OnTheCross

So sad to hear this. Like others, I had hoped he would make a trip over. Everyone I've ever heard talk about him has considered him a legend.

combination of money, prestige, sponsorship (more money), champions league footy and international recognition, rather than any particular one I'd have thought. Hopefully, there will come a point where Saints are doing well enough that youngsters see that getting regular footy with us as opposed to being a bit part in another squad makes much more of a difference in terms of their ambition. Perhaps we can also use dvds of players whose careers stuttered, stalled an lost that potential to youngsters to show them it's not always the best move in the longer term. We'll have to see how things pan out for Walcott and AOC.

I'm not really sure that chucking £30M is enough to guarantee anything really, let alone top six. Liverpool finished 7th and they even nabbed Coutinho from us. I imagine they've spent a lot more than that. Below them, West Brom and Swansea haven't nipped out and spent zillions on world class talent, but make good use of what they have. They build their squad over some years. Getting to near safety, and being able to push on consistently would get us to that sort of level. Getting that consistency, and having the options and support available to do that may prove to be a better bet than blowing the pennies on a couple of new faces. The league is that close. If the players we have aren't capable of that, then it's going to take more that a season to change the faces around. If Ramirez and Shaw are sold (and we don't get him back on loan) then that's another two important first squad players we then have to take a chance on getting. Lots of ifs in suggesting what we actually need. Will Mayuka, Rodriguez, Ramirez, Lallana improve? Will Forren make it into the plans or will he be quietly shuffled off towards the exit? If the management decide that they are good enough then that's providing more choice at centre half and also giving Lambert a bit more support.

Rank Xerox - but only when we're going for that Champions League spot in it, in a couple of seasons. Wouldn't want my childhood memories tarnished Beyond that, it can get mixed up a bit, just as the club have done in the past. I'm not a huge fan of just the stripes though.

Home- Away- quite partial to the Patrick kit with the white shoulders that followed and the Hummel kit that followed that. Liked this year's too.

There have been so many logos and badge tweaks and changes for many clubs, including ours, over the decades that I find it hard defending it as traditional. Having said that, I've not seen any huge need to change it (apologies to others who simply don't like it). Looking at other clubs, I can't see too many where I think the changes have been hugely better. More streamlined is about the best it gets. But only sometimes. And sometimes losing a bit of identity. I prefer showing some history on the badge as opposed to a shield with a swish that has to be explained to me as part of a halo.

I have Man Utd to thank. I'm too young for the cup final. But not so young that the snooty comments from commentators and school mates about Man Utd losing it, every time we played them after promotion, didn't make me support the underdog team.

I don't think "everything will be OK." That's what I take from the original post and I completely agree with it. This will be a tough season. Staying up is the goal and anything else is a bonus. I was pleased we weren't thumped in the opening few games. There are enough signs to be hopeful that we'll turn it round. But that needs folks to show a bit of bottle, something we've not been great at in recent memory. As the OP said, no slating, no booing. Just support. The alternative is that we ditch *this* manager, and go through the same nonsense in the next few months. I'm not saying that the support is to be blind, but Pardew has easily done more than enough to keep things going.

Are both outlooks mutually exclusive? At present, I can easily see us struggling for quite a bit of the season. We have frailties that AP has rightly pointed out. Even with a couple of signings, it's going to take a while to instill the confidence into the team, not to mention coaching some improvements. Hopefully, a few choice older heads will help lead the others along. We're at -10 and there are better prepared teams in the league than ourselves. I don't see this as wrist slitting, or pessimistic, just practical. We've been pants for quite a while and it's only sensible that it's going to take a while to turn the ship around, let alone get it onto a new course. It's also a check to the posts that seem to think we're a certainty to get promoted or that bulk buying a load of expensive journeymen is the solution. Now with that said, I'm *also* very optimistic. The thought of improving the club, gradually over the long term is very appealing. Being able to play the older heads from the start of the season, without trying to force them out of the club is also a nice change. It's not just about relief that the club has been saved, it's that feeling that we've finally got a manager who knows what he's doing, and is being given time to implement what he knows is needed. If that takes a couple of seasons, then that's fine.

Why, that's the most ridiculous [The remainder of this message has failed the fan intelligence test and has been deleted from the server]

I had hopes that the club would be saved from liquidation... oh, and it was.

Very pleased with this appointment. Putting aside the debacle that was Charlton, he's got an excellent track record. Even with Pardew at the helm, I'd be happy if we just didn't get relegated again next season. Demoralised, unfit squad in tatters starting at -10 will take some turning around. Not to mention the mentality of failure that has hung around for years before this take over. Next season will hopefully be about getting the right foundations in place, with some signs that we can push forward in year 2 coming in once he has the squad back in shape. Anything else will be a bonus. I'm pretty happy that we've a manager who I can *see* has done this before, and not having to wish everything *might* turn out for the best.

I'm sure someone will correct me, but didn't Hoddle briefly try 3 central defenders, possibly in pre season? They looked so utterly lost, clueless, and I suspect utterly incapable of changing, that it was an idea speedily dropped. Still, Bridge and Bale as wing-backs. That would have been good.

Common sense with 4-4-2 would suggest that you should get more balls into the box and therefore increase your goalscoring opportunities. It's generally more entertaining and sets a positive winning mentality as well. Of course that comes down to supply. If your midfield is a porous wreck, and you've got paceless lumps as fullbacks, then it might not work. Again common sense that having that additional body further up the park, means that you're less able to defend (unless the team defends from the front) With this in mind, if you support a team with a revolving door of a defensive line up, then the lack of understanding is going to lead to both inability to create from the back and to prevent pressure building up. Having 5 in the midfield at least gives them an extra body to hoof it up the park to. So while I'd much rather have 4-4-2, I also understand that we've no best eleven, not capable strikers, no consistent midfielders and a porous defence. So dropping a striker back at least minimises some of the damage at times. There, a really, really basic look at 4-4-2, as requested. It had to be as simple as that or I'd have started going on about the type of players to have in those positions, training, or transfer policy and that's only going to go one way. It really *is* hard to post anything, without having a go at certain folks. :-) So, while I'd like a 4-3-3 silky Barcelona team, our best bet to avoid cuffings is if we can clone Davis and have a human pyramid in the goalmouth every game. the 11-0-0-0 formation.

does anyone know just how well he's been doing in Latvia? Also, do saints have any links still with Riga - through Marians? He sounded great at the time, but then so many of our young strikers were hyped - Peters, McDonald etc.