Legod Second Coming

Where we have looked vulnerable and where the majority of goals have been conceded is in the air down the middle and from set-pieces!! I know what you are saying, of course, but really we have looked slightly better at the back this year than last (7 goals better on the stats: 6 conceded so far this year in 6 games, 13 last season at the same juncture) and are blooding younger players. But our formation now appears to rely on interplay and 'interoperability', not on traditional position-biased football. You probably saw McG tracking back and tackling against Blackpool? It is clearly the role of the wingbacks to get forward and work the opposition, with the centre-backs, holding player and wide midfielders covering as appropriate. Sometimes our 'full-backs' are looking exposed and taking hammer through no fault of their own, but of the supposed covering player. If we get Harte, grand, but I very much doubt he fits the style of play we now appear to be adopting. Our formation will leave us vulnerable to counter-attacking football, which is why it is incumbent on ALL the players to take on board their defensive duties as well as their offensive ones.

Lordy, lordy.... Look. We do not play 4-4-2 with standard left backs the type that you and I probably grew up watching and appreciating. You just have to go with it and not seek to employ an old-fashioned left-back the like of which our current management team simply do not want or need.

What problem do we have at left back?

By driving around aimlessly? Or syphoning...

Seriously??? Are you George Burley by any chance, or Steve MacLaren...

HLM, I don't think that this is a problem for us. The Chairman wants a team based around youth who play football on the deck. So does the manager. And so do the players. And so do many, many fans, as this site testifies! Design or luck??

Fair enough! I'm not here to denegrate the FA, simply to stick up for SKY who can't be blamed for who takes the cash!! It is madness though that the FA as a governing body do not have a say in how income generated from the sport which they govern is then used within the sport. At some point they could/should have sought to wrest this control from the league (and probably still should). But perhaps time for people to admit that WE are responsible for us having no cash, since we were part of the gravy train!! Which is a salutory lesson not to eat to heartily when your nose is in the trough!!!

At some point in time, the governing body gave up its rights to negotiate and manage the commercial rights to its product - when that was, who knows. My point is, you cannot blame SKY for buying what is available. It is the fault of the sport, not SKY that the money is not distibuted correctly, but thanks for the lesson in the history of football...

I agree that the clubs have the power, but that remains the fault of the FA for not governing effectively. They weren't powerless, they were impotent because the clubs had all the commercial knowledge and brains and the FA rolled over and allowed the bigger clubs to dictate terms. They (the FA) were complicit in the formation of the Premier League because they had not sought the best commercial prospects for the sport. It is typical of sports governing bodies who claim powerlessness but haven't created the enviroment or circumstances to cater for all their members. While I don't know the specifics of their legislation or constitution, I'm sure they could have: withdrawn refereeing support, removed the ability to compete in FA competions, simply refused to reognise the legitimacy of the new league, etc. The FA must have believed that the Premier League would benefit the sport. They pandered to the big clubs knowing that those clubs can sell their rights to the highest bidder, but let the clubs try and sell the rights to play each other and see how they get on in an unrecognised league with their own constitution... It's like F1. The big teams always talk about 'breaking away' but never will while the governing body is so effective at selling and managing its rights. This is something where the FA were hapless at best.

There we are agreed. Anyone with half a brain in his position keeps a low profile and simply gets on with proving how committed they are to being a success at what they do. But being a footballer, he's not blessed with half a brain. And clearly the Lowe PR machine does not extend to advising the players...

Aye, but if the FA sanctioned its existence, they can hardly complain now about its funding or the distribution of cash injected into the sport, can they? That's the point. SKY are taking flack for giving too much money to the Premier League at the exclusion of the rest of us - well that's not Sky's fault, that's the FA's.

Last time I checked it wasn't an offence to take free fuel off a crap radio station??

Exactly. Sometimes you need a LEADER. If our kids simply copy this man's: decency, work-ethic, respect, responsibility and all-round nature, then we might have a team to be proud of on and off the field!!!

A Hampshire police spokesman told the Daily Echo this week: “There was a total of five people involved but we never managed to identify the others.” Probably more of our players - most of them went missing last season...

Good explanation SoG. What is a real shame is that there is no charge of 'being a naughty boy' and/or an irresponsible idiot. The CPS are hamstrung by having to prove burglary when anyone with half a brain could see what the boy was doing was fundamentally WRONG. But seems like that sort of thinking - the difference between right and wrong - is going out of fashion....

Alps, I agree 100%. You can be outstanding and not beat Macedonia??? It's ridiculous. Outstanding teams wins. You can be unlucky and not beat Macedonia but not outstanding - that's such a nonsense assessment!!!

Top, top class, Post of the day!!! Well done DD - the old prozac seems to be working this season.

Correct. Soooo, sooo familiar...

"We're disappointed to lose but the whole of the second half we dominated the game. There is a lot of pride in this heat that we battled away until the end. We conceded from a free-kick after five minutes but in the second half I thought we were outstanding. The players thought it was a stonewall penalty."

SKY bought the rights to screen the FA Premier League. The FA runs the Premier League (the clue being in the name) so it is the FA who decide where the money goes in conjunction with the members of the Premier League. In the same way SKY bought the rights to screen cricket, it is up to the ECB where the money goes. People seem to misunderstand how this works. The rights holder sells the media/broadcast rights to their sport to WHICHEVER bidder they choose and then do whatever they like with the cash. If you sell me a car and then spend the money getting sky-high on a ****tail of drink and drugs, am I a pusher???!!!!

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Keegan is one of THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MANAGERS of the post-war era. Check out his record. And while everyone bangs on about his 'blown 12 point lead' would anyone else like to tell me when Newcastle have ever got as close again?? Or how many games in hand United had at Christmas? He is also credited with playing 'attacking football' BUT in the season Newcastle finished second to Manchester United they conceded just 4 more goals than the Champions. The following season they conceded FEWER!!! Let's consider Keegan's management record for a second: Appointed at Newcastle - promoted as Champions. Appointed at Fulham - promoted as Champions. Appointed at Manchester City - promoted as Champions. Appointed Manager of England - walked away. For some reason, Keegan attracts unfair criticism but remains by far and away one of the most succesfsul English managers of his generation on achievements and win-ratios, with possibly only Sir Bobby as his equal. Now come on DD, you had started to talk sense of late. You've let me down badly on this...

Is the recession or threat thereof meaning that you are spending or are planning to spend less watching Saints, buying merchandise, etc? I'm interested to know what effect the economy might really have on us?

Personally Nick, I think this has a great deal more to do with the economy. People claim we're talking ourselves into recession, well we're already in it!!!! Last month car sales were down 19% OFFICIALLY. I would hate to know what they were really down!!!! Strip our dealers' pre-registrations and I bet a couple of thousand real retails sales were actually completed last month. Discretionary spending among public and companies has simply dried up!!! And even United are not immune. Of course, City will now benefit from those companies who do still want football hospitality.

Sadly, this will not change until the FA re-structure football to place England at the pinnacle. Which is how we won the Ashes back and how SCW was able to win the rugby world cup. The problem with football is that club sides are considered by players and fans alike as being more important than the national side. Capello will have to be a genuis to win anything with England - much as it pains me to say it. We have the playing talent. We simply do not have the correct mindset or structure to win a world-cup...

The problem with life, is that yearning for something is far more pleasurable than actually having it. Hope is what sustains people not possessions.