Charlie Wayman

On the day and on their second half season performances, it was a fair result and there can be no complaints. All season Millwall have been the team that has matched us result by result and indeed bettered us on the run-in when they pulled away and ended with a better record, discounting our -10 situation. They almost upset the apple-cart by overhauling Leeds but overall the best three teams have been promoted. Our job is not to be envious but to make sure we play them again in 2011-12. Right now my hope is that we start where we left off and build a winning lead in our division by Christmas. Like most of you guys it will be a strange feeling expecting to win and knowing we shouldn't lose on paper but even so not sure how I will react if we are not top from the off. My guess is we'll be uncompromising barstewards on Pardew's back the minute we drop any points or don't make top place early on. We won't be the only ones either... Mr Cortone will be watching... er! I mean Mr Cortese. Silly me!

No disrespect Alpine old-son but this is about Grass growing and the World Cup. You were told last week why tickets are not on sale yet so go back and read and do your homework properly and stop trying to divert the rest of us talking utter b*llocks about things we know nothing about but like to bulls*ht anyway

The grass is growing and very quickly. The World Cup is an expensive and poor quality distraction from the real business of football. The idea of national teams in this day and age of globilisation is a retrograde step back into a murky history in which nationalism has been the singular most destructive force of mankind. The football is crap of course by definition and falls well short of even premier League standards. How can it be remotely possible to expect to bring together a group of the so-called 'best' players and meld them into an efficient team in anything like the amount of time available between the season's end and this lipstick tournament? Look how long its taken Saints to do that - all saeson in fact - and the job is by no means done, so what chance at national level in one month. So what we get are teams cobbled together at the last minute of mostly strangers dressed in similar uniforms whose instinctive styles differ so much that you can forget notions of fluid football and cohesive units. At best we'll get a more inspired form of the 'kick'n'rush' or 'hoik it into the middle' style of football we see in league 2 and that's probably insulting to the bokes in league 2. So don't imagine that what you'll be watching is any better than it is just because names like Ronaldo and Rooney are bandied about by the media to brainwash you. Sure, there will be moments of skillful play from some of the more gifted but that's only a small part of what football is. On the whole it will be a predictable bore with England gone in the Quarters, the result beyond doubt (Spain or Brazil) and the runners-up forgotten by the time you do your pub quizzes in September. So rather than let the grass grow under your feet get the mower out and cut it every third evening throughout June rather than sit indoors watching the 437th re-run of "They think it's all over - it is now" crap! Ughh! Pass me that bucket.........

Who did Charlie Wayman play for before he became a Saint?

Lambert and lallana

Test comes the week before players report back from training, when is that? If he stays or goes that's when we'll know for sure

On more careful reflection the delay looks to be administrative only. Soon, it will be exactly one year since the buy-out so it seems likely they are waiting for income flows from ticket sales to start to flow in the second year - which will be the 'first' fully operational year. The first year finances must have been somewhat artificial covered as it was by the settlement. I have been told (club) that no changes to seating or executive areas are scheduled, they have great difficulty selling what they've got available already.

For Holloway and Blackpool it is very much the case of "be careful what you wish for". I'd bet odds are less than 1-10 on for Holloway gone by December + Blackpool gone by January. They are about to get Tangerined!

Really odd! Why keep prices secret, it's always a take it or leave it situation anyway. I suppose they're hoping Pardew will sign a BIG NAME to boost interest and justify increases. Even our great Swiss Rollers must have cottoned on to the fact that we in Engerland are in a recession and soon to be taxed out of existence. Where will the money come from then, old thing? Any rise for the same old s**** in this climate cannot be justified as most of us had a zero inflation award this year. What's that? Inflation is running at 5% do I hear you say.. Just try putting up prices by 5% and reality will kich in big time.

Now I feel really sorry for my old Dad, he had to watch that lot playing as a kid. One size fits all kit did them no favours and a bit of running up and down and lifting weights might have come in handy. At least it's daytime so they did a bitmore than turn up of a Thursday evening to do a little bit of exercise ready for Saturday

Did we really offer £20m for James Milner? Wow!

