Fitzhugh Fella

Derry, I first heard this story about 2 months ago and it originated from an ex-player with good local connections and no political axe (ie not MLT, Franny etc). This was some weeks before Markus's sad passing. I really did not believe it although I suppose football clubs are always "for sale" (for the right price). However over the last week the rumour keeps coming back to me from other unconnected sources. I really do not want to believe it because being owned by the Liebherrs (and certainly while Markus was alive) you could ask for no better owners but perhaps things have now changed? Nicola could have lost his ambition as his friend is no longer alive and perhaps he hankers after returning to his pre-Saints way of life. I really do not know! If and it is a big if, there is a desire to sell let's hope they are selective to whom they sell. There are a lot of sharks out there and precious few good guys.

Alain your words are wise ones but one small rider - I wouldn't give a flying f*** about what anyone said about me if I was still comfortably behind a cloak of anonymity.

A fairly sound appraisal of where we are and why we are. However we now have no choice but to unite behind NC/NA. Let's hope we have finally found a winning formula. I just hope and pray NC is not already having second thoughts and looking to unload because "better the devil you know".

Thanks the gaffer - I too have been on the receiving end of some pretty nasty stuff from manji which has left me feeling a bit perplexed. He seems to think I hanker after some sort of position at SMS and gets really nasty. I think it must have something to do with my bust up with Lowe and can only assume as Mike was pretty anti too that that is the reason he feels so vitriolic. There is no need for it and it must be very hurtful for Mike to see such nastiness. I sincerely Manji reflects on his words.

Thanks Nick - apology accepted. Forums can be lethal. Going back to the OP I can in hindsight see where you are coming from but funnily enough it was not my intention to cause any "trouble". I was a little instrumental in getting the Kevin Moore appeal off the ground a few years back (although Ian Ritchie should get 99.99% credit for everything he has since done). I am interested that you regard my criticism as continually undermining the club. The only person I did try and destabilise was Rupert and only after he publicy undermined Stuart Gray in the Echo. I regarded his presence at SMS harmful from that moment and I pretty much stand behind that argument today. Like I said NC to me is the main man and I will support him 100% if for no other reason that there is simply no one else who can do what he can. As for Leon and Lawrie I have had big rows with both men over the years and I think both have had their day - as far as Saints are concerned - although in their day both men were committed to the cause in their own ways and contributed to our welfare. I do criticise a lot (mainly because there is a lot to criticise in modern football) and I am not one for sticking my head in the sand when it comes to Saints but I really do not want to see any more unrest in the forseeable future. I really hope NC is as committed as he says because the alternative does not bear thinking about. I also think those who made nasty remarks about Mike Osman should withdraw them because he certainly does not deserve the crap that wa sposted on here, whatever his "political" views maybe. He did a great job last week and I am still getting laughs of his sexual history and getting old watching porno films gags. Rgds Duncan

Phil nowhere in the OP did I say it was anti-Saints stuff they were spouting. Another example of misquoting. I should think all 3 would be ****ed off if they thought I was saying that they were anti-Saints. What I said was it was "hard-hitting political" stuff that was "controversial". Personally I didn't agree with ALL of it which was one reason I chose not to elaborate, but I stand by my right to report it back that it took place without having people like Nick imply I was looking to drop Mike Osman in it.

