Fitzhugh Fella

So says Adam Leitch in tonight's Echo. He was referring to the fact that Saints do not have "a direct replacement for Lambert". Something that has bothered a few of us on here. He goes on to say within the same article "you have to accept that without a massive pot of cash, WHICH SAINTS DON'T HAVE, you aren't going to get a like-for-like in terms of quality for your star turn". Well over the last 12 months - even without taking into account the wealth of the owner(s) of the club - we are , thanks mainly to the income from the Chamberlain transfer, a good 8 to 9 million in the black. So why does Adam insinuate there is not decent money available. Sloppy Echo reporting/accounting or does he know something, we don't. No agenda before the accusations start........ just genuinely intrigued why the local sports' reporter thinks we can't - or won't -afford a decent back up for Rickee.

These are the sort of posts I listen to

As Beatle Saint said we took a punt and we lost. It really is sod's law Lambert got injured the week after the window shut and in that same week Maynard and Sharp (two rumoured targets) stuck the knife in. There is a long way to go and there is time to remedy matters but if NA has erred so far it was not getting in say a young 19 or 20 year old Reserve Premiership nos 9 (a bit like Beattie when we originally signed him). With the Chamberlain money presumably at his disposal he "stuck" when perhaps he should have "twisted".

Mark Fry hardly covered himself in glory as administrator for Saints. He very nearly ensured we lost the Liebherr offer by clinging onto the pantomine that was Pinnacle.

And Seaborne I wonder?

This is an accurate and sensible report back from S-Clarke, However. A few observations of my own if I may Schneiderlin is not Chaplow (unfortunately). Elegant and good looking on the ball he maybe but he does not make his presence felt. De Ridder is an impact player whereas Chamberlain could do it from minute one - what a shame we could not have held on to him for one more season. Lambert must have either been ill or carrying an injury - NA never subs him. Lallana is not firing on all cylinders - don't know why but something is not quite right there Tonight was unconvincing but full marks for grounding out 3 points which at HT looked unlikely. We won tonight because between 45 and 55 mins we were unplayable - what a shame we could not have sustained our supremacy a little longer and particularly after their man got sent off Ref was good - hardly noticed him and I think only Kelvin Davis got booked for us. Thought the Hull sending off was a little harsh but I have not seen any replays. Do Prado had one of those infuriating games when everything he did looked cumbersome...but then he scored. His unpredictability is his greatest strength.

This latest news is a real boost to the chances that this thread will, in a month or two, reach 1000 pages and 50000 replies; when it does (and not before) then we should close it and let the good ship AFC Pomfrit start their journey from the lower reaches of Hampshire League football in comparative peace. But for the time being the ride is just too good to get off.

And the people that ruled Portsmouth just departed Chairman as a "fit and proper" person to own a football club will be suitably admonished?

Why wait?Loan him on a pre-arranged deal to buy.

I did say almost Don't worry I belong in the camp that would see them blown off the face of the planet.

Oh dear and here we go again - I almost feel sorry for them

Part of Southampton heritage

Sometimes your attempts at irony - if I read you right - don't really work. I went, I am a Saints fan but i took great pleasure in being able to support a side that play decent football. And as my grandfather on my mother's side hailed from Totton I felt no pangs of guilt for transferring my allegiances for the day. Perhaps you should start posting more genuine posts rather than trying to be too clever. Apologies if I have misread your thoughts.

I didn't think Appleton interviewed very well at all. He didn't look or sound confident, he was full of cliches and his words were spoken mantra-like. If I was a skate I would seriously be underwhelmed.

My Dad reckons the best tactic sides could employ at SMS is to start with 10 men - maybe after last night he has a point?

It wasn't Banarama it was "Steam"

Now if the Northam sung that instead of the crap they came out with last night......

Thought the Northam to be a bit moronic last night. That Steve chant was embarrasing and all this jeering and ole business at 10 man Peterborough was pretty cringeworthy too. Plus we're the Northam and we're the Kingsland makes us all look like we all have identity issues.

Just back and v happy and relieved we won (ugly wins are good) but somehow I feel it was not a great victory to savour. I fancy had they kept 11 men on the pitch we would have won easily but all of a sudden we didn't know how to penetrate 10 men and we became too elaborate. Least enjoyable game at SMS so far this season but the fact we got 3 points speaks volumes so that is a positive in itself. Negatives? Where was everyone - a nice autumn evening, and yet only 21000+ - are the armchair fans - you know who you are - getting a little too cosy? And please Nigel let's not ask Kelvin to pass the ball out - he simply is not up to it. Thought Chaplow was good again tonight, also thought Richardson's performance was far inferior to Butterfield's Saturday display. A good 3 points but not a lot to stick in the memory.

Dave Paton was the lead vocalist in a local band called the Sunsets which included Gerry Gurr on drums and Micky Judd. They performed at the After 8 regularly. Dave Paton is living in Scotland now, Gerry Gurr in Stow in the Wold and Micky Judd remains local. the New Forest I believe.

That's interesting I did not know that. Of course if they suddenly announced that the winners of the League Cup automatically got a Champions League place things might change a bit.

What on earth do you mean Grow Up. Sorry I am giving off a reasonable opinion I would have thought. Yes fringe players do benefit as things stand - that is good BUT and here is the rub and the point of my post Fringe players will only benefit if the fixture means something and if the clubs continue to undermine the competition it will quickly become anything but beneficial. I understand what NA did last night and of course the Boro game is more important and players have got to be protected from exhaustion and injury but that being the case let's just scrub this competion because it has become devalued. And for the record I don't think we should have a fan on the board but ironically ever since we became a limited company in 1898 the board has had "fans" on the board with the main qualification being wealth and in some cases expertise in the financial world. Rather ironic that Manji was not complaining then. I don't know why people have to get personal when a view is expressed on here - just because you don't like or even understand where I am coming from surely doesn't entitle you to make personal remarks?

Go and read some of the comments on the "just back from the game thread" - that is assuming you can read.

Swannymere - I would be grateful if you could direct me to recent "dig at the club". I am extremely happy at our progress this year and very impressed with what NA has achieved. I was merely saying what is the point of the Carling Cup. It seems the only clubs who take it seriously are middle table prem clubs - but even then the Europe route it provides is increasingly being undermined.

No I didn't but I went to Swindon and the two home games. I accept this is not just Saints but most clubs which is why I have come to the conclusion that unless you give it 100% in a competition with your best players (remember the JPT anyone) then what is the point?