With the sate of the £, I would suggest Bangladesh, Tibet and just possibly Papua New Giunea are the most affordable options

Surman is talented, fact! In fact, just the sort of reticent genius personality that Pardew loves to inspire. MacCartney couldn't do it 'cos he is a knumbskull street-fighter with nowhere near enough sensitivity to understand people management, especially those with fragile ego's. In the comfortable surroundings of HOME with a paternal arm around the shoulder Drew will blossom into a full international. He has vision to spare and can score goals from anywhere Bring him on!

Pardew are you watching? Get drew back to st mary's where he belongs! Failure at wolves? Ballacks! - his heart was here all the time

Bit of a let down for me with our claimed ambition. Would have hoped for West Ham or even Spuds, at least somebody from the Prem. Won't bother with this one.

The Pompey jibe is way below the belt, never been near the place. Saints stickers would ensure the trashing of my car. No chance of me going up the Spinnaker Tower to catch sight of Fart-on park either. Whichever way you look out it's still Portsmouth, Ugh!

SEASON TICKETS? Who like me is beginning to get very edgy about season tickets for next season? Why the delay? Cortese spoke of "stadium improvements" this summer, is that his code for the whole or much of the best seating areas in Itchen and Kingsland being re-developed for corporate and other high-added value seating arrangements? Is this the beginnings of the BIG SQUEEZE and BIG FREEZE-OUT of we ordinary fans in favour of the prawn sandwich fraternity or more likely the Swiss Cheese Fondue set? I need to know, You need to know... does anybody know what's going on down there? If we get moved, where to 'cos for sure nobody else in Itchen or Kingsland will give up prime positions to accommodate the rest of us?

I'm surprised Puncheon is staying, a one predictable trick pony if ever there was one. Amazing what gems lay hidden in Argyle reserves, one of the best premiership teams out there.

You ghastly Nerd! What have you got against Lloyd James, he was one of the very few people who really tried to keep us up last year. Big Loss, BIG mistake! Whose mistake we'll never know.

The "I's" have it! Stadium enhancements? That sounds to me like more corporate boxes and less seats for fans to help increase revenue. Me and my pals could be in the brown stuff as we have prime seats in the Itchen, safe bet we won't get them next season or at least not at a reasonable price. Ever felt you're about to be disenfranchised? I'd like to see an end to the dispute with The Echo 'though.. Come on guys on both sides, have a beer, chat, kiss and make up so we can all move on. McMenemy, "Shut the F(ishnets) Up!"

Not going myself as Pardew is certain to use the match as a last-gasp contract renewal session for squad players that frankly doesn't ring my bell at all. If he doesn't know who to kick out Rrse first by now he's a dimmer twit than I gave him credit for. See you all next season for more of the same!

I'll buy that. Nice One!

This thread rolls on and on, the boys in The Mail editorial offices must be ****ing themselves with mirth at how stupid are the leemings lining up to see who can jump furthest out from the edge of the cliff; how many are logged on to The Mail website to see if there are any 'latest' stories? Crikey, even the Big Mac's been suckered into opening his gob and spewing forth mumbo-jumbo gobbledy-gook although let's face it that's not too difficult! Truth is many people in football and the media will be jealous of where we are right now and will pull any trick in the book to try and destablisise our ship and stop it becoming a force again in football. Before you say 'Yep! Charlie's off with the little people again', always remember that when somebody wins, everyone else loses - Saints success in future will be at the expense of others. If you want to stop a juggernaut, best to do it before it gathers too much momentum.

I guess what's true for managers and players is also true for coaching staff, you get what you pay for and the best always want to go to the best clubs.

Nick, I'm sure you have worked with and under totally objective managers who have no emotion or compassion within their management style or decision-making; who to the rest of us seem ruthless unsympathetic bastards but we have to accept that these people exist, are not rare and make life very uncomfortable. Also they are usually far more successful than the rest of us. If NC is one of those then loyalty and tradition and all those metaphors go out the window. Id somebody needs to be 'shot at dawn' as a reminder to the others so be it. What we'd like and reality do not always co-incide!