Well **** me Nick why don't you stir it up a bit more? I have resisted replying to some of the criticism on here because it truly is pathetic but I resent deeply your implication that I was I am somehow setting Mike up for criticism. If you read my OP I praised him massively for his time and contribution to charity and I for one enjoyed his compering the event very much. To call someone like him a freeloader is a scandal and I suspect it is the dying remnants of Rupert's army that are throwing their toys out of the pram. My OP was an honest report back of the evening. If I had not mentioned the fact that there WAS some political talk it would not have been an honest report back. I did not feel the need to reveal the content of what was said, which was because I assumed most on here could probably guess that it was not going to be complimentary to either of the two last recent regimes in charge at SMS, and like Mike said on the night, it was best left inside the hall. I also knew if I repeated it, it would be me that would be left arguing the toss or defending it and tbh I can't be arsed any more. NC is in charge, his represents the owners and what he says goes. No point in going on about it. He's the boss and can do what he likes. I wish him the best of luck because we need it and I shall support all he does because there is no other game in town. I think it really sad that by trying to make this forum a more informed place people like you try and spin it to persuade people like Mike that they should be upset with me? Yesterday there were two quite interesting posts I was going to start but I shied away because I couldn't be bothered to take the flak. One involved an Echo piece on Jonathan Fulthorpe and his proposed takeover of Saints and the other well..like I said I can't be arsed to attract more crap from people like you. It is a shame because there are some good people on this forum (though the number is dwindling), who I am sure appreciate being kept up to speed with reliable gossip but it just gets too personal now and tbh my life is complicated and unpleasant enough to have to put up with anymore crap on here. I don't think you are one of the worst Nick, in fact far from it but you really should think before you start slinging mud. Your post is trying to create a non existant wedge between Mike Osman and my words and I don't appreciate that.

I think Schneiderlin is the most over rated player at SMS since Anders Svensson. Show ponies the pair of them! His free kicks today were a disgrace.

Yes he definately did not like the way the left side had shaped up hence removing Puncheon and Harding. Thought Schneiderlin was awful today. He looks elegant on the ball but some of this free kicks and all round play was very poor.

I do think it about time SISA disbanded. I do think it about time the Echo realiase they speak for no one anymore. There was a time in the 90s when they fulfilled a useful function and had an element of democracy about them but that was then. Do we need an organisation to represent supporter's views anymore? I really don't know, but one thing I do know Nicola Cortesa is under no obligation to listen to anyone if he doesn't want to.

I have got no gripes against NC - he is the boss whether we like the way he does things or not. It could be a lot worse as we could have a chairman who doesn't care and doesn't invest. We now have a new manager and now we are going to have to sit back and give him 6 months to get settled. Unfortunately this means promotion is a long shot and the 5-year plan is under threat but we really have had too much instability at Southampton FC and whatever we all think our only choice is to put all the politics behind us and hope that Nigel Adkins with Nicola Cortese's support can finally stop the rot. There are no other options.

Must admit last night was sobering. I was looking forward to some improvement with the "new manager" syndrome kicking in but it was more of the same a la Swindon. By the end we were almost a rabble and only Chamberlain last night came up to par. Bringing on Mills for Connolly at 0-0 was Adkins first mistake - Connolly was doing nothing but Mills is very limited going forward. We were talking last night about how incredible it is that we should go from firm favourites to also rans in one month - something went very wrong in the summer. Not pointing any fingers because it seems the truth is wrapped up in mystery but in the close season this club lost all the impetus built up last season. Last night it was quite shocking to see the decline in the players who served us so well. Schneiderlin and Hammond are so one dimensional, Hammond is now a hoofer, Connolly looks like he's never played at the highest level, Puncheon was shocking, his shooting wayward and his judgement non-existant. Lambert was a shadow, Seaborne raw and out-of-his-depth while Davis (shot stopping aside) unable to come of his line for crosses. Well-beaten by an ordinary side. The ref was one of those you thought would make a terrible decision against us any minute - awful and so was the ginger linesman who irritatingly only put his flag up after the ref had made the decision. Nigel Adkins really has his work cut out and when I looked at the bench to see the options it was almost unbeleivable how few we had. Something has gone wrong, it means no promotion this year which is making the original 5-year plan look wildly optimistic imo.

