david in sweden

I don't disagree (in principle)..but just how would you have avoided defeat yesterday ..and who would you have played instead..?

I think Cortese is a bit more careful with money than to do that ..but in a seller's market you tend to get some unreasonable fees. ......getting a couple of loan players may be the difference...especially if " quality " additions keep the team " fresh " by using good substitutions and and not exhaust the same players by having to play them 100 minutes a game week-in and week-out.

that's if they make it past the sharks and the fat guy with the steel-rimmed bowler hat !

.but not totally unexpected ..eh ?

I also think some of this stems from Warnock's uncomplimentary statement about "the Saints chairman on the phone for the last 2-3 weeks and not making a decision to buy (Gorkyss).. whereas he sold the deal to Mc Dermott (Reading) over the phone in 5 minutes ! I think most people know that he (Warnock) wants Puncheon, but he either (1) ..didn't want to pay the £1 million or (2) wanted a deal where he could cut his losses by unloading Gorkyss at the same time..and Cortese would play ball..and he got the hump over it ! We need to remember that Cortese's high-level banking background has obviously made him a careful and precise negotiator who likes to tie up all the loose ends, and not the " 'appy 'arry car dealer type" wants a personal cut on the deal. The days of a nod and a wink deals and whispered agreements over the phone may not be over in the footabll world, but we are hardly likely to see them again at SFC whilst Nicola Cortese is Boss. I'll go with that..and the hope that we do get a good result at the end of the day. Spending millions may look impressive and ambitious, but history shows that the majority of our " big money deals " have been a fiasco fron day 1.

well if that's the answer, then maybe they were too dependent on them.

A threat ......a serious contender who might stop us getting promotion ?

I expcted them to be front runners this season but they have had a very poor start . .only 4 points from 5 games. First they signed Gorkyss - QPR and now the hot shot Le Fondre from Rotherham. You must ask your self whether he can make the transition up TWO divisions and hold his form, but it certainly looks as if Reading are beefing up their squad. I shall keep an eye on them this season.

I'd go along with that Robbie---

not much help to we poor **** who are overseas and aren't allowed to see BBC inserts! ........****

best since MLT ..and a bit before then, too.

well I might guess that it's TOO much for a player in CCC. There are lots of good players in this league who just wouldn't be able to cut it in the Prem (and I don't mean just Saints players either.) We got out of L1 by buying in the best available L1 / CCC players, and as we obviously are looking to Prem. football next season, we have to buy players who can make the "quantum leap " into the Prem. and last the course. £6 million is too much unless you are buying an established player - even with international experience - if you can't see the quality making it at a higher level. IMHO the likes of; Cork, Lallana and Schneiderlin wouldn't be out of place in the Prem.....after that I'd need to think a bit harder to give you three more names...

strange that half the contributors on here were adamant that we don't need to sign anyone, and that the squad is good enough. well IMHO the squad is good..and IF they all stay fit, and IF no-one gets suspended and IF no-one loses form, we will continue to play well and win. However, there are too many IF's there for my liking, and so we do need extra players (of a similar quality) not necessarily BETTER but now I sense some people are beginning to feel nervous and unsure because we haven't signed any of those we've (apparantly) bid for... (if the rumours we herer are believed to be true). It's not a shortage of money to be sure, but finding the people with the right attitude who will fit in with the existing playing staff I'm really not too concerned..an extra face or two will give us greater depth but I'm not going to lose any sleep over the lack of signings so far.

maybe so, but we all make mistakes .....perhaps he was one ?

I keep hearing this phrase .." not better than we've got .."... but how do you compare that.,and when..after his first month? end of the season ? Baldock is considerably younger than Barnard, has played less games, so how can anyone say he is better ..or worse?. He may be considerably better ....when he is a bit older and has played with a team at a higher level. Memories of Steve Moran (aged 20) found himself playing in a forward line which read; Keegan, Channon, Charlie George and Alan Ball.... He got loads of "assists " and couldn't help but score and he got 18 goals (top scorer) in 30 starts in his first full season in top flight. I don't think NA means buy someone as a reserve, but let's face it ..if he's only.. AS GOOD AS.. Barnard - he'll be a good buy.

haha Eric...are they dealing with Don Corleone or Don Cortese? Karl Robinson knows that size of the fee doesn't come to an L1 side too often ..an offer he can't refuse!

