Clifford Nelson

Alan Pardew is a manager I haven't given much thought to through the years if I'm honest, but his record is good and everything he has said so far fills me with confidence. He will have my full support and I hope that he is still here in years to come. The managerial merrygoround has caused us nothing but pain and hardship. Maybe we're at long last have done all the right things and that I can look forward to SMS not just for a game, but for winning games. I can hardly remember what that feels like.

As you say, David, this is blatant page filler for a lowest quality possible paper which has never researched anything. It's the kind of stuff that is written because if you keep connecting people and events with speculation you will eventually be right. Not because you know anything, but statistically you can't be wrong all the time. Apart from that, John is crocked and unfit, and won't be signed by anybody before his back is mended and he has returned to fitness. And Euell, what exactly is it he is good at?

Yes he did, and it was the only goal he scored. I will always remember Lawrie Mac's exasperated response in his broad accent to a bunch of reporters about why we signed him: "He's gonna score loads of goals and we're all gonna be happy!" They don't make them like that anymore.

Just been checking Wiki. It doesn't say anything like it.

It seems like everyone agrees that the catering is very poor. The burgers and hot dogs from the burgervans outside are superior even. This must surely be unacceptable for our new quality conscious owner. I imagine if that he tasted one pint from the concourse he would throw the caterers out like somebody did the moneylenders out of the temple. It also doesn't make financial sense since more pints are drunk in the pubs in the neighbourhood and more food from the vans than from inside the stadium. It hasn't been the most important issue so far, but it might be a good idea to let the club know what the feelings are.

Spit it out or forever hold your peace! This whispering campaign is disgraceful!

I think it's time to close this thread. 19 has been pulling our legs for long enough. He can't possibly hold these ridicolous views, but the constant rumour mongering about Lawrie is disgraceful and has to stop now.

It feels like you've cribbed this from my notes! Overall I observed how much time Ajax had on the ball all through the game and that we were always under pressure to hit hopeful ball up field. There is a lot to do here, but Pardew speaks the right language. He must have cribbed from my other notes. 4-5-1 is OK, but the striker must be the right one. Somebody who can receive the ball and hold it up. Everything bounces of Rasiak who hasn't got the energy for the role either, and Saga, who seems to have lost his pace, is one to play off another striker. We need somebody else.

One of the rules should be a complete lack of celebrations in case of losing. The right to celebrate should be earned. In case of a loss, lock them into a room at Staplewood and feed them gruel until they repent!

The ideal captain of this club is not here yet. Maybe AP can recruit one.

And what an excellent rant it was. Plague on the houses (or should it be swine flue) of those who don't respect a true Saints legend. Somebody to be tremendously proud of for his record as manager, his unstinting support for the club and his integrity and backbone to stand up to RL when nobody else of consequence did. There must be a role for him if only symbolic or ambassadorial.

I've seen the Guardian being accused of many things, but "sensationalist journalism"?

What was blatant yesterday was how Ajax had time with the ball whilst we were always under pressure so that we were forced into hitting marginal balls up field. As can be expected that doesn't work very well against any good side. If you are to play with a lone striker that one isn't Rasiak. He is a bit of a luxury who will score goals if the team is playing well, but without service it's a bit like playing with 10 men. Saga looked unfit and was outrun at times by centrebacks. He used to be quicker. Lloyd James was surprisingly slow in midfield and expected the ball to come to him rather than to meet it. Needless to say he lost it time and time agains. Did better at right back, but I thought Murty was better. It was nice to see Mills doing well. Simon Gillett is not an offensive midfielder but always comes off with credit for his sheer determination and workrate. He would me my first pick every week together with KD and Perry. I'm over the moon with Pardew who has realised that we are a side badly lacking in confidence which needs to find the "winning habit". He speaks my languish so the man must be a genius. Shame on those who have sent out the side without taking winning their friendlies seriously.

Lawrie Mac is a proper legend at this football club and warrants respect. The only problem for him was that he had the habit of speaking his mind. Not popular these days when the only demand for high office is to suck up to the bosses, whatever they want. I sincerely hope that the new regime can find a way of honouring him.

