Good to see Pulis on the bench

[Professor]

Has been consistently slagged-off on this forum, but mainly by people who have never seen him play and who are just going with the mob. He was disliked because he was injured when he was signed and by a club management that was unpopular, but that was hardly his fault.

 

His 2-year contract ended in August, so it must be assumed that the third-year option has been taken up despite many predicting it would not be. Now Adkins has had him on the bench when Wotton and Gobern were not, so these things together make you wonder if he has moved up in the pecking order.

 

Has had a very disjointed career, but at 26, Pulis must be as good now as he is ever going to be, so if he is to get a chance in the first team it must be coming soon. Wouldn't be surprised to see him brought on in place of Hammond fairly soon. Need to see him in the first team environment to make a real judgement.

[Saint_clark]

I've always complained that he - along with Forecast - just seemed like the most pointless signings ever. But it's amazing that after 2 years at a club we'll only be getting our very first impressions of the bloke if he does feature.

[Nexstar]

If you were at the Reading game pre-season you would have seen that all the slagging off and jokes made about Pulis were 100% accurate. He was useless.

[SaintRichmond]

Has been consistently slagged-off on this forum, but mainly by people who have never seen him play and who are just going with the mob. He was disliked because he was injured when he was signed and by a club management that was unpopular, but that was hardly his fault.

 

His 2-year contract ended in August, so it must be assumed that the third-year option has been taken up despite many predicting it would not be. Now Adkins has had him on the bench when Wotton and Gobern were not, so these things together make you wonder if he has moved up in the pecking order.

 

Has had a very disjointed career, but at 26, Pulis must be as good now as he is ever going to be, so if he is to get a chance in the first team it must be coming soon. Wouldn't be surprised to see him brought on in place of Hammond fairly soon. Need to see him in the first team environment to make a real judgement.

 

I have seen him play, or rather, I have seen him go on the pitch and do a great job in being absolutely nowhere near where the ball was at any given time

 

IMHO, the best thing about him being on the bench Saturday was the simple fact he stayed there

 

The Best contract that Tony Pulis Snr ever negotiated

[s0108787]

Have seen him play. Shocking. End of.

[SaintRichmond]

Has been consistently slagged-off on this forum, but mainly by people who have never seen him play and who are just going with the mob. He was disliked because he was injured when he was signed and by a club management that was unpopular, but that was hardly his fault.

 

His 2-year contract ended in August, so it must be assumed that the third-year option has been taken up despite many predicting it would not be. Now Adkins has had him on the bench when Wotton and Gobern were not, so these things together make you wonder if he has moved up in the pecking order.

 

Has had a very disjointed career, but at 26, Pulis must be as good now as he is ever going to be, so if he is to get a chance in the first team it must be coming soon. Wouldn't be surprised to see him brought on in place of Hammond fairly soon. Need to see him in the first team environment to make a real judgement.

 

THAT is the stark reality

 

He IS as good as he is going to get

 

F*ckin useless !!!!!

[st alex]

For a 26 year old to have made just 38 appearances in his entire footballing career is pitiful. The only guy to sign him before us was his own father, a previous loan spell at Torquay was cut short because he struggled to break into the first team and he failed to impress Doncaster during a trial. How can he possibly be any good? He also seems to be made of glass, although I'll wait to see him play until I decide for sure whether he is genuinly as rubbish as reports would suggest.

[SuperSAINT]

Just shows how badly we're lacking in midfield options IMO.

[Fowllyd]

Has been consistently slagged-off on this forum, but mainly by people who have never seen him play and who are just going with the mob. He was disliked because he was injured when he was signed and by a club management that was unpopular, but that was hardly his fault.

 

His 2-year contract ended in August, so it must be assumed that the third-year option has been taken up despite many predicting it would not be. Now Adkins has had him on the bench when Wotton and Gobern were not, so these things together make you wonder if he has moved up in the pecking order.

 

Has had a very disjointed career, but at 26, Pulis must be as good now as he is ever going to be, so if he is to get a chance in the first team it must be coming soon. Wouldn't be surprised to see him brought on in place of Hammond fairly soon. Need to see him in the first team environment to make a real judgement.

