sidthesquid

Haven't you noticed yet there is a theme running through Holmes, Smith & Pulis. All three for various reasons have failed to live up to early promise, came for very little (& probably low wages) because they have a point to prove & this is their last chance. We will see more like this - hence the interest in Hoddle's academy for rejected players. We may get a duffer or two, but we just might get a gem or two as well. My guess is that they are on low wages with a promise of something better if they make an impact. Another mad Rupert idea maybe, but maybe just mad enough to work.....

You wouldn't really want any of them if you actually had some dosh to spend

One little decider possibly (I believe) - Euell is out of contract at the end of the season, Rasiak has another one to go so there may not be much choice (Almost has me hoping Watford stay up)

Sandwich Saint: PMSL at the thread at the weekend ‘Did RL nearly get it right?’; on last night’s evidence he couldn’t have got it more WRONG! If we had played Skacel (Size) Euell Saga from day one we would now be playing to crowds of 25K+ and sitting comfortably in the top-6. Without the madness of Jan, though, James, McG, Lallana (I know he didn't play), Gillett & Schneiderlin might not of been part of our exciting new team But with the team we have & youngsters like Paterson bubbling under, you have to really pray we don't f00k it up now, because next season suddenly looks a brighter place

We were already shocking under Burley, lost the plot with D&G & crawled over the line with Pearson Incidentally everyone goes on about the players that were here last season but McGoldrick 2 apps + 6 subs, Lallana 5 subs, Gillett 2 subs & James not at all was the sum total of their contribution under all three managements

If we do survive & we are forced to part with Saga, Euell, Davis we will at least have some money in the kitty to replace them - they are all decent players but there are other decent players in this league who would come here for half their wages. The problem always was not getting enough of the high-earners off the books because we were paying more than they were worth (That's not a dig at them or justification of Lowe - just as near to a fact as you can get, because they were all available and nobody else out there thought they were worth what we were paying them)

Early on he was being'frozen out' then he got injured & suspened & now he's back

I'm finding all this a bit freaky. At heart we fans are simple creatures - win & we love everyone, lose and we hate the world Me, I love you all today

This is freaky. I once had that Alpine Saint agreeing with me, too. Is it because you finally read what I wrote rather than jumping to assumptions....?

This is freaky. I once had that Alpine Saint agreeing with me, too. Is it because you finally read what I wrote rather than jumping to assumptions....?

Boring boring Read what I say - 1 Relegation was a lot of people's faults. Personally I hold Redflaps mostly accountable, but that doesn't excuse Lowe 2 Of course its down to results etc but the economy hasn't helped either 3 I still bought into the Poortvliet plan & it sounds like you did, too & I fully accept it failed which is why he left 4 Does anybody know exactly why Pearson left? We all have a theory and that was MY point, yet everyone presents it as fact. I NEVER claimed I knew what happened - read first, don't jump to conclusions. I know exactly the same as you do about it I try to have a discussion on here with people & I read what they say first, not just go off another one on their own agenda could you read what I wrote earlier - I have copied it for you - & then show me where I excuse Lowe or support him I just get so, so bored of people on here trying to rewrite history all the time & going on and on about bloody relegation just to suit their own agendas I genuinely do not believe I have an agenda beyond trying to get my point of view across. I think Lowe has blown it and can never re-unite the club, but I also think Crouch blew all his legitamacy, too. I genuinely just don't care that much who is in the boardroom & the less I know about them the happier I am, but I seem to end up on here defending Lowe because so much cr*p gets talked about him to keep other people's endless negative agendas going. As discussed endlessly there are a long list of people at fault for relegation and I am bored of reading about it, likewise the financial problems. They're all a bunch of c*nts in the boardroom & they all need to go.

Btw, you call my arguments crazy but you did not actually answer any of them, just got back on your soapbox and started another rant

Before you start getting f*cking offensive - 1. What exactly happened to Pearson? If you REALLY know, I'd like to know. I wasn't claiming to know what happened, I just get sick of other people putting across their conjecture as fact. If someone has the truth, please share it with me 2. I do not make stuff up. Like every other tw*t on here my memory is not perfect, but I resent you claiming I make stuff up And 3, for your mate - where in my post did I state that I wanted Lowe to stay I just get so, so bored of people on here trying to rewrite history all the time & going on and on about bloody relegation just to suit their own agendas I genuinely do not believe I have an agenda beyond trying to get my point of view across. I think Lowe has blown it and can never re-unite the club, but I also think Crouch blew all his legitamacy, too. I genuinely just don't care that much who is in the boardroom & the less I know about them the happier I am, but I seem to end up on here defending Lowe because so much cr*p gets talked about him to keep other people's endless negative agendas going. As discussed endlessly there are a long list of people at fault for relegation and I am bored of reading about it, likewise the financial problems. They're all a bunch of c*nts in the boardroom & they all need to go.

