Chewy

No he hasn't, he's helped us win 2 points. What a load of idiotic rubbish.

The linesman definitely gave it for a push, not for offside. I thought at the time I saw a nudge but will wait for MOTD.

I've been firmly in the boruc camp but that wasn't much vindication for his case! Granted he made a couple of good throws and his handling got better, but it was woeful to begin with and his kicking all day was poor. I'd stick with him for the cup game to see if he improves and in fairness I don't think he's actually cost us any points this season unlike the other two, so he probably still gets my vote, but I think it has to be the number one priority for the transfer window.

The general level of intelligence on this forum has been summed up by this thread. What a bunch of tw4ts most of you are. Boruc is evidently the best option we have in goal. Those of you who genuinely think the past-it Davis and yet-to-be fulfilled potential of gazzaniga are better are quite simply idiots. It's a matter of fact, not opinion, that boruc is better. He just is, so get over it. That said, it's also blindingly obvious that Adkins is not going to play boruc. Be it the water bottle incident, the fact he smokes, or just simply his arrogant attitude that doesn't fit our 'together as one' ethos, he is simply not Adkins' cup of tea. Either Adkins has to swallow his pride and play the better player, or we get another option in January. Or we ship points. None are great options, but for the sake of our survival I know which I'd take, at least in the short term.

This, though I would include Newcastle in the final list of possibles. Given current form and January spending power (guesswork, obviously) I think villa and Fulham have probably more to be concerned about, but I wouldn't say I'm brimming with confidence!

Lambert is in the andy Carroll mould. Surely Liverpool wouldn't have sent him on loan if they wanted that type of player? And if they've changed their mind surely they'll have him back in January? Ridiculous thread and some bizarre opinions. Pretty standard for this place, then!

I really can't believe some of our fans. How anyone can think he was to blame for either goal is beyond me. How anyone can't see from yesterday that he's our best keeper is aslo beyond me. His positioning, his reading of the game. I even heard him ordering his defence around, something I haven't heard in years, and god knows they need it. And even if he was to blame, having a go at your own players? Really?? I even heard some boos for when Guly's name was announced for coming on as sub. WTF????? Call me an old-fashioned type of supporter, but I cheered him on and hoped he might help us salvage a draw. Please don't bother coming to watch if that's all you can offer as a 'fan'. It's going to be a difficult season and the players do not need this kind of 'support'.

My first thought was shock - partly the decision itself, but more-so the timing, with only one day before the transfer window closes. And the first thing I'd like to say is thanks and good luck to AP. One of football's good guys who gave us all a very memorable day at Wembley after years of depression. But the other reason for our day at Wembley was the money and investment of ML and family, managed by NC. And on reflection that is why I can't agree with the majority on here who are calling NC all sorts and saying our season / entire future is ruined. To them, we were always a long-term plan and they have already invested large sums of money. The idea that they would make a decision to purposefully jeopardise that is lunacy, and given what has happened in the last 12 months, also ignores everything they have done so far. I therefore can't believe for one second that they have got rid of AP on a whim, and are now going to start looking at unproven or unsuccessful managers with the season already started. This is clearly planned, and there must be someone lined up. What they need for their long-term ambitions to be plan to work is promotion this season - we have the best squad in the division, and what's required is the right coaching and motivation. We may agree or disagree, but clearly NC (and possibly ML before) don't think AP is the best man available for that - i.e. there's someone else available who's better. Secondly, what they want is for Saints to be high-profile - it puts us on the map, and (they will hope) fills the stands. This requires high profile players and a high profile manager. So logic dictates to me that there is somebody - high-profile and proven - already lined up as manager. So my initial shock has turned into excitement as to who it may be. Of course, as a saints fan of almot 30 years I'm well used to having that excitement replaced by utter depression ...

