Junior Mullet

I expect we are playing him because we have a relatively cheap option to buy or at least know Sheff Utd would be willing to sell cheaply. That's why we are playing him in preference to our own - he's as good as our own if we want him. IMO Robertson is not the player we need. His balance seems all wrong and he's not got much trickery or ability to beat defenders. He also seems to e on a different wavelength to the rest, which is not surprising given the rest have been playing together for years. The man for me up front is White.

Last night our problem was that we were too slow and methodical in our attacks and consequently we lost momentum and allowed Palace to regroup and form 2 banks of 4. We needed to break quicker, get men forward quicker, get players running at theirs and get the ball in the box quicker. This meant we were left playing the ball sideways until we lost patience and tried going through the middle. It was like a training game at times - 6 attackers trying to break down 4 midfield and 4 defenders. Surprise surprise the well-oiled and more experienced defensive side won. We simply had no plan B - it was like banging our heads against a brick wall! Come on Saints, more urgency and more direct football is needed to mix up our 'crab football'. let's also stop trying to play through the middle every time - it's too difficult against some teams like Palace, managed by old pros liek Warnock. Last night was naiive in the extreme. If I can see it along with a handful of others on here, why can't Jan?

James was my Saints MOTM last night until the mistake. I thought that it was his best game in a saints shirt up to that point - good attacking runs and looked our main threat IMO.

Harry was the best manager we had since WGS, by far. Not the right man for us though - he'd never work well with Lowe and he had to work within a tight wage structure - something he didnt have to do at Poopey. The best manager FOR US, was Sturrock. I do wonder what would have happened had he not been forced out.

This is down to the manager for me. Patterson played the way he always plays - he's not the best physical specimen and can look languid etc at times. I've also said elsewhere that he's a year off of a first team place. As for those of you that boo our young players, you really are sad individuals. I have never booed one of our own players and never would - I don't see what good it could do. However, some people on this thread do seem to have taken things a little too sensitively. Football players get called this that and the other week in and week out - by their own fans (sad indictment of modern football but a fact unfortunately) and especially by the oppo fans. They have to grow thick-skinned quickly and react in the best way possible - by helping to win games - the true mark of an excellent player. Let's encourage our players but at the same time let's not expect them to be kept wrapped in wool. We lost on Saturday because as a TEAM we werent good enough. let's not blame one or two individuals - thats' just stupid.

Camilla Parker-Bowles' tampon

IMO Blackstock is just the sort of penalty box poacher we could do with right now.

Should only be a short second piece then, I hear they are bangers and mash and Busty Brenda's Boll0ck Bonanza

FFS, would someone just go on the Charlton fansite and ask someone for a picture, you bunch of stalkers

Hope we get Charlton away next round of the cup.

You absolutely couldnt make it up, could you!! Still makes me laugh. I just love the fact that Brennan continued to defend it and say how much time and effort he put in...if it were me I would say I knocked it up in a few minutes to try and save credibility, but hey! I think we should get Brennan to do the Le Tis statue in a few years time. I'd willingly chip in.

With the greatest respect to Navyred, I dont quite rate him as highly. I know he is son of Navyred's friend or something so perhaps a bit of subjectivity creeps in from time to time. Patto's scoring record for the youth and ressies is not particularly good. Looking at the stats and having seem him play myself numerous times I am sure he will not go on to be a prolific goal-scorer. What navyred and I probably would agree on is that he has a great work-ethic and is very good in the air (I saw him play an U.18 game earlier this year and I swear he won about 20 aerial balls and lost none!!!). His link-up play is OK but will take time to bed in with our current set-up because he came after the main crop of youth players currently gracing our first eleven. What I'm trying to say perhaps is that he is more Sheringham than Shearer. Like Sherringham he lacks the physical attributes to make him an obvious striker but instead plays the game with his brain. Time will tell but I'm not sure he is good enough for our Championship eleven. IMO McGoldrick was always a much better all-round player when the same age and also IMO White is a better prospect. IMO to solve our curent position we need goalscorers rather than more link-up players.

I hope and actually expect that this game is exactly what we need to raise attendances in the forthcoming home league games. Hopefully we can put some good home league performances together to keep a few more coming until the end of the season.

