Nineteen Canteen

True. No one can live off their past glories but hopefully if it starts to go t1ts up lets up hope he walks head held high and reputation in tack with regard to his status as the greatest player we have ever had.

Agree with everything that has been said but we cannot deny that MLT is risking his reputation and deserved status as a legend in the truest sense of the word. If things go badly wrong and we end up back in a situation that caused him to leave his 'cushty' Sky numberin the first place then I fear the worse. Seems there is a bubbling sense of unease at Newcastle with Shearer already and that is a club that uncannily replicates our own expectations at times IMO.

Exactly. How many regularly post on this forum, with say and average of 1 post a day? 100, 200, 500, 1000? I reckon it's about 500 or about 3% of the average home crowd from last season. My guess is that the other 97% feel the same way as we do and the missing 5,000 + the 11,000 premier leaguers are more interested in value for money/entertainment and may as well apply for a ST at the Emirates. Fair enough but don't knock those who supported the club regardless of the colour of the chairman's tie.

Wouldn't disagree with any of that Nick although at the time I was supportive of Pearson's removal because of the manner in which we stayed up. Hardly inspirational and more to do with luck and at best workmanlike. I do recognise though that others would see things differently but I'm not so sure that a lot of that was aftertiming.

Wes you'll never get it and nor will others like you. It was never about Lowe it was about supporting the club in dire straits and nailing your colours to the mast to the last. 1 year ago Lowe was all we had and I would have supported him, Crouch or Mike Osman if I thought we had a chance of surviving. I think only Weston Saint, Nick H, Frank and SteveG understood that where I exchanged pms and a few others who didn't necessarily agree with me but understood me. You are not complaining about the pricing strategy or product quality of your local supermarket, to me supporting this club on the pitch is more like supporting your kids. Its non-negotiatable.

Lights Out or Rock Bottom - UFO (Strangers in the Night) The greatest Live Album ever?

Stanley - just for you - Idiot Wind - Bob Dylan

I'm on my way - Proclaimers Move on Up - Curtis Mayfield

Mike that doesn't account for the freefall in performances of the season before when much more money was being spent on the team. During Lowe's tenure although attendances were down by about 5,000 they actually increased slightly over the season prior to administration. Poor performances may have a part to play but without reanalysing everything again you know I don't hold Lowe totally to blame and understood his objectives. It's probably more to do with the fact that fans were unhappy with the diet of CCC as much as poor football, otherwise why pay to watch the same team get trounced by Man U in 1st gear? The truth will come out I guess over the next 5 seasons but i doubt audiences will rise much above the 21k mark of the previous season. Hope I'm wrong though. Stanley is the biggest troll on this forum and the fact he cannot argue the position he takes proves my point. As mentioned by someone else he is doing it for the 'fame' poor soul.

You expect? Trying going to a game and you'll find out Stanley instead of sitting at home tabbing between the forum and god knows what else. How do you type with your fingers permanently in your ears? You don't strike me as clever but yes you are a ****. Keep googling those user names.

I expect your right - no doubt the only spiritual union you enjoy is with yourself/

Correct and nothing will ever change that fact. Whatever happens in the future the events in the Spring of 2009 will always be there to remind us how far this club fell and some wounds for whatever reason and regardless of future prosperity may never heal. Notwithstanding those who lost a lot of money in comparison to their own businesses we cannot ignore the fact that around 5,000 deserted the club last season based on the previous season. Regardless of their reasons they withdrew their support and had they not done so we would probably still be in the CC or worst case in L1 without a 10 point penalty. I hope none of that 5,000 sit near me and the rest of a loyal band of ST's holders.

I wouldn't disagree but lets drop the jingoistic rubbish about English managers. Don't you want Strachan or Di Matteo or any other potentially unknown European nuggets that the new regime may unearth.