 

Speaking as one who saw him play in a reserves match, I fully concur with Richmond (and, I'd guess, anybody else who actually has seen him play) on his abilities; he looked way off the pace and totally clueless at that level, so I hate to think how he'd look in the first team. That said, Adkins has clearly decided that he's worth a shout on the bench, so we'll see what happens should he ever get to leave it.

 

And why do you assume that those who have disparaged Pulis are merely following the mob, or that he was disliked because he was signed when he was? Does it not occur to you that people may have looked at his career to date (precious few starts in all those years of trying, plus of course his signally unsuccessful loan spell with Lincoln City last season) and formed a judgement based on that? Do you give no one credit for that level of independent thought?

 

As a matter of interest, have you ever seen him play? You're always very keen to defend him, so I couldn't help but wonder.

[MerceSaint28]

Im sorry you are seaking rubbish. He is completely useless, a complete waste of 2 years of wages. Just go and ask the imps what they think of him having had him on loan for 3 months last season. They had an article on how he was the worst loan signing they have ever had and that was div 2!!!!

There is nothing to suggest he has been given another year deal

[Nexstar]

Im sorry you are seaking rubbish. He is completely useless, a complete waste of 2 years of wages. Just go and ask the imps what they think of him having had him on loan for 3 months last season. They had an article on how he was the worst loan signing they have ever had and that was div 2!!!!

There is nothing to suggest he has been given another year deal

 

The fact he's still here when his original contract ran out in June is a fairly big hint.

[opthomps]

this looks suspiciously like a wind up thread

[Toomer]

He makes Ali Dia look good, perhaps not, but both peas out of the same pod.

[Give it to Ron]

So you are saying people are slagging him off without seein him play.....how many times have YOU seen him play to critisise others opinions????

I have seen him 6 times and he is crap!

[moon monkey]

You don't need to see Pulis play to know how bad he is. Since he arrived we have had 5 people in charge of the first team and NOT one of them has given him any first team action (friendlies excluded). He and Forecast are just a complete waste of wages, thousands of pounds going out everyweek on two players who never play. It is time both Pulis and Forecast were released from their contracts. I got nothing against them but when you have 5 managers who come from various backgrounds and they won't play them, it tells it all.

[dubai_phil]

So you are saying people are slagging him off without seein him play.....how many times have YOU seen him play to critisise others opinions????

I have seen him 6 times and he is crap!

 

Anyone from Mars having seen Lambert play the first 6 games of this season would probably think he was in the Pulis League.

 

Not for one minute advocating him - I was at the reading game - However he seemed fit and so would probably be able to do a job running round and getting in the way, which, from the sounds of it, is about all everyone thinks Hammond & Puncheon are doing at the moment.

 

Does he look like he will make it as a footballer? nope. However NA put him on the bench so must have had some reason to do that (probably last man standing)

[saint_bert]

If you were at the Reading game pre-season you would have seen that all the slagging off and jokes made about Pulis were 100% accurate. He was useless.

 

Even worse, he was the worst player on the pitch at the Eastleigh friendly.

[Arizona]

I've seen two game from Pulis.

 

The first was in the reserves against Swansea in November '08. He was playing along side Thomson, Wotton and Gasmi in midfield and they all outshone him. The second time I saw him was against Reading when he managed to get a shot into the family enclosure in the Kingsland/Chapel Corner. I wouldn't have minded so much, but we were shooting towards the Northam end at the time. Maybe that last sentence isn't true but the point remains. Pulis is awful.

Edited 19 September, 2010 by Arizona

[trousers]

The fact he's still here when his original contract ran out in June is a fairly big hint.

 

I thought his first 2 years "ran out" on 29th August? I believe people have mentioned "June" before as ALL English FA player contracts are reviewed in June regardless of when the actual "2 years" (or whatever length the contract may be) runs out.

 

As such, my understanding is that the extension into the 3rd "optional" year of his contract automatically kicked in at the end of August when his first two years were up. I guess that means his "third year" could be terminated early in June next year, if my understanding is correct.

 

Probably and/or possibly

[Toomer]

Blue Square South beckons.

