Weston Saint

Dexter rejects three-year deal with Kent Cricinfo staff September 16, 2008 Neil Dexter has turned down the offer of a new three-year with Kent, and as a result will miss the county's remaining Championship matches against Lancashire and Durham. A report in the county's official website stated they had been in discussions with him regarding a long-term future, but he rejected their proposals. "We are bitterly disappointed that Neil has decided not to pursue his future career with Kent," Graham Johnson, Kent's chairman of cricket, said. "We have done a great deal to help him with his development as a cricketer during his time with the club. "We have offered him a three-year contract that would have provided him with an outstanding opportunity to make the most of his undoubted talent. It is a great pity that he does not feel able to take advantage of this opportunity." The South Africa-born Dexter has played 29 first-class matches since his debut in 2005, scoring 1339 runs at 40.57. In June, he was loaned to Essex, but he regained his place in the Kent first team in July and, in what turned out to be his final innings for the county at the end of August, made 105 against Yorkshire. It is reported that a number of other counties are interested in securing his services. http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/story/369922.html

Last season when NavyRed was telling us how good many of our youngsters were and how most of them were ready for the first team I warned that they were losing games against good experienced reserve teams from other clubs. However, I bought into the "Lowe plan" because we were in a financial mess and it seemed the only option to me. Early games suggested we would need time for the youth to gain experience and first team fitness to cope with the rigours of playing every week, sometimes more. I had hoped that some of our retained experienced failures of last season might still have been able to pass on some of their experience in training and more so on the pitch but again I was prepared to buy into youth experiment and bide time. I am now becoming very concerned about our future. Our youth seem to be slipping into bad habits on the pitch. The confidence seems shot, the movement less, the positional play lost, the passing array and the lack of leaders on the field of play conspicuous by their absence. Add to this the reduction in income from supporters for various reasons and the veiled hint from our Team coach that we are just not good enough and it is not a happy picture. I cannot see any light at the end of this particular tunnel. What worries me more is any light I might see could well be the express train hurtling towards impending doom at SMS. I will continue my support......for now. Let’s hope I am rewarded for my patience.

Liam Dawson has signed a 3 year contract with Hampshire Imran Tahir has signed a 2 year contract Good news all round

Imran Tahir has signed a two-year deal with the club

Great news

No the Administrators would sell SMS to realise money to pay all the creditors

They cannot have back what they do not own. I think you will find they have to put us into liquidation and become a creditor. UInless they are a preferred creditor they have to stand in the queue like everyone else. Am I right Benjii or others in the know or can they repossess like any normal mortgage?

Think you may be wrong there M. It is the PLC that has the debt.

Kids for a Quid and Season Ticket holders mates for £10 might be a good experiment to see if crowds and takings increase.

Who is taking the pe out of Rupert. Edit, seems it is not the filter !!!

In all fairness, why should they!!!

I would hazzard a guess that they are still putting a bid document together AND THEN they will see if anyone is prepared to back it with money. Cannot believe they have money men yet or they would have moved in before now, transfer window closed or not. Come on Mr Fulthorpe and Mr Cousins, put up or shut up once and for all.

Poorish game but not the time to reach for the suicide pills yet. For long spells the positiveness of this young side was missing. 3 Games in 7 days and our injury list certainly took it's toll. I am worried if we persist with McGoldrick. He was hopeless today. He was supposed to be out on the right to give us width but spent most of his time inside and behind the speed of play. When he was out on the right he stood stationary with his hands on his hips. If he had had pockets no doubt his hand would have stayed firmly in the same. He lacked movement, motivation and skill. Liked Cork at right back but he lacks pace. Wooton and Perry did ok (not teasted much) but I worry about the lack of hight. Mills looked a decent left back and will come on from this game. BWP looked as if he was up for the game but lacked that final ball/control. Why when they had corners were all 11 back in the penalty area. Where was the outlet! Too early yet but worrying signs that need to be addressed by the coaching staff. We should be winning these games. Man of the match for me was Lallana who gave it his all but without real results.

