VectisSaint

Some people seem to be forgetting the basic premise of the game of football. It is all about the team that scores the most goals (and in competitive football therefore earns the points). Simple really. We are n't scoring goals therefore we are not playing the game effectively. All this talk about pretty football is complete ******. the football we are playing is not particularly pretty, and is certainly not effective, therefore it is useless. We sometimes look quite exciting, but usually only when we are 2-0 down, and thats because the opposition by that time know they have won the game and are letting us come on to them so that they can conserve energy - this was precisely the case last night. We have to change the way we play, to be incisive and to have effectiveness up front, our "forwards" are powder puff weak and will never score enough goals, we need an old head with some guile and experience (not necessarily saying someone we already have), just for now someone like Kuqi or Windyass could work wonders, but of course is not possible because of our "philosophy". I am somewhat shocked that JP showed his inexperience again by singling out named players that he thought gave their all last night, that is something that should be kept in the dressing room. Thought his remarks were extremely harsh on Skacel and BWP who showed desire and effort. As for McG and Robertson, they may as well have stayed in Southampton, both a total waste of space. Also thought the withdrawal of Pearce while understandable to a degree actually made us even less likely to score, which is what you need to do when 2-0 down, since he is probably our most potent attacking option, at least from set-pieces.

Didn't we used to stay somewhere when WGS was in charge, Rod Stewart's or something. I don't often defend Lowe (in fact I hardly ever do) but in this case maybe, just maybe the cost was borne by someone else, or maybe the hotel was offered free by some benefactor. If I'm wrong then "Lowe Out".

For the short term it has to be Lallana, would be a shame because he will be top class one day, but Drew is far more important to us right now. Perhaps we could do a deal, buy Lallana get McGoldrick free.

Does seem harsh on Drew, if true. But has to be said spot on in terms of McG and Robertson. Personally apart form one moment when he fluffed control of a long pass from Wotton (I think) I though BWP had a good game, and has at last shown that he does have a touch. I know its not popular to say positive things about Bradley, but I would rather see him on the field any day rather than McG.

No, as I said on the other thread we need to Chairman to see the folly of having a 3rd rate coach and get someone in who can work with what we have. Unlike you I do have faith in these players, but they are being lead by a nice bloke put in an invidious position by a loony and sadly for him (because I genuinely like the guy, JP that is not RL), he isn't up to it. As you say we are not dead yet, there is still time for Lowe to put this right, but I despair that he will have the guts to admit his experiment is wrong and replace JP with someone who could at least keep us in this division, because unless that change is made, we will be relegated. Thats not giving up, its being realistic enough to see that a change needs to be made, and that change is the man picking the team.

Easy one, Wilde is presumably not allowed out of Jersey. What a jole we are, a plc chairman who thinks he is God's gift tto football, and a football chairman who can't go to many games because he is a tax exile. In any case, Lowe probably told him to be a good boy and not show his face, he might make himself unpopular.

Really can't be arsed to watch any more. Its a ****ing shambles. Of course we have had 78% possession so the pretty football brigade will be happy. Thats what happens when you are 2-0 up, conserve your energy, take a gift if it comes your way and let the opposition play their socks off to no effect. But of course we can't afford anything else. FFS that is ********. We can afford a decent manager to get these players playing well, with decent tactics and with a good mix of the experience and the youngsters. We don't have to put up with a third rate coach just because we are skint.

Everyone knows it was a foul, except the ref, but thats what happens when you come up against experience. Kids get bullied (shouldn't do, but thats life). Its no good blaming the ref, yes he made a mistake, but he could also have give a pen in the first minute (although that too would have been a mistake) and many refs would have done. Stop looking for excuses, the problem is there for all to see, and it is not the ref.

OK, maybe you could signal your irony in some way, with some of the folks on here I was thinking you could be serious There is no doubt we play pretty football, and at times it is quite thrilling to watch, but quite honestly it is mostly quite embarrasing watching our youngsters having their confidence destroyed by a bunch of thugs (well Kuqi anyway). But thats Warnock for you, just wish we had him instead of Jan Nice but Dim Poortvliet.

