Graffito

So apparently it was all great when we were at the Dell and it's been all downhill since we moved to SMS. Our decline is all because we moved from the Dell and if we'd stayed, by implication, we'd have carried on winning the FA Cup (once, 33 years ago), finishing runners up (once 25 years ago) and qualifying regularly for Europe (what?). What a load of cr*p. It makes a nice neat story to fill half a column but it's complete cobblers.

West Ham should have been deducted points and relegated, that's what has happened to smaller clubs that have cheated, like Luton. It would also have been a more definite punishment and more likely have brought an end to the affair. West Ham have been heavily fined, yes, but the ruling has opened up a can of worms with these further claims and the whole situation is untenable and could rumble on indefinitely. I went to West Ham v West Brom on Monday night. If they play like that next season and with their poor financial situation they are going down anyway.

Thanks to Bergerac for advising this match was being shown. I watched a recording of it last night and loved every minute. It's hard to believe it was 30 years ago. I was at the match in the top tier behind the goal. I'd forgotten most of what happened on the day but the memories came flooding back, especially the two great goals Saints scored. Brilliant.

I didn't see the game so can't comment on Surman's performance last night but I've read this thread and the range of opinions on Surman goes from "no future in football" to, by inference, the opinions of Stuart Pearce and apparently David Moyes and Martin O'Neill, who've all had some success. Whenever I've seen Surman play he's done well for us this year and is one of our more skilful players. By all accounts he had an off night last night but let's not write the lad off. He's a Saints fan too so he knows the score. MoM on Saturday I hope.

You say this from the safety of Maggie Philbin's coal bunker.

Criticism's fair enough if it's constructive. I remember the criticism of Paterson and it was premature to say the least given he'd played just a handful of games. It's not necessarily to do with age either. Last season it was rare to hear anyone with a good word to say about Euell. OK, lately he's been playing forward rather than in midfield but all of this season people have been calling for him to be brought into the team. I'm pleased to see James proving some critics too quick to judge. I could go on to discuss McGoldrick.... but my point's been made.

“They put on their shirt and wore it with absolute pride. They showed a willingness and desire and were outstanding whereas we were shockingly bad.” - Magilton. Just posted this elsewhere but more appropriate here.

“They put on their shirt and wore it with absolute pride. They showed a willingness and desire and were outstanding whereas we were shockingly bad.” Magilton after tonight.

To be fair I like his altitude.

Just keep on keeping on old son (of Bob).

Weyhey. I love this football malarkey.

I saw the goal on SSN. He showed great tenacity and desire to win the ball in midfield in the 88th minute and a cool finish.

Got to be OWTS hasn't it? It could be the poor sound quality but I find the PA, whether music or commentary, very irritating. It interferes with the atmosphere in the crowd, whereas a good slow rendition of OWTS would get the crowd going, as Bubbles does at WHU and Glory Glory etc does at Tottenham.

One difference between now and the relegation battles in the top division which could work in our favour is that the standard of the Championship is generally reckoned to be more even than in the Premier League. Put another way, would we have beaten a top four team in the Premiership two weeks running when in the bottom three? This may give an in form, confident side a better chance of picking up points. I'm hoping anyway.

The answer to the question posed by the original poster is "no". Whereas there may be an element of outcome bias in some of what's now being posted - because we now know the decision to go with youth and with an unkown manager didn't work - it looked to some on here at the time a high risk strategy. It's claimed e.g. Mike Richards recently, that the strategy was based on economic necessity. Would Lowe have pursued this strategy if the club had been financially stronger? I think he might. Finance was only part of the reason. The strategy fits with Lowe's views on the "Gaffer Culture", on turning "raw material" into players he can sell on for a profit and also he wasted scarce resources on more youngsters that have played few or no games for the first team when the money could have been used to keep a striker or bring in some experience.

False optimism - no. Misplaced optimism - maybe. We need to see over the next two games whether the previous two very encouraging performances amount to a dead cat bounce or whether we're on our on the up.

1-1.

1-1.

I agree with you. A supporter on the Board should not be viewed as an end in itself. One member one vote, as with Barcelona, would be a major step forward. However, I would call this a democratic approach rather than a socialist approach.

Isn't it about time we put Mary to bed and focussed on a rather important match tomorrow?

I get a whiff of something and it's not info.

To hell and back, even when I don't do the 240 mile round trip.

Why can we suddenly afford to play Saga ? Because somebody has suddenly realised we can't afford not to play him.

If this season plays out as I fear it might, Lowe's biggest mistake will be the so called total football experiment. I can see the rationale behind playing the younger players, given the club's circumstances and I admit to having been impressed with early season performances. But the problem was always going to be in the execution of Lowe's strategy, in particular selecting the right manager, an area in which I'm afraid Lowe has previous. This was a high risk strategy, a gamble with the club's future which shouldn't have been taken.

You gourmets are well out of context. If all you can talk about is bacon then we Saints fans deserve what we get.