Saints v Bristol City Post Match Views

[ALWAYS_SFC]

Well done Wes,just about summed it up.

 

One word sums up or team,through no fault of their own and it is..

 

Lightweight....muscled of the ball countless times.

 

Wolves and Reading to play next...we will be in the bottom 3 no doubt,

but could find ourselves bottom if any of others find a minor bit of form.

 

:smt100

[OldNick]

I have deliberately slept on it (again), so that I can try and get some perspective on yesterdays match. But regrettably my first instincts directly after the game remain the same now.

 

My first thought was that whereas I have been to every home match regardless of whether I could have watched it for free on Sky, I now think that it is just not worth £48 for me and my son to watch that dross when I could watch it for nothing in the comfort of my own home. As for the other home matches not on the telly, I am seriously wondering whether it is worth forking out £48 to watch last season's youth team get beaten by all and sundry in this division either.

 

With every home defeat, I am drawn inextricably to the feeling that Poortvliet needs to get the bullet, as he is just way out of his depth in this country and indeed even in this division. Even with the limited range of players available to him, he just doesn't seem to have any idea what his best team is and when eventually he does find that out, we will be relegated first.

 

As for the people who run the club, I also feel more and more inclined to bring the possibility of relegation closer by reducing the club's income by £48 every fortnight. I suspect that on that one, I would be joining an increasing number of others. Looking at the longer term prospects anyway, it seems to me a choice of administration now when there is the possibility of changes enabling us still a remote chance of avoiding relegation or at least starting in the old third division with a clean sheet, or getting relegated anyway and beginning in the old third division with -10 points.

 

Of course, the other possible way to bring about Lowe and Wilde's departures is a mass boycott of one match to begin with. Perhaps we have seen enough of how bad the situation has become to decide that things aren't going to improve and ought to start planning for it now.

 

I was imagining what the reaction was going to be if players like Lallana and Surman were sold in January and Schneiderlin and Cork went too.Nearly all of any income from them would go straight into the paying off debt and we would be searching the Tyro league for replacements.

 

What is so depressing is that even if the team was begininnig to make any progress there might be some reason for optimism, but as it is, there is only the bleakest outlook at the moment and for the rest of the season. Relegation and therefore administration looms large.

48 is a lot to spend for what we have put in front of us. To be fair a lot of fans who are s/t holders may now think the same and if they bought them game to game many migth think the same.

It would take a lot for me to stop going as I foolishly would feel guilty not to be there trying to help in my own little way to try and get us out of it.

Whatever you decide you justy have to go with it, but administration seems to me to be a disaster and if we can somehow fend it off it should be done. As for selling Lallana or Surman it would be unfortunate but do they week on week do enough to warrant our adoration?

[Spudsaint]

I agree with all of that. I sat in a pub in Barnet yesterday watching the match with the sound down because everyone else was watching Liv v WBA (funny that). We were poor from front to back without any idea in the final third. Lowe's 2nd great experiment is proving as successful as his 1st. Cant help but feel that we would have been significantly better equiped to beat the drop under Nigel Pearson, regardless of players. For the first time in years I will not be visiting St Mary's when I visit family at Xmas. I'm sure we can find plenty more uplifting to do...

[Agent Orange]

Long time for a first post but in truth rarely get to a game these days and have given up my season ticket - which no doubt means I'm not entitled to an opinion

 

However, our son was at grandparents yesterday so we managed to get to a game. Only previously been to the Blackpool game this season and not been to a game before that since Feb.

 

With the Blackpool game there at least were some positives but yesterdays game was shocking. Up there with the worst performances I've ever seen from Saints. Our number 24 Olly Lancashire. Is he always that bad?! But harsh to pick out one player as from back to front all we pretty awful. No one would commit to a tackle!!

 

We looked absolutely clueless. I've never seen anything like it. We are in desperate need of some physical presence, experience and a bloody clue! I really am fearful for us this season unless we get some steel in the team.

[ALWAYS_SFC]

Long time for a first post but in truth rarely get to a game these days and have given up my season ticket - which no doubt means I'm not entitled to an opinion

 

However, our son was at grandparents yesterday so we managed to get to a game. Only previously been to the Blackpool game this season and not been to a game before that since Feb.

 

With the Blackpool game there at least were some positives but yesterdays game was shocking. Up there with the worst performances I've ever seen from Saints. Our number 24 Olly Lancashire. Is he always that bad?! But harsh to pick out one player as from back to front all we pretty awful. No one would commit to a tackle!!

 

We looked absolutely clueless. I've never seen anything like it. We are in desperate need of some physical presence, experience and a bloody clue! I really am fearful for us this season unless we get some steel in the team.

 

 

Spot on!!! but all the decison makers at SFC are refusing to acknowledge it

[dubai_phil]

We had a nice small turnout at the pub last night. We too were all stuck into a corner with the sound off while the Scousers were on the majority of the screens. While our football wasn't as dire as some make out, (as in a Samoan rugby League performance vs Ireland sort of schoolboy way) it wasn't really going anywhere and in reality, the most entertaining part of the evening was watching EricofArabia ooohing aahing but mainly oh NOOing and the sweepstake on whether he'd explode with despair before the end of the game.

 

Things are not good, we all knew it would be cr*p because that's how we always are on telly, but it is still football just, so we're used to it, and the beer was good.

[Wilko]

Adebole bullied our light-weight defence all day, and the midfield was weak and inneffective.

 

That team will get relegated.

 

The only highlight was the naughty boys from Bristol City being given a police escort while singing "We love Pompey, we love Pompey, we are the Pompey lovers."

[redstripe]

Last week everyone including the the groundsman were brilliant now they are apparently all s**t. We have to except that we support a team with no money to buy are selves out of trouble. Both the manager and the players are finding their way JP's honest about that. Lets relax and go along for the ride. We will rise again.

