Foxstone

One of the first things ML delivered to us was Alan Pardew- a proven and capable manager of the type we have been missing for some years ( Apart from Pearson perhaps). Added to that has come an assistant of proven experience at this level ( Wilkins) so ML has really invested and recruited well on the managerial/Coaching side. We sure as hell would not have had them under old regimes at this level! More importantly we have stability, purpose, realistic vision and sound decision making going on at board level for the first time in god knows how many years. OK for now we have only signed Murty and Harding, but the re-signing of Kelvin was also in my book a real coup and felt like a big name signing..CCC players are hardly likely to rush to a L1 club unless options at a higher level are not there. You might argue we could pay them CCC wages but why on earth do that to get dubious commitment and quality. Euell, Skacel, Saga for instance.. We have a lamentable recent history for overpaying for underperfoming players... ML is doing it absolutely right - Build steadily under a very good coaching set up along an achievable timeline. No ones falling at his feet, but the overwhelming majority are not only thankful he is here, but are loving the common sense and stability his leadership is bringing. We sure would not have had that with "The Three Amigos" or The "Hone Mob".

In Stability and good leadership Out Uncertainty and a whole raft of idiotic leaders who made John Major look good!

For what he cost us in terms of wages against what he delivered !! Then we were robbed... It was right to sell him...

Good signing. Will add some much needed nouse and experience to our young squad. Welcome Graham

Nah ! It's down Dulux !!

He was the hat stand up the corner !

Outstanding! But think a mention of the train picture might have been included

Very very lucky for us that Markus Liebherr stayed around ! Just reflect on the alternatives - Markus, an astute businessman acquiring us in a measured and professional manner and offering his own considerable expertise to turn our fortunes around.. Or a consortium of chancers ( perhaps the Pinnacle of incompetence) that sullied the name of our greatest ever player and showed less acumen than Barry the Briefcase. Next time somebody mentions that we are an unlucky club, then reflect on this event - Because after reading Duncan's post we have been very, very lucky indeed!

Second by a whisker to Clough in my opinion. But without doubt one of the finest gentlemen ever to grace the sport, in a sport where gentlemen do not often abound nowadays. Great, great man and a great, great loss to the sporting world!

Happy with that as he is a decent enough coach.. Welcome aboard Dean.

I too had the pleasure of meeting the great man ! I honestly have not known anybody else with such a passion and love for the game, coupled with an insight and knowledge that puts many modern managers to shame. A true gentlemen, a true football man, a true great !! And the world of football is very much the poorer for his passing.

I concur wholly with these views. ML/AP want to build on firm foundations, not on sand!

Amen to that ! And it is another reason why I have warmed so easily to ML since his acquisition of the club! No gravy train to any that presided over our downfall - Its pay as you go boys and girls or don't come at all!

Did'nt impress me much when he was here.. Much prefer the experienced leadership of Murty for this coming season.

Agree. The management of this sorry episode was in fact one of Lowe's better ones!

I like your thinking! Also suspect AP's work ethic does not fit in with Sterns more sanguine approach! Not greatly worried by this provided we keep Big Greg!

I love the Bundesliga. Genuinely competitive league, great entertainment ( any one doubting that should have watched the Bremen v Hamburg UEFA semi), the clubs are still engrained into the fabric of the local area hence great fan "buy in" and resulting big crowds ! And you can still drink beer on terraces !

I go along with that! In the short time that ML has been here, I have seen more competence at board level than I can remember seeing at any time at the club, and as a result I am feeling more optimistic about the clubs prospects than at any time for a long, long time. While keeping a low profile ( unlike Lowe, Crouch and others), his acumen, his strong ability to make timely and right decisions and good old fashioned common sense approach is just what this club has been crying out for ages. He's doing the right things and I am more than happy to offer my support to him.

Absolutely correct Wes ! Sadly it was ended all too prematurely by an absolutely crass piece of board leadership! But I do remain very hopeful that AP possesses all those qualities ( and perhaps more) that so endeared NP to a legion of Saints fans.

For all the good he is to us at the moment, I would sell him for anything north of £7.50

It is not too much to expect that our team should at the very least be drilled competently and have instilled within them the confidence to go out and beleive they can win ! If I read it correctly, this is what Derry is alluding to and I for one wholly agree with him. Since the days of WGS - We have descended through mediocrity to an all time low level where we did ( at the end of last season) have no aspirations to reach even that level ! We have had a succession of managers who seemed totally devoid of inspiration and the ability to instill confidence and a positive attitude into our players - Until now that is ! I sense that Pards is such a manager where attitude, commitment and a positive attitude are important jigsaw pieces into his team ethic and that is all to the good! Derry is also right in saying that it does'nt matter whether they are friendlies or not, or how many substitutes we make during these games ! The desire to win must always be there, and certainly on Saturday against Ajax it was not! It was Dutch Masters versus Rabbits in headlights!

He's been massively disappointing since Burley awarded him a lucrative full contract ! Get rid !

Don't know a great deal about him but if he's good enough for Pards he is good enough for me ! Welcome to the lad.

I agree with that ! Instilling a winning mentality is an absolute fundamental towards building a successful team, and this is an area sadly bereft since the days of WGS especially sliding to greater depths during the time of Idiot George ! Pards seems to be a man who recognises the importance of this and builds his management style around this underpin ! Reading and Westham under his charge always had a go and always played confidently - I hope he can reverse past damages to build that positive mentality with us.

Excellent decision ML ! A refreshing pole opposite from Mike "COYR" Wilde's policy of toadying with his fan friendly ( but strategically bankrupt) rhetoric and actions !