david in sweden

....earn his place back...? He's not the first "unfit" player to be fielded every match, but he's worth his place if only for his free-kicks and penalty prowess, .and before you put him on the bench ......WHO did you have in mind that is suitable to replace him ?

you don't mean ...? not THE Rudi Skacel...really ?

an onvious topic of conversation, but your headline makes it sound like we've actually signed someone on loan ..or that the squad is training even harder ...!

Those "few" who have seen him on a football pitch wearing a Saints shirt seemed to think that he was worse than ***** , goodness knows what AP and NA made of him ..? but I suppose we will find out sooner or later. Somebody's got it badly wrong . My reaction to his continued presence at SFC ...ranks a scant second to the shock I felt after hearing of AP sacking !

I feel genuinely sorry for Lee Holmes. Another case of a player who found it difficult to get back in the side after injury. His injury at QPR ?...(I saw on a televised game) looked pretty horrific at the time which was a great shame as he had started that season well, and even scored a couple. By the time he was back fit and training he was well down the pecking order, and to be fair, there are a few Prem.players who would have found it hard to get in the team at the back end of last season.!...and the odd sub.appearance showed that AP didn't REALLY rate him. Let's hope he gets a fair run now to prove himself, especially as Punch..hasn't had a good review in 10 starts this season, and has been subbed 4 times already. Well done NA - give Lee a go ..!

I wouldn't go that far TDD, but it is rather like starting with -10 points again isn't it?

on the horizon. We were well acquainted with losing runs (especially in the bad old days in the Prem.) but going so many games without scoring is nearing an all-time low. Twice in 1993/4 and in Autumn 1999, we lost 4 games in a row without scoring. But the " record " of poor results was almost ten years ago. In March 2001 we lost FIVE league games in a row - without scoring once. Let's hope this is one record we won't have to break. Surely we must find the net again SOON.

One would hope so, but there are many players who can't even pass 10 yards to a team-mate or even find someone with a throw-in. Only when you see the " Beckham's " of this world do you have a chance to make comparisons. Unfortunately, you are right when you say we lack players to do this task, BUT is it the poor kicking, or the lack of talent to score from these chances?. I recall people heaping criticism on Rory Delap's long throws, but at Stoke he became the terror of the Premiership...so was it his fault, or did we lack the strikers to convert the chances?. Looking back over several decades we were always reliant on one or two players to take set-pieces but very few were really good at it. The stories about the Paine-Davies partnership are legend, and MLT had his own range of specialist kicks. More recently Gareth Bale did well from those free-kicks in his early seasons. Perhaps a good few training sessions will help us find a new talent, but they are very few.

you're right of course, but groin injuries take various forms and it isn't without precedent for injured strikers to play on anyway. During Ron Davies reign as top scorer in the 1960's he got injuries, both accidental and inflicted and it was frequently reported as "he took a knock" - an explanation that hid the truth but he played on regardless for 3-4 seasons before they finally took their toll. Lambert has the ability to score from set pieces as well as from open play and just having him on the pitch is an advantage, but last season he never went more than 3 games without scoring , so "something " isn't quite right or it wouldn't even be discussed....but it's not the sort of thing you broadcast for the opposition - is it ? With the other problems..Barnards 3 match ban, Lallana's injury and Connolly lack of form- we don't have any choice but to play him.

sort of puts him in the same category with Charlie George and the lawn mower, Dave Beasant dropping that majonaisse bottle on his toe and James Beattie falling down the ladder on his boat.

that sound GREAT ! ..but you know that prophets who made predictions that didn't come true were usually stoned to death ........don't know if you like the idea of being "stoned " ?

Graham Baker was one of those "unfortunates" who through history were sold to get some money. £225, 000 was no small sum in 1982, but McMenemy wanted to buy PETER SHILTON and need some cash up front. Graham was one of the few local lads who made the grade and though somewhat younger, played at the same time as Nick Holmes. He eventually came back after some seasons but had injury problems and never regained the fine form he had as a youngster. He became a national name when he scored in the first minute of his debut game in a televised match at The Dell in 1977 . Played his final game in 1989 and finished with a respectable 191 apps. with 36 goals to his name.

You're right of course, but we forget Steve Williams asa 17 y.o., but there was a period when they all played together but after 5 decades as a fan ....the years tend to blend a little in the grey matter. Some of them were regulars in the Reserves (who I used to go and watch, too) and several began at a very young age before getting into the first team. First team playing era: Waldron 1975-83 Steve w. 1976-84 Hebberd 1977-82 Moran 1980-86 Puckett 1981-86

........and that too. Although it's fun to communicate with others and exchange opinions , it's not necessary to know what everyone had for breakfast. (Musli and joghurt. Cheese sarnie with goosegog jam and a cup of tea and a few of the world's best vitamin pills. BTW.)

.....wouldn't surprise me in the slightest..I'd guess most of them were as shocked as I was ..whether you liked AP or not. and those who shouted PARDEW OUT ! ....... got their way.

I wouldn't say " wrong," but the mindset of our fan base now is (obviously) different to what we had several decades ago. Before our " successes " under Lawrie Mac , there was only the occasional FA Cup run and the 1966 promotion to brag about. Fans occasionally criticised players but rarely the managers ..especially as we had only TWO in a 31 year period..but then after 27 seasons (albeit including some very poor ones) came relegation TWICE, and it is just too much for some to bear. Those good seasons were good because we had built a stable team system under stable managemant both on the touchline ..and in the Boardroom. Nowadays everything is based on the last result and people panic when things go adrift. SFC is now (roughly) in the same position they were ..this time last season... and in the first season I watched them ...1958/59 Perhaps I have learned to be...philosophical, but that is something that comes with age and I don't think that EVERY question has a black/white answer. Are the fans wrong?........not necessarily, but many live only for the next match and lack PATIENCE.

