Mowgli

We really need to move on from this point scoring - it does not do anyone any good really. Wouldn't it be nice to have discussion about how we survive this season given that there will be no changes at board, managerial and playing level.... ....in other words, coaches and players need to dig deep and produce the results we know they are capable of. forget about the rest of it - its window dressing.

It's a good point and I tend to agree that those days are long gone. I was thinknig something similar about Lawries ability to sign old pro's who really had a desire to win one last medal. It just doesn't happen these days and probably never will. The other thing is, it makes you realise that so many managers and Chairman have MLT to thank for us not being relegated earlier. If MLT were still playing, all this unrest and blame game aimed at non players would simply be non existent. MLT is a legend and I mention this only to keep things in perspective rather than to challenge his loyalty but do you think he stayed because of his loyalty to the club or do you think it was because he loved the area, felt comfortable and safe and was not particularly a good 'risk taker'?

It's the bizarre world of football because he made very little effort after we treated him well and gave him a contract!

Totally uncalled for. We all love Saints. We each express it in our own way. It's another opinion - just like yours - and should be respected - just like yours. Personal insults are actually what we can do without.

Pretty sad day really for all sorts of reasons. There's nothing like and over reaction to make a drama out of a crisis. You have to have some sort of control over who goes into the Mike Channon suite otherwise you would get people like me slipping in for a free drink. DA should expect no different treatment. I suspect any disparaging comments on the club were irrelevant to him being asked to leave but it could have been done with more sensitivity (unless of course, David was already pumped up and looking for a scrap!). Its so difficult to be objective though. The MLT analogy was a good one. Turn it round the other way - if MLT was Chairman and Rupert had 'slipped in' for a quiet word, I doubt whether many on here would be complaining about his treatment. Yesterday was a bad day but in reality we do appear incapable of stringing two good results together. All we can really do is move on and hope for a reaction in the next game. After all, most would be happy with just survival this season. And to finish one place above relegation is still possible given our AWAY form.

Meridian interviewed him at their training ground so I guess that is pretty good evidence.

Sorry buctootim - I must have been typing the same time as you!!

EBC would have granted planning consent except Rupert moved the goalposts at the last minute by saying the project needed shopping to make it financially viable. EBC (nor anyone else) could seriously support an out of town shopping centre. Why are we dragging this up though? Its history and we've ended up in a far better location.

There is a lot of drivel on this web site isn't there. Most of it is simply a thinly veiled attempt to criticise the current regime. Having said that there were some snippets of truth there. For what its worth the way I see it is that last season the strategy was to sign experienced pro's on decent salaries, gambling that the result would be promotion. No criticism there. The gamble failed though and now we have to offload those high eaners and only sign low salary players. There are not many of those about really so it restricted us to kids. No criticism there either - some of our best wins this season have come when there has only been one or two senior outfield players. The academy has got to be part of our strategy for now and the ability to fiedld four in the side is a pretty impressive achievement, whoever you give the credit too. All this has helped us get young loans from other clubs (Cork and Pierce both excellent) and give a second chance to those who promised as teenagers but failed to deliver (Smith and mayber Molyneux). If there ever was an experiement (and I agree it was a term invented by the fans / media) it was about Dutch 'total football' although in reality it simply continues the process started by Prost several years ago. But the reality is that most will look for the dark side of the argument. For example, there were loads coming on here criticising Saints performance against Manu when compared to how Derby got on. But I don't see anyone pointing out that Chelsea were beaten by the same scoreline and comparing us to them. Daft of course, but why must we always see the glass half empty?

