VectisSaint

Thats not really the issue, I will probably go to as many games this season, possibly more, than last season. I don't go regularly, but i won't make excuses for that. The point I have is that I like to go with some other people, and maybe they are not ingrained supporters like me, but they will come with me if the team is doing well. Its ****ing difficult to motivate these floating supporters to come along at present because they don't see much prospect of an enjoyable day out. And its difficult for me to motivate them because I am not enjoying it much myself. But as I've been hooked by saints for 40+ years I will continue to go when I can, but more likely I'll be a "Billy No Mates" which does not help the club coffers.

You could argue that, but you would lose. He doesn't have to be there. With his lap dog he controls a huge percentage of the shares, and the corporates would not vote him out. Its a foregone conclusion, unless Wilde sees the light before then.

Back passing is ok in moderation, as long as the pass goes to us and not to the opposition. Its passing to the other team that is the problem, and continues to be our achilles heel, we give the ball away far too often.

So, I'm not as "loyal", because I choose not to spend my Saturdays getting well and truly ****ed off watching us lose again at home. Too right I'm not loyal, but it doesn't make me any less a supporter, I've supported Saints since 1966 and spent years being loyal, these days I have further to travel (though no ferry thankfully) and make a choice not to go because it is frankly not the enjoyable experience it once was, doesn't mean that I don't still get very upset and fed up listening on the radio/internet and getting ****ed off by local Pompey supporters giving me stick. Simple message to Saints, are you listening Rupert Lowe? Start winning games at home and the crowds will return. Continue the way that you are, whether playing kids or Dads Army, playing pretty football or route one and supporters will continue to stay away, and the number of stay aways will increase. Football is part of the entertainment industry these days. I admire the idea of playing neat attractive football, and spent years watching a feast of exciting football with Channon, Davies, Paine and Sydenham (and latterly Tiss) but first things first, winning is all (at home).

But the big game of the season was hardly ever Portsmouth, thats why it is one of the least frequently played local derbies in the country. The reason everyone placked into the Dell for every home game was because, whether football was good or bad we used to win at home more often than we lost. You went along to The Dell expecting us to win, no matter who the opposition were. OK sometimes we got beat, or had to settle for a draw, but in general our home form was what kept us in the top level. It was an enjoyable experience going to The Dell. Sadly, St Marys has become somewhere where Saints find it difficult to win, whether we are in the Prem or the Fizzy Pop. In the end people start to vote with their feet when they become disillusioned with going to SMS and not seeing the team win regularly. For crowds to return in reasonable numbers (and taking into account what level we are at) St Marys needs to become a fortress again.

Best post on this subject, same as I've said elsewhere. It's very simple why people do not go to games. They are fed up going to SMS and not seeing us win. It is bugger all to do with how we play, even who the opponents are (at least for league games), or the ticket price, or the fact the corners are closed, or whether the pies are crap or the beer flat, or whether Rupert is there, or whatever lame excuse people can come up with. Saints start to win consistently AT HOME and the supporters will start going to games again. Its about the feelgood factor. Why do you think people are going to turn out to home games regularly to go home depressed and thinking they have wasted their money? At present it makes more sense from an enjoyment point of view to go to away games, because at least we win away from home occassionally.

Vignal was and probably still is available, we don't need any of the premiership mercenaries, we had a perfectly good LB last season (at least he came good at the end after a mixed start). He would also have some Frenchy mates these days with Spiderman and Gosmi (or whatever his name is).

Depends, if he is intelligent eough to realise that he would actually earn more by taking a cut in the appearance money (I never suggested no appearance money at all) then it would make sense all round. If on the other hand he is content to earn less money than he could then he must be more stupid than I thought. Conversation could go like this: RL: "Mr Scumbag (sorry I mean Mr Agent") would your player like to earn more money than he currently is?" Agent: "Mr Scumbag (sorry I mean Mr Lowe), of course my money-grabbing football mercenary would, thats what its all about these days" RL: "Good, then sign here to agree that appearance money is reduced by 50% and your man will be in the team on Saturday. I will square that with our Head Coach as I am also Director of Football. I will also inform the poodle Football Club Chairman next time he is over from Jersey". Agent: "Right sir, you are so gracious your Lordship" By the way has he signed yet?

Problem is that it is a double-edged sword. By not bringing in a proper LB (or RB for that matter) we have been left using a MF as an emergency LB. On top of that Drew is one of our best MF options but we have lost that. We need Drew in MF, probably in preference to Gillett, and a proper LB. personally I think Rudi is a better LB anyway. This nonsense about his appearance money should be addressed. After all, even he must see that he is not playing therefore not earning any appearance money, so renegotiate the contract to get less app money and he might actually get played. Surely Lord Lowe is supposed to be good at this sort of financial stuff, so Lowe, get your finger out and get the job done.

Excellent, lets look at our home league form, that will give us comfort. Oh bugger, we've lost both home games, I forgot:) It may only be 5 games but the signs are there for all to see if they just removed their rose-tinted blinkers, we really are in deep ****.