This is a question that I've seen come up decade after decade..since the 1950's . Then we had a good youth squad that took on Man.Utd youngsters (the up and coming Busby Babes) in the FA Youth Cup Final and included teenagers Terry Paine and John Sydenham. Mick Channon was an interesting new name in the mid 60's, and Lawrie Mac had a good run in the mid 70's with Bob McCarthy, Bennett, Andruzewski, Stokes, Holmes and Moran ..youth team every one. Later came Puckett, Steve Williams, Hebberd and Waldron. Mid 1980's gave us (argueably) the best crop of youngsters with Dave Merrington bringing on the Wallace, Baker, Shearer, ánd a cheeky young talent named Matt Le Tissier....then Dodd, Kenna, and Maddison. Much later we had ; Wayne Bridge, Walcott and Bale. Those who fell through the cracks...were not good enough at the time, but matured later at other clubs; Mills, Blackstock, Best, D McG. are typical The truth was that all these young players (with rare exception) came into stable and relatively good sides from the start. Trying to avoid relegation in CCC ..or L1 for that matter isn't good ground to have a side filled with youngsters - as we recall from the " Double Dutch " experiment a few seasons ago . The record books are full of fantastic youth players who just never made the grade when they moved up to the higher level. Judging by other clubs line-ups ...L1 is surely not so demanding for most youth players, so any good talent we have got... Lallana 2 years ago, and Oxlade-Chamberlain (latest example) must surely be in for a shot NOW - if they expect to make it to CCC - or higher. WARNING : nearly all the historical examples I've given (with rare exception) took AT LEAST two seasons to get a regular spot in the first side (regardless of the Division they were in at the time.) ... So don't hold your breath,

A YES man !....if someone doubled your salary and gave you a long contract ..so would you be , too !

Sure I would have liked to see Antonio , or even Papa on the books but I believe that Cortese may have barred or ignored the purchase of strikers and considered we were " OK " with last seasons four. As a many of us feared; an injury (to Lallana - no return date yet), and Barnards unfortunate suspension has left us with two (slightly unfit) out-of-form strikers... and no cover. As it seems Cortese dicatates who we will buy / acquire (Papa, Guly) and how much we will pay, (ex. refused to pay more for Notts Forests Tyson... or to make an offer for Antonio)... showed he had no priority for that spot either. I wouldn't blame AP for that! Those FOUR defeats you mentioned ..have all come AFTER Pardew left the club. Prior to that AP had; two wins (incl. 4-0 away), one stupid draw and unfortunate defeat (Plymouth) ..and a narrow 0-1 Cup defeat against a Premiership side. Not that bad, surely ?

Lots of "strikers " work their a** off ...and score 6 goals a season. Being a striker means ...SCORING LOTS OF GOALS . Most of us could name half-a-dozen fans favourites who worked their socks off week after week and nothing to show for it, Brett Ormerod was one excellent example. In the past, some people called Channon " lazy "...two England managers thought MLT was lazy", so too James Beattie on many occasions, LOTS of Saints fans said 20 goal Rasiak was " lazy " and maybe he was, but he was one of only 4 players to attain 20 goals in the LAST 20 years! I really cannot accept the " lazy" accusation about players, that the one reason they are on the pitch to SCORE ! Barnard may look good, fit ..even be called " our best player " (quote AP) and I agree ...but where were all his goals? Though a good partner for Lambert, he is not in the " same league " as a goal scorer.

I'm sure someone's memoires will reveal the real reasons for AP sacking, but based on the back end of last season and many individual performances I'd say AP was doing a good job....despite the early season hiccups. The sad demise of Marcus Liebherr was the trigger for Cortese to pull and it was obvious that he was unhappy with AP, (for his own reasons). In a world that seems to condone ; adultery, drug abuse, manslaughter or sexual orientataion, few people lose their jobs.. or have their careers ruined beacuse of it. Cortese may have made the classic " bosses " mistake in sacking a guy he doesn't like personally. In the real world, if the majority of the players and fans respect the manager.... and the S.O.B. gets results - you don't touch him. The 4-0 slaughter of Bristol Rovers may well have been the first step on the road to recovery, but at present we are little better off than when we started last season with -10 points. As a fan of over 50 years, I am no longer surprised, or even angry ...merely sad at the outcome. You can't change history and I REALLY hope that Adkins can turn this around because L2 looks like a black hole from which few ever escape. Whatever else, Adkins will have to work very hard (and quickly) to establish good realtionship with the players and avoid a mass of transfer requests come January.

..from early days (pre seats) ... but standing behind a bar just under the West Stand , near to the trainers boxes. Provided you weren't stuck next to a girder... you could see both goalmouths ..and not get soaked whenever it rained!. ..best part was the people around me. Good fans with good humour every one and hardly a moaner in sight.

Agreed TDD..Having already worked his miracle at Scully why wouldn't he want to leave a club like them to come to one with all our attributes ...and a good player budget to boot. It's a no brainer but you have to admire his ethics in not wanting (Scunny) to come out worse off on the deal. I admire that.

with SO MANY conflicting reports, one wonders whether Cortese was really responsible for the " resign instead " suggestion ..? or if one of his minions was trying a " back-door approach" to save a few 000K. Either way it makes our bargaining process look a bit sleazy.