknesses and it's killing us. Bang on. Also bang on - and I say that as a former keeper. You have enough on your mind reading the play from a keeper's perspective, without having to try to get messages to players who can be fifty yards away. If we're not careful we'll screw KD up by placing far too much on his shoulders. I remember Bally demanding the best from those around him and giving McCalliog sh*t when he decided to take one of his frequent breaks from the action. When we lose our shape and positional discipline, or when players go AWOL, the captain is the guy who spots it and gets everyone back on track. Lallana is a great example of someone who needs that influence because he's not smart enough to figure it out for himself. Our Top Three needs are 1) a dominant central defender (the start of our demise was when we lost ours in the Fratton Park warm up all those years ago - and never replaced him), 2) a reliable Link Midfielder (the pivot for so very much), and 3) a forceful Captain. I really hope Hammond can address 2) and 3) but it's asking a lot of a new guy in the dressing room. I don't think we have as many problems as some are saying, and I think that addressing those three needs will make us a much better team.

I don't know why people are so surprised and angry because we still need what we needed last year and the year before and the year before that - a dominant central defender and a reliable link midfielder. Everything - good or bad - flows from those two positions. There is something else we need, and it's at least as important - a captain. We need someone who will pull the best out of those around them on the pitch - whether by warm words, harsh words, adjustments or sheer example. When's the last time we had that? Until those needs are addressed we'll struggle no matter what division we're in. The good news is that we have the resources to act. I hope.

It's not just the midfield. We're shipping goals at set pieces.

Does Merrington add ANYTHING? Tactical insight, an idea of what's going wrong, the weather forecast? Anything at all? "The (travelling) Saints fans will be disappointed". No sh*t, Dave.

Cutting out much more now as the game winds down.

Mine's much better this week as well but there are still occasional cut-outs. As well as side-trips to fricking Petersfield.

If I had my time over again I'd wait until they've fixed it. Last week was a bit of a shambles - cutting out, side trips to other grounds, crap commentary.

If t... don't fix t.. cutting-out I'm g.... f...... lose it

Based on: A) how the two of them come across, B) what was being said about Wotte on here when he was hired to replace JP, and C) Wotte's arrogant lecturing of the fans, I find it easy to believe JP's version. Very easy.

You should have confessed to A).

Judging by the following contribution to the Charlton site: and other comments in this thread, I think Deanovski is: A) taking the p*ss quite brilliantly, B) passing time until he goes back to school C) smoking something illegal I'm leaning towards C).