Long Shot

Sorry - not trying to be funny but I genuinely do not understand the question. If I did I probably couldn't answer as I am only privvy to the ball park figures but if you can come back with a clearer question will do my best to answer.

OK Um - just to back you up, Pearson's annual salary was around a fifth of what David Jones of Cardiff was on and just over a third of what Burley was on. Now I don't know what JP and MW's combined wage is but at the end of the day I doubt the difference between the two either way is that much. This has nothing to do with finance. Lowe did not want Pearson for lots of reasons but not many of them were football related unfortunately.

Can't argue with any of this.

But have they any to put in? Lowe a few bob I presume but Wilde...? I fear our original overdraft of £6m has not been reduced and may have in fact increased which will not amuse Barclays, especially this week. Dwindling gates have come as a bit of a shock I think, certailnly I am surprised and this must be a big concern for the present incumbents of the hot seat. As Weston Saint says unless the shareholders dig deep players simply will have to be sold.

Whatever you feel about Lowe is fine but it is unfair you blame Crouch for continuing with the high wage bill. When Burley tried to sign Euell (whose wages were and remain astronomical) Crouch refused to sanction the deal. It was only Hone persuading Wiseman that the vote went through and Euell was signed. So a bit rum to lay that at Crouch's door.

But neither worked with Rofe either so it kinda rules them out.

Mate those rumours are so wrong - believe me NP was on nothing like £9000 per week. And Wilde did nothing of the sort with MS

I'm afraid I can't name my (impeccable) source but - Burley's compensation would have covered more than 18 months of Pearson's salary. The OS bit put up by "Give it to Ron" is economical with the truth (no real surprise). When Pearson was appointed he was given an 18 month contract reviewable by both sides in the ensuing summer. Lowe, who was virulently anti Pearson's appointment in the first place, was never going to keep him on, full stop. He therefore exercised the get out clause both sides had. IMO that was a mistake, but only time will really tell.

I can't believe someone sane could write this - especially the last sentence. Turn the season around? Our season was already a bad car crash when he took over - at least he managed to salvage something from the wreckage. I know quite a lot of people at SMS and Staplewood and they are all full of praise for Pearson. Within a short period of time he galvanised all the players right down to the younger ones and lifted the whole club with his enthusiasm and honesty (which had been sadly lacking). His departure was purely political. The week he was appointed I heard first hand how p*ssed off Lowe and Cowan were with his arrival and I gather they made their displeasure known at the time. So there was no way he was going to stay even if he offered to work for nothing.

Please go and see that shrink, mate - I am worried about your mental health.

Greenridge has a fair point Nickh - you do seem a bit too fervent in your defence of Lowe to make me think your views are genuine and unbiased.

Don't think it was JP.

I quite agree Weston. I sometimes thinks Nickh would rather argue black was white rather than say "actually old chap perhaps you are right". He's a decent enough bloke but sometimes needs to wind his neck in when faced with facts. I would like to ask him if he doesn't believe it why has DMc started all and finished all but one match this season - especially as one of JP's favourite excuse at the moment is "the players are tired". That would either suggest Weston is spot on and McGoldrick has been told he is the resident centre-forward or he is completely bionic and the athlete of the season so far.

Thanks for posting that Minty. Although I am deply concerned that Lowe is too heavily involved in the actual football side (witness today's photo in the Echo of him and JP consulting prior to Saturday's game) I still think some of the football played this season is definately better than it ever was under Burley and most of those other names too. However there is a worrying naivity to JP's actions at times and our inability to take chances and weak defence could be costly as is Lowe's determination to keep on playing McGoldrick.

I trust you bought him a beer?

I saw him at Doncaster and I gather he was at the Rotherham Cup match 4 days previously. There is no doubt he cares for the club which does mean something at the end of the day. I don't think he enjoyed his stint as Chairman tbh and I think mistakes were made but one thing is for sure he would not let us go into administration and Barclays were more than happy with his stewardship.

The trouble is we are still lacking a spine ie a decent natural goal scoring centre forward, a leader in the middle of the park and a dominant centre-back. No wonder we are starting to fall apart. Decent man though he may be I do think JP out of his depth.

I have been told by an impeccable source that the reason Skacel is not playing is because he is on appearance money.

When a well respected poster like Weston Saint asserts something, Nickh you would be wise to listen. Lowe's promise to D McGoldrick that he would be our main striker shows just how dangerous it is to have the Chairman meddling in team selection and JP simply should not put up with it. D McG is not a natural goal scorer, he looks lazy and what skill he does have is wasted because he has no real reading of the game.

You enjoyed the game and are really happy? You need a shrink mate.

You make an excellent point and Totton Red should substantiate further because it would be very unhealthy if indeed a deal had been done. I am suspicious however because things do seem a lot cosier than they were when Rupert last ruled the roost.

Slightly tongue in cheek regarding Bob - a nice bloke indeed, just felt in his later years he coasted a bit. As for the others - met them all and wish they were still at the Echo but my guess is they were glad to have left for no way is it the paper it was. Can't remember when they last broke a good story or even did any research.

Bump? Be careful Trousers will be watching.

I can't believe the Sports Editor of the Southampton Evening Echo has never been to a Saints match. That is an effin outrage - no wonder the paper is a shadow of its former self and don't get me started on Editor Ian Murray who is a numpty of the highest order (his column on a Saturday is cringeworthy). When I think of how football reporting was carried out in the old days, Brian Haywood, John May and Graham Hiley, even the slightly idle Bob Brunskell could pen a few words that actually came from the heart. Grrrr!

A bit like what we said when Dyer went to Sheffield United. It is going to be strange come January when all our loanees return to their clubs.