Charlie Wayman

Roughly translated it says "FO you penny pinching, money grubbing bar stewards!"

I've been wondering about that as well. Maybe we were not looking in the right direction? We thought it meant the way we play football whereas the club obviously think it is about how to make money through asset development. In other words the Southampton Way is to run a business as a zero-sum cash cow. We would keep Mane, of course we would if it was about football, wouldn't we. You don't need to be a cynic, you need to think about what you would do if charged with the task by the owner of running her business sustainably.

You're kidding right? If they were good players the Scousers wouldn't want rid of them. Both are crap journeymen.

It was a pleasure to see him back here for KD's testimonial in the "dug-out" and especially to see him at one point leap to his feet to remonstrate with his players for playing too many square and back yards passes - and this in an unimportant training session! Now that's what I call passion, our Nigel of old. As others have observed he might actually be great as Academy Chief where arguably a change of leadership might freshen things up a bit as it had all become a trifle aimless at the end of last season. Nigel seems unusually bright for an English manager. By reciting that poem out loud one could hazard a guess that he is very self critical of his own performance and seeks constantly to improve it. Commendable, indeed.

This is probably as much to do about stability and maturity in the dressing room as footballing ability; he is also a damn good role model and mentor for our young academy hopefuls like JWP and Reed. The new contract will probably see him out as a PL player. His never-say-die attitude must be worth a few goals a season even if he is not the one sticking them in the net. Every player has his critics but nobody could ever accuse Steven Davis of not giving 100% effort to the cause whenever he runs onto the pitch and whatever the score.

Obviously you rate Reed's intellect and cunning more highly than most. Imagine a Reed / Hodgson tie up... Dumb & Dumber?

Nice to Southampton, bet his wife would look forward to that. There must be a limit to how loudly money talks?

... this and probably meet miles away in Winchester, well out of reach of prying eyes and cameras. Remember the infamous unveiling of Kevin Keegan at The Potter's Heron.

Obviously you don't remember when it was called the Parkhill, a rock bottom 3-Star threadbare dump? What's in a name (change) and a bit of slick PR, aye?

That was then and this is now of course. Saints are a top six club in the PL and wish to stay that way so they will take no chances by gambling on an unproven up-and-coming relatively unknown manager. Those days read gone.

I fear it may not be as simple as that with the Euros running. Their will be fall-out from that with all those clubs that under achieve sacking their managers and looking for new national coaches. Lots of top coaches will be looking for lucrative deals everywhere, so Saints may not be the most attractive proposition for them with our new reputation for not being able or being prepared to pay top dollar to keep the top managers that we have had already. Bear in mind too that coming to the premier league and succeeding is not that easy for foreign coaches who have never worked here before.

It would be nice if they did but very unlikely Erwin Koeman or Ron for that matter will cause a family rift by splitting with his younger brother. If Everton had refused to sign him, it is highly unlikely Ron would have left on his own. Jan is a different kettle of fish who has not traditionally worked with the Koeman's but he might fear being marginalised by a new manager and as a lone Dutchman, whereas Dave Watson and Sammy Lee provide indispensable English input and networks that a new foreign manager will need.

... or even 1% true?

Past 12.00 o'clock on a damp misty morning, so anybody seen Ron at SMS?

Don't talk such childish rubbish friend, the French security forces are understandably on a very high state of alert after the winter terrorist massacres; the last thing they needed was for a bunch of brain dead alcoholics from England distracting them from their duty to protect football fans from all over the world visiting their country during the tournament. There is nothing clever in being a hooligan and nothing to be admired. Excusing the inexcusable does not become you. These morons have shamed themselves and their country.

It's wind up right? Moyes? It is a wind up.

I hope you are not inferring assistant to Hodgson? They're all FA people so Les might be planning to bring in all his pals, after all we've quite a few of them here already.

Boy! You are aiming high.

AVB failed at Spurs, failed at Chelsea so are you guys hoping it's third time lucky? Common sense says surely he just ain't good enough for the Premier league.

A measured and very well thought through argument. No doubt the literary world will relish this gem of articulation and balanced reasoning.

Gus Huddinck, who else. Best option by miles.

So what is the basis for your wild accusation that the board have not been backing Koeman thus far? How could that be true when Koeman was the driving force for many of our new recruits last summer and in January? You seem to have forgotten how many of our first choice palters have come form the Dutch league or other leagues where Koeman has managed and experienced these guys up close. Best not to speculate based on guess work and prejudice. The days of Lowe are long behind us.

you couldn't make it up!

As many mistimed jokes as mistimed tackles?

So Mr X on the whole you think we have a pretty crap set of players. Still fingers X'd we'll sign a couple more lads in the summer who will drag us down even further :-(