[Leicestersaint]

Some over-reactions on here I feel.

 

We coluld do with a bit of consistency in team selections - and some practice at shooting.

 

ironically, given a lot fo the comments on here, some of the worst players are the older ones.

 

I still think we will get a run together at some point - and then we'll be hearing a different story on here!

[Arizona]

This morning I still dont feel much better about the game. I stilll think had we started with BWP and JE we would have been physically stronger and better placed to get a result. It still amaazes me we played with 2 very young wingers

 

If we had started with BWP, he'd have been completely useless, as he always is when he starts. For me he is a sub or nothing. Ideally the latter, but seeing as we've got rid of all the other strikers, he will have to play some part.

 

Euell and Skacel in the midfield would perhaps have been better. Wotton is pretty ineffective in midfield, so I'd have him at the back ahead of Lancashire, who really doesn't look up to it yet.

 

I'd go for something like this next weekend.

 

- - - - - - - Davis

 

Cork - Wotton - Pearce - Mills

 

Lallana - Surman - MS - Skacel

 

- - - - - - - - - - Euell

 

- - - - - - DMG

[trousers]

Long time for a first post but in truth rarely get to a game these days and have given up my season ticket - which no doubt means I'm not entitled to an opinion .

 

 

Poortvliet and Wotte will be making an appearance at a pub near you soon to beg you to come back

[NickG]

think the main thing is not age of players, manager, formation but the simple thing of not enough good players in form. (younger players do tend to have less consistent form).

 

Whether the lack of players is due to money, Lowe or managers choice is another issue.

 

Think Gobbern didn't look ready yesterday, but did well last week and if he had been kept out by BWP sure there would equally be a lot of moans.

[Windmill Arm 2]

Jan : PLAY WITH TWO FORKIN STRIKERS AT HOME YOU TOOL!

 

LOL at anybody who seriously thought Preston away was the turning point....we are dead and buried.

[dubai_phil]

Jan : PLAY WITH TWO FORKIN STRIKERS AT HOME YOU TOOL!

 

LOL at anybody who seriously thought Preston away was the turning point....we are dead and buried.

 

No we are not.

 

We died at some point in the past 5 years, but we ain't buried as we are still on a life support machine (but look increasingly brain dead).

So as long as somebody keeps putting 50p in the meter we don't have to get the Black Ties out just yet

[Saint 76er]

I have deliberately slept on it (again), so that I can try and get some perspective on yesterdays match. But regrettably my first instincts directly after the game remain the same now.

 

My first thought was that whereas I have been to every home match regardless of whether I could have watched it for free on Sky, I now think that it is just not worth £48 for me and my son to watch that dross when I could watch it for nothing in the comfort of my own home. As for the other home matches not on the telly, I am seriously wondering whether it is worth forking out £48 to watch last season's youth team get beaten by all and sundry in this division either.

 

With every home defeat, I am drawn inextricably to the feeling that Poortvliet needs to get the bullet, as he is just way out of his depth in this country and indeed even in this division. Even with the limited range of players available to him, he just doesn't seem to have any idea what his best team is and when eventually he does find that out, we will be relegated first.

 

As for the people who run the club, I also feel more and more inclined to bring the possibility of relegation closer by reducing the club's income by £48 every fortnight. I suspect that on that one, I would be joining an increasing number of others. Looking at the longer term prospects anyway, it seems to me a choice of administration now when there is the possibility of changes enabling us still a remote chance of avoiding relegation or at least starting in the old third division with a clean sheet, or getting relegated anyway and beginning in the old third division with -10 points.

 

Of course, the other possible way to bring about Lowe and Wilde's departures is a mass boycott of one match to begin with. Perhaps we have seen enough of how bad the situation has become to decide that things aren't going to improve and ought to start planning for it now.

 

I was imagining what the reaction was going to be if players like Lallana and Surman were sold in January and Schneiderlin and Cork went too.Nearly all of any income from them would go straight into the paying off debt and we would be searching the Tyro league for replacements.

 

What is so depressing is that even if the team was begininnig to make any progress there might be some reason for optimism, but as it is, there is only the bleakest outlook at the moment and for the rest of the season. Relegation and therefore administration looms large.

 

 

Wes you have summed up in a niceish way exactly what I was going to come on here and say with mucho expletives. I know from your posts you are a die hard Saints fan (like me) and it must have hurt to post with the honesty that you have, however I am glad that you have and I hope others will take notice.

 

As it happens I live in Aus and have just returned from watching a replay of the match in the pub with my son. Following our match we stayed to watch our local team Perth Glory (an Aus equivalent of Saints in many ways). You won't be interested in this match but the time span at the pub did involve much beer consumption and whilst the Beck's was A1 I have to say my head does now hurt, but so does my soul after the Saints match.

 

For various reasons I won't bore you all with I decided, probably like many others, not to post further after the forum changeover. However, against my better judgement (and fueled by beer) I simply can't sit idly by without adding my comments after watching what passed for a match. Get real people the fact is we are sh*te, we really, really are. This crazy experiment by Lowe is up the creek without a paddle and we are fooked unless someone comes in to mount a rescue operation.

 

For God's sake every time I see us on TV the script is the same (and so are the after match comments from JP). We were simply brushed aside by Brizzle and it really was a case of men against boys. That may not altogether be Poortvliet's fault as he has to deal with the hand Lowe has dealt him but I know what my eyes tell me and Poortvliet is tactically inept and out of his depth in this league. It really is as simple as that. We desperately needed to build on the Preston result, but what happens....