And hopefully for many years to come this club will thrive on the Lowe legacy. Lets all get back to supporting our club at the stadium that Rupert built. A club ready for the modern era which can hardly have been true at the Dell. Those who think they feel the feelgood factor returning are partly to blame for its demise in the first place and regrettably i doubt the infighting will end just yet as some will not be happy until the club is back in the Premiership longer than you can say WBA, Birmingham, Wolves, Hull and Reading. A long way to go so don't be to smug Stanley as your support is about as predictable as our weather. I predict it will take us 5 years to have a chance of consolidation in the Premiership and it will be at least that long before the chancers and boycotters return with or without MLT who like Shearer will have his work cut out whatever role performs.

Another hackneyed opinion from Robbie that as usual is so cliched it's barely worth making let alone responding. Doh! (Matt Groenig). We can appreciate why you like truisms Robbie it helps you to avoid the need to challenge the opinions of others against your own smug, tired and populist thinking. 'Revenge is always the pleasure of a paltry, feeble, tiny mind' - Juvenal. Hence, I use quotes because I usually wish I had been able to construct the words as fashioned by the author or orator myself and out of respect for them and my own lack of education I prefer and indeed get a lot of pleasure from using my reference library and just love an excuse to dip in now and then.

Each to their own I guess but personally I found Osman somewhat less than brilliant and IMO he bordered on embarrassing and tragic. In particular his caterwauling at the game where we remembered Alan Ball was off the scale in terms of 'cringe factor' and IMO ruined what should have a been a poignant moment with Ball's family on the pitch. I dread to think what level he would have had to taken it too for those absolute one club legends this club has been lucky to have in the past and I guess we an only hope that when their time is done Osman won't be anywhere near the MC's microphone. This is just my personal opinion as we have opined in the past on the merits or lack thereof of players. managers, directors and chairman discussing the merits of an 'entertainer' seems to be somewhat more emotive.

Agreed but like the man said in his first post there are probably better coaches out there and we need to move forward. I can see a strong argument for Prost and Elias and even Wotte but I remain convinced that all traces of the past for those with direct responsibility or input over the team and the club in general are removed. It only takes a small seed of bitterness to germinate into something less useful so clean slate please. Best for us, best for MLT and most of all best for the club in the long term.

OK but you get my point. They don't have to have past association with the club.

The trouble you have is how to assess the apples. Good and bad can be determined by a court of law whereas an assessment of an individuals contribution will still be subjective and based on opinion and worse prejudice. One man's rubbish is another man's treasure and the slate must be clean and MLT will have a tough role to play to ensure he is equitable on his assessment of the past as he takes us into the future as many fans have been stuanchly loyal through thick and thin and will have their reasons for so doing.

Disagree any coach who has the respect of the players can ensure unity in the dressing room. Wasn't it rumoured that Dodd and/or Beattie put paid to Sturrock?

Don't disagree Hypo but I was looking to the future and the majority of our squads from the past two seasons in particular. I still think football will eventually eat itself without some major change and the attributes of older players and those from the last generation are not reflected in many of the younger and overseas players especially. Its just a general comment on how I perceive players loyalty today to say 10 or even 5 years ago. Comes down to greed and why there is so much 'competitive dad syndrome' in football that you don't see in the likes of Rugby, Athletics or Cricket.

'You might very well think that. I couldn't possibly comment'

With the greatest of respect to Woggy and Rofe but they will not generate unity or the 'spirit of Southampton' which incidentally has IMO been proven to be a fallacy over the past few years because in the darkest days many deserted the club and refused to support it. Players don't give a rat's backside about their club unless they are local lads who have supported it and been lucky enough to come through the ranks like Surman and Bridge. Players are motivated by the opportunity to play, the support and money IMO and some old boy rattling on about what it means to play for the club is going to have zero impact if the other objectives are not met, more so if the individual (Rofe) has never been heard of by many. Maybe this is where MLT will have some postive impact with players as being a top player from the last generation, well known and admired.

I stand corrected. Pinder for CEO.