Wes Tender

Ah, yes. The Spam fritters were to die for....*sigh*

Hypocrisy or envy

Well, it is certainly to be hoped this coming season that we will not often lose games against the teams at the bottom of the division. It would be typical Saints to lose against those teams whilst beating the teams at the top, but typical Saints were a club struggling to survive in the top flight occasionally giving the top clubs a bloody nose. The situation ought to be the same for us the other way around, that we are the top team, but that from time to time we get a surprise defeat from one of the relegation candidates. But if we have the calibre of players in the team that a wealthy owner with promotion ambitions allows us to afford, then if we have improved the team since last season we will at least turn those losses into draws, or the embarrassment will be more evident. Those weaker teams got their results through tactical nous shown by their managers identifying weaknesses in our team and exploiting them. Until the situation is addressed by a new signing or two, we are weak at RB and we lack pace out wide.

I can understand some nervousness creeping in, as on the face of it several players have gone out and there are question marks over others such as Antonio, Papa and Connolly and whether they will return or be replaced. As it stands, we have signed Dickson, although it is not clear where he will play and we know that we had been after Calderon for RB, but missed out on him. Other than that, it has been very quiet. We knew well before we signed Dickson and that we were after Calderon. I have not heard any rumours about other players. Although that is not conclusive proof that we are not after other signings, nevertheless it is more usual that rumours do get out into the public domain. My main concern is based on the historic poor start to most new campaigns. If indeed we are to be favourites for automatic promotion, we need to put down a marker with a few wins under our belt early on. Whereas some believe that we have a squad capable of beating most in the division, there are weak spots, notably right back. We do not yet have the cover for all positions to allow for injuries. If Lambert broke his leg in that first match, we would probably find it difficult to replace him. I'd go as far as to say that had Murty remained injury free last season we would probably have been promoted and in this coming season we don't want to be in a situation that we allow injuries to disrupt our campaign because of lack of cover. Although the thread began too early on the first day of open transfer activity, it would have been nice to have heard something about prospective players having been seen at St Mary's for medicals, preparations for their signings having been discussed and terms agreed in principle during the past few weeks. As we get closer to the pre-season matches, the feeling grows that we will find ourselves leaving it late for the new season and running the risk of a poor start again.

The trouble with having a chinese girl, is that half an hour later, you fancy another one.

Both you and Delldays do really need to read what I said a bit more thoroughly and then try to comprehend it. I thought that my opinion was clearly enough stated and unambiguous, but you both chose to ignore the conditional part of it for some reason. What I said was that IF he managed to get Hull promoted back into the Premiership, that on top of his achievements at Hull would qualify him as one of the best managers in English football. By all means, dispute that statement if you like, but that is a bit different from the one that you contested. But as you rather sarcastically referred to Alex Ferguson, I'll express the opinion that should Pearson get Hull promoted and then get them comfortably mid-table for a couple of seasons, he might well be one of a number of candidates under consideration for the job at ManUre as Ferguson's replacement when he eventually retires. You do note this time that I made those additional conditions again, do you?

Renewed 1.45ish this afternoon, no queue, my usual seat in the yob's stand.

Wishes NP all the best. In a sport full if charlatans, he always comes across as a decent person with honesty and integrity. Here is another chance to show his detractors on here that he is a very capable manager. What he achieved at Leicester was outstanding and if he can get Hull back up this coming season, he will cement his reputation as one of the best managers in English football.

Well, you've made the point for me and furnished the reason why I'm not remotely concerned towards there being any irony. There really isn't any.

Sorry to disappoint, but I don't find it ironic at all. The reason is quite simple actually. We are talking about an historical character from a long way back, one with a religious connection as our patron saint. It is not some rule set in concrete that a patron saint must have some connection with a particular country and then of course there are the patron saints of various trades or activities too and many of them are not country specific. To put it the other way around, don't you find it ironic that most in the UK of a religious bent worship JC or his Mum, or Buddha and others and I don't believe that they had much in the way of English connections either.

Yes. Capello was got at by the German's to throw the match yesterday. Allegedly.

He wasn't remotely British either. What's you point? He is our patron Saint regardless of his origins, just as Mickey Mouse is the patron saint of the USA.

