*Halo*

You are quite right of course. P*mpey fans would never ever - boo - their own players. Absolutely not. Except of course, for the times when they do. http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/video/sport/pompey-v-afc-wimbledon-final-whistle-3961552248001 Boooooooo......

A very Happy Christmas fellow nutjobs, just stopping by for a festive visit. Nice to see Christmas cards are still being given out at Fatpipes this afternoon - with Dan Butler getting a nice red one! But this can't be right, surely? Just tuned into Solent commentary to hear the words - "...and there's still a deathly silence around Fratton Park - which won't be helped by the steady stream of pompey fans trudging for the exits, as their side look to be falling to anonother consecutive Home defeat..." I thought they were the Bestest, Loudest and Most Passionate supporters in the world, eva!™®© ?!? And just as I finish up, what's left of the home 'support' (of which about half have apparently already gone sneeking out!) are busy singing - "it's so awful - we wanna go home" !!! A very Happy New Year indeed my friends!

You really are a most obnoxious man. You are of course perfectly entitled to your opinion - as is Frank's Cousin - and if you had just been able to exhibit the maturity to have left it at the middle line, that would have been perfectly reasonable. Why you feel the need to spoil your otherwise valid points with such personal, childish, goading ridicule and utterly unnecessary spiteful invective, is completely beyond me. It reflects so badly upon you, and is very sad to see. I enjoyed your post Frank's Cousin. It is unfortunate that we have a small minority here - whose immaturity and inflated sense of self-importance seem to render them incapable of sharing an opinion without resorting to personal abuse. Don't let it get to you mate.

This face is disturbingly familiar...

Get the YouTube Center Firefox Add-on. Click in the Settings Control Panel (the gear icon, top right of any youtube page). Goto 'Player' on the left-hand menu - and remove the tick from the 'Dash playback' option. Job done.

My sympathies with your losses of your cherished pets. My family have had dogs all my life, and we have had to say goodbye to more than I'd like to count now over the years. Each and everyone one of them hurts, to a greater or lesser degree, kind of depending upon their personality and the extend that they involve themselves in your life and your heart. From the snooty haughty Golden Retriever who was so aloof you'd have thought he was royalty and we were his servants, to another retriever who was as gentle and loving a dog as you'll ever find. We've had Retrievers, German Shepherds and Border Collies as long as I can remember, but since our last two Collies passed, we've had a break from dogs in our lives for a while. Of all of the dogs we've had and loved, one of our Border Collies stood out for me personally as the most special by far. Much as I've always avoided having 'favourites' this one was unavoidable. He had such an immense character, loyal and devoted personality. He had a certain 'knowing' look in his eyes, almost as if he was an old friend come back to visit us again for another life-time. When we picked him out as a very young puppy with his brother from the farm that was selling off the rest of a litter they were not keeping as working dogs, we had only gone in for one, and already chosen him from the moment we saw him. Yet his brother had other ideas. He had been curled up asleep we we arrived, yet just as we were taking his brother, he woke, and came bounding over, yapping and jumping up at us. It was like he was begging us not to take his brother away without him coming too. But it was not only this. That look he had in his eyes that I mentioned before - he looked right into my eyes like he knew me from before, with a look that said "you know you cannot leave without taking me with you". He was my favourite dog we've ever had. Such a special little personality on him. Sadly, after living a heartwarmingly riotous life, he suffered a stroke at about nine years old. We thought we would lose him then, but he was a fighter, and recovered well. A year later, he had another stroke, and even though he made it through, we were sure we would have to have him put down. For a few days, he could hardly walk in a straight line, and we knew we would have a difficult decision to make. But whilst we were talking of the inevitable in the kitchen, like was mentioned by another poster poster above, it was as if he knew what we were saying. He make a low, grumbling growl, heaved himself up from his slumped position on the floor, and wagging his tail, ambled awkwardly over to lay by my feet. We agreed to give him a week to see if he could recover again. Amazingly, he did. He still walked slightly off kilter, but he was in no obvious signs of pain or discomfort, so we gave him some time, and sure enough, he returned to at least a quality of life that we knew he was happy to carry on. He was such a fighter. He suffered another stroke when he was 12. It was a bad one. But going on passed evidence of his will to stay with us, we agreed to give him a week again to show us if he could pull though once again. But this was one battle too far for my beloved little friend. He started to get worse, and was obviously in some distress. We agreed that we had to make that horrible decision, and put him out of his misery. But again, as if he knew, he seemed to brighten up that evening, so we called the vet again, and agreed that we'd give him until the morning. It is probably the decision I most regret in life to date. After the vets were long closed for the night, he was laid under the kitchen table, and suddenly let out an almighty, guttural howl. It was a deep, low moan, of a dearly loved animal suffering in a way he should never have had to endure. Arching his body, and flailing his legs against the pain he was in, and there was nothing we could do for him until the morning. We spent the night curled up on the floor with him, comforting him as best we could, but knowing that it was the end. 'Praying' that he would 'just let go' and save himself from the pain he was in. Telling him it was ok, and that he didn't need to fight anymore. But he did not want to leave us. He would manage to find a 'somewhat more comfortable' position after a time, and relax a bit, with the pain seeming to ease, and he would doze a while as we lovingly stroked his fur, trying to make his last moments as comfortable as possible. But it would never be long until a slight movement would cause another wail of agony, that our love for him could not cure. Could not make better or take the pain away. That was the hardest night of my life. Laid on that floor, knowing that we should have taken him for that final trip a few hours earlier. Seeing someone (animal or otherwise) you care about that much, in so much pain, and knowing we could have prevented it, was just horrible. Every howl of pain a tear-jerking kick in the soul. The next morning, we said our goodbyes, as we carefully carried him to the car, and off to his final rest. Man, I love that dog so much. I will never forget him. But I don't know that I can go through that again. No more dogs for the foreseeable future. It has not come to it yet, but I can imagine losing my exotic tarantulas is not going to be much fun. You might think it would be nothing, and it probably seems weird especially to those who do not like spiders and wonder how I can even keep such a pet. But they are amazing animals. Sure, they cannot love you back like a dog can, and they don't show you emotions. They're not pleased to see you when you come home. But they do each definitely have their own individual personalities, and with their striking vibrant contrasts and colours, they are incredibly beautiful creatures to care for. The key thing is, the ones I have are capable of living for around thirty years. That is a long time to care for any animal, and even though it is not the same relationship as you can have with say a dog or a cat - you cannot look after something for that long, without developing some affection for them. My Poecilotheria Subfusca Lowland (from an area just outside Kandy in Sri Lanka), is an endangered species who is part of an authorised captive breeding programme. Her natural habitat is being destroyed daily, as her forests are razed to make room for expanding the Ceylon tea plantations that drive the industry in her home territory. Our captive breeding programme is helping to keep the species alive, so it is always especially sad to lose an animal in such circumstances, when you are part of a group doing what you can to keep their species in existence. So whilst it is hopefully a long way off yet, I imagine it will be a sadness when she finally passes on oneday. Cracking little T she is, with a very spirited personality, and incredible colour contrast and markings. www.the-livingrainforest.co.uk/living/images/price/RErKU4DgC-Poecilotheria%20subfusca.jpg www.arachnoboards.com/ab/gallery/files/1/7/0/9/9/subfusca_lowland_resize.jpg (I used links rather than posting the actual images, as one, they are not mine, just used as examples of what she looks like - and I know many are squeamish about tarantulas, so you don't have to look if you don't want to.)

