Manchester John

I don't think it's down to systems - more like fear of failure. At every away match, even Preston where we were 2-0 down at half-time, the grumblings were kept on the concourses, support on the terraces is unwavering.

Well said St_Tel49. I agree with practically everything you say. The Lowe haters (and I'm one of them) really do have to separate team from board. COYR!

The logic of the original poster is such that only administration will do - forced on the club by a worsening set of results and plummeting gates. What will happen in administration? A white knight will pick the club up for a snip, invest millions and we'll be Premiership bound before you can say "credit crunch." Get real! In the current economic climate going into administration will be a massive step into the unknown. What if no buyer comes forward? Asset stripped? Stadium sold off and we're downsized to a mid league team with no potential. Or sold off on the cheap to someone with no money and years in recovery. No. the only solution is to survive in the Championship, whatever you think of the personalities at the top. The recovery period might be shorter if we can do that. If even that won't suit because you hate the Chairman, then good riddance. The results at Preston and Reading prove beyond doubt to me that the problems the players face at St Mary's are a direct result of all the negativity surrounding the place.

What a match. We should have been 4-0 down at half time. We looked fragile, no aggression at all, the occasional bit of pretty passing but nothing in the way of goal threat. I had visions of last year's 5-1 and was hoping for a bit more character from the team in the second half. Complete turnaround, although Preston were the author's of their own downfall. They clearly thought that they could hold these kids off at arm's length, but Pearce's goal changed everything. At 2-2 I could still see Preston nicking it as the defence was pretty shaky all afternoon, especially at set pieces, but credit to McGoldrick for a very cool finish. And, how much overtime did the ref play? My MOTM: Pearce - at least he was trying to organise the defence, put in loads of tackles and took his goal coolly. What did JP say to Skacel at half-time? In the first half he looked like a fat old pro going through the motions for his pay packet. 2nd half, teamed up with Gobern (what a great 2nd half), came forward more, was miles more creative and put in a huge effort.

Agree with Badgerx16, volleyed one which he should have headed and took a little to long over a chance which was blocked at the last gasp, but set up Surman's goal superbly and was a real handful on the left for the whole second half. More please.

The only logical conclusion from this is that the reduced crowds in recent weeks have really pushed us to the brink. Admin just around the corner? If that's not the case, then the decision is absolutely unforgiveable.

I used to love his gut busting overlaps down the wing only to hoof the resultant cross into row Z every time. Always thought he played with passion, but not terribly skillful - wouldn't add to the squad.

British Cycling's budget is £2 million per year: you couldn't sign a decent Premier League player for anything like that. Puts the achievement in some kind of context. Cycling also doesn't have the vast talent scouting structure that football has - makes the achievements of the team even more impressive. I don't think Woodward has had any input into Dave Brailsford's set up so far - certainly hasn't been mentioned in any of the cycling press.

There were a few chants of "He's gonna get the sack" today. I think Roy Hodgson got the boot at Blackburn after we turned them over at Ewood a few seasons back, too. I hope Jewell does go, anybody who disses his own team the way he does deserves all he gets - witness Redk@*!p who knocked all the fragile confidence out of our team.

I was feeling a little pessimistic about this as the Saints of old have a long history of gifting teams on a poor streak an easy win - was also my first view of the Portvliet revolution. Needn't have worried, after a fairly even and scrappy first twenty we started to boss the midfield and made some great moves down the right - Holmes, Scneiderlin and Lallana were fantastic today, as was Gillet in centrak mid. Perry and Svensson have got a really solid partnership going, an apart from one piece of miscommunication, Davies is obviously much happier. Two dampeners really: Surman is not a left back and McGoldrick needs to sharpen his finishing up - we should have won by 3 at least. I disagree with one poster about James White, I thought he was excellent at R Back today. Let's hope this performance and the hype it's getting on here will get the missing to start to believe and come back to SMS to get those crowd figures over 20k again.

Don't we have a horrible history of gifting wins to clubs on a bad run? Hoping for better, though, my first viewing of the JP revolution. 1-1

While I think that sticking money on us to win the League at 74/1 is a slightly worse bet than getting the jackpot in the National Lottery, and some of the realists above are probably right, maybe all this can work in our favour: nothing like a siege mentality to stiffen the resolve - amongst fans as well as players. But, and it's a big but, it will depend on us having a good start. What's gonna happen if we lose the first 3 badly? If ever there was a time when a team needs its fans tight behind it, its now.