Legod Third Coming

I don't think Poortvliet signed a single player.

Hey, I ain't the accountant! I can guess that John was on £15k probably plus appearance money AND a goal bonus!!! He came from Sunderland after all... Now, I bet Lowe pays the kids no more than 2k a week tops - possibly 1k plus bonuses. Maybe a bit more but not much. Certainly no more than 3k. So for every John we can afford 4-5-6 younger players by my simple maths. Not saying it's right or wrong just that I can beleive those numbers, knowing a few pros and that Watford's annual wage bill AFTER they sold Marlon King was knocking on £20million a year!!!!!!!!!

Think about it: john was probably on £15k a week and Smith, Gasmi, Gobern and Robertson are probably on less than £2k each!!!

Rupert knows this game. Why does he not appoint a manager and give him half his shares in the club rather than a big salary. There. What more motivation does the manager and Chairman need? That's how business works, so why not?

The cream of Premiership youth are still on more than we can afford...

Redknapp has now not won in four games and was beaten 2-0 by West Brom?!!! Blackburn conceded 2 goals in ten minutes... There has been some research done that shows, overall, teams tend to get worse when appointing a new manager. I wouldn't back against Spurs and Blackburn still going down... There is often a 'flash in the pan' improvement. The improvements you see at Sunderland under Keane and Palace under Dowie are actually pretty rare when you analyse it. That's not to say WE would not get better. But there are NO gaurantees.

Of more interest, why is he here with Wotte who was the Feyenord Technical Director and whom Rupert tried to employ in 2005?

KK - we have never made another big name signing in my life-time!!

Agreed, and we have too many people who simply say 'not good enough' - who show themselves up to be cretins as a result. The best teams in the world do not always win. The best performing team on the day does not always win. Winning is more than simply the better team - anyone who dimisses luck and the quirks of fate/ref, etc is an idiot. The most successful people in the world will also tell you that there were/are times when they just got lucky - were in the right place, met the right person, etc - unless they are totally devoid of humility and intelligence. However, I can sympathise with people who are now beyond caring about the manner of performance. I would certainly like to fluke the next three games and play like spanners rather then outclass everyone and lose...

Surely he would listen to this? And either justify the current set-up - in which case we can all stop arguing about it - or accept that the current set-up is not working and indicate how he intends to change it!

Yep, but how does our beloved leader see it?

No, see my reply to Always.

Good on you. However, Rupert tried to employ Wotte in 2005 and I am not convinced he will give up on his dream that easily. I am merely pointing out that I agree with you IF (and it is a massive if) the replacement were guaranteed to be one of someone like: Davies, Boothroyd, etc. I'm not saying anything about money - Lowe wanted Wotte when we had more money - what's changed now? He's realised he made a mistake? It is possible. He did the same with Gray and Wigley. But he needs to rectify the cause of the mistake too, not just change the coach and retain the system. He needs to employ a manager and give him the reigns!!!!

You prefer a defeatist?? Bloody hell man, are you mad?

What is it about Mark Wotte that you prefer?

Couple of things that I find interesting: 1. Some people think getting rid of Lowe is more important than survival? Wow. Get thee to a pyscotherapist quick. You should only hate an ex-wife that much... 2. When people talk about promotion, do they mean 2009/10 season? Or are there still some optimists out there? Hope so, it gives me a lift!! 3. I'm glad we are ALL united in our passion for the Supds and Skates to fail! Happy New Year!

The key problem is that many of us can see the wisdom and merit behind the strategy. I have enjoyed many games this season where we have eventually come away with nothing but deserved more on the balance of play. Some of our football has been outstanding at times. Hunt on Soccer AM said we were the hardest team he'd played against all season. Wolves likewise spoke highly of our organisation and football (even down to ten men). But all this is academic if we are relegated because we don't have enough points. Somehow, we have to get a better balance of playing football and winning games!! How? I wish I knew - we all do. But this is why people will now say that a good performance against Reading is not good enough. In isolation it would be. But against the backdrop of our current form, we need more. I am not sure sacking the manager will achieve anything because of who his likely replacement will be. He knows we need to turn it around. Maybe he's now found an eleven who can compete??