So, what have we learned over recent tantalising pages, in this Rapturous Saga of gleeful demise? For a start, I think that certain facts are beginning to emerge, that we may have been just a little harsh on poor old Factless Allen. In case you noticed and were about to call me out on the poor quality of my formatting skills - yes - I am indeed writing in "Pompey Paragraphs". I do so shamelessly in this case - purely to further extract the urine. I've also thrown in a nice array of needlessly placed incongruent capitalisation for good measure. Y'know, just for fun like. Pompey Paragraphs, or so it would seem when taking into account recent evidence, are a far more insidious and institutionalised problem that we may first have realised. And yes, I do have a theory on this bizarre and apparently localised phenomenon. Let's start with Exhibit A: Better use another paragraph actually: http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/pompey/shameful-web-abuse-wrongs-wallace-1-5825730 In this example of the "Pompey Paragraphs" phenomenon, we can see above in the 'article' (I use this term loosely ) from Jordan Cross - that this curious trend continues to expand beyond the previously accepted notion that it is simply because "Nelly" Allen is an ignorant illiterate c*nt. In his insightful lyrical meanderings upon the effects of the "Bestest-Boo-Boys-in-the-whole-f*cking-world-evar!!!111one-one-one" - Jordan can be seen to embrace wholeheartedly the same emergent and enrapturing stuttering style of his mentor, the Number-One Journalist on the South-Coast (and probably of course the entire world!). But - as we shall now see my dear fellow nutjobs - the ever-eloquent Mr. Cross, is himself not alone in this divergent and revolutionary journalistic style of poorly punctuated prose. Allow me to present to you, Exhibit B: (OOPS!) New Pompey Paragraph: http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/pompey/quality-over-quantity-for-barker-1-5832672 In the above exampled item of cunning linguistic excellence regarding another well known and popular Island Dwelling philosophy, namely the ever elusive "Quality-over-Quantity™" -- the widely renowned and prized literary talent Steve Wilson can be seen to also follow this emerging pattern of syntactically abhorrent linguistic butchery. Clearly then, it stands to reason, that there could be far more to this than initially meets the eye, and it may not be as we first suspected - that Neil Allen is simply an incredible f*cking dunce. Could it follow perhaps, if - as would seem a distinct possibility from certain emergent trends - that this is not merely a Nelly issue - but the result of a far more widespread malaise? In other words nutjobs - could it be that this is actually a far more serious and insidious - "Pompey Problem"?!? Is it perhaps that in their esteemed wisdom, the cutting edge executive top-brass of a certain fishy blue-topped online local rag have identified that their regular readersh*t - are simply incapable of concentrating on more than one consecutive sentence at a time... and that the poor degenerate inbred illiterati of that disease-ridden, skate and fat infested Island-swamp known as #lowlyportsmouth - simply need their misinformation chopped up into small, bitesized, childlike manageable portions of "news", in order to become mentally palatable enough for such #lowly single-celled aquatic organisms to ingest? After-all -- we are talking about the most densely crowded urban area in Europe, where the general populace seems to be mentally equipped to handle little more than the widely popular local pastime of producing home-made child-porn with one hand - whilst using the extra digits on the other to satisfy their demanding hoards of repulsive young spawn. Is it any wonder that the current most popular choice of girls name for newly ejected slop on Portsea Island is Chlamydia? Maybe in their consummate wisdom, our fishy friends over at The Snooze are simply writing down to a level they hope their simpleton readership can handle? Certainly something to bear in mind, as you trundle off to enjoy the latest match report from the slightly more syntactically accurate BBC - on "League Two strugglers Portsmouth" picking up another plucky point at mighty Morecambe.

I remember that day well. And what happened directly after it, is the stuff of comic legends. Might I propose: "Carry on Pompey"? The heartrending tale of a plucky, p*ss poor, corrupt, saggy-faced, despicable cheating c*nt of a small time, no-mark perennially bankrupt "football club" -- that is continually kicked in the teeth by an endless array of self-induced calamities - and remorselessly mocked, ridiculed, and satirized for the general amusement of its nearest and dearest rivals. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to smash Neil Allen in the face with a serially abused wet skate.* * (don't worry about the skate - it has seen far more horrific things close-up already, but let's not go there right now). I don't personally find it 'offensive' - as I do not tend to take offense or take things personally. I do however find it extremely sad, that a small handful of (apparently) grown men resort to such immaturity. It's pretty cringe-worthy. Coming on here so often reminds me of my childhood, in the Middle School playgrounds of Southampton. The child-like name-calling, the petty squabbles - it's like I'm here with a bunch of old school mates who never actually 'grew up'. It's quite amusing thinking how accurate that statement might actually be in some cases.

