Roman

All we need now is for Cortese to start posting on here as Tommac Mk 2.

“Rejoice! Just rejoice at that news,” to quote a certain politician celebrating 907 deaths in the South Atlantic. By the way, to all the simpering Tory boys: who exactly was it that toppled this supposedly “greatest leader of all time” from her perch and reduced her to a tearful, humiliated wreck? Surely not anyone in the Maggie-is-our-hero, how-dare-anyone-say-a-cross-word, Tory Party…

I think he means administration. As to the second question, who knows? To be perfectly honest (and not that it matters), I'm beginning to think that all that can be said, has been said - on administration, Lowe, Wilde, the fate of the club, etc. For this and other reasons which I've explained to the mods, I'm not going to be posting here any more. I'll still go to as many games as I can, and keep hoping we find some way out of this desperate quagmire that leaves everyone at least a little happier. Bye!

I hate to bring this up, but Pompey's richly deserved misfortune could effectively rebound on us. They won't be the only ones in the prem struggling to cope with the pressure of debts. And this will mean a depressed transfer market in January. If it's Lowe's ambition to sell off Lallana, Schneiderlin and/or Surman at top dollar to stay one step ahead of Barclays, he may be sorely disappointed. If we lose them, it could be very cheaply.

No, I don't think he does it out of spite either, Nick. I think he does it out of short-term business necessity, but is seemingly unprepared to look at the longer term (which could be just the end of this season) damage. Nor is he prepared, evidently, to heed the warning from his own coach. He could also be selling them as their values are still rising - in other words, we'll miss out on something like their real worth once they've had a half-decent run in the team (well at least with Lallana and Schneiderlin, anyway) It is, in other words, a junkie mentality. Get the relief from the quick fix, and the rest can be put off until tomorrow.

Well unfortunately I suspect we're going to be able to test whether you're right or wrong in a very practical way, if Lallana, Surman and Schneiderlin are sold in the January transfer window. My hunch, based on the fairly uncontroversial theory that they are three very talented young players, is that we will suffer badly, possibly terminally as far as the CCC is concerned. Personally, I'd rather we didn't get into this little chemistry experiment because I can hear the 'kaboom' from here.

I think you have to look not just at the fact that other clubs do it - which clearly they do - but the extent to which we do it, compared to them. There's a hard, quantitative difference between sales made by, say, Cardiff or Crystal Palace, and us. We have tended to use the academy as a production line for 'asset sales'. They have not, even though they've had to part with the most talented of their young players. The question for many fans (and even, quite explicitly, from JP) is: when are we ever going to have a team settled enough to start looking upwards towards one of the top-six places, rather than bumping along with yet another batch of new faces that have to be integrated - a process that Wotte perceptively said 'takes months'. Come January, I fear you'll see all too clearly what I mean, given dark the mutterings associated with the release of the financials the other day.

This kind of thread makes me nervous. For reasons unfathomed, higher-ups at the club seem to read this forum (and appear overly sensitive to certain things said on here). When they're making noises about 'asset sales', and at a time when Surman, Schneiderlin and Lallana are starting to emerge as a golden midfield, I fear it gives them some unnecessary ammunition for selling one or all of them - and very soon. We have to keep hold of these players in January - somehow, anyhow.

I think his first name is Wayne.

Not necessarily so. I'm old enough to have seen Ron Davies at my first Saints match, and I voted Bridge. It's such a shame he's wasted years in the Chelsea reserves, because he was absolutely superb for us on that unbroken run of appearances.

Another vote for Cork, who is a top Prem player in the making, without question.

I'm willing to bet with you that the same thing happens to Terry Paine as happened to his career during the 66 World Cup (although I'm sure it'll hurt him a little less). Not that I don't think he was both a great player and a Saints hero. But let's save this battle for later - should be interesting....

Let's hope that's the case, but we simply can't know until the end of the season. Relegation would be just as disastrous financially as it was the first time around - if not more so.

