LostBoys

Ignoring all of the repititive invective within the thread, we played better today and could have won against a good side but we missed easy chances (Patterson in particular) and should have had a penalty. However we always looked vulnerable to any Reading attacks in the air and they could have scored more than one but for some good last ditch defending and the ball falling to Reading defenders to score instead of Doyle. This has been the pattern for most of the first half of the season and explains why we are now in the bottom three. The issue is can we get out with the likelihood of at least Surman Lallana and others leaving (please don't tell me on the radio they have knocks Jan we know they are going)? Common sense which I possibly cannot have as I am a Saints supporter tells me that we will not get out of this and relegation/administration in whatever order beckon. I hear Merrington the mouth has been saying again that the Fullofhope money will be available in early January for signings by our new mnager Alan Shearer and any optimism left disapears out of the window. Here's to a better 2009 I hope it is better than 2008.

Lowe will forestall it by selling players in January to preserve his share value in the hope of a takeover. We will almost certainly be relegated even if our currently underperforming best players are sold. To that degree Lowe is merely postponing the inevitable.

I cannot see how we will escape the bottom three by next Sunday

No - unfortunately they have got worse as we have have got worse. It is no point blaming any language difference as the dutch use the same four letter word for that performance with the same leeters beginning in S and ending in T. I am devastated by the performance and am worried that we will be firmly entrenched in th bottom 3 after next Sunday. Can we get out if we do with the imminent player sales?

It is with the bank and Inland Revenue breathing down your neck and it is the only way to preserve your share value - do not worry about the team or the supporters

The answer is probably yes but if its division 2 with or without administration and with Lowe still there I would hae to think hard beforehand. As usual the early bird will be chirping well before season end.

I do think that Jan will be given the tin tack in January but I agree any replacement will be from the existing coaching staff as much as I think Billy Davis would keep us in this division.

The misery is just being piled on and piled on and I am not sure what we have done from 2003 to deserve all this. I would not believe anything the Mirror said as its sports reporting is a joke now but we all know in our heart of hearts that even if the Clubs they are going to are completely wrong, they will be leaving in January 2009.

We are indeed 4th from bottom. The games over Xmas are looking to be critical

I do not think that we can take any pleasure in Mr Lowe's other problems. I feel sorry for the 19 people who have lost their jobs and the remaining 34 whose jobs rely on him. It is never a good idea in my experience to advise the world of your difficulties as it tends to galvanise your creditors in the wrong direction.

I had problems with the internet booking. I have linked accounts for my season tickets but it would not let me buy both for the game in one account with or without the extra tickets. I purchased one ST seat and one extra and paid andthen logged in again under my other number to purchase the rest. It told me I already had all of them and was not entitled. After the panic a phone call to the ticket office allowed me to purchase the rest. Phew

I think you are being a tad generous with some of them but a bit unfair on Wotton. After Reading very disappointing and we never looked like scoring and always looked like conceding.

I think this is very worrying. Many of us had and still have misgivings about Jan Poortvliet's suitability to manage in this league but whatever your opinion of him he comes across as an honest man and very determined to make a good fist of a difficult situation. I expect there to be a number of departures during January mainly because the players concerned have said they want to stay at SFC and Lowe has stated that players will only go IF they want which is a euphemism for the fact the deals have already been agreed at least in principle. Where this leaves Jan is more difficult to predict. If we are in the bottom three then Lowe will sack him as the guilty party but if we are not, which appears to be more likely at the moment, will Jan quit when the players he was promised would stay in fact disappear. I think he will go in the realisation that it is not possible to have any form of relationship with Lowe as Lowe just cannot be trusted or believed. Regrettably we have been here before with rather a large number of previous managers. I am working on the basis that we will not be in administration in January due to the income from the player sales. In terms of a replacement manager it would be Wotte as this is always Lowe's pattern of operating and he will not have a game plan for a replacement in case it becomes public before he or Jan does the deed. What a dreadful state to be in.

I think the worst case scenario is that we will lose Surman Lallana Cork and Scacel in January. I am not sure we would survive all of them going.

I expect the January sales have already been agreed in principle and Wupert is not going to let relegation or a cup tie get the way of trying to protect his share value.

I do not think that this forum has 'slagged off' the younger players it has just been said that the Championship is a tough league to be young and inexperienced in. The players that have been justifiably criticised have been inter alia the no-hopers Makin Wright (not Richard) and Powell. I have read the reports of JPs comments about January but I think that Schneiderlin, Lallana and Surman may very well go next month to balance the books due to the poor crowds. Also, as they do not seem to be featuring for their adopted clubs, some of the players loaned out may come back.

I have to work tomorrow and cannot go which is a huge disappointment after the Reading trip. The best pub is the AntiGallican next to the station exit towards the ground. A couple of years ago with the pub and the pavemet outside full of Saints fans with no sign of any trouble the Met Police turned up in force complete with horses to control the non-existent riot and would not let us out of the pub. It was great and I hope it is as good tomorrow.

I missed this completely as iut did not appear on the web site. I would have gone to see how Svennson was getting on if nothing else but he only lasted 10 minutes.

The only worry is he will be back in January.

It is difficult to see taking into account the June 2008 position shown that matters have improved financially by November 2008 and may have worsened. This is because any savings that have been achieved (and any fool can sell assets) will have been offset by the lower gate receipts than those achieved in the financial year to June because of those assets sold. Administration would therefore now appear ineviable without a big improvement in performance and crowds. However rather than accept administration (and the relegation that will ensue) to get rid of Lowe if this is part of the reason for the dwindling support, the groups claiming to represent supporters should perhaps be considering other options. I, as a season ticket holder, and at Reading and other away games this season, would consider a rights/share issue to pump some money in and although I accept some supporters cannot do this surely we can raise between £5m to £10m in the area from genuine supporters. The pre-requisite of course is that the incompetent Lowe and Co walk away from their equity and as already pointed out on the forum this is very unlikely. There has to be a way out of this than simply accepting what appears to be the inevitable.

Thanks - great day out liked the photos

I thought Perry Cork and Scacel were all very good yesterday. If Svennson comes back then Cork should move to right back where he had to spend a lot of time covering for 'dive in' James. His cross though was excellent.

Very good performance I thought everyone played well and we could have won by more. Excellent day out in Reading and I thought their support was poor. I drove there and back and so now i am going to have a couple of pints or more to celebrate. If we win on Tuesday then i will agree we may have turned the corner.

around 12,000 I am afraid de to the Stern John nonsense

In bottom three a week earlier than I thought. We are not going to get out of this in the current structure. Crowd 13,000 on Tuesday? I do not know whether Relegation or Administration will come first