The boy done well

Just got back. Initially very disappointed and still am a bit but, on reflection, I think that the pitch was a great leveller. It was really dreadful, a point emphasised by Paul Tisdale in his after match interview on Radio East Devon which I heard on the way back.. Apparently they're trying to raise money to replace it as it hasn't been renewed/upgraded since it was first installed when the ground was built. He said that yesterday it was completely covered in puddles of water. As a result the pitch was very very heavy, the ball got stuck if passed along the ground, it bounced unevenly and running with it under any kind of proper control was virtually impossible. I thought Brentford's pitch was pretty poor-this was much worse. Having said that, I can't understead why against a team like Exeter we don't play with more width and ambition. When we attacked we looked pretty dangerous, particularly on the odd occasion we managed to get down the wings. I just don't know why, having got our noses in front and looking comfortable, we don't press on with the quality we have; instead we let often much inferior opposition back in again. FWIW the plus factors for me were Puncheon who I thought showed touches of real class and, once again, Fonte who is quality. AP's acquired some excellent players. He now has to make them play together as a quality unit and take control of games. I think he will but it maybe that we will have to wait until next season to see it.

Heard pre-recorded interview with Cortese at around 5.45 on Solent. He talked about the task of turning round a failing club with a losing mentality. He said that he was so embarrassed by our performance at Swindon that he wanted to leave at half time but protocol prevented him from doing so. Overall, he seemed satisfied with what had been achieved so far and I think I'd have to say I am too. After all it is only 4 months since Swindon. They were a better team than we were then. It's much closer now and with some January additions we'll probably be much stronger than them. As AP says we're not good enough for the play offs yet but we're getting there. Don't think I'd want to swap teams or managers with Swindon or Colchester thanks.

It wasn't a goal kick. Bart drop-kicked it out from the edge of the area. And Whitey Grandad's quite right. He was offside when Bart kicked it . The linesman held back raising his flag until he touched it-quite correctly of course.

I bought 5 tickets this morning for the FA Cup. Our season tickets are in Kingsland Centre pretty close to the half way line. They told me Kingsland is closed (at the moment) although I think I knew this anyway as I'm sure I saw it on the OS. I therefore bought 5 in the Itchen as close as to the centre line as I could get them. I don't really see the problem. Get in quickly enough and you'll get a pretty good seat albeit not your usual one.

I was fortunate enough to be able to retire in 2003 aged 55. I had Saints mapped out as one of my interests/hobbies as they had been for the previous 40 years but with more time, in particular, to enjoy the away games and the various parts of England they'd take me too. What went wrong? By last season I was thinking that I could take no more. While i went to most home games I often left after 75 minutes or so. I just couldn't buy into the "Dutch Revolution" which was appallingly naive putting it mildly and which was to me the final straw of a pretty appalling 5 years. I even planned to give up my season ticket as had those i go with too and was wondering what on earth to do next on a Saturday afternoon. What a miraculous change this summer. It's as if all one's prayers were answered. The old regime swept away completely, a great owner (who sent him?) with an ambitious and switched on right-hand man plus an excellent manager topped off by real investment in the squad, coaching staff etc. Not only has it given me a lift, it's given me back that part of my retirement which I thought I'd lost. Like a kid, I can't wait for the games to come round. My 7 year old nephew's now proud to wear his Saints kit and his friends are coming to games with us and becoming fans too, even when their dads are TV supporters of the "big 4" in the premiership. If this is a dream after the horrors of the last few years please don't wake me up!

Just said on the news that they've been paid in full now "by the owners". Who are they?

Yes-and they also said that they were seeking to arrange a short term loan to pay the balance. Another loan!!!???

Well I reckon, as do those I go with, that the team AP inherited would have gone down again. We were hopeless. Lord knows how many would have turned up to continue watching that rubbish. Even less than the blue few possibly...or perhaps not!

Agree with this. Thought he was very disappointing.

On the radio yesterday AP said he was a doubt for Tuesday. If he's not definitely out at this stage it suggests that maybe it's not too bad.

Plymouth OS is saying we've taken someone called George Donnelly on trial with a view to a loan after he impressed in a reserve game. Never heard of him.

Absolutely. Why not revel in it. We've had so little to raise our spirits in the last few years. That was a great win on a bleak November night miles from home against a team with a decent record recently. OK we're not in the the Premiership but this sure feels good to me and I guess many others too.

Solent have just reported that Pardew has confirmed he'll be starting 4-4-2 again tomorrow

Thought that was a thrilling game. End to end against the team which will probably get automatically promoted with Leeds. We're not the finished article yet by any means and we may have to wait another season before we go up but at long last I'm enjoying my football again. We always look as though we could score a goal at any time which helps to make it so much easier on the eye than the dreadfully dull dross we've had to endure of the last few years. There can be no doubt we're on the up. We were so far down to start with it's all going to take time.

AP's reaction on the OS is pretty spot on and anyway we can't win 'em all-at least not this season!

1963/64. We were oop north anyway seeing the family. Went to Leeds Road, Huddersfield as it then was with my dad. We lost 4-0!

Hmm. Not sure you see it quite the same way as the vast majoriy of us. After years of complete dross it's rather nice to join fellow Saints fans in glorying our recent successes. At long last have a decent side for the league we're in which at the moment is winning game after game. We also seem to have a manager who calls it as we see it. Let's enjoy it and the stats.

Our first few years in the old 1st division and the Lawrie years from the mid 70's onwards were FANTASTIC as was watching Matt le Tiss at his best. I wonder how old some of those are who can knock any of this. He may not be everyone's cup of tea today but Lawrie put us in the history books and gave us the kind of memories that fans of most clubs can only dream of. I rate being at Wembley behind Bobby Stokes goalbound shot as one of the greatest moments of my life-it was Lawrie's team that provided me with that moment and memory and it will live with me for the rest of my life.

Just been watching Jake Thomson on Eurosport playing for T & T under 20's against Italy in Egypt. Never even attempts to get down the line. Just stops half way inside the opposition half and sends in pretty poor diagonal crosses which no-one gets anywhere near...which is rather what he does for us when he plays. Even Brian Hamilton who was assisting the commentator made a remark to the effect that his crossing was poor. Must be something to do with the coaching or perhaps, and more probably, we're a bit short of quality in the Academy nowadays.

Well I thought the guy sounded ok. Credit to him for travelling so far (home and away) and for getting his sons into Saints as our sons and no doubt some daughters too are the future of our club. Don't knock him for god's sake.

Maybe just another indication as to how strong a squad we now have. Gobern was very much on the fringes of our first team yet MK Dons nearly went up last year.

Have to say having been at Charlton myself I fully agree with this.

Hold on! Just try getting a season ticket instead. Works out at around £15 a game in the centre and under £12 if you're a senior. I do remember plenty coming on here to say why bother getting a season ticket because you would always be able to get a ticket without. Well this is maybe why!

Think that the Fuller's box which was presumably his has gone too and not sure either that I've seen Lawrie there since the season started. I am some distance away in the Kingsland but he's usually pretty easily spotted as is ML.