[Matthew Le God]

Has been consistently slagged-off on this forum, but mainly by people who have never seen him play and who are just going with the mob. He was disliked because he was injured when he was signed and by a club management that was unpopular, but that was hardly his fault.

 

His 2-year contract ended in August, so it must be assumed that the third-year option has been taken up despite many predicting it would not be. Now Adkins has had him on the bench when Wotton and Gobern were not, so these things together make you wonder if he has moved up in the pecking order.

 

Has had a very disjointed career, but at 26, Pulis must be as good now as he is ever going to be, so if he is to get a chance in the first team it must be coming soon. Wouldn't be surprised to see him brought on in place of Hammond fairly soon. Need to see him in the first team environment to make a real judgement.

 

 

A large number of people saw him against Reading in pre-season for the 1st team. Others have seen him in reserve games over many months and Southampton XI friendlies this summer. He is quite simply - rubbish.

[Nexstar]

Blue Square South beckons.

 

Speaking of which, I took the time to see where our old friend Jermaine Wright was plying his trade these days. Turns out he is currently at Croydon Athletic (1 division below the Blue Square South), but they look to be going out of business.

[stthrobber]

I've never seen Pulis play and I've always thought that on the basis that Stoke City actually gave him a contract, irrespective of the manager, then he must have some ability.

 

I wonder if those who have seen him play in the pre-season friendlies considered that he might have been completely demotivated by previous managers and therefore was trying less than the other players who weren't trying during those matches where we weren't doing well.

 

I admit my heart sank when Wotton came on the other night against the MK Dons franchise, because when you need a goal, he's the wrong option. So for him to drop to the bench and Pulis to take his place shows that either Adkins has faith in him, or we had so many injuries that he had no other options, or it was a wind up with Adkins saying "had you going there" to Pulis at the end of the match.

 

I would actually like to see him do well, but his track record suggests he won't.

[Matthew Le God]

I admit my heart sank when Wotton came on the other night against the MK Dons franchise, because when you need a goal, he's the wrong option.

 

Paul Wotton didn't come on against MK Dons.

 

I wonder if those who have seen him play in the pre-season friendlies considered that he might have been completely demotivated by previous managers and therefore was trying less than the other players who weren't trying during those matches where we weren't doing well.

 

Surely he should be motivated as a professional to try and prove his worth? In any case a lack of motivation doesn't explain non league level technique with a football.

[Give it to Ron]

So there you have it Professor.....nearly everyone who has seen him play has said he is poor or worse....what was your opinion of seeing him play?

[JustMike]

Has been consistently slagged-off on this forum, but mainly by people who have never seen him play and who are just going with the mob. He was disliked because he was injured when he was signed and by a club management that was unpopular, but that was hardly his fault.

 

His 2-year contract ended in August, so it must be assumed that the third-year option has been taken up despite many predicting it would not be. Now Adkins has had him on the bench when Wotton and Gobern were not, so these things together make you wonder if he has moved up in the pecking order.

 

Has had a very disjointed career, but at 26, Pulis must be as good now as he is ever going to be, so if he is to get a chance in the first team it must be coming soon. Wouldn't be surprised to see him brought on in place of Hammond fairly soon. Need to see him in the first team environment to make a real judgement.

 

so have you seen him play? he really is that bad. Oh and it was a 3 year contract we signed him on, although to be fair i thought it was a 2 year deal until i was put right at SMS this week

[Fowllyd]

so have you seen him play? he really is that bad. Oh and it was a 3 year contract we signed him on, although to be fair i thought it was a 2 year deal until i was put right at SMS this week

 

The OS still says a two-year contract with an option for a third - where did you hear that it was three all along? Not disbelieving you here; in fact, it would make sense if he's on a three-year contract, as it explains his continuing presence in the squad.

[Professor]

A large number of people saw him against Reading in pre-season for the 1st team. Others have seen him in reserve games over many months and Southampton XI friendlies this summer. He is quite simply - rubbish.

This is a fair summary of what a few people have said, including those who saw him pre-season at Reading. I've not seen him, so I'm not arguing, but Pardew obviously decided to take up the optional 3rd year on his contract, and Adkins has already decided to put him on the bench. That does seem to suggest that there is an alternative point of view amongst those who are best placed to know.

