Clifford Nelson

Bairdy left because of masses of money and dreams of even more. All of us would be tempted to leave for £10K a week, or even more. I know I would, whether I "love the club" or not. We will not be matching his pay, so he would have to come down a long, long way. He also hasn't improved by sitting on Fulham's bench for the last couple of years, so I doubt that he is the player we once saw, and I for one gave him 10/10 for effort and fighting spirit, although I wasn't as generous in the skills department. As RB he was no more than average. I think that there are plenty of CBs out there and "homecomings" have a tendency to go sour, not least with all the expectations we would have on him. Time to move on for all of us, me thinks.

We need a lot of things, a striker is only one of them. Since Nick tend to offer well sourced info I take this as another sign of intent from AP. The man clearly knows what he is doing. I'd be surprised if there won't be another one or two players in before the weekend.

We need another clear out, but it's not easy to clear out players who nobody wants. In principle I agree that we shouldn't spend money on players by stacking up debt, but in our dire situation I think we probably need to engage in a bit of pump priming. Since AP is hoping to be somewhere in mid-table by Christmas I don't think he's got a choice, has he?

It's not very representative, but who should they wheel out? Over many years now, since the Branfoot days really, we've been divided and have felt the need to defend our independence from the club, which has lead to a few people being rather self-appointed as "spokespersons" without really speaking for anybody but themselves. Let's not necessarily blame them for that but rather plan for the future. Is it time to start thinking in terms of the official supporters club again?

That's the spirit. Pards hasn't lost a game yet!

And the club knew that when we signed him!!!

Instead of discussing the result, what about if I ask: Is there anybody out there who has spotted confidence and fighting spirit, and if you have, when and where, exactly? A couple of players with skill will not solve our problems, which are deep set and psychological and have come after years of losing and expecting to lose matches, with a bunch of coaches who provide creative excuses for why it didn't matter or, as if by magic, next game will be better. Confidence has been replaced by chest thumping, and I would be grateful if the players stopped saying "hopefully" about the future, as it is so self-defeating. Pre-season is an indication that this problem is gigantic. In my experience from both work and football, this is not an easy problem to remedy. That is why I think that decent survival in League 1 this year coupled with a turnaround in the squad confidence will be a great achievement for AP. We haven't yet made a starter for ten when it comes to promotion. But we have a manager who knows what the problems are, and that goes some way for now.

Contrary to common belief there is no magic relationship between pre-season results and success in the league. There is, however, an absolute relationship between confidence and fighting spirit on the one hand and success on the other. This squad of ours is woefully short of confidence, isn't up for a scrap and why should it be if losing is so easily excused. Luckily AP knows this now and will do something about it. I wonder though if anything but wholesale changes will do it? A settled back four, or three if you are that way inclined, keeps the conceded goal tally down. Only Perry is a certainty in this back line. Harding will obviously take up the LB role, but otherwise? We don't know yet whether Murty will sign or Lloyd carrying on as RB. Thomas is injury prone and costs a fortune, and Lancashire is...what exactly. He doesn't seem to be a brick in defense and then the red mist descends. Centrebacks mature later than others, and maybe his time hasn't come yet. The midfield yesterday doesn't warrant analysis. Neither Pulis, Gobern or Thompson will be in the starting line up eventually. The reports say that Stern showed that he was keen to work. It will be interesting to see the team on Saturday against Hearts. Probably a lot more like the way we can expect, apart from whatever new signings which will arrive before then.

That's a fantastic idea. They can have Saga, but ONLY if they take Pulis as well. He is clearly never going to play a role at this club and nobody is ever going to show an interest in taking him off our hands.

Admin rocks!

You're right Derry. A foreign team I know had three conditions for every new player: 1) Skill; 2) Pace; and 3)Attitude. You can possibly compromise on the first two if you have very strong reasons to, but you can't compromise with the last. It's what is the difference between the men and the 'alsorans'. For as long as they maintained that recruiting policy they kept winning the league. You can spot the inability to dig in when things are not going right already in boys football, and I can't come to think of any boy without spirit who has grown into a man with it. You can't train it, you get it with birth and upbringing.

I certainly didn't intend to be patronising, so apologies for that, but I don't think League 1 is going to be a doddle for any of our strikers, apart from possibly John, if AP signs him. He is big and strong, knows how to hold the ball up and knocks them in early. Rasiak would be an asset if playing with another striker/targetman, two wingers and an offensive midfielder to give the man service, service and yet more service. He has never created on his own. Saga looked to have lost much of his pace against Ajax and he has lived off pace and opportunity. I haven't really got much of an opinion about Matt Paterson, but I don't think he is going to set the division alight this season. Essentially, though, I don't think this season is going to be at all easy, and we are woefully prepared for it so far.

I'm also supporting a team in another european country. There it isn't a question about where to go first. it's the club site every time. It's authoritative, entertaining and first with every bit of news every time, but then the club doesn't leak rumours like a sieve as Saints have done through the years. Things seem to have changed in that respect judging from recent events. OS has been hopeless for years in being a conduit for whoever was in charge of the club and never, ever offering a controversial, or even interesting, word about anything. Can't blame them though, they would have been sacked. I'm now looking forward to the club and the fans coming much closer together so that it becomes natural to check OS as the number one choice. Could there be a proper official supporter's club on the cards? There are several things the new regime needs to sort, quite apart from creating a winning team, which must be the first objective. But then there is OS, the beer and catering on the concourse (yuck!), the match programme, and I could probably think of more. I'm nevertheless happy to think that this time we will get it right.