 

Look, I have loved Saints for 45 years and have instilled this passion in my son and these days it is a big day when we get to see Saints on TV and I just want to be able to hug my son after we have seen a great win (any win) but it just seems to be one disappointment after another. It's almost masochistic just waiting for a Saints game on TV only to see the same old Sh*te served up every time.

 

Therefore people, I make no apologies for stating that we need CHANGE and we need it NOW. Lowe is only here to prop up his investment and if he can drag it through to January he will sell what passes for our good players to try and extend the agony in the hope someone will pay him off.

 

I am simply no longer prepared to sit by and listen to Lowe apologists on here tell us that he is doing a good job. Get real people, he is NOT. For God's sake I have just seen our team play and we are Sh*te, we are utterly unprepared for life in this league (and it is a sh*te league). Lowe appears to have no sane agenda other than his investment and as with his previous tenure he appears to have only a genius for f*****g that up. Why did he come back to save his investment only to send it hurtling down the pan? Did someone mention he was an astute business man? My own opinion of his ability to run a football club may be at odds with this statement. The insane rejection of Pearson and the numerous pointless loans plus the alledged blowout of the overdraft for example.

 

Now get this clear, this is MEANT to be an angry post. I am a Saints supporter and I am angry. I want my club back, at least to something approximating how it used to be. Consequently, if the rumours are to be believed then surely the time is right NOW for Leon Crouch (or anyone else) to step forward and take control away from those who fail us and give us some hope for the future. At present the only logical future is administration and that does Rupert Lowe or us supporters no good at all. What do you all think the attendance at the next home game will be? Enough to make Barclays cringe I should think.

 

Let me make it clear that I simply have no interest in any rantings from Lowes's PR or agenda driven people who will by now be frothing at the mouth. That is their misguided problem. The fact is SFC needs CHANGE and it needs it NOW, NOW. NOW. If anyone disagrees just get a tape of yesterdays match, that should make it abundantly clear...

 

All IMHO, of course

[ALWAYS_SFC]

No we are not.

 

We died at some point in the past 5 years, but we ain't buried as we are still on a life support machine (but look increasingly brain dead).

So as long as somebody keeps putting 50p in the meter we don't have to get the Black Ties out just yet

 

As you say not yet but the coffin is close to completion...

[Dalek2003]

From the Times:

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article5115459.ece:

 

Southampton might be considered the most attractive team to watch in the Championship but it is not particularly effective.

 

In a nutshell!

 

 

I would rather see us grind out 1-0 victories and still be in the Premiership, occasionally giving the likes of Manure and Pool a bloody nose. We had a few good managers that got the team to achieve this, but that is history.

[Dalek2003]

No we are not.

 

We died at some point in the past 5 years, but we ain't buried as we are still on a life support machine (but look increasingly brain dead).

So as long as somebody keeps putting 50p in the meter we don't have to get the Black Ties out just yet

 

We put principle before sense in the Spring of 2004. Showed our intent by employing a league One manager over an ex england manager and started to build the team to match our ambitions.

[benjii]

Wes you have summed up in a niceish way exactly what I was going to come on here and say with mucho expletives. I know from your posts you are a die hard Saints fan (like me) and it must have hurt to post with the honesty that you have, however I am glad that you have and I hope others will take notice.

 

As it happens I live in Aus and have just returned from watching a replay of the match in the pub with my son. Following our match we stayed to watch our local team Perth Glory (an Aus equivalent of Saints in many ways). You won't be interested in this match but the time span at the pub did involve much beer consumption and whilst the Beck's was A1 I have to say my head does now hurt, but so does my soul after the Saints match.

 

For various reasons I won't bore you all with I decided, probably like many others, not to post further after the forum changeover. However, against my better judgement (and fueled by beer) I simply can't sit idly by without adding my comments after watching what passed for a match. Get real people the fact is we are sh*te, we really, really are. This crazy experiment by Lowe is up the creek without a paddle and we are fooked unless someone comes in to mount a rescue operation.

 

For God's sake every time I see us on TV the script is the same (and so are the after match comments from JP). We were simply brushed aside by Brizzle and it really was a case of men against boys. That may not altogether be Poortvliet's fault as he has to deal with the hand Lowe has dealt him but I know what my eyes tell me and Poortvliet is tactically inept and out of his depth in this league. It really is as simple as that. We desperately needed to build on the Preston result, but what happens....

 

Look, I have loved Saints for 45 years and have instilled this passion in my son and these days it is a big day when we get to see Saints on TV and I just want to be able to hug my son after we have seen a great win (any win) but it just seems to be one disappointment after another. It's almost masochistic just waiting for a Saints game on TV only to see the same old Sh*te served up every time.

 

Therefore people, I make no apologies for stating that we need CHANGE and we need it NOW. Lowe is only here to prop up his investment and if he can drag it through to January he will sell what passes for our good players to try and extend the agony in the hope someone will pay him off.

 

I am simply no longer prepared to sit by and listen to Lowe apologists on here tell us that he is doing a good job. Get real people, he is NOT. For God's sake I have just seen our team play and we are Sh*te, we are utterly unprepared for life in this league (and it is a sh*te league). Lowe appears to have no sane agenda other than his investment and as with his previous tenure he appears to have only a genius for f*****g that up. Why did he come back to save his investment only to send it hurtling down the pan? Did someone mention he was an astute business man? My own opinion of his ability to run a football club may be at odds with this statement. The insane rejection of Pearson and the numerous pointless loans plus the alledged blowout of the overdraft for example.

 

Now get this clear, this is MEANT to be an angry post. I am a Saints supporter and I am angry. I want my club back, at least to something approximating how it used to be. Consequently, if the rumours are to be believed then surely the time is right NOW for Leon Crouch (or anyone else) to step forward and take control away from those who fail us and give us some hope for the future. At present the only logical future is administration and that does Rupert Lowe or us supporters no good at all. What do you all think the attendance at the next home game will be? Enough to make Barclays cringe I should think.