How about these? (Click on images for full size links).

"Another Brick" is definitely seeming the one that would sound best as a chant, all things considered. Here's a slight revision on what has been shared so far: He don't need no education Great technique and ball control He's got no love for AS Roma His name is Daniel not Pablo Hey Daniel, Daniel Osvaldo! Score a goal Daniel! We'll all go f*ckin' mental! Score a goal Daniel! We'll all go f*ckin' mental! Needs to be sung properly too for full effect. Not at 100 miles per hour, replete with traditional clapping seals. Do it right, and it could sound class.

Taken from this article: http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/espnfcunited/id/6474?cc=4716 (Read it all, as you'll see why this song means something to him). How about making him feel welcome and at home here, by giving him his favourite song? Transfer windows - are easy to do We weren't what you wanted, then Poch talked to you Class International - and top of our plans We just couldn't let you slide through our hands Wild horses - couldn't drag us away Daniel Osvaldo, we love watching you play We watched you suffer - a cruel Roma pain Now you're Southampton, so be happy again Cos no missing chances, or offsides sometimes Could make us feel bitter, or treat you unkind Wild horses - couldn't drag us away Daniel Osvaldo, we love watching you play I know I've dreamed you, playing for The Saints We hope you find home here, and we hope you hate Skates Faith has been given, four years you signed Let's do some winning, an' have some good times Wild horses - couldn't drag us away Daniel Osvaldo, we love watching you play Wild horses - couldn't drag us away Daniel Osvaldo, we love watching you play It's probably sh*t - (tired rushed job) - but maybe a verse or two and the chorus might work.

How about something to recognise the impact of the superb midfield partnership that has formed between Morgan and Cork? To the old tune of "Arry 'n' Jim": Morgan and Jack... bossin' midfield... Morgan and Jack... always bossin' midfield... bossin' midfield... bossin' midfield... Morgan and Jack, always bossin' midfield.

Judgement of players' potential ability (naturally) is a personal thing, and some will see things in a player they like which others may not, and vice-versa. For me, of our young players who've not yet made the breakthrough to the first team squad, a small number stand out as having potential real quality. As is usually the way at Southampton, we are blessed with a fine crop of young talent all round for their age groups, but then of that group, there are those who just seem to have that extra 'something about them' factor that sets them apart. Whether or not they actually go on to fulfil that obvious potential, is one thing; yet, something that is for sure, they couldn't be in many a better place to have the oportunity for doing so, than at Southampton. *Halo*'s "ones to watch", are: Corby Moore: A really naturally gifted central midfield playmaker, who for the age-group sides, just 'oozes class'. He is blessed with an excellent and very natural ability to read the game, great vision, awareness of what is happening around him, and good decision making process in selecting the right thing to do next. He plays with his head up, and always seems to have/engineer for himself the time on the ball and the composure to dictate the tempo of the game. He is a very creative player, with great technical ability, and an assured first touch, who can also score goals from midfield as well as making them for others. Really hopeful of great things from Corby, he has stepped up very well to the Under 21's/development side, and would expect to see him involved much more with the first team squad next season. Jake Sinclair: The Brother of Scott Sinclair, Jake is a very promising striker, with pace to burn, excellent ability on the ball, along with that key strikers' instinct of being in the right place at the right time, to get on the end of team moves. His direct running and movement off the ball makes him a real handful for defences, and he also has a few skilful tricks up his sleeve, which adds nicely to his 'unpredictability factor'. At just 5'7", Jake is never going to cause many problems in the air, but his low centre of gravity only adds to his game, with his great balance and agility, making him a player who can change direction and shift through his gears very quickly. A very tricky striker, with a great finish, and a bright prospect indeed. Matt Young: A very exciting future defensive stalwart for us. Matt is a dominant force at the back, captaining the Under 18 side before establishing himself with the U21's, he is a very strong and vocal presence, who seems to take upon himself the responsibility for organising the defence. Always comes across as a very switched on lad, great awareness and anticipation, makes a lot of interceptions, and often the one in the right place covering for his team-mates when required. Can play all the way along the back line, though my thoughts are will more likely emerge as a quality Centre back in the end, who is more than capable of covering at full back when required. Potential homegrown SFC Captain in the making. -- Honourable mentions also for a few other very promising lads from the Academy Age-Groups: I've not seen as much of these guys yet, but ones who stand out for me are -- 2nd Year Scholars: Fraser Colmer, Southampton born full back with a crunching tackle, equally comfortable playing on either side, and Jordan Turnbull, who seems to be in the mold of a composed centre-back who has the ability to bring the ball out from the back. Sam McQueen (another Southampton boy), is a quick and skillful, creative left sided attacking midfield/winger/forward, who has already scored goals for the development squad, and seems to have great confidence about himself, should be exciting to watch his progress, along with "the new Paul Scoles" Harrison Reed, a mature and robust (yes, like the PDT's "reworked business plan" ) combative and high energy central midfielder, aggressive in the tackle, and classy passing ability. 1st Year Scholars: Matt Targett, Left Back, highly rated at the Club, and could well be "the next Luke Shaw". Sam Gallagher, the 6'4" Target Man/Forward we signed from Plymouth, maybe "the next Alan Shearer" in the making, but with pace. Ryan Seager, out and out goal-poaching-machine, Gary Lineker style. Has made rapid progress, and is impressing a lot of people, not only with his goals, but his attitude and work rate. And a quick mention for Jake Hesketh, a promising ball playing creative midfielder, who dictates the tempo. In short, we are blessed with an abundance of promising young talent at Southampton Football Club, including many others I could also have mentioned, but in order to not ramble on for ever, I've just stuck with my personal "essential selection", from my limited knowledge on what I've seen from them so far. Hope it whets your appetite, for our future, of what is to come from one of the Top Academy production lines in the country, that is only going to get better and better. Category One, and hopefully with the steady growth of our Club over the next "phase of the project", the power to keep hold of the exciting talent we produce. The future is indeed bright. Go and grow your own, Arsenal.

