david in sweden

He's obviously not part of AP plans, what else should he do --go on the dole ? of course he needs to find a new club. best of luck, lad .

EVEN if someone thought this was a good idea...(no-one else so far on this thread) ..I think FA / UEFA rules forbid anyone from owning two league clubs at the same time. I'm sure former newspaper owner Robert Maxwell tried 20 odd years ago and was slapped down.

A month or so ago the Swedish press printed a story that he will be coaching for Halmstad (one of his former clubs). It is deep winter in Sweden right now but they begin training soon for the season which starts in April.

Well the dell days, like house prices everythings going up, and to be fair I always wondered how L2 / Conference sides managed to survive on 2,000 crowds. If they can't balance the books they shouldn't be in the league. We are here by default. The whole idea of the -10, and last years bankruptcy are a bad dream. If you've been around as long as your name suggests you'll recall that the sort of money we've spent in the past (even at CCC level) makes this seasons spending look like "tea-money" compared to then. The real secret is surely we have a playing staff on " more reasonable " salaries rather than some of the prev. "stars" who collected every week and never played on a regular basis. There are far more players on the market now and many of them are "free/Bosman" types. Half of the present squad didn't cost any fee at all, so we can afford to splash out on good players sometimes.

PLUS of course, Luton were even a Div 1 (now Premiership) side between 1982-3 and 1991-2, when they were relegated. At their peak they finished 7th (86-87) and 9th (85-86) and often ABOVE Saints, They twice slaughtered us at Kenilworth Road 0-7 in 85/86 and 1-6 in 88/89 - with advent ofall seater theiri crowds were reduced to around. 12000 Despite their recent sad relegation, they had a good fan base and many have memories of better times. Exeter has (I think ) never been above L1 status and always had a samll ground. Traditionally Boxing Day / Easter fixtures are always a day out, hence the travelling fans, and Saints is "almost" a derby fixture on the South Coast.

I'd go along with that appraisal.

OK sadoldgit, we agree on Big Jake, but I looked back at the line-ups when McGrath was at the Dell. He joined in Feb.68 when the defence was Fisher (Hughie was tough but not dirty) and Gabriel (one of the most versatile players ever to wear a Saints shirt - and he wore 5 different numbers one season, and was sub.goalie once). Joe Kirkup ar RB. Joe really had skill and class, though he often seemed to move in slow motion, and at LB Denis Hollywood ...OK I'll give you that . Denis was really tough and dependable) Ken Jones and Freddie Kemp (hardly assasins would you say ? Then of course we had Brian O'Neil. There isn't a category for Brian...! OK tough with a nice smile and, he did get a few red cards, but anyone who ever saw him net that goal at the Milton End from 40 yards out would forgive him anything ! and naturally enough David Walker..who Norman Hunter said was dirty,(which must be some sort of compliment)...but at least he was a bit more subtle with it. But that particular quote from Shankly (sept.1970) was perhaps the result of L'pool losing by an own goal...and the fact that it was the THIRD consecutive time that they had gone home pointless from the Dell. Ron Davies (quoted in ITN) said Shankly had a grudge against Saints, but nowadays we hear the same rhetoric from Ferguson and Wenger ...every time they lose a game.

It would seem so. I think we should play both of them, maybe in another role....and another formation ?

Those (Don Revie) Leeds sides could play skilful football, but only after their back line had " softened up " the oppositions' strikers. Saints also got credited with playing some good football in that period. Shankly was a great manager, but he was almost as bad as Ferguson for defending his team,especially when they lost and he loved criticising referees. Saints' weren't the only team whose players liked a drink and although (John McGrath, the source of the Alehouse quote) was tough he was never as dirty as some people want to believe. In that same period there were " dirtier " players who wore an English shirt on a regular basis, and were regarded as heroes by many.

I don't think there are so many people who have criticised him as a human being, but the manager makes a choice of who he will play, and in which formation and history is littered with those who fell into the "wrong" category. Gordon Strachan, argueably one of the best managers who've ever picked a Saints team, had his own personal list of players he didn't want and he didn't play them - except in dire emergencies. FULL STOP. The manager lives and dies by his team selection. No real reflection on Saganowski. I hope he gets in a good club.