 

Let me make it clear that I simply have no interest in any rantings from Lowes's PR or agenda driven people who will by now be frothing at the mouth. That is their misguided problem. The fact is SFC needs CHANGE and it needs it NOW, NOW. NOW. If anyone disagrees just get a tape of yesterdays match, that should make it abundantly clear...

 

All IMHO, of course

 

Fantastic post.

 

I can take the team being **** if it is being managed in a comprehensible way, with the best interests of the club, the city, the supporters and the community at heart.

 

The current situation is utterly bizare and offensive.

[Window Cleaner]

Jan : PLAY WITH TWO FORKIN STRIKERS AT HOME YOU TOOL!

 

LOL at anybody who seriously thought Preston away was the turning point....we are dead and buried.

 

We do play with 2 strikers, one advanced (McGoldrick) one deep (or in the hole)-Lallana. Trouble is our deep striker can't fo*kin well strike. That's why it always looks like we're playing one up front; Ideally they should form a sort of kaleidoscope effect (well 2 man kaleidoscope anyway), the deep striker should sometimes get in front of the advanced striker. When Surman dropped into the hole role last week it worked a treat, he's more mobile and physical than fairy boy. Lallana is a tricky dicky winger, like so many before him but he isn't effective in front of goal and he's lightweight, hence we're always short on box presence and McG gets double teamed all the fookin time.

[THEVMAN]

We do play with 2 strikers, one advanced (McGoldrick) one deep (or in the hole)-Lallana. Trouble is our deep striker can't fo*kin well strike. That's why it always looks like we're playing one up front; Ideally they should form a sort of kaleidoscope effect (well 2 man kaleidoscope anyway), the deep striker should sometimes get in front of the advanced striker. When Surman dropped into the hole role last week it worked a treat, he's more mobile and physical than fairy boy. Lallana is a tricky dicky winger, like so many before him but he isn't effective in front of goal and he's lightweight, hence we're always short on box presence and McG gets double teamed all the fookin time.

I can nearly see the veins sticking out of your neck as you go into another onslaught against Lallana.Where will it all end,i fear an assassination attempt possibly from the grassy knoll by the way Glen Close was in the film Fatal Attraction,rings a bell somewhat.

[Window Cleaner]

I can nearly see the veins sticking out of your neck as you go into another onslaught against Lallana.Where will it all end,i fear an assassination attempt possibly from the grassy knoll by the way Glen Close was in the film Fatal Attraction,rings a bell somewhat.

 

;)

[krissyboy31]

Bristol City showed the importance of having experienced players in the key positions of central defence and centre forward. At both ends of the field we were out muscled and out fought, not because they had particularly more talented players in Adebola, Fontaine and McCombe but because they just had too much strength and knowhow. Unless one of Rasiak or John and a fit Svensson returns, this is going to happen week after week.

[um pahars]

Another drab home performance for me. I really can't be ar56ed to report on anything and most on here would probably have seen it via the TV anyway.

 

The only performance of note I have seen so far this season was Norwich at home, so struggle to reconcile what I have seen, with the line often trotted out of "we may not win but at least the quality and style of play is good".

 

The plain fact is that we have been (and are) a pretty poor side.

[EFM]

Jan : PLAY WITH TWO FORKIN STRIKERS AT HOME YOU TOOL!

 

LOL at anybody who seriously thought Preston away was the turning point....we are dead and buried.

 

Totally agree with your first point - it is so painfully obvious to everyone except JP, who I don't want to slag but really it isn't working at home Jan.

 

As to your second point, I'm not ready to accept that yet but then I always avoid reality. Let us dream on for a while yet mate!

[sunrise]

JP is out of his depth, he is totally clueless in how to get the best from our team. I believe our team is good enough to stay up - even be higher than our current league position.

 

The tactics and formation are all wrong, we still get panicky from dead ball situations, lack of communication and leadership on the pitch. The constant chopping and changing of players in the team(injuries excepted) isn't helping things one bit.

 

Whatever the opposition team is, they are virtually guaranteed to get at least one goal.

 

Lowes big experiment is going wrong big time - why the hell should I spend money to watch that crap?

[70's Mike]

We do play with 2 strikers, one advanced (McGoldrick) one deep (or in the hole)-Lallana. Trouble is our deep striker can't fo*kin well strike. That's why it always looks like we're playing one up front; Ideally they should form a sort of kaleidoscope effect (well 2 man kaleidoscope anyway), the deep striker should sometimes get in front of the advanced striker. When Surman dropped into the hole role last week it worked a treat, he's more mobile and physical than fairy boy. Lallana is a tricky dicky winger, like so many before him but he isn't effective in front of goal and he's lightweight, hence we're always short on box presence and McG gets double teamed all the fookin time.

 

 

BUT why do we need this stupid one in the hole system at home, we are just handing the attacking baton to the opponents, playing 2 wide men only will work in the CCC if you have other players in the box to challenge the centre backs, hence other sides get their fullbacks to overlap.

Problem is by having 2 wide out of the mid field 5 there is noway the fullbacks will overlap because they will be exposed when we lose the ball.

We need to get the pace through the middle to out run the lumps that most CCC teams have at centre back.

The problem with all this fantasy/roy of the rovers football talk is that everyone forgets that in the real world the opponents tackle, lean and shove

[Long Shot]

Wes you have summed up in a niceish way exactly what I was going to come on here and say with mucho expletives. I know from your posts you are a die hard Saints fan (like me) and it must have hurt to post with the honesty that you have, however I am glad that you have and I hope others will take notice.

