sidthesquid

He has a bit of ability but a bad attitude & absolutely no brains. He wil wish he had saved his cash from this contract because the next one will be with Rochdale or Macclesfield. Has anyone ever promised so much and delivered so little for us? He's 24 and had three years here & yet he is still the perennial nearly man. What would be the point of giving him more time?

If we were that close to admin, why didn't we take £500k from Palarse for Dyer? (Unless it was a delayed payment deal and we wanted cash up front, I suppose)

I never said you were not entitled to an opinion, but I still maintain that this season was the big one for McG. We have had too many talented young players - Blackstock, Best, Cranie, Mills all spring to mind - who were never given a proper run in the team to establish themselves & have drifted off elsewhere. James & Gillett have grown through this season & McG has too imo. (And his confidence didn't look shot on Saturday when he scored his goal). I agree the lone striker thing failed, but that's football - players get tried in different positions, some work, some don't, and some people on here forecast failure for everything all the time but it doesn't make them wise when they are right now and again. My main complaint is that a lot of people on here are very quick to jump on the scapegoat band-wagon with our younger players because they have become tainted by the Lowe/JP connection & back unnquestioningly those that were perceived to be their victims - eg Skacel, Euell & Saga who are all okay, but not as great as people on here wish to believe they are

Don't turn every argument to fit your agenda. McG was not thrown it at the deep end - he's been on the periphery of the first team for 2 seasons before this one and this season really was his make or break one. I agree that playing him as a lone striker was wrong, but we know that now because it was tried & failed. I think his current role (which was also an experiment) suits him well & he will develop into an okay player (in fact imo he already is), but for some reason because Poortvliet was Lowe's choice of manager & McG was JP's seemingly favourite player everyone has it in for him while Saganowski, who hasn't scored for 6 games, is immediately excused by 'not getting decent service'. McG is okay, not great, but not the worst either

I agree he started the season like he thought he was a star, especially after a couple of goals, but since Christmas, & particularly since he has moved into midfield, I think it is unfair. He does work hard and he's certainly not the slowest, but I agree his body language suggests he is unmotivated, but I think that is just his 'way'. He may not cut it in the Prem, but he will have a good career at this level

I'd say knacker's yard here we come

It was all my fault - I'd been to every Fartton Park game since 74 or 75 (whenever we first met them in Div 2) & saw us win every time, but didn't go in 2005. Can't remember why. Best memory was Moran scoring right in front of us with about a minute to go in 84 & walking back through the sh~*tty streets of Fratton to the coaches as the Sk8tes tried to get through the police who had blocked off every street. Scary but fun

What impresses me is that he finds a new title every other day for his identical threads - he should have a permanent one called 'Rupert is a **** & it's all his fault' all to himself & the rest of us could talk about something more interesting

What is wrong with him? One of my favourites - his brain & determination made up for a lack of pace & skill - another Nicholl bargain (I think)

Funny, I always imagined you rather as Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music

Beating ManUre & the Skates always seems to top my agenda. 1976 was a top, top day out, though only young. Moran's late winner at Fartton Park in 84 (I think) took some topping as did 4-1 v Liverpool under Nicholl & 6-3 v Utd. Last day of last season seemed good at the time, too. Also seeing one of our home-grown lads, like Channon, Williams, Bridgey get to play for England

Stanley for his enduring positivity in the face of adversity

I'll be there - it will be my fortieth season of misery, how could I miss it?

You must be the most relentlessly pessimistic poster on this site. Why do you bother even supporting Saints if it brings this much misery into your life?

Personally I shall hold Stanley 100% to blame Why? Why not?

I don't think anyone was happy clappy, just daring to feel (& voice) a little bit of optimism. I don't think anyone was fooled that a bunch of mediocrities had suddenly become great, but there was just a tantalising hope that we might have turned the corner, that was all

Answer my question & I'll answer yours

Come on, then, Mother Theresa, was it better to say 'he had to go because he was a washed up drunk?'

The only two people who know exactly what was discussed are Pearson & Lowe. I don't know & you don't know. Financial can mean a lot of things - NP's wages, the transfer budget, player's wages, the fact that if he became manager he was going to have to drastically cut costs. Or maybe Rupert said he was going to offer him half what he'd been on before, or maybe NP said I've been given a massive offer from Moneybags Mandaric who hates Lowe even more than you and are you going to match it. Who the hell knows? Outside your little sanctuary of purity & honesty people don't always feel obliged to tell us every detail & it dangerous to fill in the gaps to suit your own agenda

It isn't an issue about Jim Smith

When you have finished being offensive - are we talking about the same chance where Euell scuffed his kick completely before Surman mi**** it?

This is reality. Do you live in a nunnery or something where everyone's virtue is beyond reproach? People (ALL people) in football, like in life, use the truth when it suits them and are economic with it when it doesn't. Find something worthwhile to make an issue about. This really isn't it

I was always under the impression that he enthusiastically shared George's (alleged) pastime, but I wasn't sure I was allowed to mention that, & I don't supposed the club were either, hence a polite line on 'finances'. Also, I thought SCW was appointed when we were still in the Prem. You have to try harder Stanley, this week's conspiracy theory really isn't very compelling.

Not avoiding it - just couldn't be bothered to address the removal of a 64 year old assistant manager of a relegated team 4 years ago. Who the F cares?

I think you are unfair - it was a very high-tempo, frantic sort of game - that was why it was cr~p. It wasn't lack of effort, just lack of ability