I can't be bothered to read the whole thread, but judging by the few comments I have read, the thrust of it appears to be whether the current Saints team might conceivably be able to beat the England team. Whereas there are undoubtedly occasions where a minnow beats a giant in football, I prefer to read the thread as being the preference of which team I'd rather watch. And that would have been Saints every time, but especially after watching that crock of sh*te today. Why, the standard of refereeing didn't seem to be better than third division level either and pressure to have goal line technology installed for future Internationals will now be irresistable. It might even be feasible after today's debacle to make out a case that Pardew could have managed to make a better fist of selecting a team that would have done better than Capello's squad. Many have said for years that it is not possible to accommodate Lampard and Gerrard in the same team. Again, I reckon that Walcott would have cut the German defence to pieces and put across the sort of ball that we could have put away, had we not had the donkey Heskey up front instead of Crouch, who might have caused problems. The commentary team wonder why these players produce the goods for Chelski, for Man Ure, for Liverpool, Tottenham, etc, ignoring that fact that in those teams there are other World Class players from other countries and that without them, they don't get the assistance that makes them look good. Saints is far more of a team, one that works for each other, that plays for the shirt and earns their money most games. England is just a squad of overpaid primadonnas, most of whom do not deserve to wear the shirt. Let's scrap the whole team and start again with a team of promising youngsters like Germany's to be ready for the European Championships in a couple of years time.

Apart from Homo Neanderthalensis thought to be extinct, but apparently still to be found on Portsea Island. A notable specimen was to have had his brain removed for examination but it was then found that somebody had beaten them to it. He can still be found every couple of weeks in the environs of the Fratton area, where the highest concentrations of inbreeding with Home Sapiens were recorded and can easily be identified by his tribal tattoos and costume. Scientists have appended upon his person a warning to unsuspecting individuals who might encounter him and not be aware of his mental state. This is in the form of a pendant badge that informs them "Danger, stupid person." They have also given him a bell. This not only brings him simple pleasure, but also serves to notify unsuspecting person of his proximity.

Funny how Chris Huhne can do the same and as far am I'm aware, he doesn't warrant his own thread, or any mention on this one. Likewise, he made much in his election literature about how important his family was to him. They're all hypocrites and no single party hold the higher moral ground.

Seems that the Skates issue over permission from the FL for them to sign James as emergency goalkeeper during the transfer embargo isn't going to happen anyway. Fulham are rumoured to be signing him on a free and he has been quoted as saying that he wants to play in the Premiership. With luck, they'll have to rely on their youth goallie.

Yes. It is because they are in administration, but although the CVA has been accepted, the FL has had the presence of mind thankfully to continue the embargo until the 28 days margin for appeal has passed. If as expected HMRC challenge it and it goes to the Courts, then the embargo will probably remain in place until the court decision has been reached. It seems likely that under those circumstances, the Skates might have to play their reserves and youth players and some of their fans are incensed at the prospect, having gotten used to watching most of their team being good enough to feature in the World Cup

A brilliant precis.

Was it the Maltese?

