sadoldgit

Ah, Alpine in disguise! What is with you two? Long lost brothers? One in Austria and one in Spain brought back together by Spite-Fuelled Agenda-Ridden Football Fans Reunited? As far as I know, Alpine has never met either Burley, Pearson or JP. Yet he has decided that Pearson and JP are thoroughly decent chaps worthy of his admiration and support and that Burley is fit for nothing but a dog's abuse. What is Burley's crime? Lack of success. I am no spring chicken and in my lifetime the only two managers have given SFC any measure of success. They would be Ted Bates and Lawrie McMenemy. So then, why no bile and hate agenda against all the other manangers that have failed to give us success Alpine/Hacienda? You guys (guy if you are one in the same) need to get out a bit more. Maybe I am not that bright, but I am bright enough to know that this is only football and that most managers at most football clubs will never deliver what the fans clamour for. If you can't see that and have to take your frustations out on a bloke who is only doing a job, then perhaps my Alpine supporting friend, you are not so bright either? By the way Hacienda, for one not so bright, I would gladly have a manager at SFC right now who could deliver 1.54 points a game, wouldn't you?

Would have put money at Alpine biting at this one. LOL at Alpine for ignoring the fact that he got us into the play offs and still has the highest points per game ration of any manager since the war. But hey, why let a few stats get in the way of your agenda eh Alpine? Or perhaps we should just take a random selection of games rather the the whole lot in order to prove our point? BUrley inherited a right mess from Redknapp and it took him a while to turn things around, but turn around they did. We had a great finish to his first season and but for some idiot play from a couple of players would have made the play offs. Indeed, how useless was that? Alpine hero, as much as he might be a nice bloke, only managed what 3 wins out of 13 and damned near took us down. Dump your prejudice for a change and look at the facts.

Which is a huge worry. He says the right things in general terms and perhaps he feels that it is inapproriate to single out one area for critisism, who knows? But we do concded far too easily and the fact that Kelvin has been our best player of late speaks volumes. I have not taken to critising managers over the last few seasons because I think they have a very tough job here and have done what they can with what they have, but I am worried that JP seems happy to bring in more midfield and attacking options whilst not addressing the defensive fralties. Perhaps it is a Dutch thing? For all of the quality players the Dutch had and have they don't have much sliverware to show. Probably the greatest squad ever was the Brazil team in 1970, and they could defend. I am guesing that the plan is to keep a group of youngsters together and spend time moulding them into a team. I can live with that, but if some of these players are not good enough and maybe never will be, I for one would not stick with them. It is always a tough call, but I would rathe see a bunch of old warhorses at the back and use the youth in midfield and upfront for a time. It does nothing fo anyones confidence to see the way that teams cut through us at the back. Lots of work to be done, just hope it is done in the right areas!

My point was that there is a small gap and that we too can climb up there. Will Coventry drop again? Who knows? But they were not doing that great until yesterday were they, for all of the supposed advantages they have over us.

Perhaps he was jumping about when the camera wasn't on him? Really, who cares? Wenger does not leap around much. Would much rather have a manager who thought things through than behaved like a chimpanzee on speed. JP has a lot to think about and a lot to do. Judge him by his results rather than his histronics (or lack of them). It is still early days. Nothing is going to transform this club over night. WE are far from the worst club in this division - sort the defence out and we will do fine. Coventry were down with us and have shot up the table.

Beg Rupert Lowe and Michael Wilde to stay.