Perhaps we can have a full fixture list of teams we want to win and lose against?

So, as I thought, included in the 'other lot' is the present lot. In fact, you're going further - and saying that the WORST offender among the other lot is one of the present lot. Thanks. Just checking.

As things have developed in the last week or so, I wonder if LS would reconsider his original argument? Any change of regime hoped for by administration alone is likely to founder of Lowe's willingness to sell just as emerging players' reputations peak. That means Lallana, Schneiderlin and Surman are the new models shuffled to the front of the shop window. Although I'm only guessing, falling gates have, if anything, only encouraged Lowe to cast a beady eye on these 'assets'. The idea that come the end of January we'll be without all three doesn't bear thinking about. From Lowe's point of view, it could be ALL he's thinking about - especially as it seems from the fine print of the accounts that Barclays are looking for a swift reduction in the overdraft. FWIW, Lowe would go up in my estimation enormously if he reisisted the temptation. I'm not going to bet the mortgage on it, though.

Odd that BWP is now one of the senior players. And interesting that the press is beginning to pick up on the sheer quality of our midfield trio of Lallana, Schneiderlin and Surman. Rupes should gain some kudos from even his strongest critics if he manages to hold on to them and gives JP the means to build the team around them.

You really think we're going to get more points from two home games than three away?

Let's try and be both precise and honest here: who are 'the other lot', which players did they gamble on, how much, and when?

Wasn't Peach the main penalty taker in the 70s? Anyway, Bridge still gets my vote. As the team takes shape, I get the feeling we're going to need a few 'modern' footballers to offset the bias towards vintage ones, and this is one of those positions where I think there's genuine competition.

I've just discovered one of those BNP m*therf*ckers on my street. This is the kind of stuff he posts on BNP forums: "I'm already 34 yrs old and I feel I have nothing left to live for except to kill my enemies. White woman already treat me as if I'm too old for consideration and that's a result of jew propaganda. I should be in the prime of my life, with a wife, children, a successful business, a beautiful home, cars and a happy life. Instead, I'm insanely angry everyday, and all my joy has been sucked out of me. I live day to day, holding on by a thread, because I know it won't be long before the plug is pulled and another sick war will be waged by the manipulation of the jews and their secret societies. At that point, my rage will be unleashed and God help anybody that gets in my way! I'm screaming bloody vengengeance and will have no mercy on anyone I think was happy in this sick "democracy" we've been told we live in! At this point, I do't really care if I live or die, I just want a resolution to this madness, one way or the other. Either we regain our independence as pro-whites, or I'm ready to die now. I feel like such an alien even amongst many (non-racial) whites. My character, my beliefs and interests are so different than your average white lemming that I find it very difficult to socialize anymore. So, what can I do? I wait anxiously for ankle-high blood in the streets." Lovely.

Probably the best we could have hoped for...assuming we score, because they certainly will.

Good grief, I really hope you're not a lawyer, although your ability to avoid most of the issues I raised suggests that you might be - as is your quaintly prostrate acceptance of a piece of legislation derided by pretty much every sentient legal commentator. What do other countries have to do with it? I'm aghast that you need to ask. Re-read my post if you can be bothered and it might be clearer. And you still haven't answered my initial question. 10 to 15 years is long enough, surely. Quote one case. Just one. And while you're at it, find one respected legal commentator to defend British libel law.

Wasn't it Martin Samuel in the Times? Or has Rupes been at it again?

First, most clubs would be loathe to take action against their own supporters for reasons that should hardly need spelling out. Second, what you call 'getting away with it' in most other countries falls under the categories either of fair comment or what the Americans call First Amendment rights. It is assumed in most civilised countries that people in public positions should be subject to scrutiny and criticism, even if it is uncomfortable. If a 13th century law is still on the statute book and is used and abused routinely now by libel tourists from abroad, and is just as routinely condemned by just about every serious legal thinker, what does that tell you? But to repeat my initial question: can you tell me of a single libel case that has gone to court?