St Marco

Thoughts with you and your family mate.

Sounds to me Howe applied for the job, got interviewed, got rejected. If you look at the way the whole thing has now happened and the facts we now have the reason it took so long to appoint adkins was because we could not agree compensation. If you look at Adkins comments in the whole thing he has been pretty open and honest about everything from the start. His chairman obviously was ****ed off at our offer hence his comments. They admitted about the aproach. However down the road it has been a bit more secret. Howe and his chairman who once said they would be totally honest about what happens decided to go into secrecy mode. Why? What do they have to lose by doing what S****horpe did and admit yes there has been an aproach? And then after that say yes he has been interviewed? By not commenting about it to me means they have something to hide. And i would bet the reason for the silence is to protect Howe. He seems like a decent guy to me. But if someone offers you the chance to be a millionaire which he would of probably become managing Saints i doubt very many would turn it down.

well the reviews are coming in, doing very well http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/111/1119630p1.html

Ign got a really good write up of the near final build http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/111/1119252p1.html "It's got a lot more character than before too. Part of that's from the new suite of animations as players stumble and falter in their pursuit of the ball, and part of it's from the improved likenesses across the board. "But Phil Neville looks grotesque" protested a friend. Yes. Yes he does. " made me laugh

The number of rumours on here about Cortese and then being proven wrong must be into triple figures now!

After playing it for quite sometime now i have changed my mind, it is pretty gash. My main criticism is that Konami have tried to be Fifa rather then be PES. And by doing that has lost some of it's uniqueness. Compared to last year it is a huge improvement though i think. But the pace is slow, the AI is truely awful even on highest setting. Players run like they are taking a dump and for me the worst thing is the ball sticking to you. This has been there for many years obviously but it makes it un-realistic. Nobody has amazing ball control that the ball sticks to them like that. Basically you can't screw up and lose the ball. And when you try and tackle someone you always get done for a foul. This was in last years and you got booked for it, thankfully this time they have removed the booked every tackle thing. However this brings me onto another annoying thing, replays....They happen after every little thing, wether a awful shot or minute foul. The physics of the ball are all wrong too as i mentioned above. All of which just make this too easy. Every player on the pitch looks and feels the same, can take your defender run with the ball all the way to the end and score. Also for some reason they have removed the ref playing on after a foul, it is always called a free kick now. The atmosphere of games has died too. As harsh as i am being it is an improvement on last year. But they have improved the looks more then anything. The graphics are superb, the stadiums look great, the presentation is un-rivaled. As it is the game is not better then Fifa 10. Fifa 11 will just be a refined version of Fifa 10 as they already made a great game so why change it. So the gap between the two games will not have increased this year for sure. But Konami need to stop thinking about how it looks and think about how it plays.

I had a go earlier and thought it was a big improvement on last years game but still has a few annoying things with it. Like the ball feels like a balloon. Is way too light. Hopefully they can fix that before release. But i would defo say PES has made more improvements then Fifa thus far this year. Also i spotted this if anyone interested Pre-order from Argos using code play15 and get it for £27 on PS3 http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5738126/Trail/searchtext%3EPES%202011.htm?storeId=10001&referredURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.argos.co.uk%2Fstatic%2FProduct%2FpartNumber%2F5738126%2FTrail%2Fsearchtext%3EPES+2011.htm&jspStoreDir=argos&_%24ja=tsid%3A11674%7Cprd%3A1546795&referrer=COJUN&cmpid=COJUN

Mario goes to Vice City http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbUKVZtUCEQ

If you have the paid for subscription of PSN you should be able to get the demo today. Least that is what i heard.

How anyone can say he is not a step down from Pardew is beyond me. Pardew could get any championship job he wanted, maybe even a few premier league jobs. Adkins seems like a top guy and will have my support regardless but he has got 1 team promoted and the same team relegated only a couple of seasons ago. His win ratio at S****horpe is less then Pardews was here. As alluded to in another thread to me this will seem like a cheap option, a lot better managers in the championship that we could of prised away if we were determined to spend the money on getting them. I can see players like Lallana now going in the next transfer window.

Personally i think we have been good with giving the youngsters a go. A few of them have turned out to be pretty decent. We normally have around 1 a season that breaks through into the main team and goes on to become a first team player the following year. I think of players like Wallcott, Dyer, Lallana, Surman etc.. We had a few players come through last year in Gobern, Mills, Mcnish. And this year already we have given Chamberlain a go and he has really impressed. Plus we have bought in youngsters. Nothing wrong with buying youngsters, Arsenal,Chelsea and Man Utd seem to do ok doing it. We bought in players like Martin, Seaborne, Dickson, and recently Harley Dean. All under the age of 23. Puncheon is only 24. Add to that we bought players in couple of seasons ago like Morgan, Bart, Forecast, all under 23 (morgan is only 20). Think it is safe to say Nick doesn't know what he is talking about as usual.

Here is a awesome video of Monaco being compared to real life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnf6zla_IQA The cheapest i can see for pre-order o_rly is zavvi at £31 on 360 http://www.zavvi.com/games/platforms/xbox-360/f1-2010/10082007.html I have never used them before though so not sure how good they are about getting the game to you on release day.

I have a few teams i sort of support as spend a fair time in states each year. Miami Heat, Miami Dolphins, Marlins and Miami FC (soon to be called Miami Strikers...), used to support Miami Fusion but they died when MLS cut the amount of teams in the league. Only reason i support those teams is that is where my partner is from. Her family take me along to the games when we visit. But as much as i try i don't have the same passion for them as the mighty Saints!

