Nineteen Canteen

Major respect for all those making the trip for today's game. You take the meaning of support to another level and fair play to all of you for that. I hope the team reward you during and after the game and just in case they take heed of the gesture given by the Wigan players to their travelling support. Apparently, they are reimbursing everyone who went to the game on Sunday! It's a tough game tonight but hopefully not that tough! Enjoy it.

I thought that Derry but you do have the hanging around at the Airport and the need to pack and stuff - it all adds to the stress for want of a better word. It does disrupt the routines and hanging around a hotel lounge on Tuesday after I presume some training session somewhere will sap the will a bit. A while back I saw the Stoke team staying in a Hilton and when we arrived mid afternoon on a Friday they were all collapsed in the lounge looking really fed up - mind you that's Pulis for you. The journey time is going to be lot less and alot less arduous for our hardy fans taking the trip but the chnage in their pre match routines I don't think will help us. That said i still think we will earn a decent draw in teh circumstances and we may nick it but so might they.

I agree - surely EP this is the suggested line up for Saturday?

I believe we will get a hard thought draw and that in itself will be classed as a decent result. The team looked 'all out' to me on Saturday and with little time to recover plus the journey - I suppose they will fly up - but still a lot going on in the space of 3 days and illness if a virus aren't kicked off easily. I agree it will be a very tight game and a 2-1 win to Saints would be a massive achievement with the draw not looking a shoe in. My only point is bounce back from what? A draw against the most inform team in the league having gifted them two goals? I actually believe we are still on the roll but we can't win every game and we need to look after the principal players and not play them in cup games. A jaded Lambert is about as effective as a fit Saganowski and Connolly looks like we are playing with a rare piece of lalique, expensive, classy but very fragile.

Pretty much the same as every article Clarkson writes. Do you think Clarkson will be any different after Cameron slides himself into power? The man is a parody of himself and to criticise Mandelson on his choice of jeans when Clarkson where's nothing but jeans is ironic and who is the sadder on that score? I have no lefty agenda or right for that matter but Clarkson's ramblings get more absurd as he probably has increasing difficulty in topping his previous fare. He is less funny than Ian Hislop but they share the same smugness. Anyway since the disgrace of 'Janesgate' I have refused to buy the Times because it clearly was just a Sun for people with a qualification. So surprise surprise I have defected to the Guardian and Observer and off the recommendation of someone who probably has a major dislike of me for my views but as always I'll listen to anyone regardless of opinion provided some acknowledgement in the alternative is shown. So Duncan thanks for the tip about the paper - so far so good - not that he'll read it here - he only found the lounge about a month ago when his thread was moved from the main forum.

Mark Twain was right when he said 'There ain't no way to find out why a snorer can't hear himself snore'

I think Fifth Gear's problem was the presenters and the fact it was on Channel 5. I bet the Gadget show would be a good programme under the BBC umbrella. I don't want to turn it into 60 minutes of 'What Car' that would be boring but when they did the piece last series about cars for 17 year-olds my 16 year old son and I sat down to watch it for some hopeful suggestions and what did we get? May was the only one who tried to fill the brief and there is no reason why we couldn't have the funny stuff mixed with a bit of sport and perhaps a more serious piece each week. The guff in the news section and sycophantic interview from Clarkson in the star in a reasonably priced car could all be readily ditched they are both very embarrassing. Clearly TG have it right in the ratings war and it can afford to get worse before those ratings start to slip significantly but IMO unless they shake it up a bit they are coming down off their peak. It used to be essential viewing and now I'll watch it if I'm around. Even the X-Factor has changed it's format a bit this year and if a dreadful and exploitive programme like that can recognise it needs a change Clarkson and Co are somewhat arrogant to stay with what they have.

Perhaps some of his decisions along the way lead to the situation where he was neded to put the money in to save us? That is my opinion and although we will never know I would like to understand under what terms those club saving donations were made under? Was it an act of pure charity or political positioning for a directorship? If it was the former then I would tend agree with you Gemmel but with the caveat i still see him as part of the problem and inability to work with the other two. The fact he has allegedly walked away would suggest otherwise IMO and whilst a thank you may be deserved I don't think it's a huge one because he could have held off administration by giving Lowe the cash for an allegeded seat on the board and other unsupportable conditions. The reality is now I am very glad he didn't but at the time we didn't know things would work out better than we could have possibly hoped. Has Crouch walked away from the club like McMenemy? If he has then why did he throw that money at the club? Can't have been out of the kindness of a wealthy Saints supporter because surely we couldn't give them up anymore than I could? We can only draw our own opinions based on our own observations but for me he is just a business man who lost money on a deal that went against him. Happens but in those circumstances I see little to thank him for other than acknowledging his role in proceedings same as Jackson and the rest.

