Charlie Wayman

Poor only because our midfield sat so deep from the off to prevent a rout. There was only a few yards between the back four and the midfield FIVE, Rasiak was about forty yards further up field trying to do the job that strikers are paid to do. The only balls h ego were high balls hit more in hope than with precision. Early on he managed to get up to a fe and nod them back to support players but once they emigrated to their own penalty box of course Rasiak disappeared as the long balls up to him were coming from even further away and were never anywhere near enough to him to give him any chance at all. Not a day to judge our strikers fairly so best to leave it to Pardew to sort out.

I would have thought when addressing players who have loss all self belief that something a bit more imaginative and constructive might have been said, more a rallying call than a bollicking that they really don't need or deserve right now.

Not really late goals. Ajax stepped up a gear in the second half and were very comfortable winners, the gulf in class all too easy to see. On the other hand our lads were knackered after 20 mins, so the contest was effectively over. A lack of leadership and purpose was evident to all, not entirely unexpected as we don' t have manager right now, so we must hope that AP has enough time to get some tactical cohesion and knowse into the squad before Aug 8. Schneiderlin looked a real class act and showed the rest how holding the ball up and running with it changed the way the game was going. If we can keep him and keep him fit then we have a mid-field general as good as any will be in this league. As usual Lallana looked like a headless chicken, where he earned his reputation is beyond me. No wonder there were no offers, can we not offload him to Bournemouth?

How do you know the "quality of this league" as we haven't played in it for nigh on fifty years and in all probability you have never seen a match in your life.

Back to the Future? I can't imagine Pardew has made any comment at all about who should or should not be here next season. Why would he, looking at a 3-5 year plan for success elect to waste money on guys who are way past their best, cannot get fit and would keep promising younger graduates out of the side. I don't buy all this experience over youth crap and thank goodness neither did Alex Ferguson. Not that it did him any good.

Anybody who cares to read my posts from about four years ago (no takers!) will read that Alan Pardew was my first choice before Burley came. What a shame it has taken four years for the penny to drop. Too late now?

perhaps the reason Ajax are coming here is so Martin Jol can have a good look at us...

It'll be Sammy Hypia. Graeme Murty doesn't count as he is here already.

If you are a true football fan, then you should be ashamed of yourself. Top level football in the South of England is hanging by a thread, Saints almost went under, Bournemouth are teetering on the brink and now our only premier League side is nearing wipe-out. Rivalry or not how can that be good. I wish absolutely to disassociate myself from your ill considered nonsense.

I was there! There are difficult days ahead for these young men as they head off to Helmund Province and we must hope that their day in the sun parading through the City will help fortify their resolve. They know that they will travel with the goodwill of us all. After all, it is we, the people that they are protecting. Pray for their safe return

What amazes me is how constrained people are in their thinking when it comes to change. All the names above, collectively known as "the usual suspects" demonstrate only people's inability to think outside the box. Why do fans expect a fresh new start with any past manager or associate who is carrying so much baggage from past connections with this club that our future is knackered even before he gets here? There will be always a faction 'pro' and a faction 'anti' any OLD manager, which is devisive in itself; that manager will walk in on Day 1 with fixed ideas about what needs to be done, a list of favourites etc etc, rather than a new manager starting from a clean sheet with all players equal and highly motivated. We need a CLEAN BREAK! We do not need any of the above. We need not necessarily make a left-field choice but at least find somebody of sufficient stature, maturity and who commands respect and will stay the course for five years at least if things go well. And... please... no more experimental weirdo's or giving 'young english unknowns (sic: cheapies)' a chance

Why? He hasn't a clue of what is expected of a director as was quite painfully obvious two weeks ago when asked about the finances of the Pinnacle group... "... not really my business, if they say they have the money, I'm sure they do.. " or words to that effect. It isn't going to happen. We need to move on not cling to fixtures of the past.

The future is bright, the future is Red & White

Just a pity that the two guys in the photo have moved on to other clubs. Hope somebody told the boss!

I hope you didn't expect this thread to be taken seriously. As usual it will be a left field choice taking us all by surprise. Probably Bobby Tumblewick formerly manager of Halifax Town and Borrowdale Pirates

Brilliant, absolutely bloomin' brilliant!

Look the really positive thing is that the staff at SM are not out of their jobs and there were a load on new recruits in the ticket office this morning learning their new skills, we are debt free, most of our young players are still here, leon & Lawrie still have their hospitality suite, Lowe has gone for good, ticket prices are down, things are looking up, excirtement is back, there's a spring in our steps, the pies will taste great, people will smile, we will win more than we lose and may well see SMS become a fortress at last, we may get a top manager, we won't have to sell players to survive any more and it's Saturday tomorrow. How's that for a start? Come On You Red & Whites

Even if Christain Grosse comes in as football manager as part of senior management, it should not mean that Wotte must leave. He knows all the kids well from Academy days and is a half decent coach t' boot as well as a top bloke. From what has been said before, he probably wouldn't mind somebody more senior above him to deal with team affairs and transfers and the like leaving him to perfect the Saints silky smooth total football style

Yep! We need those ST application forms fast. Over to you David

Of course so long as Christian Gross is manager and Sammi Hypia is Skip

A Bird in hand is worth dozens in the bushes... At least I think so.. Maybe not the best cliche? I'll wait for some nice but not too smutty responses now.

I assume this is not Sarcy! I was one who boycotted Lowe absolutely since his return despite being a ST holder of many, many years. Staying away was a really hard thing to do but I suppose you could say he won as my money was paid up front. Just can't wait to get back up there, I've missed those pies bigtime!

Sammi Hypia has been released by Liverpool AND he is SWISS.. Ours for sure now! Everybody say cheese!

"Maybe next week, Jack?" I know lads, I say this every Friday. MaA(n)ana but always maA(n)ana... I'll believe it only when it happens. Mark Fry is probably bigging up the situation to create the impression to his board that he is close to meeting some internal deadlines set for Wednesday. Only believe what you can see, no what you hear and never what you read in press statements.

Think about it Bourno, The guy probably lives near Reading which is only a couple of yards off the M3 at Basingstoke so he wouldn't have to unsettle his missus and kids if he played here. OK he could go to QPR but who wants all that London traffic hassle if he can drive up and down the M3 in the opposite direction to the rush hour. Footballers have ordinary needs like you and I, after all. The only thing that is a joke is giving the lad a trial, I mean he's the ex-skipper of a Premier League side for goodness sake! He's got to be our new skipper from Day 1