Just played the Case Zero download on live and think it was awesome. Can't wait for the full game now! Best 400 points i spent.

Whoever it is will get my support no matter what. But if it is Adkins then i can't help but think that is a big step down from Pardew. We are in league one and we must be realistic. We attracted a top manager in Pardew who could easily get any championship job he wanted and maybe even a few Premier League jobs. Saying we must settle on some guy who got a club promoted from the fourth division or a guy who got a club promoted from the third division i think is un-realistic. We are a big club, we have a big stadium with good attendances, we have some good players and we have supposedly a lot of money. Why should we be going for people who are used to smaller clubs, smaller ambitions and smaller pressure? Both Adkins and Howe seem like decent guy's but this would be a huge gamble to appoint one of them. If our goal is to be promoted which is is then they will have to hit the floor running soon as they join. They won't get a pre-season, they won't get to sign players. They will have to get the best out of what we have got. Now that is what these guy's are known for, getting the best out of players with having no budget. But in all respect to the players they have managed they are not your Lamberts, your Lallana's etc... I wonder if they will be able to get someone like Lallana to sign a new contract? A big name manager obviously has a better chance. It is the same with recruiting players. Will people like Fonte drop down a division to play for us due to a manager once getting a team out of the 3rd division? Doubtful. So while i will support him i think it sends a message that we might be about to try and do things on the cheap. If we are in for championship managers then why not try and get one of the better ones like Kenny Jackett who has had numerous promotions and seems to be doing well this season too.

What saga was he proven right over again? I am sorry Rob but i think your thinking too deeply about his comments. He was asked any news from southampton and he said no there wasen't. To me he sounds like an intelligent but honest guy and if he had been approached the club would of had to have agreed compensation before doing so. If not we have spoken to him illegally. Now you can say what you want about Cortese but he doesn't strike me as the guy to go meeting people all hush hush in dark alley's. And Eddie doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would go behind the club who have given him a chance in football' back. He seems a loyal chap to me. If he say's no news from Southampton i take that to mean he has not heard from them and thus is no news. Not no as in no comment.

I agree with what a lot of you say but i don't think it is just about the Reed and Pardew thing. The vibe coming out deffinatly seems to indicate something happened in the past week to bring matters to ahead. Hammond say's there were no problems but Davis say's there were. Of the two Hammond being close to Reed will obviously say there were no issues. Davis has no reason to say there were if really there weren't, he probably is the only one who's name will always be first on the team sheet. So i tend to believe him. Regardless of what happened right now the morale in the club is shot. The players look de-jected. Whoever Cortese brings in will need to be someone with respect who can get these players playing, they were Pardew's team. If he brings in someone who is not bigger then them then we will just fall apart like has happened before. That is why i think if Cortese can't bring in a proven big name manager he should resign. He made a choice which as you say was not made for footballing reasons. He must stand by his decision now. When the season ends and if we have not got promoted Cortese will have to accept the blame.

Was only two possible answers i.e yes i have been approached or no i haven't been approached. He said no he haden't been approached, not sure you can get much clearer then that really?

I took that to mean he had not spoken to Saints to be honest.

Well seeing as no reaction thread will just say it here. We were ****. You know your **** when your defenders are taking 45 yard shots at goal. The stand out **** players were Puncheon.....the lad has potential, but today he was just gash. Awful shots, awful control, awful passing. But the sad thing is he was the only one who looked like scoring, just chances are it would of been a fluke! Hammond and Morgan....both total garbage today and at fault for the 2nd goal. Last week hammong decided to lair up at Guly for not being in the right place, i suggest he goes and looks in the mirror and does the same thing. He gave the ball away so easy and took 40 yard shots every chance he got. Davis......had his head in his ass today. Kicked long everytime and none of them worked out. I think i counted 5 kicks that just went out for a goal kick to them. First goal was a big mistake by Davis, even i could of stopped that one. Someone needs to tell Davis to stop kicking long, it just adds to our problems. Our two wingers are small guys, they will never win a header against a 6ft+ defender. Lambert.... Big time out of form and looks really out of place right now. Was mass defended and couldn't come up with a way to deal with it. Only players who i thought did well were Alex and Connolly. I think what is clear from these past two games is the confidence and morale is shot. They look void of ideas and have no clue what to do. We just hoof it up from the defence and hope someone get's on the end of it. Cortese must bring in a big name manager this week or resign simple as that.

At least have the balls to say what you heard when you decide to slag people off....

Well the bookies now think it is going to be Adkins, so very interesting if Howe was interviewed. I imagine the solent boys will confirm/deny this tomorrow as the chairman said they will be honest about any approach for him. For them to interview him means the chairman would have had to agree to the approach and have agreed potential compensation.

In america Gamestop (one of the biggest stores in the world) have just said this "Due to massive demand and excessive sales the following are all sold out WORLDWIDE. We are not allowed to take anymore pre-orders. Legendary Edition Limited Edition Halo Reach console bundle. We still can take pre-orders on the standard but have been notified that maybe only for a week more". Game better honour my pre-order or i will be ****ed!

£6 today on Direct2drive, in their birthday sale. If you not got it i think this is as cheap as your going to get it!

But what they don't seem to get is by doing that they are actually giving us publicity. Everyone knows it is Southampton they are talking about. Anytime they run a story on the subject they are giving the club publicity. If they just failed to mention us, our results or any news connected to the club then they wouldn't be. If anything it shows they are becoming desperate in having things to criticise us for. All the other media groups have dropped it. The Sun will too eventually when the next thing to campaign against comes along. And at that point will make them look even more stupid then they do already.