Minty

I think you're being a bit pedantic. Yes, his 'signing' strengthens the squad, but he was already in the team and playing so relatively speaking the team has not been improved. On this point AK is right... real strengthening NOW, means NEW signings.

We don't know what wage requests players have until we have permission to speak to them. To get permission to speak to them we have to make an offer. We will clearly pay what we deem to be appropriate money, but that's why there are negotiations and discussion. It is a matter of opinion as to what is appropriate but as we don't know what Cortese's wage structure is, it's impossible to discuss. So, taking all the above into consideration, Cortese clearly IS doing his job.

Right, so a player not signing must mean Cortese isn't doing his job? Nowt to do with all the other variables involved at all then?

No, this January window IS, still, a window of opportunity. Cortese has made it clear we've put plenty of bids in and we've clearly been in lots of negotiations. Adkins has talked about the work going on behind the scenes. So, quite simply, we have been trying to sign players, we have signed players, and we continue to try to sign players. All of which makes your criticisms premature at best, and misguided and downright wrong at worst.

I can see him being nicknamed Bruce by the squad...

TBF, I could understand a few doubts creeping in to those of that disposition, but some of the conspiracies that were coming out were quite funny, and all based on literally nothing.

Shame the other thread was locked, I wanted to be a bit mischievous and ask all those who started to make up conspiracies about him not signing about it... I know, so naughty of me.

I thought so... gotta be a lot of people like me who don't follow that thread.

Apologies... ferking impossible trying to find things on that thread.

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2588592,00.html Complete with happy smiley photo, lol...

Possibly the funniest thing I've seen in a long time.

I might actually be able to make this... Need to sort some stuff, will let you know.

Breaking news: Saints squad take the new bus/boat across Southampton Water to Staplewood for training this morning:

WTF?! You know what I mean mate. I'm not defending him or saying he's been hard done by, I just genuinely don't know what exactly is supposed to have happened. Do you?

Thing is, none of us actually know what happened between Cortese and Puncheon so although I don't think it's ever wise to publicly criticise your boss in such a way, I'm not gonna start bringing myself down to his level by blindly criticising him too. However, if I were in his shoes, even if I couldn't explain what happened, I would certainly not be inciting the fans who currently pay my wages, by criticising Cortese in this way. Such a lack of professionalism is perhaps sign as to why he is in the position he is in, who knows, but he is achieving nothing at all by doing it.

If someone has got some evidence to suggest that something isn't right, then I'm sure we'd consider it. But all we have, as has been mentioned many times, is supposition based on individual opinions about how long it should take to move over. Bearing in mind at one extreme we have some people saying it 'should' only take a few weeks tops to move over enough stuff to live for a few months, and that he can then go back in the close season to sort stuff out. At the other, we have direct experience from Convict Colony to say these things can take a few months, so the time gone by so far is nothing to worry about. Somewhere in the middle we have Lee. None of us know what he is having to do before he comes over, what communication there has been between him and the club, and given that every situation is individual, what gives us the right to expect him to conform to a fan-imposed timescale? I accept that it is anyone's right to question what is happening but why the assumption that no news is bad news? I still see no evidence to suggest anything of the sort.

Fair comment Alps, I guess you did try to explain. I think it just gets lost amongst everything else, and to be honest, given the testimony of others' experience, still stands out as being isolated, so we'll have to agree to disagree. As for what I want... that is just what I ask from ALL posters... to back up their opinions with reasoning, and to treat others as they expect to be treated themselves. I readily acknowledge that I live in my own little world where that will never actually happen, but who knows?

Really good article that, thanks.

Probably the same one that means you've overlooked my genuine question - the one which, with a reasoned answer, might afford you some more respect. Alps, lets cut to the chase. You have an opinion, just as everyone else does, but I can NEVER recall a time when you have backed it up with any kind of reasoning. Forums needs debate to exist, but how can anyone debate with you if you don't have any substance to your arguments? Personally, this is my last attempt to try and get some reasoning from you.

Based on what evidence?

Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

To be honest, my reply was also aimed at all the others who seem to be worrying for no real reason, but Alps' post prompted it. I'm also trying (god knows why sometimes) to encourage him to explain his reasoning for his posts, so others might understand his POV, to try and improve the quality on here. Possibly on a hiding to nothing...

How do you think he is not getting support? What doesn't feel right? It would appear, once again, to be purely your own negative tendencies that have given rise to this as I can't see any genuine evidence to give rise to this point of view. As has now been well documented on this thread, with Dan Johnson just the latest above, moving from Japan takes time. Red tape can be lengthy, and then there's the actual moving process. That's life and some fans need to deal with it. This impatience, and subsequent assumption that something must be wrong just because he isn't here and playing yet, is IMO rather silly. Some people are having doubts about the player based on nothing more than the fact that their own demands for information haven't been met...

I sincerely expect the club brings players in as soon as is practically possible, bearing in mind the amount of negotiation that is required with clubs and players, not to mention other players, the signing of some being dependent on the signing or otherwise of others. Any club would want to get players in the building ASAP once identified, so I don't think it's a case of us 'leaving' anything, just the natural time that these things can take.

When he gets back to this country I imagine, just as soon as he's sorted the non-football red-tape stuff... I have no idea what that would involve but I imagine it isn't a simple 'sign here' job.