What I think Derry is saying is that by using the younger players in the first team in numbers it will attract young potentials (through their parents) to join our acadamy because of a better chance of playing and getting first team experience at an earlier age. Also clubs in the premier will be more willing to lend us their youngers who have shown promise in their acadamies but not quite ready for the riggers of Premiership football. As I see it, if Lallana progresses like is expected and snapped up by a Premier side for a good transfer fee we will likely be able to replace him with a good acadamy player loan whilst our 16 & 17 year olds are progressing in the acadamy. Our acadamy will be more attractive to newcomers and our club attractive for blooding good Premier club youngsters. In the meantime, just may be enough will progress together in the next few seasons to get us back with the big boys.

So it is likely to be ---------------------Davis------------------- ------------Svennson------ Perry------------- Cork---------------------------------Surman --------------Wooton---Schneiderlin---------- McGoldrick-------Lallana----------Wright Phillips ---------------------Pekhart-----------------

Ah thats the Frank's Cousin I know and love (In a manly sort of way I might add ) Well said that man. Should put those who stay away to spite Lowe (and themselves imo) to shame

What a shame Saints have the negativity of "supporters" like you.

Give us the benefit of your thoughts on what the team should be, where we need to strengthen, how we are going to raise the finances and how any tactical changes will benefit the way we play.

Yep, agree with all of that Nick.

He was on high wages with us. Don't assume he was being offered more at Stoke. I understand he was happy to stay with Saints. We needed to offload him. Stoke came in and that was that!

We all see things different Nickh but Long Shot, UmPahars and myself seem to agree. We all recognise what Davis has done for us this season so far, just pointing out his weaknesses that might still contibute the a shakey defence.

Overall as I left the ground I was happy with a point against a decent Ipswich side. We did lose our way in the second half yet during that period we did equalise! John does not fit into the system, that is for sure. He lacks movement and means when we are putting moves together he is unable to move into spaces. In the first half McGoldrick was supposed to be playing wide right but too many times he drifted into central positions narrowing the field of play and cutting down the midfields passing options. John tried to cover that area but was too slow in getting there. Dyer can run with the ball but last night he was totally ineffective despite his surges. He was switched to the left in the second half but no different. I thought Wright Phillips offered more when he came on and I would like to see what he can do from a start and bring Dyer on for him once he has run out of steam. Davis was good again but late on he started his old habit of kicking upfield instead of letting the defence take it out. It just meant the ball was comng back again putting pressure on a very frail defence often beaten down the flanks and unable to deal with the high ball coming in. I agree with Um Pahars, a good stopper but weak on decision making. Overall our defence did look weak. Our midfield looked tired and lost their way from about 55 minutes. Bright note, we did score 2 goals and having lost the lead equalised and held on as Ipswich upped the tempo. Last season we had a team of overpaid and unmotivated individuals who only escaped relegation on the last day. Now we have a completely new team of young, hungry and skillful lads. They lack experience but every game like this will bring them on. This is not a few weeks plan this is a long term plan we need to buy into. I for one have come away from the games having seen a loss to Birmingham, a win against Birmingham and a draw against Ipswich with more satisfaction than I have from the last three years performances in this league. I agee now, however, that we do need a couple of experienced heads who can talk to the players on the field of play. We can still play a high number of young players but from the good batch we have, 20 games each this season should be enough for their development. I am just unsure where those experienced players will come from!

Ah yes the Newcastle game. On the way home going over the Chapel Rail Bridge I jumped for one of the overhead metal bars, slipped and hit my head. Severe concussion so much so I had forgotted I had taken my English 'O' Level the day before. The following day was a Physics 'O' Level which I had failed miserably twice before. I passed it so it must have knocked some sense into me. Perhaps I should revisit old grounds Happy days

To make a good comparison you need to look at the wage bills for each Championship club. Outside of those with parachute payments coming in I assume we are very much out front. Add to that our overheads for the stadium and I would suggest we are (or were) very much in the mire. Half year accounts for period July - Dec 2008 will be the best way of assessing our position but that is a bit of a way off yet so we have to trust the boards actions until we know different.

Was not aimed at you G, you have been consistant in your comments. But there are many others that seem to think we will win the league when we win one then relegated when we don't. Perhaps I am lucky with my life as football plays only a small part. Too many other interests. Let's hope Sainst are like HantsCC, bottom of both leagues a month or so ago and being written off, then yesterday top of both leagues with a remarkable turn round in form.