Must admit last night was sobering. I was looking forward to some improvement with the "new manager" syndrome kicking in but it was more of the same a la Swindon. By the end we were almost a rabble and only Chamberlain last night came up to par. Bringing on Mills for Connolly at 0-0 was Adkins first mistake - Connolly was doing nothing but Mills is very limited going forward. We were talking last night about how incredible it is that we should go from firm favourites to also rans in one month - something went very wrong in the summer. Not pointing any fingers because it seems the truth is wrapped up in mystery but in the close season this club lost all the impetus built up last season. Last night it was quite shocking to see the decline in the players who served us so well. Schneiderlin and Hammond are so one dimensional, Hammond is now a hoofer, Connolly looks like he's never played at the highest level, Puncheon was shocking, his shooting wayward and his judgement non-existant. Lambert was a shadow, Seaborne raw and out-of-his-depth while Davis (shot stopping aside) unable to come of his line for crosses. Well-beaten by an ordinary side. Nigel Adkins really has his work cut out and when I looked at the bench to see the options it was almost unbeleivable how few we had. Something has gone wrong, it means no promotion this year which is making the original 5-year plan look wildly optimistic imo.

Went to the Kevin Moore charity evening in Otterbourne last night and thought it was very successful and well organised. It was good to se some folk from Fulham FC down and along with Grimsby they provided items to auction. Kevin's family were also there. Good to see Jimmy Case and a couple of Hants cricketeers (Dimi and Nic Pothas) in attendance. Matt and L Mac were on form and there was a lot of interesting chat both football related (Dia, Kevin Keegan, Bally, Tim Flowers) and inevitably some hard-hitting, controversial, political stuff too, which is best if it stays between the 4 walls it was spoken in. I know L Mac - understandably - gets lots of flak for his ego etc etc but I have got to say the guy still loves the club as much as anyone, follows it avidly, and gives a helluva lot of his spare time up doing charitable events which at his age must be quite draining. Ditto Mike Osman who compered and told some genuinely funny jokes, especially about Millbrook. Seeing all the effort and dedication put in to help an ex-Saint was gratifying and occasions such as this reminded me why I fell under the club's spell in the first place. Matt is as comfortable behind the microphone as he was with the ball. Enough said! Kevin is not really in "a good place" right now but he has a loving family and last night proved many people care about him still.

At Swindon on Saturday someone normally reliable told me that he (AP) has lodged a tribunal.

Could yet happen with the start Grant has made

Well Eddie came close

wasn't there a sweepstake thread about how long Pardew would get started about a year ago? Must go and see if I can find it. I will give Adkins longer mainly because he seems to have no baggage whereas Pardew arrived with many fans at his previous clubs not exactly singing his praises. Adkins should get this and next season to get us up. We have to be patient now - we simply cannot afford to chop and change any more as we are all a bit punch drunk

I think the whole episode exposed Strachan's achilles heal as a manager. Yes Davies had issues and yes he had not been playing well but a good manager gets those sort of things sorted because deep down we all knew "he had it". Strachan got careless and thought he was a bit too clever and as a consequence we lost an excellent player for nothing.

To write someone off without giving them a chance is madness. To predict he will be a massive success again madness. He will need time to settle and get to know the players unfortunately, which will mean promotion is nothing like as assured as it was (even if it was). My big fear is that he turns out to be really good and then is poached by a Prem club before we get a chance to once more challenge for a place amid the elite. I like the sound of him, he is obviously intelligent, I like it that his teams play football and as long as he is allowed to manage without undue interferance then maybe we can once and for all put this ridiculous managerial merry-go-round to bed.

Kevin Davies - Strachan's worse mistake by far and the biggest reason I am now glad he is not coming back to manage!

Pravda journalism at its finest

Obviously you are not wrong with what you say but yesterday they looked so disorganised the sort of thing that should come with a decent manager and some leadership

The think we lacked most yesterday was guile and organisation. It is in midfield where that problem is most apparent.

Pleased to see some positives stuff emerging about NC. We need more of these type of events so Nicola can overcome the growing nos of doubters but this is a start in the right direction. Please note Fitzhugh Fella in positive post shock