 

As it happens I live in Aus and have just returned from watching a replay of the match in the pub with my son. Following our match we stayed to watch our local team Perth Glory (an Aus equivalent of Saints in many ways). You won't be interested in this match but the time span at the pub did involve much beer consumption and whilst the Beck's was A1 I have to say my head does now hurt, but so does my soul after the Saints match.

 

For various reasons I won't bore you all with I decided, probably like many others, not to post further after the forum changeover. However, against my better judgement (and fueled by beer) I simply can't sit idly by without adding my comments after watching what passed for a match. Get real people the fact is we are sh*te, we really, really are. This crazy experiment by Lowe is up the creek without a paddle and we are fooked unless someone comes in to mount a rescue operation.

 

For God's sake every time I see us on TV the script is the same (and so are the after match comments from JP). We were simply brushed aside by Brizzle and it really was a case of men against boys. That may not altogether be Poortvliet's fault as he has to deal with the hand Lowe has dealt him but I know what my eyes tell me and Poortvliet is tactically inept and out of his depth in this league. It really is as simple as that. We desperately needed to build on the Preston result, but what happens....

 

Look, I have loved Saints for 45 years and have instilled this passion in my son and these days it is a big day when we get to see Saints on TV and I just want to be able to hug my son after we have seen a great win (any win) but it just seems to be one disappointment after another. It's almost masochistic just waiting for a Saints game on TV only to see the same old Sh*te served up every time.

 

Therefore people, I make no apologies for stating that we need CHANGE and we need it NOW. Lowe is only here to prop up his investment and if he can drag it through to January he will sell what passes for our good players to try and extend the agony in the hope someone will pay him off.

 

I am simply no longer prepared to sit by and listen to Lowe apologists on here tell us that he is doing a good job. Get real people, he is NOT. For God's sake I have just seen our team play and we are Sh*te, we are utterly unprepared for life in this league (and it is a sh*te league). Lowe appears to have no sane agenda other than his investment and as with his previous tenure he appears to have only a genius for f*****g that up. Why did he come back to save his investment only to send it hurtling down the pan? Did someone mention he was an astute business man? My own opinion of his ability to run a football club may be at odds with this statement. The insane rejection of Pearson and the numerous pointless loans plus the alledged blowout of the overdraft for example.

 

Now get this clear, this is MEANT to be an angry post. I am a Saints supporter and I am angry. I want my club back, at least to something approximating how it used to be. Consequently, if the rumours are to be believed then surely the time is right NOW for Leon Crouch (or anyone else) to step forward and take control away from those who fail us and give us some hope for the future. At present the only logical future is administration and that does Rupert Lowe or us supporters no good at all. What do you all think the attendance at the next home game will be? Enough to make Barclays cringe I should think.

 

Let me make it clear that I simply have no interest in any rantings from Lowes's PR or agenda driven people who will by now be frothing at the mouth. That is their misguided problem. The fact is SFC needs CHANGE and it needs it NOW, NOW. NOW. If anyone disagrees just get a tape of yesterdays match, that should make it abundantly clear...

 

All IMHO, of course

 

 

A good honest post from the heart.

I just wish some fans would get their heads out of the sand.

Keep the faith, mate I know Leon Crouch is "on the case" but it is not easy dealing with Lowe's ego.

[OldNick]

A good honest post from the heart.

I just wish some fans would get their heads out of the sand.

Keep the faith, mate I know Leon Crouch is "on the case" but it is not easy dealing with Lowe's ego.

Yes it was a good honest post. Forget not we had the club given back to the fans and football first a season or so back. It got us nowhere but just to now a bit quicker.

If LC came by himself and rid us of the others then fine, but all due respect he is not wealthy enough(no shame in that as he's wealthier than most if not all on here)

That is the problem, Rl has the backing of people like Askham etc who sit in the background pulling the stringss and getting the rewards without putting anything back.

I dont know how we can get out of this as we seem to have the worlds tyre kickers convention turning up at our club every week.

LS and Morph obviously are being fed some info but how accurate it is we can only guess. If it was me in the position I would be pestering the people to get a shift on (they of course maybe doing so)as the fan base is ready to give up and once the real hardened fans start to give up on the club it will be very hard to bring them back on board.

Slipping in little bits that unsettle and make us more concerned helps who?

If they are waiting for us to go into administration so they can buy us cheaper then shame on them as they also will be looking at us for money reasons not for the clubs betterment IMO

[Mole]

A good honest post from the heart.

I just wish some fans would get their heads out of the sand.

Keep the faith, mate I know Leon Crouch is "on the case" but it is not easy dealing with Lowe's ego.

 

If i was Crouch i wouldn't even contemplate negotiating with Lowe. I'd give Lowe a derisory offer for his shares and if Lowe said no i'd just say "please yourself, i'll wait til the club goes into admin then."

[Amesbury Saint]

A good honest post from the heart.

I just wish some fans would get their heads out of the sand.

Keep the faith, mate I know Leon Crouch is "on the case" but it is not easy dealing with Lowe's ego.

 

but exactly what is LC doing. Rome is burning!

[Wes Tender]

Wes you have summed up in a niceish way exactly what I was going to come on here and say with mucho expletives. I know from your posts you are a die hard Saints fan (like me) and it must have hurt to post with the honesty that you have, however I am glad that you have and I hope others will take notice.

 

 

And I'm delighted that you contributed such a measured post telling us what the Saints means to you and your family and how hurt you are too that your club is in such a parlous state. If the board read a succession of posts which are just a string of expletives, they will dismiss them as the mindless rants of the Neanderthals that they like to believe inhabit various sections of the crowd. If they bothered to read forums like this and instead found well reasoned and well written posts cogently expressing disgust at the low state that they have brought us to, then they had better sit up and take notice, because those people are perfectly able to disseminate those opinions though the media to their detriment.

