Weston Saint

thanks for that. It fills in the missing pieces as to who you are. Quadrangle is the clue.

That little pain you feel in your mouth. That's a fish hook.

I will speak to Drew's dad when he comes back from his holiday in SA. Last time I spoke to him Drew was very happy at Wolves although of course he wants to play all of the time. His leaving was not down to him although the choice of club was.

Agree and I appreciate you speak from a position of knowledge. (and no, if anyone wonders, this poster is not Adams dad. He is not a poster on this site.)

Tough draw but on the bright side, a chance to revenge them knocking us out a couple of seasons ago, a chance to see if we have the will or battle for a cup run, and no loss of face if we lose like there would have been if a non league side put us out.

One other thing, what right did you have to change the title of the thread without permission from the original poster. It did not break the rules. I can understand it being moved although it should have gone to the sports not the lounge but moderators editing things not breaking the rules is just not on.

That was direct from his father when I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago.

He is not interested in moving this season. He wants to play football every week and feels he needs 40 games this season with Saints to continue his development. After that, who knows?

Do you realy think it went through! The man said it did but then could not find the money to finance his whim. The club had to try to find someone else who now admits he also had to find finance to keep them out of Administration. FF was correct. I know who his source is and he has been correct in his information thus far on Pompey, their finances and this takeover mess.

Agree, he gives us width on the right, pulling the defenders over leaving room for the likes of Lallana to get in. He is also in the middle scoring or being miles offside. If Antonio can maintain that wide right form he showed this match then he might command a start but for those Waigo detractors let us not forget Antonio is only on a very short term loan at present whereas Papa is here for the season.

What an absolute mess. I was always pleased to see Pompey get a "bloody nose" and relegation from the Premier but they seem to get knocked down, get up only to get knocked down again and again and again and again........ Where is the towel or the ref stepping in? It cannot be far away. I do not want to see the end of Pompey and I am sure the majority agree just like the majority of Pompey supporters did not want us to disappear from the football map. But it is lovely to watch them squirm, almost as good as our 4-1, 3-1, 3-1, 3-1 results of late

Good team performance and credit to Pardew as well. First half and for the early part of the second half we played 5 in midfield with Wotton playing in a holding role. It stifled MK Dons just as Pardew wanted. They were not a threat and their goal just before half time came from a dubious free kick decision. A well taken free kick but to me Davis was at fault for not lining p the wall in the correct place. Davis did not have a busy time but what he did have to do (apart from organising the wall) he did well. James is a weakness in defence on the right but when he got forward he put in some decent crosses Jaidi (just about my man of the match) was a rock in defence ably supported by Trottman. Harding looked solid at left back and got forward particularly in the second half Wotton did all that was asked of him but he was always the one to go off when the second half formation changed. Schneiderlin passed the ball well but he needs to have players wide right and left as an outlet. Hammond bossed matters and is now the player we thought we have bought from Colchester. Good goal as well Lallana again busied himself and had some very skilful moments. Gave way late on to Mills as he looked all in. Papa Waigo had a poor game as he kept finding himself offside. It is a bad weakness in his game and making way for Antonio was the correct decision. However he did trouble their left back and because defences to not know what to make of him and his speed they tend to pull to wider to deal with him leaving gaps in the middle. I would still have him start games. He brings something different to the game. Lambert found it difficult on his own in the first half but looked much happier when Connolly came on. Antonio as sub turned to game. He gave a torrid time to their left back who was already knackered dealing with Waigo. Some great runs, strong and very fast. Connolly is a class player at this level, knows where the goal is and is a great foil for Lambert. Smaller in stature than I imagined him to be. If he can stay fit he is the find of the season. Mills came on late and it would be unfair to assess him so I won’t God game and shows how far we have come in a short time. Pardew needed time to find the right players. If he had the benefit of pre season and we had been able to hit the ground running we would be higher up the table than we are and I mean in the top four but for our points deduction.

Bit of a shame when supporters slag off our young players trying to learn how to ply their trade. Lancashire was bought into the side when he was not ready and it has no doubt set him back. He is not the only one. Let us give him our best wishes for success during his loan period and that he comes back a stronger and more experienced player. He had talent and no reason why he cannot develop and make a decent living as a professional footballer.

