Panda

It may be 3-0 but it doesn't really matter, it is only a pre-season friendly and you can't judge anything by that! (Wow 3-0 WOOT!)

He has only been in the job since SUNDAY - give him a chance!

40 players when the crisis is over? I think that is a bit of an exaggeration! What has he got at the moment -say 24 but 10 of those still very much 'work in progress' so he has 14 players to depend on. Say he picks up six 'frees' to give him a squad of 20 - still not a big squad. Also, you can't 'ship out your Job Centre staff' when you don't want them any more. If you took on temps from an agency you could but not employees. You have to be a bit selective in the staff you take on of course, but my point is that some of the six, at least half, I am sure will do a good job for you longer term. There are always risks (ala Smith, Molyneax, Pullis, etc).

I say this again! http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=391918

I look at it this way. Say I have a small business with bare bones in the way of staff. One of my customers comes along and says 'I want 1,000 units a week for the next 40 weeks and possibly beyond - can you deliver?' I say "Yes, of course!" and then I pick up the phone to the Job Centre because I am going to need five or six new people in quickly. Why? Obvious ... they are available NOW (no notice period or protracted negotiations, etc); they are not going to haggle too much over wages, a job is better than no job; they will not be necessarily out of work because they are useless, probably through bad luck with previous employers downsizing (or going out of business); some will will work out and stay a while, others will go but they will get me through the initial period. Once I have my new players on board and we are beginning to deliver the goods I can take a good look at what I need long term, think about a strategy and then start to recruit good team players for the future. In our position right now AP needs some experienced players and fast. It is not about lack of funds, it is not about lack of ambition, its about new faces NOW with experience and some ability at our current level. Once that is sorted then he can start to build with the players he really wants. I think it is a good strategy in the position he finds himself in.

If this is true, may be it is a player/coach role? Just a thought ...

Today SAINTS WIN even if the score goes against them. We have a club, we have a new owner, new management team and a new future. Happy times for a change. (Score 2-0 Saints - and I have new unfounded hope!)

Check back to the poll on the greatest Saints team - it may surprise you to know David Armstrong was in it by popular demand. He also played for England. Show some respect!

We were told there is a five year plan to get to the Prem and AP has a three year contract so there is an to change manager for a 'big prem name' when we get nearer to there. The option to keep AP on, of course, remains if he is keeping up with the expectations of the management (and the fans!). There is a 'break clause' after three years if we need it without incurring massive financial penalties. However, AP knows that if he delivers on the plan then he will have tremendous rewards. This is his big chance just as it is ours. Anyway, as others have said, this is a good appointment and it shows ambition, not lack of, to get someone of AP's credentials. He obviously has the courage and determination to succeed otherwise he would not even consider taking over what we currently have. He also knows there are tremendous expectations of him from everyone but that has probably just inspired him rather than deterred him. It is also interesting that the management team said they would time but that they would have someone in place by the end of the week and they do it. These guys mean what they say and do what they mean and that, for me, is refreshing. This is a very good move, I am beginning to like Fridays again - roll on next week, what will that bring! Oh, and by the way, KK and WGS were never realistic options were they?

OK how about: this company makes huge cranes (amongst other things). two have recently be installed in to Southampton container port. When you want to sell you take your prospective customers to a user site. In doing that you try to give them a good time with a few 'treats'. So, for example, you have a prospective customer from a container port in the far east, you fly them into the UK and then helicopter them down from Heathrow to Southampton Airport and take them to Lainston House (or somewhere else very expensive to stay). You then take them to the docks and show them your cranes, then back to the stadium to sample some of the best catering available (?) and treat them to an experience of good old English football ... or: this company is huge but it's name is not that well known as it makes pretty exclusive products for a minority market. It is a brand however with many other facets but the UK just does not identify with it. So, a league 1 team will play in 25 different English cities and towns next year and possibly the year after, say a quarter of a million plus people will be exposed to your name. After promotion you spend two years in the Championship and another half a million people see your name plus a fair few hundred thousand more will see it via television. Then the pay back - the Premiership and another million people will see your name at grounds and countless millions across the UK and Europe on TV. In five years your unfamiliar name is becoming a household name ... Believe me, a £15m outlay and some further investment will be more than recouped in increased sales in five years. The marketing potential for a company like this is enormous and that is why they are going to do it and make a good job of it. They make a good job of everything they do, that is why they are where they are. It just needs the other bidders to keep out of their way now and not muddy the waters with the creditors and their plan can start to roll. Slowly at first while they take stock, take advice, and make their plans. Don't expect changes over night, but they will mean business.

Guildford has a Cathedral so that makes it a city doesn't it? Add Chelmsford to the list ...