Murty was injured most of last season. Thomas the whole of the last season. John hasn't signed yet and has a bad back. Will they be fit? Mills looked promising, but this will be his first season. Who's the back-up? Euell doesn't score anymore and didn't look convincing as a midfielder. Rasiak wants away. Maybe not as solid if you start scratching at it.

They were a team on the skids before Pardew arrived, and obviously couldn't be saved afterwards either. Wrong team at the wrong time, me thinks.

I sat myself down and looked at the current squad. It isn't happy reading if your looking for a team to take us out of League 1. The only certainties in my selection is: Kelvin Davies Chris Perry Simon Gillett Lloyd James Then comes a series of question marks: Morgan Schneiderlin - can he be fitted into a team and play regularly? Adam Lallana - I don't doubt his skills, but why his loss of form? Wayne Thomas - Injuries galore. He doesn't really want to play. Jason Euell - Hmmmmm Lee Holmes - Can he recover the form he showed when he arrived? Ollie Lancashire - Constantly seeing red mist Rasiak - Does he want to play? Bialkowski/Poke/Forecast - At least one will have to go. Who is the future? Saganowski/Skacel/etc. - Already looking at new clubs After that there are one or two youngsters (Mills, Thompson, McLaggon) and a few more I've never seen play. And those, of course, who will never play a first team game (Pulis, for instance), and how do we get rid of them? It looks to me that we would have to recruit a large number of players, and send another large number out on loan if we can.

I wouldn't add or detract anything to that. Excellent analysis!

I can't see us paying the kind of wages that he's become used to. As a player he never really got a chance of proving hiimself with us, and that has carried on down the road. Will he ever be a regular, and if not, what is stopping him up.

It's a shrewd appointment. He knows what is needed for promotion. Whether he succeeds this season may be questionable with so little preparation time left, but we will soon see. He won't fill SMS by his charisma alone, so the football need to be as good as can be expected on this level, and more than anything the team needs to WIN. That's an expectation I lost years ago, somewhen in the Branfoot era, and I'm looking forward to recovering it. Welcome to the South, Alan!

You must be meaning Mickey, or you've lost something. Your marbles, per chance?

Whether WGS or not, and personally I hope but don't think so, a new manager needs to have motivational skills as well as technical ones and knowledge of how to get out of League 1. That is not just shouting and screaming at them. We have now played four friendlies against lower and non-league opposition. We have sent out people for a run-out, to have a look at fringe players, to improve fitness etc. etc. The result is a rather appalling three draws and one loss, following which the team is told that it doesn't matter. What coaches seems to be oblivious of is that they are fostering a loosing habit. Conditioning belongs on the training ground. Fringe players can appear in reserve team friendlies. But our first team friendlies are there to be won and to foster the winning habit. This is a terrible shortcoming that has been going on for many years and if we want to advance it must stop. I fear that we haven't prepared the minds as well as we could have.

There has been a few things reported about the prospective new owner over the last few weeks which makes one suspicious. I have tried to point out that we were the lucky ones compared with the skates. They are £30-40M in debt, have sold large part of their squad, which they can't afford to replace, they currently stand no chance in the Premiership. The new chap wanted Man City, but was ejected by his consortium friends. Why? He has also been removed from the property development company he has been running. Why? He calls hims "Dr" but he isn't, neither a medical nor anything else. It's a lie. To me this sounds like a chancer with no money. Like Mickey Fialka actually, but on a much grander scale.

Nice to see you back in circulation. I hope you're right regarding Oldknow, but we need more than luck against Ajax. It will be cringeworthy, but the team is well used not to beat even non-league opposition, so they won't be too worried. Funny how time moves on. Not that long ago I would have wanted you to tell us all that had been going on, but now, to be honest, I don't think I care about it anymore. I suppose that is progress. Regards, Clifford

Maybe we have to ask an independent expert to do the sums, since that's not how my figures worked out. In any case I think we agree that JP didn't do a good job. MW did a rather better one in very difficult circumstances. Hopefully the next manager will do better than both, and maybe enthuse us a bit on the way. There was nothing "revolutionary" about the set-up. It was cheap, and was another one of RL's attempts to show that he was right and how clever he was to produce diamonds out of very ordinary stones. (Wigley, Gray, Sturrock, Tin Man, etc. etc.) The only thing different with the system was 4-3-3. It's played by many top teams outside the UK, but it requires very good players. JP had a boy's brigade.