 

As fans, we often call professional footballers rubbish, including even some highly paid stars, so there does seem to be some scope for differing opinions. Since SFC are paying him and the managers haven't off-loaded him, I hope we will see what he has to offer in a real match.

[niceandfriendly]

I've been watching him for years, he used to play in my brothers youth team at Portsmouth FC. He was always terrible.

[stthrobber]

Paul Wotton didn't come on against MK Dons.

 

 

 

Surely he should be motivated as a professional to try and prove his worth? In any case a lack of motivation doesn't explain non league level technique with a football.

 

I beg your pardon, according to my iFooty thing or the BBC live update thing it said he replaced Connolly, but the OS says it was Mills, so I was mislead. That's a relief actually, since if Wotton makes appearances under Adkins, then my faith in him would have been misplaced.

 

Yes he should be motivated as a professional, but we don't know what has gone on behind the scenes. Remember when Kevin Davies was in his last few months of his contract at Saints, yet his performances didn't justify another one, yet when he went to Bolton he was a different player.

 

I would still like Pulis to do well, after all, I think he owes us that much....and I was just thinking what a great chant it would be when we are comfortably winning a game to be able to sing "and we've still got Pulis on the bench...."

Edited 19 September, 2010 by stthrobber

[Deppo]

I have seen him 6 times and he is crap!

 

I've seen him 7 times and I think he has potential.

[Trader]

Maybe NA put him on the bench to cheer him and his dad up after the news about his grandma.

 

I'm not entirely sure I'm joking.

 

Nah, I must be.

 

Mustn't I?

[spyinthesky]

This is a fair summary of what a few people have said, including those who saw him pre-season at Reading. I've not seen him, so I'm not arguing, but Pardew obviously decided to take up the optional 3rd year on his contract, and Adkins has already decided to put him on the bench. That does seem to suggest that there is an alternative point of view amongst those who are best placed to know.

 

As fans, we often call professional footballers rubbish, including even some highly paid stars, so there does seem to be some scope for differing opinions. Since SFC are paying him and the managers haven't off-loaded him, I hope we will see what he has to offer in a real match.

 

Prof

 

I guess you and I can only speculate about the contract of Pulis Junior.

I guess we should be worried if it was Mr Cortese that decided to extend young Antony's contract and this had nothing to do with Pardew.

I do hope that the inclusion of young Pulis was not at the insistence of Mr Cortese

I am also concerned that Gin Gan Guly may have only arrived here at the behest of our erstwhile Chief Exec and that the latter is turning into a Lowe clone

I sincerely hope not.

Returning to the footballing ability of A. Pulis Jnr and Tommy Forecast.

I have good contacts in Lincolnshire and reports from Lincoln City and Grimsby Town followers reckon that the two mentioned players were absolutely dire whilst on loan during their (short) loan periods in Div 2 (Div 4 in old money!) last season

[andybeal]

I beg your pardon, according to my iFooty thing or the BBC live update thing it said he replaced Connolly, but the OS says it was Mills, so I was mislead. That's a relief actually, since if Wotton makes appearances under Adkins, then my faith in him would have been misplaced.

 

Yes he should be motivated as a professional, but we don't know what has gone on behind the scenes. Remember when Kevin Davies was in his last few months of his contract at Saints, yet his performances didn't justify another one, yet when he went to Bolton he was a different player.

 

I would still like Pulis to do well, after all, I think he owes us that much....and I was just thinking what a great chant it would be when we are comfortably winning a game to be able to sing "and we've still got Pulis on the bench...."

 

So you weren't there then - try going to a game

[Give it to Ron]

I've seen him 7 times and I think he has potential.

 

What as? BBC?

[Phil the Saint]

I watched him closely when the subs were having a warm-up at half-time when he mis-controlled the first two balls to him I laughed and gave up!

[Lord Duckhunter]

If you took the games his Father picked the team out, he's played 20 games in 7 years.

 

The only Manager apart from Jan/Lowe to sign him is his Dad.