I'm glad you said that - I thought it was me form a second. And some of you are a bunch of moaning fannies. Take a snap-shot after a poor result and use your 'lies, damn lies and statistics' to make things look as bad as you want (and who knows you might gat another chance if we don't win on Tuesday), and wallow in your self-created misery if you want. Personally, I'd rather focus on what Pardew (and our owner) have done to completely turn our club around. We have a new team, a winning mentality, and all the hope, excitement and enjoyment that go with it. On our day we can beat anyone in this league (Norwich will walk it and we played them off the park at theris), we had an unforgettable day at Wembley, and to still be in with an outside chance of the playoffs is way beyond most people's expectations for the season. We might still be in League 1 next season, and we might have had a few disappointing results, and no doubt will next season as well, but that's football. What matters is the driection we're moving in - after 6 years on a downward spiral, the investment, results and atmosphere around the club prove that we're back on the way up. It won't happen overnight, but I'd rather enjoy the ride than whinge every time we have a slip.

On the 5th December we were 9 points off the playoffs. Huddersfield had a game in hand so potentially as many as 12. Today we are 8 points off the playoffs. With a game in hand potentially as few as 5. You can say what you like but the table doesn't lie and Pardew has not performed well over the past four months. To have narrowed the gap, and potentially halving it is not good enough. Plus that day at Wmbley was the lowest point any of us have had as saints fans. Tool.

Off topic (and I can't start a thread) , but does anyone know a John James with 2 season tickets for Itchen? He left them in Que Pasa with some keys yesterday evening, they were handed in behind the bar.

The fact I couldn't bear to come on this site for the next day or so probably answers your question. But then I stupidly looked at the fixtures and thought 3 points at home to Caharlton plus winning our game in hand at Watford and maybe, just maybe ... I just want to go to sleep until May and find out what happened without going through the range of emotions, but maybe all these emotions are the reason for supporting your club. I'm not sure, all I know is it's very painful at the moment.

The above is what you posted origionaly, the quote is in your reply to Wes, however, this has left me confused, as they refer to two different people, Who did you call an 'idiot' Crouch or Wilde??, as Wilde is not a great buisness man, and Crouch was only in the chair for six months.....Yes!! that is six months ffs, only someone expecting miracles, would expect the mess left him previously, would be sorted out in six months. Apologies, I meant Lowe and Wilde. Big company do last night and brain not working too well. I can't edit the post either, so it'll have to remain.

As an initial response to the points you've made, it is this type of posting which keeps many people from here. I offered my opinion on why many people are not posting as frequently, and you've dissected what I said to the nth degree, and in turn tried to point out how Lowe is worse than Crouch. This is so DULL. More specifically to answer your points, neither argument is tenable because (as I said) those supporting the current board are supporting two people who between them have been in control for all but 6 months of the last dozen years, a period which has seen us be the second biggest footballing disaster in the country. Those that support Crouch are supporting someone who enginered a semi-takeover and failed. Perhpas calling him an idiot was a bit OTT, and I accept he has had business success outside of football, but esentially he failed to deliver the promised investment, caused a permanent breakdown in relations with Lowe and Crouch, and ended up getting voted off a board of his making! Whether this was because he's used to getting his own way, found it hard to make tough business decisions when dealing with a football club he loves or because his ego liked the fact he was seen as the saviour by many fans is beside the point. I used the term 'due dilligence' as a turn of phrase, and did not mean it technically or legally. What I meant was it might have been an idea to check when Wilde said I'll get some investors with loadsamoney that he wasn't talking utter sh1te. Regarding a takeover being the only option, theoretically I agree with you that we could have an independent board, but we we've had a board of execs before, and the key shareholders didn't like it because they weren't in control of their investment which looked like it was going down the drain. As we are still in this situation, I can not see any reason why the key players would relinquish control of their money, so while in theory you're right, in practice this will not happen. Sorry about the typo. And ok, maybe you're not all mad massochists on here, but I've reached the point where I'm so depressed (the hangover's not helping the mood) I don't want to have either an internet equivalent of having a natter about Saints down the pub or indeed the real thing. Anyway, roll on 5 o'clock when I know whether I'm more depressed, or cruelly given hope that we may avoid the inevitable at the end of the season ...