Anorak alert :smt103 Davies 2 (1 pen), Channon, Gabriel and og I don't recall the rain, but then I am also mad I seem to remember the Anderlecht game was also very wet, or perhaps I am mixing the two up, weather wise.

Funny you recall the rain but not the match and the result. We won 5-1 at home!!! I was there, brilliant night (l don't recall the weather though). That was the most disappointing European run, because we ended up going out to Newcastle on away goals, after 2 draws. To lose on away goals is bad enough but against another English team and without losing either game was a bit of a ****er.

I guess there must be 2 different people called Steve Claridge

You are clearly falling for the spin. He has just had 2 weeks break, and like the rest of the squad who were not on international duty he was given time off by the coach. Agreed he may not be able to play 7 in 21, but in that case play him in the first, when the other experienced CB is out, see how it goes and then maybe revise the plan. Crass stupidity to plan for this by dropping the guy for the first game, and have 2 kids debut at CB. Better plan would have been to partner perry with either Cork or Ollie, then bring the other kid in for the second game if necessary.

Can't say I heard 5Live yesterday, but if people could put their anti-skate hatred to one side, they would actually find that Claridge is one of the better co-commentators, and is almost always very complimentary towards Saints, despite the abuse he gets. We lost 4-1 yesterday, what i saw on Sky was diabolical in the main, who can say Claridge was wrong to be critical. Sometimes the truth hurts, especially when you cannot see past your blind hatred.

How can you possibly claim Bennett was either an old head or experienced? He is neither. Was probably the worst player ever to pull on a Saints shirt in his first game (and no I am not forgetting Ali Dia). Came on and looked OK when playing alongside an experienced CB. Bennett was certainly not the person we needed. Lucketti may have been a different kettle of fish. But the real answer to "Who?" which Derry initially posed, was Gregory Vignal. He fitted the criteria of being experienced and young and in the latter half of last season was beginning to look class. Whats more he proved more than capable in dead ball situations. We should have kept Greg, thus allowing Drew to play in MF (probably instead of Gillett who is lightweight). With Spiderman and the other new Frenchy as well he would probably have fitted well.

Interesting picture on Wiki of Theo, looks like someone is out to get him, a four-pronged attack from behind http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Theo_Walcott_3.jpg/225px-Theo_Walcott_3.jpg

I think Saints will win 2-1. Then Bernie and Flavio will complain to the officials, and the match will be awarded to Ferrari.

Agreed, I was only commenting on the sense of the deal that Crouch did in the circumstances, not whether it was good for any other reason. The original deal by Lowe was actually quite remarkable considering Theo could have gone for a tribunal fee (though much of that was down to Theo and his parents who tried to do the decent thing and acted very honourably). Just getting £5m was a good deal. The rest was a gamble, pure and simple, and as you say, because of the bad decisions made by many, including Lowe, Wilde and Crouch (not to mention Redknapp) we are in the mess we are in, and thus the gamble did not pay off.

Sorry, but thats totally incorrect. Swindon received a 5 figure fee from Saints when Theo was sold on to Arsenal. It was reported up here in Wiltshire that the then Swindon manager (can't for the life of me recall who it was, they have even more than us), personally thanked Mr Lowe for forwarding the cheque to Swindon without being asked. A bit of a windfall at the time (so much for the crass comment by the Scooby Troll who demonstrates once again that he knows nothing about Lowe or anything else for that matter).

Basically agreed, I think I already posted this earlier, the only thing I think is that it was £1m for each 10 appearances, so possibly we may have received a payment at the earliest in about 1 years time when the WC Groups stages end (assuming Theo plays in all 10 qualifiers). Fact still is, its no good having a future payment schedule if we go under bfore those payments are due. Crouch did a good job renegotiating the deal (assuming he did), otherwise as Lowe as pointed out we would be in a worse financial position now than we are actually in, and that basically means we would be in Admin reading between the lines. I sincerely hope it doesn't happen, but Theo could get injured tomorrow and not play again this season, then where would stage payments be. I prefer jam today.

Something we would not see a penny of until Theo has played another 8 competitive games for England. So thats about another 2 years at best (assuming he plays every WC match). If we qualify we may have seen another mill about 2 years later again, perhaps a little less. Still looks like a good deal by Crouch to me, despite what Scooby the Troll tries to imply. If not for Crouch and this deal we may not have even been around for these payments if Lowe and Wilde are to be believed. Still, fair play to the lad whatever the ins and outs of the deal. Just shows what gormless ****s Sven and Maclaren were not playing him. At least Capello has the balls to replace Becks with Walcott. Hopefully this will bring Beck's retirement forward and accelerate his interest in buying a club that invests in youth

Do the FlyBe logos come off in the wash when the players wash their kits? Do they have to iron it as well? This is a pressing matter, I think we should be told.

No :confused: Never really looked closely before, but I really did think the one 2nd from left was Golac. If thats Mick then its a terrible picture. I wish I hadn't posted now, rather embarrassing... New banner required urgently to save old fogies like me with fading eyesight from further shame

I worry about any bloke who cares whether a man looks better with or without hair. Is there something you want to make public?