Wes Tender

True to form, Somedunce. The main thing that you have against Pearson is that he was appointed by Crouch. The total lack of objectivity that we have come to expect from you. What will your opinion of JP be if Lowe sacks him?

Quite right. But more pertinent is the reason why we didn't play pretty football. Was it the team chosen, the tactics, tiredness, or just that Rotherham were the last in a line of clubs who have sussed us out and found how to stop us playing pretty football?

I like BD and NP because both of them are their own man, know what they want and are single-minded in their pursuit of it. In short, precisely the type of manager that Lowe would have at the bottom of his list if they were both available, but precisely the type of manager that is needed to steady the ship and then make upwards progress in this division. As to those on here who hate Davies and call him all sorts of names, I recall WGS getting much the same treatment before we appointed him. The major problem for us currently is the fragile confidence of the youngsters, which will be difficult to repair. Lowe obviously hoped that if we were successful as a club giving youngsters a chance of first team football if they were deemed good enough, that we would become a magnet for those youngsters wanting to fast track their careers instead of warming the bench for several seasons. But if we don't turn things around quickly, we will be seen as a team overloaded with youngsters losing games and threatened with the relegation that failure brings; hardly an enticing prospect for potential new younger recruits. So where it is accepted that we need a few older, more experienced heads to steady the ship, both BD and NP would know precisely who could do a job for us and also command enough respect to get in those loans or signings. Look what good it did us when NP got us Lucketti, Perry and Wright for example. Can you see JP having that sort of nous in English football?

A good debate between you and UmP. But if the score on Saturday is Doncaster 2 Southampton 0, what do you think the repercussions will be, bearing in mind that we will have failed to beat potentially the three teams most likely to be relegated apart from us and also suffered a humiliating defeat from a team two divisions below?

Nick, the difference between us, is that I'm a lot more grudging and less accepting of the chain of events that you have described and that colours my opinions now. For example, it was rumoured that there were another two consortia out there as well as the Frost/Davies one and yet the board deemed there to be some undue haste in accepting the reverse takeover which by a happy coincidence considerably enriched them. I considered that transaction to be morally bankrupt and therefore my opinion of all of that old board and those associated with it since is scathing of their motives in anything else involving them. The stadium was a great leap forward, except that we should have been at Stoneham, which Lowe c*cked up through his intransigent greed and unreasonable demands. At least that stadium would have had extra benefits such as the sports centre to raise its potential as a saleable asset. Agreed that Lowe wasn't responsible for giving away the leads we had in games that resulted in our relegation, but the instability caused by his constant changes of manager were the key factor in our demise. Things might have even been better had he appointed Redknapp when he first had the opportunity when he was released by West Ham and before he went to Pompey. Perhaps he could have been more interested then if he had some cash to spend, but instead he possibly felt snubbed not to have been considered first time around and his heart wasn't in it once he had managed Pompey's successful return to the Premiership. So for all of these things, I have a slightly different perspective to yours and perhaps others are of the same opinion on some or all of these points.

Don't apologise for the length, as it covered a lot of ground, but was well reasoned and I agree with most of it. A bit surprised at your conclusion that Killer might be in the frame as a successor to JP though. I also concluded that Fulthorpe might well have been biding his time to make an offer immediately before receivership.

Are you wishing to contradict your second sentence by asking that? Surely it was inherent in your statement that playing too many of the youngsters was a problem. But it is only one of the problems. The other ones are fairly obvious, that a team goes nowhere when it doesn't score goals at one end and concedes too many at the other. Highlighting that point was easy in last night's match. The experienced and wily older striker scored a spectacular goal out of nothing, whereas the in favour youngsters up front ran around like headless chickens and didn't bother the defence all night. The young goallie flapped about and worried the defence in front of him with his nervous play while we might have actually won had KD been in goal, as seemingly two of their goals were down to mistakes that Bialkowski made I think that unless the youngsters are the most talented amongst their generation as they are at Arsenal, it is generally more sensible to have a balance between the youngsters and the more experienced older players and that the youngsters should be blooded when ready, not thrown into the deep end to sink or swim.

It is obvious to you and to me that with a team of youngsters the club was going to struggle and may be relegated. Thank you for your admission. But if it is obvious to us, who have diverse opinions on other things, why was it not obvious to Lowe and Co? Most would accept that economies were an imperative, but it was not necessarily the case that only young players command low wages; some older players in the twilight of their careers but with a season or two left in them also do not expect the wages they used to command. If we had a decent blend between the two groupings, we might not be in the position we are now. But as Lowe and the board seemingly ignored the perceived wisdom that a decent blend of experience and youthful exuberance was the best option and instead opted for a bizarre experiment by borrowing a concept from another nation with a coach from their lower leagues to implement it, then why shouldn't any blame for it going wrong attach to the board, in the same way that they would naturally gain the plaudits for the experiment's success?

But surely this ability for players to be comfortable in a variety of positions and indeed to be able to interchange even during the course of a game is the very essence of total football that JP is supposed to be bringing us. What a shame that it takes really skillful and intelligent players to play that way and that we don't have many with those abilities.

You're quite right. There's little to be gained by Lowe appointing another manager. The best solution would be to have Lowe go and take the Quisling and all the other charlatans with him.

Yes. There have been other mentions of it on another thread. It might have been probably during the half time break. Merrington's co-commentator said that one of the texts that they had received was from somebody asking whether the takeoever was still on, as it had been quiet. Merrington was seemingly caught a bit offguard by it and spluttered about these things taking time to organise, rules and regulations prevented it being discussed, but it is still progressing, he said.

