Gloucester Saint

Probably is genuine but the club need to learn from the Gapko fiasco last year where the move didn’t happen and they left it too late to line anything else up in a key position which was a huge factor in relegation. Downes would be excellent for a season at this level but don’t put all of the eggs in that basket.

Trump fanatic in Texas arrested for making threats and holding typical views of his idiots https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-66529579 A couple of weeks back, a far more dangerous Trump loony was eliminated in Utah https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/09/politics/fbi-utah-man-joe-biden/index.html I suspect the FBI are going to be very busy over the next 18 months and even more so after Trump loses and he and his cult won’t accept it. This is where highly partisan TV networks, the dark web and unlimited guns leads you to.

There were also Exeter fans at the back of the Lyndhurst Stand, they jumped up and sprayed beer around when Rickie scored. Plymouth assumed by the red and white stripes under jumpers/coats it was Saints fans until they got close up. A couple got a shoeing and in a mess. Was a very risky thing to do given the strength of their rivalry and how dark a day that was for Argyle. This came from Plymouth fans at work and their forum at the time. A couple of Saints fans also got loud after the third as someone has mentioned already and were chased/kicked out. Majority of us were fine as kept ourselves to ourselves. I also was in the main stand at the Exeter away game and managed not to give myself away despite Rickie’s last minute winner. I think people knew but as others have said as long you behave it’s usually ok in most places. Cardiff/Swansea away is where I’d not do it and Leeds only with friends from that area.

Would be happy with either Vyner or Bellis, although I can just imagine a chant of ‘Bellis gonna get yer’ from the Northam to opposition strikers (for those who remember the Reebok advert from the early 2000s).

No, Guly scored before that, certainly two on Boxing Day v Exeter that I can remember and I think he scored away at Yeovil away in the autumn too?

Authorities need to investigate there, Hooper still should have seen it live but VAR no excuses, that’s just fixed. If that’s an attempt at an objective decision by VAR then the officials concerned have no role in the sport or any sport. Not fair to push them down the pyramid. PL needs to clean up its act. If I had my way after a morning’s investigation by independent panel, Wolves are awarded a point tomorrow and Man U stripped of two to keep it clean but never happening. Cricket refers all the time to video and Rugby to TMO - how many decisions remain wrong? Far less if any. Being on the mic helps with transparency eg why have they made the decision they’ve made. Technology not the issue, elite football’s sickness is.

The cross should never have come in with that much space and time. Quality delivery but with Norwich having better Champ players than Wednesday it would be. Manning also had a shocker for the fourth, a nudge out of harms way would have done instead of a hack across the line. Neither the CBs nor our full-backs was helped by the ridiculous decision by the manager to not pick a DMC from the start. It looked so much better with Charles on. Hopefully along with Downes joining he’s learned from yesterday.

They stunk under Dean Smith and like Saints still are post later Ralph era/Jones it takes time to clear the stench of neglect. Good squad for this level on paper, somewhere 5th to 10th. Sara is a serious player who as well as Alcaraz did today was better and Sargent miles better than anything we have in the forwards department bar Che. Which having spent nearly £20m on Onachu and £11m on Mara should result in layers of scouting sackings as neither of those two look good enough for professional football at any level frankly. They’ve still got some ex PL malcontents to shift eg Rashica and they done have the depth for top 2 but they should do well and decent test. Better than 13th and what they showed last year. One advantage is their manager. Martin got comparatively exposed tactically today. Not starting with Shea was a shocking error and it was glaringly obvious before 3pm that the CMs selected are offensive-minded and don’t consistently go with runners or assess what protection the back 4 needs. Downes will help but that quote which makes him out to be a panacea is concerning. If he messes it up at Plymouth again on the selection and tactics, Wilcox is going to have to intervene and mentor a bit as the club can’t afford to throw games away on random experiments. I like Russell Martin overall but today was naive and he got schooled by an experienced hand at this level, but got away with it. Appreciate it’s not easy with the JWP and Lavia messing about but part of the role for now. We need to be harder to create chances against and it doesn’t need a £40m transfer fund to cut the crosses out which we’re fizzed in with ten yards of space. Most players in the top divisions can deliver quality if you stand off regularly. KWP should know this from last year as we conceded loads of goals from crosses. Let’s hope he’s learned from it and the club get him the new faces to shore up in front of and within the back 4. They should replace Bazanu but wont ideologically so they have to transform what’s in front of him with 300 games of experience and communication.

Why the fuck is Shea Charles not starting? For £10m in the Champ, he’s a fucking DMC and Saints don’t have one on the pitch, and look at the result. Full backs need to work harder on stopping crosses coming in as well. Russell Martin isn’t going to last long if the side carries on leaking like this.

I can’t see Mara getting goals at any level at the moment. Looks very underdone and raw as a footballer. The coaches can see some raw talent but it’s going to require intensive coaching and he’s got to take it on board on the pitch. If he can start to do that for the B team he might come back into contention. Agree on AA if Ipswich offer £8m and match his wages, I don’t think a ‘play off the shoulder’ striker will fit RM’s methods.

Beans, Beans, good for your heart The more you eat the more you fart The more you fart the more you eat The longer you spend on the toilet seat Right, off to watch the Hundred before I drag this thread down any further than it already is…

Oh I agree, I was just considering the links I’ve seen and knowing the club’s focus on re-sell. Some mobility to go with the height would help but not easy to find. Vestergaard was a case in point.

