david in sweden

of course size doesn't matter..... ....it's what you can do with the ball(s) ! If he's got pace.. and can put over a good centre - SIGN HIM !

....still prefer to see John Sydenham in full flight, though !

well........I guess that means the Exodus for Geohaghon !

Given the managements background (Manager and Coach) I think we might guess that anyone who has previously played for Charlton, West Ham, Reading ...or Brighton might be on the shopping list !

If you are a "nerd" for statistics (as I am ), you'd see that this is the biggest " make-over " the clubs playing staff has EVER undergone. It's going to take time to get the balance right, and I'm sure the -9 pts. is weighing on AP mind, too. So we have to give it time. Few people on this site have forecast promotion this season.(!)

A really great find Tim ......Rover. ...there must be more of this stuff around if only it can be located. I enjoyed the Millenium Video when it was produced but unfortunately there was very little film material available .......especially before *1970. A DVD with all these old film would be a great addition to A Saints fans library. (* BBC Match of the Day started )¨.

.....well I don't know .. ..Peter Shilton always seemed to manage OK, but your point is well taken ..we should have an outfielder shouting the odds.

We should arrange for Herr Liebherr to send a St.Bernard out to locate him !

......and I think we might add that the eventual publication of the final set of " pre-administration " figures won't make pretty reading either. However, they should be taken in context, in as much as they are " Pre-Liebherr " ....and will not relate to the " new club structure " which has been put into place since the takeover, and no criticism should be levelled at the new management as they weren't around when the debts were acrueing.

well I know that Kelvin Davis is team captain, but (as I recall ) Paul Wotton was one-time captain at Plymouth before moving here. Murty was captain at Reading for some years and Dean Hammond (now former capt.) from Colchester..........surely all this experience must be put to some good use. ....or will it be too many chiefs (captains)... and not enough indians!

SUDDENLY - everyone's agreeing with Alpine.! The long history of toughies in midfield seems to have passed us by. Yes there is young talent there, but it needs to be nurtured amongst senior, experienced players, and those we 'aint got . Wotton was supposed to be the fix, but he seems to have failed at that .. come back Jimmy Case ...all is forgiven !

I think you summed it up when you said KIDS. There are far too many young players in the squad and although James and Morgan played most of last season, the rest have only a handful of games between them. Our "success" with KIDS in the distant past has been in bringing in ONE, perhaps TWO into a well-organised, reasonably successful and EXPERIENCED sides, and slowly develop around " older heads." Go back as far as you like but players like; Channon, Stokes, Nick Holmes, Steve Williams, the Wallaces, Shearer, MLT. etc etc, Bridge .....came into f. good sides and had time to settle in. Most of them only played a few times for the first 1-2 seasons before becoming established. Many of the present crop got rave reviews .....at an U18 / Reserve level........the real world of League 1 is something else.

,,,,at least that was the match time according to the BBC text. Was there a lot of time-wasting, or injuries ?... I've seldom seen so much time added-on in a game, Anyone who went to the game...explanation please !

Remember...!.. that OTHER clubs in this league don't have the financial clout that we have now, and * Bristol Rovers have probably seldom seen anything like a £1 million deal (Lambert)...and likely the same for * Colchester, too. (As they paid 250K last year, we can surely get Hammond for ..400K/500K..?) In this financial crisis time (*they) can't afford to say no to anyone who has cash up front, so it's a buyer market for us. The "why" is surely that they are the best available players (in their position) IN THIS LEAGUE. Although we all talk about a.. " Prem. set-up "..we are in L1 ...and don't need " extra skilful, ex-international" players to get us out of it...but those with a proven track record for this division. Hence the likes of Lambert and Hammond. AP knows the type of player we need for CCC ..or Prem. for that matter, but we don't need THEM just now. Horses for courses !

Nice idea. How about season 1963-64.? No (!), we didn't get promoted, and finished a distant 5th. behind Leeds and Sunderland, but we did score 100 league goals. 20 of them in the last 4 games, culminating with a 6-1 thrashing of Rotherham to finish on 100... of which 70 were at home. We got our money's worth that season. One 7-2 win, 4 times we scored 6 goals in a game, and 5 twice. Along the way.. we also managed to lose to Pompey TWICE, lost 4-5 at home to Preston, and 0-6 away at Swansea, but won 6-4 at home to Derby - with only 9 men in 2nd half. (no subs. in those days ). Seasons goal tally; Martin Chivers and Terry Paine 21 EACH, George O'Brien (had a quiet season) and ONLY got 16, George Kirby 15, and John Sydenham 8. FOUR different players scored hat-tricks that season; Paine TWICE, O'Brien and Chivers once each and George Kirby scored 4 goals in the opening game v. Charlton. For statistical sake, these (and other players).. also scored 2 goals in a game... on 13 other occasions, ........and 8 players played in 30 or more (of 42) league games. Surely worth some sort of a mention, eh, ? Those were the days.!