I'm quite happy to stand by this explanation of the origins of British football:- British Football History "In Britain during the 8th century, football was created, not as a recreational sport, but as a war game. One of the stories of the original roots of the sport comes from when a Danish Prince was beheaded, and his head was used as a ball and was kicked around. Ever since this 'legendary' tale, villages and other communities would play a game where they would have to kick a ball to a specific goal. It was a violent game, where injury and death were not uncommon, but it was popular nevertheless. In fact, it was so violent, that in 1331, King Edward III passed laws to try to stop the playing of the game. It did not work, however, and the sport carried on. There are even stories of football games that involved hundreds upon hundreds of players. In these games, there were many deaths, some resulting in the hundreds. It wasn't until 1815 when Eton College set up a series of rules for the game that it became less violent and more of a true sport.At this time, other colleges and universities took up the banner and began to play under similar rules. Later, the rules were evaluated and judged, and the Cambridge rules were created as a result in 1848. In the Cambridge rules, shin-kicking, carrying the ball and tripping were all forbidden. Rugby rules allowed these aspects, and the two varieties of football, or football, split to form their own followings. On 26 October 1863, London schools and sports club sent representatives to the Freemason's Tavern, where the Football Association was formed. Rugby supporters left this association to form the Rugby Association. This is where the birth of modern football began. In 1969, the Football Association finalized the modern game of football by forbidding the use of hands in the game. The term "Soccer" was coined when someone was asked if he was a Rugger, which is a Rugby player. The -er signified that the person participated in a particular sport. The individual, Charles Wreford Brown, replied with "Soccer!", taking the phrase from Association, SOC, and adding the -er. The term stuck. While British individuals still call the game Football, Americans and other countries call it Soccer, especially if they have heavy support in American Football present. Ever since the foundation of the Association, Football has risen in popularity, becoming one the best loved games in the known history of the Earth. Now, hundreds of thousands play the sport, although it lacks the initial violence present at its creation." As it says, Americans have a tendency to call it Soccer to distinguish it from what they call football, but which we call American football. As the modern game, the one that is played all over the World, is played to the rules made here in Britain, we have a perfect right to disparage other nations calling it by other names. Many of those countires calling it Soccer do so because of the influence of American television media, in much the same way that the Americans are gradually changing the English language too with their mis-spellings of words such as colour, valour, theatre, etc. And thank God that we don't all go round saying y'all, although I'm sure that it is only a matter of time. It obviously didn't occur to you that programmes like Soccer Saturday were named thus because it is an aliteration. If the show was shown on a Friday, then it would undoubtedly be called Football Friday or Friday football. 25 years ago hardly anybody went around saying that they were English, because most of the white population was English making it unecessary. Now with the influx of Eastern Europeans, it needs to be qualified more often. The rise in popularity in St George's Day, also coincides with the increase of the popularity of celebrations for the other Saints' days, particularly St Patricks Day. As the other Countries that make up the so-called United Kingdom gain their own Governance through their own Parliaments, so an English Nationalism increases. But if you have been a long time over there, you wouldn't be too aware of these things.

What they really mean, is that once they have sold all of their International players, the ones whom they bought and couldn't afford as they were trading illegally whilst insolvent, then they will only have a squad of reserves and youth team players. At long last they will experience what a team has to suffer when in this position. We had to play a season with a team of has-been journeymen and youngsters and that was even before we were in administration. Welcome to the real World and cold reality. But as yours are the best fans in the World, I'm sure that attendance numbers will swell as everybody gets behind the team to support them, regardless of the league you're in, or the lack of star quality of the players.

Frank's Cousin: Corporate Ho: I really can't be bothered to go over the same old ground as you cover above. Comparisons between Abramovich and Gaydamak aren't very helpful. I'd much rather have Liebherr, whose wealth is untainted by association with any dubiousness about how it was amassed. I'd rather prefer also the steady approach he has brought to the progression of our club, without flinging money about to buy those players that he could afford but chooses not to, preferring instead to buy players suited to the division we are in and perhaps the Championship next year. As revenues increase further as we progress back to the Premiership, undoubtedly we will buy the players needed to keep us there. You don't hold the monopoly of fans that don't know the true picture, or whose judgement of a situation might be faulty. It just so happens that the sort of Saints fans you know hold one opinion on whether ML (or more correctly Cortese on his behalf) is failing to balance the books, whereas those that I know believe differently. Their opinion, which I share, is that the increased revenue from much higher attendances and the resultant increases in merchandising and match day revenues, have probably cancelled out the increased expenditure on players coming in. There is absolutely no evidence to the contrary currently, so you look a bit weak using it as the basis of your argument that we are guilty of the same overspending as yourselves, albeit at a miniscule level by comparison. Should you get some concrete evidence to support your conjecture, by all means lay it in front of us. In the meantime, probably more sensible to deal in facts.

Ditto. And perhaps it's about time that our most respected journalists at the BBC started their broadcasts along similar lines... I'm talking from New York, America....

And then just to compound their ignorance, they go and call our national game soccer! It's football, you ignorant tw*ts!

As some unusally astute Skate commented on the story, why would the FL trust the word of somebody like Storrie who is soon to face criminal charges of tax evasion? This is would hardly be the word of somebody noted for his high ethical and moral standards.