Don't know where to start really. Just can't find the words. The bus has crashed. The smashed up shards are scattered all around. The way I feel right now, I don't even care about our broken bus anymore. But of course, in time, that will change. I love our bus. And pretty soon, like everyone else, I'll want to start picking up the fragments, and start trying to piece it all back together again. When you grow up supporting the Club that represents your home town, the city you love, there is a passion and emotional attachment in that, which the plastic glory-hunting 'fans' will never fully understand. It is a tie that cannot be broken so easily. You can't just jump on someone else's bus - because it might happen to be 'bigger' or more 'glamourous'. You fully 'grokked' what Southampton Football Club is all about Nigel. You engaged with, understood, and formed a 'relationship' with our fan-base, that in my lifetime of supporting my Club, I have not experienced anything like before. This was more than a "job" to you. And you were far more than "just another manager" to (most of) us. That's why it is just so hard to "draw a blue line under this, and move on". From the moment you arrived here, with trademark ear to ear grin, you have embodied this fantastic Football Club. With your infectious enthusiasm, relentless positivity, sense of humour and fun, dignity, intelligence and passion; you have epitomised everything that we love about our Club, and led us on the most magical journey. One that will stay with us, and hold a place in our hearts forever. You have been the most magnificent ambassador of Southampton Football Club. So sad that it has ended like this. Wanted you to lead us for years to come. *Stands on table* - "Oh Captain - my Captain!". - (I know that you would understand what this means). The sad thing is, that you'll likely never even read this, and all the things we want to say to you, to thank you for all you've given us, will be no more than empty echoes in cyberspace. It means something to us though, anyway. A chance to put into words, and express our gratitude, and just to say how much we appreciate you, not only as a manager that has give us so many great memories, but for who you are as a person. It's been a most enjoyable ride, Nigel. We were truly graced by your presence. "Keep smiling" - hold your head high, and "be the best that you can be". There will only ever be One Nigel Adkins, - Southampton Legend.

Working late shifts at the moment, and only just found out. Not had much sleep, so wasn't really with it when I got up. Just logged on to see if Forren had signed, and instead see the headline topic "Adkins SACKED!!!". My first thought was that this was some kind of sick joke or 'wummery'. Second thought, I must still be asleep! This is just some f*cking bizarre dream, and any moment now, I'm going to wake up, and everything will be ok. I checked the newsnow site, and the torrent of confirmation hit me full in the face. No more Nigel Adkins. Can't believe this. Finished reading through this thread, and still not recovered from my shock. Feels like I've just lost a close friend. Nigel Adkins. A man of relentless enthusism. A rare breath of fresh air, in a modern football world choked by the thick suffocating smog of high finance and dream chasing. A true and genuine gentleman of the modern game, who brought back that elusive 'feeel good factor' to the Club that I love. A really decent, honourable man, whose sheer enthusiasm and positivity for our Club, brought us the closest thing to a 'united fanbase' we've known for a very long time. It has been my absolute pleasure to have such a man as Nigel Adkins managing my Club, and the manner and timing of his ruthless departure leaves a bitter, sour after-taste, accompanied by a feeling of thorough dejection and disenchantment. Today is the day that will be looked back upon, as the one where all the momentum and feelgood factor was sucked out of the Club that we love. Thanks for everything Nigel. Please know that you were truly appreciated and loved by us. Absolutely gutted.

Thanks guys, glad so many enjoyed the calendar. Seeing the same images and tag lines over again as I was putting it all together, adding bits, and generally tidying things up, I kind of got a bit 'desensitised' to it after a while. Nice to know it went down as well as I hoped it would. In a way, much as I enjoyed putting it together, I wish someone else had made it, so I could see it for the first time, and get the full effect. As for Dirty 'Arry Redkrapp's latest comments, well, I almost choked on a mouthful of tea I tried not to spray all over my screen when I got to this: Ahhh-hahahahaha!!! Oh the incredible irony. I bet he even managed to say it with a straight face.

The time has come to deliver some "Christmas cheer" for my good fellow nutjobs. This is a project I've been working on over the last couple of weeks, as and when I've had some time to make progress. This fantastic saga thread has provided so much priceless comedy gold over the years, for so many. I wanted to put something together, that presents a kind of at-a-glance "highlights package", of all the great characters who have been so kind as grace us with their presence, by f*cking pompey over in some way or another, for the purposes of our general entertainment. With it also being Christmas, an idea began to take shape. With that in mind, I give you, "The Pompey Advent Calendar". If it were any other club, finding 25 images to represent the club's recent history would likely be a pretty straightforward matter. Yet with the skates I found, that there are just sooo many candidates who have contributed to the hilarity in one way or another, that it was hard to decide who had to 'miss out'. There are two versions, the first with a frame, and the second without. You'll need to save and view the image in full resolution to get the full quality, otherwise the words will appear blurred. Actually, scrap that unfortunately, I can't get it to upload without quality loss with the frame, so will have to be without for now, as I'd like to get it uploaded before the end of the world. (Click on image for link to full size version) Hope you enjoy viewing as much as I enjoyed putting it all together. Happy Christmas nutjobs.

