derry

Who knows. It has been a massive money spinner. £30m - £35m in the last 3 years.

The little choice is because that is the chosen path. If they change direction it's another scenario.

I'm talking about 15/16 year old recruits not yet at the club, pre contract youngsters, and young professional quality recruits loan/ permanent in the shorter term. Not the present incumbents in the academy. It is the ability to recruit better quality youngsters through the perception of a better chance to succeed.

Interesting point, deserves a thread of it's own.

We are playing them, if they survive and come through, then we would certainly be better off than the traditional way. As there is little choice it may be a side effect of playing a lot of youngsters.

I'm not talking now, but what the present could lead to. Access to quality on the back of greater opportunity.

And lucrative, we were never going to keep them all. The more quality players we produce, the better the team and the greater the income. If promotion was on the cards more could stay. At least that's the theory.

Just an thought. Usually clubs develop maybe one even two players in a season sometimes none at all. If we managed to bring through say 5 or 6 with others queuing up to play, that could really work in our favour. Once word gets out that we are getting a lot of youngsters into the first team, it could be, that high quality youngsters/parents will see the odds on their sons making it shorten, and want to come here. Also players like Pekart/Cork etc.

Didn't have the same spin you put on it. Seemed pretty reasonable except for difficult to stop. Maybe in time if the team stays together.

Dyer has to do it and isn't, for me that indicates there isn't an emphasis on knocking the ball well past the defender and running him. Dribbleing up to the defender and trying to trick him just allows the cover to get in touch and doubleteam. It completely negates his pace. I will say however that he needs to add the option to his tactics, not just replace one move for another. Both options would make him difficult to play against.

I think Cork is a solid defender if a little short in the air. I would prefer him at full back. However in defence of James, Thompson gave him cover, White and McGoldrick didn't. Svennson covers him but the other CBs didn't. This is all part of team play. Being isolated with the nearest cover 30 yds away makes a defender pretty easy to beat if the players are quick.

The Echo is saying JP is considering BWP, Schneiderlin, Pekart, to play together with Svennson who has been given the all clear by the surgeon and is fit.

You might have been in a position to verify Lowe's acceptance, to me it was rumour with a thousand others. Your last paragraph is just about where I am coming from. As I am in no position to know, is Lowe actively chasing investment/the sale of the club?

Because I like their style and commitment, yes and yes, at least 2 tickets.

One of the players in a team I coached was approx 27 years old, a recent GB Olympic sprinter, faster than Walcott or Dyer. He was a pretty good footballer. It took me a while to convince him by demonstration that he was nowhere near as quick dribbling the ball. Once he had taken this on board, he read the defenders cover and hit the ball as far past the defender as needed, sometimes running three defenders with his pace. By using one/twos and diagonal through balls he was almost unplayable. Dyer has pace but it is not being used effectively, that is down to the coaches and the co-operation of his team mates.

Define "argumentative".

No good going up and coming back down. Parachute payments help but don't guarantee promotion. The better the team that goes up the less it costs to stay there.

Surgeon has given Svennson the all clear.

Good summing up for me.

All I said was I thought Lowe liked the job he was doing in football. In the last 12 years he has made no move to move aside, or to bring in influential investment. That as I said, gives me the suspicion/impression he wants to stay. In addition, I suggest you don't try and read something or see hidden agendas in simple statements. I'm not argueing any particular case. I don't like Lowe's public image that much, I hate the way we have declined, but I started in Div 3S, and enjoyed it, hence I have no problem with the rollercoaster that is football. I am supportive in the circumstances, of the clubs present strategy. In any event whether we support it or not, it is happening. It may end in failure, then so do a lot of theories. It could also be the best thing that happened to the club for it's long term future.

Quite a few gave the ball away last night, not just James. I would play Cork at right back, however James didn't get any help, often isolated one on one. I can afford to indulge myself, I can't spend the money I've got. I prefer this years team to last years and happen to think they will get better, even if it takes longer than some would like.

Well put.

I'm not moaning about it, I supported happily in the 3rd div south and would again. I have the impression that Lowe likes what he is doing. I like the football we are trying to play and understand our predicament. I pay for two seats and see over 30 matches a season. I much prefer this team to last years.

No, he's not injured.

What he needed was help from in front, allowing him to drop inside, and the rest of the back four close up diagonally on the cover behind him., with the rest of the team dropping back to fill the middle. I lost count of the number of times he was defending against runners with no other Saints player within 20 to 30 yds.