Please let the relegation thing go - sh1t happens & chairmen don't usually resign because of it, managers do. The blame for the financial mess, too, can be endlessly apportioned, but what is the point. Everyone involved is in some part guilty, but it, too, is history. And if we stay up this year, it will be an achievement of miraculous proportions Of the other points 1. Just playing devil's advocate, but do you why Pearson left? As far as I know nobody has ever spoken in detail except it was financial. For all you and I know Pearson was told that we couldn't afford his current salary, that he would have no money to spend and he would be expected to drastically cut the wage bill if he stayed. He said f00k that, I've had an offer of better money from Leicester and the biggest budget in the division, I'm off I don't know if this is true, or if Rupert hauled him in on day one and said, On your bike. Nobody does. It's conjecture, not fact 2. It did fail, but it was a) brave & b) borne partly from the disastrous way the oldest team in the division performed during the peceeding season 3. Maybe, but Lowe's mere existence is enough to send some people over the edge 4. That was already well on the way, excluding any other external factors(eg global economic meltdown) that may have added to it

Maybe, but I hope you can see the point I'm making

I'm not trying to twist things, just, like the team, find a balance Point b - I agree with almost totally (but money did play a part) Point a - a lot of people on here have been saying the only reason we are doing better now is because the senior pros are so great. They have done a good okay, but if they were that great somebody would have signed them up. I know nobody has been specific about individual young players but it the way everyone says it was obvious that Euell/Skacel/Saganowski were essential and are the best ever that annoys me. Personally I would have been happy to see all three go in the summer after last year, though I am pleased they are performing well at present. And part of the reason we are doing well now is that our good young players have matured because they have been playing regularly

Does that mean you were happy with last season & the personnel present?

Hindsight is a very special thing, isn't it? Think back a year - Davis, most reviled man in Southampton, closely followed by Euell, Skacel was a traitor who wanted out to get to the Euros, Saga couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo & the youngsters weren't even getting a look in

It's not about playing each week and being appreciated. It's about money - they are all earning about £10K a week at present - the most we could reasonably offer is a half of that & you can be sure their agents will be seeing what else is on offer. And it's not only 4 players is it. There's Rasiak, Davis, Thomas & BWP all on top wages, too

Sorry - you need to be a politician on here with a team of researchers to check all statements before releasing them. OK, he knew why he wasn't playing, but he was still whingeing. And he knew the club were freezing him out for a valid reason, not trying to 'run him out of the club' on a whim, and I guess if anyone had been mad enough to offer him something near the crazy salary he is on here he would have gone without a backward glance. It's just football. I'm happy he's back in the team - he's always been a tryer, even last season when he was sh1te - but don't try and turn everything to suit your agenda

Sorry - you need to be a politician on here with a team of researchers to check all statements before releasing them. OK, he knew why he wasn't playing, but he was still whingeing. And he knew the club were freezing him out for a valid reason, not trying to 'run him out of the club' on a whim, and I guess if anyone had been mad enough to offer him something near the crazy salary he is on here he would have gone without a backward glance. It's just football. I'm happy he's back in the team - he's always been a tryer, even last season when he was sh1te - but don't try and turn everything to suit your agenda

False optimism? No Hope? Yes

I maybe, but I honestly have enjoyed some of it. I always knew it would be a rollercoaster ride & it is true that some games were awful (Watford, Doncaster & Forest spring to mind) but our fightback against Wolves, the Reading game & one or two others were good, too. What I like & hoped for was that some of our young lads would come good & slowly they are. Last year it just felt worse and worse each week & only that reality-obscuring last day saved us from consigning last season to the worst ever

It's funny old game - ponderous & crabby sum up my memories of last season pretty accurately. I guess we'll have to agree to differ on this one

Really? I was more demoralised last season by a mile watching those old lags going through the motions than at any time in nearly 40 years of watching the Saints. The first time ever I seriously considered not renewing my ST. I admit I bought into the Dutch revolution & I am sorry that it has failed but I have still enjoyed it. Another season of waiting to see if Jermaine crossed the halfway line or Safri passed it forwards or Powell headed it anywhere but up in the air & I really would have called it quits. Last season is tainted by the memory of the last day, but prior to that it was horrible