Good evaluation Colin, however I also recall George Burley's comment (referring to his time managing at Hearts) that... " Skacel had played all over the park for him ".. meaning that he was highly versatile and could perform in almost any role. Unfortunately, at that time we had a serious problem filling the left back spot (unlike today) and Rudi ended up with the position which in all fairness, he filled quite well, but might have been better used elsewhere instead. Rather, as with Rory Delap, who was a forced to fill in for injured players many times, his overall performances weren't consistant enough to have him considered a good asset. Quote the reverse was true when he moved to Premiership Stoke and became a star player. I noted recently that Rudi (now 33) has had a contract extension at Hearts and is playing better than ever.

. Some players are capable of making a good contribution on a shorter term basis, and not everyone is capable of a whole seasons consistancy, but it doesn't make them bad players. It's good to have them. We can still only play 11 men at the same time, but having good " cover " on the bench is necessary and I expect to see Adkins using 3 subs. almost every week in order than not everyone has to play 100 minutes every game. Connolly good example. The type of " dynamo " players like Telfer and Case weren't top class as such but could run and run match after match, and were picked for that reason, whereas TWO England managers (Venables and Hoddle) refused to select Matt Le Tissier because they said he was lazy and didn't train enough !! By the end of the season, we will be able to make a good judgments on Fox, De Ridder and anyone else who " appears " in the meantime. but my guess is that if... by that time ...we are still in a promotion place , very few of the present " squad " will be seen as long-term Premiership players, and if they can't impress in CCC, they'll have a very short shelf-life in the Prem. and " bigger name, international players " will be signed very quickly.

...wiith the " fall-out " on recent negotiations (Jamal, Gorkyss, Fontaine etc,).. maybe we're just covering our options. We may end up buying just one..but it's necessary to have reliable cover in the event of ....

YES! I'm glad that SOMEONE seems to share that view. I'll quit this thread now. I've said my piece twice. Nuff said !

I thought that our system had changed after we signed Charlie George for £400K in 1978 ( a huge sum in those days) only for an old knee injury to flare up when he kicked the ball in his first match...and he was out for 8 months. (READ CAREFULLY) all those who complain about David Connolly's shorter absences). Charlie left Saints 2 years later having managed only 52 games which were sometime entertaining, but contained none of the " old Charlie George magic" that Lawrie Mac thought he was buying. Unfortunately there was no continuity in the club to recall this when Rupert Lowe spent £3 million in 2002 (a huge sum - even today) on Agustin Delgado (younger fans need to read the sad history)...on the eve of appointing Gordon Strachan who was told that Delgado would be ready - after his back operation. He never was ... and Strachan picked the suffering Equadorian only in the direst emergencies but it didn't stop Delgado going to the 2002 World Cup and scoring a goal! Strange affair that one. We made a shrewd decision when David Connolly was allowed to summer-train with our squad, got himself back in shape and eventaully became an occasional, but very important goals scorer. Didn't cost us a penny, signed him as a free transfer - and a good investment it was, too. Fontaine's twice-operated, dodgy ankle was a good enough reason NOT to sign him..and we should only sign FIT players anyway. Signing anyone with a bad injury history is a dubious thing at best, and a financial disaster in the end.

West Ham seem to think so they've been bidding for him before us.

He must have been " Cortese's signing ". He came from some obscure Italian side and got a 2-3 year contract, I think. Surely no-one in England would have known much about him beforehand? As it was... I think we got a good deal, and maybe a bit more talent than a lot of people think just now. I think NA is pleased with him (especially for the 3 pts. on saturday) but that he (Guly) can run himself into the ground for 60 mins. and then NA can put on another " fresh " midfield sub.

good question, Chez. "worst case scenario " is that the injury is much more serious than we've been led to believe.

Dean H.--a tactical genius in the making ! He should go far.