I listened to the whole commentary and then wished that I had started watching Mutual Friends from 9pm instead. It looked as it it was a damned sight more entertaining. Seemingly apart from a little purple patch after we had scored to make it 2-1, we were dire. The main impressions that I am left with is that B-WP seems to have had a free role for some reason, as he appeared all over the pitch. If he was supposed to have held a wide position, then he failed dismally. As for McGoldrick, he is far away from the finished article after showing a false dawn a few weeks back. Bialkowski only serves to demonstrate how lucky we are that we have Kelvin Davies. A cracking goal from John, who managed to score 19 last season, but whose name is not often first on the teamsheet this season, because we can apparently only have one striker up front and he isn't flavour of the month. I've had it with total football, as the youngsters are nowhere near good enough to play it, the passing and movement is inconsistent, the team is threadbare and we are consequently in similar danger of the sort of tinkering that was the hallmark of Burley. After the poor showing against Barnsley, the humbling now by Rotherham, if we lose against Doncaster on Saturday, I think that many will have had enough of keeping quiet and will start to think about campaigns to rid the club of Lowe and the Quisling. Somebody had texted Merrington and enquired about the takeover. Merrington hedged about rules and regulations that prohibited it being discussed, but did say that it was still moving forward. Perhaps they're just waiting for the experiment to fail, attendances to drop and then they can buy the club on the cheap as damaged goods just before administration.

I bet that you were chaffed with yourself for thinking of that one.

That was barley worthy as a resonse, but you still rice to the bait.

Is cereal wit too corny? Or is that cereal wheat? I'll get my coat

The word is cerebral. I'm sure that was what benji was probably alluding to. No wonder he didn't know what a cerebal wit was.

I can appreciate that what you say is true, but surely then it is even more vital that some concessions are made on price to make the cost more palateable. As I have pointed out, why does it cost the same to watch the top teams as it does to watch the bottom teams? One expects to pay a premium to watch the top teams in the Premiership, why should it be different in this league, except that the top prices are those we have now and there should be reductions for watching the dross at the bottom beating us Do you agree that if finances were one of the main problems, that concessions and special offers might therefore be more effective in gaining larger attendances than might otherwise have been the case?

Thanks Sundance for your sage advice that if I were ever inclined to put myself on the Council House application list, it might end in bitter disappointment, as sometimes the points qualification is not sufficient. Fore warned is fore armed as they say. Eternally grateful.

Careful, Trousers. You obviously didn't realise that holding such opinions precluded you from having a good moan at our league position any time later this season. CB Fry

Not a lot else to say about it, is there? Either we are giving up on the entire essence of JP and the revolutionary football, therefore acknowledging that it doesn't work in this country, or at least not with inexperienced youngsters, or this is just a short term expedient brought about by shortages of personnel who can play the system. And yet the essence of the system as I understood it, was that players would be skilled enough to switch positions at the drop of a hat during an actual match, let alone from match to match.

Well, apparently Plymouth were sad to see him go for precisely the same reasons that you gave that have been a benefit for us. Although not greatly skilled, he is at least a decent professional, giving 100% and expecting the same from those around him. The trouble is, he would be better employed in the centre of midfield and when we put him back in defence, although he strengthens us there, he leaves us weaker in midfield. I'm happy that he is part of the spine and KD is also. What we need are more solid older players to cover those gaps in the spine.

Oh dear. CB Fry seems to have used up all his allowance of posts and as he is too tight to pay his fiver, I'm not sure that I can wait until tomorrow to hear his response.

You can alter the meaning or your interpretation of what I said in any direction that suits your febrile brain. This is what I said: You pulled me up on my saying that they were going in the right direction, although currently they had in all probability bottomed out last season and were now going in the right direction (unless of course you believe the right direction is down). Otherwise I stated that I'd gladly swap Pearson for JP and certainly Mandaric for Lowe. Now, pull your head in (if that's possible) and point out to me where I said that I would swap our position with Leicester's. Did I say that I would swap our players for theirs? Did I say that I'd swap our stadium? Our City? Anything other than our manager or Chairman? Please try and read more carefully what I have actually said before you jump all over it with your supercillious snide attitude and rolley eyes. And whilst you feel arrogant enough to tell me what you think I can or cannot state as my opinion on a discussion forum, I am a paying fan of many years standing and as such I am entitled to express any opinion I like whether it irks you or not.

Is the muliple use of the rolley eyes your juvenile way of returning to your assertion that something intangible can be more than 100%? You obviousy believe that one set of rolley eyes does not convey the same message and that additional use of them somehow expresses your feelings better than words could. I can understand how you would think that. I couldn't care a toss about your reasoning. As I stated in my post, I would prefer Pearson to JP, I would prefer Mandaric to Lowe and Wilde and have a feeling that Leicester will pass us on the way up as we are on the way down. It is my opinion and you can rolley eye your response as much as you like if it makes you feel better. Frankly my dear, I couldn't give a damn.

If I were you, I'd stop all the rolley eye stuff before you do your eyesight some damage. You've obviously forgotten to mention other teams like Manchester City who fell a couple of divisions and are now sitting pretty for this season. Likewise they only began to go in the right direction after they had fallen to the lowest depths and started to claw their way back upwards. That is the point that Leicester are probably at now and I wouldn't be at all surprised if they are in this division next season still heading upwards, whilst we have are down there heading downwards. Then what will you point be?