Derby, thankfully, are in freefall. We will soon find them down here with us. And at least Forest's win brings Nowrich back within reach. All is not lost. The days may be dark and cold, but a flicker of hope remains...

Right now pick some credible things we can all believe in...

As Groucho Marx would say, I wouldn't want to be a member of any club that would have me as a member...

Mine: We hang on by the skin of our teeth, both Spurs and Skates are relegated. Would be happy as a pig in sh!t!!

Bizarrely, the best we could end up before today was fourth bottom. Now after the next 'round' of matches we could be fifth bottom. Funny how results work out. I would take that in a game's time. The next three are critical. Today we got a point I wasn't expecting.

Why? Because he will learn more at Bolton watching from the bench while the ball is hoofed from one end of the park to the other?? Whatever WE think about our approach, other managers love the idea of their kids learning to play football the right way. This kid was on loan all last season at S****horpe ....

The former Feyenoord technical director believes that he was the first choice to replace Harry Redknapp but that a negative reaction to news of his likely appointment persuaded Rupert Lowe and the rest of the Saints board to opt for George Burley instead. Wotte, 39, resigned from his position at Feyenoord last week, and news of his move to St Mary's soon followed. He believes that did him no favours, saying: "I have my own views as to why it did not happen but, immediately after my resignation at Feyenoord, I said that I could go to Southampton. "That provoked a lot of reaction in Southampton. Within two days, people with influence had made their opinion public - like Saints icon Alan Ball. If I had not said I might be going to Southampton so early, maybe things would have worked out differently." Ball told the Daily Echo that Lowe would be "gambling with Saints' future" if he appointed Wotte as the club's ninth manager in eight years. Wotte, meanwhile, has revealed that he was recommended to Saints by a former England Under-21 coach, believed to be former head coach and head of youth Steve Wigley, who is now the reserve team manager at Manchester City. The Dutchman, a dad of two, was planning to leave his family in The Hague while he spent the first six months in Southampton. He added: "Southampton was the first club I spoke to. They came to me on the basis of my time with Holland U21s - a consultant of Mr Lowe's worked with England U21s when we played them in a European Championship play-off in 2001. "My wife has a steady job and our home is only three hours from the club, so we agreed I'd be in Southampton on my own for the first six months. "A two-and-a-half year contract proposal was sent to my e-mail box and it looked very good, so it was bizarre how it worked out. "After the collapsing of the deal with Southamp-ton, I am without work for the first time since 1988." "But I'm ready for a new challenge. I miss the smell of sweat in the dressing room and training twice a day." Saints confirmed that Wotte was one of many potential coaches interviewed for the job but would not comment further on any correspondence between them. Rupert Lowe said: "The board was tasked with looking at all options open to the club, internally and externally. "Fans can rest assured we have the long-term interests of the club at heart and do not listen to the subjective opinions of other people." Taken from the Echo in 2005.

I don't think me arguing or otherwise with you will make the blindest difference to whether Adam Lallana has any belief in his abilities... I supported Poortvliet and I still like him immensely. But it seems we have hit what we were always going to hit - the young players' enthusiam and willingness which worked in flashes at the start of the season is now starting to be found out. You are right - this group of players are tired. Most are in their first season and have NEVER played this many games in a full season - let alone in three/four months!!! That means we need to rotate them better - to mix in more experience more often and to forget playing great football. We need to grind out points. We need work from front to back on better defensive strategy. It doesn't mean we can't hit teams on the break. YES - we have no money. BUT that does not mean we HAVE to rely on youth alone. We could have brought in players from lower leagues with better experience, older players on lower wages - maybe with the offer of a coaching role? I hate that idea, but maybe it's actually what we needed. Look at what Allerdyce did with Bolton. In recent weeks something has changed where we have stopped even playing good football and losing!!! Change is essential unless you ascribe the current situation to a slump - and then you need to tell me how we will get out of it? The truth is you and me can do nothing but support.