Are you maybe underestimating this league just a tad?

I'll be there. Mrs Nelson won't, but I'm bringing a mate instead. I wouldn't miss this one for the world. What we will see on Saturday will show us what we can expect in terms of tactics for the rest of the season: Lone striker? Wingers? How will he employ Lallana? What will he do with Gillett, Wotton and Schneiderlin? Etc. The players who haven't played for their lives until the end won't be seen again for a long time, if ever. Hopelessly optimistic I think we might actually win it. If not I won't mind if we have given it a bl**dy good go.

There are quite a few who are missing the point in what has been discussed here, I think. I haven't seen any moans about the fact that we didn't beat Ajax. The question has been about the attitude on the playing side of the club. AP got it immediately with his first ever comment about a winning habit. If you took in Stewart Henderson's interview it tells it all: Having lost most of our friendlies and won none of them matters not at all. We are very well prepared and ready to go in League 1! - Does anybody believe a word of that nonsense? It sounds like he is from the government defending another obvious blunder as if it never happened or that it's good for us. With that attitude behind the scenes is there any wonder that the players often don't seem to care much and can be found celebrating in the watering holes from here to Poopey after losing another game. Is there time for a clear-out in the coaching ranks, I wonder.

Excellent news. That will stretch both Mills (plenty of talent, needs experience and strength) and Molineux (can't say whether I think he can make it or not).

The Ajax game is of no long term importance, but the attitude is everything. I have been banging on about "the winning habit" in the forum with little interest generated, which made me delighted to hear AP's first comment. WGS temporarily brought us out of this terrible "it'll be alright on the night" attitude and then we slid back into it again. Our players have been going out celebrating after losing games, and their coaches have been condoning it! The signings we desperately need will mean nothing unless we change the way we are looking at things behind the scenes. The SH interview confirmed everything I'd feared was going on, but with AP I've finally got hope.

Derry is quite right. Not that we have the team at the moment to have a go at a top side, but the acceptance of defeat is cringeworthy. Stewart Henderson's interview, that results don't matter, it has only been a few friendlies, and that the team is well prepared for the season tells a lot about what is wrong behind the scenes. I can't imagine that AP can accept that kind of complacency, which was in stark contrast to his own comments. However "well respected" SH might be his comments are what feed players from the academy, through the reserves and into the first team. He's found a way of dealing with defeat by not letting it hurt too much, and has forgotten that football is a competitive game which is nothing without winning. The truth is that we would even have accepted the RL regime if the team had been winning. I think there are people behind the scenes who ought to fear for their jobs.

There is spending money and spending money. Look at Newcastle for instance.

It would be rather silly to suggest that some senior players who have played successfully in higher divisions and also represented their countrys are not good enough for this division. But all players, especially the older ones, must be played to their strengths. Rasiaks strength has never been as a target man. He is tall which probably confuses people to think he could be, but that is all. Given plenty of service he will score goals, although not quite as proficient as some are led to believe.

After what this club has been through with the arrogant RL, his henchmen and those afraid to speak out we have finally been saved. I have nothing but contempt for those who still feel some kind of absurd affection for them. When that spills out into tirades against LM my blood boils over and, yes, if you are one of them I wouldn't mind seeing you leave. The appalling sniping from the sidelines which has been so prevalent on this thread has nothing to do with a different point of view, and even less about 'grown up' debate. It can only be understood as deliberate provocation.

Thanks Wes. Personally I would like Lawrie to be honoured with some symbolic position at the club. President would have been the obvious one if RL hadn't given it to John Mortimore out of sheer spite. I haven't got a problem with JM, though, so I don't suggest him to be de-thrones. MLT also ought to have some role at the club, but there is plenty of time for that, he is still young.

He didn't play any different on Saturday than he's always played. There are a lot of things he can't do, including trapping the ball or holding it up. It is also right that he scores goals, but only if he is playing off somebody else, like John, not Saga who also isn't a target man, and is getting plenty of service into the box. If that is how Pardew intend to play, then it's fine, but in any other constellation it's a bit like playing with ten men, and I believe he likes playing with lone strikers. Rasiak is not suddenly going to change his character. Pardew will probably already have decided what to do with him.

Lawrie sat on the football board, which had no powers regarding remuneration. If he was earning money as is stated, it is because he was offered money by the plc board for work they wanted him to carry out. It is ironic that posters on this board wish that he had maintained a 'dignified silence'. I certainly don't, but admire him for having spoken his mind. He did so the first time when Graeme Souness left, and RL hated him ever since to the point of obsession. I admire people ho maintain their integrity and speak their minds. To stay silent only benefits those in power. I am flabbergasted at those on here who keep sidling up to those who ruined this club to the point of extinction. Your time has thankfully passed. It's time to leave this club.