shurlock

You must be joking - the football in L1 is dreadful compared to the championship. I'm looking forward to the CCC simply because games are evenly matched, the ball stays in play longer and teams will stretch you with pace. Ipswich who are no means the best team in the CCC showed the gulf in quality in the cup game. L1 is slow, scrappy and bogged down in the middle by comparison.

FFS - something I agree with you on

And just as everyone who is broadly supportive of Cortese is a blind stooge, right?

My thoughts as well - when AP was under the spotlight last season, it wasnt just the results that concerned NC but the style of play. Does it matter as long as we're winning? I guess for a team used to losing, turning results around -as AP undoubtedly delivered in the first season- was an important first step; still at times we played some pretty dreadful one-dimensional football and when it came to the crunch we weren't quite savvy or creative enough to pick teams on the road or break down teams at SMS, notwithstanding the mountain of possession we had. Introducing players like Waigo were often the key. Would be interesting to know how some of AP's transfer requests have gone down -e.g. bringing in another big man as support for Lambert. Possibly they've been quite contentious if NC is serious about embedding a Southampton Style- who knows. At any rate I don't think its impossible to get the ball down and play in L1 as Norwich showed (and we treatened at times - still think we played some of our best stuff when Mellis was around) while other managers -Billy Davies and Ian Holloway- have shown that leopards can change their spots. Am pretty sure AP will get us out of this division but whether his approach -as it is currently set up- can take us much further is less clear.

Are you saying we could attract better now, 12 months on?

Stu gets his info from loan sharks or sharks dressed as zebras

What's clear is that AP is under pressure to perform -can't think of many managers in the game who face as much pressure as AP this season (maybe maldini, warnock, bllackwell, parkinson) - thats a strong basis upon which peoples worst fears can run riot; mix that with all the will-he-or-won't-he-get-the-sack boll*cks last season and NC's uncompromising standards (notwithstanding his subsequent letter of support) and you've got a club ripe for sh*t-stirring.

Rumour doesnt need to be true for it to spread - just need enough people with an incentive and interest in spreading it (and there are plenty of people with an axe to grind) and enough receptive people (and saints fans are a jittery bunch with a tendency to think the worst after the last few years) and before you know it you have an uncertain, divided and distracted fanbase.

So its the full picture - would be interested to know what that is given the forum's main currency (by your own admission) is speculation and rumour... Ultimately I'm less interested in NC and the person than what happens to the club (like you no doubt). there is space for legitimate difference in terms of how the club gets to where it wants to go and what counts as success (e.g. whether league titles and silverware at the expense of the traditional fanbase counts as success), so it wont always be easy claim that you're right and the next man's wrong; not to mention the fact that alot of people who agree with NC's basic vision will judge him on case-by-case basis and so inevitably have issue with particular decisions (thus if true getting rid of AP at XMAS regardless of the league position is f*cking ridiculous); but yeh sure if the basic vision backfires, I'lll hold up my hands. And vice-versa you'll no doubt do the same.

and predictably, the fairy at top-of-the-tree makes that connection! what you must be a blind Cortese apologist to think that unsubstantiated rumours are unhelpful... so by your flawless logic you think unsubstantiated rumours are for the good of the club?

what with the insinuation "the truth hurts"? (its easy this speculation game). of course, there's a lazy, implicit assumption that those who are most riled by the sh*t-stirring are also blind NC lovers who think think installment plans are a rubbish idea and that NI should be banned etc. rather than just people who think that the larger the rumour, the greater the responsibility and that those who cannot support their statements with evidence or plausible reasons should put up or shut up and stop destabilising preparations ahead of what is a massive f**king season.

And who would know what NC's plans are? Doubt he confides in any of the old guard that still hang about the club and those to whom he does confide are sworn to strict Swiss-style secrecy. He's the kind of guy who picks his allies carefully and probably doesnt even discuss sensitive matters with them should they be misunderstood or publicised (the Echo event has been chastening), so i wonder how a rumour could even get going. There are morons on this forum who want to have their cake and eat it in their undefined bid to destabilise and unsettle. They're happy to jump on any rumours that knock NC while simultaneously and merrily berating the guy's maniacal dictatorial tendencies and of course dictators are the first people you would expect to open their mouths and reveal their plans....

Sh*t happens and the only thing you can do is muddle through is a weak defense. the fact is that the only reason current injuries matter is because we were weak in those areas to begin with.I also don't totally buy the idea that our best players are irreplacable and so we would be suffering with or without new additions.

Has a bit of a Magilton pass about him, though. No guesses where any ball sideways or backwards to a defender is going.... Still sharp and quick in the tackle.

Jaidi launched forward to Lambert = goal. part of cortese's more for less efficiency drive.

They were a stumbling block for Millwall who were looking to loan Carter for six months, so possibly the thick northern monkeys are just adding 2+2 with the rest of us amused how they can't count.

When you read the following idiotic story, makes sense why AL should stay where he is for now. "Tottenham's teenage midfielder John Bostock believes his progress is being damaged by foreign players in the English game. The 18-year-old, who was on loan at Brentford last season, wants another loan move as he has only made three substitute appearances for Spurs in two years". Maybe he should have stayed at palace then the to$$er.

Not 29 either - hope tommo gets a good deal up there.

As long as Serie A was so strong - true until only recently - why would an itai leave home shores let alone come to England? Historically there are very itais -apart from trophy signings near the end of their career- who have plied their trade in England fullstop.

The way the authorities prepared for us at Yeovil was a sight to behold: made the helicopter attack in apocalypse now look like the village bobby on his bicycle. They were absolutely bricking it.I guess the lower the division we go and more sleepy footballing towns we play, the greater risk there are of 'misunderstandings' which obviously isnt fair -as we're not necessarily acting any worse- but we should anticipate and deal with...

...seriously where's connolly?

A group of saints fans tried to storm a pub at Brentford but that's about all the off-the-pitch nonsense i saw.

wtf is david connolly?

Got my MK Dons tickets in which was enclosed a pretty stern warning about our behaviour at away games last season - three away games or 'venues' (without specifying where or which matches) were identified as tarnishing our good name. Can't remember much trouble last season - no more than usual - can anybody else? At any rate club thinks there is a issue and will be prepared to dole out banning orders left, right and centre.

Whys that Dave? Are you an outlier, a statistical abnormality?