Dalek2003

I would say that your survey of people 'not wanting Hoddle' was against the norm. The vasy majority of fans I imagine wanted Hoddle back for the good of the club. We all know ther is little loyalty in football, but you go for the best candidate. I am sure that the appointment of Hoddle, but the board bottled it because of the vocal minority. In this aspect, they totally misjudged the vast majority of Saints fans who rightly were aghast at the much more risky appointment of Sturrock from League 1. Unfortunately, Sturrock had little status, respect from premier league players who probably wanted Hoddle as the new manager. Indeed, there has always been a hint that WGS had recommended Hoddle ! Sturrock made matters worse by his naive training and management style, thinking he could apply the same standards at Plymouth to Saints. I suspect that he soon lost control of the changing rooom and the rest is history. In this sense, to say that Hoddle would not have had any more money that Sturrock is a bit of a red herring. Hoddle would have attracted players to SFC and would have been able to get the best out of the players that he did have.

Not a bad record for Saints and England if I recall.

Yes, I have admitted to getting that spectacularly wrong. However, if we get promoted I can take it and I don't mind if you all take the **** because I will be as happy as anyone !

So I was proven wrong, but lucky me. Read the last line, I could only but dream !

Not surprising really. Many players have said that Hoddle was one of the best England managers they had played under. I remain convinced that had we not been deriailed by the antic of the vocal minority, Hoddle would have been SFC manager and the last 7 years would have been premiership years.

After WGS left. The re-appointment of Hoddle is a nailed certainty. Mind you that was before the deluded vocal minority hi-jacked the issue and set off a chain of events that plunged us out of the premiership !

Would be a quality England manager. Probably one of the biggest mistake the board made at SFC was the failure to re-appoint Hoddle. Even if you disagree about this the appointment of Sturrock was baffling in the extreme. I could see Hoddle taking England all the way to the final.

Note my support of NA !

You have been very negative at times, stop re-writing history.

I have no problems with people bringing up old posts. I have been proven wrong about 17th, although we are not promoted yet, that is what a forum is about. Different opinions and sometimes we are proven wrong.

They are almost irrelevant and will be after we have played them in a few weeks time. I don't think we will have much to do with them for many years after they are liquidated.

I've always rated Butterfield. I presume Richardson is injured ?

The game against Posh is immense, anything but a win and they will begin to doubt automatic.

I never took that bet, that's the difference.

I admit now that I got it wrong about 17th. However, the decision in 2004 to appoint Sturrock as being a disaster I stand by.

There are two issues on this post, which do you mean ?

I am quite happy to honour my promise and would be delighted with the reason !

Not a moronic view,indeed a very valid one. I got it wrong on this issue. Having said that, I maintain my long held view that the biggest mistake SFC made in recent years was the failure to re-appoint Hoddle in 2004, or someone with a similar pedigree, experience and status. The appointment of Luggy was a shambolic decision that ultimately led to our relegation.

But, the most important thing is putting distance between ourselves and third place. If WHU lose or draw to Posh, then a Reading win against WHU would be the best result

No it wasn't, not to me anyway.

Agreed. If Waste Sham draw or lose, you'd have to go for a Reading Win against Sham surely ?

Have to say I got that wrong.

I hope you are right. I don't mind the first or second place going to the wire as long as both top two are guaranteed promotion.

Not many. I think our first aim was to consolidate and 17th would have been a good finish for our first season in this league.

A big hope is that W. Sham's indifferent form continues. If they lose or draw to Posh it will be interesting.