If thats the best MF in the country then I would hate to see the rest. MF have defensive duties as well. We are powder puff weak in MF, useless up front and a pushover (literally) for big players at the back. Still we do have a good GK. We are truly shockingly awful tonight, lucky to still be in with a shout at 2-0, but hey the football is pretty (and sometimes exceedingly good in small doses). JP needs to take McG off, push Bradders up front with Robertson. I will complement BWP, his touch has improved amazingly since last year, and hae really is beginning to show some deft skills at times, I never thought I would say that.

No wonder we are in the ****, Jim Hone is still the Chairman. You'd think this data would have been updated by now, it was a year ago that the Wilde Bunch stood down (sadly Wilde is still with us).

As usual you (choose to) miss the main point because it criticises your heroes. OK Euell is not in the squad. Fair enough. Most people with a modicum of understanding of football believe he should be (bit don't think hes the greatest thing since sliced bread), you don't thats your choice. But when the OS posts a Squad Update detailing all the players available/not available, why not mentioned Euell's status. If he is injured, fair enough say so, if he is not yet ready, say so, if Jan thinks he is a tosser for getting sent off and will never play him again, then say so. Don't just blank the supporters. Thats all. Its this treatment of supporters as mushrooms that feeds conspiracy theories, and the sooner Lowe and the OS team realise the better it will be for all, Lowe supporters and haters alike.

The thread is about "underrated" not "overrated". Hammill must have been one of the most overrated, not to mention overweight players ever to grace our team, at least overrated in his own mind. Most under-rated, in recent times I would go along with Oaks, and longer term Graham Baker. Its often the case that players who are critical in the midfield get overlooked, especially when they perform largely defensive roles as Oaks did. I recall many occassions when Oaks was the last line of defence and his tackling back was great. sadly lost his way a little when he was badly injured, and our idiot manager thought it would be better to lose him stick with Jasmine.

Maybe the threads about Lowe are something to do with the 3 part interview on the OS, together with the radio stuff the other night, the reports on Sky and the remarks he made in the financial statement the other day. Oh and the fact that the AGM is in 2 weeks time. Keeping a low profile, my arse. Although to be fair to the bloke he is at least talking less nonsense than he usually does (though thats not too difficult). I see you also trot out the nonsense that our hands are tied by the banks and so there is nothing we can do. Of course things are tight, that doesn't mean we have to employ a manager who is out of his depth, there are other good English managers out there who could be doing at least as good a job with the same resources as JP. I don't know of anyone not supporting the young lads, is anyone getting booed? Don't think so. The only one underperforming is McG, and thats only because he is not suited to the style JP tries to play at home. He will be a very good player in years to come, no doubt. By the way, who was NavyRed? Don't recall him on this Board, can't have been much of a contributor.

22 man squad, 22 named. No mistake as far as I can see. Maybe Tommy Forecast will play up front tonight instead of McG

Must be awful to completely lose Sundays 2nd game in 53 hours more like Can't believe Euell is not even in the squad. More nonsensical decisions from the Club (can't tell whether its JP or RL), just when we need a fresh pair of legs. I don't know why the OS can't be straight about this, or at least put up some lie about him being injured, but just to completely ignore him in the squad write-up is treating us like mushrooms again.

You do know how long he was at West Ham do you? Just in case you don't, he joined 26 June and was not retained when Curbs left on 15 Sep. I guess you could say that he didn't do much in 2.5 months, but then most of that time was pre-season wasn't it. Fact remains, his arrival at Saints coincided with a turnaround in our fortunes after GB had failed to arrest the slide after Arry had left, and his departure coincided with Burley completely losing his way at Saints, turning out the most unfit, demotivated squad I've seen in over 40 years of support. GB demonstrated how to turn a reasonably talented squad (albeit with no central defenders) into a hopeless, unfit outfit that would surely have been relelgated had NP not sorted things out.

Depends if you consider the time when he had a decent assistant manager or the whole time. While we had one of the best assistants around in Snodin, Burley was made to look good (and to be fair most successful partnerships are formed this way). But Oh My God, when Snodin left we got to see how bad GB really could have been. Clearly the best manager since WGS, was and is Pearson, as he continues to demonstrate at Leicester. His winning mentality, together with his experience working with youngsters and his knowledge of the English game puts him head and shoulders above anyone else, and what is the saddest part for me is that he was the ideal man for the job under Lowe, sad that Lowe could not put his pride aside so that he could have employed a highly respected young English manager to manage our young, talented but inexperienced kids.

