MarkSFC

Reed and Kruger appear to have the attitude of the Captain of the Titanic........

The real asset strippers in football are the players who continue to demand more and more. I doubt that it will stop for a long while yet so however much Kat has "taken" as some have put it the vast majority has gone to those some on here game over and then get upset when they leave. Your anger should be towards those who demand mire and more for doing nothing extra and are (not in the real world comparison) hugely overpaid for what they actually achieve. Time for much lower basic wages and higher achievement bonuses.

His personality, his tactics, his training methods, his motivational skills, and his decision-making.

I don't get this "failed manager" prejudice because virtually every manager will "fail" at some point. The issue is selecting a manager who has failed several times!! I've said it before on another thread a few weeks ago but I would get Strachan in for the remainder of the season. Certainly would not get Hughes, not because he is a failure but because he has little charisma to lift every one. You could argue Keegan would lift everyone but too long out of the game of course but its that type of manager we need for the last 11 games, but actually the next 5 are the key ones. Pray for the Impact a new man "usually gives. Having said I would prefer Strachan, when he came first time we did not get the lift immediately!!! Stick or Twist on 14 Reed........

A loss today is not disasterous but certainly a set-back as it would break the unbeaten run which is developing. This is almost a freebie.....our survival is not reliant on winning today, although that obviously helps but the next 5 are the ones that really matter. With 4 of them Away I would think 10 points would be a very useful return, placing us on 36 (or more depending on today!), which would suggest a minimum of 4 points to reach the magical 40 from the remaining other 6. Burnley Away WIN Stoke City Home WIN Newcastle United Away WIN Swansea City Away DRAW West Ham United Away LOSS Arsenal Away LOSS Chelsea Home LOSS Leicester City Away DRAW Bournemouth Home WIN Everton Away DRAW Manchester City Home WIN!!!!

They will no doubt play at least 2 strikers so I think we should go with 3 CBs. I'm going and the only other game I have managed this season was the home game so hoping I make it 2 wins out of 2!! McC Yosh JS WH CS RB OR JWP PH SB CG

The catalyst for Lowe's eventual downfall and the club's admin istration stemmed from not capitalising on the high of 2003 and a string of poor decisions. Reed has basically done the same. Both poor excuses of leaders, and with their own agenda. Lose was arrogant. Reed is too but also complacent. One is well away from the club, the needs to be asap.

That's probably a good sign then!

He was right.....just nowt anyone really cares about.

Who's Directors box?

I heard there's a family from China who come over occassionaly....

Possibly the only way to compare is performances in same things. For their country; Theo 47 apps 8 goals Quincy 23 apps 4 goals Europe Theo 72 apps 21 goals Quincy 7 apps 2 goals In their league careers; Theo 421 apps 113 goals Quincy 198 apps 89 goals. Different standard leagues of course. I think they appear to be similar but I think Primes may well have a better instinct for the goal! I hope this happens.

If they do not but one or two in that bracket over this window or the next we will just keep going backwards. You can't keep selling at top price and buying bargains.

Basically it's like the whole club has become complacent and have stayed in their comfort zone. This is not the action of successful achievers. It also seems like the focus of Kruger and generally the Exec. Has gone from Premier League results to growing the off field business. The next two weeks are all about making the right decisions that secure our status socthat in the summer the major changes can happen in tbe board room. But I'm not holding my breath....

I think Walcott is exactly one half of who we need to sign in a forward position, Balotelli would be my preferred choice as the other half. Even if it costs the whole 75m of the VVD money all in then it's worth the small gamble. Swapping a CB performing below normal standards and not really having any influence this season and replacing with 2 players who could fairly comfortably add 15-20 Goals and assists between them is a huge positive. It strikes me that Reed is stuck in the sell high buy low cycle and more business balance sheet influenced than football balance sheet and this must change at least temporarily otherwise we are ******. Those who are better than Walcott NOW, not in 2-3 years, would cost 40+ and outside of our reach. The last 2 28/29 year olds we bought (I think I'm right here) did very well....Lambert and pelle. We should not always just buy in the 22-25 age bracket. Great business leaders (because that is what I have no doubt Reed sees himself as now) recognise the need for a fluid plan and strategy bjt I think Reed believes that he has sussed it and can do the same for ever more. Or if not he certainly is reacting far too slowly for the market he is shopping in. Just pay over the top for once!!!!

