Saint Fan CaM

I had severe sciatica and so went to a private chiroprator in Warsash. While I was in agony, they ripped me off £60 for a "consultation" and didn't once try to manipulate me to ease the pain. They just took a whole bunch of details and then got me to sit on a bench and raise and lower my leg a series of times...i.e. to stretch it. I didn't pay the bill - they threatened court action - I paid £20. I then went to a Fareham NHS clinic where I got pretty much the same advice - no manipulation either, but this time is was free. In summary then, it's a licence to print money. What I wanted was a physio or something to loosen the knotting muscles from my ass cheek down through to my calf. I sympathise with you entirely - pain killers, anti-inflammatory drugs and careful low impact stretching exercise is the way to go which you can administer yourself.

League is everything this season. However, there is no reason whatsoever why we cannot win every competition we're entered into. Because we are The Saints.

Well my comment didn't rule him out of NPC - I was just saying that he is defo good enough for L1, but not good enough in the long term, e.g. Prem. Having said that, I do believe that even fully fit he might struggle in the Championship as his injury seems to have knocked the shine off his game.

Driver/owner of the MPV.....OUT FFS!!!!

What a pathetic thread. That is my primary opinion. It is also my opinion that NC is doing an exceptional job, based purely on the fact that he gave me the most enjoyable season of Saints football at SMS for a decade and while there are other minor +/- points that's all that counts in my book.

This was mentioned on the Switzerland thread, but given his importance, thought it meritted its own thread. It's a report on below website that he's dislocated his shoulder. Could be a significant issue to the squad and indeed the start of the season - IF true. Anyone heard anything firm about this? http://www.charltonlife.com/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=35590&page=1#Item_0

TBF I said "did have"! However, I don't think we've seen anywhere near the potential he had when he came here. He was cynically cut-down by an opponent in just about his 1st proper game for us because he was running rings and from there on he's not got back to his optimum form. My feeling is AP + his coaching staff have seen the lad work his socks off to regain fitness and is giving him a chance which is fair enough - might be like signing a new player - certainly good enough for L1. Ultimately I suspect he will not be in any longer term plans, but then he'll be in good company in that respect.

Holmes did have something about him - namely a far bit of pace and a wicked cross and that was at CCC level. He should be fine at L1 level if he can keep fit and if there's any doubt about his stamina, check out the reports on his swimming in the Swiss canal where he kept up with and then beat Harding who's no slouch in water. So yes, I do think he's in AP's plans.

Aha. Not a good start in terms of winning mentality I suppose, but then I remember this time last year seeing Saints get whipped by Salisbury and look at the season we went on to have. Not a time to worry - we'll just be well adjusted for Reading. (@:

Thank goodness for that...didn't mind them whne on TV, but wouldn't want some prat blowing one of those near me at SMS.

It will give me great pleasure to see the youngsters give H&W a good spanking. However, Pulis can fook off back to Daddy - how he has the nerve to call himself a professional footballer I don't know.

You may be right - it may not work. However, if in any walk of life a potential acheiver was to think - "mmm, better not have a go because I might fail" - their destiny would be pretty much mapped to failure I would suggest. All we can comment on at the moment is the strategy and the deployment of that strategy. We are seeing small signs of how Cortese is succeeding and I believe we will continue to see (on average) a steady increase in success as Saints rise back to the top - across all areas of the club in fact. No more mickey mouse pretence - real genuine positive steps from a extememly professional organisation. Very exciting indeed, unless you're a person who has some kind of an agenda against Cortese and his team (not a dig at you BTW).

I would respectfully suggest that your expectations with regard to the clubs ultimate strategy are somewhat low. What if the players do not want to leave Saints because (a) the club is held in VERY high regard by the football world, and/or (b) they do not need to go elsewhere for more money (or perhaps by that time the bubble will have burst anyway)?? The course we're set on to achieve with regard to growing our own players bears no resemblance to previous regimes in that the strategy will be to keep the better youngsters and to sell those that do not meet our high standards - not the other way around. Chalk and cheese.