 

They may well be wondering why the attendance numbers have been falling match by match, but all they have to do is to read the reasons by searching out the posts on forums like this and they will have chapter and verse.

 

No doubt the other shareholders in the Lowe clique were happy to trust Lowe and the Quisling to cut our cloth according to our means financially, as they were doing it to protect all their shareholdings. But it must be crystal clear to them now, that the way that Lowe has gone about it, allied to the intense dislike that a large section of the fan base hold him, has resulted in the situation that with every match lost, the resultant drop in attendances for the ensuing matches is pushing us closer to administration as well as relegation.

 

If those shareholders allied to Lowe have any genuine love for the club, I implore them to get together as a group, approach him and Wilde and tell them that the madcap plan has not worked and that they are withdrawing their support for them. They should make it clear that there should be a meeting of all the major shareholders of the various factions to try and find a way that they can all work together with the common purpose of saving this club. They should invite any other groups or individuals to attend who feel that they could make a positive contribution.

 

If they try and just stumble on from one drawback to another defeat, should we just sit idly by, all sound and fury signifying nothing, or should we attempt to plan action as a fan base unified in our love of the club, determined to take the action that will bang their heads together, forcing them to take account of us and our wishes whilst there is still time?

[Matt SFC]

Sorry, not trying to hijack this thread but can anyone tell me if the away kit only lasts one season? Thanks

 

Onto the topic at hand...I found last nights viewing very frustrating. For two reasons, my stream went from shocking to beautiful and back every two seconds, and, I felt at times we showed potential but just lacked presence. I can see why people attending SMS paying good money to see this can get very annoyed and angry. But I feel I am able to distance myself from the performance and think about it in terms of the how it will affect the season and if we are really good enough. I think we are, and don't think its time to give up on Poortvleit and the youngsters yet. Our manager and players are still learning at this level, and as such are prone to errors. However performances against Derby, Brum, Preston didn't happen by chance. And with victories over Norwich and Doncaster I believe that some fans are over reacting and are painting the picture much worse than it actually is. I don't expect it to be a great season, and will consider it an achievment to stay up this year. But I believe we will and think we'll end the season where we are now.

[dubai_phil]

And I'm delighted that you contributed such a measured post telling us what the Saints means to you and your family and how hurt you are too that your club is in such a parlous state. If the board read a succession of posts which are just a string of expletives, they will dismiss them as the mindless rants of the Neanderthals that they like to believe inhabit various sections of the crowd. If they bothered to read forums like this and instead found well reasoned and well written posts cogently expressing disgust at the low state that they have brought us to, then they had better sit up and take notice, because those people are perfectly able to disseminate those opinions though the media to their detriment.

 

They may well be wondering why the attendance numbers have been falling match by match, but all they have to do is to read the reasons by searching out the posts on forums like this and they will have chapter and verse.

 

No doubt the other shareholders in the Lowe clique were happy to trust Lowe and the Quisling to cut our cloth according to our means financially, as they were doing it to protect all their shareholdings. But it must be crystal clear to them now, that the way that Lowe has gone about it, allied to the intense dislike that a large section of the fan base hold him, has resulted in the situation that with every match lost, the resultant drop in attendances for the ensuing matches is pushing us closer to administration as well as relegation.

 

If those shareholders allied to Lowe have any genuine love for the club, I implore them to get together as a group, approach him and Wilde and tell them that the madcap plan has not worked and that they are withdrawing their support for them. They should make it clear that there should be a meeting of all the major shareholders of the various factions to try and find a way that they can all work together with the common purpose of saving this club. They should invite any other groups or individuals to attend who feel that they could make a positive contribution.

 

If they try and just stumble on from one drawback to another defeat, should we just sit idly by, all sound and fury signifying nothing, or should we attempt to plan action as a fan base unified in our love of the club, determined to take the action that will bang their heads together, forcing them to take account of us and our wishes whilst there is still time?

 

Wes I'm with you word for word in terms of sentiment, but I would stick my neck out on one thing, Which I accept takes a really big leap of faith, but everything I have seen or heard of late actually tells me that the guys really ARE trying every contact and avenue to find ways to keep things together and solve the core problem we are facing - we're broke and nobody wants to give us any more money.

 

What we HAVE to be very careful of is falling into the old "anything is better" trap. I've already suggested that both Lowe AND Crouch need to eat some humble pie and sit down, but the PROBLEM as I see and hear it at this moment it is still ONLY about "leaks plants and politics".

 

I feel that Leon (and Salz) have a part to play and urgently, but I am actually not yet sure whether he and the "team" of supporters they boast on here have actually put together ANY concrete idea yet EXCEPT for the "I could do better" argument.

 

That IMHO is bull, because Wes, you and I could also both say that, and in all honestly probably COULD do a better job, but NOT one good enough to break this vicious circle we are in.

 

So enough of the clever point scoring people - get some IDEAS and MONEY together, then let's get moving and DEMAND they work together for OUR CLUB!

 

IF we had something that resembled a plan then I think we could ALL get behind it instantly. But at the moment everything just seems to be a bit Baldrick.

 

(So in other words, put up or STFU because it just keeps dripping away on the morale of everyone)

[dubai_phil]

(So in other words, put up or STFU because it just keeps dripping away on the morale of everyone)

 

Oh BTW - I don't mean you mate I mean "the others"

 

 

Oh and yes Mike Bassett approach please

[um pahars]

(So in other words, put up or STFU because it just keeps dripping away on the morale of everyone)

 

Oh BTW - I don't mean you mate I mean "the others"

 

In the grand scheme of things, potential saviours appearing (and then disappearing) aren't dripping away on the morale of everyone. I very much dount that many at SMS are even aware of a Fulthorpe / Crouch / A N Other rescue package. It's confined to a few obsessed internet freaks on here LOL.