There is a lot of drivel on this web site isn't there. Most of it is simply a thinly veiled attempt to criticise the current regime. Having said that there were some snippets of truth there. For what its worth the way I see it is that last season the strategy was to sign experienced pro's on decent salaries, gambling that the result would be promotion. No criticism there. The gamble failed though and now we have to offload those high eaners and only sign low salary players. There are not many of those about really so it restricted us to kids. No criticism there either - some of our best wins this season have come when there has only been one or two senior outfield players. The academy has got to be part of our strategy for now and the ability to fiedld four in the side is a pretty impressive achievement, whoever you give the credit too. All this has helped us get young loans from other clubs (Cork and Pierce both excellent) and give a second chance to those who promised as teenagers but failed to deliver (Smith and mayber Molyneux). If there ever was an experiement (and I agree it was a term invented by the fans / media) it was about Dutch 'total football' although in reality it simply continues the process started by Prost several years ago. But the reality is that most will look for the dark side of the argument. For example, there were loads coming on here criticising Saints performance against Manu when compared to how Derby got on. But I don't see anyone pointing out that Chelsea were beaten by the same scoreline and comparing us to them. Daft of course, but why must we always see the glass half empty?

Didn't we say that about Barnsley? The reality is that the Donny means very little - its putting a run together that we need. 4 or 5 wins on the trot would pull us clear irrespective of what part of the season we do it. Experience shows we play better away from home (amazing to think the players see it as a disadvantage to play in front of their own fans!!!!) and against the better teams. On that basis, I think we should be cautious about expecting too much from Donny.

Fair point. I was trying to state a fact rather than be critical. Hence the royal 'we'. Having said that I fail to see how constantly focusing on the negative can make people feel better. Still - I guess it works otherwise they would not do it.... (???)

Read with Tims original comments and you have a decent balanced view. The trouble is when results do not come, it does not matter what people say, it will be badly received. What matters for me is that the players still appear to be behind JP but their confidence is low and that explains why they are afraid to shoot on goal. That sort of thing only needs one good performance to change and maybe Saga is the man to give them that confidence.

Or how clueless we are. We either criticise him for not setting high standards or we criticise him for doing so. Let's face it, some people are just bitter and will criticise RL or JP irrespective of what they say.

Get rid. No question. how many times do I have to tell you that Lawrie Mac did exactly the same thing when he first came to the dell. Pot? Kettle?

Happy to be corrected on this. Of course it does not matter since JP does not play traditional full backs in his 'total football' formation. Funnily enough I still hope that it comes good for him!

Of course I meant Hearts ....

He was bought by Rangers as a left back and played by Burley out of position - but it worked so he stayed there. GB tried to recreate that here but Rudi failed to deliver (just shows scottish football struggles to match even CCC football south of the obrder imho. I think he was badly treated here after GB left (and just before) so I cannot blame him for wanting out but how he has held his place these last few games is beyond me!

That's even funnier. Let's forget the assets shall we....

He's saying what most of us were saying. He's not blaming the ref for the defeat. He is blaming the ref for spoling what could otherwise have been a reasonably entertaiing match with some crap decisions.

lol. Do you just pull these figures out of the air????

This site is the complete definition of hypocracy. Just because a bunch of supporters with similar views (remember the luvvies have all been driven away from here by abuse) get together in a rignfenced little world and surround themselves with people who agree with them, they think that view is widely held (remind you of anyone?). Because people have an alternative point of view they are wrong (remind you of anyone?). Many of the posters on here are so like Lowe its scary. There are a huge number of people who do not like Lowe but see him as totally insignificant in the scale of things. It is the nature of the job that Chairmen are despised but their arrogance and their skill in dividing the fan base to weaken the opposition is well executed. Lowe will be here for ages and like other Chairman around the country he will be viewed by some fans of the club (and only by the fans of that particular club) as the most hated figure in the history of the world. Nobody really notices the stayaway fans or the poorly organised demos because most are only interested in what is happening on the pitch. I'm not trying to be nasty or provocative. Just realistic in the hope thst some of you will learn to go back to a football match simply to enjoy the game. If you look closely there is always something to enjoy. Happy new Year from a frustrated and long suffering fan.

I'm happy to read justified criticism but I think this will have made quite a few people laugh today. I bet your family and friends just love being around you at this time of year!!

Can I just jump in here and wish every Saints fan, whatever their views on things at the minute, a Very Happy New Year...

Democracy is a good thing too - but only in the hands of the right people... ... The trust will only work as an independent fan group if it detaches itself from all the other views. Then it won't work.