saintbletch

As every post-administration Saints supporter knows - it's not the winning, it's the taking part that counts. I also see that there have been some changes this year. Emergency captains, roll-over transfers and private head-to-head leagues. So with these new tools at my disposal this year I will definitely finish in mid-table mediocrity.

Apologies if this has already been posted as I've been away for a week and may have missed it. Ewell Saints asked for this to be posted as he can't create threads... This league has been running for a while and a has a good number of teams. And the game is much better than that Skysports nonsense. Actually I've never tried the Skysports fantasy football but that doesn't stop be 'knowing' that the Premier League one is better.

There is already a well supported Saints Web Forum league in there. This from Ewell Saints who administers the league...

LOL. That's right. So, if I'm into necrophilia and bestiality - am I just flogging a dead horse?

Following officialsaints on Twitter is just like being at the game....and suffering from narcolepsy.

Boo! Sack the cub reporter!

I checked for a match day thread seconds before I look at this thread! You mean you can monitor two threads at a time and start a "Match updates" thread on a mobile quicker than I can reply to you on a PC. Impressed. I'll check out the other thread.

He's a very tall CB who I've seen a couple of times at youth/reserve level. Very strong, composed and a good touch. Looked very slow though otherwise I think he'd be giving Lancashire a run for his money for the bench CB spot.

Can we expect ball by ball updates during the game Trousers?

Completely agree with this. And this. I think given a clear, but free role (if that makes sense) I think he could be a really creative link between midfield and the strikers. The sort of role that Sheringham played later in his career - although AL's a very different player to Sheringham.

If a company has employees who regularly speak to the press (printed, radio and television) and constantly announces news, and is keen to change its image from previous regimes and wants to attract supporters to come (back) to watch football matches, it would be fairly stupid not to have a PR company to advise them. SFC has an image problem. It's ownership has now changed. The image no longer matches the reality. The perception needs to be changed. PR companies help change perceptions.

Pretty much how I saw it too. Looked like he knew what he should be doing, was very vocal but looked well out of puff and seemed to be too bulky. Looked like he'd missed pre-season fitness training. Perhaps he did.

...

I'm sure you're smart enough to not reach a conclusion in a friendly game where 5+ (?) substitutes were made and where our "shape" changed at least 3 times as key players joined and left the field. I thought he looked quick and did some tracking back but on yesterday's evidence looked a little way off being able to be relied upon week in week out.

...creeping up the steps in the background of this picture? Obviously heavily disguised in dark glasses but with the same malevolent grin and ruddy cheeks. Worth a caption competition... "Ha they don't even know I'm here and with Daddy disguised as Hr. Liebherr and Glenn Hoddle inside his Pardew suit, not even Saint Richmond will believe I'm back".

Well that leaves both of us with our credibility in tatters so we'll agree to disagree. Re Holmes and injuries, you could be right but IF fit I think he could be a real asset. It was simply the comparison I objected to. Re Schneiderlin again I wouldn't dispute that his France youth call ups won't help him up against men in league 1. Yoann Folly is an example of that. But I think a good coach in the right team and he could be a star. And I also agree with the OP that we are stronger for the experience of last year. But it will be the manager/coach that determines whether that improvement means anything.

But I'd say being an U15, U16, U17, U18, U19 and U20 France international probably says we haven't see his best yet. (Yes I Google'd this). No guarantee but I'd say that with a team around him and some sensible tactics he can play the game. Skacel? The fat bloke that huffed and puffed around at left back at the back half of last season? Sorry but you lost any credibility IMO by using the comparison a "poor man's Skacel". By what measure could Skacel (the one that actually played for us - not the over-hyped and mythical demi-God that George Burley persuaded to come down from Olympus to walk among us mortals) be held up as the benchmark by which other players should be judged? As for being injury prone you could be right but I thought Holmes was a class act in the early part of last season. He certainly ins't Skacel. Thank ****.

I'm concerned that there is a Marks and Spencer's carrier bag stuffed with training gear sitting in the rain outside a house in Warsash. Someone should go collect it. Very disappointed with this appointment but I suppose I was getting carried away with the speculation - specifically Coppell. The club will now have to attract fans back to watch League 1 football by topping the League instead of surfing a wave of enthusiasm that another bigger name might have generated. Still given where we are, we may not have had a choice. Welcome Mr. Pardew.

Kaka?

Radio5 just said that Sunderland have had a bid for Crouch accepted. IF this is so close to completion why sell the assets? Sounds very similar to our own DMG/Pinnacle situation.

True. We all know that shouldn't be the case with "professionals" but human nature being what it is I expect you may be right.

Interesting. I thought he might be too old for JP. I heard that he was scouting based on ultrasound images in maternity wards.

I have decided to try to put all of the baggage from previous regimes behind me and to try not to dwell on the past. That said getting to the bottom of the Pulis signing fascinates me. On what basis did we sign him? Perhaps it's how you describe above but given his "record", who in their right mind identified him as a good addition to our struggling squad? This is a rhetorical question as I don't want to start any anti-X comments but one day I would love to understand how it happened.

I agree that you can't reach conclusions from these friendlies but I would have thought a number of players would be playing for places/the attention of the manager (perhaps the new manager). I also recognise in reading these reports how we tend to give new players the benefit of the doubt. Murty for example appears just "quite solid", "tired" and unfit from these reports but the conclusion is that he's going to be a good addition should we sign him. I might have expected someone playing for a contract to be fitter than those that already have one. As ever the truth is somewhere in the middle.

Excellent! Giggs, Scholes and Neville on loan from his Dad then.