Miltonaggro

The real derby game for Bournemuff is Weymouth, clubs of a similar size in jaded seaside resorts with little social history, who can forget the Punch and Judy riots of 1963. I'm with Miffy on the chants for Fast Eddie the too late skate...

This should bring back some memories chaps: http://www.justcatnaps.com/collection/GoodisonSouthamptonParade.html The usual suspects from season 70/71. Obviously what Adkins need to do is to sign three or four mad jocks...

If we could win the next two it's a back on track and target with arguably a stronger team spirit. After all the recent angst and bollo that would be lovely...

One thing we have learned over the past year is that nobody outside a very tight circle knows what is going on inside the boardroom of SFC. Of course, after ML's death his family may have thought that the football club (after all a business model like no other) was too hot to handle, and of course if that was the case the disposal would likely be handled quietly and efficiently and in such a way as to not alarm or alienate the paying public (hence the statement, think back to the statement about AP's future...). Life is life, and business is business, but I certainly hope that a sale is not beeing mooted or touted. What we do know however, is that should a sale take place Swiss Tony and Mickey Faker will not be anywhere near it!...

I though you were going to say coronary heart disease...

There are some very good points raised on this thread. After the takeover we were told about the glorious five year plan, saw a proven manager arrive (who whatever your position on him had a CV that said - Div 3 to Premiership) along with some good players, so we collectively bought into it. This was despite the ten point deduction last season (which was always going to make things very difficult), and despite the installment payments for season tickets being withdrawn this season - bear in mind that both season tickets and merchandise (shirt sales) were significantly up this year in anticipation of a football feast. After all the bookies are rarely wrong! With this in mind, it is natural that a large number of loyal supporters (particulary those who have invested heavily in the current financial climate) are either concerned, exasperated, or angry with the current situation and creeping realisation that all may not be well. This has not been helped by the lack of information coming from the club as supporters are second guessing positively and negatively all of the time leading to yet more angst and fallout, this is evident in the grounds and on here. The club has made itself an easy target in so many ways that it beggars belief. Nigel Adkins is a very good manager at this level, and of course we all want him to succeed, but it would be helpful to know what we are backing. Are we going to have some pending investment with these elusive three to four players that everybody (the happy clappers and wrist slashers) agrees we need on loan arriving within the next week to give NA options and more importantly motivational leverage? Are we going to be a selling club come January, with a mass exodus followed up by a mass recruitment? Are we now completely 'self-financing' with an inflexible budget regardless of the situation on the park? Is the five year plan now waste paper and if things don't improve quickly will NA get time to recruit, rebuild, and restructure? We all love SFC, but what are we now supporting?...

If there is a wantaway exodus in January (as is likely if things don't improve quickly) with the possible likelihood of Lambo, Lallana, Fonte, Davis, Morgan, and Barnard looking to move on it will be interesting to see NC's reaction. I rather fear that he will tell them that they are under contract and dig his heels in leading to a potential mutiny. The feelgood factor in the shape of three or four short term loans (we shed something like 15 players in the summer for goodness sake!) is now a necessity to support the new manager with options and moreover save this season. Never a dull moment...

No pace, but tricksy and gutsy and deserves a proper chance...

As the clock ticks on and on I am beginning to think that we may indeed be a busted flush in the transfer market. The team is crying out for competition for places in key areas and a lot of good (and reasonably cheap) players have gone begging already. I said on another thread that the appointment of NA could be the signal that we intend to 'coach' rather than 'buy' our way out of division three, all very honourable but in that case the manager is likely to need more than a season to get it right...

He needs to insert a subtle but highly explosive rocket up the collective 'arris; arm round some, headlock for others. He needs to get a result at MK. He need to use the loan window as soon as possible to bring in a flyer, a quality holding midfielder, and a back up target man (Rotheram's number 10 would do nicely). He needs to buy a pair of Ronnie Kray style specs...

To be honest I don't think Crosby is there to arrange the flowers, I rather think he is Bud White to Nigel's Ed Exley...

It's incredible how past exposure to Rednapp can cause such severe long and short term memory loss! Hope we take 4000 down there and beat the w*nkers 4-0...

Mojo is the right word Ron, spot on! In terms of giving the underperforming team ('I would not take a salary if I failed to get promotion with that squad' Gus Poyet) an appropriately strong enema, and the long suffering Saints supporters an appropriately significant boost, Keegan is your man. Adkins and his ilk may work long term, but I think another year in this league will kill off an awful lot of fans, he seems more of a finger waggle and collective sigh of acceptance type of guy. CBF is right, anything other than promotion this season will be a monumental failure, any more scandal or spin will be an insult to the collective intelligence...