Ok, I don't normally get involved with this type of topic, and this will be my only post in it: Being that I know the young (fluent English speaking) Spanish/Catalan coach who has recently been employed by Saints to help Gaston with learning the language and settling in (he is also helping out with Paulo Gazzaniga in this respect too); I can confirm the following: Gaston Ramirez is "very happy here, and really enjoying being at Saints. He loves our style of play, is really enjoying his football here, and feels really welcomed. He loves the city too, and is looking forward to settling in to his new home and making a nice life here." Source: Gaston Ramirez.

Damn!!! http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/portsmouth-benefits-cheat-told-to-repay-£318,000 That's one of the "High Net Worth's" out of the equation.

And of course, we also have the Israeli elections coming up on January 22nd, and dear old [/irony] Mr. Netanyahu clearly is feeling the need to tip the balance in his favour, of an election he will otherwise likely not win, by fomenting and unleashing more barbaric war. It is time to play the "security" card again, that other western powers have used so successfully to dupe their electorate into support, via the help of their key ally, the good old reliable propaganda peddling monstrosity of the utterly gutless and complicit mainstream cwhoreporate media. Modern Politics is merely a puppet show for grown ups. And until we rid ourselves of the same group of puppeteers who have their hands firmly snuggled up inside all of the puppets on the "World stage", - we will never be free from the hypnotic charade. "Western Democracy" indeed. I doubt there exists a more oxymoronic label, for the brand of "freedom" that we inflict upon our conquest States, with our toxic financial "Aid" packages. If 'spreading' the virus of our so called "democracy" throughout the "Non Integrating Gap" is us "helping" nations, I would truly shudder to think how we might go about hindering them. And let us not forget November 29th's potential election of "Palestine" to non-full member observer status at the UN Council. Israeli leaders have been more than specific that they see this as unacceptable, and threatened "untold repercussions" if they go ahead with their plan, which in the absence of the usual US veto power (outside of the Security Council, in the General Assembly) should likely be sealed by around 130 votes in favour, to around 50 against. This International recognition of 'Statehood' will afford the Palestinian Leadership, with the right/power to bring Israel before the International Courts of Justice, for war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Israel's sudden ramping up of the violence, whether or not the chief motivator, could be seen as a 'reminder' of their 'seriousness'. Just for a little light reading on the subject of the shambolic media bias we 'enjoy' here, take a look at these articles, from Media Lens: http://medialens.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=706:gaza-blitz-turmoil-and-tragicomedy-at-the-bbc&catid=25:alerts-2012&Itemid=69 (read the whole article, and some of the subsequent links are also of interest); and this from News Unspun: http://newsunspun.org/article/siding-with-the-powerful-uk-media-coverage-of-the-assault-on-gaza I'd also recommend following Harry Fear, a British documentary maker who has been in Gaza since the start of November, and is broadcasting regularly, his eyewitness perspectives from 'on the ground' in Gaza City. https://twitter.com/harryfear gazareport.com It is so easy, with the throwaway, monotone delivery of the dispassionate propaganda we are subject to via the main corporate news networks surrounding the tragedy of the truly heartbreaking situation that we allow to carry on in our name in the middle east, by our complicit silence to such widespread human suffering; that it seems almost 'commonplace' to accept the so called "balanced news coverage" of further 'escalation' of the conflict with a 'Gallic shrug'. We have, as a people, become so collectively desensitized, so hopelessly caught up in our own 'high-tech', self absorbed existences, that we all too easily forget, about the 'far off', 'distant' suffering of others. And how but for chance of birthright, it could so very easily have been us. And that for me, is the saddest thing of all. Every day, our brothers and sisters (fellow human beings) out in Gaza, and the wider Palestinian regions, are suffering under a brutal occupation, where Israel enforces upon them, a crippling blockade, which controls and (under) rations out every aspect of their lives. 1.7 Million people, crammed into an area smaller than the Isle of White, imprisoned from every side, with no army, no navy, no air force to protect them, as one of the most potent military powers in the world, continues in flagrant violation of more than Sixty Five UN Resolutions against it (Iraq was invaded after breaching just two), to run roughshod over their most basic human rights - in carefree abandon; 'ethnically cleansing' - safe under the impunity of United States veto power. Smugly flicking arrogant v's at all established International Law. And Yesterday, 'Binyamin' Netanyahu has the unspeakably audacious hypocrisy, to accuse Hamas, of "war crimes". Of those suffering 1.7 million Palestinians, almost one million live in ghetto-like refugee camps, in the wake of the endless years of Israeli aggression that has destroyed their homes, with armoured bulldozers, artillery and airpower, provided for (ultimately), by our own governments' military aid. And for their resistance of this absolute domination, this utter humiliation, and violation of their human rights; our esteemed leaders brand these longsuffering brothers and sisters of our human family, as "terrorists". What would we do, were we walking in their shoes? (Other than leave footprints in the traces of white phosphorus, I mean.) As Chris Hedges (Author and Former NY Times journalist) so eloquently summed up his outstanding speech to Ethical Culture Society, on January 13th 2009 - ( ) "The lesson of the holocaust, is not that jews are special, or that jews are "unique" (in their suffering), it is not that jews are eternal victims. The lesson of the holocaust, is that when you have the capacity to halt genocide, and you do not, - no matter who carries out that genocide, or who it is directed against - you are culpable." And yet, in spite of all this, the Gazans are such a warm, and hospitable people. And the courage they show, in their determination to just somehow keep going about living out their daily lives, in as 'normal' a way as possible - in the face of such continued devastating onslaught, is a remarkable tribute, to the steadfastness, and resilience of a truly amazing people. For many Palestinians, the vast overwhelming majority of whom have never engaged in 'military' resistance themselves - they will tell you that for them, the very act of continuing to live, is their own personal form of "resistance" itself