Have to say as an anti-Lowe, that I almost enjoyed reading Part 3. I was particularly impressed with "we'll do whatever is correct for the long term benefit of the SUPPORTERS, the next generation of player and the shareholders." I am pleasantly surprised to see RL admitting to doing things for the benefit of supporters (first) and shareholders last. I suspect a ghost writer has been employed There is also a hint in the piece that we are not in the truly awful financial mess that we have been lead to believe until now, though he is clearly leaving the way open for a few departures in January. Well done Lowe, I will grudgingly accept that this is better than I dared hope. Now, if only you could see your way to getting us a proper manager for our talented, inepxerienced English players...

Maybe he has, but it is unlikely to be the reason he was not picked as he hadbecome a regular in the games before his sending-off, and as a result Saints would have saved 3 appearance fees anyway. No, I am almost sure it was another of Jan's silly decisions that reinforce my belief and that of many others that he is out of his depth. Reports that Lowe and JP have had a falling out are in my opinion signs of some realisation by Lowe that JP is not good enough, my fear is that Lowe will not be man enough to replace him with someone with proper experience but will instead go for the cheap optioin of using Wotte or Hockaday. Come on Rupes, do something with balls, which might even up my opinion of you (go on bring back Hoddle FFS, you know you want to)

Votes against Lowe Votes for Lowe Makes himself look like an ass by having no principles This is the man who is responsible for the continued mess at our Club

Noticed that as well, and thought it very odd, but to be honest apart from that he was actually very good. Much better than the bloke last week who was truly appalling, and probably better overall than Will Can't Cope, who makes too many mistakes and fawns to his co-commentator far too much.

No-ones having a go at the kids, in the main they are doing bloody well. What we need is someone that can coach them properly, instill a will to win, make them a bit more hard-nosed and also to understand that you don't survive in the CCC playing pretty football. We are being run on a shoe string, we do have talented kids, but we also have a management that is, at best, naive. Thats the nub of the matter, not the players, and of course who put this bloody experiment in place, and who is the nast piece of work who supported this bloke to get him back into power. Wake up, see what is happening, just because we don't have much money doesn't mean we have to make do with nondescript managers, there are good young ENGLISH managers out there who would have this team of GOOD YOUNG (mainly) ENGLISH players doing better than they are. Why does Lowe big-up the Englishness of our team, but insists on employing a second-rate European coach. Simple, because he is a fool.

Ah, ok, so now blaming the supporters for not turning up. You sound like Lowe, blame everyone you can other than the ones that matter. Supporters don't turn up at home because we are bereft of ideas how to win AT HOME, yet go in huge numbers to away games (which of course gives no benefit to the Club except in vocal backing). A chairman with vision, instead of the clueless prat we are currently stuck with, would recognise that it is worth taking a bit more of a hit on the wages by having 1 decent striker like John playing and possibly winning more games, and having a few less duds on the books such as Pulis and some of the loanees such as Peckhart. That way the crowds would increase and go at least some way to pay for the striker that we need. The longer we persist with McG who is a good prospect but will not deliver sufficient goals over a season yet to sustain us the sooner we will find ourselves below the dotted line. Still I live in hope, maybe even expectation, that we will get something from the Palace game on Monday.

Don't be so damn patronising you ****. Continue to hold on to the fact that 3 games ago we had a single good performance AWAY FROM HOME. If you care to read my post you will see that I am referring to our home record, where we cannot win against apparently appalling opposition. Is it beyond your simple wit to see we have won 1 home gaime in 11 so far, and our afwfully nice but inexperienced manager has no idea how to resolve that issue? It is you who needs to grow up, and see the **** position we are in and stop believing the spin that we are only in this position because of the young, inexperienced players and the shoestring budget. FFS we are in this position because we have a hopelessly inexperienced manager trying to manage a team of inexperienced youngsters on a shoestring budget. We have the wherewithall to put at least one of those constituent parts right, but because we have an idiot in charge of the club who cannot accept that he makes mistakes we continue down this path that will lead us to administration and/or relegation.