Even the most glazed happy clappers must be losing patience with the current self inflicted debacle. I feel completely punch drunk and sick of spin at the moment whilst waiting for the next disaster or disappointment to unfold. Jesus Christ is probably an unrealistic appointment to be honest (rather outdated training methods), Keegan would have much the same effect but without the baggage, and he's available...

Adkins may look like a geography teacher but I sincerely hope that underneath that shell suit are balls the size of coconuts! S****horpe Utd might be in the league above us but they are a world away in terms of club size, their 'stadium' holds 9000 and their average attendance is something like 5500; the pressure will be on Adkins from the minute he turns up and the honeymoon period is likely to last as long as a traditional honeymoon, about a fortnight. Of course we all want him to do well, of course we all want him to be another McMenemy, but he won't be given the luxury of time by his Chairman. I think Pardew was put in place with funding assured to get us out of this league, I think Adkins will have been put in place to coach us out of this league - the latter could well be a long and painful process...

PS: When the new Saints manager is in place Cortese will put all these no mark bullsh*tters in place by stating the actual turn of events in what should be a rather comprehensive press release. My money is on fast Eddie throwing his hat into the ring in panic on being told Saints were in advanced negotiations with Adkins only to be told 'no thanks sonny' - the poor bast*rd is probably desperate to trade in his Mondeo for a Mercedes. Punch & Judy, geriatrics, serial bankruptcy, and the Krankies, the poor bast*rd...

I thought it would be the Leeds United clip or Duncan Norville in Panto...

At the start of the summer I expected that we would be on for the league and cup (JPT) double with a few choice exciting signings, a season to savour before another build and push in the Championship next year. The danger signs began during the Swiss tour and pre-season where the team and management looked frankly disinterested. Pardew going and the manner of his exit has left a lot of fans angry and demoralised as it looked like we had finally found some unity and stability at the end of last season - this has to effect the morale of the players. If an impact manager had been appointed the fans and the team would have been galvanised quickly, it would have been costly and dramatic but it would have provided the catalyst to fire us up the division; can you imagine the buzz O'Neil or Keegan plus an extra 8000 on the gate would have created. The appointment of an uncle Les approved 'continental coach' of the Adkins or Howe type will not create this buzz or impact, so even if 75% of the first team decide that the new man is OK aand worth playing for by Xmas it will probably be too late to recover the season. Overall I tend to agree with FF that mid table will be a result, and if this is the bed Cortese makes he must lie in it and change the five year plan to a seven year plan...

I've heard she goes down like the Titanic! Sorry...

Having been tied up today all that has unfolded in the press and on here looks like an incredible sh*tstorm! I think that when we wake tomorrow to our manifold tax rebate letters South Today will broadcast that Cortese was simply creating a smokescreen and that Martin O'Neil (Kevin Keegan, either or...) is the man to take our beloved Saints back to the Premier League and away from all the tawdry below stairs nonsense that has clouded our 125 anniversary season...

Typical skate, fickle and bitter...

Shearer would be the cherry on the Keegan icing on this lovely cake we call SFC! Was it on a Thursday that KK signed last time?...

Adkin's former mentor Alan Latchley speaking a few years ago on the 'Scunny way' (the three 'M's - Motivation, Motivation, Motivation!). I hope NC has seen this:

All this about Keegan being a serial quitter is somewhat misleading, he was with Newcastle for five years in his first spell, then both Fulham and England for just over a year each, followed by four years at Man City, before the Wisegate Newcastle debacle (any manager worth his salt would have quit over that situation). Compared to the revolving door at SMS in the last few years Keegan is in line for a long service award! The fact that he wanted the job last year is significant and the calls for him to be installed as Hamburg manager by their fans earlier this year speaks volumes. The point about KK is that he has done the business in the Premiership and the Football League, if he was appointed with a young assistant of his choice I tend to agree with CBF, that promotion would be 'nailed on' another by product would be unity of purpose among the players and fanbase, something that has been lacking at Saints for far too long...

Keegan with a young assistant would be a brilliant call at the current time, just what the doctor ordered in fact - attacking football, raised public profile, and above all else pure entertainment. He would do exactly what he did last time, put 8000 on the gate and leave the club in a much better position than he found it! Bring it on...