I was there. Upper East stand but did not take my seat! I did have £1 on Matt to score the last goal and Saints to win 3-2 @ 175/1. It was a brilliant night!! I was probably the only Saints fan who cheered when Marsden missed to make it 4-2 Just after the 3rd.

What does that mean? Happening? Guessing?

So we sell big and buy cheap again. When will they learn that if you replace all your players with cheaper options "with potential" you just downgrade the overall standard and are relying on the potential being achieved all at the same time in order to compete high up the table. As is being proved right now is that when they do not perform as a group, the baseline standard is not high enough. We are doomed with this approach.

When will Reed and Co. realise that we are able to sell high because of the market and that market means we have to buy high and cannot just choose a ceiling price and then target players below that??? Obviously we are never going to attract a 40-50m player (unless it goes completely mad!!!) but we must be looking in the 20-30m bracket NOW. Palace, WHU, Everton, have all signed players of that level and above. As more and more clubs expand their stadiums we are going backwards all the time by continuing what was working. The best businesses adapt and are flexible enough to react to market changes quickly. The market place has accelerated and our inept leaders (who are not leaders in my eyes) just don't get it and are still catching up it seems. Or maybe they will finally prove us all wrong.....:lol:

Because in 12 months they have f****** up what took 5 years to build. This attitude of Saints will still be here, well they nearly weren't in case you'd forgotten. People invest time money and lots of emotion in their club and when imbeciles fail to do a good job we reserve the right to come t and complain. If you blindly accept whatever they do then fair enough but some are more passionate than others.

The decisions the club / owners make over the next few days are the most critical for years. I am genuinely concerned.

Listened and read both pieces and agree with the many on this thread that it is a load of PR ****. He does not talk to the man on the terraces, he talks like he is in a board meeting, reporting to his employers. When I saw the audioboom link from Adam Blackmore I had hoped it would be a positive interview and with some sort of reference to incoming transfers. Basically this could of been said at anytime in the season, ignoring the league position, and was a waste of everyone's time. I suspect he is good at visioning the future, strategizing and planning; all of which are keys competencies of a coach, and this will go down well with the owners. What he has not addressed in his time here is his ability to talk to different people, with different interests in the club, who speak in different terms, and build rapport and a long term relationship; all of which are also key competencies of a coach! His insight and experience in a coaching setting were clearly a big reason why he was employed to begin with. But as he actually says, it all about the wins and the points, and that interview does not fill me with any hope that the club are going to make the significant 2-3 signings we need NOW! We need tangible actions not behind closed door planning.

These cash plus player deals never happen. Plus if that had happened with the VVD deal it would of impacted the "world record fee for a defender" line. I think it's a possibility to get him but we should do it very quickly or move on.

Stayed at The Adelphi many times in the 90s......brilliant venue then....even met Robbie Fowler in the nightclub!

I really do not get the negativity from some about Walcott. Who...seriously, who is better that we have even a small chance of getting? He is in and around the England team, in my opinion is better than Sterling, although to be fair he is having a very good season, but last year it was no contest. Forget the age, although 28 is basically prime time in most footballers careers. Even though we have similar type IF you judge him as a wider attacking player, he is better than Redmond, Tadic, Sims, Long, and Boufal (more skilful but fewer goals than Theo), he has always said he wants to play through the middle. Not the scorer, but he could easily be a Defoe type of forward given the chance, that Wenger never did, other than the odd game here and there. As you can tell, I really hope this happens as I do not think we can get a better player (permanently) who knows this league. We need 2-3 players who can come straight in and get going, not take a few months to "settle"!! IF we were to get Sturridge as well on loan I think that would be very exciting. He is not the longer term option granted but in a World Cup year could be a very smart move. You'll soon see how injured he really gets.... On top of these two, I think Mawson would be a great option at the back as he is the type of CB we do not currently have, very strong in the air and strong, albeit less mobile than the others but that is not an issue when the other CB or 2 are more mobile. Reading the game is the key. Even though I have wanted MP to go fo a few weeks, if we can have a good transfer window, then even with him I think we can secure safety and top 10 again. Anyway, I am choosing to be positive for a while about Saints, at least until they let us down come Feb 1st!!!!!