eelpie

Pardew Out (of this league) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Brill!!!!!!!!!

3-0 Saints Rasiak again

2-0 to Saints! Rasiak (Apols for interrupting the discussion)

I was wondering how Skacel is doing? Is it worth signing him?

Has he cast Phantom yet?

I vote my 'When will we hear no news?' thread the 1st. lol

Crouch was THE hero of that awful month.

It would be easy in hindsite to cast blame if we have all the facts, which we don't really. Whether there was a 'potential' backer only Lynam knows. The mistake was in giving Pinnacle exclusivity imo. But we were desperate for the money to pay the players, weren't we? It all has to go alongside the mountains of ****-ups that have dogged us for years. Let's move on. The future is collectively in OUR hands now.

So sad. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8166946.stm RIP Pugwash and Flook

Unfortunately Lowe's shadow is still here because we have the -10 points hanging over us like the Sword of Damacles. Not until we are mathematically safe will his legacy be truly behind us. Until then, possibility of a third relegation is a spectre that haunts.

We do have talented lads, but their confidence is shot. It's back to the drawing board with many of them, while they rehab. Then they need to be re-introduced into the squad gradually with Senior mentors, as and when appropriate.

Pardew's track record in the lower divisions isn't at all bad. He worked miracles at Reading when they were close to being down and out He was promoted to manager of Reading after a successful spell as caretaker in 1999. He turned the club around from Division 2 relegation strugglers to promotion candidates. His régime increased the fitness of the squad and he reached the Play-Off final in 2001, and automatic promotion to League 1. In his first season he finished 4th. He took West Ham to Premiership promotion in 2005 and the Cup Final in 2006. True he wasn't so successful with Charlton, but they were losing key players due to financial troubles just like Saints were. What we now need and have is a manager with successful experience in the lower leagues. He'll do.

The new owner will not splash cash willy-nilly. He did not get rich that way. He's expecting Saints to earn his investment by endeavour, honest hard work, and with the help of a few staged signings. It will take time, but SFC will get there through good footballing principles - eventually.

I think Saeijs is our single most significant loss from last season's squad.

Rupert's lawyers have denied that he has had his hands in the honey-pot, and The Grauniad has duly apologised for even thinking such a thing.

We've 28 currently on the books, and around at least 15 are not up to standard or possibly 'for the future'. If our 'JobCentre players' have to be on long term contracts, it is even more important to ensure that they are good enough to be here long term. It takes time to find them, and trial them.

I think the point that is being made is that JP and MW did not understand what was needed to succeed in the Championship, not the historical reasons why they were put in charge.

It'll be Winnie the Poo in the frame next. Have we not got enough Winnie The Poo's in the squad already?

Absolutely. We have an enormous squad of lazy dross that no-one else would want already. Finding the right guys and giving them trials takes time which we don't really have. (I wish some people on this side could realise that it is going to take time to turn things round.)

It's not a like-for-like analogy. You can ship out your JobCentre staff when the crisis is over. AP will have around 40 players by the time he has got in the ones he really needs. And it ain't easy to sell dross. So he has to ensure that the guys he brings in are good enough for the long term. He is spending hours on the phone trying to do deals, then has to see them in action. Meanwhile we have to manage with what we have. What he does really urgently need is his own trainer.

But your Jobcentre staff can be released when the crisis is over. Saints will have around 40 players on their books including fifteen on long term contracts they cannot sell by the time AP gets in the players he wants.

I think the new owner is aware of the mistakes that Burley made in spending but not delivering, and is saying to the club, 'Show me determination and strategy first before I spend big money." AP may be manager but he has to prove himself as well as the players that he has inherited. Half the players may not be good enough, but he has to see which ones have any potential that he can work on, because ML is not going to replace the whole team.

I think it will be interesting to see how Stern plays alongside our youngsters. He is tough. He holds the ball up well, distributes well, but doesn't have the speed that the younger players have. John could need young legs around him, and youngsters that can put the ball in the net like Paterson could benefit. They could both feed off each other - if they get the service from midfield. That is where Lallana will be important.. I can see a role for Stern. I can't see a role for Rasiak.

Wasn't Molyneux at a top club before here?

Not surprising when we let 5 goals into the nest at Salisbury.