Speaking purely for myself, it's a combination at depression at the club's plight and boredom at the tedious bickering on here. The majority of posters on here just throw insults and statistics at each other, and quite frankly neither 'camp' have a tenable argument. Over the last five years this club, with the exception of Leeds, has seen the biggest fall from grace of any club in England. Widen the period to 10 or 15 years you might include Forest, Leicester, Sheff Wed & Man City who all had a stint in Div 3 (or whatever it's now called) but however long you measure it from we're a disaster story in recent times. (Note - please read the entire post before reacting to this next bit) For all but 6 months of that time the club has been run by either Rupert or Wilde, so whatever way you wrap it up, blaming Crouch for this club's plight over the longer term is simply not a valid or justifiable argument. As for Crouch, while I have a little bit more time for him, he is clearly an idiot when it comes to business and the politics that come with it. He was caught up in the anti-Lowe tide and completely and irresponsibly failed to complete any due diligence to make sure he and Wilde could afford to dump Lowe so humiliatingly, and then dumped Wilde without either the funds himself or investors lined up to do this. Add in his childish behaviour at the last AGM and you can tell he still hasn't learned to stop playing the popularity contest and start thinking like a businessman. This has led to a completely divided shareholding, led by three entirely devisive figures, and a disasterous financial position. In turn, we are getting worse on the pitch (over the longer term) so are now staring both administration and relegation in the face. While we've been in a similar position for a couple of years there was previously hope that something might happen. I think this hope is now gone. Our performances on the pitch and financially are feeding each other in a downward spiral, and the only thing that will break this cycle is a takeover; at one point this looked viable, but our finacial position is worse, we'll probably be a further division down come May, and as evidenced before, the factions in the shareholding make a takeover difficult. Who in their right mind would take us over now? So on a wider level there is despair, and many fans wrestle with deciding whether they can bare to watch. Those that do have seen poor result after poor result at home, those that don't have seen few signs to encourage them back. They hate the board, are frustrated at the club's plight, and would have to be massochistic beyond belief to add to this by reading a load of sniping on an internet forum (especially as they have to pay to engage properly). So most normal people with a balanced view, with no particular axe to grind, and no massochistic tendancies are understandably giving this place a wdie berth ... unless they are particularly bored one Thursday evening and decidied to have a look for the first time in a while. That's my answer, anyway.

Judging by the infighting between shareholders, fans (if this forum is anything to go by)and allegedly even some players, the answer to the original question is no. The question every single one of us should be asking is what are we going to do about it? The fans are the club; owners, creditors, shareholders and players are temporary - we are the one constant this club has and if we continue the in-fighting and vitriol spouted on here we're not going to help our situation one bit. It is pointless arguing about who caused this mess - the history only proves that none of RL, MW or LC are suitable to resolve it as they are either incompetent, devisive or both. And the childishness of all them (and others) at the AGM just highlights it once again. Like most fans, I am utterly depressed, and lurch from thinking of not going to games as a protest, to knowing the club (not the board) need my money; and from wanting to vent my frustration at games so that at least someone might hear how p*ssed off we all are, to knowing that this is not going to help the kids on the park who are doing their best and are not to blame. In order to recreate some sort of spirit in the club, we the fans have to make a start. It is about time we discussed on here what exactly it is we want an how we can achieve those goals rather than throw verbal cr*p at eachother, which is what 90% of the posts on here do. Amongst all the rubbish in here, there are plenty of people with brains and knowledge to go with undoubted passion, so why don't we start thinking about activities and strategies that can actually help the situation. If we as fans can come up with an agreed course of action, we might actually achieve something. At present, we all sound like whinging kids.