If they buy a CB from L1 it’ll be Ronnie Edwards, even if he sounds like one of the Kray’s associates. Piroe would make sense if Swansea will settle for around £13-14m with a year left on his deal, like Downes will know the manager’s methods. Hourihane not a bad shout and has a good record at this level.

Hard to blame Russell Martin. It’s some of the same dogshit who lost v Grimsby so the National League and lower is genuinely their level. Ease the manager’s problems about fitting them all on the training ground, freeze Djenepo, Mara, Lyanco and McCarthy out of first team facilities and offer non league clubs the opportunity to take them on loan. They will soon find other clubs sharpish even if in Alex’s case he has to write off some money.

Whoever the fuck gave Moussa a new contract last season when it was due to expire last summer shouldn’t be allowed in any workplace, football or otherwise. Lyanco was always a stupid signing, the Torino reviews were enough evidence. 6m Euros or whatever it was, 6m too much. As for Mara, 13m Euros - some serious alcohol consumption in that bit of ‘scouting’. Basically since Ronald left there has been no football expertise at SMS bar some flickers from Ralph. I think Wilcox has some but he’s been left the vomit of several amateur eras to clear up.

The plank who scouted him/signed a cheque for up to 13m Euros can go with him. Must have imbibed too much of the local Bordeaux wine to think there was a PL, scratch that, even Championship potential player in there.

Reminds of WGS at Saints after 2003. WGS allegedly wanted Malbranque and Saha - Lowe wanted Kenton and Leon Best for 50p, only buying Kevin Phillips at the last minute after realising how criminally light the first team was in experience and quality, the type WGS seemingly wanted to bring in. We all know what happened over the following 18 months….

Oh heck. I didn’t like the look of it when they were linked to SFC. But worse than I thought, Garlick selling to them after years of being careful and parsimonious was a bit odd. Well done to Pace on appointing Kompany which got you straight back. He’ll have to use some of those new borrowings for Tella as I can’t see him going for less than £15-18m, especially as Lavia about to be sold for nearly £50m, Salisu for £12-15m (depending on the outlet) to Monaco and possibly JWP to West Ham for £25-30m.

Have been links to Everton but ditto for Che, Che strikes me as more of a Dyche player and possibly slightly cheaper.

That British Gas article sums up how the late 1980s privatisation of utilities has failed on every level. Doubt if Starmer has either the cojones or funds to re-nationalise it, but it’s what needs to happen. Even half of Conservative voters when polled are saying it. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/nearly-half-tory-supporters-want-27856320

If Rishi is relying on McCarthy or Bazanu in front of them that’s toast for his five pledges.

I think as a player Saints were in the early 80s I read somewhere - might have been 1982/83. IIRC his first win as QPR player manager was 4-1 at the Dell Boxing Day 1988. Sad news, 69 no age. Didn’t realise he had a heart attack 11 years ago.

Confidence. He hadn’t been through a season at a dysfunctional club leaking like a colander (and that’s some statement about Saints given the state of Pompey over the last 15 years). He couldn’t go back there now to rebuild and I’m not sure one of the clubs aiming for the top 2 like Derby would risk him. Selles and Reading possibly but with their finances we’d be paying all the wages. Whereas Wrexham/Notts/Bradford/Salford might pay a little. Going to a L1 fighting the drop would be more damage to his confidence.

I suggested a loan to League 2 for a couple of seasons, maybe Wrexham to compete with Foster/learn from him or Notts Co. Get a few wins under his belt, develop some physicality and command his box with the big forwards at that level. He’s nowhere near Championship ready let alone for a club which are claiming to expecting to be top 2. Even for a lazy club like Saints, easy to get a better keeper in his 30s for Champ level. Could be a loan from the PL as well. If there isn’t a new keeper in for the Bournemouth friendly there’s been a balls up in the recruitment area again. Russell Martin needs to go public on it, it’s what did Ralph in over the striker (lack of). Put a rocket under the recruitment dept to get it sorted. Too many excuses for his age - Tim Flowers was playing top flight younger than that in a much tougher era for keepers. If he makes today’s or the Goztepe mistake in a Championship game he’ll get hammered by the fans. Last season everyone was shit so he got away with it.

Sounds like a good plan. National politics has become very toxic and my friends are looking to step out at the next GE, one of them hasn’t had any choice with their local association. It comes down to what inspires you to get engaged. Is it helping people solve problems, is it to enhance your or another locality, or is it an affinity with sets of ideas? You could gain exposure as a councillor on the first bit (although the surgeries and weekends require patience), and quite possibly the second as a cabinet member locally if your party wins power with a portfolio you enjoyed. The latter could be something that develops alongside your mainstream career as it grows. Friend of mine is still a councillor long-time in a safe ward, has a portfolio of a main job 3 days or so a week and another public-private community role which they love. Won’t make them rich but it’s tidy and it all ties into what they are passionate about without the parts clashing with each other. I’ve had a different, politics-independent civic engagement experience as a figurehead/ambassador by leading big projects and partnerships. Never took a penny piece out of it for myself, but wanted to enhance the quality of life in the area I lived in and did it on top of a paid job plus consultancy which was OK and good financially but wanted to move in a different direction by gaining different skills/experiences. Was brilliant and some experiences of a lifetime but 70 hour weeks combined, gave up going to SMS and playing golf as no time. It’s not politics per ze and I never wanted it to be, but I did work with all of that area’s main political actors. It might be another avenue for the future.