I use to enjoy Top Gear and as St Landrew points out it has (not almost) become a parody of itself. It's gotten all to formulaic same as the 'X Factor', 'I'm a celebrity', 'Big Brother', which I detest but my family love .Same old squabbles, same old predictable views, same old format. At least the electric car piece was something different than the norm in terms of ideas as Ponty points out but the usual stereotype of Mau being the 'boring engineer' and Clarkson being ' the bad at DIY and I'm so smart IO don't need to worry about such thing' and Hammond? Looked like he was testing for his next big commercial. Even the star in a reasonably priced car is about as boring a piece of TV as Neighbours. I don't really care anymore and I think they need to change it and time to ditch 'Jeremy' I'm afraid. Still my Sunday's were ruined when they moved Countryfile from 11am to 7pm. Where's the motivation at 7pm on a Sunday to go and enjoy the big outdoors? An example of change isn't always a good thing but CF did have many different reports with many different reporters none of which seemed steretyped into particular feature/piece. I would like to see a retro Top Gear - more about the cool wall and the cars on it or otherwise . A nobody in a star car - some hoody plucked from the streets of Weybridge trying to tame the Corvette would have been more entertaining + a few different camera angles. A regular piece on motorsport would be good when you consider the crowds at a GP or the Festival of Speed and I'm not sure the BTCC are as popular as they were but nonetheless plenty of material and not to mention the classic car contingent. In short a Top Gear about cars!

That's that then, all over. Can't wait until next year, thrillsville.

I called it all that was left in my Dad's drink cabinet that we could use!

Subtle difference IMO Gemmel, but that is just my opinion and one we are unlikely ever to agree on.

That's good to hear. Still believe it was the right move for him, reluctant though he may have been, convinced in the long term it's a move that will do his career more good than harm and hope one day we can somehow get him back to Saints playing in the form he showed in his first full season. It's always good to have some local lads in the squad who can hold their own in the first team.

Quite, and if we don't reduce that bill money will still be talking but not being put to good use like buying. Money talks but the action in this case is what matters and we badly need to sell players - 39 in the squad?!

Indeed, I have many in my unopened jar all ready for the festive season.

Personally, and I am being sincere her it shows a sign of respect for the men who actually saved the club. Is it not common practice to refer to managers and players by their surname?

Excellent summary of the situation and I to would hate for us to become the next Man City and try and buy success and fail or even the next Chelsea but their money still hasn't bought them the prize they really want. Where is the sense of achievement in all that?

More babyshambles than Babycham - But I'll have Babycham if they throw in the cherry.

LOL

Vectis what you don't get is that others can have a more balanced view of things. Being condescending about singing the greatest centre forward the word has ever seen doesn't support your argument and guess what I get it. If you went to games you would appreciate that we still sing about our club being the greatest team we have ever seen and yet we are in our lowest poistion for 50 years. I sing it but if asked to say which is the greatest club team in the world today I wouldn't say Saints but they are the club I love the most and that is the difference. Love and reality. All part of the bravado of the football crowd and perhaps the most honest shout I heard at a match this year was the United crowd singing you're only here to see United which applied relevantly to about 10,000 of our fans.

Can't stop myself highlighting an interesting assessment between two ex-Saints managers? No I suppose I can't in this relevant case, and IMO like a few others I firmly believed Wotte bought a seat although I doubt he wrote a cheque and no doubt he is more than comfortable with chip and pin.

A few - I'm thinking 15 with perhaps 1 or 2 key purchases and a dew in on loan. If we don't reduce the size of the squad nothing will happen and Pardew has said as much without getting himself into trouble, on the radio yesterday. Its not a case of too spend or not to spend but no sale, no spend and regardles of how we may feel about it. If we do get anymore players in without sales the first thing will be to print the match day programme on A4.

In terms of salary then I guess you would be right but if Thomas's fitness is proven then I would prefer we retain him over Perry and also there are no guarantees we can retain Trotman. The Deadwood of which Saga is No 1 would be as follows: Saganowski Molyneux Lancashire Pulis Gillet (sad to say - Pardew clearly doesn't rate him) Holmes Paterson Perry (Dependent on Trotman outcome) Pernecky Gobern Forecast In fact apart from Connolly, Antonio and Martin anyone with a squad number of 30 and above. Thomson Seriously forget about cover as hopefully it would pave the way for new blood but would we miss any oif this lot? Conservatively, I think we could raedily lose 15 players from a squad that on the last programme I got showed 39 first team players! Bournemouth can't even field a full set of subs. Must be a nightmare for Pardew to try and manage them all and keep them fit even with a few out on a loan.

Vectis I'm afraid you have me very wrong and I have been vocal against those who were excited by the prospect of the potential collapse of Portsmouth in the recent past. I applaud the attitude of the past where a Saints player or a Pompey player could move in the opposite direction without todays apparent hatred and that is why I asked the question (What would be the reaction of our fans today?). The point of which you clearly missed. As for Ron being the greatest centre forward in the world ever. Then I'm afraid you are guilty of looking at it through red and white striped glasses. Greatest in a Saints shirt maybe but in the world? Wouldn't make the top 100 but that is hardly a disgrace - just realistic. I am glad you agree that Saints and Pompey both safe and achieving success and hopefully in the Premier League is great for both clubs and football in general on the South Coast. I have and always will be a great advocate of it. I love the rivalry but detest the social decline that largely gives way to hatred. It is sad the hate but I am very happy I am not one who gives into hatred and resent your comments as you have classically responded to the poster and not my post itself. Read what I write before responding and just becasue I may have a negative view on 3 people in partcular it does not mean I hold that view about everything / one else.

I agree St Landrew but just thought the mock outrage of some was a toiuch ironic given the forgiveness we afford others.