 

Quite simply what is dripping away at the morale of people is poor performances at home and the lack of any real success.

 

We have the second worst home record in this division and that's what is killing this Club in terms of lack of points and lack of punters!!!!!!!

[dubai_phil]

In the grand scheme of things, potential saviours appearing (and then disappearing) aren't dripping away on the morale of everyone. I very much dount that many at SMS are even aware of a Fulthorpe / Crouch / A N Other rescue package. It's confined to a few obsessed internet freaks on here LOL.

 

Quite simply what is dripping away at the morale of people is poor performances at home and the lack of any real success.

 

We have the second worst home record in this division and that's what is killing this Club in terms of lack of points and lack of punters!!!!!!!

 

Yep but when all is down the most critical thing to keep you going is hope.

 

The faithful keep going but are slowly seeing the performances go from can we stay in the bottom half to will we ever win a game at home and slowly the hope that the kids will turn it around goes.

 

With the mess we are in and Lowe in charge, it could stay like this for the next 50 years. That is where some hope needs to come from, that maybe we can get out of this. We all know January is coming and what it will mean to the playing side...

 

Walcott being offered an improved 12mil 4 year contract rumoured today. Jeez HE could buy us with that AND have some change, even IF he kept playing for Arsenal.....

[Graffito]

Sorry, not trying to hijack this thread but can anyone tell me if the away kit only lasts one season? Thanks

 

Onto the topic at hand...I found last nights viewing very frustrating. For two reasons, my stream went from shocking to beautiful and back every two seconds, and, I felt at times we showed potential but just lacked presence. I can see why people attending SMS paying good money to see this can get very annoyed and angry. But I feel I am able to distance myself from the performance and think about it in terms of the how it will affect the season and if we are really good enough. I think we are, and don't think its time to give up on Poortvleit and the youngsters yet. Our manager and players are still learning at this level, and as such are prone to errors. However performances against Derby, Brum, Preston didn't happen by chance. And with victories over Norwich and Doncaster I believe that some fans are over reacting and are painting the picture much worse than it actually is. I don't expect it to be a great season, and will consider it an achievment to stay up this year. But I believe we will and think we'll end the season where we are now.

 

I think you've got this about right. Win, lose or draw there's over reaction on here. Yesterday's performance was pretty similar to the others I've seen this season. A bit of power and backbone in key areas would make all the difference to this young team...but oh yeah I nearly forgot, we're skint.

[OldNick]

In the grand scheme of things, potential saviours appearing (and then disappearing) aren't dripping away on the morale of everyone. I very much dount that many at SMS are even aware of a Fulthorpe / Crouch / A N Other rescue package. It's confined to a few obsessed internet freaks on here LOL.

 

Quite simply what is dripping away at the morale of people is poor performances at home and the lack of any real success.

 

We have the second worst home record in this division and that's what is killing this Club in terms of lack of points and lack of punters!!!!!!!

I think that is true. The highs of last week have been cut very quickly.As soon as I heard the team it was obvious it was not up to taking on a passing side like BC.

Iam happy with the youth experiment but the wholesale changes week in week out is unneccessary and reckless IMO.Last season I could see why some of it was done but this season it is foolish.

[um pahars]

Yep but when all is down the most critical thing to keep you going is hope.

 

The faithful keep going but are slowly seeing the performances go from can we stay in the bottom half to will we ever win a game at home and slowly the hope that the kids will turn it around goes.

 

With the mess we are in and Lowe in charge, it could stay like this for the next 50 years. That is where some hope needs to come from, that maybe we can get out of this. We all know January is coming and what it will mean to the playing side...

 

Walcott being offered an improved 12mil 4 year contract rumoured today. Jeez HE could buy us with that AND have some change, even IF he kept playing for Arsenal.....

 

Problem is though Phil I have honestly never witnessed such a collective amount of pessimism at the ground and in the city before. In the good few drinking hours before the match there was always a glimmer of hope, a hope that we had turned the corner, but it was always said through gritted teeth and never completely believable.

 

At the match, although the support was pretty good, there was almost a resigned sense of being in the mire big time. I think people are apathetic and just going through the motions and can't even be ars5ed to have a moan!!!!

 

But out last night it was like a wake. The only positive was that maybe, just maybe there are three teams worse than us this season.

 

Then again, if this carries on like this until January and there is an exodus then I fear that will eliminate even the faintest of hope that may still be out there.

[Windmill Arm 2]

Last week everyone including the the groundsman were brilliant now they are apparently all s**t. We have to except that we support a team with no money to buy are selves out of trouble. Both the manager and the players are finding their way JP's honest about that. Lets relax and go along for the ride. We will rise again.

 

Oh well thats ok then. Lets all HAPPY CLAP

 

 

FFS

[OldNick]

Problem is though Phil I have honestly never witnessed such a collective amount of pessimism at the ground and in the city before. In the good few drinking hours before the match there was always a glimmer of hope, a hope that we had turned the corner, but it was always said through gritted teeth and never completely believable.

 

At the match, although the support was pretty good, there was almost a resigned sense of being in the mire big time. I think people are apathetic and just going through the motions and can't even be ars5ed to have a moan!!!!

 

But out last night it was like a wake. The only positive was that maybe, just maybe there are three teams worse than us this season.

 

Then again, if this carries on like this until January and there is an exodus then I fear that will eliminate even the faintest of hope that may still be out there.

Its depressing walking ot the ground and there is no buzz, you go onto the concourse and there is hardly anyone there, the SMS experience is fading very fast

[OldNick]

Oh well thats ok then. Lets all HAPPY CLAP

 

 

FFS

Windmill dont start all that happy clappy stuff. We are all hurting and os dont need that again.Fans are trying to rally our spirits ,there.s nothing wrong with that.