I tend to stay out of commenting on this very personal (to me) topic for the most part, these days. Time, and history has taught me, that the 'fall out' from discussions on this subject matter, is not worth the hostility and vitriol that can on occasions come to the fore, born out of the passionate feelings it can stir within us. Yet, I have been pleasantly surprised at the level of maturity that it has been handled with here, on the most part. Just for the record, I have close friends on all sides of this abysmal conflict. The trouble is, that in the western corporate media, we are not being given a fair and balanced perspective, of what is truly happening in the middle east (and the wider world, for that matter). And borne of that stubborn, wilful, gluttonous neglect, of those media outlets responsible for bringing us 'unslanted', 'unbiased' coverage of current events, under the guise of "news"; all too many, who rely upon such compromised institutions to inform us of "truth", are necessarily living in ignorance, under the hypnotic trance - of state sponsored, subtle mass media manipulation. Yet in truth, if we abdicate responsibility for our own education and learning, if we expend such little effort in our quest for knowledge, as to abandon our innate inquisitive, investigative inclinations, and place our dumbed down complacent trust in the plasma screens, then we have only ourselves to blame. According to the most popularly quoted "timelines", those nasty Palestinian "terrorists" kicked off the latest wave of violence by firing increased rocket activity into Israel on the 12th of November, in a "sudden escalation" of "terrorist attacks". Completely unprovoked, of course. They just felt like stirring up the festering 'Zionist' hornets nest again, and inviting a nice fresh blast of indiscriminate Israeli "retaliation" to warm up the cold winter months. For no reason. Of course, afterall - that's what "terrorists" do, isn't it? So, if we are to believe that we are being presented with true, unbiased media "news" coverage of these latest rounds of atrocities, then... Why doesn't the corporate media tell us that on November 3rd, a mentally impaired Palestinian man, Ahmad al-Nabaheen, who had the misfortune to stray "too close" to the border fence on the Gaza side, was shot dead by IDF gunmen? Why doesn't the corporate media tell us that on November 5th, during a "truce-breaking" Israeli incursion of tanks and bulldozers into Gaza, that a thirteen year old boy, Ahmad Abu Daqqa, was gunned down in a field outside his house whilst he played football with his friends? If it truly seeks to offer an in any way balanced assessment of what possible motives could the Palestinian people have had for the sudden "escalation" of rocket fire into Israel from Gaza, why doesn't the corporate media have the fairness and decency to report that at the funeral for 13 year old Ahmad Abu Daqqa and another 15 year old Gazan boy also killed during the unprovoked and sickening Israeli attack on defenceless children playing football, that Israel decided to turn up to pay its "respects", with tanks and guns, opening fire on the funeral service, leaving thirty Palestinians seriously wounded, including many women and children, with two recorded fatalities? Why does the corporate media not tell us about these crucial events that led to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (not Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades) responding by firing at an Israeli tank on the border (believed to be responsible for the funeral massacre), and sending further rockets of retaliation into southern Israel? Why instead do we hear the all too familiar rhetoric that "Israel has the right to defend herself from terrorist attacks" trotted out across our television screens? "Terrorist attacks"?!? - Well, I guess that's one 'way' of describing the outraged response of the Palestinian people to this despicable atrocity inflicted upon them, in the long line of brutal occupying oppression they are subjected to on a daily basis, by the "terrorist" state of Israel. Do the people of Palestine not also have the "right to defend themselves" from the terrorist attacks from Israel that began this latest round of unholy bloodshed? Why does Israel continue to blame Hamas for these strikes, when the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine have already claimed responsibility for them, and instead blame Hamas for "failing to prevent them"? Why does the corporate media not tell us that at the time of his disgraceful extra-judicial murder, Ahmed al-Jaabari had been carrying on his person, a final draught ready to be signed and ratified by Hamas leadership, of a key document which would have committed Hamas to the promise of "a lasting and permanent truce" with Israel, and that top Israeli officials were well aware of this fact when they decided to take him out? Why? Because despite what the corporate propaganda machinery of the mainstream media will tell you, the murderous genocidal leadership in Israel don't want peace. They, as they always have, still harbour intense desires for "Eretz Y'israel" (Greater Israel). Namely expansion of the terrorist state of Israel from the Nile to the Euphrates, just as depicted in the very flag of Israel itself. Peace won't get that for them. So they go about achieving their goals instead, via the vehicles of death, and destruction. The Israeli people (the vast majority of them) are normal, everyday, caring human beings, just like most of the Palestinians are too. They do not want this war. They do not want this endless cycle of violence. A great many Palestinians, Israelis, Lebanese, Syrians, Iranians, see each other as brothers and sisters in this one human race, in the great melting pot region of the Middle East, that they must share together. Most genuinely wish each other no harm. But until such a time as we can somehow find a way to rid ourselves of the warmongers and their genocidal expansionist agendas, we seem powerless to effect change. We've long passed living in an age where our "governments" actually listen to "their" people, and take into account of our wishes. If in fact we ever lived in such a time. (Will have to post this in two parts, as it's "too long")