I agree Art, the sum of buying the pieces will be lower than the sum of buying the whole. Buying the pieces is risky because you may not be able to buy all the bits, someone might beat you to an essential part. Also, you may not actually want all the parts anyway so just buying the bits you want makes better sense. Buying some of the bits and letting others buy other bits may be good practice. For example, a property company might make a better job of owning the stadium and making full use of the facility than the football club owner who, in turn might be pleased to be relieved of the problems of owning the stadium and be happy to pay a rent for using the stadium rather than a seemingly never ending mortgage. As fas as the player sales are concerned, again, this might be what a potential owner of the football club wants. The current set up has failed, many players want out and may have clauses in contracts that are not in line with our League 1 position. If these players leave and some money comes in then the value of the team goes down so you pay less to buy the club in the break up situation. That leaves you more to buy in fresh faces and to completely rejuvenate things. The down side to this is, of course, the creditors may be offered less and they might cause more problems with the league when a CVA is needed. But if we are -10 then promotion this year would be unlikely so -25 is not much worse, you are aiming for a minimum of say 66 points (22 wins out of 46 matches) to stay in League 1 this year and so put the past behind you before starting to regain ground next year. Hanging on for 'break up' and bargains saves money but is risky but I reckon the 'players' concerned in this on all sides have thought these strategies through and are prepared to go to the very limit to save money now to spend later. That's why the three 'amigos' could never sell, the cost of buying their shares just diluted the funds then available to invest in success. I never did like poker.

ALIstair DIAs - Ali Dia - get it? It's a joke someone started a while back. There is no such person ...

Interesting point! They would only take issue if someone had a bad financial record and directors of 'failed' companies some times get this if there are questions about how their company was trading before going in to administration. I guess Le Tiss would not have any issues like this, Jones may do I suppose having been the FD of he failed company. Crouch? Not a director at the time of admin for Saints and has only success it seems in his other businesses. I don't think this is the sticking point. This comment is surely a veiled answer to the wild speculation surrounding KK. He is saying the press or next doors window cleaner is not making this decision - we are and we have to get it right.

I think that without the full facts available it would be foolish, and potentially damaging, for any fan to interfere with any form of protest against the Football League. At present there are no published facts that confirm anyone one party is responsible for this mess and a hot-headed response will only entrench attitudes when delicate negotiation is what is needed. KEEP OUT OF IT!

The FL have never disputed the club are not in admin, only SLH were, but they tied the two together to appease the other FL members and to prevent appeals from those already penalised in the past. They are now demanding that clubs that come out of admin must have a voluntary arrangement with creditors for repayments of debt. SFC cannot do this as it has no creditors, it is not in liquidation. SLH cannot do this as its assets are being sold off and the company liquidated. Therefore: 1. The FL say no CVA or its minus 25! Accept or get lost. Pinnacle say there cannot be a CVA as the club has no creditors to come to an arrangement with or 2. The FL say no CVA? Oh yes, see your point, let's stick with the -10 then. But this breaks their own rules regarding CVA's and presents complications for the past and future. or 3. FL say no CVA, I see your point. True SFC were never in administration so can't enter in to one! Sh1t! That means if your were never in admin we can't doc you any points at all can we? Oh dear, that makes us look very foolish but never mind. or 4. FL say, you are cheating and we don't like it. You are trying to exploit a legal loophole to get by the spirit of the legislation we put in place to prevent this form of manipulation. If you want to play in our league then you have to play fairly. Stop splitting hairs and sign here. Buyers lawyers say, you can't sign with that clause in it, its illegal. So there you have it. The future of Southampton FC versus the future, as we know it, of the Football League. The FL cannot back down, the purchase (by anyone) of SFC cannot go ahead. All that is left now is to wait while the all powerful FL decide on what course of action they will accept as a compromise whereby they do not lose face and Saints get to continue. However, the FL will win - they have to.

I'll go for: Money - Andrew Lloyd Webber Boardroom - Lynham, Jones, Crouch and Le Tiss Manager - Dowie Keegan to have an informal role at some point in future, poss non-exec director

Remember Ben The Legend?

When we have won three and drawn 1? Or won 2 and drawn 4? You get the idea!

Are we sure this relates to Kev being the new manager or could he just be the man with money? Nothing would surprise me present.

Dorchester away would suit me as I might actually get to see a game for once - trouble is, who would I shout for? Oh SAINTS of course! If we are still in League 1 when all this guff ends then I hope I might get to Yeovil when the time comes.

It is all very well talking about nothing and, indeed, it has improved the quality of debate on this forum no end. My concern is that we have threads still talking about somebody. Should we not extend what we are discussing to include nobody? After all, when talking about nobody it is only nobdy that gets offended, not a lot of other people. Nobody thought of that?

1. It is time to move forward not back. 2. Let us let the new management team sort out the structure and people they want to have run the football

Be positive! At least they are still thinking forward and there is planning and development going despite no one apparently in charge. And yesterday could have been a pivotal day in the history of our club but we just don't know it yet ...

Pathetic ...