Wade Garrett

The committee should consist of the manager and the chairman. If the chairman wants a bit of feedback from the scouting manager and the academy manager then so be it. But this does undermine the manager somewhat. If, however, the chairman refuses to pay over the odds for a player then the manager has to accept it, he isn't being undermined on his judgement, it's just that sometimes deals don't happen.. My main point is that I couldn't see a decent manager willing to be undermined in this way.

I can see the appeal that Saints might have to Martin O'Neill. Building the club up to Premiership level with a decent budget to work with. I think he would love to turn a club around like his mentor, Brian Clough, did with both Derby and Forest. That said, it does sound fanciful. And if it happened, I would happily bash one out in celebration.

If the valuation for him was a million, then you make a very good point.

I'm not saying that the 'committee' has done a bad job. I just don't agree with them in principle. Every manager has players recommended to them, the point with Ferguson is that the decision making is left to him. If we want a decent manager, then the Chairman needs to trust his judgement enough to let him be the decision maker.

You're right about Telfer, but to be fair he was his golfing partner. McCann was purchased after Lowe gave him the bum's rush on De Pedro.

The committee's policy back then seemed to be sell 1 decent player for good money, and buy three average players with the proceeds (although to be fair, they struck gold once with Peter Crouch).

Maybe if Strachan was left to his own devices, without interference, we wouldn't have gone through three managers in 1 season in the first place.

They don't work. They didn't work under Lowe, we had a bloated first team squad of over 40 when we got relegated from the Prem. And they won't work now. I'm all for Les Reed setting up the Academy and overhauling the scouting system because that's where his strengths lie. But let's face it, he shouldn't have an input into who the club should buy to play in the first team. I don't think any decent manager will want the job if he has to buy players recommended by a committee. Mr Cortese should appoint a manager that he trusts enough to recruit players without a yay or nay from anyone else apart from himself (in a financial capacity, not a sporting one like Lowe). This is in no way an anti-Cortese rant. Far from it. I didn't particularly rate Pardew and I'm sure there's better out there. But to get a decent man in, you have to trust him.

To be honest, if there was an altercation on the training ground I wouldn't fancy Pardew's chances against anyone. He just doesn't look hard. Maybe if he smoked, and had some tattoos he would look harder.

We're still in the dark though. If he had been poking one of the wives then fair enough, but if he had just confiscated Rickie Lambert's jammy dodgers then it's a bit over the top. Tell us more Deppo.

Debbie McGhee?

Did Father Christmas promise you a season-ticket if you did well in your SATs?

He could eat an apple through a letterbox.

F*ck off Tango Man, you brown nosing arse licker. Would rather have Branfoot back than you. I'd like to think you won't get the opportunity to speak to Southampton. You had a good season culminating in a play-off win, and a good first season in the Premier where you nearly bankrupted your club. You then did a half-time team talk on the centre circle to try and make yourself look good, and all you achieved was alienating the prima donnas you assembled in the first place. At least Hull have got a decent manager now, who I would prefer over you as Saints manager any day of the week.

Ditto. Phil Brown strikes me as the ultimate brown-noser (been on executive courses). Add Gary Megson to your list as well.

Just logged on for some news. Obvious that nobody has got a clue, apart from a steward at St Marys, or a printer for the Echo.

Tony, to be fair, you nearly did more damage to the club than Cortese could ever do. I think Matt should choose his friends a little more wisely.

It's a con.

This would be just about right for Murdoch and his weasels.

I'm worried by Les Reed's supposed power base at the club. He was a crap coach and manager.

I was exasperated at times how Pardew instructed the team to play. Plymouth home, Wycombe away last season and quite a few more.

Why not. It would be off the record, and maybe, just maybe, it will support Cortese's decision.

Ask Mick Channon.

Correct. However, the manager and coaches are judged by results, and if they're not good that's when the chairman does his job. Fact is, we dropped too many easy points last year where we didn't look like a team. Wycombe away will forever live in my memory. We looked like a Wessex League side and persisted playing through the middle of a boggy pitch instead of playing wide, where the ground was much better. Playing long ball as we did against Plymouth, with 2 smallish forwards finally persuaded me that maybe Pardew wasn't that great. The timing of the sacking stinks though. Would be interested in Matty's views on Pardew's performance in these 2 games and a few others I could mention.

All I'm saying is that Matty only has Pardew's side of the story. He should have got some balance before going to the press and potentially harming the club. I'm sure he could have got some info from the players and staff, you never know, they might think that Pardew was an arse. He's been a bit quick to put the boot in, and I have lost a bit more respect for him.