Patterson is not the answer, sorry. He doesnt and will not score enough goals. For me he is a year or two off of starting games for us.

If this was any other manager I would say he's just trying to inflate his price ready for sale in January.

I think Surman has been at his best this year playing centre mid. Whilst I like Schneiderlin and it's of course very easy to get exciting when he pings 40yard balls out to the wing with pin point accuracy, his control and first touch let's him down time and time again and regularly is the cause of our attacks breaking down. I couldnt make my mind up last night whether this was due to him simply having a poor first touch or whether it was due to him coming on the ball with too much pace to control it. I think Schneiderlin and Surman both put in plenty of tackles and interceptions. However, they do this without being 'dirty' and therefore I beleive some of their good work does not get noticed as much as it perhaps should. They were slightly off form last night but I put that down to them looking nackered - Surman in particular - you could see on his face that the effort from Saturday was taking its toll and I dont understand why Jan didnt sub him with about 15/20 mins to go in order to give us a bit more energy and bite in midfield.

Surely a disadvantage to us as other teams will be even more inclined to poach our youngsters to fill their quotas. Unless of course I'm misreading it and the requirement is for the quota to come from each club's own accademy/youth set up.

Easy - Cork. Versatile and classy. I dont see Cork getting into the Chelsea team at present but unfortunately can see him doing well for plenty of other premiership teams. The most realistic signing would be Robertson.

Another pointless thread from Alpine "Football Manager 2006" Saint. I expect Lowe will want to keep our three hottest young players until the Summer unless very good offers come in in Jan. We have to sell the best youngsters at some point to balance the books and because they themselves want to leave - that is an unfortunate fact of life for a team like saints in the CCC. This is not a computer game. But it's not all doom and gloom - I have every faith that with the current set up (and by that I principally mean Lowe with JP's support) we will unearth some more rough diamonds festering in reserve team football here and abroad who would fit very neatly into the Saints set up and who could go on and shine. Morgan is a case in point. I would also be happy to see us sign Cork permanently and if a chunk of transfer fees in can secure that then surely that's good business. I see the current youth set up as being much more stable than the model for teams that spend big on transfer fees and wages and then fail (as we have done in recent years). Really that amounts to no more than a gamble. The current approach of youth provides a foundation that will lead to financial stability and in the meantime will allow us to see some very good young players rather than overpaid and overhyped journeymen. The real test will be in replacing the likes of Lallana, Surman and Morgan if they go. I've no doubt that the calibre of youngsters coming through the accademy is not what it was a few years ago. The accademy seems to have been overlooked by the previous temporary management. We must go back to stealing the brightest and best prospects for our accademy so that we are in good shape in 2-4 yrs time. Meanwhile we must continue to unearth good loanees and youngsters whom we can sign and develope. The future seems bright to me provided we invest in bringing in new good yougsters. A good stable model for future cuccess on and off the pitch - provided it's managed properly, yes.

LOL at their thread. Anyone else see any similarities between their opinions on Harper and ours on Jermaine Wright. LOL

I made exactly the same point on Saturday. The ball was loose and two players made a 50/50 challenge. That's what happens in football sometimes. FFS, that challenge wouldnt have provoked even a yellow ten years ago - what is the game coming to? Bad championship refereeing really is beginning to spoil my love of football.

Be tolerant guys - he helped us to 3 points a few weeks ago. He's clearly not ready and TBH has not looked ready when Ive seen him in the ressies or U.18's either. Contrary to a few posts above, he was not subbed at half time against Bristol City - he was switched to CM second half. He has looked out of his depth on the left wing both starts he's made but at CM looked completely lost! I was very disappointed that JP experimented in that way during a game that we should have been fighting to win. Surely he should have experimented in training instead? I'd be happy for Oscar to fill a role on the bench in the coming weeks in favour of Robertson or BWP starting.

The only thing this really proves is how a plc structure for a football club does not work.

I am confident of 3 points if we can contain their strikers tomorrow. We have got to be big and brave at the back and first to the ball - we cant afford to let the ball bounce around in our area as we have let it lately. Personally think that this is not a game for young Ollie and that Perry should start ahead of him if he's available. if we can contain them I reckon it will give our forwards the confidence to attack them and to defend from the front. COYMR