The Club's communication with our fanbase could certainly benefit with some small improvements, I would agree. I do actually like Nicola Cortese's policy of taking a more 'in the background' approach, generally speaking, and shunning the 'limelight'. During our 'Lowe Era', I'm sure (lol, more like 'I know') that I was not alone, in wishing he would just shut the f*ck up, most of the time. I seem to remember that a general consensus here, was that a chairman should be "seen and not heard", for the most part. Lowe seemed to love the media attention though, and it was almost as if he intentionally courted controversy at times. I'm pretty happy to be honest, that we no longer have a chairman who makes a public mockery of our Club, whilst fighting off "Klingon's" and "North London Yobbo's". But having said that, I much preferred the earlier days of Markus and Nicola's reign, as far as communication goes. Just having Markus' beaming smile, and little unassuming waves of acknowledgement to the crowd, brought a "feelgood factor" in and of itself. We knew he was a very private man, but his dignity and the 'silent charm' of his very presence, was a form of communication in itself. He really didn't need to say anything at all. Just his very being there with us, was enough. I think Nicola had it right in the beginning. Very minimal public media interaction, 'we never comment on rumours' etc, was a refreshing change, from all that had gone before. But, we did always have his rare, couple of interviews a season in whatever guise they took on, and it was always great to hear his thoughts, in such format. I have always liked Nicola, and very much want to 'still like' him, although in recent times, his "in the background" stance, seems to have become more akin to a public disappearing act. If it were not for seeing him in his seat on a matchday, we'd be forgiven for wondering if he was still here at all. I do not begrudge in the slightest his preference for shunning the 'limelight', and being a very private person like Markus, yet being that he does not 'communicate' at all in the way Markus could, just by simply being here, and the warmth of his presence, it makes him feel 'distant' and 'cold'. We haven't had any form of communication from Nicola in a long time now. No more interviews, and unless they've gone unreported, no more "fans' dinners" either. So in effect, we have this kind of "communication void" which unless it is managed in some way, is leading to a feeling in many of us, of the fans gradually becoming more and more disconnected from our Club. We do not necessarily want to hear our chairman's every thought and whim, along the lines of "rent-a-gob" Whelan at Wigan, or the previously outspoken ways of Simon Jordan at Palace, but it seems we have gone to the other extreme at Saints; which creates a kind of 'information vacuum', which itself indirectly leads to the avalanches of speculation and conjecture we've seen in recent times. In the absence of any form of direct communication from our 'leader' at all now, rumour and controversy tends to fill the void. It would just be nice, just every now and then, to hear what Nicola is thinking, and feeling about our Club, and how we are (or are not) progressing. Making the "relationship" between us as supporters, our Club and our chairman feel a little more 'personal', and like our 'connection' is about more than simply the money we bring through the gates in 'exchange' for a 'product'. We do not simply invest money into a "business" through our support of the "Southampton Brand". We invest our hearts and souls, into the Football Club that we love. "Clubs" are about interaction. Please, just once in a while Saints, it would be nice if you would simply acknowledge our presence by way of a little communication.

I'm glad this topic has arrived, as I was uncertain which of the other ten Adkins related topics to put my thoughts in. This seems as good a place as any, to collate everything into one post. Naturally, this is a game of opinions, and we do not have all the facts to hand, so all we can do is to offer our thoughts, as best we can; and some of that, in the absence of the complete knowledge that would only come from being involved at the Club, will clearly be at least partly based upon supposition, conjecture, and trying to read between the ("blue") lines. Ok, where to start? Makes sense to begin by stating that as per my vote, our Nigel has my support. So, as I can perfectly understand why my stance may appear a strange one to many, given the situation we are in, here's why I feel this way: Let's start with stability. It has long been an often shared opinion on here, that after the Lowe era of managerial merry-go-rounds, "revolutionary coaching set-ups" that often end abruptly in "mutual consent" compensation packages and non-disclosure agreements, that what we really needed, was the long term stability, of finding a good guy, the 'right' man for our Club, and then when we've found him - sticking with him, and standing by him - even when the "going gets tough". And like Morpheus in The Matrix, upon finding "The One" - I say what I say, because "I believe that search is over". I remember back in the early days of Sir Alex' glorious reign at Old Trafford, that there was a time when things were not going well, that he was under a lot of pressure, and rumours grew that his tenure was on very dodgy ground, amid calls from sections of the club's support and the media for him to be sacked. His board backed him however, and the rest is a fine history indeed. Not that our Nigel is as yet fit to tie Fergie's metaphorical shoe laces of course, but nevertheless, here we have a young and talented manager, who has done us proud over the last two seasons, and has the potential to become a very fine manager indeed. He is currently struggling. That much is abundantly clear. And the growing pressure he must be feeling, is clearly not helping his cause. But, do we really cast him aside, eight games into his fledgling Premier League management career? Do we hang him out to dry, for struggling to tread water, while if recent rumour his to be believed, he has at least one hand tied behind his back? "Thanks for everything Nige, but you can do one now mate". Loyalty. It is a two way street. We (as football club supporters in general) complain about the seeming lack of this noble quality in our game these days when it suits us, against a backdrop of multi-billion television contracts, in which the almighty pound sign is king; and yet, after two years of unmitigated success and good times, and a ridiculously difficult run of starting fixtures by way of a "welcome" to the Premier League, - it's "sorry Nige, it was nice knowing you. Thanks for the back to back promotions and feel-good factor, now f*ck off". That is a stance that I am personally unable to endorse. And I'm unsure as whether to be happy or disappointed, that at the time of writing, it seems that 64.75% agree with me. But knowing what a reactionary bunch some can be at times on here... I do already wonder, how many might just wish that they could change their vote, when they wake up in the morning, and reflect. Ok, so, let's back it up a minute, and take a closer look at the situation we currently find ourselves in. If what we are "led to believe" from various "sources" is true, Nigel has his hands tied to some degree, with how much room to manoeuvre that he has. Nigel made it abundantly clear, very early on in pre-season, that it was one of his main priorities, to bring in "a couple" of quality Centre Backs to the Club, and was also keen to add a Premier League quality Left Back to the squad. We all know about the Alexander Buttner situation for starters. Given that he stated this often as such a priority, and all that materialised was a deadline day deal for Maya Yoshida, I do wonder how much control he had over the players he has been able to bring in. Then we have his carefully worded responses pertaining to the "Southampton Way", and this seemingly 'dogged' persistence with sticking to the new "4-3-3" formation, that is implemented across all levels at the Club. I don't "know", of course. All I can do, is take the many little 'snippets' Nigel has dropped in some of his interviews, try to connect a few dots, read between a few lines, and hope that when I add two and two together, I come up with figure that closely resembles the number four. But if you listen to his Solent interview today, he is very careful in what he "takes responsibility" for. Pretty much everything, with notable exception of our formation. "It's my responsibility alone. The way we perform, the results that we get; the team selection, the substitutions - there's only one person to look at and that's me". Adam Blackmore then asks: "Did you consider, putting someone up front with Lambert, at any stage?" And Nigel, in a patently downcast tone of resignation, simply responds: "We're gonna play 4-3-3". I really feel for him. Nigel is a clever guy, and within the limits of what he can say, I do believe that he is trying to send us a message, and ask us to read between the lines. So if, and I do mean if - the speculations and rumours are true, that our current system and formation is being forced upon him, to the extent that he is unable to change things around when he can see they are not working, then whoever is responsible for that decision, must also bear at least a part of the responsibility for what happens when that system is failing. It is all very well to hold the manager to account when results are going against us, but if he is effectively being told how we are expected to play, and he is unable to alter this if he feels he needs to, then he is having to manage the best he can, with his hands effectively tied. We know from many of Nigel's previous interviews last season, and from simply watching our team play, that he likes to be pretty fluid, and have a few working formations, to change things up when need be, and ensure our flexibility and ability to adapt to situations. We've seen many times, that he will often switch between a few formations, during one game. And yet this season, when subtly asked why he didn't change our shape? "(sigh) .... we're gonna play 4-3-3". Anyway, I'm conscious that this is already a long post, so I'll tie things up. You could tell Nigel's frustration in his interview today (here if you've not seen it), that lapses in concentration are costing us at the back, time and again. Unfortunately, "f*cking concentrate you useless c*nts!!!" isn't really something you can "coach". We have what we have, until the January window at least. It is clearly not good enough at this level, and we just have to make the best of it until then. We already know how much Nigel wanted to strengthen at the back in the summer. For 'whatever reasons', that did not happen. Who is to say, ultimately, that with the tools we currently have at our disposal, that another manager would do any better? It's not like Jose Mourinho or Arsene Wenger are going to be queuing up to take the job, afterall. Either way, if it is true that Nigel is "under orders" in some way, however great or small, the one thing that I really feel is 'unfair', is that the Club continue to remain silent on this, and allow pressure to build on our manager, if there are things beyond his control, that we do not know about. I know Nicola Cortese likes to conduct his business behind the scenes, and I do respect that. Yet, under current circumstances, now would be a very good time for another of those "rare interviews" of his. Communication is such an important tool, particularly during difficult times. It is amazing how much more support and understanding can be generated, if we are kept 'in the loop' now and then, and allowed the opportunity to come to a more informed opinion for ourselves as to what is happening at our club. Even just a little comment along the lines of "we are trying to implement a new philosophy throughout our Football Club, and we understand that this can take some time to get things right. Everyone at the club is in full support of Nigel as he does his best to work within the framework we have set in place, and we ask for your continued support as we look to take Southampton FC to the next level", - would be nice. Now, I certainly do not have the temerity to "tell you what to think", or the arrogance to believe that my opinion is in anyway "better" than yours. But I for one, do want to be 'on the record', - whether I be "right" or "wrong" - as stating that (for me) Nigel deserves our support during these testing times, and the chance to bring in the players he feels will put right our problems at the back, in the next window. I know. If things continue as they are, it could well all be too late by then. But, the Premier League is not the "be all and end all" for me. Supporting Southampton Football Club is. And whilst it is great to be in the top flight, where we feel we 'belong'; I for one, would rather go back down (if it comes to that) and continue to enjoy my football in the Championship, with the breath of fresh air that is the honourable and amiable Nigel Adkins, than attempt to cling onto the coattails of Premier League survival, with the likes of a corrupt, miserable, saggy-faced c*nt in charge of the Club that I love. Call it Loyalty, or call it madness. Either way, that's my colours nailed to the mast.