OK I accept that but let us look at it from a slightly different prospective. We were riding high and WGS wanted to go to the next level (or at least the supporters did). Where was that money coming from? No investors lining up then. So it would have been borrowing and put our whole future financed in doubt (I know we went that way anyway but that was because we borrowed from the bank under the "Wilde" period and lost the gamble. We failed in the playoffs.) Many say WGS felt he had taken us as far as we could go on the finances available and he left us, although he says his promised time was up and the need for an operation hastened that! That is when it went wrong. Lowe took a gamble. He tried to go for a manager from the lower divisions, admittedly with success but untried at Premier level. It failed. Then he made an unforgiveable mistake. He did not learn from his own history. He appointed within for the second time. It failed miserably but at the same time we did have an horrendous injury period with many of the players who had got us to the previous high level unavailable for periods. He quite rightly stood him down. He then employed a Manager who had been and is still a successfull manager but with one flaw. He could only do that with money. Beattie money was given to him but it would appear from what has been said since, he was not fully supported by Lowe who was suspicious of him and his spending reputation. Why employ him then? If you cannot give overwealming support to a manager you have no chance! So, I do not see it as investment or innovation failure. We went down because Lowe chose the wrong people and had to keep changing them. Three Managers in one season all with different ideas on how a team should be, wanting to impose their own ideas simply lead to confusion on the pitch and off it. Would we have recovered and been "repromoted" as Lowe called it. I doubt it for the same reasons as before. We did not have the money or outside investment to make us more than an average Championship team. Lowe would have been careful with the parachute payments. He would have never gambled. It was not in his nature. Would we have suffered Administration anyway? In my opinion, no but we would have had the mortgage on the stadium ever round our neck to prevent improving the team. We had a different Chairman after Lowe, several in fact, but no one could rescue the folly spending of the regime who took the reigns from Lowe.

As the 2002/3 season is the one mentioned a lot here I thought I wold look at that end of season table where, I am sure you will remember, we finished 8th and cup final. Others in that division that season who have fallen and not yet fully recovered: Leeds & Charlton both now in League 1. WBA, Newcastle (3rd) & Middlesbrough now in the Championship. We are not alone but it does not make it any easier to accept, I know.

Wilde fully accepted he did not have a clue when he came in. That is why he bought in what he was told by Vantis (sp) was an experienced football board. His gripe is they then shafted him although they will say he shafted them by not bringing in the promised investment. I have to be careful believing what he says after he shafted the SOS group but he was sincere about his lack of experience (he wanted to learn the business) because it is evidenced by his dealings and actions!

Well he changed his mind again because the quote I put up was from "In That Number". Not suprised he has reverted to his original thoughts though and he is far from alone on changing his opinion back to his original thoughts. Hope all is well with you.

You are entitled to your opinion, I just think you are wide of the mark.

In that case then why not save your money, drink at the bar and watch the game from the "terraces"

I was invited into one the season before last. Very pleasant with a nice meal before the game accompanied by decent enough wine. All drinks are locked away 15 minutes before the start of the game to comply with ground reglations but a chance of a drink at half time and again after the final whistle. Tea and sandwiches at full time as well. Comfortable surroundings and good company. Cannot see the need of drinking to excess at these functions. If you are an invited guest why get bladdered. I like a drink as much as the next man but it is about the overall experience not getting as much down your neck as possible. Game was ok as well as we beat Hull 5-1

Fishers Pond. Not that posh! Still there also although I prefer eating at The Bridge at Shawford

Still there and still some silver service.

I will agree with all that other than the Bristol Rovers game. That game was the first step in the right direction for me. So rock bottom would be club: just before our new owners signed and paid for the club. In football terms, moments before we kicked off against Bristol Rovers.

That's interesting, I assume you work with them both. I will have a word with mum and dad when they are back from South Africa because I am told he was told he had to go by the Administrators and those running the club at the time.

On 16th May 1999 Graham Souness was at the Everton game and was pleased to see that Rupurt Lowe had "changed.....He now understood what was at stake for Southampton. He has become a passionate football man...."