Whilst I am sure that no Saints fan wants to see them lose (although there are some on here I wonder about) there is no doubt that some revel in it when we do lose or play badly. They also enjoy finding a scapegoat and ripping the living poo out of him. You find Drama Queens in all walks of life so no surprise then to find a bunch alive and well on here. My ex wife was like that, if there wasn't a drama in her life she would soon create one, thrived on the adreneline you see. I guess you could throw in an element of attention seeking too. Yes football is an emotional game, but there are some people who are able to handle a slump in their clubs fortunes without finding the need to "hate" someone they have never even met or to think that the world was over. You have to take your hat off to the moaning minnies, how they manage to make such distinctions between a set of managers that most have never met on the basis of a load of third hand gossip on an internet forum never fails to amaze me. Another sourse of constant amazement is the notion that when we f**k up, we suddenly become a national laughing stock? Most people outside of the deep South couldn't give a tuppeny one about Southampton Football Club, let alone spare a chuckle ot two at our plight. A couple of wins and the DQs have mellowed a little, but give it one or two bad results and they will be back in droves telling us how the club is "finished", how no one knows what they are doing, how there is no point in even drawing breathe anymore.... Jeez, you guys should come down to my workplace, you would have a field day. It is called the Real World and that is where the real dramas are played out. Don't get me wrong, I think they have every right to feel the way they do, but why do they feel the need to drag every last soul down to their own dark depths? Even my partner's 16 year old son's Goth and Emo mates seem better company than some of the wrist slitters here!!! Lighten up. It is only a game and as such meant to provide a sourse of enjoyment. If you can only find enjoyment through wallowing in despair then perhaps your Saturday afternoon's would be better spent with the Goths and Emos down at the local graveyard?

It is good to see KD proving his detractors wrong. He got some fearful stick on here (as did a previous manager for picking him over Bart) but battled through that and is proving he is a solid, decent pro. Proof if further proof is needed that fans should have nothing to do with running football clubs and picking football teams! I suppose if the Drama Queens on this site can see the merits in a one time nemesis, eventually they might even see that the world will not end tomorrow and SFC are not exactly "finished".

Yep, cos I am the one who wrote the club off after only a few games and said we were finished. Still, I am sure you will find something else to moan about soon.

Blimey I won't be able to come on and say the club is finished tomorrow if we do hold on. Blimey I won't be able to slag off the management if we do hold on. Come on Norwich. Blimey, we can't have the club winning football matches FFS.

Did someone say penalty?

Just the other day the wrist slitters were telling us that the club was finished and that we were going down. They were also telling us that if Pearson had stayed (3 wins in 13 competitive matches - win currently have 4 in less) things would be better. Beating Doncaster hardly makes us world beaters, but I can remember seasons when we couldn't buy an away win, and we are only 4 points off the play off places. The same people who would have us believe that Lowe is the devil and is taking us to hell pointed at Crystal Palace as where we should be....hmmmm. Next time we lose they will be back again revelling in our demise, just a shame they can't keep their negativity for the day we actually do fall apart rather than the games when we fail to emulate Manchester United. We are a CCC club trying to make ends meet and relying on a lot of youngsters who, it is hoped, with the experience they gain this year will make us a better team next year and the year after that. There will always be fans with no pateince who expect eveything over night, trouble is they are pulling us down and depressing the hell out of us. I suggest they all go off with Alpine and watch cheap and cheerfful football in Austria. The reality for Saints fans for the immediate future is not pretty, but it is what suporting a football team is all about. You stick with them through thick and thin. Enjoy the good times and keep supporting your teams when times are not so good.

As you have told us that this club is finished Alpine and you don't go and watch Saints play anyway, what exactly is your problem? Just think of the thousands of pounds you have saved over the years not going to Saints matches.

It is easy to support SFC when they are beating the likes of Manchester United 6-3. It is not so easy when they are losing to Rotherham or Blackpool. But it is now that people need to get behind the club not desert it. The last few years this site and the previous one was full of vitriol and hate directed against the Chairman and a former manager. Where did that get us exactly? People have stopped going because of the Chairman so we have less money to spend. Great. If you think this is bad, wait until you try Division 2. Support the club and the people who run it and get behind the players FFS. Moaning and *****ing doesn't work, perhaps support might?

Need More Time

Killer is not the first player to play when he shouldn't have and will not be the last. Perhaps it is best that we find out now if he is likely to make it through the season. If he can't play two games a week then maybe we need to find someone who can. As great as he was in his prime, we can't carry passengers now.

