Legod Third Coming

The big problem is not the fans who were expecting this but the Chairman... Money is great. I have no issue with having it and lots of it. But it alone cannot guarantee immediate success. Pardew's win ratio with Saints might not be bettered by another two/three managers. Look at Chelsea post Mourinho. We might have a Scolari before our Ancelotti arrives... Finding a manager prepared to take on a squad he cannot change and deliver promotion inside nine months or be fired will not be hard. Allowing him to achieve it might be...

The same team that won 4-0 on Saturday? What a bizarre assessment of the fault...

ANY Chairman....

I remember that look on Claridge's face on Saturday night "The big boys have kicked into gear now, the Southamptons...." How wrong he was.

I couldn't give a stuff about this season now. Totally apathetic.

And that should not be overlooked in the grand scheme of things. I don't recall Lowe putting any of his own money in. Although Cortese might not have other, but he was instrumental in finding some!!!

Not yet. Although both have proven that they know more about money than football. The timing of Pardew's sacking is appaling and shows a real lack of judgement. The transfer window is closed. Pardew has spent money on players the new man may not want/need given his own style of play. Both have shown that they do not appreciate the pivotal role a manager plays in the success of the club and the freedom that must be extended to him. I heard a brilliant debate with Dave Whelan, David Gould and Barry Hearn on fivelive tonight. It's well worth a 'related' listen. If we are promoted this year, Cortese will be forgiven of course. But I would say as of now our chances have gotten worse not better. Unless he intends to unveil Martin O'Neil....

Like Pardew's first two games this season...

The players have spoken. 'Business as Usual' - what the f u c k will 'Tass' come up with tomorrow? Cortese voted next Messiah?

Oh do grow up you worthless wretch. You couldn't recognise a fact if it hit you with a haddock.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/aug/30/southampton-sack-alan-pardew Training ground unrest?

Fear not, Cortese doesn't listen to ex-pros, fans or the media. Nothing I say will impact him and his vision so I feel quite safe in this regard! (Which does not mean I am not immensely grateful to him and Marcus, that's a fact.)

Because it's a fact. The timing is as bad as Lowe's. Anyone who knows the first thing about football knows that sacking a manager the day before the end of a transfer window (after alllowing his predeccessor to spend money on the team) is lunacy. Yet you defend Cortese and deride Lowe? They have both proven (today in NC's case) that they know less about football than they do about money. Shame.

You have no evidence either way. Apart from that he has sacked a manger three games into a season, after a victory. On that basis he is AS BAD as Lowe. Showing no understanding of pre-season or the requirement to let a manager build his own squad. So ergo Cortese is no better than Lowe.

Kevin Keegan is about the only manager in my living memory who has done what's required.

How is Mancini doing at Man Citeh? Against Sunderland, one of the worst teams I have ever had the misfortune to watch... I would love it if Hughesie finishes above them with little old Fulham. Love it. And now every other fan will feel the same about us. Shame. Reputation counts for more than people think.

What a feckng idiot Cortese turns out. No different from Lowe.

Not always. My daughter (16 now) has had knee pain for five years, has seen three of the country's leading knee surgeons and has had three different diagnoses (Sinding Larsen Johansen's disease being the most interesting). Despite over £5 grand in MRI scans and various treatments and physio, no one knows why she's in pain. Knees in young people can just be painfull. Young footballlers often suffer from Osgood Shclatters and sometimes you just have to play on to see what happens. Surgey is always a last option. And even then it may not work.

Exactly, modern mangers WANT their wide players to cut in. They all insist on playing people on the wrong bloody side!

And yet I've still never hit a stadium roof from 25 yards...

I am reminded of Emanuel Ebouae who was bood off in tears by Arsenal fans only to come back as one of their best players last season... If a footballer is affected by a few jeers, he isn't much of a mental fortress is he... Oh and I have never in my life hit a shot that has hit the roof of a stadium. And noone pays me £10k a week to fecking do it either!

I'm not slitting my writsts yet - in fact, when we get to a decent price like 4/1 or 9/2 I will back us to win the league BUT... We do need the Chairman and manager to agree what we need and get on and sign them. And we need to drop underperforming players but that relies on having better replacements... To be fair, Rickie's not fit yet and Barnard will score 30 once he gets his first, but some of the old weaknesses still apply. Simple lesson in football: when we have the ball, keep it and use it. Don't kick it in the fecking air. As Cloughie would have said, if God meant football to be played in the sky...

Puncheon had a good first half and flashes in the second. Hammond was anonymous. Seriously, I urge anyone to watch him for ten minutes in a game. Yesterday I thought Morgan was quiet too, but I'm more concerned that between them they don't know who has which role. I thought MS's game was about sitting in front of the back four and spraying the ball around. If he does that, and does it well, there's not a player in this league or the one above who can touch him. But Hammond doesn't fulfil the other half of that role which is to bomb on and support the front two... Midfield's not right, that's what I'm seeing.

Aye, if only we'd had a chairman who'd invested in our youth policy... ahh... perhaps we should bring him back and put him in charge of the academy?

I don't like scapegoats, baaah... But I watched him throughout yesterday's game with a keen eye. He contributed very little, stood a mile off their midfielders, didn't appear to track back a great deal and equally when we were attacking he was nowhere near the box. He didn't motivate anyone. He didn't bo ll ock anyone. What is he doing? And why?