[Mole]

But out last night it was like a wake. The only positive was that maybe, just maybe there are three teams worse than us this season.

 

Forest are picking up points now so i'm not so sure there are three teams worse than us. We play them at the City Ground on the last day and if it's a relegation decider i think we'll be a League 1 club next season.

[Windmill Arm 2]

Windmill dont start all that happy clappy stuff. We are all hurting and os dont need that again.Fans are trying to rally our spirits ,there.s nothing wrong with that.

 

Sorry MOD !

[OldNick]

Sorry MOD !

apology accepted, always a mod never a rocker

[Professor]

We have some decent players, good enough to get the occasional result, but not enough good players to enable us to beat many of the teams in this division. The transfers in and the loans appear to have been the best available for the price we can afford. Despite what some people say, this is not last year's youth team, but its not a good enough team.

We have an honest manager who tells it like it is, and who appears to be tactically aware. Changing the manager would not change the squad or add any money to the budget, in fact it would probably add to costs, so its hard to see that as a route to take.

For the Chairman or the other board members to walk away would probably have a negative impact on the playing staff, and on the banks who are supporting the loans and overdraft, so that administration and the Blue Square could be a real possibility.

As a fan, I feel helpless, because we are all of us, helpless. I am still being depressed most Saturdays by the results, but at least I am not going to the SMS to have my misery confront me. I never thought I was a fair weather supporter when I stuck with it through the relegation fights, year after year and saw the pre-season optimism drain away, year after year, but there is a limit to how much pain you can allow your following of a football to team heap on you. IF things get better so will my support, but when or if, who knows......

Edited 10 November, 2008 by Professor

[Saint 76er]

A good honest post from the heart.

I just wish some fans would get their heads out of the sand.

Keep the faith, mate I know Leon Crouch is "on the case" but it is not easy dealing with Lowe's ego.

 

And I'm delighted that you contributed such a measured post telling us what the Saints means to you and your family and how hurt you are too that your club is in such a parlous state. If the board read a succession of posts which are just a string of expletives, they will dismiss them as the mindless rants of the Neanderthals that they like to believe inhabit various sections of the crowd. If they bothered to read forums like this and instead found well reasoned and well written posts cogently expressing disgust at the low state that they have brought us to, then they had better sit up and take notice, because those people are perfectly able to disseminate those opinions though the media to their detriment.

 

They may well be wondering why the attendance numbers have been falling match by match, but all they have to do is to read the reasons by searching out the posts on forums like this and they will have chapter and verse.

 

No doubt the other shareholders in the Lowe clique were happy to trust Lowe and the Quisling to cut our cloth according to our means financially, as they were doing it to protect all their shareholdings. But it must be crystal clear to them now, that the way that Lowe has gone about it, allied to the intense dislike that a large section of the fan base hold him, has resulted in the situation that with every match lost, the resultant drop in attendances for the ensuing matches is pushing us closer to administration as well as relegation.

 

If those shareholders allied to Lowe have any genuine love for the club, I implore them to get together as a group, approach him and Wilde and tell them that the madcap plan has not worked and that they are withdrawing their support for them. They should make it clear that there should be a meeting of all the major shareholders of the various factions to try and find a way that they can all work together with the common purpose of saving this club. They should invite any other groups or individuals to attend who feel that they could make a positive contribution.

 

If they try and just stumble on from one drawback to another defeat, should we just sit idly by, all sound and fury signifying nothing, or should we attempt to plan action as a fan base unified in our love of the club, determined to take the action that will bang their heads together, forcing them to take account of us and our wishes whilst there is still time?

 

Thanks LS and Wes for your kind words.

 

LS, if you are able to do so please pass on my regards to Leon Crouch, as one Saints supporter to another. If he can achieve it Leon would get my support for some form of takeover as the current farce simply isn't working and Lowe is far too divisive among the fanbase. Whereas LC is a FAN and that will mean a lot to supporters like me. Also he may be prepared to put some monies in to stabilise the finances, so it is not just about seating arrangements on the Titanic and even ten quid would appear to be more than the current lot put in. As well, we may expect a more competent board perhaps featuring highly regarded business people such as Anthony Salz and whilst not solving all our problems overnight that would at least give me renewed optimism for the future.

 

Wes, your post is most perceptive. The reason I decided to come back on here was to put my feelings in the public arena of Saints supporters in the hope that those able to influence the future direction of the club may take on board the prevaling mood of the customers of this PLC. Any business owner will tell you that it is imperative to keep the customer happy, but I fear this is not a prerequisite with the current board. Like you I have wondered what action supporters could or should take to get the message across that, with apologies to Peter Finch, "We're as mad as hell and we're not going to take this any longer".

 

It was my hope that some debate may follow and that fans might express their views as to how as a unified fan base some meaningful action might be put in place. Difficult I know, but after Saturday's match I really felt something should be done to get the message across and not to just sit idly by while the club we love heads into oblivion.

 

Perhaps someone could start a thread for this exact purpose of canvassing fans viewpoints with regard to said meaningful action? Even if a consensus can't be achieved it would certainly give the major players in this drama food for thought if they bothered to read through it though, and I bet they would!

[St Marco]

. Despite what some people say, this is not last year's youth team, but its not a good enough team.

..

 

Funny as im sure i saw most of them playing for the youth team last year....

 

And those who we brought in were not even playing for their main teams.

 

We have a few good players who could go on to be very good players. But we have more very poor players who could go on to be poor players. That is the reality of it.

[Scummer]

Just worked out that I've seen 7 games so far this season, 6 in the flesh and 1 on TV.

 

We've got 4 points out of 21 in those games.

 

1 win, 1 draw and 5 defeats.

 

Really drums home why I'm feeling that I can't be bothered to go any more.