Long Shot

Fair post. In tonight's Echo JP is quoted thus " I have been told by people in France he (Gasmi) is a very good player" which kind of reveals he has not even seen him play on tape, let alone live.

FWIW I have been impressed with the signings although the Pulis and Forecast ones have left me a little bemused. However I do think it important that the man who picks the team and decides the tactics has some input into which players are bought (possibly not sold as that is down to the Bank it seems). Mark Wotte when interviewed on Radio Hampshire said that neither he or JP have a big say in who we buy. Personally I don't think that to be a good thing even if it does appear to be happening at Man City (suspect Hughes ain't too peeved however). You only have to look at the farce at Newcastle to see many managers (even ones as resignation happy as KK) prefer to have full control over which players are targeted. After all if it all goes horribly pear shaped it is usually the manager who faces losing his job. And I have to say I don't think Rupert Lowe is best qualified to be a DoF despite what he himself believes. Financially astute he maybe and if he saves us from administration all well and good but I am nervous.

Exactly. Technically and importantly because I assume he picks the team and they are not HIS signings.

Thanks Chapel End Charlie for a good summary. It seems to compete now in the top echelons of English football you have to have mega billions. At least Gavyn Davies can relax now because it is way out of his league.

I gather Merrington was telling people at the game on Saturday that it was still "happening".

You are making mischief here - where in my thread was I slagging the club off. I was just correcting your factually inaccurate post by pointing out the 10 players brought in were the choice of our DoF who also happens to be the Chairman of the PLC. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing I will leave to others. If you don't mind me saying you seem to have a bit of a chip on your shoulder if anyone dare pour just a little water over your "the club can do wrong" outlook.

JP did not choose any of these signings. The Director of Football did, Rupert Lowe. And I think you will find proof of that in a taped interview Wotte recently did with Radio Hampshire which has not yet been broadcast.

With a couple of good fullbacks on Saturday we would have probably got all 3 points.

Amazing Man City can get taken over in 3 weeks and we can't get taken over in 15 months of trying

Colin Clarke once he wanted away.

Unfortunately on here you have to realise that to criticise the Saints (as much as we all love them) is heresy.

Yea you got it in one - there was one time when Dyer broke free only to be fouled. He blew up when he could have played advantage and then stopped us taking a quick free kick. When it was taken, after about one whole minute, Holmes put it straight at the keeper. All so bloody frustrating.

The voice of sanity

His only asset is pace. Unfortunately he plays with his head down and often ends up blind alleys. Doesn't seem to have a football brain either and his first touch also lets him down.

I hate to say it but we will miss Davies this year and before anyone pipes up and says he wanted to go he didn't. His brother who plays cricket for Durham was telling people at the Hants match in Basingstoke this week that AD was settled and had even moved his girlfriend down here. I was shocked at how bad Svensson looked today.

You have forgotten the new Czech lad from Spurs

Negatives - Svensson, worryingly, beaten far too regularly in the air and on the ground. Dyer -all pace and no brains. Holmes - worked hard but no real end product. McGoldrick - tried to be too intricate. Schneiderlein - anonymous and tried a fancy dan trick one too many for my liking. Positives - Lallana - for me developing with every game, very hard to disposess and has an air of MLT about him. I think we just failed to click today with our two main central midfielders having an off day. Blackpool sussed us out - broke up our passing game with series of fouls and then wouldn't let us take quick free kicks. Also the ref seemed to stop us as well. Still got a lot to learn.

Lowe only came back because of his investment. Get real mate

I hear Davies really did not want to leave Saints - he was settling in nicely and had just "moved" his girlfriend down but Lowe was determined to move him on. Needs must I suppose. Not overwhelmed by Pulis's signing but let's give him a chance or at least wait until we have seen what he can do.

I'd rather share a beer with Redknapp any day of the week - a more "rounded" human being, I reckon.

Hold the front page: Burley panic buys another shocking defender

Well placed sources inform me that things are not quite as rosy at Fratton Park as they could be. Finance is drying up big time.

I quite agree. I simply cannot believe there are some that criticise Pearson who really did inherit (thanks mainly to Burley) a side in freefall. JP seems (against my expectations) to be doing a good job but that doesn't mean NP would have done a bad job. Incidentally talking of Crouch - Leaving Pride Park I bumped into someone who had been in his company during the game and apparantly LC was full of praise about how well Saints had played and was really enthusiastic about the future. That was nice to hear as it would be easy for him to mope and to be critical of Lowe's experiment.

The experiment with youth would be a lot more enjoyable if the thought of losing them all in the January transfer window wasn't hanging over our heads.

You are a little premature (and acting immaturely) to gloat but I will say I was mightily impressed with what I saw tonight. The time to post smug threads is not yet upon us so I suggest you keep your powder dry, however one cynic (me) is starting to be converted on that show this evening.