Exactly. This, plus his abysmal sense of positioning. This is, to my recollection, the first time I have ever felt the need to break from my usual 'keep negative thoughts to myself' philosophy, where our players are concerned. So that in itself is indication of how much Danny Fox is frustrating me. That I actually feel the need to vent on a message board about him. I like Fox, he has a great delivery, can put in a good tackle, he's not afraid to throw himself in front of the ball, and he wears his heart on his sleeve; his passion on the pitch is always clearly evident. But sadly, whilst these attributes are all noble qualities, they alone do not make for a decent left back. I've lost count of the amount of times, last season, and now this too; where I've turned to those next to me in exasperation, as once again, good old Foxy is f*cking nowhere near the winger he's supposed to be marking. When in the defensive third, he always seems to stand waaaaay too close to Jos, leaving acres of space to run into down the flank he is supposed to be protecting. It happens with such frequency, that this is either something that Nige actually asks him to do, "hey, Foxy!!! What the f*ck are you doing mate???!!! Stop marking their winger!!! You're not letting him have anywhere near enough space!!!". Hmmm, somehow I don't think this is the case... which leaves the option that this is clearly a flaw in Fox's game. And, as it's been going on since he arrived, then either our coaching staff are somehow unable to see the blatantly obvious (very unlikely), or he is simply unable to improve his game in this regard, which is concerning, as how f*cking difficult is it to understand, that if you're a left back, you're meant to actually play there, rather than trying to hold your centre back's hand? Whatever it is, it has to stop, as he is costing us goals, almost every game. Albeit indirectly in some cases, such as Utd's opening goal for example, where if you were not paying attention, you'd put it down to Nate's unfortunate slip. But take the play back a few frames, and you'll notice that, yet again, it is Fox not doing the job of a left back, that allows the time and space for the chance to be created. Same for the second, again, indirectly. In other words, he cannot necessarily be directly 'faulted', but his being unable to competently undertake his duties, time and again is putting us under pressure, from where we have subsequently conceded. It's getting to the point that it has this usually very calm and collected chap, f*cking simmering! The problem with Fox, summed up diagrammatically:

Thanks mate. Was surprised no-one else had mentioned it, so just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to offer the posts you have done, clarifying the translations for us. It certainly helps to understand the situations we've had arising more clearly, and is much appreciated.