Ah, I see the doom mongers are having a field day. It is not as it we have never lost to a lower league team in the cup before (under every manager we ever had). Rotherham unbeaten at home - away team low on confidence...hmmmm Instead of writing the team off we should be getting behind everyone at the club, what have we got to lose? Sadly there are those who can't wait for the club to fail, they are on here like a shot the minute anything goes slightly wrong. Strangely enough those same people idolise our last maager who only manged 16 points out of 13 games - a record that if it was produced by Burely or JP would have people calling for their heads. Think back to all the slaggings that Burley, Davis and Wright used to get yet we were a mid table side then with a number of decent pros. There are certain posters who were even slagging Burley off when he made the play offs....still think those days were cr*p do you? We are where we are, the club needs support. All this slagging just makes matters worse, but hey Alpine and chums, it is what you come here for isn't it?

Perhaps it is about time that some fans realised that no matter what a manager/coach does and says through the week, when the whistle blows it is all about the 11 players on the pitch. For all the maoning and bleating about Burley and JP now, they can only do so much. If the players do not do what they are told or fail to deliver, they should bear a lot of responsibility. It was not Burley who gave that stupid penalty away it was Pele, nor did he miss any. Did JP actually say he was going to deliver "total football" or was it just the fans who read that into his CV? To the best of my knowledge only one team ever produced "total football" and that team included the likes of Cruyf. McGoldrick is hardly fit to lace his boots. And why is it that a manager nowdays has to produce the goods after half a dozen games? It took Ferguson ages to start to build a winning side. Give the bloke a chance.

So the witch hunt starts again......

What is going to be worse? Oh yes, I forgot, you have crystal ball. I think most rational people realise that it takes time to build when you don't have shedloads of cash and need to get the most out of what you have got. We were never going to be world beaters this season but if we can keep the best of the young players together and pick up the odd bargain, eventually we might just build a decent side. Because it hasn't happend by the end of September it doesn't mean it will not happen in the future. Of course the doom merchants can't wait to see JP fail....how many competitive matches have we played? Managers at our club get written off earlier each season. If you have no patience go and support Manchester City.

I think it is a bit early to write him off. The team have put is some decent performances and some poor performances. No different then to teams managed by Pearson, Burley, Strachan etc. The big difference is that JP has less resources to call upon than the others. The club has little choice but to try and get the most out of the younger players, it is not going to happen over night but in these days where giving a manager a chance means lets see how he does over 6 matches, any chance of bulding for the future is always going to fall foul of many of the "I want it now" fans. I am not sure who our Director of Football is, but if you mean Lowe, what else can he do? Magic up £10m? If the bank are calling the shots re our finances, perhaps the bile should be aimed at them?

We have proved we can be dire in both divsions! Surely the point is that you support your team ,where ever they are. I started supporting Saints in the old 2nd divison and have enjoyed seasons in both divsions and not enjoyed season in both divisions. When you are pants your pants and when you are good you are good, whichever division you are in. Frankly I would rather support a team like SFC where you are happy if you win the odd back to back matches than ManU where you are expected to win something big every year, year in year out. Look at Arsenal in our final, no joy at all for their fans yet our lot were delirious, and we lost!!! We might miss our Premiership status, but for many seasons we were rubbish and fans were slating the team as much as they do now, it is just the the numbers were swollen by the good time fans who only pitched up because we were a Prem club.

It didn't take long did it? Maybe if things were still like this at Christmas I could understand it, but the knives are out after only a few games. What is also odd is that the same people sing Pearson's praises and he only managed to win three games? Give the bloke a chance, he needs support and it is only September.

The fact that he hasn't seen them or us doesn't stop him making his profound judgements.

There was a very good article in The Times the other day which laid into the Newcastle United supporters and ripped to shreads the myth that Newcastle are a "big club" and any more deserving of success than anyone else. We are no different. We are not a big club and do not deserve anything handed on a plate. If wasn't for a certain MLT we would probably have been here years ago. For all the bleating about Lowe, Burley etc. we have no right to be higher than we are and it seems like many fans are unable to adjust their expectations accordingly. Of couse we all want to be up there playing the best and winning things, but we are SFC not Manchester United and these days when money is king we have to cut our cloth. If people want to bail out that is there choice, but football clubs, like dogs, are for life, not just Christmas. I hope that the present set up are given time, and by that I don't just mean a few months, but I fear that if things don't improve win wise very soon the witch hunt brigade will be out again in force.