Fitzhugh Fella

I sense weariness?

When at Staplewood last week I was told maybe 4 weeks away. Also Larios was working hard in the gym. I feel for Stewart. He didn't ask for any of this, he didn't set his transfer fee and no doubt he's as pissed off as we are about what's been happening. It was a gamble and one we lost. The shortages of number nines makes me think it was a gamble worth taking at the time.

Take it from me THB is injured. I was at Staplewood on Tuesday and he was on the treatment table.

I've warmed to Juric so far but yesterday was a bit of a rude awakening; firstly with his team selection and secondly with his post-match comments. A manager that goes into denial mode is usually at the top of the slippery slope.

Character defects or weaknesses are not easy to resolve. We are in a deep trench and we needed everyone to pull together not act like a prima donna.

Now there's trust for you - our problem is "potentially" solved. Hmm my faith in SR republic recruitment is not as robust as yours.

Spors = Godot

So still no goalscoring forward on the horizon? That's disappointing.

Well Sam is with Stoke in the same league as we will be in next season (and where he has been since he left us) so his name in your list is a bit previous. You talk about coaches who seem him every day (SAA) and yes I would agree with you if I had more faith in the footballing set up up at SMS at present. Not including Juric because he is still getting his feet under the table and surely he hasn't seen enough of SAA yet? He looked good in the Championship last year as a 17-year old and will probably do so next season should he be given a chance.

It's very hard to comment with "full knowledge of the facts" because in recent months SD don't seem too keen on keeping the fan base up to speed. Yes there might be a reason why someone at SMS thinks SAA not worth keeping but I am damned if I can see the logic because to my weary eyes, he is young, promising and he has not been given a decent run in the side for a very long time. To me he looks a better prospect than Edozie and I'd rather see him the squad than Fraser. This decision - while there may be extenuating circumstances (pray tell us) - is baffling and undermines confidence in those currently taking footballing decisions.

We obviously desperately need a striker (Bednarek currently joint top scorer with 2 League goals?????) but so do about 30 other teams and good forwards really do not grow on trees these days. So we are going to have to take a gamble by signing an old crock like Wilson or sign someone from Albania no one has heard of and neither option fills me with much hope. Even someone like Paul Moody, Neil Shipperly or Micky Evans would be a bonus right now because I don't think I can watch more of Adam Armstrong's non-existant ball control.

Has Bamford signed yet?

JJ Morgan played 73 mins for Gillingham yesterday then got subbed

Yea but can our scouting team find them?

For me his treatment has been the biggest crime this season unless there is something going on in the background we don't know about. He has always seemed to be the most promising of our youngsters and yet Martin snubbed him repeatedly. I don't get it. He had a good game vs Cardiff in the League Cup and then was sent into exile.

Had a nasty shoulder injury and struggled after that. Bruce said the injury affected his form

Well said. I doubt anyone is as pissed off as he is. People often forget footballers are human beings.

Do I sense the mild whiff of a Russell Martin renaissance movement getting underway?

Had we not got promoted I wonder where we would be today. Probably in a better position than we are currently, although whether Martin and his style of football would still be popular a moot point.

I keep reading that Saints should "clear out all the dead wood in January" but I wonder if anyone has actually ever managed to sell any dead wood in the middle of January? Not sure there is a long line of managers or DoFs banging our door down all clamouring to get their hands on our "dead wood" either. Similarly, despite what the last poster, Bobsmith says "this could be the best time to strengthen" doesn't hold water because who in their right mind is going to want to join what is quite literally a sinking (fast) ship? The situation is dire and calls for drastic action but judging by the empty Director's Box on Saturday it seems a few of the people capable of taking decisions have already jumped.

Anyone who can score 22 goals in 37 Championship matches (2021-22) cannot be that bad. Are you going on what you have seen this season (in which case I would argue you are not giving him a fair hearing)?

He really is not as bad as people think. I watched a lot of him at Blackburn and given the right support and played in the right position he could still be an asset for us next season. He is a player who thrives on confidence, apparently and at present because of the way he was treated by Martin he is at a low ebb indeed. The only type of player who will come to us this January is an older player on his way down looking for a final swansong or, a young player yet to make it in the PL who fancies a crack. Neither fills me with any hope but we are, because of our position, hardly an attractive proposition. We have a Board who have unquestionably presided over two of the worst seasons in our 140 year history and a recent recruitment record that is literally gruesome. We really do need to get back to basics and regroup this summer, but I fear the new manager will be off when the break clause comes up. It's a shame because off the pitch the current owners seem to have a vision but we lack a real football man in amongst the hipsters.

We try to extend you mean and he finds a bigger club, but the argument is academic as it seems early reports of a 6 month contract were wrong, thankfully.

18 months would have been a good option. How are we going to judge him? If we get relegated will he be a failure? This is the board deferring the problem until the summer imo. I would have preferred something a little more long sighted but we all know what happens when we go down that road. As it is we will have a manager who almost certainly wont be here next Christmas.

If this new manager is only given a 6 month contract it says to me neither side is particularly confident in the other and we will therefore probably be in for another summer of upheaval and looking for a new manager.