Great memories Ottery St Mary, but not to be too pedantic.. those 3 goals v. Forest came in the last 16 mins.(!) sorry I was there too, and the replay score was 5-0. Goals by David Burnside 2,George O'Brien 2 ..and Ken Wimshurst. (probably the BEST of many fine games he played for Saints).

Wasn't it Kevin Phillips who had a spell in a non-league club years ago - before he signed big time ?

well everyone has to start somewhere, and there is a short list of famous players over the years, who actually started in non-league football.

of course if it was creation ...he'd be called Genesis, I suppose..maybe he has a big brother, too ? ....but it's a fantastic name - isn't it ? I think we should sign him - just so as we have him on the squad list. OK - so he can't move as fast as Usain Bolt.. but at 6' 6" ...he'd make the goal 3 feet narrower when he stands on the goal line ...great tactic AP !

I don't think we can blame the strikers, it's still fairly obvious that (although talented) our lightweight, youthful midfield (exc. Wotton) just isn't up to the rough and tumble of L1. We have to win the ball first, and then distribute it properly, without the first priority the best midfielders in the world can't service strikers properly. Our two Poles have " peaked career-wise " and with a World Cup next year it's their last chance to get some glory. Even if they liked it at SMS it's no so impressive to score goals in the " 3rd division ", when a regular place in a good CCC team is a better option, and they compete for places against other Poles who are playing in Prem.sides in other countries. Why do you think that Beckham wants to play in Europe, too ? ... it's surely not for the money. Galaxy pay him a fortune. NO !...He sees one more World Cup chance and wants to stay 100% fit..and playing for a top side. I'd like to see them both our Poles " stay and play ", but the truth is they will move anywhere - as long as it's UP. Being on the " tail end " of my own personal career ... I don't blame them for that one bit.

I tend to agree with you on that point. The midfield is TOO lightweight - and lacking in experience. They may look good in the practice but it's a tough league, and playing " pretty football " doesn't win games (evident last season). I like James, Lallana and Scheiderlin (as individual players with skill) but games are won (and in this case ) lost in midfield. Gillett is better than all three in this role. Although Wotton isn't the world's best, he is tough enough to give it out and we need a couple more " hard " ball winners midfield, or it won't work. Also Perry and Thomas are too much the same sort of defender. Claus was good BECAUSE he played alongside Svensson, who was the toughie. Perry /and /or Thomas need to play alongside a " tough hard case " who can control the box and win the headers every time. Ollie should go out on loan immediately, if we have this skilful Chelsea lad, (Mellis) he should have priority until January.

Of course, we are very grateful to Herr. L. and N.Cortese for saving the club from a fate worse than ...(!) ....but at the end of the day they cannot be seen (as probably don't see themselves ).... as experts on English football. The idea is a sports director; (someone who knows the game ; ex player, ex manager) knows what real money is, and how much a player is likely to cost. During his time Strachan seems to have had an arrangement with Rupert Lowe, along the lines of .... " I'd like so-and-so, or that fella ..if the price is right " (.i.e. if the club can afford it-which at various times in the past - it could have). It's then upto the Board to sort out the finances ( if the player wants to come / if his club is willing to sell him).etc, etc. I'm sure that AP would like any number of players - if the price / deal / salary was OK. An in-the-know DOF..would know the ropes and the relative sums of money involved as get the green light for deals..it also avoids the obvious problem of The CEO needing to discipline / sack a manager / player or whoever as the DOF is effectively running ( but not interfering ) with all the staff. Good Idea IMHO. ( just get the right man.. Nicola).

My thoughts exactly ! I'd like to think they might stay ..but ...if they want to go ...? ....FINE by me ..thanks fellas ..and goodbye .

Well if it's Swansea we won't get much change out of them. They were complaining about paying 500K for Dyer, and their club record is less than £1 mill. (I think). Anyway I hope that we get a decent price for him (from whoever).

sorry colinjb .......but it's.... -9