 

He has been on loan at 4 Clubs that were't Managed by his Dad, and none of them have extended the loan, or signed him.

 

I dont really think you need to watch him to realise the reason he's made a living as a Footballer.

[SparkySaint]

Saw him play at Winchester. Completely outshone by 18 year olds we didn't sign. Harlee Dean was much better

[Tamesaint]

I think that it is interesting how after 2 games under NA we have now seen Dickson play, have seen more of Holmes than we saw in the previous 6 months and now have even seen Pullis getting the closest to a first team place than in the last 2 years.

 

Anyone would think that NA was wanting to assess the playing staff that he has at this disposal. Taking such a logical, sensible approach is not something that we have come to expect from Southampton managers.

[SW5 SAINT]

I've been watching him for years, he used to play in my brothers youth team at Portsmouth FC. He was always terrible.

 

And yet he is however a professional footballer - that is his career description

[Lord Duckhunter]

And yet he is however a professional footballer - that is his career description

 

And his Dad is a Football Manager

[simo]

Joke thread right ?

[Colbury]

Clearly the numpties on this forum are better qualified than professional football managers to pass opinion on a player.

[oxfordshire_saint]

Seen him play for ressies and in friendlies, he's turd.

 

If he's on the bench it might mean we're about to ask Stoke for a loanee or summat.

[Matthew Le God]

Clearly the numpties on this forum are better qualified than professional football managers to pass opinion on a player.

 

He is 26 years old and been a professional for 9 years, playing just 28 times in total in those 9 years, after following his father from club to club. Professional managers (including his own father) think he isn't good enough. By 26 years old he should be starting to enter his peak years but doesn't even have the match experience as a base to build on due to not being good enough.

Edited 19 September, 2010 by Matthew Le God

[Nexstar]

Clearly the numpties on this forum are better qualified than professional football managers to pass opinion on a player.

 

Haha, you obviously haven't seen him play! Numpty.

[Fowllyd]

Has been consistently slagged-off on this forum, but mainly by people who have never seen him play and who are just going with the mob. He was disliked because he was injured when he was signed and by a club management that was unpopular, but that was hardly his fault.

 

Quite right too - shocking when people just go with the mob.

 

A large number of people saw him against Reading in pre-season for the 1st team. Others have seen him in reserve games over many months and Southampton XI friendlies this summer. He is quite simply - rubbish.

 

Oh. Hang on a minute...

 

This is a fair summary of what a few people have said, including those who saw him pre-season at Reading. I've not seen him, so I'm not arguing, but Pardew obviously decided to take up the optional 3rd year on his contract, and Adkins has already decided to put him on the bench. That does seem to suggest that there is an alternative point of view amongst those who are best placed to know.

 

So let's get this clear then. You've never seen him play, but you're happy nonetheless to judge him in a positive light and to castigate those who do otherwise. This in spite of the fact that his record of clubs and appearances over the better part of a decade speaks volumes. All of which begs the question: why do you feel this pressing need to defend Pulis? Let's face it, this isn't the first time you've leapt to fight his corner. You don't do the same for Forecast, so what's so special about Pulis?

[ottery st mary]

Shows Nigel Adkins has a sense of humour.....

 

Unless he thought our Anthony was the mascot..

 

This lad can't play.....Even non league might be too much...

[chocco boxo]

Time to get some "Ive seen Anthony Pulis play for Saints" car stickers made.

[Super_Uwe]

To be honest, it wouldn't surprise me if Nigel Adkins put him on the bench just to see how he reacts and whether he really has the guts to make something of his career or if he is just a waster who doesn't give a toss. Adkins has already said that he's coming in with a clean slate, and players like Holmes in particular will now have the opportunity to prove themselves. We're paying x amount a week for the privilege of his services (which so far haven't amounted to anything) so if he can offer something then I'd rather he did something than nothing at all.

 

Professor is entitled to his view - I haven't seen him play either so I can't offer any opinion on his ability - however there's something clearly wrong with an outfield player who has played less than 40 games in 8 years. In my opinion there's just something not right with the whole deal as no club would choose to offer a third year to a player with his record - it just doesn't make any sense.