....but they still have that " hard man " reputation in some eyes.

really cool translation Nick, :confused: ..something 'bout him having a Coca Cola and hot dog in Shirley Road I think ?

either a good memory or...?? 3rd round january 1961 (that makes it 49 years ago)..and it was 7-1 Former Saints player,(later England manager) Alf Ramsey sat in the dug-out and watched Saints stuff his Div.2 highfliers. Come on and do it again !! COYR !!!!!!!!

A bit strange, but I always felt that reading between the lines, there were items that fans were interested in that often never it to the top of the OS file...and some things that appear there are sometimes only for "internal consumption".It's good for Saga if he gets a "new life" in Poland /Germany, they have a winter break just now - and he may turn up somewhere else in Europe by mid-january. Unfortunately, he lacked consistancy. He often played well when the team was poor. He arrived with a goal rush, but seemed to lack confidence in the long term. Still, he's one of a very few players to score a hat-trick away from home in the last 10 years. (6-0 at Wolves) Maybe its an "embarrassment " talking about players departing, or injured.

well .. it won't be Man.Utd as Leeds have just dumped them 1-0 at Old Trafford !!

I followed it on text Norm, and it didn't look anymore exciting there, either . Still, at least we won.

My thoughts, too. after I saw he was named as a sub. recently. He has been at Eastleigh, and Luton are a Conference side so there's not so much difference, and we have to debut him SOMETIME ! Better than having to put him in against a good side in L1.

well I only looked at League games but its good news anyway.

seeing Rickie's name with his 18 goals at the top of the goalscorers list; I wondered how many prev.strikers might have scored 20 goals BEFORE the New Year? (It was a few more than I thought...at first) Charlie Wayman scored 21 (by Dec 31st) in 1948/49. (so too did) Martin Chivers (21) in 1965/66 . (and not to be forgotten): Ron Davies also scored 21 before New Years in his first season 1966/67 other near misses were; George O'Brien 19 in 1961/62 and George (again) 18 in 1964/65 Since then goals have been harder to come by at the top level, in fact only 3 players have scored 20 or more in a whole season since the Prem began. Le Tissier (3 times), Beattie and Rasiak. BUT before you think I've cheated you. The real winner was: Derek Reeves (the clubs record scorer in a single season) In season 1959/60 DR scored 28 goals BEFORE New Years Day ! - no wonder we got promoted. So Rickie - you've got something to aim at in the second half of the season, and long may you continue.

I was also wondering if Fred Dineage has been quite so c*cky with his snide comments on local TV recently..anyone ?

...or even buy up the land and build a tower block called..ST. MARY'S POINT, or somthing equally suitable....? any other name suggestions ?

I don't think I'd say that we were totally " IN balance" as a team. Yes we've got good strikers, but I'd like to see at least ONE more striker as cover.The midfield seems to be lacking a good defensive partner for Hammond and we certainly need extra cover for central defence - in case of long term injuries (like Murty's).

Here's one for the legal eagles out there... IF they go into bankruptcy and (will / would have) likely be relegated too, They will cease to be a club and drop out of the league totally. What MIGHT the Premiership do to redress the balance of 20 clubs next year ? Maybe take up THREE clubs from the CCC...and / or ? ..etc, etc, Any thoughts/ideas ? on a more mercenary note ..are there any contracted players at Pompey who AP might like to look at ....??

Not a teenager any longer but he has potential. It depends WHO he plays alongside. IF Murty was playing you'd seee another side to his game I'm sure. Our history is dotted with young players who became greats because they had an older player alongside to bring them on. A younger Terry Paine gave credit to veteran FB Stuart Williams for his help. Steve Williams played midfield alongside his boyhood hero Alan Ball and Nick Holmes got the help of Peter Osgood. Steve Moran playing inside forward to ....Kevin Keegan, and Wayne Bridge was at his best, when in partnership with Mazza. Its a team game, but James is being asked to play a different role every other week, of course he's not MOM every game. He's lacking encouragement from an older player.

with news that Preston have sacked Alan Irvine. Its unlikely that PNE would be silly enough to do that without having a replacement lined up. As we know, new managers don't always share the same opinions about players as their predecessors did. Whoever the new guy is....I wonder what he'll do about the Trotman loan, as he'll surely want funds for new player buys. ?? ...thats always assuming that AP wants to keep him....would you ?