RobM

Who would you get in to replace him then, Alpine? Do you think JP is a good manager?

So you can't answer the points raised then? Happy to rubbish other peoples opinions and thoughts but when questioned on your own, you can't be bothered? If I said I agreed with you, you'd be bothered. You often raise some valid points, but you'll always be a hypocrite who is all mouth and no facts.

A bit of a few of those really. It costs far too much money for a couple of hours worth of 'entertainment'. So when you have no confidence of a good afternoon out, it's money that could better be used elsewhere. If we were winning games and performances were good, many people would find the money or would be happier to spend it at least... but while we're not doing so well, you start to question the merits in spending the best part of £40 per person all-in.

You have no more proof that all our talent will be flogged off than I do that they wont. And please, tell me what you saw when you read the Saints financial books that makes you so sure that our financial position is as bad as you claim? Can you prove Lowe isn't playing it up to make him 'saving' the club from certain death look more heroic? You seem to know all the facts so please, share them with the rest of class.

I'll see Bart as a good prospect when we win a game with him in goal.

It's not at all bolllocks, it's spot on. We have talent. We have skill. We have the ability to put together some great performances. We do not have experience. You get experience through playing competitive football in games that matter (i.e not the ressies). Our young and inexperienced team will be not quite as young and more experienced next year. Therefore we will be stronger and wiser next year than this. As the original poster says, this year we should expect nothing more than surviving. So if we stay in this league and start next season with the same squad plus, hopefully a wise addition or two, we will be stronger and have more chance of success.

I don't see the problem? I'd be much more worried if JP rigidly stuck to the same formation whether or not he has the personnel to make it work, just because he is 'the master of the 4 3 3'. Instead, he is saying if we don't have the players to naturally make this work, we will change the formation to suit the natural talents available. If that means we play two up front, one up front or even three up front, who cares so long as the best players available are played in their best positions? If the next game comes and others are available, perhaps he will go back to the original formation. In my opinion, a good coach will change the tactics to suit the personnel and even the opposition. There are always members of this forum (you can make up your own minds as to who) that ***** and moan about 'no plan B'.... what do you call this? The coach has identified that sticking rigidly with one system isn't always the best idea and has said he is open to changing things to make the best of the players available

And which two players, other than Skacel, have been rumoured to be For Sale if an offer comes in? Think about it...

Utter rubbish. It's not the manager that's the problem, is not being able to pay a competitive wage that's the problem. Doesn't matter if we have me as a manager or Alex Furguson, we will get the players that match our wage offering. If we can't afford to pay top wages we wont get top players. That's why I have no bad feeling at all towards JP. I'm impressed, in fact. He is working with the bargain basement selection of the CCC and getting decent football out of them. If only we could score....!

Then you become WSS, who can easily knock out more than three pointless posts a day.

Not sure I see the problem. If a Muslim player can fast, serve his beliefs and still maintain his performances on the pitch then there wont be a problem. But if he is no longer the best choice for a position, why should he keep it? I don't think this is religion related, it's simply about playing the best player in the best position at the time. If a player isn't as fit as another and can't perform as well, why should he keep his place?

I can see KD being our player of the season this season, which says a lot....

We only know how to attack.

I'd rather take a point.

Why not? I think it's good to see him there. Like him or hate him, at least he is at the side of the pitch supporting the team. More than can be said for many of us lot chatting away here!

Totally agree. Today is the day Saints fans realise, we never win on Sky

Drink driving. The muffin thing was just stupid and showed he can be a ****, but drink driving is inexcusable.

I'd be more worried if football were not evolving. Changes like this are all a part of natural progression, of the game evolving over time. If the DoF role wasn't successful or didn't work, it wouldn't make it's way into conversations like this. It would be put down to history and forgotten about. But if something works it's bound to be taken on and used elsewhere... survival of the fittest Football needs to evolve, it needs to move forward and it needs change to stop it from going stale. People like our mate 'Arry wont like this, but then perhaps they are part of the problem?

It's a very valid point. But funny that the only players who have been jumped on for their crimes, are the ones who weren't all that popular in the first place Fernandes and BT were both good examples of a popular player who were committed of a crime, and the fans still backed them and said 'oh well, nevermind' But any player who isn't liked so much, or doesn't have massive support, is hated on for committing a similar crime. Fickle? Football fans? Naaah

How stupid must a chairman of a listed company be to pay somebody thousands of pounds a week based on their name alone? What sort of businessman would allow that? Some serious lessons to learn there, don't you agree Scooby?

John can't work well as a lone striker. He needs a second striker close to him to feed off his flick ons and the chances he creates. When he came on McG was playing too far away from him to make it work effectively. McG is a better lone striker, John is a better striker when you have two upfront.

Probably a combination of not having spent enough time with the squad yet, McG not doing anything to warrant losing his place and Stern being a better attacking option on the bench. He will need time to train with the squad before being able to slot into what we're trying to do here. I'd not be surprised to see him figure after this two week break though, as that should allow him time to get moved to this neck of the woods and get a week or two's training under his belt. Would still rather see Stern play though, even though I am a fan of McG.

Wanting to play and physically being able to play at 100% for 3 games in a week are two different things though. While the mind and attitude may be ready and willing to do this, the body could be the limiting factor. It's up to JP to recognise when a player is not capable of performing 100% for this sort of reason, and that's going to take a while for him to learn.

Being realistic.... this is a long term plan, not a short term fix. There will be ups and downs as the team learns all about each other, matures and gets used to the way each other plays and the way JP wants the team to play. This is a new team full of young players, but we are showing a lot of potential that just needs to be nurtured and polished off a bit. I'm 100% happier today than I was at any stage last season. I'm not bothered about the first 10 games of the season, but do expect to see progress from there after. I also know there will be good days and bad days at the office. I'm not over excited when we win and not too angry when we lose, it's a long season and nothing will be decided on the basis of one result. We will not get relegated this season. Equally, it will be incredibly lucky if we get to the playoffs this season. But so long as we end the season in a safe position and end as a better team than we started, it will have been a very successful season. That, IMO, is realistic. Anybody who claims they know the outcome of this season after this few games is either deluded, psychic or just plain stupid.

Agreed, I think we will win more than lose this season, especially as the season goes on, we mature and develop as a team as well as individuals.