Oh dear - the depths of your despair know no bounds! This is about the FUTURE - not now...not even about when we're in the CCC probably....but more like in 10 years time. Chill a little and believe in the strategy because it makes emminent sense.

Another piece of the jigsaw that will see Saints as a major force in English football, falls into place. In 10-15 years time, I think we shall see an England side made up of a good many Saints players. One thing that has stuck in my mind about the World Cup is the fact that Spanish top league teams are made up of 77% Spanish players. I think it is definately a case of watch this space regarding Saints producing young talent and the plans appear to be so ambitious that previous regimes wouldn't even have conceived of the heights aimed for. Actually, in 10-15 years time we could be the envy of European football clubs. I believe!

Not so sure about Danns - whenever I've seen him play he seems to get a bit lost positionally and he's not one to put the boot in where it hurts...and he's not a playmaker to the best of my knowledge (but glad to be proved wrong). Tyson it seems has lost his way where he is and needs to get fitter (both of which I feel sure he can correct here). If we were to sign both of these guys, I think the squad would be pretty much complete. Sign Carlos Edwards per other thread and we'll have a very exciting CCC level team that could tear this league apart.

I like the look of that, but I'm not sure Harding will start ahead of Dickson in the LB slot.

What position and style would you say he was? I know the name but can't say I remember a performance by him.

There's no way on God's Earth that he would find his way back to Saints while AP is in charge IMO. He just would not fit into the high work ethic and winning mentality that AP demands of his squad. Yes, he was good for us for a time, but he's old news now.

That's an irrelevance. The squad has been cleared out and there are clearly gaps now which need filling. NC would have approved the clearing out list and also would have agreed to a fund to replace them with whatever AP wanted basically. But the one thing he would NOT have done was to short change because he has some cunning plan to sack AP at Xmas if things go wrong - he simply cannot and would not play games like that! He is a (very astute) professional businessman - not a spotty child on a interweb forum. Reading between the lines with regards to everything that is happening to re-build the club, my view is that every brick that is laid is done so with a positive spirit and everyone involved is committed to the project.

There's a few people saying or at least feeling this, but it doesn't make sense - it doesn't fit with the game plan. Cortese is a winner - to be a winner you don't hold back something in reserve just in case you don't make it. He wants promotion - he needs it - and the best chance he has is to stick with the winning combination that he has assembled including AP. That means the best tactic is support AP, keeping the winning mentality going and if necessary sign the players needed to ensure we succeed this season. Conversely, if he doesn't support AP then he will be held accountable for not providing the resources necessary to ensure the job gets done, whatever the season brings (i.e. injuries that deplete the squad). PS: One thing not mentioned much on the forum already is how the average age of the 1st team has come down since last season. Particularly in defence, we now have excellent cover.

Why did he say "there's nothing concrete"? Sounds to me like we've gone in for him but nothing has materialised yet for some reason. Got to say I would prefer we got Lines than Danns, who looks like a very average player to me.

Love it. I think a black looks the business to do some business - it's a mans kit. And the shadow stripes are a nice touch that will look fantastic up close. I think the choice of styling for the home and away shirts has been top drawer. Big thanks to Markus and Nicola for allowing no sponsor name - a nice 125th birthday present to us all.

Yeah - think you got that right. Don't want some trumpted up Billy big shoes here thinking they're great because their name happens to be Rooney FFS.... ...and Johnny can go take a hike too!!! Seriously though, if he is anything like his big brother - no thanks.

Thanks to Markus for not only saving the club, but also choosing to place NC in charge. It is clear to those of us that can see the big picture that you're not just looking to re-build the club to make a fast buck - you're investing in the infrastructure and fabric of the organisation in a forward thinking manner so that the mistakes of the past cannot be made again. You're laying the foundations for a football club that will eventually be the pride of English football - perhaps even Europe. Every season in front of us is one to be savoured and enjoyed, because we can be proud of everything NC is putting in place. We are truly blessed to have been saved by your good-self and as such a simple 'thank you' seems somewhat understated but nonetheless sincere.